The UFC returns once again to the O2 Arena in London, England on July 22 with another fantastic card that is stacked with UK fighters. The Main Event will be a heavyweight showdown as Brit Tom Aspinall takes on Marcin Tybura from Poland. The co-Main Event will see Molly McCann fight Julija Stoliarenko!
Can Aspinall Make Up For 2022 Disappointment?
Almost exactly a year ago (July 23, 2022), Tom Aspinall vs. Curtis Blaydes served as the Main Event at the O2 Arena but it turned out to be a big disappointed for the fans and Aspinall.
Aspinall suffered a leg injury and the fight was called off after just 15 seconds. Aspinall has vowed to make it up to the fans and gets the chance to do so when he takes on Tybura in a 5 round Main Event
Some of the other top UK fighters featuring on this card include Scotland’s Paul Craig, Marc Diakiese, Nathaniel Wood, Danny Roberts, Davey Grant and Jai Herbert. One big name that is missing on this card is Paddy ‘the Baddy’ Pimblett who is still recovering from an injury!
England played brilliantly in the third Ashes test and secured a win to keep the 5 match test series alive. Australia are still in front with a 2-1 lead but England will go into the 4th test with the momentum on their side.
The 4th Ashes test will take place in Manchester from 19 to 23 July and both sides will be under a lot of pressure. Australia needs to win to take the Ashes home while England need to win to make it 2-2 and make the 5th test a series decider.
Will England Make Changes To Their Squad?
England made two changes to their squad for the third test by bringing in Mark Wood and Chris Woakes as those two changes made all the difference. Wood and Woakes were brilliant for England throughout the test match and fittingly were at the crease to help England get over the line.
England will most likely look to retain the same squad as they go into the 4th test but could end up making a change or two depending on the pitch and weather conditions. Australia will wait on the fitness of Nathan Lyon and Cameron Green for the fourth test!
Former UFC bantamweight champ Holly Holm will return to the Octagon on July 15 when she takes on Mayra Bueno Silva. Holm vs. Silva will headline this Fight Night Card and be a 5 round bout.
Holm Could Push For Title Shot With Impressive Win
Lots of MMA fans find this Fight Night card to be quite weak as there are a very few big names on the card. Holm is the most recognized name on the card as the former champ will look to push for a title shot by trying to secure an impressive win over Silva who has a 10-2-1 record.
Now that Amanda Nunes has retired and relinquished her belt at bantamweight, the UFC is looking to put together a title fight to determine who will be the next champion. Former champ Juliana Pena is likely to get a shot as she was schedule to fight Nunes before she got injured.
Holm can definitely make a case for a title shot if she secures an impressive finish but it will be a tall order for the 41 year old to beat Silva as Holm is coming off a decision loss in 2022 to Ketlen Vieira.
Larry Nassar was a respected sports doctor who was employed by USA Gymnastics and worked with hundreds of young gymnasts. Nassar was accused in 2017 by Rachael Denhollander of sexually abusing her and soon after a number of female gymnasts came out to accuse Nassar of sexual abuse.
Nassar admitted to his crimes and also possessing child pornography and was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison. He was serving time at the United States Penitentiary Coleman in Florida when he was stabbed 10 times by another inmate.
Nassar Remains In A Stable Condition
The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an incident had taken place but did not disclose the name of the victim. The Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that an FBI investigation will now take place into the incident as the Florida prison is a maximum security federal prison.
The latest report suggests that Nassar is in a stable condition and is expected to be moved to another prison in the near future. Some of the gymnasts that he abused including Denhollander took to Twitter to say that none of them are rejoicing at what happened to Nassar.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) finally released the 2023 World Cup schedule and confirmed the dates for the tournament. The 2023 ODI World Cup will run from 5 Oct to Nov 19 and take place across Ahmedabad, Chennai, Pune, Bangalore, Kolkata, Delhi, Dharamsala, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Lucknow.
A total of 45 games in 46 days will take place during the group stages with the semi-finals and finals set to have a reserve day. This is a risky call from the ICC given that the monsoons will play an active role in Oct and Nov and could impact a few games.
India vs. Pakistan on Oct 15
India will start their World Cup campaign on Oct 11 when they take on Afghanistan in Delhi. Their next match is a big one as they will take on arch-rivals Pakistan on Oct 15 in Ahmedabad.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has informed the ICC that this game will take place only if Pakistan’s government gives approval. The PCB has already requested for approval and is waiting on the government of Pakistan for an answer.
The 2023 World Cup final will take place on Nov 19 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.