Conor Benn believes his innocence is soon to be proven after losing his British Board of Control (BBBofC) boxing licence earlier this year because of failed drugs tests.

Benn, the son of former WBO middleweight and WBC super-middleweight champion Nigel Benn, was due to fight Chris Eubank Jr in October.

But just days before the fight, it emerged Benn had tested positive for banned substance clomifene, and the BBBofC subsequently prohibited the fight from taking place despite promoters from both sides attempting to force a U-turn.

Benn admitted afterwards that he had failed tests and relinquished his BBBofC licence, though the 26-year-old has always maintained his innocence.

In a social media post on Monday, Benn once again reiterated he is a clean boxer and believes his team have now finally proven that fact.

"My team and I have worked extremely hard over the past seven years to make me the fighter I am today," Benn said on Instagram. "We have never cut corners or cheated the grind in any way.

"It's been really hard for me to accept that people think that I would do what I was accused of but what I've come to realise is people rush to judgement, without knowing the facts.

"Tony Sims [Benn's trainer] has had a clean gym for 26 years, I respect the gym. No one is bigger than the gym! Hard work and dedication is what we stand for. We don't condone cheating or cutting corners.

"I've stayed in the gym and continued to work extremely hard, staying positive that my innocence will be proven and the truth will come out.

"My team has proven my innocence and the truth will soon come out.

"Until then, I won't be commenting further due to confidentiality.

"There were times I feared it never would but we all had faith. I'm thankful to everyone who has supported me through this tough time... tough times don't last, tough people do.

"See you all in 2023, the year I become world champion!"

The Dallas Cowboys have signed wide receiver T.Y. Hilton despite ongoing links to fellow veteran Odell Beckham Jr.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones suggested last week he will not be rushed into a move for Beckham and has subsequently added experience at wide receiver in four-time Pro Bowler Hilton.

The 33-year-old, who spent 10 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, has been a free agent since the start of the season but joins a Cowboys receiving group including CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup.

"Great addition," said Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy, who added Hilton has a chance to play on Sunday versus the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

"We'll get him out there Wednesday and get him acclimated. ... He had a workout. Everything passed with flying colours. The timing is right. He's ready to go."

Hilton boasts five 1,000-yard seasons, including an NFL-best 1,448 yards in 2016 for the Colts, but has not played since 2021 for Indianapolis.

He caught just 23 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns last season, though is only one of 15 players in the Super Bowl era to have at least three touchdown catches in the first 10 seasons of his career.

That experience may prove vital for the Cowboys, who have long been on the hunt for another receiver to join a roster that also includes Noah Brown, Jalen Tolbert, James Washington and KaVontae Turpin.

It remains unclear what Hilton's arrival means for three-time Pro Bowler Beckham, who is not expected to be fit for the regular season after not playing since tearing his ACL in the Super Bowl earlier this year.

The Cowboys are 10-3 and on a four-game winning streak heading into Week 15 as Dallas mounts a charge for what could be a deep playoff run.

Luis Enrique acknowledged Spain's failings at the World Cup against Morocco in which "everything went to hell" as La Roja exited in Qatar.

Morocco, the surprise packing of the tournament, dumped Spain out on penalties after a goalless draw in Tuesday's last-16 clash.

Enrique was subsequently dismissed from his role as head coach on Thursday, with former Spain youth boss Luis de la Fuente named as his replacement.

While pointing to the lasting legacy his Spain side may leave on future generations, Enrique suggested it only takes 90 minutes for years of planning to derail.

"In 90 minutes, everything went to hell. It is clear that we did not play a good game against Morocco," he said on Twitch.

"I saw it positively. Right now I am calm and satisfied with what we have done. We generated enthusiasm and desire to see the national team.

"We have seen it. Many young people and children came to see us at the hotel. We could do better, I am aware, but I tried to take the best players and those who embodied my ideas."

The former Barcelona boss came under scrutiny for his squad selection ahead of FIFA's top tournament, with questions over his preference to play Ferran Torres and not call up a traditional striker option.

The inclusion of Sergio Roberto and Eric Garcia led to further debates over the La Roja squad, though Enrique has no regrets over his decisions.

"It consoles me that the same thing happens to others. I don't enter the debate. I respect it," he continued.

"I make the decisions with my staff. Nobody makes recommendations to me, nobody from the press has dedicated even 10 per cent of the hours that my staff and I have dedicated."

Manchester United, now managed by Erik ten Hag, were previously reportedly interested in Enrique, who will wait for the new season before considering his next move.

"I want to continue training at a club to develop what I did in the national team," he added. "That has been a dream. This stage is over. I'll wait for the start of next season."

Luis Enrique acknowledged Spain's failings at the World Cup against Morocco in which "everything went to hell" as La Roja exited in Qatar.

Morocco, the surprise packing of the tournament, dumped Spain out on penalties after a goalless draw in Tuesday's last-16 clash.

Luis Enrique was subsequently dismissed from his role as head coach on Thursday, with former Spain youth boss Luis de la Fuente named as his replacement.

While pointing to the lasting legacy his Spain side may leave on future generations, Luis Enrique suggested it only takes 90 minutes for years of planning to derail.

"In 90 minutes, everything went to hell. It is clear that we did not play a good game against Morocco," he said on Twitch.

"I saw it positively. Right now I am calm and satisfied with what we have done. We generated enthusiasm and desire to see the national team.

"We have seen it. Many young people and children came to see us at the hotel. We could do better, I am aware, but I tried to take the best players and those who embodied my ideas."

The former Barcelona boss came under scrutiny for his squad selection ahead of FIFA's top tournament, with questions over his preference to play Ferran Torres and not call up a traditional striker option.

The inclusion of Sergio Roberto and Eric Garcia led to further debates over the La Roja squad, though Luis Enrique has no regrets over his decisions.

"It consoles me that the same thing happens to others. I don't enter the debate. I respect it," he continued.

"I make the decisions with my staff. Nobody makes recommendations to me, nobody from the press has dedicated even 10 per cent of the hours that my staff and I have dedicated."

Manchester United, now managed by Erik ten Hag, were previously reportedly interested in Luis Enrique, who will wait for the new season before considering his next move.

"I want to continue training at a club to develop what I did in the national team," he added. "That has been a dream. This stage is over. I'll wait for the start of next season."

The Atlanta Falcons are returning from their bye with a new starting quarterback.

Head coach Arthur Smith announced Monday that rookie Desmond Ridder will take over the starting duties from Marcus Mariota for Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.

"I did make a switch at quarterback. Desmond Ridder will be the starter. It’s a performance-based decision," he said in a press conference.

The move had been expected after it was reported last week that Ridder would be named the starter.

A third-round pick in April’s draft, Ridder has yet to take an offensive snap in the regular season after throwing for 10,239 yards with 87 touchdowns and 28 interceptions in his four-year collegiate career at Cincinnati.

He takes over an offense that is in need of a jolt, with Atlanta having lost four of five, averaging 15.3 points in those defeats.

Despite their recent slide to drop to 5-8, the Falcons are only a game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the lowly NFC South, so a path to the playoffs with Ridder at QB is not out of the question.

Ridder will foreseeably be the Falcons' starter for the remainder of the season, as Smith said Mariota will likely be placed on injured reserve with a knee injury.

Mariota was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week following his performance in the Falcons' 28-14 win over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 6, but he's struggled to generate much offense over the last month.

In Atlanta’s last five games, Mariota was averaging just 157.4 passing yards with five touchdown passes and three interceptions for an 81.6 rating.

Aidan Hutchinson hailed the Detroit Lions' "unmatched" chemistry as they furthered hope of what once looked an unlikely playoff push with victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Eyebrows were raised in the build-up to the Week 14 encounter when the Lions were installed by bookmakers as the favourites against a 10-win Vikings team that would have clinched the NFC North title with a win.

But the Lions backed up that status with a hugely impressive display in a 34-23 win that improved their record to 6-7.

The Lions are 1.5 games back on the New York Giants in the final Wild Card spot and hold the tiebreaker over New York having beaten the Giants in a run that has seen them win five of their last six after a 1-6 start.

Hutchinson was the second overall pick of the Lions in this year's draft and produced another strong showing, registering a sack to take him to seven for his rookie year.

"The chemistry we've got right now, it's kind of unmatched," Hutchinson told Peter King for Football Morning in America.

"We're so complementary right now offensively and defensively and we never flinch at the end."

The Lions have long since been something of an NFL punchline, having failed to win a playoff game since the 1991 season.

But Hutchinson, who was born in nearby Plymouth, Michigan and played his college football at the University of Michigan, believes this Lions team is shedding that tag.

"It's no longer the same old Lions," Hutchinson added. "We've overcome that. Now we're on our way to becoming a really good football team.

"I got the chance to come somewhere and be part of coming alive and building a great team.

"I just wanted to come into the season and learn something every single game and make strides every game. I'm happy with my development so far."

Ben Stokes believes Harry Brook can emulate Virat Kohli's all-format batting dominance after the England youngster again impressed in Pakistan.

Yorkshire batter Brook played a key role as England secured a first Test series victory in Pakistan in 22 years after a nail-biting 26-run victory in Multan on Monday.

The 23-year-old managed only nine runs in the first innings but responded with 109 in the second – the only century of the second Test – to help England to an unassailable 2-0 series lead.

That form comes as no surprise given Brook blasted 153 and 87 in Rawalpindi, with his red-ball international average sitting at an impressive 73.8 from his five innings.

Yet Stokes believes this is only the start for Brook, who he expects to shine across all formats of cricket as he compared the England batter to India great Kohli.

"After the summer he had last year, getting all the big-ups before he made his debut, to come here and put in that kind of performance again was just phenomenal," Stokes told Sky Sports.

"He's one of those rare players that you look across all formats and you can just see him being successful everywhere.

"It's a massive shout, but Virat Kohli is one of those guys where his technique is just so simple and works everywhere. The pressure that he puts back onto opposition is exactly what we're about."

Brook accumulated just 56 runs, averaging just 11.2 across six innings, as England lifted their second T20 World Cup in Australia.

The middle-order batter has impressed in the shortest format for England in his 20 outings, though, with the expectation he will slot into Jos Buttler's side for the 50-over Cricket World Cup in India in 2023.

Stokes does not foresee the pressure impacting the form of Brook, given the comfortable manner in which he stepped into the Test side.

"The expectation on his shoulders coming into this team, because of how good he's been for Yorkshire, was obviously huge," he said.

"But I think that just shows that kind of stuff doesn't really affect him. He's a player whose technique is suited to all three formats, he wants to always look to be putting pressure back onto the opposition, and he's won another game for England.

"[He made a] huge contribution last week, and the hundred he scored here was obviously massive for us in getting that big lead.

"He's a pretty simple lad to captain: he just gets about his business, loves his batting, wants to constantly improve, constantly work on it. He's a pretty easy bloke to have in your dressing room."

Jonny Bairstow's injury offered Brook the chance to take the number-five role for Stokes, with the England Test captain acknowledging he is fortunate to have a wealth of batting talent to call upon.

"We're very, very lucky with the way in which we can replace Jonny, to have Harry coming in, because those two, batting No.5, they both go about it in exactly the same way," he added.

"They bring so much to the team and obviously Harry playing the way he has done at the moment with Jonny not being in the team, unfortunately, it's the best thing you want.

"You want competition for places, you want a strong squad to be able to pick from, and you want those headaches when it comes to the final XI every week, rather than saying 'I'm not sure who we're going to pick, let's pick a name out of the hat.'

"We're definitely not in that situation, and we feel like we've got all bases covered at the moment."

Morocco can "work miracles" under Walid Regragui with their "exemplary state of mind," says former midfielder and assistant coach Mustapha Hadji.

The Atlas Lions, who had only progressed beyond the group stage once in five previous World Cup appearances, are the first African nation to reach the semi-finals following an incredible run in Qatar.

Having only succeeded Vahid Halilhodzic in August, Regragui has overseen victories over Belgium, Spain and Portugal to set up a last-four clash with reigning champions France.

Hadji appeared for Morocco at two World Cups (1994 and 1998), while he served as his nation's assistant coach from 2014 until earlier this year.

The 51-year-old is thrilled with what he has seen, telling L'Equipe: "Here in Morocco, it's crazy, what's happening for the national team is extraordinary.

"It's only been two or three months since Walid Regragui arrived in the national team. There was an upheaval with Vahid. 

"The new coach was able to find the words and the way to bring out the best players and make a team with a lion's state of mind.

"The team plays with heart and an exemplary state of mind. With a coach like that, you can only flourish and work miracles."

Max Verstappen believes it is unlikely he will be as dominant in the 2023 Formula One season, with regulations allowing his rivals to be more competitive.

The Red Bull ace bounced back from a slow start to the season to dominate the 2022 campaign, securing a record-breaking 15 wins to finish 146 points ahead of his closest rival, Charles Leclerc.

Verstappen expects a much tougher fight from the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes next year, however, with the recent regulation changes allowing everyone to be "closer together".

"The others are not stupid. And certainly with these rules, which are a bit more restrictive than the previous set of rules, everyone is getting closer together," he told RacingNews365.

"All teams now have an idea of ​​which course to take so yes, I expect smaller differences next year, but that's only good. Of course, I hope that we are still ahead, but that is not at all as obvious as this year."

Red Bull's defence of their two titles will be further impacted by sanctions dished out after being found guilty of breaching Formula One's budget cap, with Verstappen questioning the punishment.

The 25-year-old added: "Probably everyone is more motivated because of this. I personally think it is a heavy punishment for what we have done, but yes, what can we do about it?

"It happened and we will see next year what effect it really has had on us."

The new season begins in Bahrain on March 5, with a record-high 24 races scheduled across the course of the year.

Patrick Mahomes is often the hero for the Kansas City Chiefs, but he heaped praise on their defense after a Week 14 win over the Denver Broncos, in which he threw three interceptions.

Mahomes and the Chiefs improved to 10-3 for the season with a 34-28 win in Denver, which eliminated the 3-10 Broncos from postseason contention.

The Kansas City quarterback recorded his 24th career game with at least 300 passing yards and three touchdown passes, surpassing Dan Marino (23) for the most such games by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history.

His 352-yard effort took Mahomes to 4,160 passing yards on the season. In doing so, he joined Peyton Manning as the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards in five of their first six seasons.

But Mahomes, who threw three touchdowns, also produced a trio of turnovers, two of which took place in the second quarter and culminated in Broncos touchdowns that allowed the hosts back into a game they had trailed 27-0.

His third in the fourth quarter gave the Broncos, quarterbacked by Brett Rypien late on after Russell Wilson left the game with a concussion, the chance to take the lead.

But Rypien was intercepted by L'Jarius Sneed on the subsequent drive, allowing Mahomes and the offense to kill the clock and clinch a 14th successive win over Denver.

Asked about his interceptions, Mahomes said: "Just three bad decisions. When you look at them, the first one, I probably just could've taken the easy throw to the outside, and I forced it to [Travis] Kelce.

"The second one, I was just trying to burn it, and he [Patrick Surtain II] made a hell of a play. And the third one was bad-bad just because the situation. We're in field-goal range - especially here in altitude and no one else is open - so [I] just throw the ball away and let [kicker] Harrison [Butker] end the game.

"Luckily for me, the rest of the team stepped up. The defense made a lot of stops in critical moments when we were putting them in some bad situations."

Head coach Andy Reid, though, expressed support for his former MVP quarterback and the aggressive nature of his play that has so often paid dividends for the Chiefs.

"Every quarterback that's played in this league a while has a game like that," said Reid. "The one great thing about him is he kept firing and had a lot of big plays.

"You can't take away the three interceptions, but there sure were some good ones in between those, and it's a great learning experience."

Croatia are "living for the moment" as they prepare for a World Cup semi-final against Lionel Messi's Argentina, so says Borna Sosa.

Zlatko Dalic's team reached the final in Russia four years ago, losing to France, who will play Morocco in the other semi-final in Qatar.

Croatia were not fancied among the favourites to succeed in Qatar but overcame Brazil on penalties to reach the last four for the third time in their history.

Now they face Argentina, with the prospect of knocking both South American giants out of the World Cup - should Croatia do so, they would be the first team since Germany in 2014 to manage it.

Borna Sosa was excellent against Brazil. keeping Raphinha and then Antony quiet down Croatia's left side, and the full-back has every confidence this team can go the distance.

"Of course. Now, everything is possible," he said. "We are very dangerous like we showed. If it comes to penalties, I think everybody will have in their heads that we've won many, many times.

"The last World Cup, we were second. We are coming with a new squad with 17 and 18-year-old players, and we are showing that we have a lot of quality in our country.

"We have only four million people and we are showing a lot of good results for many years. That's why I'm proud of the whole nation because we are really living for this moment.

"This is our biggest strength as a team - to fight together. We do not have stars in the team who don't want to run or defend.

"We are really showing a lot of respect to the game and we are trying to give everything on the pitch."

It was Argentina's continental rivals Brazil that had become renowned for their dancing at this tournament.

Lionel Scaloni, though, wants his team to "keep dancing" as they bid for a place in the showpiece on December 18.

He said: "It's an objective. Now that we're dancing, we have to keep dancing.

"We'd like to continue, with all the respect we have to have with Croatia. Let's hope we live up to it."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Argentina – Lionel Messi

Messi, likely playing at his final World Cup, is leading the charge for Argentina as he looks to add the trophy to his collection.

The 35-year-old has both scored and assisted a goal in three different World Cup matches, including two at this year's tournament (vs Mexico and Netherlands).

Since 1966, no player has ever done so in four separate games.

Croatia – Marcelo Brozovic

Marcelo Brozovic has been excellent as a deep-lying playmaker for Croatia, and the Inter midfielder might well be crucial to stopping Messi.

If Brozovic can block off the central space and force Argentina wide, then they might just be able to limit Messi's influence.

PREDICTION

This is the third World Cup meeting between Argentina and Croatia, and first in the knockout stages. Argentina won 1-0 in 1998, before Croatia's 3-0 win in the 2018 edition in Russia.

Opta makes Argentina the favourites (55.8 per cent), with Croatia given a 17.9 per cent chance of winning.

Eight of Croatia's last nine World Cup knockout matches have gone to extra-time, however, so do not be surprised if this match is drawn over 90 minutes, or even 120.

Jost Capito is stepping down as the principal of Williams, the team announced on Monday.

Capito had been in the position for two years having initially joined the team as CEO in December 2020.

The 64-year-old leaves his role after Williams finished bottom of the constructors' championship standings in 2022, having now done so four times in the last five years.

In Williams' announcement, Capito said: "It has been a huge privilege to lead Williams Racing for the last two seasons and to lay the foundations for the turnaround of this great team. I look forward to watching the team as it continues on its path to future success."

Williams become the second team in Formula One to head into 2023 without a team principal appointed, after Ferrari announced in November that Mattia Binotto was to step down at the end of the year.

It is rumoured Sauber's Frederic Vasseur could soon be the third team principal to leave his job, amid speculation he could replace Binotto at Ferrari.