Anthony Joshua launched a bizarre yet impassioned rant after losing the heavyweight title re-match to Oleksandr Usyk on split decision in Jeddah on Saturday.

The Ukrainian retained his heavyweight belts with the victory but it was Joshua who stole the show after the bout.

The 32-year-old Briton grabbed the microphone in the ring and spoke for four minutes in an expletive-filled rant despite it being Usyk's moment of glory.

Joshua's tirade included moments of respect along with disrespect aimed at his opponent and seemed to lack coherence or direction.

"I don't care about strong, I care about skills," Joshua said. "Being strong doesn’t win boxing … skills win boxing.

"You’re not strong, how did you beat me? I got skilled. I’ve had character and determination."

Joshua, who appeared to throw two belts out of the ring amid the chaos, quickly changed his tune and added: "Usyk, one hell of a f***ing fighter, let’s give him a round of applause.

"That’s just emotion. If you knew my story, you would understand my passion. I ain’t no f***ing amateur boxer from five years old that was an elite prospect from a youth.

"I was going to jail. I got bail and started training my ass off, because if I got sentenced, I wouldn’t be able to fight."

He continued: "The f***ing passion we put into this s***, man. This guy, to beat me tonight, maybe I could have done better, but it shows the levels of hard work he must have put in, so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world. Woo! Motherf*****!

"I'm not a 12-round fighter. Look at me! I'm a new breed of heavyweights. All them heavyweights — Mike Tyson, Sonny Liston, Jack Dempsey.

"'Oh, you don’t throw combinations like Rocky Marciano'. Cause I ain't f***in' 14 stone, that’s why! I'm 18 stone and I'm heavy! It's hard work! This guy here is a phenomenal talent."

Promoter Eddie Hearn weighed in on Joshua's confusing rant, arguing he was frustrated after Usyk was "too good" for him.

"You saw the reaction from AJ, and that was from a human who wanted to win so badly with so much pressure on his shoulders," Hearn told Sky Sports Box Office.

"I think he just exploded because he lost and he was devastated, and he's given everything to try and win this fight. He couldn't win the fight, he's a competitor, he's a winner but this man's too good.

"It was an incredible performance. He’s just too good, and there’s no shame in it. The 10th round, the 11th round, that’s why he’s the pound-for-pound number one."

Defending champion and world number four Patrick Cantlay stormed into a one-shot lead at the final turn at the BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club after a six-under-round of 65 on Saturday.

Cantlay had three birdies on a bogey-free front nine, but catapulted himself up the leaderboard down the back nine with birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, followed by a 104-yard eagle hole-out on the 14th.

The American had bogeyed on the penultimate hole after missing a routine putt but made birdie on the 18th after an excellent approach to re-claim his outright lead by one stroke ahead of Xander Schauffele and Scott Stallings.

Last year's FedEx Cup champion Cantlay is 12 under at the top, with Schauffele and Stallings both carding five-under rounds of 66 on Saturday to move up to 11-under overall.

Adam Scott, who led by one stroke at the halfway mark, is third on 10 under alongside world number one Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler was on track for a share of the lead, at the very least, but back-to-back bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes stalled his progress before a birdie on the last after a fine 136-yard approach kept him in touch.

Two-time major winner Collin Morikawa and Aaron Wise are within range at nine under, while Rory McIlroy is back at seven under after four bogeys on Saturday including one on the 18th.

Cameron Young shot a one-over-round of 72 to slip to six-under overall, with Jon Rahm finding his form with a six-under-round of 65 but he remains back at five-under overall after his slow start.

Jordan Spieth slipped way out of contention to be four-under overall after a disastrous third round, carding a three-over 74 with a double bogey in the fifth hole, along with five bogeys and four birdies.

Last week's FedEx St. Jude Championship winner Will Zalatoris retired mid-round after succumbing to a lower back injury.

The Carolina Panthers are expected to be without Matt Corral for the entire 2022 season after the rookie quarterback sustained a torn ligament in his left foot during Friday night's 20-10 preseason loss to the New England Patriots.

Carolina head coach Matt Rhule said Corral tore his Lisfranc ligament and appears headed for surgery, which would likely end his season.

"I would assume it would be a while; I would assume it would be a significant amount of time,'' Rhule said on Saturday. "I'm pretty sure it will be a long-term injury.''

The Panthers made a trade to move up in April’s draft and selected Corral in the third round out of Mississippi. The 94th overall selection was expected to serve as Carolina’s third-string quarterback behind Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.

Rhule has yet to pick Mayfield or Darnold as his starter, and both sat out Friday’s game as Corral and P.J. Walker alternated quarters.

Corral finished nine of 15 for 58 yards, but had his foot stepped on late in the fourth quarter.

''I hate it for him,'' Rhule said. ''I thought he was playing well too. ... I thought I saw a lot of really nice signs early in the game where he found some guys that were open and did some really nice things.''

Oleksandr Usyk successfully defended his world heavyweight champion status with a split-decision victory over Anthony Joshua in Jeddah.

Just under a year on from ripping the Briton's WBA, IBF and WBO belts from him in a unanimous triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Ukrainian retained those titles in hard-fought fashion in Saudi Arabia.

Usyk's second win against his rival reaffirms his place atop the pecking order in the heavyweight division, with Tyson Fury – an obvious contender – again retired for now.

But Joshua did himself no disgrace in defeat, producing a resurgent display to go toe-to-toe throughout in a fight that may quiet questions around his future despite the loss.

The pair warmly embraced after the final bell and together held aloft the Ukrainian flag in a show of solidarity before the scores were read out to confirm Usyk's defence.

While one judge scored the fight 115-113 in Joshua's favour, another had the same result for Usyk, with the third decisively awarding the champion a 116-112 success.

A low-wattage opening showed little between the pair, with Joshua attempting to exert early control through a steadier command of the middle of the ring than he had shown in London last year.

But a livelier start to the fourth from Usyk drew the pair out into a fiercer contest, before a more explosive sixth ratcheted up the tension with a flurry of hooks and uppercuts from both men.

With the fight past the halfway point, it looked as if Joshua could fall away with his struggle to convert low shots – but a blistering combination in the ninth left his opponent backpedaling to the ropes.

Usyk promptly responded, though, and his unerring accuracy just about kept Joshua at bay through an enthralling finale to secure a second successive points triumph.

Carlo Ancelotti described Luka Modric as "immortal" after his outstanding display in Real Madrid's 4-1 LaLiga win over Celta Vigo on Saturday.

Modric, 36, restored Madrid's lead shortly before half-time with a sumptuous strike from outside the area after Karim Benzema and Iago Aspas had exchanged penalties.

It marked the first time the Croatia international had scored two consecutive goals from outside the area in the competition since January 2019 when he completed a run of three.

Indeed, more than half of Modric's goals for Madrid in all competitions have been from outside the box (18 out of 32).

He then followed that up in the second half with a superb pass to set Vinicius Junior up for Madrid's third.

The LaLiga and European champions agreed a deal with Manchester United on Friday for the sale of midfielder Casemiro, but Modric hardly looked like he missed the Brazilian.

"Modric's goal changed the game," Ancelotti said. "Until then it had been quite even. Celta were pressing well, but that intensity dropped in the second half.

"Modric is immortal. He's always ready and always plays well."

Aurelien Tchouameni impressed in Casemiro's traditional role at the base of Madrid's midfield three, with no player on the pitch making more clearances (four) or interceptions (three), while he gained possession a joint team-high nine times.

The France international is considered by many to be the natural heir to Casemiro, but Ancelotti does not want to compare the two.

"Tchouameni has different qualities to Casemiro, but today he played very well," the Italian said.

"He showed what he has been showing in training. Without the ball, he defended well. He did well defensively with Modric and [Eduardo] Camavinga."

Substitute Eden Hazard missed the chance to score his first LaLiga goal since May 2021 when his late penalty was saved by Agustin Marchesin.

Benzema gave up the opportunity to take the spot-kick himself – a gesture that was welcomed by Ancelotti.

"I thought it was a very nice gesture from Benzema to Hazard," he added. "It doesn't matter if he missed it, as he normally takes penalties well. It's more important that Hazard has shown an overall good performance."

Pep Guardiola labelled Kalvin Phillips a "perfect" replacement for Fernandinho as he weighed up whether to hand the England midfielder his first Manchester City start against Newcastle United.

Guardiola also revealed talks with Phillips' former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa proved crucial to City's decision to recruit the 26-year-old.

Phillips joined City from Leeds in a deal worth up to £45million in July, but he is yet to make a first competitive start for the Premier League champions after picking up an injury in training.  

But with Phillips back to full fitness and looking to make his full debut when City visit St. James' Park on Sunday, Guardiola has revealed how he was alerted to the midfielder's quality when Bielsa was coaching him in the second tier of English football.

"He [Bielsa] spoke about him three or four years ago," Guardiola said. "He spoke about him when he was in the Championship. 

"It was the first time I realised Kalvin Phillips played for Leeds and he [Bielsa] spoke with me: 'There is a guy who is really, really good, maybe not now for Manchester City but maybe one day he can play in the top teams.' 

"After he proved Marcelo was not wrong, [he was] promoted to Premier League and national team. 

"The steps they have done is for Kalvin's and Leeds' credit. After Fernandinho decided to go to Brazil, the rest is history.

"We were looking for a holding midfielder and we thought he was perfect for us."

Phillips helped Leeds to a ninth-placed finish upon their return to the Premier League in the 2020-21 campaign, and started every match for England as they fell narrowly short of victory at Euro 2020 last year.

And the City boss is confident he will provide stern competition for Rodri in the City midfield immediately, adding: "We don't have doubts, he is a national-team England player, he was working with Marcelo Bielsa, he's British, that helps in the Premier League a lot, too. 

"Last season he had injuries and you have to be careful right now with the little disturbances he had last week, to try to avoid it in the future. I am sure he is going to adapt.

"Of course he is going to have to know some things we are doing, now is the step forward for him in that position. 

"When September starts it is a game every three days, we will need him and he will prove how valuable he is – we don't have doubts. 

"We know he is an exceptional person; that helps a lot. We knew Kyle [Walker] and John [Stones] for the feel of the English national team players, so he has settled perfectly and so quick."

Will Zalatoris has withdrawn from the BMW Championship after suffering a lower back injury as he aims to ensure his fitness for a tilt at the upcoming Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Zalatoris – who moved to the top of the FedEx Cup standings by claiming his first Tour-level triumph at the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week – was forced to withdraw midway through Saturday's third round at the Wilmington Country Club.

The 26-year-old has finished as a runner-up at two majors this year, following up 2021's second-placed finish at the Masters by coming close to victory at both the US PGA Championship and the U.S. Open.

Zalatoris was four under for the tournament when he tweaked his back on the third hole in North Carolina, and his manager Allen Hobbs said his hopes of participating in the FedEx Cup finale were key to the decision to drop out.

"He felt that it was best to withdraw from the BMW Championship so he can work with his trainer the next few days to get the inflammation to calm down," Hobbs said.

"Will looks forward to playing next week in Atlanta."

Zalatoris, who moved to ninth in the world rankings with his long-awaited victory last Sunday, had trailed leader Adam Scott by five shots at the halfway stage of the BMW Championship.

Bournemouth boss Scott Parker said his team's performance was "unacceptable" after they fell to a 3-0 defeat against Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Cherries, back in the top flight after promotion from the Championship last term, were dominated in their own back yard by a freewheeling showing from Mikel Arteta's side.

The hosts were so off the pace of their opponents that they failed to register a single shot or touch in the opposition penalty area during the first half, just the second time a home side has blanked in such a way since 2008-09 in the Premier League.

That first such occasion saw Bournemouth as the lacklustre team involved too, before Parker's time, against Manchester City in 2019.

Former Fulham boss Parker was stinging in his criticism after the full-time whistle.

"The first half was unacceptable from us in many ways," he told Sky Sports. "We needed to have humility in terms of understanding the dynamics of the game and what we were up against.

"I thought in terms of our body language and our dynamics, we were nowhere near it. Without that, when you're a team like us, there's no disgrace losing to Arsenal, but what is not acceptable is how we went about it in the first half.

"I didn't expect to see what I saw in the first half. I expected them to show a certain ingredient which we didn't show and it was far too easy in terms of recovery runs, getting back into shape and the quality we were playing against.

"There's some big learning to do regarding this game, which is a good thing, but we need to learn from that."

Real Madrid made it back-to-back wins to start their LaLiga title defence as goals from Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, Vinicius Junior and Federico Valverde sealed a 4-1 victory over Celta Vigo.

Carlo Ancelotti's side agreed a deal with Manchester United on Friday for the sale of midfielder Casemiro, but they scarcely missed the Brazilian enforcer in what was a dominant performance against Eduardo Coudet's men at Balaidos.

Benzema opened his league account for the season from the penalty spot early on, before Iago Aspas levelled with a spot-kick of his own midway through the first half.

Modric gave Madrid the lead again with a wonderful strike shortly before half-time, while Vinicius and Valverde were on target in the second half as Los Blancos, who missed a late penalty through Eden Hazard, wrapped up maximum points with the minimum of fuss.

Madrid went ahead in the 14th minute through Benzema's penalty after David Alaba's shot had crashed into the arm of Renato Tapia, the spot-kick given after a lengthy pitchside review from referee Jesus Gil Manzano.

Celta levelled with a penalty of their own in the 23rd minute, Aspas powerfully striking past Thibaut Courtois from 12 yards after Goncalo Paciencia's header was blocked by the arm of Eder Militao.

Los Blancos restored their lead three minutes before the interval, however, when Modric jinked his way to the edge of the area and whipped a sumptuous strike into Agustin Marchesin's top-left corner.

Modric was key to Madrid's third goal as well, the midfielder threading a fine ball through for Vinicius, who rounded Marchesin and slotted into an empty net in the 56th minute.

Valverde then added a fourth 10 minutes later with a clinical finish from 15 yards following a flowing counter-attacking move, before substitute Hazard saw his spot-kick saved by Marchesin after Benzema had been fouled by Hugo Mallo.

What does it mean? Madrid extend run over sorry Celta

Celta had failed to win any of their previous 16 games against Real Madrid in LaLiga (D2 L14), and it was not hard to see why as a dominant Madrid stretched that run to 17.

Despite the loss of Casemiro, Los Blancos look in rude health for the 2022-23 season. This victory meant they have won their opening two LaLiga games in a season for the first time since 2018-19 under Julen Lopetegui.

Masterful Modric

Modric certainly did not seem to suffer from Casemiro's absence. The Croatia international restored Madrid's lead with a wonderful strike – his 18th from outside the penalty area for the club – before setting up Vinicius' goal with a typically incisive pass.

Benzema punishes Celta again

Benzema's early strike from the spot means he has now been involved in an incredible 10 goals in his past four LaLiga games against Celta (eight goals and two assists), including two braces and one hat-trick. They will be glad to see the back of him for a few months at least.

What's next?

Celta are away at Girona on Friday, while Madrid travel to Espanyol two days later – their third consecutive away game to start the season.

Simone Inzaghi praised the resolve of Inter to keep hold of defensive stalwart Milan Skriniar amid interest from Paris Saint-Germain.

The 27-year-old Slovakian has spent the past five seasons at Inter but recently emerged as a prime target for French champions PSG, who are looking to recruit before the transfer window closes.

The Parisians have strong designs on building a squad capable of winning the Champions League, and they considered Skriniar a player who would fortify their side for that challenge.

However, Inter chairman Steven Zhang was reported in the Italian media as having decided Skriniar must stay with the Nerazzurri.

Such a strong stance was welcomed by head coach Inzaghi, who included Skriniar in his defence for Inter's 3-0 home win over Spezia on Saturday.

"It is certainly nice," Inzaghi told Sky Italia when asked about the sudden clarity surrounding Skriniar. "We know that it is not easy for the coaches to play with the open market."

Skriniar joined Inter from Sampdoria in July 2017 and helped the team win the 2020-21 Serie A title and last season's Coppa Italia.

A new contract is expected to be in the offing for Skriniar, who was reportedly the subject of offers in the region of €50million from PSG.

Napoli have completed the signing of Giacomo Raspadori from Sassuolo, with the 22-year-old initially arriving on a season-long loan ahead of a permanent transfer next year.

Raspadori, who was also targeted by Juventus after scoring 10 Serie A goals last season, follows the likes of Giovanni Simeone, Tanguy Ndombele and Kim Min-jae in sealing a move to Naples during a busy transfer window in southern Italy.

Luciano Spalletti's team threatened to challenge for a first Scudetto since the Diego Maradona era before finishing third last season, but they have subsequently been in need of attacking reinforcements following a spate of high-profile departures.

Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne, the two highest goalscorers in Napoli's history, both departed on free transfers after netting 11 apiece in the league last term.

During a breakthrough 2021-22 campaign with Alessio Dionisi's Sassuolo, Raspadori became the first Italian player born in the 21st century to hit 10 goals in a Serie A season.

Reports suggest Napoli will pay Sassuolo an initial €5million loan fee before parting with €30m to make the move permanent next year.

Napoli began their Serie A campaign with a 5-2 win at Hellas Verona last week and will host newly promoted Monza in their second outing of the season on Sunday. 

Mohamed Salah believes under-fire Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is "a top coach", while the Liverpool forward acknowledges there is already "a little bit of pressure" on Liverpool heading into Monday's clash with their old rivals.

Jurgen Klopp's Reds make the trip to Old Trafford this weekend seeking a first win of the new Premier League campaign, having so far been held to draws by Fulham and Crystal Palace.

Liverpool are still in a better position than United, though, with new manager Ten Hag suffering consecutive defeats to Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford.

United's only goal under Ten Hag to date was a Brighton own goal, while their defensive failings have been ruthlessly exploited.

Despite those issues, Salah still believes United present a formidable proposition for Liverpool, shutting down suggestions their encounter could be an easy one for the visitors while pointing to Ten Hag's pedigree.

"I don't look at this game like that, because they're still a top team with top players," the attacker told Sky Sports. "They've not had a great start, but they want to win against us.

"So from my side, I have too much respect for them, and I'm sure they want to fight with all they can to win that game as well. It's not going to be easy, and I'm not thinking I'm going to score one, two or three goals.

"I know it's going to be a really tough game. They have top players, they have a top coach, so it's not going to be easy at all."

Liverpool could be seven points behind champions Manchester City by the time they play on Monday, with Pep Guardiola's men visiting Newcastle United on Sunday in pursuit of a third straight win.

And even at this early stage, Salah acknowledges that would be a significant gap, even if he backs the Reds to recover.

"It could be a little bit of pressure if we're seven points behind City, but I think it's too early to think about that," Salah said.

"Last season, we were behind by about 10 or 11 points, and we came back. So, it's too early to think about that."

Inter maintained their perfect start to the Serie A season by dominating Spezia in a 3-0 win at San Siro, as Lautaro Martinez netted a thunderous strike to open his account for the new campaign.

Martinez drilled home from outside the area as Inter swiftly established control, with Denzel Dumfries and Romelu Lukaku guilty of missing excellent chances before half-time.

Hakan Calhanoglu gave the Nerazzurri breathing space with a neat right-footed finish shortly after the break, ensuring there was no need for the sort of last-minute heroics Inter required at Lecce last Saturday.

Joaquin Correa then came off the bench to tap in a late third, sending Simone Inzaghi's men to the top of the table at this early stage.

Bartlomiej Dragowski made an acrobatic save from Dumfries' eighth-minute header as Inter started brightly, before he Martinez at the end of a slaloming run five minutes later.

The Nerazzurri hit the front when Martinez fired a terrific effort into the bottom-left corner after latching onto Lukaku's flick-on after 35 minutes, before Dumfries was denied by the boot of Dragowski after racing clear.

Lukaku nodded against the crossbar and Martinez turned Dumfries' header over as Inter continued to dominate, although Inzaghi's side failed to build on their advantage before half-time.

Yet Inter needed just six minutes to double their lead follow the restart, with Calhanoglu reacting to a loose ball to side-foot into the bottom-right corner from inside the area.

Inzaghi withdrew Lukaku as the pace of the game slowed thereafter, but replacement Edin Dzeko had time to lay on an assist as he beat Dragowski before picking out Correa for a third goal 10 minutes from time.

What does it mean? Inter enjoy home comforts

Inzaghi was far from pleased despite Inter starting the Serie A season with a win at Lecce so would have been delighted with a far more convincing display when the Nerazzurri returned to San Siro.

Inter have now lost just two of their past 37 Serie A home games, with both of those defeats coming during a costly blip in February this year (against Sassuolo and Scudetto winners Milan).

Lautaro and Lukaku still perfect partners

Martinez and Lukaku combined for eight goals as Inter romped to the Serie A title in the 2020-21 season, making them the most effective partnership in the division.

Spending a year apart does not seem to have diminished their understanding, with Martinez opening the scoring in emphatic style after racing onto the Belgian's header.

Since the start of last term, only Ciro Immobile (28) and Dusan Vlahovic (26) have scored more Serie A goals than Martinez (22).

Calhanoglu continues purple patch

Former Milan man Calhanoglu may sometimes be hidden behind the headline acts mentioned above, but the Turkey international has certainly delivered recently for Inter –especially at home.

Calhanoglu's second-half strike means he has recorded a goal contribution in four consecutive league outings at San Siro (one goal, four assists).

What's next?

Inter travel to Rome to face Lazio in their next Serie A match on Friday, while Spezia host Sassuolo the following day.

Enea Bastianini will start on pole for the first time in his MotoGP career at the Austrian Grand Prix after edging out Francesco Bagnaia for top spot.

Gresini Racing rider Bastianini beat Bagnaia's time by 0.024 seconds to claim his first premier class pole position.

Ducati's Jack Miller completed the front row, while Fabio Quartararo and Aleix Espargaro – the top two in the riders' standings – now face second and third-row starts respectively.

Bastianini was surprised to claim pole after leaving it late but is determined to start quickly on Sunday.

"It's been a long time without a pole position for me," he said. "I'm really happy for the team; we have prepared very well for the qualifying.

"I was fast in all the laps and made good paces; I was confident I would do a great job.

"To start in front is a surprise. It is looking good for tomorrow.

"Tomorrow, we have to be fast from the start. Usually I'm fast in the second part, so it's important to start fast. We will see tomorrow in the race."

Quartararo, who is 22 points ahead of Espargaro at the top of the riders' standings, will start from fifth on the grid after posting a time 0.231s slower than Bastianini's.

The Frenchman revealed he did not feel like he had full control of his bike, which again impacted his enjoyment of qualifying.

"In qualifying, in every corner, I don't know if I'm going to turn or if I'm going to go in the gravel, so that's the most difficult thing," he said.

"My front is moving so much, the bike is moving, and at the end I don't have 100 per cent control in the qualifying.

"On the race pace, we are always more or less good, but in qualifying I have no control. I'm just out of control, and this is a problem.

"In 2019 or even last year, I was much more consistent and better. But this year is a nightmare for us. I'm not enjoying qualifying like before."

PROVISIONAL GRID

1. Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing) 1:28.772
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) + 0.024
3. Jack Miller (Ducati) + 0.109
4. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.186
5. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) + 0.231
6. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.274
7. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia Racing) + 0.363
8. Joan Mir (Suzuki Ecstar) + 0.483
9. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) + 0.483
10. Fabio Di Giannantonio (Gresini Racing) + 0.564

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