Leon Edwards called out the doubters after shocking the MMA world with a final-round head kick to knock out Kamaru Usman to claim the welterweight title at UFC 278 on Saturday.
Usman seemed destined for victory and a sixth title defence after dominating from the early stages but Edwards' left-foot kick knocked out the 35-year-old Nigerian with less than a minute remaining in the fifth round.
Edwards' kick caught Usman flush, appearing to knock him out on contact and stun the 17,000-strong crowd in Salt Lake City.
Jamaica-born Edwards leapt out of the octagon in celebration as Usman, whom many considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, lay on the ground beaten.
"You all doubted me, said I couldn’t do it," Edwards said. "They all said I couldn’t do it.
"Look at me now. Look at me now. Pound-for-pound one."
The head-kick KO ended Edwards' 15-fight UFC winning streak, falling short of Anderson Silva's UFC record.
The two had faced off previously in December 2015, with Usman triumphant by unanimous decision.
Paulo Costa got the better of Luke Rockhold in an epic, winning by unanimous decision, 30-27 30-27 30-27, to put himself back in title middleweight contention.
Rockhold seemed fatigued after the first round with the Brazilian scoring the first takedown and delivered a barrage of body shots on the ground.
The American had a moment in the second round, landing a roundhouse kick on Costa, but the Brazilian hit back with a big body kick late in the round after a timeout following a low blow.
Despite Costa's dominance, Rockhold gallantly fought on and landed a few shots but the Brazilian would not relent, capitalizing on a sloppy takedown attempt to close it out.
UFC legend Jose Aldo was outclassed by Merab Dvalishvili who claimed a unanimous decision victory, 29-28, 29-28 30-27.
Fast-rising bantamweight contender Dvalishvili was unable to get Aldo on the ground where he wanted him but outworked him for the win.
FIA wrong to punish Verstappen for swearing, says Steiner
Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said the FIA was wrong to punish Formula One world champion Max Verstappen for swearing.
The Red Bull driver, who won his third world championship title last year, was asked to do community service by the motorsport’s governing body for swearing in a news conference during last month’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Verstappen then protested against the punishment by giving short answers during an official news conference and termed the penalty "ridiculous", going on to say that such decisions could speed up his exit from the sport.
Now, the former Haas boss has weighed in, saying that the FIA should not have “made a big story out of it.”
“Max didn't swear at anybody. He used the f-word about his car. So nobody got offended by it, in my opinion,” said Steiner, who departed Haas at the start of the year.
"The best way [to handle it] would have been not to make a big story of it. Sit down with the drivers, they have a meeting every weekend, and say: 'Hey, guys, can you tone it down a little bit? We are the FIA, we don't really like this.'
"But don't say: 'If you do, you get a fine, a penalty, whatever.' Because you know these guys, they've got an ego as well. And they say: 'I don't want to do that.' And then what do you create? All this controversy - for nothing."
Red Bull would be 'foolish' not to target Russell, says Horner
Red Bull would be "foolish" not to consider an approach for George Russell when his Mercedes contract expires next year, says team principal Christian Horner.
While three-time world champion Max Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, the poor form of team-mate Sergio Perez has cast doubt on their lineup.
Perez started 2024 with four podium finishes in his first five races, but he has since endured a run of 13 outings without a top-three finish to slip to eighth in the drivers' championship.
Russell is set to become Mercedes' lead driver for 2025 when Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari, but with the Silver Arrows' team principal Toto Wolff repeatedly talking up the possibility of moving for Verstappen, his long-term future is in doubt.
With Russell's contract expiring after next season, Horner says Red Bull could swoop for him to fill a "gap" between their current drivers and those coming through their academy.
"We've got a gap now but we just want to take time to consider what those options look like for the future," Horner told Sky Sports F1.
"And we're not afraid to go out of the pool. You know, George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year. It would be foolish not to take that into consideration.
"There are other talented drivers that could well be out of contract as well."
Russell claimed his second F1 race win in Austria earlier this year and currently sits seventh in the drivers' standings, 11 points ahead of Perez.
Horner's comments on Russell were put to Mercedes boss Wolff, who accused his counterpart of "stirring".
"He is always stirring s*** up on his part," Wolff said. "It's part of the game.
"George is a Mercedes driver, has been forever and hopefully will be forever. He has a long contract with the team."
The Silver Arrows endured a frustrating outing at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton finishing fourth and Russell sixth after early difficulties with the team's split strategy.
Chase committed to Bengals despite contract dispute
Ja'Marr Chase has committed to giving his all for the Cincinnati Bengals this season despite failing to agree a contract extension with the franchise.
Chase, who caught seven touchdown passes and tallied 1,216 receiving yards last season, described his current situation as "aggravating" to reporters.
The Bengals kickstart their 2024 season this weekend against the New England Patriots, and Chase suited up for practice on Friday after skipping a workout earlier this week.
"It's my decision," said Chase, whom the Bengals listed as questionable to play.
Chase compiled 3,717 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns in his first three NFL seasons with the Bengals.
In 2023, he caught a career-high 100 passes, tying for second-most in a season in Bengals history.
He is also one of only eight players in NFL history who have reached 1,000 receiving yards in each of their first three seasons in the league.
The Bengals are keen to keep one of their prized assets, with Chase indicating talks are continuing as their Week 1 assignment draws closer.
"It's a small chance, but who knows what'll happen in these next couple hours?" Chase said.
Chase still has two years remaining on his rookie deal as he had his fifth-year option picked up, which will see him earn $9.8million this season and $21.8m in 2025.
This offseason, though, has seen several receivers get big-money deals, including A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles (three years, $96m), CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys (four years, $136 m), and Chase's former LSU team-mate Justin Jefferson of the Minnesota Vikings (four years, $140m).
Asked about a report that suggested he wanted to top Jefferson's $140m deal by one cent, Chase said: "If I want to beat Justin, I'm gonna beat the s*** out of Justin.
"Not by a penny, brother."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
