Formula One world champion Max Verstappen shrugged off the jeers and boos he received after triumphing at the Italian Grand Prix.
Verstappen won behind a safety car on Sunday, having capitalised on Ferrari's questionable tactics, which left Charles Leclerc having to settle for second place on the team's home race.
The victory moves Verstappen – who had never won at Monza – 116 points clear of Leclerc in the driver standings, with Red Bull also safely at the summit of the constructor table.
Yet after celebrating an 11th win of the season, Verstappen had to contend with jeers from the stands during his post-race interview.
"It happens, everyone speaks to me about it with the booing and stuff but at the end of the day I am here to try and win the race which we've done," Verstappen subsequently told reporters.
"Some people of course they cannot appreciate that because they are very passionate fans for a different team. It is what it is.
"It is not going to spoil my day, I am just enjoying the moment."
Leclerc, however, was disappointed, telling reporters: "Nobody likes booing and I think it shouldn't happen. That's it."
Verstappen, who had to overcome a grid penalty to seal his maiden Monza success, has won the last five races and the Dutchman could wrap up his second world title when F1 returns in Singapore in October.
Remco Evenepoel hailed his Vuelta a Espana win as an "historic moment for the team, my country and myself".
The 22-year-old on Sunday became Belgium's first Grand Tour winner since Johan De Muynck took the 1978 Giro d'Italia title.
The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider safely came through Sunday's 96.7km procession from Las Rozas to the finish in Madrid, which was won by UAE Team Emirates rider Juan Sebastian Molano.
Colombian Molano was the lead-out man, and he claimed his first Vuelta victory ahead of Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) and his team-mate Pascal Ackermann.
Evenepoel, who led the Vuelta for 16 stages, longer than any other rider has held the red jersey since Chris Froome in 2017 (19 stages), was joined on the podium by Spaniards Enric Mas and Juan Ayuso, and put the victory down to his team and how they managed three gruelling weeks of racing.
"Yesterday the emotions were quite high because you could feel that we were actually there, but you still have to finish the race here [on stage 21] safe and in a good way," he told reporters.
"I think we did it perfectly. We enjoyed it as much as possible and now we can really enjoy it.
"I didn't have much time to think today because it was a technical course and it was getting more nervous on every lap, so it was not that nice. I'm happy we survived and that we are here now.
"It's an historic moment for the team, for my country and for myself. I think we can be really proud of what we did during the last three weeks."
Mas the nearly man
Mas and Ayuso took second and third, with this year the first time since 2014 that Spain has had two riders finish on the podium.
Movistar leader Mas, who also finished on the podium in the points and mountain classifications, had vowed to push Evenepoel in the wake of Primoz Rolgic's abandonment, but could not quite manage to do so. He has finished second in three of his four Vuelta appearances.
STAGE RESULT
1. Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) 02:26:36
2. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) same time
3. Pascal Ackermann (UAE Team Emirates) same time
4. Mike Teunissen (Jumbo-Visma) same time
5. Danny van Poppel (BORA-Hansgrohe) same time
CLASSIFICATION STANDINGS
General Classification
1. Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 80:26:59
2. Enric Mas (Movistar) +2:02
3. Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) +4:57
Points Classification
1. Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 409
2. Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) 186
3. Enric Mas (Movistar) 138
King of the Mountains
1. Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) 73
2. Robert Stannard (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 36
3. Enric Mas (Movistar) 28
An emotional Shane Lowry described his victory at the BMW PGA Championship as "one for the good guys".
Lowry finished ahead of Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy by one shot at Wentworth to win the sixth DP Tour title of his career in a tournament that had caused some controversy with the inclusion of players from the breakaway LIV Golf series.
One of those players, Patrick Reed, was the clubhouse leader after going round in 63 on Sunday to finish on 14 under overall, before an even better round from Rahm of 62 gave the Spaniard a two-shot clubhouse lead.
Lowry managed to catch Rahm on 16 under with six holes remaining, but struggled to edge ahead as he could only score par on his next five holes.
He eventually managed to add that elusive birdie on the par-five 18th to secure the win, and admitted afterwards it was a tournament he particularly wanted to succeed in.
"It means a lot," he said. "It's been a good year but I felt like I've been close a few times and I only have a few tournaments left this season and I really wanted to try and win one.
"Obviously this one is right up there at the top of the list. I love it here, I've contended in the past and even going down the back nine today… the bad shots I've hit down the years when I've been in contention actually started to creep into my head. It's amazing what this game does.
"I'm so happy, words can't [describe] how happy I am, how much this means to me, how much I love this tour, how much I love this tournament, and I'm the happiest man in the world right now."
The Irishman recalled the 2017 tournament when he had been in contention against eventual winner Alex Noren, only for the Swede to shoot 62 in his final round just as Rahm did on Sunday.
"I remember Alex Noren did that to me one year, the year he won he went out early and shot 62 and that came into my head," he added.
"I got to 16 [under] and tried to get past that but I also had to worry about Rory behind me because he could do anything down the last few holes, you know how good he is.
"I said to my coach this morning 'I need to just allow myself to play golf today, I'm playing the best golf of my life and I need to just allow myself to do that', and I did."
When asked if the circumstances around the tournament heightened his emotions when he won, Lowry conceded it had been a factor, having been among those who openly criticised the inclusion of LIV Golf members.
"I think so, yeah. I made no secrets as to how I feel about the whole thing at the start of the week and I wanted to go out and win this tournament for myself first and foremost, but I think for this tour and everyone who has stayed loyal to this tour and everyone that's done everything for this tour," he said.
"I really feel like this is one for the good guys."
Shane Lowry clinched victory at the BMW PGA Championship on the final hole at Wentworth, pipping Jon Rahm despite a historic final round from the Spaniard.
Following the suspension of play on Friday due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, the tournament was reduced to 54 holes.
Rahm's round of 62 on Sunday gave him the clubhouse lead on 16 under par, and it could have been even lower had he not narrowly missed some birdie attempts early on.
His total of 29 on the back nine, which included two eagles, was the lowest in the tournament's history, despite a bogey on 15.
It looked likely that Lowry would overtake him when the Irishman also reached 16 under with six holes remaining, hitting an eagle on the fourth, and birdies on the seventh, eighth, 10th and 12th.
However, Lowry – the 2019 champion at The Open Championship – went on to par the next five, leaving a nervous wait to see if he could take advantage on the par five 18th.
Lowry did just that after an excellent approach shot that left him with two putts for birdie, which he executed to seal a sixth DP Tour win of his career.
Rory McIlroy finished joint-second with Rahm after carding a final round of 67, while overnight leaders Viktor Hovland and Soren Kjeldsen both slipped to T5 after only being able to go round in 70.
Patrick Reed had set the bar early in the day with his impressive round of 63, before Rahm overtook him, and the American also finished joint-fifth alongside Thomas Detry on 14 under, with Talor Gooch able to earn outright fourth after an eagle at the 18th.
A round of 65 from Lee Westwood saw him climb to T13, where he was joined by world number 443 Matthew Southgate, who carded his second round of 67 in a row.
Charles Leclerc expressed his frustration at finishing under the safety car as Ferrari's hopes of a home success at the Italian Grand Prix were shattered by Max Verstappen.
Leclerc began on pole for the eighth time this season after a strong qualifying performance on Saturday, but was subjected to a familiar sinking feeling at Monza as Verstappen brushed aside his pre-race five-place grid penalty.
The defending world champion – who could now seal successive titles at Singapore next time out – took advantage of another Scuderia gamble to power home, as Ferrari subjected Leclerc to an early change of tyres.
A late safety car brought on by Daniel Ricciardo's retirement then left Leclerc to sit behind Verstappen as the chequered flag approached, much to the frustrations of a partisan crowd in Italy.
The Monegasque driver made his frustrations clear over team radio as he awaited a restart which never came, shouting: "Come on! It's clear," and was still agitated after the race.
"The end was frustrating. I wish we could have ended up racing. It's a shame," he told Sky Sports.
"I gave my all, but we got P2 today. I wish I could've won in front of the amazing Tifosi we have here, I just couldn't today."
Red Bull's team principal Christian Horner also believed the race should have been allowed to restart, telling Sky Sports: "We don't want to win a race under a safety car.
"That's something that we've talked about for many, many years, that they should finish racing. There was enough time to get that race going."
Verstappen now boasts a 116-point lead over Leclerc in the drivers' championship standings, while Ferrari trail Red Bull by 139 points in the team rankings, with a series of high-profile mistakes from the Scuderia costing them dearly this campaign.
But Leclerc refused to hit out at the team's strategy when discussing his early pit stop, adding: "We didn't know what they [Red Bull] were going to do behind so we took that choice.
"Obviously we finished P2, so I'm not happy with the race. We will work on that.
"I don't know, the pace was strong. We will have to look into it, but I think we were quite strong. It just wasn't enough."
Lewis Hamilton enjoyed a "fun" Italian Grand Prix after securing an impressive points finish, while Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff made a pointed jab over the race's safety car finale.
Seven-time world champion Hamilton started at the back of the grid after taking new parts but drove a fine race to secure a fifth-placed finish, as Max Verstappen secured a maiden Monza win.
The podium always looked a long shot for Hamilton, but he still recovered points and actually found a less trying race weekend something to relish.
"It was a good race," Hamilton stated. "The guys were saying that anything between sixth and fourth was possible, and that felt a stretch for me. But I had fun.
"I struggled at the beginning, but I'm really, really grateful that I made my way through and got those points. I think at the end, the two cars behind had fresher tyres, so I'm kind of glad it finished like it did."
The late mechanical failure of Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren meant the race finished behind the safety car.
Hamilton was not in contention this time, but he lost last season's title decider in similar circumstances when then race director Michael Masi ended the safety car early on that occasion and saw Verstappen pass his title rival at the last.
Apparently referring to that incident, Wolff said: "The race directors are always going to be under criticism, but I think this time they followed the rules – maybe they could have done it a lap sooner – and they accepted the race ends under the safety car. This is how it should be."
With a 35-point deficit to Ferrari now for second in the constructors' championship, Wolff has a clear target in his sights ahead of the end of a difficult campaign.
"It's all to play against Ferrari; we just need to do the best every single weekend," he added. "It would [soften the blow] of this year's car a bit."
Jamaica’s history-making female shooters will be leaving the island starting on Sunday to compete in the Pan American Handgun Championships in Polk County, Florida from September 14-21.
Members of the team, who were feted by title sponsor Spectrum Systems at the Jamaica Pegasus on Thursday, are looking forward to competing in the Production Optics Division. Yeonnie Campbell, Renee Rhickie, Sasha Mullings, Shayon Francis and Kayla Keane will make the trip to Florida where over 28 countries from Central, North and South America will compete over various divisions.
The Super-Six squad had intensified their tactical training under the watchful eyes of coaches Andy Yap and Anthony Johnson and their fitness levels have been enhanced thanks to physiotherapy courtesy of Spectrum Systems.
Team member Shayon Francis is satisfied with preparations going into the championships,
“We will be competing against shooters who have been doing this for years so we started training up to four times per week instead of just twice daily. Our physical training has really helped to improve our agility and speed going into the championships as a result,” she said.
For this reason and others, Sasha Mullings, the team captain, believes they are ready to perform at their best.
“I know we will perform well in Florida and I know this will boost more interest in the sport from licensed firearm holders. We are ready," she said.
The team’s participation at the championships was made possible through a multimillion-dollar sponsorship from Spectrum Systems who will cover airfare, accommodation and match rounds.
Andrew Stanigar, the Managing Director of Spectrum Systems believes the women will represent the country well in Florida.
"I have seen these ladies rise to the challenge to beat the best male shooters in Jamaica and they did that through teamwork, ingenuity and strategy," he said. "I am confident that they are going to make Jamaica proud."
Also in attendance at the send-off ceremony were Jamaica Rifle Association President Major John Nelson and Formula Woman Driver Sara Misir who offered words of encouragement to the women.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was frustrated by the decision to end the Italian Grand Prix under a safety car.
A late breakdown for Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren meant any chance for late drama was dashed at Monza, as Red Bull's Verstappen sealed his fifth successive victory.
Verstappen is now 116 points ahead of Charles Leclerc in the driver standings, and seems all set to wrap up a second straight world title when Formula One returns in October.
Yet Horner was not satisfied with how the race ended, believing it could have been finished properly.
"We don't want to win a race under a safety car," Horner told Sky Sports F1. "It's something we've talked about for many, many years, that they should finish racing.
"There was enough time to get that race going. We had the faster car, we would have liked to win the race on the track, not behind the safety car. We share the disappointment of all the fans, because it took away a grandstand finish.
"It goes against the principles of what we've discussed previously. The biggest losers were the fans. We need to look quickly to address that.
"I think they had more than enough time to get going. We need to go through details, but for me there was enough time, we had a car that wasn't in a barrier, it was just by the side of the track."
Leclerc had been attempting to close the gap on Verstappen, having been cost by another questionable decision by Ferrari on their home track.
Starting in pole, Leclerc found himself behind the Dutchman when Ferrari elected to switch him onto long-distance medium tyres early on.
It allowed Verstappen, who started with a five-place grid penalty on Sunday, to cruise to an 11th win of the season, albeit his maiden success at Monza.
"We had a great race," Verstappen said. "On every compound we were good. Unfortunately we didn't get a restart at the end but overall we had a really good day.
"It was really enjoyable to drive today. A great day for us. It took a bit of time to be on a great podium like this."
It is widely expected Tom Brady will play the first game of his final NFL season on Sunday, but the legendary quarterback explained in a social media video why he has returned for another year.
Brady briefly retired in the offseason and then missed part of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' training camp ahead of his 23rd NFL season.
However, the 45-year-old is set to line up under center against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 as he continues his remarkable career.
Sunday brought a report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that suggested "the end is coming" for Brady, and "this is the final year".
Brady did not dispute that as he posted on Twitter ahead of the Cowboys game, but he clearly still feels he has plenty to offer in 2022.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion said: "It's been a unique offseason, and lately I've been seeing the same question on social media: 'Why d'you come back?'
"I can give you a long speech, but the answer is actually pretty simple. We've got a hell of a team, I'm still feeling pretty good, and an arm is a terrible thing to waste.
"I've been reminded for almost a decade now: 'You're headed for extinction.' And maybe so, but not today. I'll see you in Dallas."
The Bucs are not expecting to get another year out of Rob Gronkowski, however, according to ESPN.
Brady's long-term team-mate with both the New England Patriots and the Bucs retired in June. The tight end has already retired once previously and will reportedly not return a second time.
Max Verstappen took advantage of another Ferrari tactical blunder to score a maiden Italian Grand Prix victory and extend his championship lead to 116 points.
The reigning Formula One champion edged closer to securing his second consecutive world drivers' crown in glorious sunshine at Monza, after brushing aside a pre-race five-place grid penalty.
But the Dutchman's success came once again with the helping hand of a failed gamble from Ferrari, who lost their home race after opting to throw Charles Leclerc onto long-distance medium tyres early on.
Leclerc, foiled in his bid for a taut title race with Verstappen this year, was pitted with a dozen laps on the board during a virtual safety car brought on by a mechanical failure for Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin.
Having blasted through the pack from seventh at lights out to emerge near the front again, the decision pushed Verstappen to the front and from there he seldom looked troubled by his rival.
Leclerc went onto softs to try and trim a near-twenty second gap, but it was to be in vain, leaving Ferrari to ruminate on another weekend where they lost the advantage.
Carlos Sainz at the very least impressed after a sweeping slate of grid penalties saw him cut through from the back to challenge for a podium, ultimately coming home in fourth behind the Mercedes of George Russell.
The latter's team-mate Lewis Hamilton likewise impressed with a fine drive from the rear of the grid to finish sixth, in another affirmation of the seven-time world champion's talents amid a tough season.
A late breakdown for Daniel Ricciardo's McLaren meant any chance for late drama was neutered under a safety car, and with three weeks to Singapore, Verstappen might start clearing his trophy cabinet for the big one again.
Robert Lewandowski has paid tribute to "great champion" Iga Swiatek following his compatriot's US Open triumph.
Swiatek became the first Polish singles champion at Flushing Meadows after defeating Ons Jabeur in straight sets on Saturday.
It was the world number one's second grand slam success of a brilliant season, having won a further six WTA titles including the French Open in June.
The 21-year-old became the first woman to triumph at Roland Garros and Flushing Meadows in the same campaign since Serena Williams in 2013.
Swiatek and Lewandowski are among the pre-eminent Polish sports stars of this generation and shared an embrace on Court Philippe Chatrier following the former's success in Paris.
The Barcelona striker, who was on target in the Blaugrana's 4-0 win at Cadiz this weekend, celebrated his compatriot's latest victory, hailing the 10th WTA title of her career on social media.
"Congratulations Iga!" he tweeted. "You're a great champion, and you've proven it yet again on the biggest stage. I am so happy for you."
Lamar Jackson turned down a new contract worth around $250million due to a lack of fully guaranteed money, according to reports.
The Baltimore Ravens and quarterback Jackson ended negotiations for a long-term contract extension prior to Sunday's kick off of the new NFL season.
Jackson will play for just over $23m on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract, having previously said he would not continue to negotiate during the season.
"Despite best effort on both sides, we were unable to reach a contract extension with Lamar Jackson," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said in a statement on Friday.
While talks will resume next offseason, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that while the offer to Jackson "eclipsed" the $242.5m one handed to Russell Wilson by the Denver Broncos earlier this year, "fully guaranteed money is believed to be at the heart of the issue".
Rapoport's sources also indicated the offer "fell short of the $230m, fully guaranteed deal that Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson received after Cleveland traded for Watson in March", and it is understood Watson's deal was the barometer used by Jackson in negotiations.
ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported on the deal, stating his sources believe Jackson turned down an offer worth around $250m.
The 2019 NFL MVP negotiated for himself with help from his mother and the NFL Players' Association, and the Ravens are expected to apply their franchise tag to prevent Jackson from hitting free agency if the sides are unable to reach a deal at the end of the season.
Even if no other quarterbacks sign lucrative deals in the meantime, exclusively tagging Jackson would cost the Ravens $45.4m in 2023 and $54.4m in 2024.
According to NFL reporter Chris Mortensen, Jackson rejected the offer of a six-year deal, with $133m fully guaranteed, more than Wilson's $124m and Kyler Murray's $103.3m with the Arizona Cardinals, though short by some way of Watson's $230m.
The Ravens kick off their season at the New York Jets on Sunday.
Former NFL stars Adrian Peterson and Le'Veon Bell made their boxing debuts on Saturday night, as the two running backs faced off in Los Angeles.
Bell secured a knockout in the final round with a strong right hand on Peterson, though no winner was declared due to the contest being an exhibition bout.
Having both left the NFL earlier this year, released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks respectively, the pair have turned their hand to boxing.
While Bell's triumph will not be recorded, the 30-year-old spoke of his pride at the result and made it clear this is only the start of his journey in the ring.
"I had a great performance, I put in a lot of hard work. All the hate that just motivates me, it was a badge of honour on my shoulder and I use it to be the best I can be," he said.
"It's a lot different, in football it's team orientated, don't get me wrong I have my team in my corner but when I'm in the ring it's just me and my opponent whereas in football I've got 10 other guys helping me. I'm so proud of myself because I worked so hard to come this far.
"I envisioned this happening and for it come true, I'm not surprised, but I'm just so happy. Boxing is one of the biggest challenges I've ever had to pick up.
"It's about how far you want to go, you have something inside you that says you need to keep going further and that's what boxing brings out of me, this is the perfect sport, I want to see how far I can go, I want to test my limits.
"I've put my hard work and passion into this and if I put my heart into this I know I can be the best at it."
Albert Pujols blasted his 696th career home run to move into equal fourth on the all-time homers list as the St Louis Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5 on Saturday.
Pujols levelled the game at the top of the sixth inning with his two-run blast, which moved him closer to the 700-homer mark, but also tied him up with Alex Rodriguez in fourth all-time behind only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).
The 42-year-old is in his final season in the majors, but was less concerned about records and more focused on the win.
"I don't care who I tied," Pujols said. "At the end of the day, it's about tying [the game] for the team and giving them an opportunity to pick up a win... It's pretty special. I think I'm aware of where I am in the history of the game. But at the end of the day, 21 years ago when I make the ballclub, that wasn't something that I was chasing."
Pujols also had a double and a single to round out a strong game, with Nolan Arenado breaking the tie with a three-run double with two outs in the ninth inning.
The National League (NL) Central-leading Cardinals improve their record to 82-58, to remain eight games clear of the Milwaukee Brewers who won 5-1 over the Cincinnati Reds.
Trout makes Angels franchise history
Mike Trout set a franchise record after homering in a sixth consecutive game as the Los Angeles Angels won 6-1 over the Houston Astros.
Trout passed Bonds' mark with a three-run homer at the top of the second inning, bringing up his 34th blast of the season.
Shohei Ohtani was hot on the mound for the Angels, with seven strikeouts, yielding one run on six hits across five innings before exiting early due to a "blister on his right index finger".
Ohtani's 101.4 mph fastball to strike out Kyle Tucker was the fastest strikeout pitch by an Angels pitcher since 2008.
Harper breaks home run drought
Bryce Harper snapped a career-worst run of 102 plate appearances without a home run in the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Harper, who had not homered since June 5, slugged an opposite-field game-tying two-run home run in the third inning.
Kyle Schwarber blasted his 37th homer of the year, topping the NL charts, and bringing up his first since August 29.
Albert Pujols blasted his 696th career home run to move into equal fourth on the all-time homers list as the St Louis Cardinals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-5 on Saturday.
Pujols levelled the game at the top of the sixth inning with his two-run blast, which moved him closer to the 700-homer mark, but also tied him up with Alex Rodriguez in fourth all-time behind only Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).
The 42-year-old is in his final season in the majors, but was less concerned about records and more focused on the win.
"I don't care who I tied," Pujols said. "At the end of the day, it's about tying [the game] for the team and giving them an opportunity to pick up a win... It's pretty special. I think I'm aware of where I am in the history of the game. But at the end of the day, 21 years ago when I make the ballclub, that wasn't something that I was chasing."
Pujols also had a double and a single to round out a strong game, with Nolan Arenado breaking the tie with a three-run double with two outs in the ninth inning.
The National League (NL) Central-leading Cardinals improve their record to 82-58, to remain eight games clear of the Milwaukee Brewers who won 5-1 over the Cincinnati Reds.
Trout makes Angels franchise history
Mike Trout set a franchise record after homering in a sixth consecutive game as the Los Angeles Angels won 6-1 over the Houston Astros.
Trout passed Bonds' mark with a three-run homer at the top of the second inning, bringing up his 34th blast of the season.
Shohei Ohtani was hot on the mound for the Angels, with seven strikeouts, yielding one run on six hits across five innings before exiting early due to a "blister on his right index finger".
Ohtani's 101.4 mph fastball to strike out Kyle Tucker was the fastest strikeout pitch by an Angels pitcher since 2008.
Harper breaks home run drought
Bryce Harper snapped a career-worst run of 102 plate appearances without a home run in the Philadelphia Phillies 8-5 victory over the Washington Nationals.
Harper, who had not homered since June 5, slugged an opposite-field game-tying two-run home run in the third inning.
Kyle Schwarber blasted his 37th homer of the year, topping the NL charts, and bringing up his first since August 29.
Nate Diaz has delivered a perfect finale after defeating Tony Ferguson by submission with a guillotine choke in the fourth round in their welterweight bout at UFC 279 on Saturday.
Diaz, 37, closed out his UFC contract with Ferguson tapping out at the 2:52 mark of the fourth round in an entertaining and also bizarre fight in Las Vegas.
During the third round, Diaz appeared unwilling to engage and turned his back to his opponent, shaking his head while walking around the cage.
That was after a tight first two rounds, before Ferguson had beaten up Diaz's leg by kicks, but the Californian would resume hostilities, landing several blows in the lead-up to the decisive fourth round.
Diaz had trapped Ferguson against the fence, with the latter escaping. But Diaz dropped Ferguson to the canvas when he came forward next, securing the submission.
The win ends Diaz's association with the UFC for now at 22-13, having been in the promotion since 2007.
"At the end of the day I love the UFC," he said inside the octagon after the bout. "I feel like I've had the longest career in the UFC, and I've had the most successful one."
There has been speculation about Diaz's next move, with a potential trilogy fight with Conor McGregor. Diaz offered an insight into his plans, while taking a pot shot at McGregor.
"I want to get out of the UFC for a minute and show al these UFC fighters how to take over and own up another sport how you're supposed to do it because Conor McGregor didn’t know how to do it," he said. "None of these other fighters know how to do it.
"I'm going to go out there and take over another profession and become the best at that. Show everybody I'm the best at that. Then I'm going to be back here to get another UFC title."
Meanwhile, Diaz's original opponent Khamzat Chimaev defeated Kevin Holland by submission in the first round with a d'Arce choke.
Chimaev forced a late shuffling of the cards after missing weight by 7.5 pounds, but made light work of Holland who submitted at 2:13 in the opening round.
Daniel Rodriguez defeated Li Jingliang by split decision while Irene Aldana landed an upkick from her back to beat Macy Chiasson by TKO.
World number one Iga Swiatek ominously declared "the sky is the limit" for her after claiming her third grand slam title with Saturday's victory over Ons Jabeur in the US Open final.
Swiatek added the 2022 US Open title to her two French Open crowns (2020 and 2022) with the 6-2 7-6 (7-5) victory over fifth seed Jabeur in one hour and 51 minutes.
The 21-year-old, who also made this year's Australian Open semi-finals, is only the seventh female player in the Open Era to win her first three grand slam finals, alongside Virginia Wade, Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Naomi Osaka and Ashleigh Barty.
The Pole's dominance in those finals is underlined by the fact she becomes the first player to win 10 consecutive WTA-level finals in straight sets since 2000. She is also the second female player in the Open Era to win her first six sets in grand slam finals since Lindsay Davenport.
Swiatek is the first woman since Maria Sharapova in 2008 to win her third grand slam title before the age of 22. She is also the first woman to win two majors in one year since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
"At the beginning of the season I realized that maybe I can have some good results on WTA events," she told reporters. "But I wasn't sure if I was on the level yet to win actually a grand slam, especially on US Open where the surface is so fast.
"It's something that I wasn't expecting. It's also like a confirmation for me that sky is the limit. I'm proud, also surprised little bit, just happy that I was able to do that."
When pressed on her potential future dominance, she added: "I still have to realize that it's tough out there, so I want to stay on the ground.
"For now I've got to settle with what's happening right now. I'm going to see how I'm going to react. Because also winning US Open is different than winning a slam in Europe or in Australia because I don't know how the popularity thing is going to change, if it's going to change.
"For now I'm kind of going to observe and learn. For the future, I know I still have a lot to improve on court. That's something that I'm excited for because maybe it's just going to get easier to play these matches."
Swiatek's US Open triumph comes after an unconvincing lead-up on hard courts, losing early in tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati.
The three-time major winner had gone on a 37-match winning run earlier in the year, including many victories on her preferred clay surface, before losing in the third round at Wimbledon in June.
Swiatek found it hard to compare her US Open triumph to her Roland Garros victories but admitted winning on the hard court was special.
"Roland Garros I always feel like I have more control and I feel like Philippe Chatrier is kind of my place," she said. "Here on Ashe, I still need to figure out the atmosphere. I wasn't sure before the match if this is actually my place.
"I was pretty focused and I didn't let myself get into these thoughts. I don't know if it's more than the second win on Roland Garros because I feel like back then the pressure was really on and everybody was kind of expecting me to win.
"Here I managed to go ahead of my expectations, and also I feel like people were not expecting a lot from me on hard court. So mentally I think Roland Garros was little bit tougher. But tennis-wise and physically here for sure it was tougher."
For Jabeur, the defeat means back-to-back runner-up finishes at majors after losing the Wimbledon final to Elena Rybakina in July. The Tunisian, however, remained determined to break through for a maiden grand slam title.
"Definitely Wimbledon was tough," Jabeur said. "This one is going to be tough. It's part of tennis. Winning or losing is part of it and unfortunately it is me. I struggled to win my first WTA title. It took me time so I believe this will take me time.
"The most important thing is accepting it, learning from the finals that I lost. But definitely I'm not someone that going to give up. I am sure I'm going to be in the final again. I will try my best to win it."
New York City might not be Iga Swiatek's kind of place, but she has made an exception during this US Open fortnight.
The US Open balls, controversially lighter for the women than the men, might not be up Swiatek's street, but she made an exception for them too.
And if the match-up with Ons Jabeur in the Flushing Meadows final felt almost too close to call – most were forecasting three sets, flip a coin on the winner – well, perhaps Swiatek took exception.
Rising to the occasion of a grand slam final is what exceptional players do, making exceptions in times of need, taking exception to doubters, carrying off titles. If anyone was beginning to doubt Swiatek after her mid-summer dip, this Arthur Ashe Stadium triumph banished the thought she is anything other than exceptional.
At times her play was brilliant, and when her level dropped, as it did in the second set, she was gritty. In the end, she was not as clutch as she might have liked, unable to take a match point at 6-5 on Jabeur's serve and pushed into a tie-break, but a 6-2 7-6 (7-5) victory goes into the record books.
In the end, that's all that counts. Habitual winners find a way, down one path or another.
The second set was a curious confection, both players losing their fluency but fighting hard for every point, tenacity overriding talent at times as the high stakes involved often brought the level down.
Swiatek appeared distracted by a call from the crowd at one stage, that New York bustle again getting in her head.
On the eve of the tournament, Swiatek said of New York: "I wouldn't choose it as a place to live because I'm more of a person that needs a calm place with the proper environment to rest. New York is kind of always alive. That's not for sure my place."
So, Iga, how does New York feel now?
"It's so loud, it's so crazy," she said at Saturday's trophy presentation. "There were so many temptations in the city, so many people I've met who were so inspiring. It's really mind blowing for me and I'm so proud I could handle it mentally."
The 21-year-old has a third grand slam title and a first away from the French Open, where she was champion at the pandemic-delayed slam in October 2020 and again this year.
Swiatek is a Pole on a roll when it comes to the big occasions, having won 20 consecutive sets in finals, all tournaments considered, and remarkably she is the first woman to win two or more slams in a single season since Angelique Kerber in 2016.
These two women will be numbers one and two in the new WTA rankings, and there could be a real rivalry brewing. Or there might just be a slew of these trophies coming Swiatek's way.
She is the first women to win the French Open and the US Open in the same year since Serena Williams in 2013.
If Williams does not play again, as we now expect, then Swiatek will be a very different type of figurehead for the women's game, an introvert who goes about her business quietly, but purposefully.
She becomes just the ninth woman in the Open Era to earn a third singles slam before turning 22, joining an illustrious list also featuring Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Martina Hingis, Monica Seles, Steffi Graf and Chris Evert.
As Jabeur came charging back at Swiatek in the second set, recovering from 3-0 and 4-2 adrift to take it to the tie-break, thoughts turned to what a victory for the Tunisian would have meant.
A tournament that began as the Serena Williams show, a celebration of a player who alongside sister Venus opened the door for so many black players, might have ended with the triumph of an African Arab woman, one whose driving force is to see more players from her continent, and of her ethnicity, make strides in professional tennis.
Jabeur's time will probably come, but this defeat will sting, just as losing to Elena Rybakina in the title match did at Wimbledon two months ago.
"I want to thank the crowd for cheering me on. I really tried, but Iga didn't make it easy for me," Jabeur said. "She deserved to win today. I don't like her very much right now but it's okay."
She vowed to "get that title sometime soon", but with Swiatek around that might be difficult.
Swiatek is the second woman since the slams opened themselves up to professionals in 1968 to win her first six sets in grand slam singles finals. For the record, Lindsay Davenport was the first.
This final came at the end of a tournament that Swiatek entered with low expectations. Defeat to Alize Cornet at Wimbledon halted her 37-match winning run, the longest on the women's tour this century, and it was followed by a string of results that saw Swiatek go no further than the quarter-finals in her next three events.
"Maybe I'm the kind of person who is never going to trust myself," Swiatek said, heading into the final.
She is a different model of champion, perhaps not the kind they are used to or particularly get behind in New York. There is no razzmatazz, no edge: just intense focus.
Swiatek is always doubting, but always looking for ways to improve, and now, when it comes to finals, always getting the job done.
US Open runner-up Ons Jabeur hopes her historic run to the final at Flushing Meadows can help inspire future generations of players from African and Arab nations.
Tunisian Jabeur went down 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to world number one Iga Swiatek in Saturday's thrilling final at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 28-year-old was the first African female player to reach the singles final at the US Open in the Open Era, having earlier this year become the first such player to reach the showpiece match of a grand slam in the Open Era.
Jabeur lost 3-6 6-2 6-2 to Elena Rybakina at Wimbledon, though despite not winning a set against Swiatek, gave a better account of herself this time around.
It has been some rise for Jabeur, who had previously never reached a semi-final in 20 previous major appearances. She will be the world number two when the new WTA rankings are confirmed on Monday.
An African player has not won a grand slam singles title since 1981, when Johan Kriek triumphed at the Australian Open. He retained his title a year later, yet was competing for the United States.
Indeed, a player from the continent, male or female, has not enjoyed success at any major since Cara Black won in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon in 2010, but Jabeur is hoping that will soon change.
"I want to thank the crowd for cheering me on, I really tried, she deserved to win today – I don't like her very much right now, but it's okay," Jabeur smiled as she hailed Swiatek's performance in her on-court interview.
"An amazing two weeks to be honest, making up for my final at Wimbledon. I'm going to keep working hard and we'll get that title sometime soon."
Asked how proud she was of her history making season, Jabeur replied: "It really means a lot and I try to push myself to do more. Getting the major is one of the goals.
"Hopefully I can inspire more and more generations, that's the goal and I get inspired by so many champions. Thank you also to my team, always pushing me.
"We want more and more kids coming here hopefully, I just really hope I can inspire more. This is just the beginning."
Jabeur is the first player to reach the final at both Wimbledon and the US Open in the same season since the great Serena Williams did so in 2019, and only the seventh player overall since the turn of the century.
After struggling to find rhythm in the first set, the fifth seed hit back in the second, coming from 4-2 down to restore parity and subsequently save the first of Swiatek's championship points en route to forcing a tie-break.
Jabeur found herself serving for the set at 5-4 up, yet a wonderful Swiatek forehand and a sloppy shot into the net handed her opponent a second bite at the cherry.
The Pole took it thanks to an overhit Jabeur forehand, meaning the Tunisian has now lost seven of her 10 Tour-level finals, and all three of the showpiece matches she has played in on hard courts.
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