It has been an action packed weekend in the world of sports. Israel Adesanya, Real Madrid, Manchester United all feature in our sports news update.
UFC 253: Israel Adesanya displays ‘gulf’ in class between himself and Paulo Costa
Israel Adesanya again defended the title against the unbeaten Paulo Costa at UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi. There was bad blood between the two undefeated fighters as they exchanged ‘pleasantries’ at every opportunity they got. But when it came to the Octagon, there was only one winner. Adesanya (20-0) walked the talk and outclassed Costa (13-1) at UFC Fight Island.
There was no competition for the Kiwi as he chomped on Costa’s leg throughout the first round and the Brazilian did not have any answer for it. Costa tried to goad Adesanya into reckless abandonment but to no avail. Adesanya picked his spots to perfection and when the right moment came, he knocked Costa to the mat with a right punch. Some ground and pound and the referee waived off the fight in Adesanya’s favour. As ‘Izzy’ as it gets.
The win was the ninth straight in the UFC for Adesanya, the Nigeria-born, New Zealand-based phenomenon who has soared to prominence in mixed martial arts over the past three years.
Los Angeles Lakers beat Denver Nuggets to reach NBA Finals
LeBron James is going to a 10th NBA Finals — and for the first time in a decade, so are the Los Angeles Lakers. James punctuated his 27th postseason triple-double with a big fourth quarter, powering the Lakers to a 117-107 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night to win the Western Conference finals in five games.
James finished with 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists to become the fourth player to reach 10 NBA Finals. It took him two seasons to make it with the Lakers, after falling short of the playoffs in an injury-plagued first season following eight consecutive trips with Miami and Cleveland.
“My teammates said bring us home and it was my responsibility to try to make the right plays and do the right things on the floor to help us win ballgames,” James said during a trophy presentation in mostly empty arena at Disney World, instead of in front of their fans at Staples Center.
The Lakers will face either Miami or Boston in their 32nd NBA Finals appearance, most in league history. They haven’t played for the title since beating the Celtics in 2010 for the last of their 16 titles.
European Football League Roundup
Chelsea Vs. West Bromwich Albion
Tammy Abraham scored a stoppage-time equalizer to complete an incredible comeback and rescue a point for Chelsea at West Bromwich Albion after they had trailed 3-0 at half-time. In a thrilling match, West Brom looked to be heading for their first win back in the Premier League after racing into a commanding lead inside the opening 30 minutes at The Hawthorns.
Inter Milan vs. Inter Fiorentina
Inter Milan scored twice in the final three minutes as they beat Fiorentina in their opening Serie A game. Christian Kouame put the visitors ahead, with Lautaro Martinez equalizing for Inter just before half-time.
A Federico Ceccherini own goal put Inter ahead, before Gaetano Castrovilli and Federico Chiesa scored in a six-minute spell as Fiorentina led again, but Romelu Lukaku scored a late equalizer and Danilo D’Ambrosio headed in from Alexis Sanchez’s cross.
Manchester United Vs. Brighton
A dramatic injury-time penalty gave Manchester United victory at Brighton and their first three points of the season in a stunning game at Amex Stadium.
A match packed full of incident was settled with the very final kick as Bruno Fernandes coolly stroked in the winning penalty, spotted and awarded via a VAR check for Neal Maupay’s handball from a corner, all after on-field official Chris Kavanagh had blown to signal the end of the match.
Real Madrid Vs. Real Betis
Real Madrid won a five-goal thriller with Real Betis in La Liga as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) took centre stage. Federico Valverde put Madrid ahead from close range but Aissa Mandi – with a header – and William Carvalho scored two quick-fire goals as Betis led.
Madrid were level early in the second half through an own goal by Emerson, who was later sent off by the VAR for a professional foul on Luka Modric. Sergio Ramos scored the winner with a chipped penalty.
There was a long VAR check for both those decisions, with the penalty disputed because Betis’ Marc Bartra was penalized for a handball as he put his arms out, falling under pressure from Borja Mayoral.
That was Real Madrid’s first win of their title defence, after a 0-0 draw with Real Valladolid last weekend.