Action-thirsty MMA fans look ahead to Conor McGregor’s debut at UFC Fight Island 3 in Abu Dhabi

Conor McGregor (L) will take on Dustin Poirier (R) at UFC 257. (File images/AFP)
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Updated 14 January 2021
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Action-thirsty MMA fans look ahead to Conor McGregor’s debut at UFC Fight Island 3 in Abu Dhabi

  • The triple-header event will take place at the new Etihad Arena on Yas Island
  • This time fans will be allowed in to watch the action, which will climax with Conor McGregor taking on Dustin Poirier at UFC 257

DUBAI: When UFC Fight Island took place at Du Forum in Abu Dhabi last July, it became the first international competition to attract athletes from around the globe following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was followed in late September by Fight Island 2, which proved equally successful and popular among fans and fighters alike.

So it is no surprise that the organizers - Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), and UFC  - have decided to kick off 2021 with Fight Island 3, taking place on Jan. 16, 20, and 24. 

And this time fans will be allowed in to watch the action, which will climax with Conor McGregor taking on Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.

“The concept of fight Island was born out of COVID, it was born out of the need for live entertainment at a time when the whole world was at a standstill,” said Nour Al Harmoudi, UFC Associate project manager, DCT.

“Abu Dhabi was the perfect place to host Fight Island, it was not only remote but it was super safe. Abu Dhabi, in itself, was a safe zone bubble, because of the safety measure that they had decided to partake. So Fight Island came, and then Return to Fight Island was another huge success. So, it seems very natural to create a Fight Island triple-header while we are still in the pandemic. 

“It doesn’t make sense to open up all the way for fans while the pandemic is still happening. So what we decided to do is open up for some fans during the triple-header week,” she added. “It was an easy decision to take but we had to take even stricter measures this time around.”

Al Harmoudi revealed that members of the media will have to test every 48 hours, and will quarantine for a similar period on arrival to Yas Island.  The participants, too, will have to show a 48-hour valid negative PCR test upon entering.

“There will be thermal scanning, social distancing, we will have to avoid any type of congregation,” said Al Harmoudi.

“Even F and B will be ordered through an app. And as you know we will be hosting this at Etihad Arena, it will be the inaugural event there. The arena itself is 18,000-seater. It’s massive, however to abide by the COVID measures, to abide by the highest health and safety procedures and standards, we have only allowed 2,000 fans per event. That way we will have a more controlled environment and safer environment.”

No doubt, McGregor’s presence has already drummed up feverish interest in the event, with the 2,000 tickets offered snapped up within hours.

“It’s exciting to have McGregor here, it’s his debut in this region,” Al Harmoudi said.

“We’re so happy that it’s in Abu Dhabi and on Fight Island and triple-header week. This is the fruit that we have reaped out of the Abu Dhabi and UFC relationship, we’ve only had creme de la creme fighters. We’re always going to be bringing the best of the best athletes and fighters that the fans could ever ask for. So McGregor coming in has created a lot of excitement. And we’re again excited to see Dustin Poirier, who was here in Abu Dhabi in 2019.”

The return of fans to arenas is not only good news for UFC and Yas Island, but for all potential events taking place in the region this year, sporting or otherwise.

“The world is opening up slowly, even with the new COVID strain,” said Al Harmoudi.

“We are taking precautions, we are adhering to global standards of health and safety. We are trying our best to create these events in a safe setting, and to also host fans hungry for live events. To enjoy themselves and to enjoy the entertainment and performances of UFC or otherwise while they feel safe and comfortable, and without exposing them to any risk. We would love to host more fans but we have to see what the world has in store for us in 2021.”

In the early hours of Sunday Morning, the eyes of MMA fans will turn to the magnificent new Etihad Arena, which will be holding its first ever UFC event.

“Etihad arena is massive,” Al Harmoudi said. “It’s a state-of-the-art arena, it’s multi-purpose. It’s an 18,000-seater, so you can only imagine the crowds that will be at this arena when the world opens up. From entertainment, UFC, music concerts. It’s right by Yas Bay, it has a beautiful parking lot with a view of the Marina, and I think there is so much more yet to come for Etihad Arena that will blow everyone’s minds.”

Al Harmoudi is confident that, with the continuation of the partnership between DCT-Abu Dhabi and UFC, fight fans can expect a lot more in the coming months and years.

“UFC came to Abu Dhabi in 2019 and we had a five-year plan with them,” she said. “So whether or not Fight Island was going to happen, we were always going to see UFC on a yearly basis for the next five years. With Fight Island, this just strengthens the relationship between Abu Dhabi and UFC, it just really cements Abu Dhabi in terms of being the fighting capital of the world like Dana white has already said. Or the new home for the UFC in this region outside of Las Vegas. This is huge, and we’re really excited and really looking forward to even more fruitful partnerships with UFC. This is just the beginning.”


Thunder beat Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 to tie the NBA Finals

Updated 20 sec ago
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Thunder beat Pacers 123-107 in Game 2 to tie the NBA Finals

OKLAHOMA CITY: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday night to tie the NBA Finals at one game apiece.
Jalen Williams scored 19, Aaron Wiggins had 18 and Chet Holmgren finished with 15 for the Thunder. It was the franchise’s first finals game win since the opener of the 2012 series against Miami.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 for Indiana, which erased a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 but never made a push on Sunday. Myles Turner scored 16 and Pascal Siakam added 15 for the Pacers, the first team since Miami in 2013 to not have a 20-point scorer in the first two games of the finals.
Game 3 is Wednesday at Indianapolis, in what will be the first finals game in that city in 25 years.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s first basket of the night was a history-maker: It gave him 3,000 points on the season, including the regular season and playoffs. And later in Game 2, he passed New York’s Jalen Brunson (514) as the leading overall scorer in these playoffs.
But the real milestone for the MVP came a couple hours later, when he and most everybody else on the Thunder got a finals win for the first time.
A 19-2 run in the second quarter turned what was a six-point game into a 23-point Thunder lead. It might have seemed wobbly a couple of times — an immediate 10-0 rebuttal by the Pacers made it 52-39, and Indiana was within 13 again after Andrew Nembhard’s layup with 7:09 left in the third — but the Thunder lead was never in serious doubt.
With the noise level in the building often topping 100 decibels — a chainsaw is 110 dB, for comparison purposes — the Thunder did what they’ve done pretty much all season. They came off a loss, this time a 111-110 defeat in Game 1, and blew somebody out as their response.
Including the NBA Cup title game, which doesn’t count in any standings, the Thunder are now 18-2 this season when coming off a loss. Of those 18 wins, 12 have been by double digits.
 


Soccer fan dies after fall during Nations League final between Spain and Portugal

Updated 16 min 36 sec ago
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Soccer fan dies after fall during Nations League final between Spain and Portugal

  • Fall happened during the first period of extra time at the Munich stadium when fans were becoming more animated, says UEFA official

MUNICH: A soccer fan died during the Nations League final between Spain and Portugal on Sunday after falling from an overhead level onto a media area below.
A UEFA official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give details, confirmed a person sustained fatal injuries from a fall.
The incident occurred during the first period of extra time at the Munich stadium, when tension was high between rival players, and fans were becoming more animated. Medical personnel, stewards and police cordoned off the area.
Portugal went on to win the game on penalties.
Spain coach Luis de la Fuente addressed the incident at the start of his postgame news conference.
“Before we begin with the questions, I would like to express my condolences because a fan died in the stands today,” de la Fuente said. “My condolences to the family.”
 


Cristiano Ronaldo sheds tears of joy after Portugal’s Nations League triumph

Updated 34 min 11 sec ago
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Cristiano Ronaldo sheds tears of joy after Portugal’s Nations League triumph

  • The Portugal star shed tears after helping his team win the Nations League on Sunday

MUNICH: Another trophy for Cristiano Ronaldo. More records, more adulation.
The Portugal star shed tears after helping his team win the Nations League on Sunday.
Ronaldo scored to help Portugal draw level with Spain 2-2 in the final, then watched as his teammates won the penalty shootout 5-3.
“I have many titles with my clubs, but nothing is better than winning for Portugal,” Ronaldo said. “These are tears. It’s mission accomplished and so much joy.”
The 40-year-old Ronaldo had been the first to run out onto the field for the pre-game warmup, sparking a huge roar from the Portugal supporters, including many wearing jerseys emblazoned with his name.
His appearance prompted many supporters to pull out their cell phones to record the superstar while they could still see him in action. Ronaldo conceded Saturday that he won’t be able to play forever.
That was three days after he helped Portugal to its first win over Germany for 25 years, scoring the winner for a 2-1 victory in the Nations League semifinals.
On Sunday he was driving the team again, though it was initially a frustrating game as his chances were limited by Spain’s hard-working defenders.
Nuno Mendes fired Portugal level after Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring for Spain. Then Mikel Oyarzabal put Spain ahead 2-1 at the break.
But Ronaldo was in the right place at the right time to fire home the equalizer from Mendes’ deflected cross in the 61st, setting off joyous scenes among his faithful fans. It was Ronaldo’s 138th goal for Portugal. Nobody has ever scored more for their country.
Ronaldo kept trying in what was his record-extending 221st appearance for the country, but eventually had to go off exhausted in the 88th to standing ovations from fans and a hug from coach Roberto Martínez.
Ronaldo said he was carrying an injury into the game.
“I had already felt it during the warmup, I had been feeling it for some time, but for the national team, if I had to break my leg, I would have broken it,” Ronaldo said. “It’s for a trophy, I had to play and I gave it my all.”
Ronaldo’s future is uncertain as his contract with Saudi club Al-Nassr only runs to the end of June. He posted “this chapter is over” on social media after the club’s last Saudi Pro League game of the season.
On Saturday he said he had all but decided not to go to the Club World Cup despite “quite a few” offers from participating clubs to play there.
Whatever club Ronaldo plays for, he will keep striving for Portugal.
“I have lived in many countries, I have played for many clubs, but when it’s about Portugal, it is always a special feeling,” he said.


Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win Nations League

Updated 33 min 25 sec ago
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Portugal beat Spain on penalties to win Nations League

  • Portugal became the first two-time winner of the Nations League, launched in 2018. It was Portugal’s third major title, along with Euro 2016

MUNICH, Germany: Ruben Neves scored the decisive spot kick after Alvaro Morata missed as Portugal beat Spain 5-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw in Munich on Sunday to claim their second Nations League title.
Portugal twice went behind in regulation time but twice fought back to level the scores.
Martin Zubimendi took advantage of some sleepy Portugal defense to put Spain in front after 21 minutes.
The brilliant Nuno Mendes levelled things up five minutes later.
Mikel Oyarzabal, Spain’s goalscorer in the Euro 2024 final and the 2023 Nations League final, put La Roja back in front just before the break.
Cristiano Ronaldo, quiet as he had been before scoring the winner against Germany in the semis, equalized with 61 minutes gone, adjusting quickly after a Mendes cross was deflected into the air, muscling past Marc Cucurella and volleying the dropping ball home.
Ronaldo was subbed off before full-time with cramp. Even though Portugal had the better of extra time, the match went to penalties.
Both sides converted their first three spot kicks. Mendes buried Portugal’s fourth, before Morata stepped up and shot straight at Diogo Costa.
Neves nervelessly converted in front of the red and green of the Portugal fans. The victory was just Portugal’s second competitive win over Iberian rival Spain in their long history.
Portugal’s only other win over Spain in a competitive fixture was a 1-0 victory which booted the Spaniards out of Euro 2004, with a 19-year-old Ronaldo on the left wing.
Portugal became the first two-time winner of the Nations League, launched in 2018. It was Portugal’s third major title, along with Euro 2016.
While Nico Williams and Lamine Yamal’s fluid movement troubled the Portugese defense early in the match, La Roja’s opener was scrappy.
Yamal chipped from outside the box and the Portugal defense froze, botching a clearance which fell to Zubimendi, who leathered the ball into the net.
The goal was just rewards for Spain’s early dominance, but Portugal hit back almost immediately.
Mendes, put through by Pedro Neto, drilled a low shot across the goal and in.
Just before halftime, Spain picked Portugal’s pocket in their own half before advancing. Pedri linked with Oyarzabal, who threaded the ball past Diogo Costa.
Oyarzabal’s goal meant he has scored in three international finals — against England at Euro 2024, which Spain won, and the 2023 and 2025 Nations Leagues, which Spain lost.
Ronaldo had done little other than encourage the heavily Portuguese crowd until that point but would pick his moment to strike.
With 61 minutes gone, Mendes shed a defender and whipped in a cross. The ball took a deflection and Ronaldo outmuscled Cucurella before lashing a volley home.
The goal was Ronaldo’s fourth in 10 matches against Spain. The previous three all coming in a wild 3-3 draw at the 2018 World Cup.
Limping in the dying stages of regulation time, Ronaldo fell to the turf with three minutes left and signalled to the bench that his night was over.
Spain may have been confident when the match went to extra time, having won on penalties in 2023, but Portugal were faultless, Neves stepping up and converting to send his teammates, including a hobbled Ronaldo, streaming onto the pitch.


Alcaraz saves three match points to beat Sinner to French Open title in final for the ages

Updated 08 June 2025
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Alcaraz saves three match points to beat Sinner to French Open title in final for the ages

  • Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history

PARIS: Carlos Alcaraz saved three championship points as he produced an astonishing fightback from two sets down to beat Jannik Sinner in a French Open final for the ages on Sunday.
Reigning champion Alcaraz rallied from the brink of defeat to overcome world number one Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (10/2) to clinch his fifth Grand Slam title after five hours and 29 minutes.
The 22-year-old Spaniard is now unbeaten in five Grand Slam finals after snapping Sinner’s 20-match winning run at the majors.
Alcaraz pulled off his first ever comeback from two sets down to stun Sinner in the longest Roland Garros final in history. It easily eclipsed the 1982 final in Paris when Mats Wilander triumphed in four sets over Guillermo Vilas in 4hr 42min.
Alcaraz becomes the third youngest man to win five Grand Slams — after Bjorn Borg and compatriot Rafael Nadal — following an incredible duel between the two stars of a new generation.
Sinner fell agonizingly short of a third successive Grand Slam crown after last year’s US Open title and back-to-back Australian Open triumphs.
He suffered his fifth straight loss to Alcaraz in what was their first meeting in a Grand Slam final — and the first championship match at a major between two men born in the 2000s.
Alcaraz leads 8-5 overall having also beaten Sinner to win in Rome, where the Italian returned to competition in May after a three-month doping ban.
Alcaraz put the pressure on Sinner by carving out three break points to start Saturday’s final, but the Italian resisted and soon had a chance of his own.
He couldn’t take advantage and found himself having to fend off two more break points at 1-1, producing clutch serves to grind out another tough hold.
Alcaraz’s persistence paid off in the fifth game when he broke to nudge 3-2 ahead, only for the Spaniard to immediately hand the lead back.
The unshakeable Sinner threatened to break again at 4-3, with a brief lapse from Alcaraz eventually enabling Sinner to snatch the first set.
Sinner hit the accelerator to start the second set, surging 3-0 in front. After facing seven break points in the opener, he tightened up considerably on serve.
But Alcaraz brought up his first break point of the second set with Sinner serving for a two-set lead, duly pouncing on the opportunity to check his rival’s momentum.
With the swagger back in his step at a crucial juncture, Alcaraz sought to bring the crowd into the contest but Sinner remained unflustered in the tie-break.
The first five points went with serve before Sinner whipped a forehand down the line and Alcaraz then steered an attempted drop-shot wide.
A tame return into the net presented Sinner with four set points. Alcaraz saved two before Sinner unleashed a blistering cross-court forehand to move to within a set of the trophy.
It all looked to be going his way when he broke Alcaraz to begin the third set, but the Spaniard refused to surrender his title quietly and rattled off four games on the bounce to lead 4-1.
Alcaraz lost serve at 5-3 but promptly broke to love to force a fourth set, lapping up the roars of the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd.
That ended Sinner’s run of 31 consecutive sets won at Grand Slams.
Alcaraz saved a break point in the third game amid a series of holds as Sinner doubled down. The Italian appeared to be closing in on victory when he broke at 3-3 as the finish line neared.
But Alcaraz had other ideas as he staved off three championship points at 3-5 and then broke Sinner when he tried to seal the title on his serve.
Successive aces spurred a reinvigorated Alcaraz on in the tie-break and into a decisive fifth set.
A despairing Sinner lost his serve right away and his gloom deepened as Alcaraz saved two break points to pull 3-1 ahead, but incredibly there was another twist.
Alcaraz this time faltered with the title within his grasp as Sinner broke at 3-5 to spark a three-game burst that left the Spaniard needing to hold serve to prolong the final.
He kept his nerve to set up a 10-point tie-break, which Alcaraz ran away with as the outrageous shotmaking continued until the very end when he took his first championship point with a sizzling forehand down the line.