Las Vegas will host full house for July’s McGregor-Poirier
The UFC intends to welcome a capacity crowd at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on July 10 when Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor fight for the third time.
UFC president Dana White announced his plan Wednesday for the promotion’s first sellout show in its hometown since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
“I am so happy to finally be able to say Vegas is back,” White said.
The world’s biggest mixed martial arts organization hasn’t fought in front of more than a few dozen fans in Las Vegas since the start of the pandemic. For the past 11 months, the UFC has held its nearweekly shows in its empty gym on its corporate campus in Vegas or at Abu Dhabi’s Fight Island, where limited crowds were allowed in January.
Earlier this week, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak said the state aims to lift the majority of its COVID-19 restrictions in the next few weeks with a goal of fully reopening by June 1.
UFC 264 will be headlined by the completion of the trilogy for Poirier and McGregor, the most popular fighter in MMA. McGregor won their first meeting in 2014, but Poirier stopped McGregor in the second round at UFC 257 in January.
NFL
CLOWNEY, BROWNS STRIKE DEAL >> Jadeveon Clowney will chase quarterbacks and a Super Bowl title with the Browns. The free agent defensive end signed a oneyear, $10 million contract with Cleveland, joining All-Pro end Myles Garrett on the defensive line and a team looking to go deeper in the playoffs this season. The Browns have spent this offseason upgrading their defense, making Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler, their signature move.
The Browns, who made it to the second round of the postseason in 2020, will be Clowney’s fourth team in four years.
MAN ACCUSES NFL’S AARON DONALD OF ASSAULT >> A lawyer and his 26-year-old client told Pittsburgh police that Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald and others assaulted the man at a nightclub last weekend, causing multiple injuries
Attorney Todd J. Hollis said his client, De’Vincent Spriggs, needed 16 stitches and suffered a broken orbital bone in his head, a broken nose and a sprained or broken arm at a bar on East Carson Street in the city’s South Side.
Hollis and Spriggs filed a criminal complaint with Pittsburgh police on Wednesday.
Police released a blotter post that said they were summoned early Sunday afternoon to Mercy Hospital, where a man with face and arm injuries told them he had accidentally bumped into someone at a South Side bar.
“He says that male and another ended up punching and kicking him,” police wrote. “The complainant admits to throwing a bottle of alcohol, but didn’t know if he had hit anyone.”
WNBA
DALLAS WINGS CONTROL DRAFT WITH TOP TWO PICKS >> The Dallas Wings basically control the WNBA draft tonight with the top two picks and four firstround choices.
It’s the first time in league history that a team will choose both No. 1 and 2. The Wings acquired the top pick in a February trade after being awarded the second choice in the draft lottery.
The Wings also have the fifth and seventh picks as well as the first pick in the second round. This draft completes the second half of the team’s long-term strategy after they traded away Liz Cambage and Skylar Diggins over the past few years.
Stanford’s leading scorer Kiana Williams is expected to be a first-round pick.
Men’s college basketball
STANFORD ADDS TOP RECRUIT TO FINISH CLASS >> Stanford has announced the signing of Jarvis Moss, giving the Cardinal its third top-20 recruiting class in the past four years. This year’s class is rated as No. 14 by Rivals and No. 17 by 247Sports.
He joins Harrison Ingram, a consensus top-15 recruit and McDonald’s AllAmerican, and Isa Silva, a consensus top-50 recruit, in the Stanford class of 2021.
Moss is a consensus three-star recruit from the Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina. A McDonald’s All-American nominee, Moss is the program’s all-time record holder for 3-pointers in a season and in a career. Heposted averages of 26 points, five rebounds and four assists per game while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range in 2020-21.
MUSSELMAN SIGNS NEW DEAL AT ARKANSAS >> Arkansas announced it has signed coach Eric Musselman to a new, five-year agreement that could keep him with the Razorbacks through the 2028 season. Musselman is 45-19 in two years at Arkansas. This season, Arkansas advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995 and won 25 games overall, including 13 in the SEC to finish second in the conference.
ARIZONA TAPS GONZAGA’S LLOYD AS NEW COACH >> Arizona has hired longtime Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd as its next men’s basketball coach. The school said Wednesday that Lloyd will receive a five-year contract, pending approval by the Arizona Board of Regents.
Lloyd replaces Sean Miller, who was fired after 12 years on April 7 amid an NCAA infractions investigation.
The 46-year-old Lloyd spent the past 20 years as an assistant to Mark Few, helping turn Gonzaga into a national powerhouse. Behind Lloyd’s efforts, Gonzaga has landed some of the top international recruits, including Rui Hachimura, Domantas Sabonis, Kelly Olynyk, Ronny Turiaf, Kevin Pangos and Killian Tillie.
College athletics
NCAA DUMPS REQUIREMENT THAT TRANSFERS SIT A YEAR >> Starting next season, major college football and basketball players will be permitted to transfer one time before graduating without being required to sit out a year of competition.
The NCAA Division I Council voted Wednesday to changed the long-standing rule that has often deterred players in high-profile sports from switching schools, according to The Associated Press. The council’s decisions aren’t official until the two-day meeting ends today. The Athletic first reported the vote.