Mayweather fight set
Floyd Mayweather is planning on fighting Japanese kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa on Dec. 31 in Saitama, north of Tokyo.
The 41-year-old Mayweather is 50-0 in his boxing career but has never fought professionally under MMA rules. Although he did have a lucrative win over MMA fighter Conor McGregor last year.
Japanese promoter the RIZIN Fighting Federation on Monday said rules and the weight class for the bout have not been set.
“We still have some work to do,” said Nobuyuki Sakakibara, the RIZIN chairman.
The 20-year-old Nasukawa, speaking at a news conference alongside Mayweather, called it “probably the biggest event of my life so far.”
He also vowed to end Mayweather’s long string of victories.
SOCCER
The UW-Milwaukee women's team drew a road game at No. 5 Santa Clara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, according to the bracket announced Monday.
The Panthers (16-1-1) and the Broncos (16-3-1) will square off Saturday at Buck Shaw Field at Stephens Stadium at 3 p.m.
"We are excited," UWM coach Troy Fabiano said. "This is what you play for – to get into the national tournament and put your name out there. It's a great moment for the program and the university and we are looking forward to kicking off Saturday."
GYMNASTICS
The U.S. Olympic Committee is moving to revoke USA Gymnastics’ status as the governing body for the sport at the Olympic level, meting out the nuclear option to an organization that has botched its own reorganization in the wake of a sex-abuse scandal involving former team physician Larry Nassar.
The organization, even with a newly constituted board of directors, made repeated mistakes after the revelations Nassar molested Olympians while working as a volunteer.
By decertifying USA Gymnastics, the USOC is taking major action against an organization that couldn’t grasp its own rebuilding. But the move also leaves a void that cannot be easily filled. In addition to supporting elite and Olympic athletes, USA Gymnastics serves more than 150,000 athletes in 3,000 clubs around the country. There is no other organization standing by to fill that need.
HOCKEY
The NHL suspended Winnipeg Jets forward Brendan Lemieux for two games for an illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck.
The incident occurred in the second period of the Panthers’ 4-2 win over the Jets on Friday in Helsinki, Finland. Lemieux skated by Trocheck and hit him in the head after the Panthers forward passed the puck into the Jets’ zone.
Lemieux will forfeit $9,023.30 in salary.
TENNIS
Rafael Nadal pulled out of the season-ending ATP Finals because of an abdominal injury.
Nadal hasn’t competed since he retired from his U.S. Open semifinal because of a painful right knee.
SKIING
Gian Luca Barandun, a World Cup downhill skier from Switzerland, has died in a paragliding accident. He was 24.
The Swiss ski federation said Barandun, one of its best prospects in Alpine speed races, died Sunday morning.
His career-best World Cup result was ninthplace finish in an Alpine combined event in Bormio in December.