Tim Hague, UFC fighter turned boxer, dies at 33

EDMONTON, ALBERTA » Tim Hague, the former UFC fighter known as “The Thrashing Machine,” died Sunday, two days after he was critically injured when he was knocked out in a boxing match against former Edmonton Eskimos defensive end Adam Braidwood.

Hague’s sister, Jackie Neil, announced the death in a family statement.

“It is with incredible sadness, sorrow and heartbreak to report that Tim has passed away today,” the statement said. “He was surrounded by family, listening to his favorite songs. We will miss him so greatly.”

The match Friday night at the Shaw Conference Centre was promoted by KO Boxing. The Edmonton Police Service said Monday that there has been no criminal investigation into Hague’s death.

Philadelphia completed its trade for the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, landing the pick from the Boston Celtics on Monday in a move that clears the way for the 76ers to grab guard Markelle Fultz.

Philadelphia will hold the No. 1 pick for the second straight year, and worked Fultz out on Saturday night as talks with the Celtics got to the final stages. It was agreed to in principle at that point, with the last holdup being the customary league approval on the terms.

Boston gets the No. 3 pick in Thursday’s draft from Philadelphia, plus either a first-rounder in 2018 and 2019. If the Los Angeles Lakers hold a pick between No. 2 and No. 5 next season, Boston gets that one. If not, Philadelphia will send Boston either its own firstrounder in 2019 or Sacramento’s first-rounder that year. SOCHI, RUSSIA » The learning curve facing an inexperienced and experimental German side became clearer to coach Joachim Loew after they were given a fright by Australia at the Confederations Cup on Monday.

It wasn’t just goalkeeper Bernd Leno’s two blunders but the way Germany eased off in the second half that bothered Loew. Still, Germany held on to open its Group B campaign with a 3-2 victory in Sochi.

“Who would expect it to be perfect?” Loew said through a translator. “This is a team that never played together so we have done a lot of work over ten days.”

For Loew this eight-team World Cup warm-up competition is merely a stepping stone on the path to defending the title won in Brazil in 2014.