Sports News Roundup: Khabib retires after choking out Gaethje; Sabalenka outguns Azarenka to win inaugural Ostrava Open and more

The German world number seven claimed his first ATP crown of the year after besting Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 6-3 to win the bett1HULKS Indoor title at the same venue last Sunday.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 25-10-2020 22:48 IST | Created: 25-10-2020 22:29 IST
Sports News Roundup: Khabib retires after choking out Gaethje; Sabalenka outguns Azarenka to win inaugural Ostrava Open and more

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Khabib retires after choking out Gaethje to retain UFC lightweight crown

Khabib Nurmagomedov choked Justin Gaethje unconscious in the second round to successfully defend his UFC lightweight title and then said he was retiring from the sport following a fierce brawl at UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The undefeated 32-year-old Dagestani collapsed in the centre of the octagon and sobbed following his defeat of Gaethje. On getting up he took off his gloves and said: "This is my last fight in the UFC."

Sabalenka outguns Azarenka to win inaugural Ostrava Open

Third seed Aryna Sabalenka stormed to a 6-2 6-2 victory over compatriot Victoria Azarenka to win the inaugural J&T Banka Ostrava Open and the first all-Belarusian WTA final on Sunday. Former world number one Azarenka, who has been in top form since tennis restarted following its pandemic-enforced hiatus, needed a medical timeout in the second set and ended up losing the match in 68 minutes.

Zverev beats Sinner to keeps hopes of Cologne double alive

Top seed Alexander Zverev reached his second final in the space of a week in Cologne with a clinical 7-6(3) 6-3 victory over Italian wild card Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals of the bett1HULKS Championship on Saturday. The German world number seven claimed his first ATP crown of the year after besting Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3 6-3 to win the bett1HULKS Indoor title at the same venue last Sunday.

Mexico's legendary masked wrestlers seek new ways to keep fighting

Mexico's famed masked wrestlers are trying to get their coronavirus-hit sport off the canvas by taking their colorful fights to a small island nestled in the heart of Mexico City's popular Xochimilco canals. With sporting events largely banned and the pandemic showing no signs of easing off, performers behind Mexico's free-style wrestling, known as Lucha Libre, are seeking innovative ways to make a living out of their craft.

Fury to fight unnamed opponent on Dec. 5 in London

Tyson Fury confirmed on Saturday that his next fight will take place in London on Dec. 5 against an as yet unnamed opponent. The 32-year-old Briton's last bout was against Deontay Wilder in February, where he won the WBC world heavyweight title in Las Vegas with a seventh-round stoppage.

Rays pull great escape to beat Dodgers, level World Series

Down to their last strike, the Tampa Bay Rays pulled a wild and unlikely 8-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers out the hat when Brett Phillips singled in the tying run followed by Randy Arozarena with the go-ahead score on an error to level the best-of-seven World Series at 2-2. Up 7-6 in the ninth with two out, the Dodgers had looked well on the way to taking a 3-1 stranglehold on the best-of-seven series when Phillips walked up to the plate with two men on, and with two strikes connected on a line drive to right for his first career postseason hit scoring.

Report: NBA fell $1.5 billion short of revenue projection

The NBA, which was the first pro league to suspend play amid the COVID-19 pandemic, made $1.5 billion less than it projected last season due to the pandemic and other factors, according to an Associated Press report. The league shut down March 11, then returned to finish a shortened season at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando.

Cycling: Britain's Geoghegan Hart wins Giro d'Italia as Ineos-Grenadiers bounce back

Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart won the Giro d'Italia after beating Maglia Rosa holder Jai Hindley in the final-stage time trial on Sunday as Ineos-Grenadiers turned around a dismal season in spectacular fashion. The 25-year-old started the day 0.86 seconds behind Hindley but he beat the Australian to win the race by 39 seconds and give Ineos-Grenadiers their second Giro title after Chris Froome's 2018 triumph.

Thomas and Rahm set for Zozo Championship showdown

World number three Justin Thomas birdied two of his final three holes to grab a one-shot lead over Jon Rahm at the Zozo Championships on Saturday and set up a final round showdown with the Spanish world number two. Thomas started the day with a one-shot lead and ended it the same way, mixing six birdies with a single bogey at Sherwood Country Club for a scrappy five-under 67 to get to 19-under for the tournament.

NFL hits Titans with $350,000 fine for COVID-19 violations

The NFL fined the Tennessee Titans $350,000 after an investigation into what led to a COVID-19 outbreak within the organization, the league announced on Sunday. The NFL and the NFL Players Association recently completed a review of the Titans' actions amid the outbreak, which started in late September and stretched into early October. The Titans had at least 24 players or staff members test positive for COVID-19 and needed to reschedule a pair of games because of it.

(With inputs from agencies.)

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