ONE Championships first Malaysian World Champion, Aliff Sor Dechapan, is still basking in the glow of last weeks historic win, and now theres even more reason to celebrate.The newly crowned ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion accompanied by his parents received a heros welcome from Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Prime Ministers Office in Putrajaya.View this post on InstagramThat welcome traces directly back to what unfolded inside Bangkoks iconic Lumpinee Stadium last Friday, July 24, where the 22-year-old knockout artist wrote a defining chapter for Malaysian sports.Aliff finished the legendary Sam-A Gaiyanghadao at the 1:09 mark of the fifth round of their epic World Title main event showdown at The Inner Circle 23 to claim the 26 pounds of gold, a spot in the record books, and a US$50,000 performance bonus from ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.The Malaysian Prime Minister had rallied the nation behind the Sor Dechapan product in the lead-up to the fight, which was broadcast exclusively to subscribers at live.onefc.com, and Thursdays visit carried that same spirit forward.View this post on InstagramThey even shared a lighthearted moment, as they shadowboxed together at his administrative office in Putrajaya. It was a small but symbolic gesture between the head of government and the athlete who had just given Malaysia its sweetest martial arts moment yet.The Kuala Lumpur-based star, who moved his career record to 63-9 after earning his sixth highlight-reel triumph in the worlds largest martial arts organization, clearly did not take the moment lightly. He shared a few pictures from the meeting on his Instagram account, alongside a warm message that captured just how much it meant to him.Aliff wrote:Alhamdulillah, today I had the opportunity to meet YAB Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, in Putrajaya. It was a deeply meaningful honor for me and serves as a source of inspiration to keep fighting and bringing glory to Malaysias name on the global stage.Thank you to everyone who continues to pray for and support my journey. God willing, I will continue to give the best for my country.View this post on InstagramAnwars Message To The NationDatuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was among the very first to publicly celebrate Aliff Sor Dechapans achievement in the immediate aftermath of the win, leading an outpouring of national pride that swept across Malaysia.The Malaysian Prime Minister was equally glad to extend that same warmth in person, sharing the moment on his own Instagram page following the meeting with the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion in Putrajaya.Anwar wrote:I welcomed Aliff Rakib to my office today and congratulated him on his historic achievement of becoming the first Malaysian to clinch the ONE Interim Strawweight Muay Thai World Title in ONE Championship.This success not only brings glory to Malaysia on the international stage but also demonstrates that our nations youth possess the capability, discipline, and fighting spirit to compete against the worlds best.View this post on InstagramThe Prime Minister closed his post with a message aimed at reaching every young Malaysian watching a World Champion rise from their own backyard.Anwars words captured the scale of this sporting moment not only for Aliff, but for an entire generation searching for proof that big dreams are within reach.He continued:May this achievement inspire more young people to pursue their dreams with determination, commitment, and unwavering perseverance. Well done, Aliff Rakib, Malaysia is proud of this success.View this post on InstagramSource

PFL commentator Dan Hardy thinks the historic betting line between Dakota Ditcheva and Denise Kielholtz at PFL New York is a disservice to both athletes.Undefeated women's flyweight standout Ditcheva (15-0) will walk into Friday's co-main event matchup with Kielholtz (9-5) at UBS Arena on Long Island (ESPN) as a historic betting favorite. She can be found as high as -10,000 on various markets, which marks one of the widest lines ever in an MMA fight.Although Ditcheva, 28, is a rightful favorite in the mind of nearly everyone, Hardy said the mass unpredictability of MMA could level the playing field in a way the odds don't reflect. He sees Kielholtz, 37, as having a sneaky game, and the fact Ditcheva is coming off a pair of significant injuries creates some intrigue."First of all, it's an MMA fight. I was talking to Matt Serra last night and he's one of the people that upset the odds (against Georges St-Pierre) back in the day before they had as much traction and attention," Hardy told MMA Junkie. "I feel for Denise because she's been put in that situation by a lot of people. Then when you see them face off, Dakota's huge for the weight. But Denise, at close range, she's got excellent judo, inside and outside leaps, side control, scarf hold position, taking the back. She could be a real test for Dakota because she's very, very good in the clinch at close range."I'm sure she's 100 percent feeling great, but there's always that little bit of hesitation when you're coming back from an injury, like, 'How is this going to work out?' Does it change Dakota's game in some ways? Does she want to kick more or clinch more? I'm excited to see what Dakota looks like."Although he doesn't agree with the betting line, Hardy also said it's not unrealistic that Ditcheva could still put on a completely one-sided performance. He sees that ability in her, especially given the degree of focus he has witnessed throughout fight week.It's certainly a bit of a trap fight situation for Ditcheva, though, because it brings a degree of pressure to deliver in such a dominant fashion that Hardy said it would loom on the mind of any fighter."I know Dakota's taking Denise very seriously because it's these kind of fights where you overlook the person, you trip and stumble and then all of a sudden the hype that is forcing those odds into such a ridiculous place, all comes crashing down around you," Hardy said. "People get dismissed very quickly in this sport. One loss to a person that you shouldn't have lost to and that's it. Imagine if GSP had lost to me? It would've completely changed his career and everything. It would've been twice that happened after Matt Serra took the belt off him. You don't want to be in those situations fighting someone that is such an underdog that you're just expected to win. "It's a strange circumstance and I feel for both ladies. I don't think it's an easy situation for either of them. But I know for a fact Liz Carmouche is watching this one and she's rooting for Dakota to win because that's the fight she wants. As long as Dakota comes through with this one healthy and she's successful, it seems like that it is going to be the flyweight title on the line for that. I can't see any other way it would play out."This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dan Hardy: Dakota Ditcheva under pressure with historic PFL New York odds

Credit: CBS Sports Network, SiriusXMKatie Nolan seems about as excited to call Boomer Esiason a colleague as Frank Isola was when Kenny Beecham joined SiriusXM Radio earlier this year.Last week, Audacy announced a new partnership to make WFAN and 41 other local radio stations available on SiriusXM, which means Esiasons morning show with co-host Gregg Giannotti will soon be heard on satellite radio in addition to their usual platforms. Esiason and Giannotti will not be broadcasting their show from SiriusXM, and they wont be SiriusXM employees, but the new partnership between Audacy and SiriusXM is enough for Katie Nolan to kinda sorta call them colleagues. For Nolan and her producer Isabella Joson, thats a bad thing.You and your arch-nemesis are going to be co-workers, Nolan told Joson. Of course were referring to Boomer Esason. Isabella, not a huge fan.Nolan hosts Casuals on Mad Dog Sports Radio as a lead-in to The Stephen A. Smith Show. And to welcome Esiason to SiriusXM, Nolan played back some of the former NFL MVPs more polarizing takes, pretending HR wanted to make sure Joson would be able to maintain a safe workplace environment with their new colleague.Nolan began with Esiason calling Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu insufferable after watching her at the Olympics earlier this year. From there, they played Esiason saying pipe down and respect the flag in response to Olympic athletes speaking out against ICE and the Trump administration. Nolan also went back to late last year, where Esiason reacted to Yankees radio voice Dave Sims cutting a promo for Dude Wipes by suggesting a Vagisil endorsement for Suzyn Waldman.This is a person on-air? They allow him to have a job? Joson questioned. Thats my new coworker!For the final take, Nolan went back to 2014, when Esiason claimed the then-New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy should have encouraged his wife to have a scheduled C-section so he could have been available for Opening Day.Thats my coworker! Joson said again with sarcasm. Im just offended that I wasnt asked first if he could be my coworker. Thats all Im saying. I hate that Im blindsided, but whatever.Nolan noted Joson found out the same way they all found out, in the news. If SiriusXM was going to let Michelle Beadle and Cody Decker go on-air without letting them know they were being fired for Stephen A. Smith, its not surprising that Casuals with Katie Nolan was not informed about the looming Audacy partnership.After all the takes were rehashed, Nolan pretended to be Esiason and acted out how it might go if the WFAN morning host ever gets to introduce himself to his new SiriusXM colleagues. Joson responded by burping into the microphone and attempting to rip a fart.Hey, Boomer, welcome to the team, big dog, Nolan said to interrupt Joson from trying to find a fart for Esiason. Clean it up, you know? And bring your little laughing friend (Gregg Giannotti).If SiriusXM didnt alert Nolan and Joson to the fact that WFAN will soon be heard on SiriusXM, they probably werent aware that the person whose name is on their channel, Christopher Mad Dog Russo, has already started recruiting Esiason for a weekly picks segment on his show. It doesnt sound like Nolan will similarly search for an extra $100,000 in the budget to have Esiason as a weekly guest on Casuals.The post Katie Nolan welcomes Boomer Esiason to SiriusXM by playing his worst takes: Clean it up appeared first on Awful Announcing.

Jul 30, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan Football head coach Kyle Wittingham speaks during Big Ten Media Days at Hilton Chicago. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMichigan head coach Kyle Whittingham spoke at Big Ten Football Media Days in Chicago on Thursday, and he explained why there needs to be a seismic change to the college football landscape in the coming years.NIL has completely changed college athletics in recent years, and a lack of rules and regulations on player compensation have made for an uneven playing field across the country. Whittingham believes there needs to be more restrictions in place.Theres no guardrails and theres no parameters, Whittingham said. So I believe there has to be a seismic change in college football, and I think there will be in the next 2-4 years. Part of that will be getting a handle on NIL and a salary cap.Adding restrictions to what schools can and cant do with NIL, and implementing a salary cap similar to the NFL limiting how much programs can spendon a yearly basis would go a long way in bringing a sense of balance to the sport.Money has always been the driving force in college athletics, and it always will. But now that paying players is legal and out in the open, there needs to be regulations put in place so that every program is forced to follow the same guidelines.The skys not the limit for everybody, Whittingham said. I believe we have to have a salary cap, and an NFL minor league model for college football is in its best interest. Its not sustainable to stay on the path were on right now.Whittingham believes NIL spending is rising at an unsustainable rate, noting that some of the top-tier programs are currently spending as much as $40 million per year. That will very likely only continue to increase unless a salary cap is installed.The financial disparity between the wealthiest programs and the rest of the country is a serious threat to the future of college football. Thats due to the rise of spending having no end in sight unless the NCAA and/or the U.S. government steps in and creates an NFL-like model.In order to fix college footballs spending problem before its too late, Whittingham thinks implementing a collective bargaining agreement, unions, roster budgets and salary caps similarly to the NFL will be beneficial for all parties involved.

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Aaron Glenn has never shied away from calling defense his 'superpower.' It's a phrase we've all heard him use before. Now entering his second season as the New York Jets' head coach, he'll once again wear the headset and call plays for a defense expected to be among the NFL's better units. He was asked after the Jets' first training camp practice what excites him most about that responsibility. Glenn pointed to his familiarity with the scheme."When there's an issue on defense, I can quickly fix it, because I know the defense like the back of my hand. And that feels really, really good," Glenn said. It's the kind of confidence the Jets were hoping for when they handed Glenn the reins of the defense. His ability to make adjustments on the fly is one of the organization's biggest reasons for believing the unit can continue building on last season's success.Full quote below:"When there's an issue on defense, I can quickly fix it, because I know the defense like the back of my hand. And that feels really, really good."- Aaron Glenn pic.twitter.com/wJAw6rUtxO SNY Jets (@snyjets) July 29, 2026General manager Darren Mougey has already seen that confidence translate onto the practice field."It's fun to watch Coach Glenn in action," Mougey said. GM Darren Mougey on AG calling the defense: "It's fun to watch" pic.twitter.com/d0SsbjW4WT New York Jets (@nyjets) July 29, 2026The Jets have assembled a defense filled with veteran leadership and ascending young talent. If Glenn's command of the scheme is as impactful on Sundays as it has been throughout training camp, New York could once again field one of the AFC's most disciplined and aggressive defensive units.The Jets hired Glenn to build a culture, but they also hired him to fix a defense. If his confidence in making adjustments translates from the practice field to Sundays, New York's defense could once again become one of the team's biggest strengths.Jets Wire will continue to provide updates throughout the 2026 NFL season. This article originally appeared on Jets Wire: Aaron Glenn shares what most excites him about calling the Jets' defense

Andoni Iraola reveals plan for complete Florian WirtzLiverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has revealed where he will deploy Florian Wirtz.Wirtz is primarily an attacking midfielder, but is also capable of playing on either wing, as a striker or in central midfield.The 23-year-old operated mainly as a no. 10 and on the left flank last season, making 42 out of his 49 appearances across all competitions in the two positions.Iraola has said that he will deploy Wirtz as an attacking midfielder and hopes to add new dimensions to the Germans game.Obviously, [its] all the players, honestly, but with Flo, especially, I think we need a very good version of Florian. We know what he can give us, Iraola told liverpoolfc.com.I think hes also suited to our game model. I see him more probably in that position behind the striker. We know that he has played with Germany more on the left sometimes.But I think were going to start working with him in that position behind the striker. Hes quite complete as a player. I think we are going to try to add more things to what he already has that is very good and Ive seen him [in the] first days of training in a good place mentally and I hope he starts well and strong.Despite the Germany internationals versatility, his best performances have come in the No. 10 role.The former Bayer Leverkusen star is renowned for his creativity and excellent decision-making, qualities that make him one of Europes best offensive midfielders.However, Wirtz endured a relatively disappointing debut campaign at Liverpool by his own high standards. He recorded just seven goals and 10 assists, his fewest goal involvements in the last four seasons.Liverpool will need the German midfielder to rediscover his best form if they are to enjoy a successful 2026/27 campaign.Wirtz could make his first appearance under Iraola when the Reds face Leeds United in a pre-season friendly on Sunday.

Carlos Espi of Levante UD celebrates a goal during the La Liga EA Sports match between Real Betis and Levante UD at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, Spain, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Jose Luis Contreras/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty ImagesReal Madrids newest signing, Carlos Espi, is set to start training at his new club from Friday, according to Arancha Rodriguez of COPE.Jose Mourinho who, according to Rodriguez, was influential in Real Madrid signing Espi will start working with the Spaniard a day after the signing was announced.Mourinho reportedly brought the clubs attention to needing a striker who can be a huge presence inside the box, and recommended Espi who he wanted specifically to the higher-ups. The club then made the signing happen in just a few hours, showing their faith in Mourinho and putting in the effort and investment into making the project work. Real Madrid signed Espi after selling Gonzalo Garcia to Fulham for 40 million euros on Friday, and now have the tall, physical striker that has been lacking from the squad since the departure of Joselu in 2024. Real Madrids squad will be full once Yan Diomande is officially announced, meaning the club would need to sell a player before they are able to sign anyone else.

Olivia Tchine, left, scored 41 goals from 43 attempts to help England beat South Africa [Getty Images]England's netballers reached the Commonwealth Games semi-finals after producing a pulsating comeback to beat South Africa 58-54.With both sides tied on six points but the Roses ahead of the Proteas on goal average in pool A's second spot going into the game, England had to avoid defeat to progress.Elmere van der Berg was in fine form early on to fire South Africa into a six-goal lead at the end of the first quarter with 16 of her nation's 17 goals to leave England facing an uphill task.But some excellent and aggressive defensive work by second-quarter substitute Halimat Adio helped England spring multiple counter-attacks to claw their way back to just 29-28 down at the halfway stage.The Roses started to take control in the third quarter, opening up a seven-goal lead at one stage before the Proteas netted three times in quick succession to go into the final 15 minutes 43-39 behind.Both sides then went blow for blow in a compelling final quarter with 15 goals apiece, but 2018 champions England held on to ensure they maintained their record of qualifying for every Commonwealth Games semi-final since the inaugural netball event in 1998.England will face New Zealand in the last four on Saturday, while South Africa's wait for a first semi-final since 1998 goes on.Commonwealth Games netball final pool standings'England don't shy away from pressure'London Pulse team-mates Halimat Adio and Funmi Fadoju proved to be a formidable defensive partnership [Getty Images]England captain Fran Williams was full of praise for her whole team after Olivia Tchine scored 41 goals and Lois Pearson netted 17 times, but she picked out goalkeeper Adio in particular for her remarkable display from the bench."I feel like she was unreal for us from that second quarter," Williams told TNT Sports. "So proud of her, bringing that energy to get us back in the game when we needed it."The 28-year-old said there was "no denying" England have been under pressure all week to perform and challenge for a medal."So for us to be able to finish out a game like that, riding the wave of goal for goal and to come out on top, just so proud of the team," Williams added."We don't shy away from [pressure]. We are the first people to put the pressure on ourselves because we know what we are capable of in our own environment."We've got so many young heads out there that are showing experience way beyond their years. I just want to try and be that rock for them and let the others shine around me."Highest-ranked nations collide in semi-finalIt is perhaps no surprise that the four highest ranking nations in the world have reached the semi-final.Australia - the world number one, four-time Commonwealth Games winners and reigning champions - are undoubtedly the team to beat once again in 2026.They will face Jamaica on Saturday, who have never won gold in the competition but came agonisingly close in the 2022 final when they were beaten 55-51 by the Diamonds.The number four ranked Sunshine Girls have won bronze on three occasions.Two-time winners and world number two side New Zealand beat England, who are currently ranked third, in the bronze medal match at the last Games but have not won gold since claiming back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2010.Semi-finalAustralia v Jamaica - Saturday, 1 August (09:00 BST)New Zealand v England - Saturday 1, August (13:00)Bronze medal matchSunday, 2 August (09:00)Gold medal finalSunday, 2 August (13:00)Commonwealth Games daily scheduleCommonwealth Games medal table and resultsWhat are the Commonwealth Games?