Artur Beterbiev wants to face fellow unbeaten Russian Dmitry Bivol

18-0 Russian Artur Beterbiev has his hands full later this month when the takes on the tough Briton Anthony Yarde, but after that he says he wants to focus his efforts on finally making a fight with compatriot Dmitry Bivol a reality.

The 37-year-old Beterbiev has established himself as one of boxing’s foremost power-punchers throughout his career, winning each of his fights by knockout en route to capturing IBF, WBC and WBO titles at 175lbs.

In Yarde, he takes on another fearsome knockout artist but, provided he emerges unscathed from this latest test, Beterbiev has pulled no punches in announcing what he wants as his next challenge.

“We have both signed a contract to fight. He is trying to hit me as hard as he can and I am doing the same. There are no feelings,” said Beterbiev of Yarde, whom he fights at London’s Wembley Arena on January 28.

“After the fight I just hope he is OK. Do I enjoy knocking people out? No. There’s no pleasure in it. I just hope everything is OK with them.

“I just want to do good boxing, not hit people.”

But when it comes to Bivol, Beterbiev, the recent conqueror of the legendary Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, admits that this is a challenge he has really been chasing.

“I need Bivol,” he said of the 21-0 Russian star. “I’d prefer to fight Bivol because he has the one thing I need.

“I hope I fight him in 2023 but the hold-up is not from my side, it’s from their side. In the last three years he always says he will fight me next but in this time we’ve done unification fights against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Joe Smith. We’ve done that, whereas he has just been talking about it.

“We used to be on the national team together as amateurs, I knew him then, but he is younger than me. We haven’t talked for ten years now. He was 75kg (165lbs) back then, too small for me.

“We were never friends.”

But Beterbiev also insists that, while Bivol is the ultimate goal, his immediate focus is fixed upon the challenge awaiting him in the ring in London later this month.

“What motivates me is that first of all I have three belts and I need to defend them – I can’t just give them away,” he said.

“If someone wants these belts they need to fight. I’ll try to be 100% ready and we will fight them to see who is better. What motivates me right now is having these belts and needing to defend them – that’s it.”

Another win, and particularly another devastating knockout against an opponent of Anthony Yarde’s caliber, will certainly serve to enhance Beterbiev’s already glowing reputation.

But one suspects that until he steps into a ring with Dmitry Bivol, he won’t be truly satisfied with his collection of belts.

Artur Beterbiev wants to face fellow unbeaten Russian Dmitry Bivol

18-0 Russian Artur Beterbiev has his hands full later this month when the takes on the tough Briton Anthony Yarde, but after that he says he wants to focus his efforts on finally making a fight with compatriot Dmitry Bivol a reality.

The 37-year-old Beterbiev has established himself as one of boxing’s foremost power-punchers throughout his career, winning each of his fights by knockout en route to capturing IBF, WBC and WBO titles at 175lbs.

In Yarde, he takes on another fearsome knockout artist but, provided he emerges unscathed from this latest test, Beterbiev has pulled no punches in announcing what he wants as his next challenge.

“We have both signed a contract to fight. He is trying to hit me as hard as he can and I am doing the same. There are no feelings,” said Beterbiev of Yarde, whom he fights at London’s Wembley Arena on January 28.

“After the fight I just hope he is OK. Do I enjoy knocking people out? No. There’s no pleasure in it. I just hope everything is OK with them.

“I just want to do good boxing, not hit people.”

But when it comes to Bivol, Beterbiev, the recent conqueror of the legendary Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, admits that this is a challenge he has really been chasing.

“I need Bivol,” he said of the 21-0 Russian star. “I’d prefer to fight Bivol because he has the one thing I need.

“I hope I fight him in 2023 but the hold-up is not from my side, it’s from their side. In the last three years he always says he will fight me next but in this time we’ve done unification fights against Oleksandr Gvozdyk and Joe Smith. We’ve done that, whereas he has just been talking about it.

“We used to be on the national team together as amateurs, I knew him then, but he is younger than me. We haven’t talked for ten years now. He was 75kg (165lbs) back then, too small for me.

“We were never friends.”

But Beterbiev also insists that, while Bivol is the ultimate goal, his immediate focus is fixed upon the challenge awaiting him in the ring in London later this month.

“What motivates me is that first of all I have three belts and I need to defend them – I can’t just give them away,” he said.

“If someone wants these belts they need to fight. I’ll try to be 100% ready and we will fight them to see who is better. What motivates me right now is having these belts and needing to defend them – that’s it.”

Another win, and particularly another devastating knockout against an opponent of Anthony Yarde’s caliber, will certainly serve to enhance Beterbiev’s already glowing reputation.

But one suspects that until he steps into a ring with Dmitry Bivol, he won’t be truly satisfied with his collection of belts.

Darius Miles is suspected of involvement in the incident early on Sunday

Darius Miles, a collegiate basketball star with the University of Alabama, has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman close to the university’s Tuscaloosa campus early on Sunday morning.

Miles, 21, and another man, 20-year-old Michael Lynn Davis, were arrested after allegedly opening fire at a vehicle at a location known as ‘the Strip’ around 1.45am local time on Sunday, according to a report by ABC News.

A woman, Jamea Jonae Harris, 23, was shot during the incident and was later pronounced dead.

One of the two suspects was also shot when someone in the car returned fire, though the identity of this person has not yet been revealed. It is not thought that their injuries are life-threatening.

Investigators are looking into reports that the two parties had engaged in a verbal altercation before shots were fired.

“At this time, it appears that the only motive was a minor altercation that these individuals had with the victim as they were out on the Strip,” said Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Police.

Miles is a junior at the University of Alabama and played forward for the Crimson Tide basketball team. He did not play in the team’s game against Louisiana State University on Saturday after reportedly sustaining an injury to his ankle.

The University of Alabama released a statement shortly after Miles’ arrest, in which it confirmed that he had been dropped from the team following his arrest.

“We were made aware of the recent charge against student-athlete Darius Miles; he has been removed from campus and is no longer a member of the Alabama men’s basketball team,” the university wrote, while also confirming that counseling services had been made available to students.

“The University of Alabama’s utmost priority is the safety and wellbeing of the campus community,” the statement continued.

“We are grieved by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.”

Darius Miles is suspected of involvement in the incident early on Sunday

Darius Miles, a collegiate basketball star with the University of Alabama, has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a woman close to the university’s Tuscaloosa campus early on Sunday morning.

Miles, 21, and another man, 20-year-old Michael Lynn Davis, were arrested after allegedly opening fire at a vehicle at a location known as ‘the Strip’ around 1.45am local time on Sunday, according to a report by ABC News.

A woman, Jamea Jonae Harris, 23, was shot during the incident and was later pronounced dead.

One of the two suspects was also shot when someone in the car returned fire, though the identity of this person has not yet been revealed. It is not thought that their injuries are life-threatening.

Investigators are looking into reports that the two parties had engaged in a verbal altercation before shots were fired.

“At this time, it appears that the only motive was a minor altercation that these individuals had with the victim as they were out on the Strip,” said Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Police.

Miles is a junior at the University of Alabama and played forward for the Crimson Tide basketball team. He did not play in the team’s game against Louisiana State University on Saturday after reportedly sustaining an injury to his ankle.

The University of Alabama released a statement shortly after Miles’ arrest, in which it confirmed that he had been dropped from the team following his arrest.

“We were made aware of the recent charge against student-athlete Darius Miles; he has been removed from campus and is no longer a member of the Alabama men’s basketball team,” the university wrote, while also confirming that counseling services had been made available to students.

“The University of Alabama’s utmost priority is the safety and wellbeing of the campus community,” the statement continued.

“We are grieved by the incident that occurred near campus last night and extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family and friends.”

The Londoners have signed Mikhail Mudryk after ‘hijacking’ his planned move to Arsenal

Chelsea have confirmed the arrival of Mikhail Mudryk after beating London rivals Arsenal to an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk for the Ukrainian winger. Mudryk, 22, was presented to fans at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Chelsea took on Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.

The Blues have reportedly agreed to pay €70 million up front for Mudryk and €30 million in add-ons (total $108 million). The sizeable outlay comes after Mudryk seemed set to move to Arsenal, with the player previously indicating his desire to join the Gunners.

However, Chelsea intervened to land the youngster on an eight-and-a-half-year contract following negotiations involving co-owner Behdad Eghbali and Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov in Türkiye this weekend.

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In a statement after Mudryk’s move was confirmed, Eghbali and new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly – who competed a takeover from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich last May – described Mudryk as “a hugely exciting talent who we believe will be a terrific addition to our squad both now and in the years to come.”

Chelsea have sanctioned the large fee despite Mudryk being capped just eight times at senior international level and playing 44 times for Shakhtar. The left winger scored seven goals in 12 games in the Ukrainian Premier League this season before his move, as well as three goals in six Champions League games.

Chelsea fans will hope that Mudryk can provide an immediate lift for the team as they languish down in tenth place in the Premier League table. Blues manager Graham Potter finds himself under pressure just four months after being installed by the new Chelsea ownership in place of the sacked Thomas Tuchel.

The Londoners have signed Mikhail Mudryk after ‘hijacking’ his planned move to Arsenal

Chelsea have confirmed the arrival of Mikhail Mudryk after beating London rivals Arsenal to an agreement with Shakhtar Donetsk for the Ukrainian winger. Mudryk, 22, was presented to fans at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Chelsea took on Crystal Palace in the English Premier League.

The Blues have reportedly agreed to pay €70 million up front for Mudryk and €30 million in add-ons (total $108 million). The sizeable outlay comes after Mudryk seemed set to move to Arsenal, with the player previously indicating his desire to join the Gunners.

However, Chelsea intervened to land the youngster on an eight-and-a-half-year contract following negotiations involving co-owner Behdad Eghbali and Shakhtar president Rinat Akhmetov in Türkiye this weekend.

Read more

In a statement after Mudryk’s move was confirmed, Eghbali and new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly – who competed a takeover from Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich last May – described Mudryk as “a hugely exciting talent who we believe will be a terrific addition to our squad both now and in the years to come.”

Chelsea have sanctioned the large fee despite Mudryk being capped just eight times at senior international level and playing 44 times for Shakhtar. The left winger scored seven goals in 12 games in the Ukrainian Premier League this season before his move, as well as three goals in six Champions League games.

Chelsea fans will hope that Mudryk can provide an immediate lift for the team as they languish down in tenth place in the Premier League table. Blues manager Graham Potter finds himself under pressure just four months after being installed by the new Chelsea ownership in place of the sacked Thomas Tuchel.

Georgiy Gagloev’s body was found during a stop in southern Russia, according to reports

Russian MMA fighter Georgiy Gagloev has been found dead at the age of 25 in the carriage of a train which was traveling from Moscow to Vladikavkaz. There are suggestions that Gagloev’s death may have been “violent,” Russian news agency TASS reported, citing sources.

Gagloev’s body is said to have been discovered during a stop in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Relatives of the fighter, who was from Ossetia, have already gone to the city to collect the body, TASS added.

Bantamweight Gagloev is listed by MMA records website Sherdog as having four fights during his career – winning one but losing his past three trips to the cage.

Gagloev last fought in March 2021, competing in the ‘Old Guard Fight Club’ event in Russia but suffering a submission defeat to compatriot Aleksey Ponomorenko.

According to Russian outlet Sport-Express, Gagloev was a local North Ossetian champion in freestyle wrestling and hand-to-hand combat before moving into MMA. He is also said to have had a stint in jail, and donned a prison-style outfit for one of his walk-outs to the cage.

Sport-Express reported that Gagloev’s career may have been “hindered by personal problems” in recent years, including the search for his aunt, Rimma – a purported fortune-teller who is said to have gone missing after traveling from the UAE to Grozny.

Gagloev even turned to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov with a video appeal for him to help in the search, but to no avail.  

Georgiy Gagloev’s body was found during a stop in southern Russia, according to reports

Russian MMA fighter Georgiy Gagloev has been found dead at the age of 25 in the carriage of a train which was traveling from Moscow to Vladikavkaz. There are suggestions that Gagloev’s death may have been “violent,” Russian news agency TASS reported, citing sources.

Gagloev’s body is said to have been discovered during a stop in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. Relatives of the fighter, who was from Ossetia, have already gone to the city to collect the body, TASS added.

Bantamweight Gagloev is listed by MMA records website Sherdog as having four fights during his career – winning one but losing his past three trips to the cage.

Gagloev last fought in March 2021, competing in the ‘Old Guard Fight Club’ event in Russia but suffering a submission defeat to compatriot Aleksey Ponomorenko.

According to Russian outlet Sport-Express, Gagloev was a local North Ossetian champion in freestyle wrestling and hand-to-hand combat before moving into MMA. He is also said to have had a stint in jail, and donned a prison-style outfit for one of his walk-outs to the cage.

Sport-Express reported that Gagloev’s career may have been “hindered by personal problems” in recent years, including the search for his aunt, Rimma – a purported fortune-teller who is said to have gone missing after traveling from the UAE to Grozny.

Gagloev even turned to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov with a video appeal for him to help in the search, but to no avail.  

Jessica Calalang claimed Kamila Valieva should be sanctioned despite previously facing her own battle with the anti-doping authorities

US pairs skater Jessica Calalang – who faced an eight-month bid to clear her name with the anti-doping authorities in 2021 – has called for Russian teenage star Kamila Valieva to be sanctioned in her ongoing case with WADA.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Friday that it had been informed that Valieva “bore no guilt or negligence” following a ruling by a Russian anti-doping committee. The tribunal made the ruling based on an investigation into Valieva’s positive test for banned heart medication trimetazidine in a sample dating from December 2021.

WADA responded to the news by saying it would consider the reasoning by the Russian tribunal, but did not rule out turning to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – where it has already filed a complaint seeking a four-year ban for Valieva.

READ MORE: Results of Valieva doping investigation revealed

Weighing in on Twitter, three-time US national silver medalist Calalang suggested that the Russian investigation into the 16-year-old Valieva had been rigged.

“Hmm… this seems totally fair and unbiased,” tweeted Calalang, adding an upside-down smiley and sharing the text of the WADA statement on Valieva. “Doping is doping which should automatically equal a sanction. WADA needs to appeal. THE END,” wrote the American.

The comment echoed the sentiment expressed across much of the Western media in Valieva’s case, although some of the responses to Calalang’s tweet noted that she had first-hand experience of being implicated in a doping investigation.

In Calalang’s case, she faced an eight-month battle to clear her name in 2021 after testing positive for 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA) in a sample taken in January of that year. The substance is a known metabolite of meclofenoxate – a stimulant which was prohibited by American anti-doping agency USADA.

Calalang and her pairs partner Brian Johnson were forced to withdraw from the World Championships in March 2021 and were initially unable to compete in any official US figure skating events while her case played out.

Read more

Calalang, 27, was eventually cleared following an investigation by USADA, which discovered that a non-prohibited substance which is found in shampoos and lotions, chlorphenesin, can metabolize into 4-CPA.

A similar finding had been made in a case involving UFC fighter Rob Font, who had been cleared earlier that year after it was found that cosmetic products he used before a fight resulted in a positive test.

“I had used all the same makeup before,” Calalang said at the time of her case, describing the situation as “just a big shock to me.” She was eventually fully cleared of any violations by UASADA and WADA at the end of September 2021. However, she and Johnson did not make it to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022, with Johnson announcing his retirement last April, signaling the end of their partnership.

Read more

Meanwhile, the case of Russian star Valieva seems set to drag on. The news of her positive test for banned heart medication trimetazidine first emerged at the Beijing Winter Games in February last year, based on a sample collected six weeks previously at the Russian championships.  

Valieva had already won gold in the figure skating team event at the Olympics before her positive test was reported, and she was cleared to compete in the individual competition in Beijing by an emergency CAS panel. In the end, Valieva finished a disappointing fourth despite being the strong favorite for gold.

Due to Valieva’s age and her status as a “protected person,” Russian officials have defended their right not to disclose the full details of her case. However, it emerged during the CAS hearings in Beijing that Valieva’s team had argued that the positive test may have resulted from contamination via heart medication her grandfather was taking.

Despite being cleared of negligence by the Russian anti-doping hearing, Valieva did have her results annulled for the day of her positive test on December 25, 2021 – meaning she lost the Russian national title she won on that date.  

Jessica Calalang claimed Kamila Valieva should be sanctioned despite previously facing her own battle with the anti-doping authorities

US pairs skater Jessica Calalang – who faced an eight-month bid to clear her name with the anti-doping authorities in 2021 – has called for Russian teenage star Kamila Valieva to be sanctioned in her ongoing case with WADA.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Friday that it had been informed that Valieva “bore no guilt or negligence” following a ruling by a Russian anti-doping committee. The tribunal made the ruling based on an investigation into Valieva’s positive test for banned heart medication trimetazidine in a sample dating from December 2021.

WADA responded to the news by saying it would consider the reasoning by the Russian tribunal, but did not rule out turning to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) – where it has already filed a complaint seeking a four-year ban for Valieva.

READ MORE: Results of Valieva doping investigation revealed

Weighing in on Twitter, three-time US national silver medalist Calalang suggested that the Russian investigation into the 16-year-old Valieva had been rigged.

“Hmm… this seems totally fair and unbiased,” tweeted Calalang, adding an upside-down smiley and sharing the text of the WADA statement on Valieva. “Doping is doping which should automatically equal a sanction. WADA needs to appeal. THE END,” wrote the American.

The comment echoed the sentiment expressed across much of the Western media in Valieva’s case, although some of the responses to Calalang’s tweet noted that she had first-hand experience of being implicated in a doping investigation.

In Calalang’s case, she faced an eight-month battle to clear her name in 2021 after testing positive for 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA) in a sample taken in January of that year. The substance is a known metabolite of meclofenoxate – a stimulant which was prohibited by American anti-doping agency USADA.

Calalang and her pairs partner Brian Johnson were forced to withdraw from the World Championships in March 2021 and were initially unable to compete in any official US figure skating events while her case played out.

Read more

Calalang, 27, was eventually cleared following an investigation by USADA, which discovered that a non-prohibited substance which is found in shampoos and lotions, chlorphenesin, can metabolize into 4-CPA.

A similar finding had been made in a case involving UFC fighter Rob Font, who had been cleared earlier that year after it was found that cosmetic products he used before a fight resulted in a positive test.

“I had used all the same makeup before,” Calalang said at the time of her case, describing the situation as “just a big shock to me.” She was eventually fully cleared of any violations by UASADA and WADA at the end of September 2021. However, she and Johnson did not make it to the Beijing Winter Olympics in February 2022, with Johnson announcing his retirement last April, signaling the end of their partnership.

Read more

Meanwhile, the case of Russian star Valieva seems set to drag on. The news of her positive test for banned heart medication trimetazidine first emerged at the Beijing Winter Games in February last year, based on a sample collected six weeks previously at the Russian championships.  

Valieva had already won gold in the figure skating team event at the Olympics before her positive test was reported, and she was cleared to compete in the individual competition in Beijing by an emergency CAS panel. In the end, Valieva finished a disappointing fourth despite being the strong favorite for gold.

Due to Valieva’s age and her status as a “protected person,” Russian officials have defended their right not to disclose the full details of her case. However, it emerged during the CAS hearings in Beijing that Valieva’s team had argued that the positive test may have resulted from contamination via heart medication her grandfather was taking.

Despite being cleared of negligence by the Russian anti-doping hearing, Valieva did have her results annulled for the day of her positive test on December 25, 2021 – meaning she lost the Russian national title she won on that date.