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“Every race is a different story”: riders ready to write more history in Valencia

Nov 06. 2020

 The pre-event Press Conference kicks off the Gran Premio de Europa, with pressure and playing catch-up proving two key talking points once again

Here we go! The final triple-header of the season is about to kick off and ahead of track action for the Gran Premio de Europa, it was time to talk shop in the pre-event Press Conference. Championship leader Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) headed the line-up, joined by closest challenger Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), third Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Teruel GP winner and fourth overall Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), as well as Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) and Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar).

Here are a few key quotes!

JOAN MIR: “For sure feeling a little bit more pressure because the Championship is getting older, so every one of us feels like this it’s going to finish soon. Just enjoying the moment, we will see what position we will finish on Sunday. I’m confident of doing a good job, giving my 100% and at the end we will see where we are.

“Honestly I didn’t care about the others, I just care about my feeling. That’s something I have enough of, have a great feeling on the bike and give 100% every weekend, and at the end we are in this position, with three races to go it’s not a bad position. It’s important to continue like that. For sure we can see there are a lot of title contenders, more than normal, but it is what it is. I don’t care about the others, I care about getting the feeling.”

FABIO QUARTARARO: “It was tough to reset because when you have two races at the same track, and in the end, in the second race you go backwards and don’t make any improvements and then you see your teammate and he is doing one of the best races of the season. Honestly, it is tough to understand when we were there but I have pressed the reset button and we have arrived at a track that I really like, last year was a super good race for us so yeah, I am fully motivated and I think it is the correct mood to arrive in for the last triple header.

“You know, most of the season I’ve been in front of the Championship and I was feeling no pressure but now that I am second I feel that I had a little bit of pressure. Right now I feel much better, the confidence is here and of course we have a lot of contenders and in the end we saw this year with the amount of races we haven’t got as many points as previous years, so anything can happen, 75 points in the game. I think all of the riders that are here can win the Championship easily, we have to stay focused and don’t lose it and take it race by race is the only way to think about fighting for the Championship.”

MAVERICK VIÑALES: “For me and for us the last two races haven’t been bad honestly. We take some points on the Championship which is good. We also made a lot of mistakes, so we understand many things during the last three races. Now we have three races where we can enjoy a lot, it’s a track I love and also Portimao is a track I like. We have three weekends where we can do really good. The potential in the bike is there, Franco did a great job in Alcañiz, so this gives us a lot of energy and positivity to come here to Valencia and put on a good performance. We’ve won this year, we know how to do it, so we need to put everything in a row and hit a good lap time. It’s important for us to hit some consistency, the first four laps in Aragon were really good but after that it was a nightmare. I couldn’t push on the bike and it was very difficult. So we need to understand that and we need to work. I hope the team has something to work on and to give us an extra feeling to be competitive here in Valencia.  

“I think our strategy is very clear: finish ahead of those two guys. That will be the main strategy to close the gap in the Championship. For sure it will not be easy but we want to put in the maximum level to finish in front of them.”

FRANCO MORBIDELLI: “I feel great, I have a great feeling with the bike especially in the last race, I enjoyed riding it a lot and I felt great. Maybe Alex and I joined the party a little late, but we are trying to catch up anyways. I will speak for me, but I will give my everything in these last three races in order to get the Championship because we are here now fighting for that, and we need to aim for that and to have no regrets at the end of the year. Whichever way it will go, it will be a positive Championship for me and a nice Championship anyway, but at this point, three races from the end and 25 points behind and having the momentum we have, we have to aim for something big. 

“I think that being in a fight for a Championship is a particular feeling, it is a strange feeling and a strong one. It is a feeling that I had in 2017 and that most of these riders had in the past. Having that feeling again is for sure nice, but bad at the same time, but I am sure I am one of the guys that is feeling that ‘bad feeling’ less, because I am behind, I am 25 points behind and I need to catch up, I need to do everything perfectly to get that (the lead), so basically I have nothing to lose. I am a little bit, and I think the guys that are behind, are in an advantageous position this way but a disadvantageous position from the point of the view of the points. We are behind so we need to do everything perfectly but maybe we have less pressure so we can force a little bit more compared to the front guys.”

ANDREA DOVIZIOSO: “If it were wet we would have to use that chance in an intelligent way, but like you say we have to be faster on the dry to think about and fight with them. It looks like they are in a really good situation and with good confidence at the moment, something we don’t have and it is difficult. But you know every race is a different story and this is a different track so we will see, we will try our maximum in the remaining three races, we will do everything. It will be tough, but we will try. 

“In the end it is the way I ride, it really doesn’t work with this tyre. We couldn’t find anything really good because if you see the season of the Ducati riders, more happened for the competitors and this created a really difficult situation. It was very difficult during the season to work and improve because it was every race was up and down and more down than up, so this is the reality. But this is a different track. We will start on the wet tomorrow for sure so the weekend will be different than the previous races so we will see. We will have to stay calm and try to find something.”

ALEX RINS: “For sure I’m happy to have the chance to still fight for the Championship in the last three races. This season I was very irregular in the final position in the races, with the shoulder injury and small mistakes in the races. I’m happy I still have the chance to fight for the Championship. Our target needs to be fighting for the podium like we did in Aragon. I’m 32 points behind so we don’t have the pressure, so we will try to ride free.  

“We will never know. If I didn’t have that unlucky crash in the qualifying, we won’t know. I’m quite happy to be here fighting for the top positions. And I’m happy to see the Suzuki on top because it means that we’ve done a good job in the past, it’s perfect – we are top of the teams Championship and Suzuki are happy for this. It means we are doing a good job!”

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Wakamatsu needs more wins before contending for world title

Nov 06. 2020Yuya Wakamatsu   Japanese firecracker and fourth-ranked flyweight contender Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu doesn’t believe he’s the star everyone’s hoping him to be just yet. 

The humble 25-year-old from Tokyo wants to string together a couple more impressive performances in the ONE Circle before he even thinks about making a run at the top — wise words from a true martial artist.

“I am only on a two fight winning streak, so I don’t think it really makes me a star yet,” said Wakamatsu.

“I think I’m a few more big wins away from a title shot. I’m working very hard and not trying to rush things. I’ll take it one fight at a time and do my best. When the timing is right, I’ll be in line for a title shot.”

Wakamatsu is set to face Singapore-based South Korean Kim Kyu Sung at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX II, a previously-recorded event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium scheduled for air this Friday, 6 November.

Kim is a former kickboxer who moved to Singapore to train at Evolve MMA. His exciting, dynamic style has produced six exciting knockouts in his career. Wakamatsu himself is a feared puncher, with 10 knockouts out of 12 victories to his name, making this fight against Kim almost guaranteed to be an explosive contest.

Wakamatsu knows this bout could end at any moment, which is why he has prepared himself very well in order to deal with Kim’s different strengths.

“He is taller than me. It’s hard to believe he’s in the same division as I am. Also, he is a striker, he has some good boxing. But I think we have different styles. When the cage door shuts, I don’t think I am in there with him. I always think the fight is against myself,” said Wakamatsu.

“I’ve already watched videos of him and his past fights, as usual. My team and I have come up with a good game plan. Once we get into the Circle, it’s time to execute.”

ONE Championship returns with ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX II, a previously-recorded event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore scheduled for air this Friday night, 6 November. 

In the main event, reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion Kiamrian Abbasov of Kyrgyzstan makes the first defense of his world title against undefeated top contender James Nakashima of the United States.

With recent victories over Dae Hwan Kim and former flyweight world champion Geje Eustaquio, as well as incredible experience facing top rate athletes Danny Kingad, Senzo Ikeda, and even legendary UFC flyweight Demetrious Johnson, Wakamatsu is slowly coming into his own in the division, whether he would claim it or not.

He’s coming into this next bout with a little extra motivation, too.

“After that fight against Demetrious Johnson, I gained a lot of experience. That experience gave me more confidence in my other fights. I also recently became a father, and my son gives me extra motivation to win,” said Wakamatsu.

A win over Kim this Friday night would no doubt boost him up the rankings, and put him in line to compete for the flyweight throne sooner rather than later.

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Abbasov ready for undefeated Nakashima

Nov 05. 2020Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov Reigning ONE Welterweight World Champion Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov of Novorossiysk, Russia is one of the nicest, most humble human beings you will ever meet outside of the Circle. But once those cage doors shut, he turns into an absolute force of nature, wrecking everything in its path.

Abbasov returns to action this Friday night at ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX II, a previously-recorded event in Singapore, scheduled for air on 6 November. “Brazen” will defend his title against highly-touted undefeated American James Nakashima in what should be a high-level affair.

Motivated and hungry for victory, Abbasov is looking to make a statement in what he believes will be an exciting back-and-forth battle.

“I feel great. I’m a hundred percent charged for this fight, and I can’t wait to enter the Circle,” said Abbasov.

“I’m ready to go to war and I will do everything for the sake of victory. The result will be from Allah Almighty! I know my strengths, and I’m very hungry and motivated. I can’t wait to satiate the feelings of this hunger. I know at the end of the night, I will still be the champion.”

Against Nakashima, Abbasov faces an extremely confident fighter and a Legacy Fighting Alliance Welterweight Champion with an unblemished professional record. Nakashima is a former collegiate wrestler and striking stylist with gold on his mind, and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Abbasov, however, knows exactly the sort of danger a fighter like Nakashima poses, having faced the top talents in his division. He’s done his homework and studied Nakashima’s style, and believes he has the right game plan to achieve victory and retain his title.

“James is a tough guy, and he knows how to wrestle well. But I won’t just stand still in there. I am constantly moving. I’ve worked very hard on my wrestling and grappling over the last few months, so let’s see who’s the better man on fight night,” said Abbasov.

“I have no comment about James. He’s a good fighter, and his record speaks for itself. Being undefeated means he’s a high level fighter, and there is no doubt in my mind that he deserves this fight.”

ONE Championship returns with ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX II, a previously-recorded event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore scheduled for air this Friday night, 6 November. 

The Abbasov-Nakashima welterweight showdown serves as the evening’s main event offering, but other compelling martial arts contests will also feature on the show, including a showdown between top-ranked lightweights Pieter Buist and Timofey Nastyukhin.

Making his ONE Championship debut in 2018, losing to Luis Santos by decision, Abbasov has certainly come into his own. He has since been on a tear, railing off four straight victories, including massive wins against former UFC star Yushin “Thunder” Okami, and the always-tough Zebaztian Kadestam to claim the title a year ago.

The Kadestam fight in particular allowed Abbasov to realize a few things within himself.

“In my fight against Zebaztian Kadestam, I was in for a big test. It was a test for me whether I could handle 25 minutes of being in there fighting a real killer. I realized in that fight, that I’m the real killer!” said Abbasov.

“My ONE debut didn’t go the way I wanted, but with the Will of Allah Almighty, He gave me all of my strengths, including my weaknesses, and I came back stronger. I always prepare myself the same way, as if I’m facing the strongest fighter ever, no matter who it is. That is the way I approach every fight.”

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Three races, six contenders, one crown: the final countdown is on

Nov 04. 2020

 75 points remain on the table, Mir has an advantage of 14, and MotorLand put yet more names in the hat

11 races ago, the MotoGP™ class of 2020 started with a clean slate. Several months, one double- and three triple-headers later and we’re heading into the final three-race stint with just a 14-point advantage for the Championship leader, eight different winners, 15 podium finishers and six riders in with a very real shot at the crown. And the man in the lead hasn’t even won yet!

As we arrive at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, the man seeking that first MotoGP™ win despite his seat at the head of the table is Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar). The Mayorcan has been the king of consistency in a chaotic year of changing fortunes, putting him 14 points clear – and he’s now focusing on the long game as well as bagging that very first premier class win. If he does it in the Gran Premio de Europa – and the track should suit Suzuki – he’ll make 2020 match the all-time record of different winners set in 2016. If he doesn’t he may well still increase his overall advantage, such is Mir’s metronomic ability to end up on the rostrum.

The first man wanting to make sure Mir’s time at the top comes to an end is Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT). His time as the season’s only repeat winner came to an end last time out, but the Frenchman has won three and arrives back at a track that should suit Yamaha to a T. Can he turn around some tougher races and stamp some authority back on Sundays? 14 points doesn’t yet need everyone behind Mir to go out guns blazing, but a trip back to the top step would reignite Quartararo’s momentum – as it would for Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP). Viñales gained points back on Quartararo in both races at MotorLand and remains well in the hunt, he just didn’t gain any on Mir. 

Speaking of momentum and gaining points, it’s time to talk about Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT). The Italian joined his teammate as a repeat winner this season in the Teruel GP, and he did it just as he did for his first win: with a masterclass in domination. That puts him fourth overall and within 25 points of the top, and he knows it. Full attack mode is engaged on Morbidelli’s side of the garage as he makes a late charge for the crown, not having needed to manage any real pressure… until now. Even then, it’s a little less than those who’ve been under the microscope for some time.

That’s also true of Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar). His is a longer shot than Morbidelli’s at 32 points off the top, but stranger things have happened. The Spaniard put in a stunner of a performance in the Aragon GP to become the eighth different winner of the season, and he followed it up with another podium. Crucially, he also had the measure of teammate Mir for the first time in some time, which he’ll need to keep if he’s to make an assault on the crown. Valencia should suit Suzuki which is good news for both, but will the number 36 turn the tables? Or is Rins’ ace card actually the fact that he has no choice but to attack?

Ahead of Rins, however, remains Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team). It hasn’t been an easy run of late but the Italian keeps taking points, gaining in a few races until a more difficult second outing at MotorLand. Never having had the best run at Valencia, Dovi likely needs a few stars to align to start clawing back ground from the top step now, added to the fact that most of the Ducatis suffered at Aragon and the turnaround doesn’t yet seem imminent. But that time Dovizioso did win in the premier class at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo was not that long ago, and it was a signature stunner in the rain. Now that really could make things interesting… and it is November, after all.

And then there are the – many – others who’ve made a habit of going fast lately. Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) will be first in line for a redemptive ride after taking an awesome pole position in the Teruel GP and then crashing out early, ensuring no rider has no scored in all races. Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) also crashed out to bring his recent roll to an end and will want to bounce back, although Rookie of the Year remains tied on 67 points apiece between the Spaniard and Brno winner Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) after the South African also crashed out in Teruel. He took Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) with him, who’ll want some much improved luck too…

Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), meanwhile, put in another impressive weekend last time out and will want to replicate and more, and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) wasn’t far off. Johann Zarco (Esponsorama Racing) split the two in Teruel and saved some serious face after a tougher weekend for other Borgo Panigale machines as well, so he could at the very least complicate life at the front and in the points.

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Kiradech and Lahiri share 11th place at Bermuda Championship

Nov 02. 2020Kiradech Aphibarnrat Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Anirban Lahiri of India finished tied 11th at the Bermuda Championship on Sunday, five shots behind winner Brian Gay.

A final round 3-under 68, which included four birdies and a lone bogey at Port Royal Golf Course, ensured Kiradech his best result in a year with his 10-under 274 total while Lahiri maintained his resurgence in form with a closing 67 which moved him up to 31^st position in the latest FedExCup rankings.

The 48-year-old Gay claimed his fifth PGA TOUR victory with a playoff win over Wyndham Clark as he ended a winless streak since 2013. Gay and Clark ended the week on 15-under 269.

Lahiri closed out his week with six birdies against two bogeys on a week where he ranked tied first for most birdies made during the tournament. It also maintained his solid start to the new 2020-21 PGA TOUR Season where he registered two top-40s and a tied sixth finish in three previous starts.

“Happy with the consistency this week. I made too many small errors on and around the greens that added up to hurt me enough. Disappointed not to finish in the top-10,” said the Indian star, who is featuring in his sixth straight PGA TOUR Season.

Starting the final round four off the pace, Lahiri started strongly with birdies on Hole Nos. 2, 4 and 7 but dropped a bogey on nine. He made par over the next five holes before closing with three birdies in his last four holes which included a second bogey of the round on Hole No. 16.

“I feel like the game is getting more rounded with every passing week. The biggest challenge and disappointment is not being able to play events and as of now, I’m not in to any of the remaining events on the Schedule (for this year). I may try to Monday qualify for Sea Island (the RSM Classic in three weeks’ time).”

Kiradech, who played alongside Lahiri in the final round,  started the final day three shots back but could not get his game firing on all cylinders to mount a challenge for a maiden PGA TOUR victory. He made birdies on the fourth and seventh holes but a bogey on nine pulled the brakes on his game. The Thai converted a two-feet birdie on 10 and ended his day with a 20-foot birdie conversion on the last.

“The putter was not hot enough to get the job done,” said Kiradech, whose best finish prior to this week was T8 at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES in Korea last October.

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Qualifier sinks Prayad with decisive putt in Nakhon Ratchasima play-off

Nov 02. 2020Pisitchai Thippong 

By THE NATION

Unfancied Pisitchai Thippong upset Thai golfing legend Prayad Marksang in a play-off to seal his maiden Thai PGA victory in the Bt2-million Singha-SAT Nakhon Ratchasima Championship on Sunday.

Needing a birdie on the final hole in regulation, the 20-year-old matched the leading score of nine-under-par 201 by the 10-time Asian Tour winner Prayad, forcing an extra duel at the par-70 6,879-yard Panorama Golf and Country Club.

However, when the 54-year-old Prayad missed a six-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth hole, the young gun did not waste his opportunity, sending home a five-foot birdie to celebrate his first-ever crown on the Thai PGA Tour.

It turned out to be a big surprise for Pisitchai who had to compete in the qualifying round to earn his spot this week.

“I wasn’t expecting to play so well,” said the overwhelmed Pisitchai, who returns home Bt240,000 richer from the victory. “I was a bit confused with my swing and didn’t feel confident coming to this tournament. It was only in the qualifying round that I got my momentum and I have been carrying it throughout the week.”

Playing alongside the Thai veteran, one of the most successful Thai players, was a bonus for the man from Pathum Thani province.

“I was so excited to play against him. It wasn’t easy at all to keep calm in this unfamiliar situation,” he added.

Prayad had to settle for second and the runner-up prize money of Bt132,000.

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After a childhood of travel, Eagles breakout receiver Travis Fulgham found football in Virginia

Nov 01. 2020Travis Fulgham became a football and basketball standout at Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Va. MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by John McDonnell 

By The Washington Post · Michael Errigo · SPORTS, FOOTBALL 
Matt Griffis met Travis Fulgham for the first time on the Friday before the start of two-a-day-practices in the summer of 2013. The only thing the Broad Run High coach knew about Fulgham was that the senior transfer’s father had emailed a few days earlier to say his son, who had played one year of football, was interested in joining the team.

A few years later, Fulgham would become the first Broad Run player to be selected in the NFL draft. But in that moment, on that Friday, Griffis was just relieved to see that at least this new kid had some size. He was around 6-foot-3 with a solid build. It took a few more days for Griffis to realize Fulgham would do more than just make the team

“At first, he just looked the part,” Griffis said. “But in those days we were still running the (40-yard dash) in practice, and when he ran the 40, I said, ‘Umm, OK, this kid runs like a deer.’ “

In the years since, Fulgham has used that blend of size and speed to defy the odds on his nontraditional path, slowly climbing each ladder he has encountered: first at Broad Run, then at Old Dominion and now in the NFL.

One of the league’s biggest surprises this fall, Fulgham will take the field for the Philadelphia Eagles against the visiting Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night as a certified weapon, a skilled and dangerous wideout playing a key role in the NFL.

“There’s certain people that you meet that take every setback and turn it into a comeback,” former Old Dominion coach Bobby Wilder said. “That’s who Travis is. He has written a phenomenal comeback story.”

Fulgham’s story began abroad; he spent most of his childhood overseas. Both of his parents were in the Foreign Service, and after they divorced, he spent time living with his mother in Jordan, Egypt, South Africa and India, according to ESPN. In high school, he joined his father, who was living in Virginia. That’s where Fulgham found football.

His first experience with the sport came at Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, where he initially played basketball and soccer. He was asked to join the football team ahead of his junior year and took to the game quickly. But by the end of his junior year, he knew he would have to transfer to a bigger program if he wanted to pursue a pro career. By the end of that summer, his dad was emailing Griffis about a potential addition to the team.

Griffis told Fulgham that he would have to start at the bottom and work his way up, but the coach didn’t think the work would come so easy to the transfer. Fulgham was a starter by the time the season opener arrived, and he quickly established himself as a playmaker. With his size and speed, it was just a matter of throwing the ball up for him to go and get it.

“If you watch a high school football game, you can pick out the D-I kids,” Griffis said. “They can take over the game in a minute. And he had that ability.”

But Division I ability doesn’t always translate to Division I scholarship offers, especially when you join the recruiting cycle a few years late. By the time Fulgham arrived at Broad Run, most large schools had already extended dozens of offers and filled most of their scholarships.

Griffis told every college coach that called or visited about the overlooked, superskilled wide receiver who had come out of nowhere. As Wilder remembers it, Griffis was “adamant” when discussing Fulgham’s skill with the program’s Northern Virginia recruiter, Michael Zyskowski. Griffis knew Fulgham probably would have to walk on and that that path is a hard one, but he was confident that if the player and the team stuck with it, the rewards could be immense.

“I told every school that came through, ‘He’s going to last about two weeks, or he’s going to make it to the NFL,’ ” Griffis said.

Old Dominion did not have a scholarship to offer Fulgham, but when he visited Norfolk in March of his senior year, Wilder promised his family that the staff believed in his abilities and would try to get him one as soon as possible.

It took one week into his first year for that happen. Following a transfer, Fulgham was awarded a scholarship, and he began climbing the ladder again.

After a redshirt year, he worked his way up the depth chart and earned a starting role as a sophomore. He took a step back with a disappointing junior campaign, but Monarchs wide receiver coach John Allen said Fulgham was still hungry going into his fifth season.

“He wanted to prove a point that he could get the job done,” Allen said. “He wanted to learn still. He wanted to do drills, run routes. He really, that year, put everything into being a really good football player.”

That season, Fulgham became the player his coaches always said he could be. He led Conference USA with 1,083 receiving yards and posted five 100-yard receiving games. The most notable came in the program’s shocking upset of in-state rival Virginia Tech, when he caught nine passes for 188 yards.

“He was the best player on the field that day,” Wilder said. “It was the game that put him on the map with a lot of these scouts because, as a mid-major team, it’s always about who you play against.”

And yet when it came time for pro scouts to visit Norfolk, Wilder found himself in the same position Griffis had been in a few years before: adamantly trying to convince them that this was a kid worth taking a chance on.

“I felt like screaming at the top of my lungs, ‘What are you guys looking at?’ ” Wilder said.

The Detroit Lions selected Fulgham in the sixth round of the 2019 draft. That night, Griffis got a text from Zyskowski with a screenshot of a message from five years earlier: “Two weeks or the NFL.”

Fulgham was active for three games for Detroit last season but didn’t register a catch. In August, he was waived and claimed by the Green Bay Packers, who waived him nine days later. Philadelphia claimed him but waived him two weeks after that. He landed on the Eagles’ practice squad and was promoted to the active roster Oct. 3. The next day, his NFL carousel finally and suddenly came to a halt.

Late in the Eagles’ win against the San Francisco 49ers on “Sunday Night Football,” Fulgham introduced himself to Philadelphia fans with a game-changing 42-yard touchdown grab.

“After we broke the huddle, (quarterback) Carson (Wentz) said, ‘Get ready.’ So I knew there was a good shot he was going to throw the ball to me,” Fulgham told reporters after the game. “For me, that’s a regular play: The ball is in the air, and you see the ball and go get it.”

The following week, he proved his big play was no fluke, catching 10 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown for the injury-depleted Eagles in a loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers. Less than a month after his third stint on the waiver wire, Fulgham was being snatched up in fantasy leagues and his jersey was one of the top sellers in the NFL. Just as he had done in high school as a transfer and in college as a walk-on, he had climbed the ladder.

“This is a story that took time to write, obviously,” Wilder said. “He wasn’t a polished player. This is only the ninth year of his life playing football. … I think he’s still miles away from who he is going to be.”

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Fourth title propels Atthaya to Thai LPGA throne

Nov 01. 2020

By THE NATION

Precocious teenager Atthaya Thitikul underlined her supremacy as the queen of the Thai LPGA Tour as she lifted up her season’s fourth title at the Kabin Buri Sports Club in Prachiburi on Saturday.

At 17, Atthaya fired an unblemished final round 67 to dominate the eighth leg of the Singha-SAT Thai LPGA Championship on 15 under-par-201 at the par 72 6,537 landscape.

The local prodigy, record-holder of the youngest Ladies European Tour winner at only 14 years and four months, made a hat-trick by winning the last three Thai LPGA events including two wins in Nakhon Ratchasima and Khon Kaen. She also celebrated her first title of the year in Kabin Buri in July.

“I was playing well at the front and the back nines,” said Atthaya who earned Bt120,000 as the victor. “I missed some putts at the later stage but overall it was still a solid round”.

With four wins, she will end up the year as the No 1 player of the Thai LPGA with a total prize money of Bt697,650. However, Atthaya failed to break the record of Arpichaya Yubol who became the youngest Order of Merits winner on the tour at only 16 years in 2018.

“It’s been a good year as I have developed my game to another level. But I still have more rooms to fix to get better,” added Atthaya who just turned pro in January.

Coming four shots behind is Kultda Pramphun who ended the final round with a 67 for a total 205. She took Bt69,000 as runner-up.

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Kiradech and Lahiri battle hard to stay in contention at Bermuda Championship

Nov 01. 2020Kiradech Aphibarnrat Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Anirban Lahiri of India shot matching 2-under 69s in the third round of the Bermuda Championship on Saturday to stay firmly in contention for a maiden PGA TOUR victory.

Kiradech made five birdies against three bogeys on another wind-swept day at Port Royal Golf Course for a three-day total of 7-under 206 and enters the final round in tied eighth place, three shots back of leader Doc Redman who carded a 67.

Lahiri ended the day a further stroke back in a share of 11^th place but the Indian, who made six birdies, two bogeys and one double bogey, is feeling optimistic as he continues his resurgence in form.

With winds gusting up to 40kmh, Kiradech fought hard and ended his day with a closing birdie from two feet after rifling a nine iron approach to within two feet of the pin. “I have stuck to my game plan the last two rounds and played some solid golf, rolled the ball quite well and got up and down a few times except for 15 and 16 which I’m upset about. However, it was nice to finish with a birdie,” said the 31-year-old Thai star, who has two career third-place finishes on TOUR as his best results to date.

“The way I play in the wind, it’s been good. Hopefully I get a chance (to win) tomorrow. I’ve been struggling for a bit and hopefully this week is a turning point. I’ve picked up a lot of good stuff this week, a lot of confidence and hitting great shots and seeing a lot of good golf swings. It might be fun tomorrow.”

Lahiri knows he needs to reduce the unforced errors to give himself a shot at winning on the PGA TOUR. With 15 birdies through three rounds, he currently ranks tied first for most birdies made. “It was a bit of a grind but it was not as tough as yesterday,” said the Indian star, who is playing in his sixth season on TOUR.

“I played quite well but managed to make enough mistakes. Felt like I was a bit loose and gave away two or three shots that I should not have. I’m happy with the way I struck the ball especially on the back nine which was playing harder today. Disappointed to finish with a bogey again … it leaves a bad taste in the mouth but that’s okay. Looking forward to tomorrow.”

He remains confident of launching a title challenge on Sunday despite being four behind. Lahiri is playing in his sixth successive season on the PGA TOUR, with a runner-up finish at the 2017 Memorial Tournament being his career best finish.

“Tomorrow, my goal will be to keep a clean card and if I can minimize my errors, I feel I’m playing well enough to make a bunch of birdies and hopefully down the stretch give myself a chance. Everything after that is a bonus. I’m excited and looking forward to a nice Sunday. Hopefully we can make some magic,” said Lahiri.

“Conditions will be better for scoring. It’ll be interesting with the two-tee start as it won’t be much of a difference in terms of the course conditions as opposed to a one tee start. Tomorrow everyone will play in a two-hour window and conditions will be the same for everyone. I’m feeling good, confident.”

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Dutch Knight slays ‘Burmese Python’ to win One middleweight crown

Oct 31. 2020The Netherlands’ Reinier “The Dutch Knight” De Ridder during a fight against “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang The Netherlands’ Reinier “The Dutch Knight” De Ridder stunned titleholder “The Burmese Python” Aung La N Sang of Myanmar to capture the One middleweight world crown at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Friday.

One Championship held it’s biggest event of the year, the “One: Inside The Matrix”, featuring four exciting World Championship contests, broadcast live from the venue.

With the victory in the day’s main event, De Ridder kept his unblemished record. Aung La opened up the action with a fast uppercut that just missed the mark. De Ridder countered with a quick shot from range, taking “The Burmese Python” down to the mat. A swift transition to the back secured with a body triangle offered De Ridder plenty of opportunities to work for the finish with most of the round to go. After several attempts, a rear-naked choke was in deep, and Aung La had no choice but to tap out.

In the end, De Ridder stayed true to his word, choking out Aung La early to claim the title.

Reigning One lightweight world champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee of Singapore made quick work of the previously-unbeaten Iuri Lapicus of Moldova, winning via a first-round technical knockout. At the sound of the opening bell, Lee dashed across the circle, shooting in for a double leg. Lapicus was able to reverse the takedown and land in top position. Lee worked to make his way back up to the feet, taking down Lapicus himself and landing in full mount. Lapicus tried to scramble, but Lee showed immense control on the mat. From there, “The Warrior” connected on a series of hammer fist blows that rendered Lapicus defenceless. The referee had no choice but to step in and call a halt to the contest.

Vietnamese-American knockout artist Thanh Le authored a scintillating knockout of titleholder Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen of Australia and Vietnam, capturing the One featherweight world championship. Le employed a smart game plan, circling Nguyen with constant movement while unloading thudding high kicks and thunderous left hooks. Nguyen stalked Le patiently, attempting to cut off the circle to land his vaunted overhand right. In the third round, Nguyen turned up the pressure, at the same time exposing himself to Le’s fast and furious strikes. Not long after, Le connected on a short hook on the inside that staggered “The Situ-Asian”, sending him reeling towards the fence. A series of left and right-hand bombs ended the bout abruptly, and Le walked away with the most significant finish of his career.

China’s “The Panda” Xiong Jing Nan retained her One women’s strawweight world championship, turning in a virtuoso performance against Singapore’s Tiffany “No Chill” Teo, winning by a close unanimous decision in a highly-anticipated rematch. Xiong peppered Teo with beautiful boxing combinations from start to end, proving the faster, more powerful puncher. Teo had her moments, scoring on a few takedowns, and connecting on a series of sharp knees and roundhouse kicks. But Xiong was far too forceful on the feet, and Teo just could not overcome the pressure. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favour of Xiong Jing Nan.

Australia’s Antonio “The Spartan” Caruso notched the biggest victory of his career so far, as he took home a hard-earned unanimous decision victory over former One lightweight world champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines. Caruso started off the bout strong, sticking multiple takedowns and attacking with various submission attempts in the first two rounds. Folayang, however, came alive in the third behind a steady leg kick game that had Caruso immobilised. In the end, all three judges scored the bout in favour of Caruso.

Indian wrestling champion Ritu “The Indian Tigress” Phogat put together an impressive victory over Cambodia’s Nou Srey Pov, winning by a technical knockout in the second round. Phogat dominated the first round, landing multiple takedowns while doing damage on the ground in dominant position. Phogat landed a pair of solid right hands before taking Nou down to the ground again in the second, where she finished in top position with strikes.

ONE Championship returns with “One: Inside The Matrix II”, a previously-recorded event for global broadcast on November 6. In the main event, reigning One welterweight world champion Kiamrian “Brazen” Abbasov of Kyrgyzstan defends his world title against undefeated James Nakashima of the United States. Also on the card is a lightweight showdown between top contenders Timofey Nastyukhin of Russia and Pieter “The Archangel” Buist of The Netherlands.

Official results:

One middleweight world championship: Reinier De Ridder bt Aung La N Sang by submission (rear-naked choke) at 3:26 minutes of round 1.

One lightweight world championship: Christian Lee bt Iuri Lapicus by TKO (strikes) at 2:19 minutes of round 1.

One featherweight world championship: Thanh Le bt Martin Nguyen by Knockout (KO) at 2:19 minutes of round 3.

One women’s strawweight world championship: Xiong Jing Nan bt Tiffany Teo by unanimous decision (UD) after five rounds

Mixed Martial Arts: Lightweight: Antonio Caruso bt Eduard Folayang by UD after three rounds.

Mixed Martial Arts Atomweight: Ritu Phogat bt Nou Srey Pov by TKO (strikes) at 2:02 minutes of round 2.