MONDAY, JULY 10, 2017 SPORTS Champ Amanda Nunes hospitalized, UFC 213 main event scrapped LAS VEGAS: Bantamweight champion post on her social media accounts. champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk lobbied Week show on short notice. Last July, Jon pushes Romero and Whittaker into the Amanda Nunes was scratched from her “During the last three months of train- him to give her a late-notice fight against Jones was removed from his bout spotlight, and that’s a fortunate break for title defense against Valentina ing, I did everything to be in my best the 135-pound Shevchenko. against Daniel Cormier three days before a showdown between two elite fighters Shevchenko after being hospitalized shape for this fight,” Shevchenko wrote. The Nevada Athletic Commission UFC 200 for violating the promotion’s on long winning streaks. The 40-year-old Saturday a few hours before UFC 213. “Nunes couldn’t cut weight correctly and would never allow such a thing, but anti-doping policy. Jones was slapped Romero (12-1), a Cuban living in Miami, The UFC vaguely cited an “illness” as was hospitalized. She wanted to cut Jedrzejczyk and Shevchenko already with a one-year suspension, but his has won eight straight fights, including the reason for Nunes’ hospitalization in weight and recover rapidly to have the fought each other in muay thai competi- rematch with Cormier is scheduled for six by stoppage. Whittaker (19-4), a New its statement. Shevchenko believes advantage. The end result, everything tion during their martial arts careers. July 29 at UFC 214 in Anaheim, California. Zealand-born Australian, has won seven Nunes’ condition resulted from a dras- went wrong. Even though she was med- Nunes (14-4), a Brazilian fighting out of The UFC also made multiple changes fights in a row, with back-to-back stop- tic weight cut. ically cleared to fight, she backed out. ... I Florida, claimed the 135-pound belt from to its July 2015 main event at UFC 189, page victories over top contenders Yoel Romero’s interim middleweight did my part and am very upset that I Miesha Tate last July. After Nunes violent- eventually showcasing Conor McGregor’s Jacare Souza and Derek Brunson. title bout against Robert Whittaker can’t fight for the title today on this great ly stopped Ronda Rousey in December, victory over Chad Mendes. UFC 213 lost The winner will be the interim 185- became the main event of the pay-per- event.” she was scheduled to make her second its likely main event for the first time in pound champion while champ Michael view show at T-Mobile Arena, although UFC President Dana White speculated title defense in a rematch of her March late May when men’s bantamweight Bisping recovers from injury. Bisping has the UFC also offered ticket refunds to Las that the bout could be moved to UFC 2016 victory over Shevchenko (14-2). champion Cody Garbrandt decided his defended his belt just once since claim- Vegas fans. Shevchenko expressed her 215 in Edmonton, Alberta, on Sept. 9, but Instead, for the third straight year, the back injury wouldn’t allow him to pre- ing it in an upset of Luke Rockhold last displeasure over the loss of a big pay- a plan hasn’t been finalized. After Nunes UFC has been forced to cancel the main pare for a bout against T.J. Dillashaw. July, beating 46-year-old Dan Henderson check and a long-awaited title shot in a was hospitalized, White said 115-pound event of its annual International Fight The cancellation of Nunes’ defense by decision last October. — AP RUGBY Gatland’s future uncertain after drawn Test series AUCKLAND: With a plastic clown nose have a phenomenal record in terms of their perched above a wry smile, it was hard to find success over a number of years. a happier man at Eden Park on Saturday than “I think we’ll wake up tomorrow and think British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland. that’s not bad. If we’d been asked six weeks Heavily criticized from the moment they ago ‘would you take a drawn series 1-1?’ you’d arrived in New Zealand, and given no hope of probably say ‘yeah,’ that would reflect a pretty beating rugby’s reigning world champions, successful series for the Lions.” the Lions defied the odds to draw the final Perhaps fittingly after an epic series that Test 15-15 and tie the three-match series. captivated the rugby world, there was a hint For most of the players and spectators of controversy right at the end when French who had expected to see a clear winner, there referee Romain Poite initially awarded a late was an overwhelming feeling of bewilder- penalty to New Zealand that would have giv- ment, frustration and disappointment. But en the All Blacks a shot at victory only to not for Gatland, a New Zealander himself. reverse the decision after consulting the Lampooned as a clown by one New Zealand video review official. newspaper, he couldn’t resist the chance to New Zealand captain Kieran Read thought poke fun at his detractors. “For us to come the penalty should have stood but All Blacks here to New Zealand, against the back-to- coach Steve Hansen said his team should back world champions, and draw a series, I have already wrapped up the match after think is an unbelievable achievement consid- scoring two unanswered tries and wasting ering we were completely written off,” several other chances. “We could have won if Gatland said. “Everyone was talking about we’d taken the opportunities we created,” this being a 3-0 whitewash ... this group of Hansen said. “It was an average way for it to players has shown unbelievable character.” finish, but that’s sport. We’ve got to accept LAS VEGAS: Robert Whittaker kicks Yoel Romero in their interim UFC middleweight championship bout during the UFC 213 event at T-Mobile Everything seemed to be go according to that and move on and get better at what Arena yesterday in Las Vegas, Nevada. — AFP the script for the home team when the All we’re trying to do.” Blacks convincingly won the first test 30-15, New Zealand’s next assignment is the but the Lions outscored New Zealand two annual Rugby Championship, which includes MIXED MARTIAL ARTS tries to nil to win the second test 24-21 and Australia, South Africa and Argentina, while force a decider which ended in a thrilling but the Lions will not tour again until 2021 when also anticlimactic stalemate, resulting in just they visit South Africa. Gatland coached the the second drawn series in the almost 120- Lions victory over Australia in 2013 and said Robert Whittaker edges Romero, year history of Lions tours. he might consider doing the job again in four “I can understand everyone feels a bit flat years. “There’s a lot of water to go under the because you want a result,” Gatland said. “But bridge before that,” he said. “My focus now is grabs interim belt at UFC 213 I think we’ll reflect on it and say it was pretty on Wales and the autumn and looking special to put a team together to play against towards (the 2019 World Cup). I’m definitely the best team in the world in their backyard finishing there unless they get rid of me LAS VEGAS: Robert Whittaker won the UFC interim the champion’s drastic weight cut was responsible not do this. Our bodies need more time to recover.” and particularly here at Eden Park where they before that time ... you never say never.” — AP middleweight title Saturday night, surging in the for her illness. She also echoed UFC President Dana Shevchenko was greeted with loud cheers when she late rounds to earn a unanimous decision over Yoel White’s statement that Nunes was medically cleared was shown on the arena’s video boards before the Romero at UFC 213. Whittaker (20-4) recovered from to fight, but declined to go from the hospital to the main event. Overeem (43-15) and Werdum (21-7-1) a hyperextended knee in the first round with a cage. “You can’t just say, ‘I don’t want to fight,’” finished a trilogy of fights between two of the most strong striking performance, peppering Romero (12- Shevchenko said. “I couldn’t believe at the very last accomplished mixed martial artists of their genera- 2) with punches and kicks over the final three moment that this would happen to me. Of course I tion. Werdum won their first meeting in the Pride rounds. The Australian won his eighth consecutive am upset. ... I understand what she wanted. She promotion in 2006, and Overeem won their fight, earning the victory 48-47 on all three judges’ wanted to cut (weight) in a very short time. You can- Strikeforce heavyweight rematch in 2011.—AP scorecards at T-Mobile Arena. “It’s a moment I’ve always dreamed of,” Whittaker said. “My knee was definitely hurt. I CYCLING injured it in camp, and Romero’s kick set it back weeks. I know that Romero will capitalize on any weakness he sees, so I had to play it off. That’s just what champions are made of.” ‘Monster’ Mont du Chat The main event of the UFC’s traditional July showcase was canceled earlier in the day when ban- looms for Chris Froome tamweight champion Amanda Nunes was hospital- ized. She was scratched from her second title NANTUA: It’s been described as “savage” and four-man sprint finish.