MONDAY, JANUARY 30 , 2017 SPORTS

2017 Red Bull Air Race season kicks off in Abu Dhabi with 75th race

ABU DHABI: The first race of the 2017 Red 2017. The full Red Bull Air Race calendar teams from five continents will be out to edgeable fans in the Emirates, this race is sure UAE sporting calendar - we’re looking forward Bull Air Race calendar in February will be a announcement will follow in January. dethrone Dolderer. to be special.” to welcoming the pilots and fans back in celebration of milestones for the official World Matthias Dolderer will be the man every- “It’s thrilling to launch our tenth season “Abu Dhabi’s 10-year partnership with the February,” said His Excellency Aref Al Awani, Championship: the tenth season of competi- one wants to beat in Abu Dhabi. The German with this milestone 75th race, and I can’t Red Bull Air Race is one of the strongest in our General Secretary of Abu Dhabi Sports tion, the tenth consecutive opener in Abu soared into the 2016 season with a podium image a better setting than Abu Dhabi, a city sports portfolio. This new 4-year agreement to Council. Dhabi and the diamond 75th race for the cov- finish in the Emirates and never looked back, renowned for its appreciation of top-level be the season-opening race reinforces our Boosting the excitement will be new eted title. clinching his first World Championship at the motorsport that has warmly welcomed us for vision to align ourselves with the world’s best Master Class and Challenger Class pilots look- As a first-time world champion from seventh stop on the calendar - the first pilot a decade now,” said Erich Wolf, General sports organizations and deliver high-quality ing to shake up the standings. Germany begins the campaign to defend his ever to secure the title before the season Manager of Red Bull Air Race GmbH. “After media content to an international audience, Join the celebration: Tickets for the open- crown title, the Red Bull Air Race World finale. However, after two consecutive years of Dolderer’s dominance in 2016, every team as well as a major economic impact spike to ing race of the 2017 Red Bull Air Race World Championship will celebrate a trio of land- being the runner-up on the overall podium, wants to put its stamp on this season from the the capital city. The sight of the Red Bull Air Championship season in Abu Dhabi are on marks above the shimmering waters of the Australia’s Matt Hall will be looking to make outset, and the strategic and technical prepa- Race planes above Abu Dhabi’s stunning sale now. For all the latest news and informa- Arabian Gulf in Abu Dhabi, 10-11 February history of his own in 2017, and in all 13 top rations have been intense. Even for the knowl- Corniche backdrop is one of the best in the tion, visit www.redbullairrace.com.

Berchelt dethrones Vargas, Japan’s Miura wins by KO

LOS ANGELES: dethroned time in his career, Berchelt kept up the previously unbeaten Francisco Vargas on intensity. Caiz and ringside doctor Paul Saturday, stopping him in the 11th round Wallace checked Vargas in the ninth and to seize the super 10th rounds and allowed him to continue. title in a showdown of Blood began flowing freely from the gash Mexican rivals. over Vargas’s swollen left eye in the ninth Referee Raul Caiz halted the bout 2:19 and by the 11th was more than the cham- into the 11th round after a bloody cut over pion could overcome. “The cut was a big the left eye of Vargas left the champion problem. It wouldn’t let me do what I want- unable to see or stop the triumphant chal- ed,” Vargas said. “I was never going to stop. I lenger. “Francisco Vargas is a great champi- was always going to fight. I’m a warrior. I on. When he’s hurt he throws a lot more fight ‘til the end. punches. He’s got a lot of heart,” Berchelt “But it was just the blood. I couldn’t see. said. “But I came here to win. I came here to I wasn’t able to fight.” Miura’s latest-round show I have heart. I came here to be the KO - Miura improved to 31-3 with two champion.” Berchelt, 25, improved to 31-1 drawn by taking his 24th career knockout, with his 28th early stoppage and 10th con- his first knockout beyond the ninth round, secutive victory while Vargas, 32, fell to 23- while Roman fell to 56-12 with his 18-fight 1 with two drawn. “This is what I always win streak snapped. wanted,” Berchelt said. “I’m young. I’m hun- Miura, 32, and Roman, 31, had fast- gry. I wanted to be a world champion. Now paced, hard-punching early rounds. I have the belt on my waist and it feels the Miura’s left eye began swelling in the best.” Japan’s Takashi Miura, who lost the fourth round and both fighters landed pun- title to Vargas 14 months ago, knocked out ishing body blows. Mexico’s Miguel Roman 53 seconds into the Roman connected with a punishing 12th round on the undercard at Indio, right to Miura’s jaw in the sixth, setting up a California, to become Berchelt’s mandatory flurry by the Mexican that weakened the title challenger. Berchelt, fighting outside former champion. The Asian southpaw suf- LAS VEGAS: Leo Santa Cruz celebrates his majority decision win over Carl Frampton after their WBA featherweight title fight at het MGM Grand Mexico for only the second time, repeated- fered a bloody lip but fired back in the sev- Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday. — AFP ly connected with punishing left hooks in enth with renewed vigor, trading powerful the second and third rounds. His hard punches. Roman suffered a cut over his left rights to the head in the fourth again eye in the eighth on an accidental head- slowed Vargas, opening cuts over both butt from Miura, who exchanged hard Santa Cruz beats Frampton eyes in the exchanges. punches in the ninth and buckled the Going past the sixth round for the first Mexican momentarily in the 10th.—AFP for WBA featherweight belt

All the excitement of LAS VEGAS: Leo Santa Cruz reclaimed the WBA rounds as the fighters continued with com- “The layoff allowed me to relight that fire, featherweight title Saturday night with a majori- pelling exchanges that left many ringside that passion,” Garcia said before adding, “Now ty decision over Carl Frampton. In their second observers with conflicting scorecards. In the ear- that I’m back, I’m available for any other of the UFC, now only on OSN fight in six months, the 125-pound fighters lier fight, Garcia staggered Zlaticanin, the first champions that want to unify titles.” The card thrilled the crowd with furious exchanges over a world champion from Montenegro, with a left was supposed to feature a third title fight that DUBAI: OSN, the leading pay-TV network ries and events to fans like never before, grueling 12 rounds, with Santa Cruz (33-1-1) uppercut. Garcia then sent him to the canvas would perhaps lead to an all-United Kingdom in MENA, has entered an exclusive long- ensuring they don’t miss a minute of the avenging his only loss. with an overhand right that appeared to leave unification bout later this summer. term agreement with UFC, the world’s pre- action.” Using a punishing jab that often left him unconscious. Zlaticanin stayed down for But ’s IBF featherweight title mier mixed martial arts organisation, mak- Also in partnership with UFC, OSN is Frampton (23-1) out of position, Santa Cruz land- several minutes and was administered oxygen defense against Jonathan Victor Barros was can- ing OSN the one-stop destination for UFC launching UFC FIGHT PASS within the ed more punches even as Frampton often effec- before getting to his feet. celed Friday after Barros failed a physical and fans in the region. region. This digital subscription service fea- tively eluded blows. Santa Cruz delivered anoth- “I got between the ropes and then he hit me was denied clearance by the Athletic Reflecting OSN’s commitment to deliver tures the world’s largest combat sports er flurry in the 11th round and withstood with a good, hard punch,” Zlaticanin said. It was Commission. relevant, exclusive and sought-after enter- library, including all past UFC events, exclu- Frampton’s aggression in the 12th. the 30th career knockout for Garcia in his second Selby, of Wales, wanted to face the Frampton- tainment for its subscribers, the new part- sive programming, access to UFC archives, Judge Burt Clemens scored the fight 114-114, fight following 2 1/2-year layoff due to a promo- Santa Cruz winner and had floated the idea of a nership ensures all UFC content including UFC FIGHT PASS exclusive prelims and while Dave Moretti and Glenn Feldman had it tional dispute with Top Rank. The four-time, potential matchup with Frampton in . But live events, pre and post-event shows, and select live events. 115-113. In the co-main event, (36- three-division champ fought as a junior welter- Santa Cruz’s victory could set up a trilogy fight The Ultimate Fighter reality series, available For OSN sports fans, 2017 means the 0) stopped Dejan Zlaticanin (22-1) in the third weight in July. with Frampton. — AP exclusively for OSN subscribers. chance to exclusively watch every live UFC round to take the WBC crown and Andy Warkman, SVP, Sport & Sports events across multiple devices, including make him a three-division champion. Production, OSN, said: “We are very excited UFC 208: HOLM vs. DE RANDAMIE in The 5-foot-7 Santa Cruz, who was born in about bringing UFC back to OSN viewers February and UFC 209: WOODLEY vs. Mexico but lives in Los Angeles, had a 7-inch Australia enters ring and entering into this long term partner- THOMPSON 2 in March. reach advantage over the 5-5 Frampton. But that ship. We are listening to our customers, and mattered little in the first fight July 30 in New for Pacquiao-Horn fight delivering exclusive content and great val- York, a thriller in which an overly aggressive ue to our new sports channel packages. Santa Cruz threw more than a thousand punch- SYDNEY: WBO welterweight world champion Stadium. Suncorp Stadium general manager UFC has seen massive growth and we look es but lost a majority decision in what was con- could fight Australian Jeff Alan Graham said 28-year-old Horn was keen forward to working with them and sidered one of the top bouts of 2016. Horn in Queensland state after officials con- to fight at the Brisbane venue. “He’s personally WME|IMG to build on that growth in our Santa Cruz, distracted some by his father and firmed yesterday they were in negotiations to said that he couldn’t think of anything more region. UFC will be one of our standout trainer’s bone cancer battle, thought the pro- host the bout. exhilarating than walking out in the middle of offerings in the new sports line up for 2017. Frampton crowd may have influenced the There has been weeks of speculation that Suncorp Stadium with a full house and people “UFC on OSN will be industry-defining, judges. He wanted the rematch on the West the 38-year-old Filipino dubbed “Pac-Man” will backing him... for a fight,” Graham told as for the first time, we will produce Coast and granted his wish as Jose Santa Cruz’s get into the ring with Horn in April, possibly in reporters. Horn’s promoter Duco Events was localised Arabic content ‘for the region, cancer went into remission. Australia. “We now are getting the pieces not immediately available for comment. from the region’ to give UFC fans an unri- But an estimated 5,000 Irish and British fans together to deliver this major fight,” Brisbane’s Courier Mail newspaper said yester- valled viewing experience,” continued made the trip to the Las Vegas Strip, chanting Queensland’s tourism minister Kate Jones told day the fight had been pencilled in for April Warkman. and singing long before the fight began. There reporters in Brisbane. 23. Pacquiao, who has parlayed his sporting James Elliott, UFC Vice President, EMEA, appeared to be an even split of fans waving “We are working very closely with Duco fame into a career in politics, is a veteran of 67 added: “We are pleased to be partnering Mexican and Northern Ireland flags in the crowd Events, (venue manager) AEG Ogden and as fights with 59 victories. His record easily with OSN once again to bring even more of 10,085 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. well as the (Brisbane City) Council to secure dwarfs that of Horn, who hails from exciting, new and localised content to Santa Cruz changed his tactics from the first this fight here in Brisbane. “We’re hoping to Queensland, who has notched up only 17 viewers across the Middle East and Africa. time, using the jab more to leave Frampton off- lock this down as soon as possible.” Describing fights with 16 wins. UFC has previously held two very success- balance in the early rounds. Frampton, who ful events in the UAE and witnessed first slipped at the end of the fourth round, absorbed it as the “largest boxing event in Australia”, Pacquiao said last week that negotiations hand the passion of the fans across the a series of punches to end of the fifth. Jones said her government was keen to secure for the fight, including the date and oppo- region. Together we will bring athlete sto- Frampton went more to the body in the later the fight at the 52,500-capacity Suncorp nent, were still ongoing. —AFP