MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 2016 SPORTS Huck sets sights on Glowacki after Afolabi win BERLIN: Marco Huck has set his sights USA, last August. That was Huck’s first IBF. “The training paid off. I have been crowd courtesy of 116-112 counts in his Well done @RealCFrampton! Fought a on regaining his WBO title after his tech- defeat in six years and after 13 defenses. very diligent and now you have the favour by two judges, with the other giv- smart fight. Get your wallet out nical knock-out win over Britain’s Ola “I really wanted to fight him straight result,” he said. “I’m back again and it’s an ing it to local fighter Quigg 115-113. The @WayneRooney!!,” tweeted the 26-year- Afolabi gave him the IBO cruiserweight away, but now more than ever,” said the indescribable feeling. “When I have hotly-anticipated bout also led to a old. Frampton paid tribute to Quigg belt. Huck became a world champion for 31-year-old Huck, a Serbian-born trained well, no one can beat me in the good-natured Twitter duel between golf with whom he had fought a fierce war of the second time on Saturday night German, as he chases Glowacki for a ring.” star McIlroy and Manchester United words in the build-up to the fight-over when Afolabi, 35, retired after failing to rematch. striker Rooney. “Both top fighters mate the choice of dressing rooms. “That’s the come out for the 11th round in Halle, “We offered him a bag of money, but McIlroy tops Rooney but @scottquigg for me. How about the end of all the disrespect-from my side west Germany. he didn’t want it.” Huck was happy with In another development, Carl loser pays the bill next time your in anyway,” he told the BBC. “I’m proud to Afolabi’s left eye was swollen shut by his third victory in four bouts against Frampton defeated Scott Quigg on a Manchester?” challenged Rooney on have beaten a very good fighter tonight. the seventh round as the London-born Afolabi and was pleased with his prepa- split points decision to become the WBA Twitter on the eve of the fight. He was a worthy champion.” Both fighter now based in Los Angeles lost rations, despite splitting with two and IBF super-bantamweight champion McIlroy retorted: “You’re a legend McIlroy and Rooney had plenty of time the title he only won last November. coaches since last August. Having won Saturday and guaranteed fellow Wayne but it’s @RealCFrampton all the to watch Saturday’s fight. On Friday, Now Huck, 31, wants a rematch against the world belt of the IBO, the smallest of Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy a night way!” And as soon as the victory was McIlroy missed the cut at the Honda Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki, who took the world boxing organizations, Huck is out at Wayne Rooney’s expense. confirmed, the four-time major winner Classic in Florida while United and his WBO cruiserweight belt off him with now targeting a belt from one of the Frampton triumphed after 12 rounds in and former world number one golfer England skipper Rooney is currently an 11th-round knock-out in New Jersey, four big bodies: the WBO, WBC, WBA and front of a 20,000 sell-out Manchester gleefully claimed his prize. “YESSSS!!!! sidelined with a knee injury. — Agencies Lewis says no to pros at Olympics LONDON: Former World and Olympic gold medal in the same super-heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis has slammed a division at the 2012 Olympics in London to proposal to allow professional boxers to illustrate his concerns. He said: “Anthony compete at the Olympics, saying that it Joshua went to the Olympics - all of a sud- could be dangerous for young amateur den, if he had boxed Wladimir Klitschko at boxers. Lewis won super-heavyweight gold the Olympics, it wouldn’t have been fair for for Canada at the 1988 games in Seoul him because Vladimir had his time at the before turning professional and switching Olympics and was able to go through that to represent Britain as unified heavyweight learning and then all of a sudden now, has world champion. 70 fights as a professional. “Now it’s going He told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Sportsweek to be a situation where he is going to be program: “I kind of think it is preposterous, boxing for a gold medal as a professional to a certain degree. The amateur system is boxer with that type of experience going based for amateurs - this is why we put in against a kid that’s 18 with, let’s say, 10 the headgear to protect them because they international fights. “It’s just such a broad have a lack of experience and they are not line there that I don’t really understand it.” that primed as a professional yet. “Now all Had the system, which has been proposed of a sudden, you get a world champion or by the International Boxing Association somebody in the top 10 as a professional AIBA, been in place in Lewis’ day, he could now going against basically an amateur, have found himself in direct competition in somebody with a lack of experience - I South Korea with then world champion don’t look at that as being fair.” Mike Tyson, a challenge for which he freely Lewis pointed to current British world admits he would not have been ready at champion Anthony Joshua, who won the that point in his career.—AFP Bisping beats Silva in wild ending at UFC Fight Night LONDON: Michael Bisping survived a wild took chances, and I paid for it.” Tom Breese’s ending to the third round and beat victory over Keita Nakamura showed nei- Anderson Silva with a unanimous decision ther man in a positive light, with the out- in the main event of UFC Fight Night 84 on sized Nakamura mostly holding on to the Saturday night. Silva and numerous ring- Englishman, and Breese hardly looking like side officials thought Silva had won the a fighter with a previous 9-0 record in MMA fight near the end of the third round after competition. “It was very frustrating,” Silva knocked down Bisping with a Muay Breese said. “I told everyone, this guy’s a Thai knee just before the bell. Just before tough guy. ... I’ve got to get more cage the blow, Bisping (18-7) had signaled to ref- time.” eree Herb Dean after losing his mouth- In the opening contest of the main card, piece, and Dean ruled the fight would con- Londoner Brad Pickett took a split decision PHOENIX: Phoenix Suns forward Mirza Teletovic, top, and Memphis Grizzlies forward JaMychal Green (0) scramble for the ball during the fourth tinue to the fourth round. To add to the victory over Francisco Rivera. The quarter of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, Feb 27, 2016. The Suns defeated the Grizzlies 111-106. — AP tension, Bisping was struck with a low- American was picking off “One Punch” in blow, while Silva (16-3) was inadvertently the first round, landing accurate blows, but poked in the eye. Pickett rebounded in the second and con- Bisping was bleeding from several cuts trolled the fight on the ground in the third. Curry delivers again as on his face by the end, but the final score- “I want to be someone within the sport, card had him winning unanimously 48-47. and if I felt I couldn’t compete - not just “I wanted this fight my entire life,” Bisping compete at the level but win at this level - said. “I don’t know what to say. I’m crying. “I then I would’ve hung my gloves up Warriors beat Thunder worship this guy. This guy is the greatest tonight,” an emotional Pickett said. “I had a martial artist of all-time. That’s why I’m so lot of inner demons that I was fighting, and emotional right now.” Earlier, Gegard I am so happy to come away with the win.” OKLAHOMA CITY: Stephen Curry’s 3-pointer winning after blowing a 21-point lead in a loss TIMBERWOLVES 112, PELICANS 110 Mousasi landed the majority of significant On the preliminary card, Davey Grant beat from beyond 30 feet with 0.6 seconds left in to Houston two nights earlier. The Bulls got a Karl-Anthony Towns had 30 points and 15 strikes in his war of attrition with Thales Marlon Vera by unanimous decision overtime gave the Golden State Warriors a triple-double from Pau Gasol, but came up rebounds, Andrew Wiggins hit two free Leites, coming out on top via unanimous despite suffering a nasty forehead cut in 121-118 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder short with Derrick Rose (sore right hamstring) throws with 3.6 seconds left and Minnesota decision after three rounds of lackluster the first round, while Makwan Amirkhani on Saturday. Curry finished with 46 points as missing his third straight game. Gasol had 22 rallied to beat depleted New Orleans. Zach action. made it three wins out of three in the UFC his winning shot was his 12th 3-pointer, tying points, 16 rebounds and a career-high 14 LaVine added 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting, “My standup was better,” Mousasi said. “I with a unanimous decision win over Mike the NBA single-game record. He also broke his assists. played it smart because (in) the last fight, I Wilkinson. —AP including a 3-pointer with 2:43 left that gave own NBA record for 3s in a season, leaving the the Timberwolves their first lead since the first new mark at 288.