18 | Wednesday, March 18, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS

COMBAT SPORTS UFC events postponed as White eventually relents

The UFC has postponed its next three scheduled events through April 11, finally giving up on presi­ dent ’s plan to keep fighting amid the coronavirus pan­ demic. The UFC will not hold its show scheduled for Saturday, which was initially slated to be held in a full arena in . The UFC also won’t hold shows scheduled for March 28 and April 11. “It’s just impossible,” White said on ESPN, the UFC’s broadcast part­ ner. “We can’t do it.” White insists he will hold UFC 249 on April 18, although he doesn’t have a venue for it. champion is scheduled to fight Tony Ferguson in the promotion’s biggest pay­per­ view show of the spring. “We’re hoping that this all clears up by April,” White said. “This fight is going to happen. No crowd, what­ ever it takes. Probably not even in (left) wants to unify the division, with Englishman Josh Warrington or American Shakur Stevenson potentially up next for the WBA champion. XINHUA the United States, but this fight will happen.” The UFC finally joined nearly every other major worldwide sports organization in postponing its events only after White on Monday heard about the White House rec­ Xu pursuing the ultimate prize ommendation to avoid gatherings of 10 or more people. For most people, the new corona­ China’s featherweight champion not ducking division’s best as talks open over unification bout virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults By SUN XIAOCHEN unification bout.” “I am keeping my options open. WBO champion Stevenson against and people with existing health [email protected] Liu said his team is now in nego­ If Xu Can wants to fight, I am Xu, according to Liu. problems, it can cause more severe tiations with representatives of ready,” said the 29­year­old, who Stevenson (13­0, 7KOs), a illness, including pneumonia. China’s World Associa­ both Warrington and Stevenson The WBA has sent goes by the ring moniker “The 22­year­old southpaw from New The vast majority of people recov­ tion champion Xu Can is ready to but insisted that the IBF champ is us notice on Xu’s Warrior”. Jersey, defeated compatriot Joet er from the new virus. According to step up in class as he targets a pres­ Xu’s preference. Both Xu and Warrington boast a Gonzalez via unanimous decision the World Health Organization, tigious unification bout in the “If we had a choice, Warrington mandatory similar style characterized by vol­ to claim the vacant WBO feather­ people with mild illness recover in featherweight division. sure is our priority,” Liu said. “They (challenger) but ume over power, with their poten­ weight title in October — a fight about two weeks, while those with Having successfully defended his both showed a certain amount of tial match­up promising to be a Stevenson dominated with his more severe illness may take three title twice, Xu, aka “The Monster”, is interest in facing Xu, but Warring­ he’s determined to ferocious contest. trademark quick­fire combinations to six weeks to recover. preparing to next face either Inter­ ton is the rival that Xu has always set his sights on a Xu’s incredible energy was of jabs and body shots. White had vowed to keep staging national Boxing Federation champ wanted to fight because Xu only much bigger goal, underlined by the staggering 1,562 Due to the global coronavirus fights while the public health crisis Josh Warrington or World Boxing fights the best of the best.” punches he threw against Robles, pandemic, Liu says any fight worsened, and the UFC held a Organization title holder Shakur Hostilities between Xu (18­2, 3 a unification fight, but although Warrington hits less, against Stevenson or Warrington is 12­fight card in Brasilia, Brazil, last Stevenson. KOs) and Warrington (30­0, 7 KOs) for the sake of his the Brit is regarded as the more unlikely to be staged until the end Saturday in an empty arena. White Rather than facing a mandatory have been simmering in recent powerful puncher. of May or early June. said it would take “a total shutdown challenger within the WBA, a unifi­ months. career. As far as “I believe I can beat any other If Xu keeps winning, the 26­year­ of the country” to prevent him from cation bout is the better career “Josh, you call me out? Now I’m any further featherweight in this division,” old from Jiangxi province will staging fights. move for Xu, promoter Liu Gang of here. You see I’m here, right? Let’s Warrington told Sky Sports last become the world’s only unified The UFC’s plans to hold this Beijing­based Max Power Promo­ fight. Let’s unify. Anywhere. I can challengers are month after rejoining his former champion in the featherweight week’s show in London became tions told Chinese media on fight anywhere. I promise I will concerned, we promoter Eddie Hearn at Match­ division and the first from China to unfeasible due to travel restrictions, Tuesday. bring the belt back home to China,” room Boxing. do so. but White found another home for “The WBA has sent us notice on Xu said after beating Manny Robles will discuss it “They’ve all got their own little Xu became the third Chinese to Saturday’s show: Grand Casino Xu’s mandatory but he’s deter­ III via unanimous decision to with the WBA perks. Xu Can, you put us in a win a world boxing title when he Resort Hotel in Shawnee, Oklaho­ mined to set his sights on a much retain his WBA title in California in phone box, a very entertaining wrested the WBA featherweight ma. He only decided not to do it aft­ bigger goal, a unification fight, for November. after the fight. He throws a lot of punches, I belt off Puerto Rico’s Jesus Rojas in er the White House’s the sake of his career,” said Liu, who After successfully defending his unification bout.” throw a lot of punches.” in January 2019. China’s recommendations. discovered Xu’s talent at a boxing IBF title for a third time with a sec­ As of December 2019, Warring­ other two internationally recog­ The UFC’s plan to hold the shows club in Yunnan province a decade ond­round KO against Sofiane Liu Gang, ton was ranked as the world’s best nized world champs are the now­ on March 28 and April 11 in an emp­ Xu Can’s promoter ago. Takoucht last October, Warring­ active featherweight by Box­ retired Xiong Chaozhong (WBC ty arena in were also “As far as any further challengers ton, a British fighter hailing from Rec.com and The Ring. minimumweight, 2012) and two­ scrapped. are concerned, we plan to discuss Leeds, admitted a fight with Xu American promotion Top Rank is time Olympic champion Zou things with the WBA following the could be next on his agenda. also interested in matching its Shiming (WBO flyweight, 2016). AP VIA XINHUA

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BASKETBALL Mets, tested negative. On Sunday, Valencia announced ‘stay safe and smart’ pended on Monday night after a day The NBA, which suspended the that five of its players and staff had of fan­free competition. The Interna­ Infected Mitchell says Tiger Woods tweeted a simple mes­ league indefinitely last week, spent tested positive for COVID­19. tional Olympic Committee’s Boxing he doesn’t feel sick sage on Monday in his first public Monday continuing to process infor­ Task Force also suspended the comments on the coronavirus pan­ All­Star guard mation being shared by infectious remaining two Olympic qualification Rugani ‘doing well’ demic, which has put his Masters title Donovan Mitchell disease experts and others. tournaments, scheduled for Buenos following diagnosis defense on indefinite hold. says he showed no Aires later this month and for Paris in “There are a lot more important symptoms of Juventus defender Daniele Rugani, May. SOCCER things in life than a golf tournament being sick before the first Italian top­flight player diag­ The London qualifier had partici­ One­third of Valencia right now,” Woods said in a Twitter testing positive for nosed with coronavirus, said on Mon­ pants from more than 60 countries, post. the coronavirus, squad tests positive day he was “doing and organizers decided to shut it “We need to be safe, smart and do and he continues Donovan Valencia, the first Spanish soc­ well” and hoped his down to allow the boxers to return what is best for ourselves, our loved to have no signs of Mitchell cer club to report coronavirus case “served to sen­ home amid growing worldwide travel ones and our community.” illness. infections, said on Monday that 35 sitize everyone” to restrictions. Woods won his 15th major title at Mitchell, speaking to ABC’s Good percent of players and staff mem­ the illness. The qualifying tournaments for the Masters last April, ending an Morning America in an interview bers have tested positive for the “I’m fine, I reas­ Africa and for Asia and Oceania have 11­year major drought after a mar­ broadcast on Monday, also revealed disease. sure everyone. I’ve Daniele already been held, with 96 boxers riage­ending scandal and career­ that it “took awhile for me to kind The club said the virus spread always been quite Rugani qualifying for Tokyo in those events. threatening injuries. of cool off” at Rudy Gobert, his among the squad following last well, I haven’t had Several more boxers qualified on the But golf has been no exception as Utah Jazz teammate who was the month’s trip to Bergamo, “an area any serious symptoms. I consider third day of competition in London. the sports world has ground to a virtu­ first NBA player to have a positive confirmed as ‘high risk’ by the Ital­ myself lucky,” Rugani told Juventus TV. The IOC Boxing Task Force is work­ al halt in the midst of the pandemic, test for the virus revealed. Gobert ian authorities days afterwards”, The 25­year­old Italian international ing on a plan to award the remaining and Augusta National Golf Club has said in recent days that he did for the first leg of its Champions was diagnosed last Wednesday with the Olympic spots in May and June. In all, announced last week that the 2020 not take the threat of the illness League last­16 tie against Atalanta. Turin club saying he was asymptomatic. 286 boxers are due to compete in Masters would not take place April seriously. “Despite the strict measures Since then a total of 11 Serie A players Tokyo. The Japanese government and 9­12. “I don’t have any symptoms,” said adopted by the club” after the have being diagnosed with the illness IOC continue to insist the Games will Mitchell. “I could walk down the match, “these latest results show which has killed more than 1,800 peo­ open as scheduled on July 24. street (and) if it wasn’t public that the exposure inherent to such ple in the Mediterranean country. BOXING The IOC appointed a task force to knowledge that I was sick, you matches has caused a positive test “There was a huge media explosion Olympic qualifying govern boxing for the Olympics after wouldn’t know it. I think that’s the rate of around 35 percent,” Valen­ right away. A lot of people wrote to me event suspended stripping the International Boxing scariest part about this virus. You cia said in a statement. “All cases and I thank them,” said Rugani, who is Association (AIBA) of its Olympic The third regional Olympic boxing may seem fine, be fine. And you are asymptomatic and those currently self­isolating. authority last June following a series qualification tournament has been never know who you may be talking involved are currently isolated at of governance problems with the suspended after three days of compe­ to, who they’re going home to.” home, receiving medical assess­ GOLF scandal­plagued organization. tition. Mitchell’s father, Donovan Mitchell ment and carrying out their sched­ Woods urges fans to The 11­day London event was sus­ Sr, who works for baseball’s New York uled training plan.” XINHUA — AGENCIES