MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017 SPORTS Woodley edges Thompson, keeps belt in dull fight at UFC 209 LAS VEGAS: Although the sequel had the excitement of their memorable two judges scored the bout 48-47 for crowd. Woodley landed a takedown in was hospitalized while struggling to nowhere near the drama of the original, majority draw last November. Woodley Woodley, with a third seeing it 47-47. the third, and Thompson did damage make weight. The unbeaten Russian was both fights ended with Tyron Woodley’s put on a cautious, tactical fight until he “Disappointed, man,” Thompson said. with kicks in the fourth, but neither con- scheduled to fight Tony Ferguson for the hands on the UFC welterweight belt. caught Thompson with a right hand late, “Worked my whole life to get here. I tender produced anything resembling interim lightweight title. Woodley retained his 170-pound title landing several big shots on the ground. thought I won the fight, but you can’t the urgency expected by the fans, who The UFC hoped the card could make with a desultory majority decision over “It wasn’t the most exciting fight, like leave it in the judges’ eyes.” took to chanting “Fight! Fight! Fight!” in up for the loss of those two all-action Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson at UFC you guys were used to the last time,” Woodley and Thompson both fought the fifth. Woodley eventually obliged, fighters, but the main event wasn’t great. 209 on Saturday night. Alistair Overeem Woodley said. “Sometimes chess is move with abandon and got themselves into and it might have swung the entire fight Earlier on the pay-per-view portion of also stopped Mark Hunt in the third by move. ... When you fight someone for dangerous positions in their first bout in in his favor. Woodley landed 66 total the UFC 209 card, veteran Dutch kick- round of an entertaining heavyweight the second time, it’s like a chess match, New York but survived for only the third strikes to Thompson’s 42, and the champ boxer Overeem (42-15) flattened Hunt to bout at T-Mobile Arena, and Rashad you don’t want to give up anything. I draw in a title fight in UFC history. had the fight’s only takedown. bounce back solidly from his knockout Evans debuted at middleweight with a knew that his game plan was going to be “I guess it doesn’t matter what the “He’s a tough kid,” Woodley said. “I loss to Stipe Miocic in his heavyweight split-decision upset loss to 39-year-old to keep it on the outside and not let me first fight was like,” UFC President Dana rocked him, and that’s the round that title shot last September. Australian judoka Daniel Kelly. get in close because that’s where I do the White said. “The second fight can be not probably got me the win.” Overeem also fought through food Until the final 30 seconds of their five- most damage, and he did a great job. He as good.” The rematch opened with two The UFC 209 card lost one of the poisoning that sent him to the hospital round rematch, Woodley (17-3-1) and made it very hard to get it in close.” action-free rounds as both fighters sized year’s most anticipated bouts one day on the night before this fight, although Thompson (13-2-1)failed to recapture Thompson made it to the bell, but each other up amid boos from the Vegas earlier when Khabib Nurmagomedov he didn’t reveal it. —AP NHL Backstrom’s power-play goal lifts Capitals over Flyers WASHINGTON: Nicklas Backstrom scored a STARS 2, PANTHERS 1 power-play goal in overtime to lift the John Klingberg scored the winning goal Washington Capitals over the Philadelphia with 1:07 left and the Dallas Stars beat the Flyers 2-1 on Saturday night and extend Florida Panthers. Klingberg shot from the their franchise-record home winning streak right circle and the puck went high into the to 15. Backstrom ended the Capitals’ pow- net over the shoulder of James Reimer. The er-play frustrations by beating Steve Mason Stars won for the fourth time in six games. 3:25 into overtime for his 20th goal of the Jamie Benn also scored a goal and had an season. It came with Flyers defenseman assist for Dallas. Kari Lehtonen made 41 Michael Del Zotto in the penalty box for saves. Tyler Seguin had two assists. holding, the 12th minor penalty of the Jonathan Huberdeau scored the Panthers’ game. Dmitry Orlov also scored for NHL- goal. Reimer made 32 saves for Florida, leading Washington, which got 30 saves which has lost five of its past six. from Braden Holtby. Mason stopped 22 of 24 shots, while Sean Couturier snapped out SENATORS 3, BLUE JACKETS 2 of his offensive slump to score Zack Smith scored a short-handed goal Philadelphia’s goal. The Flyers went 0 for 6 in the third period and the Ottawa Senators on the power play and are 0 for 15 this sea- beat the Columbus Blue Jackets. Viktor son against the Capitals. Stalberg got his first goal since joining the Senators ahead of Wednesday’s trade dead- BLACKHAWKS 5, PREDATORS 3 line. Erik Karlsson scored his 11th of the Brian Campbell scored with 1:05 remain- season and Craig Anderson made 25 saves. ing to lead the Chicago Blackhawks over the Brandon Saad and Sam Gagner scored for Nashville Predators for their seventh straight the Blue Jackets. Joonas Korpisalo played win. Patrick Kane scored twice, including an just his eighth game this season and made empty-netter after Campbell’s goal, and 24 saves. This was the first regulation loss Jordin Tootoo and Jonathan Toews also for Columbus in five games (3-1-1). scored for Chicago. Corey Crawford made 32 saves. Viktor Arvidsson scored twice and Calle Jarnkrok also had a goal for Nashville, JETS 6, AVALANCHE 1 LONDON: British boxer David Haye (L) goes on the offensive against compatriot Tony Bellew (R) during their heavyweight boxing match at the which has lost two straight. Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers each O2 Arena in London on Saturday. Tony Bellew stunned bitter rival David Haye to win their eagerly-awaited heavyweight clash with an 11th had a goal and two assists, leading the round stoppage. — AFP CANADIENS 4, RANGERS 1 Winnipeg Jets past the Colorado Carey Price made 26 saves and the Avalanche. Making his 10th straight start in BOXING Montreal Canadiens extended their win- goal, Connor Hellebuyck almost had his ning streak to five games with a victory second straight shutout for the Jets until over the New York Rangers. Shea Weber, Gabriel Landeskog scored with 15.4 sec- Artturi Lehkonen, Andrew Shaw and Jordie onds left in the game. He made 22 saves a Benn scored for the Canadiens, who are in Bellew stuns Haye with day after he had a 29-save shutout against first place in the Atlantic Division. Max the St. Louis Blues. Patrik Laine scored his Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk each had NHL rookie-leading 32nd goal, Mark two assists for Montreal, which has won six Scheifele had his 27th, Ehlers notched his of seven. That streak started with a 21st and Wheeler his 20th. Ben Chiarot 11th-round stoppage shootout win over the Rangers on Feb. 21 added his first goal of the season in his at Madison Square Garden. Chris Kreider 53rd game, and Jacob Trouba had his sixth. scored and Henrik Lundqvist made 31 LONDON: Tony Bellew humbled his bitter away from danger. landed clean shots at will. In the 11th, Haye was saves for the Rangers, who have lost three OILERS 4, RED WINGS 3 British rival David Haye with a shock 11th round Haye stumbled back to his corner at the end sent through the ropes by a combination and of their past four. Connor McDavid had a goal and an win in a non-title heavyweight fight at the O2 in of the seventh like a drunk at times as Bellew McGuigan had seen enough. —AFP assist and the Edmonton Oilers started an London on Saturday. Former WBA world heavy- BRUINS 3, DEVILS 2 weight champion Haye suffered a suspected eight-game homestand with a victory over Ryan Spooner scored midway through snapped Achilles tendon in the sixth round, the Detroit Red Wings. Zack Kassian, Jordan WBA champion Thurman wins the third period to lift the Boston Bruins leaving him an easy target as he stumbled and Eberle and Patrick Maroon also scored for over the New Jersey Devils for their eighth limped around the ring for second half of the the Oilers, who have won two games in a welterweight unification bout victory in 10 games under interim coach fight. Unable to move away from Bellew’s blows, row. Cam Talbot stopped 22 shots. Anthony Bruce Cassidy. Brandon Carlo and Torey Haye got up from a count in the seventh round NEW YORK: WBA champ Keith Thurman always seem to land one or two good punches Mantha, Darren Helm and Dylan Larkin Krug also scored for the Bruins, and backup and bravely battled on until he was knocked out defeated Danny Garcia by a split decision in the closing seconds of each round. scored for the Red Wings, who have lost goalie Anton Khudobin stopped 15 shots. of the ring in the 11th round. Saturday night to claim the WBC welterweight Thurman landed more power punches two straight. McDavid blazed past a pair of Cassidy took over for fired coach Claude As he was climbing back into the ring, Haye’s belt in a unification clash between a pair of (102-81) and jabs (45-41) than Garcia.