TUESDAY, MAY 4, 2021 11 Maher to face Gonzalez Guardiola calls for Man City at BRAVE CF 51 cool heads to see off PSG Pep Guardiola aims to lead Manchester City to their first ever Champions League final • Man City have a 2-1 lead over PSG from the BETTER first leg of the semi-final AFP | London KNOW ep Guardiola yesterday called on his Manches- Guardiola has won Pter City players to con- the Champions trol their emotions if they are League twice as a TDT | Manama athletes, including Alexander to reach a first ever Champi - coach when in charge “The Mauler” Gustafsson, Ilir ons League final as they take a of Barcelona, but RAVE Combat Federation, “The Sledgehammer” Latifi 2-1 lead into the second leg of has failed to do so Bthe only truly global mixed and former BRAVE CF standout their semi-final against Paris in the past 10 years martial arts promotion in the Khamzat “Borz” Chimaev. Saint-Germain. world for hosting live events Welcoming Gonzalez in City came from behind with as he has suffered in 20+ countries, has just an- BRAVE CF is fellow debutant a stunning second-half perfor- Manchester City’s manager Pep Guardiola gives his instructions (R) next to numerous agonising nounced that Giannis Bachar Denis Maher, an undefeated mance in the French capital PSG’s head coach Mauricio Pochettino (file photo) exits from Europe’s of Greece has withdrawn from prospect from Belarus who last week to take a giant step nal always the toughest game, progress to the final for a second premier club competi- his three-round Super Wel- has a perfect 7-0 slate with towards a goal they have been more than the final. We have consecutive season, they will tion as Barca, Bayern terweight bout against home- four wins by submission and chasing ever since Sheikh Man- to control our emotions to do need to score at least twice at Munich and City boss town hero Denis Maher in the two via knockout. The Minsk- sour’s takeover in 2008 trans- exactly what we have to do,” the Etihad. co-headliner of BRAVE CF 51: based phenom is coming off formed the club’s fortunes. said Guardiola at his pre-match City have not conceded more The Future Is Here. The his- a spectacular 2020, making Guardiola has won the Cham- press conference. than once in a Champions toric card is set to take place quick work of his first as - pions League twice as a coach “You cannot play 90 minutes League game all season as the occasion for us as players and at the state-of-the-art Falcon signment last year courtesy when in charge of Barcelona, like we played in the second half centre-back partnership of Ru- as a club, a chance to get into a Club Arena in Minsk, Belarus of a first-round submission but has failed to do so in the (in Paris). I would love to but it ben Dias and John Stones has Champions League final,” said on June 4th. and then following it up with past 10 years as he has suffered won’t happen. eradicated the sort of defensive Stones. Stepping in for Bachar is a second-round stoppage numerous agonising exits from “You have to understand it lapses that have cost Guardiola’s “We have got to go into it Sweden’s Fernando Gonzalez, victory. Europe’s premier club compe- will be a big battle and we are men in previous years in this where we left off. We are really a submission specialist who Maher and Gonzalez are tition as Barca, Bayern Munich going to suffer. They have to competition. confident and excited for the owns a 9-2 professional record the latest additions to the or- and City boss. visualise that we are going to Stones admitted the English challenge ahead.” with five victories by way of ta- ganization’s talent-filled Su- City moved to the brink of do it. champions-elect have to remain Mbappe is an injury doubt af- pout. It will be the 29-year-old per Welterweight division sealing a third Premier League “What we have to do is not wary of the “world class” talents ter sitting out Saturday’s 2-1 win veteran’s debut on the sport’s that was recently beefed up title in four years at the week- different to what we have done of PSG star duo Kylian Mbappe over Lens due to a calf strain. global stage after plying his with the signings of Axel Sola, end and Guardiola urged his over the last seven months. Go and Neymar, but said City are The French World Cup win- trade in the European circuit Kamal Magomedov, Andre- side to maintain the same focus out and play our game and win.” confident of finally getting to ner has travelled to Manchester for almost a decade. A product as Stahl, Nursulton Ruziboev, they have all season to see off PSG are also dreaming of win- the final with the rest of the PSG squad of the world-renowned All- Luis Felipe Dias, and Vadim PSG on Tuesday. ning the Champions League for “I think (we are) quietly con- and Guardiola dismissed any stars Training Center, he trains Kutsyi, who will also be in ac- “The second-leg of semi-fi- the first time, but if they are to fident, we have to be. It is a big suggestion he won’t be available. with a handful of outstanding tion on June 4th. Alora eyes second straight Olympic stint Retirement not an option for Folayang TDT | Manila TDT | Manila irstie Elaine Alora will join nce again, Filipino veteran Kthree other taekwondo Omixed martial arts (MMA) teammates in their ambitious fighter Eduard “The Landslide” bids to make it to the Tokyo Folayang bowed to Japanese Olympics. legend Shinya Aoki in their Alora has already made his third ONE Championship face- appearance in the Summer off in Singapore. Games in 2016 in Rio de Janei- The 36-year-old Team Lakay ro, Brazil, but fellow national stalwart lost via submission in team members Pauline Lopez, the 4:20 mark of the first round Kurt Barbosa and Arven Al - during one of the undercards cantara have never made it yet of ONE on TNT IV in Singapore. to the prestigious quadrennial It was the second straight event. victory for Aoki over Folayang, The four athletes have been Alora hopes to wave the Philippine flag again in Tokyo taking a 2-1 lead in their classic Folayang, centre, during his fight against Aoki training as sparring partners said. trilogy. “Five years ago, I lost to ever since they entered a bubble The three-time SEA Games The sorry defeat was the Eduard Folayang. Today, I got camp in Calamba, Laguna since champion felt there was still an third straight for Folayang in the win. If I have the chance, I We’ve been trying our February. unfinished business when she ONE and dropped him to 11 loss- Retirement? It is just would like to have a fight with All of them will be seeing ac- very best for us to be decided to have another crack es in his pro career as opposed him again,” added Aoki. tion in the final Asian qualifiers, ready in time for the at the Olympics. to 22 wins. there, but not now. I Back in 2019, Aoki also beat set to be held on May 14 and 15 qualifiers. I became “I could have retired had I But despite a plummeting ca- still have a lot of things Folayang in 2:16 of the first in Amman, Jordan. To make it more fit during the won the gold medal in the SEA reer, Folayang said retirement is to learn so I’m not round via an arm triangle choke to the Olympics, they just have quarantine period Games. But when I got a silver, not in his immediate plans for giving up yet. Along the for a win by technical submis- to make it to the top 2 in the I thought that there should be now and, in fact, he is still look- way, I’m still hoping to sion. tournament. There will be no because I was able another chance,’’ said Alora. ing for two more showdowns He said Aoki deserves the to watch my diet and have Game 5. We will finals there. “The coming qualifying will with Aoki. avenge our loss win after he was able to execute Before reaching the Rio focus more on what I be a make or break campaign And he will be preparing his game plan perfectly. Olympics, Alora bagged the sil- want to achieve for me.’’ harder for it. EDUARD FOLAYANG “He really put his words in ver medal at the Asian Olympic KIRSTIE ELAINE ALORA Lopez, an Asian champion, “Retirement? It is just there, action. And he really dominat- Qualifying Tournament in the will try to make the cut to the but not now. I still have a lot of wrote on its official Facebook ed,” added Folayang. middleweight division. one of two available continental Olympiad in the women’s 57 things to learn so I’m not giving page. It was Aoki’s fourth consec- During the Olympiad, she spots for the privilege to join kgs. Four years ago, she missed up yet,” said Folayang. Adding, “The match was not utive win since losing his light- reached the Round of 16 before Team Philippines in Tokyo for the cut for the 2016 Summer “Along the way, I’m still hop- the end for Eduard, but an ex- weight crown to Christian Lee she was defeated by Maria Es- the global Summer Games on Olympics after losing her match ing to have Game 5.