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Sean Strickland stuns favorite Israel Adesanya for middleweight title at UFC 293

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

SYDNEY (AP) — American Sean Strickland stunned Nigerian-born New Zealander Israel Adesanya to take the middleweight title by unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 293, the first UFC event in Australia’s largest city in six years. The 32-year-old Strickland (28-5), who caused a stir in the lead-up to the fight with sexist and misogynistic comments at a press conference promoting the bout, won a five-round decision with all three judges scoring it 49-46.“Am I dreaming? Am I going to wake up? Someone hit me. … I don’t cry much but I’m trying to keep it together right now,” an emotional Strickland said immediately after the bout. “I give up so many brain cells to the MMA gods… I thought I’d be walking away a little bloody, a little broken up. I’m a little shocked that didn’t happen.”Backed by strong vocal support at Qudos Bank Arena, Adesanya (24-3) was a clear favorite to subdue his controversial American opponent and retain the title he won from Alex Pere...

Martinez gets No. 16 Oregon State going in 55-7 win over UC Davis

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) — Damien Martinez ran for a 64-yard touchdown on Oregon State’s first offensive play, setting the tone in the 16th-ranked Beavers’ 55-7 victory over UC Davis on Saturday.Silas Bolden had a 65-yard punt return for a touchdown, and a 22-yard scoring reception in the second quarter as Oregon State (2-0) extended its 14-0 first-quarter lead to 38-0 at halftime.In his second start for the Beavers, DJ Uiagalelei completed 8 of 13 passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score. He did not play in the second half. The Clemson transfer has accounted for five touchdown passes and three rushing scores in two games.“He can move and he’s tough to tackle,” Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith said. “He’s been effective red zone, short yardage. We want to use his athleticism and strength.”The Beavers also were able to get quality playing time for backup quarterback Aidan Chiles, who played the entire second half and completed 9 of 13 passes for 74 yards and a touchdo...

Mercer claims shootout over Moorehead State pulling away in the second half to seal win

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

MACON, Ga. (AP) — Carter Peevy threw for 268 yards and a touchdown and FCS No. 20 Mercer collected four rushing touchdowns to beat Moorehead State 48-22 on Saturday.Mercer (2-1) built a 14-3 lead before the Eagles (1-1) rallied to take a 15-14 lead. But the Bears reclaimed the lead for good when Al Wooten II ran it in from the 8-yard line with 32 seconds left before halftime. Out of the break, Peevy threw a 75-yard score to Ty James on the first play from scrimmage for a 27-15 lead. James had 146 yards receiving on five catches.Peevy ran for a 17-yard score, Wooten had TD runs of 30 and 8 yards, and Tyrell Coard added an 11-yard scoring run. Devron Harper had a 53-yard punt return for a touchdown for the Bears for a 38-22 advantage with 14 minutes remaining. Harper also finished with six catches for 100 yards and a score.Carter Cravens threw for 187 yards and two scores for Moorehead State. Kyle Daly and Ryan Upp had the TD catches.____ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/co...

Webb ends his 3-game skid in Giants’ 9-1 win over Rockies

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Logan Webb pitched six scoreless innings for his first win in more than a month, Thairo Estrada homered and had three RBIs, and the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies 9-1 on Saturday night.Mike Yastrzemski had four hits and two RBIs, and J.D. Davis singled twice for San Francisco. The Giants have won back-to-back games following a six-game losing streak that matched their longest of the season. They remain 2 1/2 games behind Arizona for the third NL wild card.San Francisco’s offense hasn’t provided much support for Webb this season. The nine runs were the most he’s been given in a start since the Giants put up nine against Milwaukee on July 17, 2022.“It’s been some of the tough games that we’ve had offensively but it was nice to get him a little support today,” Yastrzemski said.Webb (10-12) had lost his last three decisions as San Francisco’s offense accounted for two runs total. Overall, he was winless in six starts dating to Aug. 2 before his...

Lynch field goal in second OT lifts Fresno State over Eastern Washington 34-31

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — Dylan Lynch kicked a 25-yard field goal in the second overtime and Fresno State escaped with a 34-31 victory over FCS-member Eastern Washington on Saturday night.Lynch also kicked a 44-yard field goal with 6:44 remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24-all, forcing overtime.The Eagles (0-2), who trailed 14-3 at halftime, rallied to take a 24-21 lead early in the fourth on a 33-yard touchdown run by Justice Jackson.Mikey Keene completed 23 of 39 passes for 223 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Bulldogs (2-0). Elijah Gilliam carried 20 times for 86 yards and two scores. Erik Brooks finished with eight catches for 95 yards and a touchdown. Jake Boust had the other TD catch; a 6-yarder in the second quarter.Eastern Washington scored on its first possession of overtime when Kekoa Visperas connected with Anthony Stell Jr. for a 1-yard TD. Fresno State answered with Gilliam’s 1-yard scoring run to send it to a second OT. Visperas ...

Trick play and Rasheen Ali’s 3 TDs helps get Marshall past East Carolina 31-13

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

GREENVIEW, N.C. (AP) — Rasheen Ali ran for three touchdowns and a trick play helped break the game open and give Marshall a 31-13 victory over East Carolina on Saturday night. Receiver Charles Montgomery took a backward pass from Cam Fancher and then launched a 75-yard touchdown pass to Caleb McMillan, and Marshall (2-0) led 17-13 lead with 11:07 remaining. About three minutes later, Ali found a crease on the left side of the line and burst 56 yards into the end zone to extend the Thundering Herd lead to 24-13. Micah Abraham picked off a Mason Garcia pass on ECU’s next series, and Ali ran for a 14-yard touchdown two plays later. Ali finished with 85 yards rushing on 18 carries and caught four passes for 45 yards. He also had a 1-yard TD run in the second quarter. Fancher was 15-of-28 passing for 178 yards. Following an extended halftime due to a lightning delay, Andrew Conrad kicked a 30-yard field goal midway through the third quarter that gave the Pirates a 13-10 lead. Garci...

Miami (Ohio) receiver Gage Larvadain lights up UMass with 273 receiving yards, 3 TDs as RedHawks win

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Gage Larvadain had 273 receiving yards and three touchdowns, Brett Gabbert threw four TD passes, and Miami of Ohio outlasted UMass 41-28 in a game that started Saturday afternoon and ended early Sunday morning.The game, scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m., was twice delayed by lightning storms and finished at about 12:30 a.m. Sunday morning.Larvadain was as explosive as the weather. He caught a 26-yard touchdown pass on the game’s first possession, then later scored on a 99-yard catch-and-run and a 13-yard touchdown catch over the middle as the RedHawks built a 28-7 halftime lead.Carlos Davis led UMass back into the game, throwing three touchdown passes, the last a 5-yard toss to George Johnson to get the Minutemen within 31-28 early in the fourth quarter.Larvadain then struck again, nearly getting the score on a 70-yard pass play from Gabbert. Larvadain caught a deep pass over the middle and was fighting to reach the end zone when he fumbled and Cade McDonal...

Inside the G20’s scramble to get consensus on the war in Ukraine

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

NEW DELHI — A last-minute agreement on the Ukraine portion of the G20’s summit statement kept the entire document from the trash heap — but it took dropping a reference to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine to do it.All the members of the group of top world economies spent weeks in fierce negotiations over every element of the 35-page communiqué. The greatest sticking point was what to say about the war raging in Eastern Europe, not least because Russia, a member of the bloc, would oppose condemnations of Moscow and shows of support for Kyiv.What ultimately led to an agreement in the dark, early hours of Saturday morning was new language drafted by officials from India, the host nation, and delegates from Brazil and South Africa. Russia, which spent weeks offering alternatives that wouldn’t leave it isolated in the G20 club, relented after key developing countries presented the formulation: All countries should “refrain from action against the territorial integrity and soverei...

In ancient cities and mountain towns, rescuers seek survivors from Morocco’s quake of the century

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP) — Morocco worked Sunday to rescue survivors and prayed for victims of the country’s strongest earthquake in more than a century, while soldiers and aid workers brought water and supplies to mountain villages in ruins. More than 2,000 people are dead — a number that is expected to rise.Those left homeless by the destruction of Friday night’s earthquake slept outside Saturday, in the streets of the ancient city of Marrakech or under makeshift canopies in Atlas Mountain towns like Moulay Brahim, among the hardest-hit. The worst destruction is in small, rural communities that are hard for rescuers to reach because of the mountainous terrain.The magnitude-6.8 earthquake sent people racing from their beds into the streets and toppled buildings in mountainous villages and cities not built to withstand such a mighty quake. Some 2,012 people were confirmed dead and at least 2,059 more people were injured — 1,404 critically — Morocco’s Interior Ministry reported ...

Egypt’s annual inflation hits a new record, reaching 39.7% in August

Published Sat, 22 Feb 2025 11:00:44 GMT

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s annual inflation rate hit a new record high in August, as the cash-strapped country continues to battle price hikes and a depreciating currency, the Egyptian statistics bureau said Sunday.The annual inflation rate reached 39.7% last month, up from 38.2% recorded in July, according to data released by the state-run Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics. On a monthly basis, prices grew 1.6% last month, down from a prior 1.9% rise in July.Prices in Egypt rose across many sectors, from food items and medical services to housing and furniture following the Russia-Ukraine war, which unleashed a wave of inflation across the globe.The figures released Sunday morning showed that food prices, the main drivers of inflation, rose by over 70% in August compared to the same month last year. Grains, meat, poultry, fish, and fruit were among the products with the biggest price spikes.The inflation rate in August more than doubled compared to the same month last year, w...