Sports

9:05 AM ET The path to the Champions League final in Paris on May 28 is now clear following the draw for the last eight and semifinals of the competition and the prospect of a heavyweight clash at the Stade de France remains alive with favourites Liverpool and Manchester City, and Real Madrid and Bayern

2:59 AM ET NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Jesse Iwuji credits his Nigerian parents for his discipline and success, which has seen him play D1 college football, serve in the US Navy for seven years, and become co-owner of Jesse Iwuji Motorsports. Lieutenant Commander Iwuji, who will race in the Emmett Smith-co-owned number 34 Chevrolet at

5:49 PM BST England coach Eddie Jones has brought in George Furbank to play fullback, switching Freddie Steward to the wing, in the team announced on Thursday for England’s final Six Nations game against France in Paris on Saturday. Steward has been impressive at fullback but Jones no doubt feels that by selecting him on

2:33 PM ET Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. — Attorneys for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert argued in a Kentucky court Thursday that a 90-day suspension imposed by the state’s racing commission would essentially end his career. Baffert is asking a judge to delay the suspension for a failed postrace drug test by Medina Spirit

9:00 AM ET Tom Aspinall is a young star in the making in the UFC’s heavyweight division. At age 28, he is 4-0 in the Octagon, 11-2 overall in his MMA career. On Saturday, the fighter from Manchester, England, who now fights out of Liverpool, will be competing on home turf when he headlines UFC

10:15 PM ET Mike CoppingerESPN As Vasiliy Lomachenko works to help defend Ukraine from Russia’s ongoing invasion, efforts are being made by his team to allow him to leave his native country to train for a proposed fight against undisputed lightweight champion George Kambosos, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. Lomachenko, 34, joined a territorial defense

1:15 PM ET ORLANDO, Fla. — The Brooklyn Nets still have no idea exactly when Ben Simmons will be able to make his season debut as he continues to deal with a back injury, but coach Steve Nash said after the shootaround Tuesday that he has “extremely high hopes that we’ll see him in the

7:29 AM ET Australian Open champion Rafa Nadal said he felt sorry for Naomi Osaka after she was rattled by a heckler during her second-round loss on Saturday night at Indian Wells, but added that tennis players needed to be ready to deal with adversities. Osaka, who sparked a conversation about mental health in sports

5:12 PM ET The Los Angeles Chargers are giving former New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson a five-year, $82.5 million deal that includes $40 million guaranteed, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday. Jackson, who just concluded his fourth NFL season with the Patriots, earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2021. His eight

7:43 PM ET PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Around 4 p.m. ET on Monday, after rain started falling again at the Players at TPC Sawgrass, Sepp Straka was the leader in the clubhouse with a 72-hole total of 7 under. For a tournament that stopped and started more than the traffic on state highway A1A,

7:00 AM ET FLORIDA STATE DEFENSIVE end Jared Verse owes his future to the transfer portal. It is a simple but truthful statement, one that helps illustrate the positive impact the portal can have for players. “Honestly,” Verse said during a recent phone conversation, “it was life changing.” Verse is not exaggerating. In three short

9:45 PM ET Associated Press AVONDALE, Ariz. — Chase Briscoe jumped out of his car and was obviously emotional, kneeling by his No. 14 for a few seconds before a couple of voice cracks during his postrace television interview. The 27-year-old Briscoe took his lumps last season as a NASCAR Cup Series rookie. Now, he’s

7:00 AM ET The 2022 NHL trade deadline is scheduled for Monday, March 21, at 3 p.m. ET. It’s an annual event shrouded in uncertainty, whose preceding hype rarely matches its actual action. But there are a few teams and individuals that could really start the party this season. Are the Dallas Stars playoff contenders,

7:00 AM ET Last winter, Steve Cohen’s shopping spree was frantic and expensive – and even the lockout didn’t stop it. The New York Mets owner grabbed a general manager (Billy Eppler), the most expensive starting pitcher ever (Max Scherzer, for a record annual salary of $43.3 million), a center fielder (Starling Marte), a third

7:57 PM ET Associated Press AVONDALE, Ariz. — Noah Gragson shook off some frustrating finishes over the past few weeks to race to his first victory of the season Saturday in a dominant performance in the Xfinity Series at Phoenix Raceway. Gragson passed Brandon Jones with 14 laps left and pulled away for his sixth

3:17 PM ET Shock waves reverberated across the soccer world over the weekend when images of horrifying violence emerged from a Liga MX match between Queretaro and Atlas. In the second half of Saturday’s game at Queretaro’s Estadio Corregidora, play was stopped when fans began to pour onto the pitch after fights between barras supporters’

1:12 PM GMT Tom Curry will feature at open-side flanker for England against Ireland in their must-win Six Nations encounter at Twickenham on Saturday, while No. 8 Alex Dombrandt is among the replacements after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Coach Eddie Jones selected a pack he thinks can counter the Irish, who he

9:00 AM ET Thiago Santos and Magomed Ankalaev meet in the light heavyweight main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. It is a crossroads fight in some respects, as the 38-year-old Santos is nearly three years removed from an unsuccessful challenge for the UFC’s 205-pound title and Ankalaev, 29, is one

3:19 PM ET ESPN’s divisional boxing rankings highlight the best in the sport at every weight class. They will change often based on recent results and performances. Rankings are based on what a fighter has accomplished in the weight division in which he is ranked. A fighter who has announced he is moving up or

9:18 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com The potential for a Rafael Nadal vs. Daniil Medvedev semifinal showdown. A blockbuster Naomi Osaka–Sloane Stephens first-round matchup. A full-capacity crowd. And a relaxed desert vibe to go with it all. It’s been three years (!) since the BNP Paribas Open has been played during its normally scheduled slot on

7:36 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com World No. 2 Novak Djokovic was announced in the draw for the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, despite his status to enter the United States still uncertain due to being unvaccinated. “Novak Djokovic is on the tournament entry list, and therefore is placed into the draw today,” the California tournament

5:10 AM ET Pro pickleball player Megan Charity is asked to describe her sport so often that she has the answer down to a tee. She may as well wear it on a signboard around her neck. Charity, a South African former tennis player based in Charlottesville, Virginia, who is ranked 16th in the world,

7:22 AM ET It has become a go-to thought each year when the Players Championship arrives. Anybody can win at TPC Sawgrass’ Stadium Course because the track does not favor a certain player’s game. Well, it’s true. Look at the champions list — everyone from Tiger Woods to Tim Clark, Rory McIlroy to Fred Funk,

7:00 AM ET Ninety-one games. So far. That’s the number of games that have been lopped off the schedule after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s news conference last week. We can only hope that the number doesn’t go up. For now, if an agreement is reached post haste, the plan is for each team to pick

8:23 PM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Alex Bowman beat NASCAR champion Kyle Larson in a door-to-door overtime battle at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that sent Hendrick Motorsports to victory lane for the second consecutive week. The win Sunday was the first of the year for Bowman and seventh of his career. It was

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7:48 AM ET Brett Okamoto Close ESPN Staff Writer MMA columnist for ESPN.com Analyst for “MMA Live” Covered MMA for Las Vegas Sun Marc Raimondi COCONUT CREEK, Fla. – Jorge Masvidal walked into the American Top Team (ATT) gym one day in September 2019 and spotted Colby Covington. The two men, formerly best friends and

1:46 PM ET Associated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky racing officials have denied trainer Bob Baffert’s request to stay his suspension for a failed postrace drug test by Medina Spirit that led to his disqualification as Kentucky Derby winner. Kentucky Horse Racing Commission board members on Friday voted 10-0 with three abstentions against the stay

8:36 AM ET Mark KriegelESPN RIVERSIDE, California — In a sport that’s loud, mean and profane, Jose Ramirez is quiet, earnest and humble to a fault. He’s faithful and stands tirelessly for his people — the farmworkers of California’s Central Valley. COVID-19 relief? Immigration reform? Water rights? He’s all-in. Everything Ramirez does — from his

8:13 AM ET The PGA Tour heads to Arnie’s place, Bay Hill Club & Lodge, this week for the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau pulled out this week, citing an ongoing hand injury. Play begins Thursday. But a strong field will be at Bay Hill, a week before the Players Championship and a

7:01 PM ET Associated Press MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Ashleigh Barty, the world’s top-ranked women’s tennis player, pulled out of Indian Wells and the Miami Open on Thursday citing a need for an ongoing recovery after winning the Australian Open. Indian Wells begins next week, and had she played, it would have been Barty’s first

12:49 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN PHILADELPHIA — After a third straight sterling performance in a 76ers uniform — but a first in front of the fans here inside Wells Fargo Center — James Harden declared Philadelphia feels like home. “Just exciting,” Harden said after finishing with 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in Philadelphia’s

3:37 PM ET INDIANAPOLIS — Houston Texans coach Lovie Smith said he has “no idea” if quarterback Deshaun Watson will be on the team’s roster next season, but that he thinks both parties will eventually “benefit from the situation.” Watson, who requested a trade from the Texans in January 2021, faces 22 lawsuits alleging sexual