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Boxing & MMA
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Snubbing 'Cyborg' raises questions about UFC's creation of new women's featherweight division
The UFC created a new women’s featherweight division Tuesday, but failed to find a way to place its arguably best female fighter in the first title contest. Instead of Orange County trained Brazilian Cris “Cyborg” Santos, the UFC’s new 145-pound division will debut with a Feb. 11 title fight in...
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Bernard Hopkins' goodbye bout at the Forum on Saturday deserves appreciation
Boxing’s final major card of the year arrives Saturday at the Forum, headlined by a 51-year-old man. Bernard Hopkins, who accomplished both a record 20-title-fight reign as middleweight champion and broke George Foreman’s record as oldest-ever world champion, has said he’ll retire following his...
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LeBron James, HBO begin production on new Muhammad Ali documentary
LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment will begin production on a multi-part HBO documentary on the life of Muhammad Ali, the premium network and the NBA champion announced Monday. Director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day,” “The Magnificent Seven”) will also serve as executive producer of a documentary...
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WBC chooses Francisco Vargas-Orlando Salido bout as its fight of the year
In a likely precursor to the official fight-of-the-year award, the World Boxing Council on Monday announced the June 4 Francisco Vargas-Orlando Salido draw at StubHub Center as the sanctioning body’s fight of the year. The award, sponsored by Tecate, is to be presented later in the day at the WBC...
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Showtime's Stephen Espinoza says his network has surpassed HBO as boxing's market leader
Within a stretch of four hours Saturday night, Showtime executive vice president Stephen Espinoza witnessed pieces of his vision fall remarkably into place. First, in England, unbeaten heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, who’s last three fights have been brought to U.S. televisions by Showtime,...
College Basketball
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Holiday shines in sixth-man role with Bruins
Officially, he is UCLA’s sixth man. Coach Steve Alford calls him the sixth starter because he plays so many minutes. Whatever he goes by, Aaron Holiday seems to have a sixth sense about what his team needs. The sophomore point guard provided tenacious defense and savvy shot-making with Lonzo Ball...
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College basketball roundup: Gamecocks fall from unbeaten ranks
Desi Rodriguez made a tiebreaking a layup with 11.6 seconds left, lifting Seton Hall over No. 16 South Carolina, 67-64, in the Under Armour Reunion at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. The Pirates went ahead when Rodriguez took an inbound pass from Khadeen Carrington and drove along the baseline...
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USC dominates Pepperdine from the start to improve to 9-0
On they roll, the other high-flying, high-scoring, undefeated college basketball team in Los Angeles. The one yet to crack the polls. USC continued to do Sunday what it has throughout this early season, dispatching Pepperdine with ease, 93-67, at the Galen Center to push its record to 9-0. It’s...
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College basketball: Florida State upends No. 21 Florida
Dwayne Bacon scored 24 points, Terrence Mann added 16 and Florida State held on to beat Florida, 83-79, on Sunday in Tallahassee. Bacon scored nine points during a 15-4 run early in the second half that helped the Seminoles (10-1) take control after it was tied at 38. Florida State led by 13...
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No. 2 UCLA makes Pauley Pavilion the place to be again
Bryce Alford stuck his right hand high into the air and curled his fingers to the roaring crowd. Higher … higher … Alford kept his hand raised, kept his fingers wagging, and the sound stretched and expanded and filled new Pauley Pavilion with age-old echoes. Higher … higher … On a throwback...
College Football
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USC's probable backup quarterback is a little green: Jalen Greene
The football squeaked out of Jalen Greene’s white-gloved left hand during USC’s practice Tuesday and shot forth like a dart, spinning counterclockwise. A USC receiver was too close. He swayed his head back like a boxer dodging a left cross and let the ball whiz past his hands. USC’s receivers have...
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Wake Forest fires radio analyst for attempting to leak game plans
Wake Forest on Tuesday night fired a former assistant coach-turned-broadcaster who the school says attempted to leak football game plans to opponents for three years. The school announced the findings of a nearly monthlong internal investigation that started after documents related to the team's...
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Hey, college football fans, we've got your must-watch bowl matchups (plus some you can probably skip)
No one is really claiming — nor should they — that the Rose Bowl got the best two teams in the nation this holiday season. But with No. 9 USC facing No. 5 Penn State on Jan. 2, the “Granddaddy of Them All” might just have the best matchup. Certainly no other bowl game offers a couple of major programs...
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Lane Kiffin is 'humbled' to be the new football coach at Florida Atlantic
Florida Atlantic isn’t nearly as flashy as the previous jobs on Lane Kiffin’s coaching resume. It isn’t USC or Tennessee. It isn’t the Oakland Raiders. But on Tuesday morning, Kiffin expressed gratitude for being named the new head coach at the Boca Raton school, whose football program has seen...
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Lane Kiffin reportedly accepts head coaching job at Florida Atlantic
Three years after USC fired him — at the airport, in the middle of the night — Lane Kiffin has made his way back to the head coaching ranks. Kiffin came to terms with Florida Atlantic on Monday, taking over a beleaguered football program that has won all of nine games in the past three seasons....
Soccer
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Having a new coach won't make the Galaxy more attractive to soccer fans
The Galaxy have always been bold. When every other franchise in Major League Soccer was a tenant, the Galaxy built a stadium. When the league had a shortage of high-profile players, the team signed David Beckham. This was the club of Landon Donovan and Robbie Keane, of Cobi Jones and Jorge Campos....
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Galaxy select Curt Onalfo as new coach to replace Bruce Arena
When Curt Onalfo joined Bruce Arena on the Galaxy coaching staff five years ago, the goal was to learn as much as possible from the man many considered to be the best coach in U.S. Soccer. Turns out he got a lot more than that, with the Galaxy choosing Onalfo to succeed Arena as head coach of Major...
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Christiano Ronaldo wins again
After giving a European Championship title to Portugal and another Champions League trophy to Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo ends 2016 with something just for himself: his fourth world player of the year award. Ronaldo won his third Ballon d'Or award, which this year is being handed out by France...
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Galaxy taking a new approach to team-building in busy off-season
You couldn’t blame Galaxy President Chris Klein if he felt abandoned as he prepared for the busiest stretch of the MLS off-season this week. Last month, Bruce Arena, the team’s coach and general manager, left for the U.S. national team. Days earlier, the Galaxy parted company with captain Robbie...
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Sounders win their first MLS Cup by defeating Toronto in shootout
Roman Torres scored in the sixth round of penalty kicks to give the Seattle Sounders their first MLS Cup title, 5-4 over Toronto FC after 120 scoreless minutes Saturday night. It was the first MLS Cup final to fail to produce a goal in regulation, setting the stage for a dramatic tiebreaker. ...
Golf
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Tiger Woods to play in L.A. Tour stop for the first time since 2006
There seems to be one sure way to get Tiger Woods to play in your tournament — let his company run it. In a move as expected as the large crowds that will follow him, Woods announced Tuesday that he has committed to play in the Genesis Open, more familiarly called the L.A. Open, Feb. 13-19 at Riviera...
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Hideki Matsuyama shakes off some nerves to win Tiger's Hero World Challenge
Hideki Matsuyama was only 5 when he first saw Tiger Woods, watching on videotape that 1997 Masters victory. Even sweeter was standing next to Woods in his Sunday red shirt to receive yet another trophy. Right now, the Japanese star can't seem to lose. The return of Tiger Woods ended with Matsuyama...
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While Tiger Woods falters, Hideki Matsuyama surges to big lead at Hero World Challenge
Tiger Woods started with brief run at the lead. Hideki Matsuyama ended Saturday on his way to another victory. Matsuyama, a winner in three of his last four tournaments, holed out for eagle on the front nine and kept his mistakes to a minimum for a seven-under-par 65 to build a seven-shot lead...
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Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama tied for lead at Hero World Challenge
Dustin Johnson wasn't even expecting to be in the Bahamas for the Hero World Challenge. He was tied for the lead Friday with Hideki Matsuyama, who has reason to expect being at the top of any tournament he plays. Six shots behind was Tiger Woods, who shot a seven-under 65. Johnson ran off three...
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Tiger Woods avoids mistakes and posts a 65 in his second round back
Tiger Woods saved par from the dunes with a shot so good that two spectators ran over and scooped up sand for a souvenir. It also served as motivation Friday at the Hero World Challenge in Albany, the Bahamas. The tee shot on the par-3 eighth that landed next to a bush was so bad that Woods said...
Tennis
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Argentina wins first Davis Cup title with comeback victory over Croatia
Argentina won its first Davis Cup title on Sunday when Federico Delbonis swept past Ivo Karlovic in straight sets to complete a stunning 3-2 comeback win over Croatia. Delbonis dropped to the ground after his 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 victory. His teammates fell into each other's arms and celebrated in front...
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Croatia takes 2-1 lead over Argentina in Davis Cup final
Argentina's longtime hopes of clinching its first Davis Cup title took a blow after a doubles loss against Croatia on Saturday. Marin Cilic and Ivan Dodig swept past Juan Martin del Potro and Leonardo Mayer, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4), 6-3, to give Croatia a 2-1 lead over Argentina in the Davis Cup final. ...
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Andy Murray secures No. 1 ranking by beating Novak Djokovic in ATP Finals
Without a doubt, Andy Murray will be the No. 1 player in the world for the rest of the year. The Wimbledon champion needed to win the final match of the season to ensure his place at the top. And he did it, rather easily. Murray beat Novak Djokovic, 6-3, 6-4, on Sunday to earn his first title...
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Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic to play for No. 1 ranking in ATP Finals
Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic set up a Sunday shootout for both the ATP finals title and the year-end No. 1 ranking. The world's top two players had contrasting wins in the semifinals at O2 Arena on Saturday, with Murray surviving a match point to beat Milos Raonic, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (9) in 3...
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Andy Murray joins Novak Djokovic in semifinals of ATP Finals
Andy Murray kept hold of the No. 1 ranking for at least another day. The Wimbledon champion qualified for the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals on Friday by beating Stan Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-2. Murray, who needs to do better than Novak Djokovic this weekend to finish the season as the top-ranked...