Sports
Alexander Volkanovski returns home to defend UFC title vs. Diego Lopes
Apr 12, 2025; Miami, Florida, UNITED STATES; Alexander Volkanovski (red gloves) reacts after defeating Diego Lopes (not pictured) during UFC 314 at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The UFC returns to Sydney on Saturday with a featherweight title rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes in the night’s main event from Qudos Bank Arena to top a 14-fight card.
Volkanovski (27-4 MMA, 14-3 UFC) is making his first defense of his title after regaining it last April against Lopes (27-7 MMA, 6-2 UFC) by unanimous decision at UFC 314 in Miami, Fla., in a vacant title fight. After Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) opted to move to lightweight last spring, it opened the door for Volkanovski vs. Lopes to happen to restart the championship cycle at 145 pounds.
Although the rematch has been met with select criticism in the MMA community, it doesn’t bother Volkanovski or Lopes that they are fighting once more. Speaking to reporters on Thursday in front of a primarily pro-Australian audience, Volkanovski said he expects the best version of Lopes regardless of circumstances.
“When you’ve got a guy like Diego Lopes, you know he’s going to bring it,” said Volkanovski, who will be fighting in his home country of Australia for the first time since February 2023 when he lost to Islam Makhachev at UFC 284. “He’s a gamer. He’s going to want to get in the face and make it a fight. So we’re going to have no choice but to fight. That’s the fight he brings, that’s why he’s so exciting and that’s why you are all going to have a great fight. Cannot wait. We’re going to put on a show for all of you.”
Lopes, who hails from Brazil, expects nothing less from Volkanovski, even agreeing to the idea the UFC may be interested in a trilogy fight with Volkanovski should he exact revenge.
“Oh yeah, I take this (possible trilogy fight) 100%,” said Lopes, 31. “Volkanovski is a legend in the sport, so, if the UFC says to me, ‘You need one more fight with Volk,’ I take this. The people know me, I accept (any fight) in my career. It’s like him, I never say no.”
UFC CEO Dana White was not present to confirm nor deny the possibility, but based on the energetic nature of the audience, it’s a fight series continuation that interests them, too.
But ultimately, Volkanovski wants to leave no questions unanswered.
“Very, very tough guy,” Volkanovski said. “You know he’s durable, he’s good at striking, he’s powerful, he’s good on the ground. But that’s when you got to use everything. I just think I’m too smart. The first fight obviously went my way. He will make adjustments, but I just don’t believe that that’s going to be enough.”
Volkanovski, 37, did clarify that any intention of retiring, at least for now, is off the table. He wants to keep going as long as he remains healthy.
“Obviously, I’ve got a tough challenge ahead of me, but I’m going to get my hand raised and then maybe a quick turnaround. Hopefully minimal damage so (I) can get right back in (the ring).”
For Lopes, though, this is a career-defining moment, and he recognizes that this may be his last chance for a good while.
“I’m so confident in myself, in my team, my training camp,” Lopes said. “I think we fixed things in the training camp. Fixed the mistakes in the first fight. I’m still young, I’m still learning a lot, I’m still learning every day. So I think this is sending me a lot of confidence to take the belt.”
Lopes earned the rematch with a TKO stoppage at a UFC Fight Night event last September against Jean Silva (17-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC).
In the co-main event, Dan Hooker of New Zealand, returning to the ring just over two months after he lost by second-round submission to Arman Tsarukyan, faces France’s Benoit Saint Denis in a lightweight bout.
Also on the main card of UFC 325, Rafael Fiziev of Azerbaijan faces Brazil’s Mauricio Ruffy in a lightweight fight, Australian heavyweight Tai Tuivasa will go up against Tallison Teixeira of Brazil and Quillan Salkilld will battle Jamie Mullarkey in an all-Australian lightweight bout to kick off the main card.
The main card gets underway at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, streaming on Paramount+ in the United States.
-Field Level Media
Sports
Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson to return vs. Iowa State
Feb 7, 2026; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson (22) shoots against Utah Utes forward Josh Hayes (7) during the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images After sitting out against the No. 1 team in the country, Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson will be back in time to face No. 5.
Kansas coach Bill Self told ESPN on Friday that Peterson was “good to go” when the ninth-ranked Jayhawks visit fifth-ranked Iowa State on Saturday.
Peterson sat out with flu-like symptoms on Monday when the Jayhawks hosted No. 1 Arizona. Kansas was able to win without him, handing the Wildcats their first loss of the season, 82-78.
Peterson is considered one of the frontrunners to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft this June, but he has played in just 13 of Kansas’ 24 games due to multiple ailments, including quad and hamstring injuries.
He has averaged 20.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 41.9% from the arc this year. Peterson had 16 points when Kansas took down Iowa State 84-63 back on Jan. 13, marking the Cyclones’ first loss of the season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Ilia Malinin making history with skating's first Olympic backflip in decades
Feb 10, 2026; Milan, Italy; Ilia Malinin of the United States of America competes in men’s singles short program during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Ice Skating Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images MILAN, Italy — When Ilia Malinin launched himself into a backflip at the Milan Cortina Olympics, it detonated through the crowd like a firecracker and even brought tennis great Novak Djokovic to his feet with his hands on his head in disbelief.
The 21-year-old double world champion landed the first legal Olympic backflip since American Terry Kubicka in 1976, when he helped clinch gold for the U.S. in the team event in Milan on Sunday.
The crowd will get another chance to see Malinin’s maneuver when he takes the ice for Friday’s men’s free program as the favorite for gold.
The backflip was banned for safety reasons after Kubicka did one at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics.
The maneuver became known as the “Bonaly flip” after Surya Bonaly of France famously thumbed her nose at the International Skating Union’s restrictive rules at the 1998 Nagano Olympics.
Bonaly had sustained a groin injury the day before the free program and knew her quest for a medal was over, and so defiantly unleashed the jump with a one-footed landing.
The ISU removed the somersault ban in June 2024, saying in their meeting agenda: “Somersault type jumps are very spectacular and nowadays it is not logical anymore to include them as illegal movements.”
AERIAL SHOWMANSHIP
Malinin, the self-named “Quad God,” has drawn global attention for his aerial showmanship. He became the first skater to land seven quadruple jumps in a program at the Grand Prix Final in December. He is also the first to land the quadruple Axel in competition, considered the toughest jump in the sport.
The backflip carries no set point value, but it can contribute to Malinin’s component score – known under the old judging system as “artistic impression”.
It also gets a bigger roar from the crowd than his more technically demanding jumps because it plays to pure spectacle in a way quads simply cannot.
“It gets that audience applause, feels really suspenseful and I really just like doing it,” Malinin said last season when he began doing the maneuver.
His programs also include one-handed cartwheels and a “raspberry twist,” another zero-points move in which his body, much like a break dancer’s, rotates in the air horizontally to the ice.
However, the young skater has so far resisted the temptation to land the first quadruple Axel on Olympic ice, saying he is choosing caution over showmanship.
“I’m hoping that I’ll feel good enough to do it (on Friday),” he told reporters on Tuesday. “But of course, I always prioritize health and safety, so I really want to put myself in the right mindset where I’ll feel really confident to go into it and not have that as something that I’m going to risk.”
Malinin takes a score of 108.16 from the short program into Friday’s free skate. Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama is second on 103.07, Adam Siao Him Fa of France is third (102.55).
–Reuters, special to Field Level Media
Sports
NBA suspends Suns F Dillon Brooks 1 game after 16th technical foul
Jan 2, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) reacts after being issued a technical foul during the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images The NBA suspended Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks on Thursday for one game without pay after he received his 16th technical foul this season.
A player or coach is automatically suspended without pay for one game after a 16th technical foul in the regular season, per league rules. Every additional two technical fouls during that season results in the player or coach suspended without pay for another game.
Brooks, 30, was whistled for a personal foul and then a technical with 6:37 remaining in the second quarter of the Suns’ 136-109 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.
He will serve the suspension after the All-Star break on Feb. 19 when Phoenix visits the San Antonio Spurs. He previously served one-game suspensions in May 2022, February 2023m, March 2023 (twice) and April 2025.
Brooks is in his first season with Phoenix and is averaging a career-high 21.2 points and career-high-tying 3.7 rebounds as well as 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 31.1 minutes in 49 games (all starts).
For his career, Brooks is averaging 14.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 29.6 minutes in 541 regular-season games (514 starts) for the Memphis Grizzlies (2017-23), Houston Rockets (2023-25) and Suns.
He was All-NBA Defensive second team with the Grizzlies in 2022-23.
Houston selected Brooks in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft out of Oregon and traded him the same day to Memphis for a second-round pick that became guard De’Anthony Melton.
–Field Level Media
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