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Steve Kerr sends a clear message to Jordan Poole amid the Warriors drift

MINEAPOLIS – Jordan Poole was a big reason for the Warriors to open this season as a burning house. The three-year-old averaged 16.7 points per game in the first two months or more of the season, serving as a starting defender while Clay Thompson completed his rehabilitation for Achilles.

Poole was electric for the first 28 games of the season. He threatened the Warriors with a hit to Curry and provided the much-needed offensive pop leading the second division of Golden State. Thompson’s return sent Poole in the role of the sixth man, and the young guard’s game has since waned and flowed as he struggled to find a solid foundation.

It is no coincidence that the decline in Poole’s game is combined with the Warriors’ skating in 2022 (14-11 in their last 25 games), culminating in a rotten February in which he shot 41.1 percent of the field and 25, 9 percent of depth. He was not so aggressive in attack or so vigilant in defense. During the Warriors’ 107-101 loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday, Poole scored just four points and went 0-for-7 off the field.

With 21 games left, the Warriors know they need the best from Poole to reappear. Coach Steve Kerr is convinced it will happen.

“He had a great year,” Kerr said Tuesday before the Warriors’ game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. “It simply came to our notice then. He had a hard night. I could have done a better job of trying to help him find a rhythm. I probably didn’t play it enough in the first half. These matches, they all matter, but they are 82. So never worry too much about a match with any of them. I look at the big picture and the big picture is that Jordan had a fantastic year and we have a lot of faith in him.

“He had a great year and was a big reason for our success,” Kerr continued. “He is only in his third year. He still has a lot of growth to do, which is exciting. It just has to keep working. He is one of our most diligent workers and he has a great approach and a really bright future, so it’s exciting. “

After losing to Mavericks, Steph Curry said Poole needed to stay “engaged” and be more “flexible” for the Warriors to get the most out of him during the stretch.

RELATED: The recent Warriors slide reveals weaknesses

It is clear that the inconsistent role has affected Poole’s game.

As a starter this season, Poole averaged 18.3 points per game, shooting 43.1 percent of the field and 34.9 of 3. As a reserve, Poole scored just 12.2 points per game while shooting 44.4 percent of the game. terrain and 29.3 from a distance.

With Thompson out due to illness, it may seem logical for Kerr to put Poole back in the starting lineup against a Timberwolves team that plays a weak defender in D’Angelo Russell to regain confidence.

But instead, Kerr chose to start rookie Moses Moody for a second straight game. Kerr cited Minnesota’s ability to hit the offensive glass and Otto Porter’s minute limits as reasons for starting the bigger Moody on Tuesday.

But the message was clear: Warriors need Poole to understand how to thrive in the role Warriors need him to do when the lights are brightest. Finding this begins now.

“That’s what he’ll do when we’re in full force,” Kerr said, “and he may be comfortable with that.”

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21:36 ET

Alex PhilipESPN

CloseCovers women’s college basketball and the WNBA

He previously covered UConn and the WNBA Connecticut Sun for Hartford Courant

A Stanford graduate and born in Baltimore with additional experience in the Dallas Morning News, Seattle Times and Cincinnati Inquirer

New York Liberty has been fined $ 500,000 for charter flights to the second half of the WNBA season and other league violations, including an unauthorized team trip to Napa, California, a source told ESPN on Tuesday.

The flights were purchased by team owners Joe Tsai, co-founder of Chinese technology company Alibaba Group, and his wife Clara, who bought Liberty and Brooklyn Nets from the NBA in 2019.

The news was first announced by Sports Illustrated.

Tsai has publicly campaigned for better travel accommodation for WNBA players, tweeting in October that he is working with WNBA Commissioner Katie Engelbert and airlines to find a charter sponsor.

Charter is not usually allowed in the WNBA for fear of creating a competitive advantage for teams whose owners can afford to fund such expensive agreements. Engelbert told the media last month that while he supported the idea of ​​hiring teams, the league needed to experience more financial growth to cover these costs.

While Tsai worked to find a solution for all the franchises, last season the WNBA discovered that he was secretly renting flights to Liberty. At the time, Liberty players openly posted on social media about the team’s trip to Napa over Labor Day weekend. Sports Illustrated also announced that the WNBA Board of Directors had rejected an “unofficial proposal” led by Liberty in which the league would compete for three years of charter flights.

A WNBA spokesman denied on Tuesday that something specific had been presented.

“At no time has there been a proposal from the New York Liberty WNBA Board of Governors to consider offering three-year charter flights to WNBA teams,” a spokesman told ESPN. “It was agreed that Liberty would explore the possibility of charter flights and present it on board. To date, this has not happened.

The WNBA occasionally intervenes to pay for post-season travel in multiple time zones, including the latest for Chicago Sky and Phoenix Mercury between Games 2 and 3 of the 2021 finals.

Sports Illustrated also reported that the league’s top adviser offered a number of harsh penalties for Liberty, including “losing” every draft choice you’ve ever seen “to a suspension of ownership, even” grounds to terminate the franchise “. Engelbert said during a conversation on the board of governors that she “made a deal with Joe” to reduce the fine from $ 1 million to $ 500,000.

Commercial travel for WNBA teams – provided for in the league’s collective agreement with the players’ union – has been a major ignition point for the league in recent years, as players have drawn attention to tight, awkward places during flights and travel troubles that have even led to until the cancellation of games.

The news of the fine caused excitement on social media from both players and fans.

“What a joke,” Liberty’s franchise player Sabrina Ionescu wrote on Twitter in response to the league’s behavior with the situation.

The WNBA Players’ Association tweeted: “The fining of teams for justice, the defense of players, is reminiscent of a league that fines players for social justice.”

ESPN’s Ramona Shelburn contributed to this report.

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Houston Dynamo acquired Mexican national Hector Herrera from Atletico Madrid

Houston Dynamo has acquired international midfielder Atletico Madrid and Mexico’s Hector Herrera on a deal for a certain player, ESPN sources confirmed.

The 31-year-old Herrera will join Houston on a free transfer when his contract with Atletico expires in the summer.

– ESPN + MLS: Broadcast LIVE, replays (US only)

TUDN was the first to announce that a deal between Dynamo and Herrera had been agreed.

This move represents the second massive acquisition of General Manager Pat Onstad’s term. Earlier this year, thanks to the deep pockets of new owner Ted Segal, Onstad signed Libertad striker Sebastian Ferreira. In Herrera, Houston has already made a good acquaintance El Tri a player in a city with deep ties to Mexico, which should lead to a significant increase in interest in the club.

Herrera’s contribution on the field must also be huge, providing experience and composure on the ball to the young team of Houston.

Herrera broke into the professional ranks in 2010 with Pachuca of the MX League and continued 55 games in the league and cup, scoring two goals. He was soon targeted in Europe, signing with Portuguese giants Porto in 2013 for a fee of almost $ 9 million. He continued to be a support for the Dragons, making 245 games in the league and cup, scoring 35 goals, while helping Porto for the 2017-18 Premier League title.

After six seasons with Porto, Herrera moved to La Liga with Atletico, where he played 71 games in the league and the cup, scoring one goal. His contribution helped Athletes win the crown in La Liga 2020-21.

At the international level, Herrera is a constant presence for Mexico, making 96 games and scoring 10 goals. He was part of the team that won an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games and competed in the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.

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FIFA’s legal grounds against Russia

FIFA’s outstanding decision to ban Russian teams from international football, and especially from the World Cup, is currently contained in a four-sentence press release and nowhere else.

This was done by the Bureau of the FIFA Council, a body of seven people authorized to take urgent action such as that in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But his brevity left more questions than answers and made him vulnerable to opposition. The Russian Football Union said on Monday it was a “reserve[s] the right to challenge the decision … in accordance with international sports law. “RFU, which governs football in Russia, can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which can overturn the removal.

FIFA staff are aware of this possibility. Earlier, the RFU said it “sees no legal grounds to cancel” Russia’s playoff match on March 24 against Poland in the World Cup qualifiers. Many legal experts have told Yahoo Sports that there is no obvious regulatory framework for a total ban. They noted that the FIFA statement did not refer to a specific status or precedent.

“FIFA has been left wide open to come up with a justification later,” said Steve Bank, a UCLA professor who teaches international sports law.

Instead, FIFA seems to have responded to growing pressure from potential Russian opponents, the recommendations of the International Olympic Committee and the international community, which was expecting to take a stand.

This position is widely praised, but in order to defend it in court, FIFA may have to recognize what the position really is: exercising political discretion, which changes FIFA’s long-standing commitment to political neutrality.

What is FIFA’s strongest legal argument for banning Russia?

FIFA’s statutes are 92 pages long and do not explicitly give it the power to punish teams for unsportsmanlike conduct by their national governments. In fact, the regulations state that “FIFA remains neutral in matters of politics and religion.” Legal experts believe that the RFU will cite these statutes at the CAS hearing and argue that a war for which it is not responsible should not be a reason to stop.

The story continues

Article 16 of FIFA gives the FIFA Council the power to “temporarily suspend with immediate effect a member association which is in serious breach of its obligations”, but the RFU will claim that it, as a football federation, has not breached any obligations. In addition, FIFA’s ban was aimed at “all Russian teams” and not at the federation itself, which is an indication that Article 16 will not provide a legal basis.

The Bank and others believe that the most applicable statute is Article 3, which since 2016 states that “FIFA is committed to respecting all internationally recognized human rights and will seek to promote the protection of those rights.” FIFA, the Bank said, could argue that sanctioning Russia is in line with its commitment to promoting human rights, such as freedom and peace.

Gianni Infantino and FIFA have decided to remove Russia from the World Cup. They may soon have to defend it by law. (Photo by Alexei Nikolsky \ TASS via Getty Images)

In a vacuum, this is a logical argument. But as the Bank points out, “I think people would probably say it’s hypocritical.” They would point to any number of human rights violations that FIFA not only failed to address, but implicitly helped. They would cite the 2018 and 2022 Men’s World Cups in Russia and Qatar as events that clear the image of regimes accused of countless violations.

Some cite other wars, such as the Syrian civil war or the United States invasion of Iraq, which have been internationally condemned but never addressed by FIFA.

However, it seems unlikely that this will remain in court, Bank said. He pointed to the 2018 CAS decision, which, while not analogous, is the closest thing to existing precedent. The Palestinian Football Federation has challenged FIFA over its refusal to act on the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. In rejecting the Palestinian complaint, the CAS Commission referred to the “discretion” of the FIFA Council, essentially acknowledging that FIFA rules give it wide discretion to choose which problems to solve and which to ignore.

Why FIFA’s past hypocrisy may not matter

It is clear that last week FIFA exercised this assessment. FIFA President Gianni Infantino described being “shocked” last Thursday when he woke up and learned that an invasion was under way. He and the FIFA Council, a representative body comprising officials from all six football confederations, decided that this was a war that should be “very worrying” and a war that deserved to be condemned, while others were not. They chose to punish Russia and side with Ukraine in a dispute that Western democracies largely see as a war for no legitimate reason, but which Russian President Vladimir Putin justified as self-defense against NATO enlargement and baseless allegations of ” genocide ”in Ukraine.

RFU, legal experts say, may argue that these are political decisions caused by political pressure, which FIFA’s statutes do not allow.

So FIFA, in essence, should argue that it has broad powers to exercise political discretion and take influential action, an argument that has long been made by almost everyone except FIFA.

Some sports officials have broken the character to succeed this week. Announcing a ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe acknowledged that sanctions “seem to be the only peaceful way to disrupt and deactivate Russia’s current intentions and restore peace.” He said “sport needs to be stepped up and joined in these efforts” and that, although he usually opposes the politicization of sport, “it’s different”.

FIFA officials have not yet made this argument public, but the Bank believes they could. The CAS will not rule on morality or hypocrisy, but only on whether FIFA has complied with applicable laws and its own rules. These rules seem to allow officials to make moral judgments. Logical arguments, as opposed to legalistic ones, could prevail.

FIFA can justify that its member associations – including those that have refused to play with Russia – have got their hands on it; and that it simply follows the recommendations of the IOC.

It can be argued that this is not a specific article or statute; it is a war that has already killed hundreds and is at odds with the ideals that FIFA claims to represent.

FIFA’s legal grounds against Russia Read More »

3 teams that need a quarterback are unlikely to exchange with Jimmy Garopolo of the 49ers

Jeff Hanish-USA TODAY Sports

On Tuesday, Adam Schefter announced that San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garopolo was receiving significant interest ahead of the NFL Combine, despite the fact that he will need shoulder injury surgery against Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs in the past. season.Earlier today, I wrote about five “realistic” destinations that the quarterback veteran may land in 2022. But along with these teams, there are several teams that can be considered “in need” but should not be considered realistic. commercial candidates for Garopolo.

3. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are looking to move on from Carson Wentz as the league-wide expectations are that the former Eagles quarterback will be changed or laid off before his entire contract is guaranteed on March 18th.However, after trading a significant project capital to acquire Wentz, a first-round player and a third-round player last offseason, and failing to see the desired performance, Indianapolis will be less inclined to pursue a quarterback in a similar situation.

In addition, Wentz objectively had a very similar statistical season to Garoppolo, throwing 3562 yards while maintaining a touchdown to 27: 7 grip ratio, although he completed only 62.4% of his passes.

For reference, Garopolo threw 3,810 yards, 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, while completing 68.3% of his passes in the friendly attack on San Francisco.

Wenz has $ 28.2 million for 2022, while switching from it would cost the Colts $ 15 million in dead money, according to Spotrac. Jimmy Garopolo has a record $ 26.9 million for 2022.

It doesn’t make sense for the Colts to switch from Wentz for minimal compensation, just to trade more project capital to acquire another medium-sized quarterback with a big contract after their initial experiment failed.

2. Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles have qualified for the playoffs as seventh placed in Jalen Hearts’ first full year as starters, interfering as Wild Card’s second-team with the 49ers before losing 31-15 to the Tampa Bay Buchanaries in the first round.While earlier this off-season there were reports that the Eagles were interested in Garopolo, the idea of ​​trading for an older, more expensive option seems unrealistic, especially given that Philadelphia is using a second-round pick to draw Hearts as his future position.

Hearts threw for 3,144 yards, 16 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while completing 61.3% of his passes in 2021.

Pairing Hurts with a stronger group of receivers can improve its accuracy problems. However, if the Eagles exchange for Garoppolo, they will lose valuable draft capital, which could improve their offensive arsenal along with Devonta Smith, although they currently have three choices in the first round.

Was Hurts objectively better than Garopolo in 2021? No. But it provides more benefits at an astronomically lower cost, allowing the Eagles, who are the first strikers, to build a competent list around the quarterback.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Regarding Buccaneers, schematically, it just doesn’t make sense. Throughout the Bruce Alliance era, he preferred quarterbacks with the ability to throw down the field. Back in Indianapolis, he had Andrew Luck. During his days in Arizona, he had Carson Palmer. And since he was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buchanaries, he has had James Winston and Tom Brady.What do all these quarterbacks have in common? Tendency to throw the ball down the field. Brady led the Air Yards League with 9.1 experience in 2020 until finishing in the top ten for 2021. In 2019, during his first year at Arians as head coach of Tampa Bay, Winston was second in NFL Air Yards Experience 10.4.

Jimmy Garopolo does not meet this bill, preferring to focus on the short and intermediate zones of the field, as evidenced by his 7.5 air yards of experience, which ranked 22nd in the NFL in 2021.

In 2019, during Jimmy Garopolo’s second full campaign as an NFL starting quarterback, that number was even worse as the veteran threw 6.5 air yards of experience, which was the penultimate in the NFL.

Stylistically, Garoppolo doesn’t fit well with the Buccaneers, let alone their hat situation, as they have to retain a number of key figures such as star successor Chris Godwin.

Financially and schematically, Garopolo makes no sense in the Bruce Alliance system.

The opinions in this article are those of the author and, although equally important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.

Last week, Benjamin Albright of KOA Radio announced that former Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio is meeting with the San Francisco 49ers and may want to take on a consulting role on the team. “Vic Fangio was in San Francisco today talking to [general manager] John Lynch there, “Albright said.” I don’t think he accepts [defensive coordinator] work there. This is DeMeco Ryan. But he can consult [a] Albright noted that Fangio has offers for the NFL and is still being paid by the Broncos, which allows him to delay things or step back for a year. On Thursday, Matt Mayoko

What will be the commercial market for Jimmy Garopolo? Will the San Francisco 49ers have to settle for a mid-round pick after exchanging a pick in the second quarterback quarterback in 2017? Or will teams in need of a quarterback despair and spend too much on Garopolo thanks to the unimpressive entry-level quarterback of the rookies? Jim Trotter of the NFL Network says the 49ers have not made a final decision on Garopolo’s future. Most, however, expect the team to officially move from Garopolo to last year’s No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance. “One thing they told me was why this relationship worked this year, which it really could have been

Don’t count Tim Kawakami of The Athletic among those who wildly predict that Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers will be in charge of the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. Instead, the longtime writer firmly believes that Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will stick to the plan when they swapped many drafts to move up and choose the No. 3 Trey Lance quarterback as their overall pick. This move started the countdown of Jimmy Garopolo’s time in the Gulf region. The quarterback veteran had to stay for a season at most, but Lance was the future. San Francisco is now expected to part with Garopolo, officially announcing that the Lance era is beginning now. The only real question is when Garoppolo will be sent by Santa Clara and to whom. Several items

Most expect Jimmy Garopolo to wear another uniform when the 2022 season begins. The San Francisco 49ers have last year’s No. 3 overall pick, Trey Lance, waiting on his wings. The move from Garopolo to Lance will create significant space for a salary cap – money that could be used to shut down stars like Nick Boza and Deebo Samuel. Not everyone is sure that Lance is ready to start and lead the attack on Kyle Shanahan. Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana said before the Super Bowl that he heard Lance was not ready to start, suggesting the 49ers were holding on to Garopolo. “I don’t think Trey is still ready to play, myself and after talking to some of them

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The Figure Skating Federation overtook the Russians weeks after the World Cup

“It’s just such a tragedy,” Victoria Petrenko said of the crisis in Ukraine, her voice choking with emotion. “He says he is trying to stay inside. For now everything is OK. I tried to get him to leave, but I don’t think the border situation is easy. I hope he can leave safely soon. “

Updated March 1, 2022, 8:38 pm ET

Asked to comment on the ban on Russian skaters, Galina Zmievskaya, a native of Ukraine and former coach of Petrenko, who now teaches at the Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey, said in a statement: “It’s bigger than figure skating right now. We see a country being destroyed and innocent lives in danger every second.

Zmievskaya, who also coached Oksana Bayul from Ukraine until the 1994 Olympic gold medal, added: “We are all deeply saddened and have no words to see this tragedy unfold. The most important thing we are thinking about right now is to help the people of this beautiful country and to achieve peace. “

The ban on Russian skaters came a day after athletes from the country were banned from competing in international football and hockey competitions. The International Olympic Committee has demanded that all sports governing bodies not invite or allow Russian athletes to compete.

The war between Russia and Ukraine: key things you need to know


Map 1 of 4Russian convoy. Satellite images show a Russian military convoy stretching 40 miles north of Kyiv, with burning homes and buildings nearby. Experts fear the convoy could be used to encircle and cut off the capital or to carry out a full-scale attack.

Migration wave. At least 660,000 people, most of them women and children, have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, according to the UN refugee agency. This is the most intense wave of European migration since at least the 1990s.

Tom Zakrajsek, an American figure skating coach, said in a text message that the sanction against Russian skaters “seems perfectly appropriate.” He continued: “Logically, I don’t think they could have made another choice.”

The ban, imposed by the International Skating Union, came despite the fact that its vice-president, Alexander Lakernik of Russia, is a powerful figure on the governing body. In short, Lakernick said he could not comment, given his position in the organization.

Tamara Moskvina, a couples coach whose skaters won Olympic medals from 1984 to 2022, skewedly criticized the ban in a telephone interview from St. Petersburg, Russia, saying: “Read the ISU Code of Ethics, which states that ISU cannot take into account differences in race, politics, religion, etc., and then you will know whether the “ban” coincides with the measures taken by ISU or not.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers are receiving good news about the return of Stephen Tweet

The Pittsburgh Steelers have several questionnaires that focus on the year of the league 2022, which should begin on March 16. Of these, the future of Stephon Tuitt and his team may be at the top or near the top of the organization.

Throughout the 2021 season, Tweet’s injury / problems were kept behind closed doors. Even now, just weeks after the league’s new year, his future remains a cloud hovering over the organization. If Tweet manages to return to the team and play at the level he did in 2020, it will be a huge boost for the team and will change its needs out of season. However, if Tweet is unable to play, withdraw or be released, there will be a gaping hole in the line of defense that will need to be filled.

Just last week, General Manager (GM) Kevin Colbert spoke to the media and was the mother of Tweet’s future. He said he was hopeful, but nothing specific for fans who have a good sense of moving forward.

However, that tune changed a little when Colbert spoke with Dale Loli of Steelers Nation Radio (SNR) and said that the team had not only spoken to Tweet, but how Tweet was “excited” and interested in playing again in 2022.

I asked Kevin Colbert about Stephon Tuitt. He said Tweet was interested in playing football in 2022. He said he was “excited”. There will be more @DKPghSports

– Dale Loli (@dlolley_pgh) March 1, 2022

The fact that Tweet has expressed an interest in playing is a huge step in the right direction, and if he is “excited” and motivated, it should be an even bigger boost for the Steelers, who are moving forward.

Tuitt struggled with a knee injury last season, as well as the tragic loss of his brother. On my Monday Let’s ride podcast, Christopher Carter from Locked on Steelers talks about how the deaths of his brother and sister changed the whole dynamic of Tweet’s off-season, including pushing him to take care of his knee and ultimately threatening his 2021 season.

You can hear Carter’s place in the second half podcast in the player below:

The hope is that Tweet will be able to return and return to the game at a high level. Although nothing is written in stone yet, this should be seen as positive news for the Steelers and their huge fan base.

Be sure to follow the BTSC for the latest news and notes around the Steelers as you prepare for the new year of the NFL 2022 League and Draft.

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Jorge Masvidal: Colby Covington will be “my crotch all night” at UFC 272, Covington says

Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington probably made a preview of their performances during UFC 272 promotion week, arguing constantly during an ESPN interview with Stephen A. Smith.

As Smith noted before releasing the tape to the pre-recorded location, “interview” was a generous term for what was ultimately interrupted by a stream of threats and insults as Masvidal and Covington talked to each other.

Masvidal told his former roommate and rival that “you will be in the emergency room in critical condition” two days after the event with paid viewing on Saturday in Las Vegas. He predicts that Covington “will suffocate my crotch all night” to avoid a fistfight.

Covington, meanwhile, told Smith, “I don’t want to knock him out. I’ll hurt him so bad you won’t be the same person after I’m done with you. I guarantee you will fall into a coma, s * ko. ”

Covington went back to the history of Masvidal’s battles, citing the losses of rivals Toby Imada, Gilbert Melendez and Al Yakinta. He declared himself “I am a fighter № 1 pound for a pound in the world”, which made Masvidal laugh out loud.

“Usman just killed you, stupid grandfather,” Masvidal shouted.

“Are you still sleeping?” Covington replied.

Leaving aside the death threats and insults, Masvidal and Smith tried to get Covington’s response to Masvidal’s claim that he broke their former mutual coach Paulino Hernandez by $ 12,500, forcing Masvidal to pay the bill before distancing himself from Ko. the audience to get lost.

Covington did not address the accusation directly, but said he had done nothing wrong to Hernandez.

“[American Top Team owner and former Covington manager] “Dan Lambert knows how much I paid,” Covington said. “The night I made that salary, I got half of what I said, the commission said I did twice as much as I said. I paid half that. Everything he says, he just talks and doesn’t walk. “

Earlier, Masvidal told ESPN that the non-payment stemmed from Covington’s winning battle against Rafael dos Agnos at UFC 225, which took place in Chicago. The Illinois Athletic Council does not publicly disclose fighter pay; Hernandez said MMA addict Covington received $ 350,000 and said he received $ 5,000, very little of the percentage he said was verbally agreed.

Smith asked Masvidal what would happen if he lost to Covington, who, like him, failed twice against current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

“I can’t – I will not lose this match,” Masvidal. “I will never lose from this fake bastard. It just won’t happen. But after I break his face, I will come back here and give you the exclusive interview and tell you a lot more nonsense about this man. “

“You can talk tonight,” Covington said. “We’ll see who speaks on March 5, only if you pay to watch.”

Jorge Masvidal: Colby Covington will be “my crotch all night” at UFC 272, Covington says Read More »