2+ week, 3+ day ago (135+ words) Sports presenter David Alorka, former GB badminton player Gail Emms, sports journalist Thom Gibbs, and comedian Shane Todd join Rick Edwards for an hour of sporting punditry, humour and entertainment. David Alorka, Gail Emms, Shane Todd, Thom Gibbs Available for 29 days Sports presenter David Alorka, former GB badminton player Gail Emms, sports journalist Thom Gibbs, and comedian Shane Todd join Rick Edwards for an hour of sporting punditry, humour and entertainment. Points are awarded for informed comment, wit and passion, but taken away for nonsense and answers lacking in conviction. In the final round, the top two points scorers go head-to-head in 'Defend the Indefensible' where they must both defend a statement however ludicrous or distasteful for twenty seconds. There can only be one winner! Listen to the podcast on BBC Sounds...

4+ day, 18+ hour ago (530+ words) Known as the billion-dollar baby after turning professional at 18, boxer Fran Hennessy remains unbeaten as she trains to fight Fabiana Bytyqi. Hennessy faces the former world champion on the undercard of British heavyweight title fight between Frazer Clarke and Jeamie Tshikeva on Saturday " boxing's return to primetime on the BBC for the first time in 20 years. Growing up in Sevenoaks, Kent, Hennessy said she struggled at school due to having dyslexia and was, in her own words, "overweight". "It's a full circle moment for me " on the BBC, primetime, it's what dreams are made of. But I know I'm made for this stage and I'm here to entertain," she said. A video documenting her journey from a child who struggled to skip to a professional boxer has been viewed 1.2 million times on Instagram. "When I saw that video, I was…...

1+ day, 7+ hour ago (421+ words) Oleksandr Usyk (left) has won all 24 pro bouts and Wilder has won 44, lost four and drawn one Unified heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Usyk has named Deontay Wilder as the "first option" for his next fight. The Ukrainian stopped Londoner Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium in July to become a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion. Usyk, 38, then vacated his WBO belt, with Britain's Fabio Wardley upgraded from 'interim' to full champion. "I continue fighting next year. I want to fight Deontay Wilder. I think it's interesting," he told Boxing King Media. Wilder, a former WBC world champion and once the division's most feared puncher, has struggled since his trilogy with Tyson Fury. The American's stock plummeted after back-to-back stoppage defeats by Joseph Parker in 2023 and Zhilei Zhang in 2024. After more than a year out, Wilder, 40, returned in June with a low-key seventh-round…...

2+ day, 6+ hour ago (427+ words) Tom Aspinall has lost just three of his 19 UFC bouts Tom Aspinall has been diagnosed with a rare condition in both eyes and is not yet clear to return to action - more than a month after sustaining the injury during his heavyweight title defence at UFC 321. French opponent Ciryl Gane accidentally poked the Briton in both eyes while attempting a punch late in the first round of their bout in Abu Dhabi on 25 October. Aspinall, 32, was unable to continue and retained his belt as the fight was waved off as a no-contest. A medical report, posted by Aspinall on his Instagram account, external, shows he has been diagnosed with "significant traumatic bilateral Brown's syndrome" and still suffering from "persistent" double vision. Brown's syndrome is a condition, external where the eye cannot move upwards, particularly when looking inward. He also has…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (422+ words) Caoimhin Agyarko and Brandon Adams have until 5 December to reach an agreement Belfast's Caoimhin Agyarko is set to face Brandon Adams in a final eliminator for the IBF light-middleweight title. The belt is currently held by Russia's Bakhram Murtazaliev who defends against England's Josh Kelly in Newcastle on 31 January. With the number one and number two positions in the IBF rankings currently vacant, Agyarko and Adams - the next highest-ranked contenders available - will fight to determine who becomes the mandatory challenger. It is understood negotiations had already begun for a fight between the pair prior to the IBF's ruling and it is possible a deal on the date and venue could be concluded prior to a purse bid being ordered, with a deadline of 5 December given. "Please be advised that number six ranked Brandon Adams and number eight Caoimhin Agyarko are…...

5+ day, 23+ hour ago (724+ words) Frazer Clarke (left) has won nine of his 11 professional bouts and Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva eight of 10 Heavyweight Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva said Frazer Clarke is "fighting for his career", while Clarke questioned TKV's previous injury as they bickered at a tense news conference. They will contest the vacant British heavyweight title at Derby's Valliant Arena on Saturday, to be shown live on BBC Two from 20:00 GMT. The bout was originally set for 25 October but was postponed after TKV suffered a rib injury. Clarke, 34, said the postponement allowed TKV to "buy more time". TKV, 32, said defeat for 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Clarke could mark the beginning of the end of his professional career. "I feel like I'm fighting to further my career, if anything. After this fight, there are big fights out there," Clarke replied. 'Big Fraze' famously drew with current WBO world…...

4+ day, 11+ hour ago (666+ words) Frazer Clarke and Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva's beef started when they both knocked out the same opponent early in their careers A riled-up Frazer Clarke swore at Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikeva's team as tempers flared at a testy weigh-in for Saturday's British heavyweight title bout in Derby. After both men hit the scales - Clarke at 19st 4lb (123 kg) and TKV at 18st 12lb (120 kg) - a fiery standoff erupted. Words were exchanged and voices gradually rose, and security stepped in as tensions threatened to boil over. Clarke then stuck both middle fingers up at TKV's small entourage, reigniting the verbal sparring. "I'll take this boy to school and beat him up," Clarke, 34, warned. The next time they meet will be at the Vaillant Arena, with the bout broadcast live on BBC Two. The rivalry between the two Britons has intensified since their original October 25 fight was postponed…...

2+ day, 1+ hour ago (395+ words) Constantin Ursu added the European title to his Commonwealth belt Constantin Ursu's trainer says the European and Commonwealth welterweight champion wants to win the British title next year. The Plymouth-based Moldovan won a unanimous points decision over Ryan Amos to add the European belt to his Commonwealth title on Saturday "We will be boxing for the British Championship in the early part of next year," Marlee Dann told BBC Sport. "If Constantin wins the British, which I heavily favour and so do many others, then he will then be in line for basically any title having won a British, a Commonwealth and a European - the only stage next is world." From Moldova to Plymouth - the boxer aiming for a world title Ursu's fight was his first since March following surgery for a torn bicep. The win took his record to…...

3+ day, 17+ hour ago (476+ words) Lifting the British heavyweight title would be the fullfilment of a dream for boxing champion Frazer Clarke. The Staffordshire fighter, an Olympic bronze medallist, has been in the gym "day in, day out", preparing for Saturday's match against Jeamie 'TKV' Tshikevaat at Derby's Vaillant Arena. The fight was originally scheduled for October, but had to be rescheduled after TKV suffered an injury in training. The 34-year-old from Burton-upon-Trent said his training meant he had barely seen his children but they would appreciate it when their dad became a British champion. He was still that 11-year-old boy who used to go on YouTube and watch all the greats, he said, listing fighters such as Muhammad Ali, Ricky Hatton, Lennox Lewis, Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and Roy Jones as his inspirations. "I'm still that kid inside, you know this doesn't feel…...

2+ week, 3+ day ago (474+ words) Chris Eubank Jr (left) beat Conor Benn by unanimous decision in April Chris Eubank Jr and Conor Benn both stayed within the 12st 1lb (77kg) limit at a second weight check before their rematch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. Just as was the case when they fought in April, both British boxers agreed to a rehydration clause and were prohibited from putting on more than 10lb between Friday's weigh-in and Saturday morning. Both weighed 11st 5lb (72kg) - one pound under the middleweight limit - on Friday. On Saturday, Eubank was 0.1lb under the rehydration limit, with Benn adding seven pounds over the past 24 hours. Eubank, 36, is the naturally bigger man and regularly competes in this division, with Benn jumping up two weight classes. All three judges scored the first bout 116-112 in favour of Eubank but they agreed to meet for a second time just as their their fathers,…...