Sports
Islam Makhachev Reacts to Ilia Topuria Losing to Justin Gaethje
Islam Makhachev has issued a response to the UFC Freedom 250 card that took place in the early hours of Monday, the 15th of June, on the South Lawn of The White House in Washington, D.C.
The two-division champion, a former lightweight ruler himself, appears to have had a particular interest in the main event — with the 155-pound championship changing hands after Justin Gaethje flipped the odds to defeat the titleholder Ilia Topuria in brutal fashion, rearranging the Spanish-Georgian’s face with a masterclass in doghouse striking.
Topuria once posted on social media following Makhachev’s welterweight win over Jack Della Maddalena late last year. Despite Makhachev winning that fight, Topuria didn’t have many positive things to say. Topuria fared far worse against Gaethje, and Makhachev hardly held back responding this week.
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At least one member of the mixed martial arts press corps also claims to have seen the tweets.
Islam Makhachev’s Reaction to Ilia Topuria Losing UFC Title
In 2025, Topuria told Makhachev that he’s “the most boring thing in this game,” adding: “Every day I’m more certain I put you to sleep.”
Makhachev bided his time when it came to the opportune moment to respond, and that moment came at the historic event at The White House, with Makhachev saying: “He who exalts himself will be humbled! There’s levels in this game. Congratulations, Justin, you deserve this belt more than anyone!”
The official scorecards for Gaethje’s upset win over Topuria can be seen here, together with the punch stats, and they showed the wide margin for the American’s win. And it all led to the final image of Topuria, on his stool, between rounds four and five, unable to answer the bell, with his brother, Alex, telling the referee, Marc Goddard, that they’d “finish [stop]” the fight.
“To quit in the biggest fight of your career is something not everybody can do,” Makhachev said.
The loss was the first in Topuria’s career. Gaethje, meanwhile, advances his pro MMA record to 28 wins (21 knockouts and one submission) against five losses.
All seven of the UFC Freedom 250 fights finished with a knockout, including Ciryl Gane‘s dominance of Alex Pereira over two rounds, Sean O’Malley’s second-round stoppage of Aiemann Zahabi, and Mauricio Ruffy’s devastating, first-round finish over Michael Chandler.
Judges’ Scorecards For Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250
The judges’ scorecards for Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje at the time of stoppage make for interesting reading…
Sports
After 3 Years, Arsenal Revive Transfer Interest In Ivan Fresneda
Arsenal are set to enter the summer transfer market with some huge potential deals, as reports claim the club are looking to revive interest in a defender they eyed three years ago.
The Gunners are expected to be somewhat busy over the course of the transfer window, with Mikel Arteta looking to take his team to the next level after sealing his first Premier League title as head coach.
The priority appears to be in attack, as links to Morgan Rogers have persisted, while there is also interest in PSG star Bradley Barcola for the coming weeks.
There may be some moves in the defence too, depending on outgoings, with reports emerging of a potential deal in the works for a star they’ve shown interest in before.
Arsenal Want Ivan Fresneda Transfer
As Arsenal look at new options to freshen up the squad, Portuguese outlet A Bola, via Sport Witness, claims that the Gunners are eyeing a deal for Sporting CP star Ivan Fresneda.
The North London clubs were linked with the defender back in 2023, as he impressed when breaking through the ranks with Real Valladolid.
While there was interest, he instead made the move to Sporting, where he has made 81 appearances since and has grown into an important player for the side.
The report claims that Arsenal are closely monitoring Fresneda, and while there is a £69 million release clause in his deal, his club are unwilling to negotiate a move this summer.
Joining Arsenal in their interest is Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Newcastle United, as they all eye a potential star of the future at right-back.
It remains to be seen if the Gunners can finally tempt a move for Fresneda, but they should try their luck if they want to progress.
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Arsenal Need Right-Back Cover
Arsenal fans are likely to get more excited by their forward additions rather than any signings in the backline, but a new right-back could be key this summer.
The Gunners found it to be a problem position last season, as injuries to Jurrien Timber and Ben White kept the pair out of action, with Arteta resorting to using Cristhian Mosquera at right-back.
Fresneda, at just 21 years old, could prove to be an ideal candidate to compete for a place in the long-term, while offering plenty of energy and fitness for the role.
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Arsenal’s pursuit of one star in the summer transfer window has been boosted.
He was among the fastest players in the Champions League for last season, showing he can bring his rapid pace to the backline as and when required.
It remains to be seen how much it may take to complete a deal, but it’s one Arsenal should push to get over the line to help bolster out their options.
Sports
Clip of Zinedine Zidane in the Stands During Argentina 3-0 Algeria Goes Viral
Zinedine Zidane watched on from the stands as an Algeria side featuring his son, Luca, were beaten by Argentina at the 2026 World Cup.
Luca, a goalkeeper, was born in France and has spent much of his life in Spain. However, he has always been eligible to represent Algeria and officially switched allegiances ahead of this summer’s tournament.
The 28-year-old, who plays for Spanish second tier side Granada at club level, was named in his nation’s starting lineup for their opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Argentina.
Luca was powerless to resist as the reigning World Cup champions picked up a comfortable victory courtesy of the brilliant Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami forward, who was perhaps fortunate not to be sent off, netted a stunning hat-trick as the South Americans won 3-0.
Video of Zinedine Zidane in the Stands Goes Viral
Luca did not have his best match in goal. According to SofaScore, he made just three saves during the game and had a goals-prevented stat of -0.78, meaning he conceded more goals than expected.
Despite completing all 37 of his passes, Luca was given a rating of just 6.3/10.
The camera panned to his father, Zinedine, with Argentina leading 2-0 with just over 15 minutes of the game remaining. The Real Madrid and France legend did not look impressed at all as he shook his hand before falling back into his seat.
Luca Zidane’s Performance vs Argentina Sparks Big Reaction
Football fans watching the match were not impressed with Luca’s performance. One fan was especially brutal as they said: “The Algerian FA should be investigating everyone involved in getting Luca Zidane a starting spot in the XI. There’s no way he starts for them without serious strings being pulled behind the scenes. They’re risking an early World Cup exit and possibly losing out on millions of dollars.”
Another stated: “He doesn’t even know how to do the simple basics of goalkeeping. [The] first goal was genuinely embarrassing, and he went and conceded an even worse goal the second time.”
A third said: “Algeria’s population is 48 million. Is it possible there’s no better goalkeeper than this?” While a fourth commented: “There’s no way this guy goes professional without Zidane.”
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World Cup History Quiz
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Why Luca Zidane is Wearing a Mask at the 2026 World Cup
In the spring, Luca fractured his jaw and chin, while suffering a severe concussion, following a sickening collision during a match against Almeria. He subsequently missed the rest of the domestic season and had to have surgery.
Despite that injury, Luca was named in Algeria’s 26-man squad for the World Cup. He hasn’t fully recovered, though, and is only allowed to play while wearing a black mask that covers the perimeter of his face.
Luca gave an update on his injury ahead of the tournament. He said: “I’m doing well, I don’t have any pain anymore. The surgery went well and five weeks have passed now. I returned to training on the pitch two weeks ago and I’m very happy.”
Luca and Algeria will be looking to bounce back when they face Jordan in their next Group J match on Monday, June 22.
Sports
Rangers Could Lose Nicolas Raskin As European Giants Eye Transfer
Rangers are facing the possibility of losing a key star this summer, as Gianluca Di Marzio claims that a Serie A side are eyeing a regular starter from Ibrox.
It comes as the Glasgow outfit are facing a few big changes over the course of the next few weeks, with Danny Rohl set to leave the club and join RB Salzburg.
Derek McInnes is ready to take over, as he seems set to join from Scottish Premiership rivals Hearts, following the same path as Lawrence Shankland, who has already joined the club.
Further switches are expected in the transfer market if Rangers are to compete at the top once again, but there could be exits before any new arrivals.
Nicolas Raskin Transfer Interest
Reports from Gianluca Di Marzio claim that Nicolas Raskin has emerged as a key target for Serie A side Atalanta in the summer transfer window.
The midfielder is wanted by Maurizio Sarri, as his side prepare for another important campaign in the Italian league, as well as the Europa Conference League.
Raskin, who has been described as “phenomenal” during his time with Rangers, is currently away on international duty with Belgium at the World Cup.
The 25-year-old was included in Rudi Garcia’s 26-man squad, and made his World Cup debut when featuring from the bench in the Red Devils’ 1-1 draw with Egypt.
It remains to be seen whether Raskin will make his decision on his future during or after the competition, but his involvement could mean there’s a wait for any transfer to be decided upon.
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Rangers Should Cash In On Raskin
As Rangers look to address key areas of the squad, there will be a need to move some players around to help free up space for a proper refresh.
Raskin is one of the players the club should look to move on, as he enters the final two years of his contract at Ibrox, as doubts continue over his long-term future.
The Belgian has picked up over 140 appearances for Rangers, but injuries have ruled him out of some key games in the past two seasons.
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If the team can pick up some fresh faces in the midfield to add a little more bite, as well as some quality in possession, then raising funds will also be important.
Raskin has been a great servant for the club, but his time could be coming to an end soon.
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