Sports

10:08 PM ET The knock on Islam Makhachev used to be that he lacked finishing instinct and was susceptible to getting caught. Adriano Martins knocked Makhachev out in Makhachev’s second UFC fight, back in 2015, at UFC 192. Makhachev quickly patched up some of those defensive holes, and he has not lost since fighting Martins,

9:09 PM GMT TWICKENHAM, London — In the end it was record-breaker Ben Youngs who brought order to the chaos. As Wales threatened the most incredible comeback, with the clock well over the appointed time, it was Youngs who kicked the ball dead to bring an end to a game which looked finished at least

8:38 PM ET Mike Coppinger Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show Coming off a clear decision win over Jose Ramirez in May in which he captured the undisputed junior welterweight championship, Josh Taylor

2:02 PM ET Associated Press RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Emblem Road rallied with a wide, sweeping move on the outside to win the $20 million Saudi Cup at 99-1 odds on Saturday, beating Bob Baffert-trained Country Grammar by a half-length. Ridden by Wiggy Ramos, Emblem Road ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.52 in the world’s

8:14 AM ET Mark Schlabach Close ESPN Senior Writer Senior college football writer Author of seven books on college football Graduate of the University of Georgia Tom VanHaaren Close ESPN Staff Writer ESPN staff writer Joined ESPN in 2011 Graduated from Central Michigan What started out as a typical Thursday morning for PGA Tour players,

11:16 PM ET Associated Press ACAPULCO, Mexico — Cameron Norrie extended his hot streak in February by upsetting Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 on Friday to qualify for the Mexican Open final where he´ll play either Rafael Nadal or Daniil Medvedev. After losing all four of his matches in January, Norrie is 10-1 in February and

5:55 PM ET Associated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky’s racing director has denied trainer Bob Baffert’s request to stay his suspension by stewards in their ruling that also disqualified Medina Spirit as Kentucky Derby winner. Kentucky Horse Racing Commission stewards on Monday suspended Baffert for 90 days, effective March 8 through June 5, and fined

6:00 AM ET Tim BontempsESPN Shortly after James Harden was introduced as the newest member of the Philadelphia 76ers, the superstar guard was asked the question dominating the NBA world after the blockbuster trade deadline swap with the Brooklyn Nets for Ben Simmons: How will this partnership with Joel Embiid work? “I think we complement

4:56 PM ET Eric Bieniemy is returning to the Kansas City Chiefs as offensive coordinator for the 2022 season, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. The news was first reported by NFL Network, which also reported he will be returning on a one-year contract. Bieniemy’s contract expired after last season, and he and head

1:12 PM ET Art Briles, who was fired as Baylor‘s head coach in 2016 following the university’s investigation into campus-wide allegations of sexual assault, has been hired as Grambling State‘s offensive coordinator, an athletics department spokesman confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. Former Cleveland Browns coach Hue Jackson was hired as Grambling State’s head coach in

8:45 AM ET JUPITER, Fla. — The two sides arrive daily at Roger Dean Stadium and break into camps — the players huddle in the parking lot for a few minutes, some fielding requests for autographs from fans nearby, as the league sets up inside. After more than two months of looking past each other,

7:00 AM ET By this point of the 2021-22 NHL season, we have a good sense of where all 32 teams stand — and what they’re likely to do ahead of the trade deadline on March 21. For this week’s edition of the NHL Power Rankings, we identified one stat that helps explain how each

2:04 PM ET ESPN News Services Medina Spirit has been disqualified as Kentucky Derby champion and trainer Bob Baffert was suspended for 90 days after the horse tested positive for a banned medication, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced Monday. In addition, Baffert was fined $7,500 and all purse money from Medina Spirit’s win was

11:07 AM ET Noah DavisESPN The story of Major League Soccer in recent seasons is one of expansion and growth. Since the beginning of the 2017 campaign, eight teams have been introduced, including a Charlotte FC franchise that kicks off its inaugural campaign against D.C. United on Saturday (6 p.m. ET, stream live on ESPN+).

9:25 PM GMT It’s official: Kurtley Beale is returning home to Sydney and will be available for the Wallabies’ blockbuster three-Test series with England in June-July. Rugby Australia confirmed the code’s worst-kept secret on Sunday night that Beale would finish up with Racing 92 at the end of the French Top 14 season and rejoin

7:00 AM ET DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR President Steve Phelps is sitting in his office overlooking Daytona International Speedway. You can see and hear race cars turning laps around the 2.5-mile World Center of Racing. On the shelves behind him are artifacts that represent the perfect mix of where NASCAR has been and where

9:56 PM ET DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Who in the world is Austin Cindric? As the 2022 Daytona 500 ground its way to the checkered flag, finally ending a 3½-hour enduro race that put a dozen cars behind the wall and saw 25 of the 40 cars in the field caught up in accidents (that’s

9:35 PM ET Jamahal Hill‘s nickname is “Sweet Dreams.” It’s not because of his propensity for singing lullabies. The top light heavyweight prospect put another highlight-reel finish on his résumé Saturday night after putting Johnny Walker to sleep with a knockout punch at 2:55 of the first round in the main event of UFC Fight

9:28 PM ET Nick Parkinson Close •Reports on boxing for ESPN.co.uk, as well as several national newspapers•Has been reporting on British boxing for over 15 years•Appears on BoxNation’s Boxing Matters show MANCHESTER, England — Kell Brook will look back on Saturday’s sixth-round stoppage win over English rival Amir Khan as one of his career highlights

12:35 AM ET Associated Press RIO DE JANEIRO — Top-seeded Matteo Berrettini of Italy beat Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3 on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of the rain-plagued Rio Open clay-court tournament. The match that was initially scheduled for Thursday evening, but ended only minutes before Saturday began in Rio de