Sports

6:02 PM ET Roman Abramovich has been an untouchable billionaire free to bankroll Chelsea‘s unprecedented success for almost two decades, but that changed on Thursday morning. The U.K. government announced sanctions against seven Russian oligarchs with what it believes are close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s murderous regime, with the move following two weeks

1:12 PM GMT Tom Curry will feature at open-side flanker for England against Ireland in their must-win Six Nations encounter at Twickenham on Saturday, while No. 8 Alex Dombrandt is among the replacements after he tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday. Coach Eddie Jones selected a pack he thinks can counter the Irish, who he

Feb 17, 2022 Prior to UFC 271, Tai Tuivasa was just a big man with a fun gimmick. The 28-year-old Australian heavyweight had won four fights in a row, but with none of those wins having come against a ranked opponent, Tuivasa was best known for his signature victory celebration: drinking beer out of a

3:19 PM ET ESPN’s divisional boxing rankings highlight the best in the sport at every weight class. They will change often based on recent results and performances. Rankings are based on what a fighter has accomplished in the weight division in which he is ranked. A fighter who has announced he is moving up or

2:48 AM ET Mike CoppingerESPN Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez proved on Saturday that he’s still one of the best fighters in the world, but more so, that age isn’t slowing him down. His masterclass performance en route to a unanimous-decision victory over Julio Cesar Martinez was just the latest impressive outing in a Hall of Fame

9:18 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com The potential for a Rafael Nadal vs. Daniil Medvedev semifinal showdown. A blockbuster Naomi Osaka–Sloane Stephens first-round matchup. A full-capacity crowd. And a relaxed desert vibe to go with it all. It’s been three years (!) since the BNP Paribas Open has been played during its normally scheduled slot on

6:07 PM ET Associated Press OMAHA, Neb. — Ron Stander, whose fight against unbeaten world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier in 1972 was the highlight of his 13-year career, has died. He was 77. Toddy Stander said her husband died Tuesday from complications of diabetes at their home in the Omaha, Nebraska, suburb of Ralston. Stander

10:09 PM ET Associated Press Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Alexander Zverev was put on probation for one year by the ATP on Monday for violently hitting the chair umpire’s stand repeatedly with his racket following a loss in doubles at the Mexico Open. If Zverev receives a code violation that results in a fine for

8:00 AM ET Which NBA teams are making the biggest moves after an action-packed weekend? On Saturday, the Miami Heat toppled the Philadelphia 76ers in a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. James Harden didn’t suit up — he was held out in the second leg of a back-to-back — but

8:23 PM ET Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Alex Bowman beat NASCAR champion Kyle Larson in a door-to-door overtime battle at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that sent Hendrick Motorsports to victory lane for the second consecutive week. The win Sunday was the first of the year for Bowman and seventh of his career. It was

7:05 AM ET INDIANAPOLIS — Sunday will be the fourth and final day of on-field workouts at the NFL combine inside Lucas Oil Stadium ahead of the 2022 NFL draft. NFL Network will carry live coverage of on-field drills starting at 2 p.m. ET. The draft is April 28-30 in Las Vegas. A look at

1:46 PM ET Associated Press LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky racing officials have denied trainer Bob Baffert’s request to stay his suspension for a failed postrace drug test by Medina Spirit that led to his disqualification as Kentucky Derby winner. Kentucky Horse Racing Commission board members on Friday voted 10-0 with three abstentions against the stay

7:00 AM ET The 2022 NHL trade deadline is March 21, and front offices are working overtime. It’s not just an influx of scouts at games — general managers and assistant general managers are populating the press boxes, too. Calls are picking up in frequency and discussions are intensifying. Here’s some scuttle I’ve been hearing

8:30 AM ET Hours before the negotiation teams of the players and owners met Thursday, one industry source lamented the state of the game. Each side is entrenched and angry, the source noted. “I don’t even know where we go from here,” he said. “I really don’t. Everybody is painted into a corner.” With the

9:28 AM ET Kaila Burns-Heffner It’s transfer deadline day in Europe, and atop the 12th floor of a skyrise in Charlotte, North Carolina, Zoran Krneta darts back and forth through Charlotte FC‘s offices. A bell rings, signifying another season ticket sold, a tally is added to the ticket sales leaderboard and staff members prepare gift

7:00 AM ET Bryce Young finished his first season as Alabama‘s full-time starting quarterback with the second-most passing touchdowns (47) and yards (4,872) in the FBS en route to the 2021 Heisman Trophy. But will he repeat? Not if Ohio State standout C.J. Stroud has anything to say about it. Stroud is coming off a

7:56 AM ET No one can match Kamaru Usman for the depth of his hard-won expertise on Colby Covington vs. Jorge Masvidal. The headliners for Saturday’s UFC 272 have each challenged Usman twice for his UFC welterweight championship. As Usman was winning all four of those fights, the champ piled up knowledge along the way.

7:52 AM ET Josh Taylor made a big statement in May, when he defeated Jose Ramirez to win all four major junior welterweight belts. Taylor had another opportunity to show the world that his victory wasn’t just a one-off this past weekend, when he faced mandatory challenger Jack Catterall. But while Taylor won a split

2:39 PM ET Associated Press LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Embattled Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has sued Churchill Downs and track leadership in federal court, seeking to overturn his two-year suspension on grounds it violated his due process rights. The suit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court names Churchill Downs Inc., CEO William C. Carstanjen

9:00 PM ET Tory BarronESPN Editor Close Tory Barron is a Bristol-based writer and editor for ESPN.com. After retiring from playing lacrosse at UConn, the DC native decided to try her hand at writing about people playing sports. Serena Williams is no stranger to the runway, having modeled for her own fashion line’s shows in