logo
Ireland's Shauna Bannon to face Sam Hughes as UFC returns to Paris

Ireland's Shauna Bannon to face Sam Hughes as UFC returns to Paris

The 42a day ago
IRISH UFC STAR Shauna Bannon will return to the Octagon in Paris on Saturday, 6 September, when she squares off with American Sam Hughes at the Accor Arena.
Dublin's 'Mama B' (7-1), who showed remarkable powers of recovery to earn a second-round submission victory over India's Puja Tomar at UFC London in March, will seek to climb the strawweight rankings against the equally in-form 'Sampage' (10-6).
Bannon, the second Irishwoman to fight under the UFC's banner after Aisling Daly, will meet Dallas native Hughes on a card headlined by France's top middleweight Nassourdine 'The Sniper' Imavov and fellow top-10 contender Caio 'The Natural' Borralho.
Imavov-Borralho will mark the UFC's return to Paris for a fourth consecutive year, with tickets going on general sale at 8am Irish time this Friday, 4 July.
Advertisement
Bannon and Hughes both enter their strawweight contest off the back of two wins on the spin.
Prior to Bannon's comeback victory over Tomar (previously 9-4) in March, she earned a split-decision win over Alice Ardelean (previously 9-5). The relentless Hughes, meanwhile, has earned back-to-back splits over Victoria Dudakova (previously 8-0) and Stephanie Luciano (previously 6-1-1).
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Roy Keane TURNED AWAY from Cork City home ground in League of Ireland ad
Roy Keane TURNED AWAY from Cork City home ground in League of Ireland ad

Irish Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Roy Keane TURNED AWAY from Cork City home ground in League of Ireland ad

Roy Keane found himself TURNED AWAY from Turner's Cross as he featured in a new League of Ireland sponsored ad. The Republic of Ireland legend is a regular attendee at Cork City's home fixtures but found himself not allowed to enter the ground as part of the playful ad. Keane teamed up with League of Ireland's official beer sponsor, Rockshore, where he starred in the playful ad. Turning up to the famous ground, Keane is turned away by a steward who tells him 'it's me job'. The ex-Manchester United captain then rushes to the neighbouring Corner Flag pub where he tries to squeeze in to catch some of action where he struggles to catch a view. Rockshore recently announced a four-year partnership with the League of Ireland and have put their money where their mouth is by recruiting Keane for the advertisement. "Rockshore believes in the power of Irish football and the passion of its fans," says Anne Zahan, Head of Beer at Diageo Ireland. "We see a big opportunity to help further promote the League of Ireland. This campaign is about celebrating world-class Irish football right here all summer long, reminding everyone that this is a league of our own." When he is not busy doing punditry work with Sky Sports, Keane is often spotted at Cork City games himself. Known for keeping a low profile, the Premier League winner is known to pop into the ground quietly while at home in Cork, visiting family.

What time and TV channel is Queensland Reds vs British and Irish Lions on
What time and TV channel is Queensland Reds vs British and Irish Lions on

Irish Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

What time and TV channel is Queensland Reds vs British and Irish Lions on

The British and Irish Lions tour continues with its second game in-country, against Super Rugby franchise Queensland Reds. The 2025 tour may have got off to the wrong start with defeat to Argentina in Dublin but the ship was steadied to some extent with a comprehensive win over Western Force in Perth. The starting XV for the game with Reds features six Ireland players Hugo Keenan, Bundee Aki, Jamison Gibson-Park, Andrew Porter, Ronan Kelleher and Jack Conan; Finlay Bealham, James Ryan and Garry Ringrose are on the bench. Wales star Tomos Williams suffered a Tour-ending hamstring injury in Saturday's win and has been replaced by Toulon and Scotland scrum-half Ben White. Here's what you need to know about the game: Where and when is it? The match takes place at the Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Wednesday morning, July 2nd What time is kick-off? The action gets under way at 11am Irish time. Who are the match officials? Referee: James Doleman (New Zealand); Assistant Referee 1: Paul Williams (New Zealand), Assistant Referee 2: Ben O'Keeffe (New Zealand); TMO: Glenn Newman (New Zealand), Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO): Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa) Tell me some Queensland Reds stuff? The Reds are coached by former Ulster coach and Ireland assistant coach Les Kiss, who will replace Joe Schmidt as Australia boss next year, and co-captained by scrum-half Tate McDermott. Their squad includes eight players who are in the current Australia squad and two of them have been released for their match against the Lions in hooker Matt Faessler and centre Hunter Paisami. Their colleagues Fraser McReight, Zane Nonggor, Harry Wilson, Filipo Daugunu, Tom Lynagh and McDermott have been retained by the Wallabies. Lions fans will be familiar with Samoa lock Jeffrey Toomaga-Allen, who played in the Northern Hemisphere for Wasps and Ulster, and former Northampton Saints lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto. Who are the Players to watch? Wallabies Paisami and Faessler will no doubt take to the field looking to prove a point as they look to force their way into Joe Schmidt's reckoning ahead of the upcoming Test series. Paisami, who has 31 caps, most recently played for the Wallabies in last year's Rugby Championship and will relish his midfield battle with Bundee Aki and Huw Jones. Faessler, meanwhile, has recently returned from a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the run-in to the Reds' season and has an Test hat-trick to his name, against Wales last year. Quotes corner Andy Farrell, Lions Head Coach: They're a great side. I mean, that's obvious if you've watched the games, not just this year, but last year as well. Les has done a fantastic job with them to play a great brand of rugby and are able to play in many different ways. This will be 100 percent a big step up for us on Wednesday night. "Jamison (Gibson-Park) and Finn (Russell) understand one another and understand each other's traits even before they got on the plane because that is what players do. They look out for how the best do things. They are two characters who want to see the game from similar eyes as far as where space is. They have attacking mindsets but they both know how important game control is." Les Kiss, Queensland Reds coach: Excitement is high that's for sure. If you look at history, it's a unique and special group as Queensland players and coaches who get the chance against a Lions team. It's a one-off match but we've had a line of sight with their games against Argentina and the Western Force. They are an incredibly good and talented team. They have taken on some of the DNA of the Irish team. "In this match, we have to be very good at the breakdown and aerially. They've shown their attacking side too. We have to meet those challenges but we'll put our brand of rugby out there as well. We'll keep backing ourselves. Why can't we put our best foot forward, rip in and see what happens?' Betting Odds: Reds win: 35/1, Lions win: 1/80, Draw: 50/1 What TV channel is it on? The match will be shown on Sky Sports TEAMS Queensland Reds: Campbell (capt); Anderson, Flook, Paisami, Ryan; McLaughlin-Phillips, Thomas; Ross, Faessler, Toomaga-Allen, Canham, Salakaia-Loto, Uru, Bryant, Brial. Replacements: Nasser, Blake, Fa'agase, Smith, Blyth, Vest, Werchon, Henry The British & Irish Lions 15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints/England) #858 13. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/Scotland) #878 12. Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #837 11. Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby/Scotland) #841 10. Finn Russell (Bath Rugby/Scotland) #835 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 1. Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #876 2. Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #864 3. Will Stuart (Bath Rugby/England) #877 4. Maro Itoje (Saracens/England) (C) #825 5. Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers/England) #875 6. Tom Curry (Sale Sharks/England) #853 7. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/Wales) #861 8. Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #839 16. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/England) #851 17. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/ England) #859 18. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/Ireland) #856 19. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) 20. Ben Earl (Saracens/England) #857 21. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/England) #860 22. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/England) #862 23. Garry Ringrose (Leinster Rugby/Ireland) #872

‘Every person has a brolly' – Temperatures soar past 34C as Wimbledon comes close to its hottest day ever
‘Every person has a brolly' – Temperatures soar past 34C as Wimbledon comes close to its hottest day ever

Irish Independent

time2 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

‘Every person has a brolly' – Temperatures soar past 34C as Wimbledon comes close to its hottest day ever

The temperature reached 34.2C by mid-afternoon, edging closer to the tournament's record high of 35.7C set in 2015. It followed a scorching Monday that provisionally broke the record for the hottest opening day, with 29.7C logged at Kew Gardens. Spectators in the famous Wimbledon queue came prepared - many bringing umbrellas, fans, and wine to cope with the conditions. Some were spotted napping in the early-morning heat, while others used towels and hats to shield themselves from the sun. Even straw hats sold out at the Wimbledon shop by early afternoon as fans scrambled for shade in the scorching heat Anjon Saidy-Khan, 32, said: "We saw the news – it looks set to be even hotter today so we needed to be prepared. "If you saw a picture, you'd think it was pouring it down - every other person has a brolly." Centre Court hosted world number two Coco Gauff and seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, who both began their campaigns in sweltering sunshine. Among the guests braving the heat in the Royal Box were Cate Blanchett, Rebel Wilson and Russell Crowe - the latter remaining suited and booted despite the weather. Sarah Lancashire wore a white summer dress with a blazer over her shoulders, while Molly-Mae Hague arrived in a camel-coloured shirt dress. On the court, Dan Evans booked his place in the second round with a straight-sets win over fellow Briton Jay Clarke, setting up a potential showdown with Djokovic. But there were early exits for Heather Watson, Francesca Jones, Jodie Burrage, George Loffhagen and Johannus Monday, who was backed by around a dozen friends from his hometown of Cottingham, Yorkshire. Tuesday's action followed dramatic scenes on Monday when play was paused after a woman fainted in the stands during Carlos Alcaraz's match. The defending champion rushed to help, handing her a bottle of water as medics arrived. World number one Jannik Sinner stayed cool to reach the second round of Wimbledon while several of his fellow seeds including Italian compatriot Lorenzo Musetti and American hope Jessica Pegula crashed and burned on a sizzling Tuesday. Djokovic will continue his bid for a record-equalling eighth Wimbledon title and standalone 25th Grand Slam title when the 38-year-old Serb will play Frenchman Alexandre Muller later when conditions improve after a second day of stifling heat. A red-hot Sinner effortlessly eased through beating fellow Italian and close friend Luca Nardi 6-4 6-3 6-0 in a victorious return to the Grand Slam stage after his epic French Open final defeat by Carlos Alcaraz last month. "First round matches are never easy, so I'm very happy about today. Obviously, for Italian tennis, a bit unfortunate," Sinner told reporters. "I know him quite well as a person. I tried to put away the friendship for a couple of hours. So it's all good." Sinner's other friend Musetti, last year's semi-finalist, was dumped out by Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili, who prevailed 6-2 4-6 7-5 6-1 on a muggy Court Two. Wimbledon dark horse Alexander Bublik, seeded 28th, was also unable to avoid the exit door, as the Kazakh showman was dragged into battle by Spaniard Jaume Munar and beaten 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2 to continue the exodus of seeded men's players. Taylor Fritz let out a massive roar but it might as well have been a sigh of relief after the fifth-seeded American moved past big-serving Frenchman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-7(6) 6-7(8) 6-4 7-6(6) 6-4 in a match carried forward from Monday. His American compatriot Tommy Paul took out Briton Monday with little fuss, the 13th seed cruising 6-4 6-4 6-2, but it was the end of the road for 30th seed Alex Michelsen who fell 6-2 3-6 6-3 3-6 7-6(6) to Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic. World number three Alexander Zverev was dumped on the seeds scrapheap after losing a two-day, five-set marathon to Arthur Rinderknech. The German, a three-time grand slam finalist, was beaten 7-6 (3) 6-7 (8) 6-3 6-7 (5) 6-4 by Frenchman Rinderknech in a match carried over from Monday evening. In fact, it was so long - at four hours and 40 minutes – that it actually started in June and finished in July. Zverev is the fourth top-10 player to crash out in the first round at this year's Championships - and the highest-ranked - joining Musetti, Holger Rune, and Daniil Medvedev through the exit door. On the women's side, defending champion Barbora Krejcikova was tested by promising 20-year-old Filipina Alexandra Eala, but she found best form to win 3-6 6-2 6-1 on her return to Centre Court after last year's surprise triumph. "I mean, what the hell [kind of tennis] she played in the first set?" said Krejcikova, praising her opponent. "She was smashing the ball and cleaning the lines, so wow, wow. She's going to be really good in a couple of years." While Eala missed her chance to make history, Zeynep Sonmez became the first Turkish woman to reach the second round at the grasscourt Grand Slam when she battled past Romania's Jaqueline Cristian 7-6(5) 6-3. Third seed Pegula was unable to put up a fight as she fell 6-2 6-3 in 58 minutes to Elisabetta Cocciaretto before Olympic champion and fifth seed Qinwen Zheng was beaten 7-5 4-6 6-1 by Czech Katerina Siniakova. Five-times Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek faced a tight opening set against Polina Kudermetova but the eighth seed won 7-5 6-1 while Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva advanced after a 6-3 6-3 victory over Mayar Sherif. Victoria Mboko found out a few hours before she faced Magdalena Frech that she had entered the main draw as a lucky loser due to Anastasia Potapova's pullout and the Canadian teenager rode her luck to stun the 25th seed 6-3 6-2.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store