Canadian bantamweight Aiemann Zahabi added to UFC Vancouver card in October
The 37-year-old from Montreal, the younger brother of renowned trainer Firas Zahabi, is coming off a decision win over former featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 315 in May in Montreal. Aldo retired, for a second time, immediately after the loss.
Zahabi (13-2-0) has won six straight to improve his UFC record to 7-2-0.
Vera (23-10-1) has been beaten in his last two outings, losing by decision to former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil in August 2024 and then-bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley at UFC 299 in March 2024.
The Ecuadorean is 15-9-0 in the UFC.
Canadian Jasmine Jasudavicius, ranked fifth among flyweights, is also on the Rogers Arena card, facing No. 2 Manon (The Beast) Fiorot of France.
—
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2025.
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Toronto Sun
25 minutes ago
- Toronto Sun
Canadian women show off depth ahead of Rugby World Cup opener
Canada finished fourth in previous World Cup. Published Aug 21, 2025 • 4 minute read Canada's Olivia DeMerchant (18) scores a try as she is tackled by USA's Erica Jarrell-Searcy (5), bottom, and McKenzie Hawkins (10), left, during the second half of Women's rugby action in Ottawa on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press The second-ranked Canadian women open their Rugby World Cup campaign Saturday in England with a display of their depth. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Coach Kevin Rouet's starting 15 enter their game against No. 14 Fiji in York with a combined 486 caps, while the eight-woman bench has a combined 293 caps. Canada will be able to send on the likes of lock Tyson Beukeboom (77 caps), prop DaLeaka Menin (63 caps), flanker Karen Paquin (45 caps) and hooker Emily Tuttosi (35 caps) off the bench at York Community Stadium. Beukeboom, the most-capped Canadian women's player, Paquin and starting prop Olivia DeMerchant are all participating in their fourth World Cup. Canada and Fiji have met just once before, with the Canadians winning 24-7 in September 2022 in Suva, in their final tune-up for the last World Cup where they finished fourth. After Fiji, Canada continues Group B play against No. 9 Wales on Aug. 30 in Manchester and No. 8 Scotland on Sept. 6 in Exeter. If the competition unfolds per the rankings, the Canadians will face No. 6 Australia in the quarterfinals, No. 3 New Zealand in the semifinals and No. 1 England in the final before a sellout crowd at Twickenham's 82,000-capacity Allianz Stadium. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Organizers reported this week that 375,000 of the 470,000 tickets for the expanded 32-match, 16-team tournament have already been sold, three times the number sold at the last World Cup in New Zealand. Winners of five straight, the Canadians enter the tournament on a seven-game unbeaten run (6-0-1) since losing 21-12 to England at the WXV tournament in Vancouver in October. 'The team has put in a lot of work to get to this point,' said Rouet. 'We have been building really since the last World Cup, so we are very excited to get going here in England. Fiji will be a fun team to play against. They are unpredictable, so they will test us on the pitch, but it's on us to showcase our style of play and display when we are one of the best teams in the world.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Rouet has made six changes from the starting 15 that beat No. 5 Ireland 47-26 on Aug. 9 in Belfast in its final warm-up game ahead of the tournament. Four of those are in the pack with two changes in the backs. Taylor Perry starts at fly half, some three years after sitting out the last World Cup. Perry had been selected to start Canada's opening game in New Zealand in 2022 but was ruled out of the entire tournament after suffering a knee injury in Canada's final training session that required surgery. Forward Rachel Smith, who earned the first of her three caps in May against the U.S., is in line to make her World Cup debut off the bench. Canada's best showing at the World Cup came in 2014 when it finished runner-up to England. The Canadians finished fourth last time out, losing 36-0 to France in the third-place game after falling 26-19 to England in the semifinal. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Canada also finished fourth in 1998, 2002 and 2006. Fiji went 1-2-0 at the last World Cup, its first trip to the tournament. Fiji failed to advance after lopsided losses to England (84-19) and France (44-0), and a 21-17 win over South Africa. Canada, whose tournament record is 25-18-2, has posted a 16-5-1 record since the last World Cup. Four of those losses were to England, with the other to the defending champion New Zealand Black Ferns. Canada drew New Zealand 27-27 in Pacific Four Series play in May in Christchurch. England, which last lifted the trophy in 1994, kicks off the tournament Friday against the 10th-ranked U.S. in Sunderland's Stadium of Light. The Red Roses have won 27 straight and 57 of their last 58 tests, with the lone blemish a 34-31 loss to New Zealand in the final of the 2021 World Cup. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That loss was one of six for the Red Roses in the World Cup final, with five of those defeats coming at the hands of New Zealand. England also lost to the U.S. in the final of the inaugural 1991 tournament. The Red Roses have won the other 20 meetings with the U.S. World Rugby says, 'as a rule,' it does not provide prize money for its tournaments. 'We partner instead with unions to make significant investments in high-performance systems pathways, processes, people and competitions to help teams arrive at the tournament ready to perform to their potential,' the world governing body said in a statement. 'However, to support the journey to Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, a comprehensive package of funding and development has been made available to all participating unions.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. According to its financial report, Rugby Canada received $7.6 million of its $20.1-million budget from World Rugby for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024. Canada Roster Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Gillian Boag, Calgary, Alta., Capilano RFC; Olivia DeMerchant, Mapledale, N.B., Halifax Tars RFC; Sophie de Goede, Victoria, Saracens (England); Courtney O'Donnell, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Justine Pelletier, Riviere-du-Loup, Que., Stade Bordelais (France); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Alexandra Tessier (capt.), Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Florence Symonds, Vancouver, UBC; Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England). Replacements Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Rachel Smith, South Surrey, B.C., UBC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand). Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Columnists Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Sunshine Girls
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canadian women show off their depth in lineup for Rugby World Cup opener against Fiji
The second-ranked Canadian women open their Rugby World Cup campaign Saturday in England with a display of their depth. Coach Kevin Rouet's starting 15 enter their game against No. 14 Fiji in York with a combined 486 caps, while the eight-woman bench has a combined 293 caps. Canada will be able to send on the likes of lock Tyson Beukeboom (77 caps), prop DaLeaka Menin (63 caps), flanker Karen Paquin (45 caps) and hooker Emily Tuttosi (35 caps) off the bench at York Community Stadium. Beukeboom, the most-capped Canadian women's player, Paquin and starting prop Olivia DeMerchant are all participating in their fourth World Cup. Canada and Fiji have met just once before, with the Canadians winning 24-7 in September 2022 in Suva, in their final tune-up for the last World Cup where they finished fourth. After Fiji, Canada continues Group B play against No. 9 Wales on Aug. 30 in Manchester and No. 8 Scotland on Sept. 6 in Exeter. If the competition unfolds per the rankings, the Canadians will face No. 6 Australia in the quarterfinals, No. 3 New Zealand in the semifinals and No. 1 England in the final before a sellout crowd at Twickenham's 82,000-capacity Allianz Stadium. Organizers reported this week that 375,000 of the 470,000 tickets for the expanded 32-match, 16-team tournament have already been sold, three times the number sold at the last World Cup in New Zealand. Winners of five straight, the Canadians enter the tournament on a seven-game unbeaten run (6-0-1) since losing 21-12 to England at the WXV tournament in Vancouver in October. 'The team has put in a lot of work to get to this point,' said Rouet. 'We have been building really since the last World Cup, so we are very excited to get going here in England. Fiji will be a fun team to play against. They are unpredictable, so they will test us on the pitch, but it's on us to showcase our style of play and display when we are one of the best teams in the world.' Rouet has made six changes from the starting 15 that beat No. 5 Ireland 47-26 on Aug. 9 in Belfast in its final warm-up game ahead of the tournament. Four of those are in the pack with two changes in the backs. Taylor Perry starts at fly half, some three years after sitting out the last World Cup. Perry had been selected to start Canada's opening game in New Zealand in 2022 but was ruled out of the entire tournament after suffering a knee injury in Canada's final training session that required surgery. Forward Rachel Smith, who earned the first of her three caps in May against the U.S., is in line to make her World Cup debut off the bench. Canada's best showing at the World Cup came in 2014 when it finished runner-up to England. The Canadians finished fourth last time out, losing 36-0 to France in the third-place game after falling 26-19 to England in the semifinal. Canada also finished fourth in 1998, 2002 and 2006. Fiji went 1-2-0 at the last World Cup, its first trip to the tournament. Fiji failed to advance after lopsided losses to England (84-19) and France (44-0), and a 21-17 win over South Africa. Canada, whose tournament record is 25-18-2, has posted a 16-5-1 record since the last World Cup. Four of those losses were to England, with the other to the defending champion New Zealand Black Ferns. Canada drew New Zealand 27-27 in Pacific Four Series play in May in Christchurch. England, which last lifted the trophy in 1994, kicks off the tournament Friday against the 10th-ranked U.S. in Sunderland's Stadium of Light. The Red Roses have won 27 straight and 57 of their last 58 tests, with the lone blemish a 34-31 loss to New Zealand in the final of the 2021 World Cup. That loss was one of six for the Red Roses in the World Cup final, with five of those defeats coming at the hands of New Zealand. England also lost to the U.S. in the final of the inaugural 1991 tournament. The Red Roses have won the other 20 meetings with the U.S. World Rugby says, 'as a rule,' it does not provide prize money for its tournaments. 'We partner instead with unions to make significant investments in high-performance systems pathways, processes, people and competitions to help teams arrive at the tournament ready to perform to their potential,' the world governing body said in a statement. 'However, to support the journey to Women's Rugby World Cup 2025, a comprehensive package of funding and development has been made available to all participating unions.' According to its financial report, Rugby Canada received $7.6 million of its $20.1-million budget from World Rugby for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024. Canada Roster Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Gillian Boag, Calgary, Alta., Capilano RFC; Olivia DeMerchant, Mapledale, N.B., Halifax Tars RFC; Sophie de Goede, Victoria, Saracens (England); Courtney O'Donnell, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que., Stade Bordelais (France); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Alexandra Tessier (capt.), Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Florence Symonds, Vancouver, UBC; Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England). Replacements Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Rachel Smith, South Surrey, B.C., UBC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand). — This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 21, 2025
CBC
7 hours ago
- CBC
Félix Auger-Aliassime on Love, Pressure, Purpose & meeting Connor McDavid
CBC Sports' Anastasia Bucsis sits down with Canadian tennis star Félix Auger-Aliassime for an exclusive interview covering every angle of his journey. Félix reflects on winning Olympic bronze and even shares the story of meeting Connor McDavid before he became a superstar.
