Latest news with #Freire
USA Today
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
UFC 318: Patricio Freire gets sophomore assignment vs. Dan Ige in New Orleans
UFC 318: Patricio Freire gets sophomore assignment vs. Dan Ige in New Orleans Ask and you shall receive. It looks like the UFC heard Dan Ige's recent callout and obliged, booking him against former two-division Bellator champion Patricio Freire for UFC 318 – a pay-per-view event that's set to go down July 19 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. MMA Junkie confirmed the news with two sources following a report from Super Lutas on Tuesday. Both Ige (19-9 MMA, 11-8 UFC) and Freire (36-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) fought at UFC 314 in April in different bouts. Ige stopped fellow veteran Sean Woodson, while Freire lost his UFC debut in a unanimous decision against Yair Rodriguez. With the victory, Ige was able to snap a two-fight losing skid that had him dropping decisions against top contenders Diego Lopes and Lerone Murphy. On the other hand, Freire, who's arguably the most successful fighter in Bellator history, fell into a 1-3 rut. Prior to debuting for the UFC, "Pitbull" stopped Jeremy Kennedy and lost to Chihiro Suzuki and Sergio Pettis. Current UFC 318 lineup
Rhyl Journal
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Record breeze-up buy Celestial King all set for Ascot debut
Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott, on behalf of Amo Racing supremo Kia Joorabchian, saw off Godolphin representatives in the sales ring to acquire the son of Havana Grey for a record fee for a lot sold at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale last month. Now the Amo team are preparing to do battle with the boys in blue on the racecourse, as their high-value asset faces off against Charlie Appleby's Newmarket winner Military Code in the Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Novice Stakes. Freire said: 'He looked very impressive at the breeze-ups and he showed lots of speed there. It hasn't slowed him down coming to us and it's brought him forward. 'Surprisingly he was a lot greener than we expected, but we see that as a good thing as it leaves us plenty to work on still and he's there now and he will run on Saturday with a great chance I think. 'Obviously there are some good horses declared like the Godolphin horse that has won at Newmarket and his experience could play a part but I expect Celestial King to run really well, he has plenty of ability.' As with all two-year-olds at this stage of the season, an eventual trip to Royal Ascot is very much central to the agenda, with the Freemason Lodge handler keen to give his charge an earlier sighter of the famous Berkshire venue ahead of the summer showpiece in June. 'There is nothing better than to have had a run at Ascot just to show him the place and so he will have been around the track,' continued Freire. 'We will see what the outcome of the weekend is and work with that. We would probably like to have another run before Royal Ascot but this is definitely a nice starting point.'
Rhyl Journal
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Rhyl Journal
Tuscan Hills to test Derby aspirations in Dante date
Tuscan Hills won both starts at two, including a Listed event at Pontefract, and he is one of 14 confirmations for the Derby trial along with Acomb Stakes winner The Lion In Winter and Charlie Appleby's Alpine Trail, who was an impressive Newmarket Stakes victor. Brazilian-born Freire is excited to step up in trip with the star resident of his new Freemason Lodge base, despite a question mark over conditions. 'York is the plan and unless something goes wrong, that is where we will be headed,' said Freire, who is the primary trainer in Britain for Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation. 'We know he is a lot more effective on slower ground but it doesn't look like we will be getting that anytime soon, so we are going to take our chance and see how he does on quicker ground. 'He did win on quick ground on debut at Thirsk but obviously that was a minor event. At the moment you don't get to pick your ground, so we will just have a go at the Dante. 'I think it was always going to be the case he would step up in trip this year and the recipe is there, a two-year-old who can win over a mile on slow ground, he is always going to want a little bit further at three and he has shaped that way. 'I think he will be a mile-and-a-quarter or mile-and-a-half horse.' Along with The Lion In Winter, O'Brien also has Scandinavia and Trinity College, who lost out by a narrow margin to Simon and Ed Crisford's Sea Scout at Epsom in the Blue Riband Trial and could get the chance to gain revenge. Wimbledon Hawkeye, who finished fifth in the 2000 Guineas, is also confirmed despite connections previously stating they are likely to head straight to the Derby. John and Thady Gosden have given themselves the option of running Sandown Classic Trial third Damysus, Feilden Stakes third Nightwalker and the Godolphin-owned Devil's Advocate, with Ralph Beckett another with multiple entries, Pride of Arras and Newmarket winner Seacruiser both possible for the Kimpton Down handler. Andrew Balding's Royal Playwright and Ed Walker's Mr Rizz complete the 14 contenders, with the latter opening his account in taking fashion at Doncaster recently. Walker said: 'It's a big ask and a big step into the Dante, but he's bred for the job and he was bought for the job. 📣"Way, way, way too good!" @AtTheRaces 😎LOPE DE VEGA's Mister Rizz is a very easy 3½l winner of the 10f Maiden @DoncasterRaces for @edwalkerracing 📈The Lope de Vega/Frankel cross now has 7 winners inc.4️⃣Stakes Horses from just 9 runners 👏Congratulations to breeder… — BallylinchStud (@BallylinchStud) May 3, 2025 'He's finished second and first in his only two starts and we're there to put him in against good horses and see how he gets on. 'We believe he belongs higher than another novice grade of race and he wasn't bought to be a handicapper, so we'll see where we are. 'I think he's more of a Prix du Jockey Club than a Derby horse. He's got stacks of speed, hence I started him over a mile. I know you need speed to win a Derby, but I just feel he's more of a 10-furlong horse than a 12-furlong horse.' In the supporting Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes it is Balding's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favourite Kalpana that tops the 12 confirmations as she bids to follow the 'Bluestocking route' to ParisLongchamp. Appleby also added a supplementary to the Group Three contest, adding Beautiful Love following her third place in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket.
Leader Live
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Leader Live
Record breeze-up buy Celestial King all set for Ascot debut
Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott, on behalf of Amo Racing supremo Kia Joorabchian, saw off Godolphin representatives in the sales ring to acquire the son of Havana Grey for a record fee for a lot sold at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale last month. Now the Amo team are preparing to do battle with the boys in blue on the racecourse, as their high-value asset faces off against Charlie Appleby's Newmarket winner Military Code in the Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% Novice Stakes. Freire said: 'He looked very impressive at the breeze-ups and he showed lots of speed there. It hasn't slowed him down coming to us and it's brought him forward. 'Surprisingly he was a lot greener than we expected, but we see that as a good thing as it leaves us plenty to work on still and he's there now and he will run on Saturday with a great chance I think. 'Obviously there are some good horses declared like the Godolphin horse that has won at Newmarket and his experience could play a part but I expect Celestial King to run really well, he has plenty of ability.' As with all two-year-olds at this stage of the season, an eventual trip to Royal Ascot is very much central to the agenda, with the Freemason Lodge handler keen to give his charge an earlier sighter of the famous Berkshire venue ahead of the summer showpiece in June. 'There is nothing better than to have had a run at Ascot just to show him the place and so he will have been around the track,' continued Freire. 'We will see what the outcome of the weekend is and work with that. We would probably like to have another run before Royal Ascot but this is definitely a nice starting point.'
Glasgow Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
Tuscan Hills to test Derby aspirations in Dante date
Tuscan Hills won both starts at two, including a Listed event at Pontefract, and he is one of 14 confirmations for the Derby trial along with Acomb Stakes winner The Lion In Winter and Charlie Appleby's Alpine Trail, who was an impressive Newmarket Stakes victor. Brazilian-born Freire is excited to step up in trip with the star resident of his new Freemason Lodge base, despite a question mark over conditions. Trainer Raphael Freire is poised to saddle his stable star at York (Mike Egerton/PA) 'York is the plan and unless something goes wrong, that is where we will be headed,' said Freire, who is the primary trainer in Britain for Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing operation. 'We know he is a lot more effective on slower ground but it doesn't look like we will be getting that anytime soon, so we are going to take our chance and see how he does on quicker ground. 'He did win on quick ground on debut at Thirsk but obviously that was a minor event. At the moment you don't get to pick your ground, so we will just have a go at the Dante. 'I think it was always going to be the case he would step up in trip this year and the recipe is there, a two-year-old who can win over a mile on slow ground, he is always going to want a little bit further at three and he has shaped that way. 'I think he will be a mile-and-a-quarter or mile-and-a-half horse.' Sea Scout (right) and Trinity College (left) could renew rivalries (John Walton/PA) Along with The Lion In Winter, O'Brien also has Scandinavia and Trinity College, who lost out by a narrow margin to Simon and Ed Crisford's Sea Scout at Epsom in the Blue Riband Trial and could get the chance to gain revenge. Wimbledon Hawkeye, who finished fifth in the 2000 Guineas, is also confirmed despite connections previously stating they are likely to head straight to the Derby. John and Thady Gosden have given themselves the option of running Sandown Classic Trial third Damysus, Feilden Stakes third Nightwalker and the Godolphin-owned Devil's Advocate, with Ralph Beckett another with multiple entries, Pride of Arras and Newmarket winner Seacruiser both possible for the Kimpton Down handler. Andrew Balding's Royal Playwright and Ed Walker's Mr Rizz complete the 14 contenders, with the latter opening his account in taking fashion at Doncaster recently. Walker said: 'It's a big ask and a big step into the Dante, but he's bred for the job and he was bought for the job. 📣"Way, way, way too good!" @AtTheRaces 😎LOPE DE VEGA's Mister Rizz is a very easy 3½l winner of the 10f Maiden @DoncasterRaces for @edwalkerracing 📈The Lope de Vega/Frankel cross now has 7 winners inc.4️⃣Stakes Horses from just 9 runners 👏Congratulations to breeder… — BallylinchStud (@BallylinchStud) May 3, 2025 'He's finished second and first in his only two starts and we're there to put him in against good horses and see how he gets on. 'We believe he belongs higher than another novice grade of race and he wasn't bought to be a handicapper, so we'll see where we are. 'I think he's more of a Prix du Jockey Club than a Derby horse. He's got stacks of speed, hence I started him over a mile. I know you need speed to win a Derby, but I just feel he's more of a 10-furlong horse than a 12-furlong horse.' In the supporting Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Middleton Fillies' Stakes it is Balding's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe favourite Kalpana that tops the 12 confirmations as she bids to follow the 'Bluestocking route' to ParisLongchamp. Appleby also added a supplementary to the Group Three contest, adding Beautiful Love following her third place in the Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket.
