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USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Marcus McGhee appreciates ex-UFC champ Petr Yan facing him: 'I guess I am in the mix now'
Marcus McGhee appreciates ex-UFC champ Petr Yan facing him: 'I guess I am in the mix now' Marcus McGhee will get the opportunity to jump the rankings if he can get past a former champion at UFC on ABC 9. McGhee (10-1 MMA, 4-0 UFC) takes on ex-bantamweight champion Petr Yan (18-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) on July 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Yan was on the cusp of title contention after back-to-back wins over Song Yadong and Deiveson Figueiredo, but now has to fight back in the rankings. With Cory Sandhagen touted as the next title challenger for bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, Yan will have to fight one more time – and McGhee is grateful to be the one who gets the matchup. "I guess I am in the mix now, so I appreciate it and I'm down," McGhee told MMA Junkie Radio. "This is what we're for. This is what we're here to do. You can't take it away from Petr, but you can't take it from Cory Sandhagen, either. I do think Cory gets the next shot right now for sure over Petr. "You could argue for sure that Petr would deserve it, as well, and I definitely agree that Petr didn't necessarily have to take a fight against a guy like me being No. 13 – so I appreciate him taking the fight and the opportunity to fight him as well." McGhee's power has helped him prevail in the majority of his fights, but knows he's going up against not only an experienced fighter in Yan, but a well-rounded one as well. "It's Petr Yan. There aren't a lot of holes in his game," McGhee said. "He's a complete fighter, and that's what excites me. I'm going to be fighting one of the most complete fighters in the world, and I've got to use every weapon that I have – and that's the plan. I have a lot of different weapons that I can utilize as well, and it's whose weapons are going to be sharper July 26."
The Star
11-05-2025
- The Star
Hops, malt and barley: A beer tour of the Czech Republic
If you are lucky enough to be able to buy Czech beer near where you live, you are likely to be drinking one of the more well-known export brands. However, the country is home to more than 400 breweries – from micro to massive. Many of them, with their unfiltered and naturally cloudy beers, are aimed at the discerning connoisseur. The range of drinks and local stories are waiting to be discovered on a trip through the country. Most breweries have long since adapted to welcoming visitors to boost their income. There are also often year-round tours that you can book in advance. Wherever you go, you'll meet locals proud of their respective regions and their different brewing traditions. Here are several breweries in the Czech Republic worth making a trip for: Hulvat microbrewery: A tradition of homebrewing For the founders of the Hulvat microbrewery, it all started in their kitchen at home. But when demand from friends for their home-brewed beer grew, their small brewing kettle was no longer big enough. The idea of founding a microbrewery was quickly born. 'It started out as a hobby – and now it's a pretty big hobby,' Marek Bastl says. The financial advisor teamed up with brothers Petr and Jan Zahorka, who freed up some space on their farm. The three of them continued with their day jobs, and have hired two other employees. The brewery is located in the South Bohemian village of Truskovice, just under 30km north-west of Ceske Budejovice (Budweis in German). Architecture fans will love the vernacular buildings in the rural Baroque style. The Zeliv Monastery has a hotel next to the brewery where you can take a soothing beer bath in the wellness area. Beer lovers can expect natural, unpastuerised and unfiltered lager beers, made from Czech ingredients. The name of the brewery is reminiscent of its wild beginnings, far removed from any commercial aspirations (in Czech, a 'hulvat' is a ruffian who might have had too much to drink). The brewery likes to experiment, which is underlined by the 'hemp beer' developed together with a university. Zeliv monastery: Beer bathing and Bock beer While the Hulvat microbrewery was founded in 2018, the Zeliv monastery has a centuries- old tradition of brewing beer. 'It's a monastery that's still active today and is currently home to seven monks,' says tour guide David. Another 30 monks are in charge of the surrounding parishes. The silence and tranquillity is a plus for guests at the monastery hotel. There are also modern amenities such as a wellness area with a beer spa. The small but modern brewery is accessed via a staircase to the basement. They are particularly proud of their speciality beers. Seasonal specialities such as the Bavarian wheat Bock or the Christmas Bock beer with 8.2% alcohol bring some variety to the lineup. A traditional Czech lager is always part of the offering. Brewery Bernard: A visitor centre with a lookout tower From the Zeliv monastery, it's 12km to the Bernard Family Brewery in Humpolec. Their dark beer was named the best in its category at the 2024 World Beer Awards in London. The brewery complex is located in the centre of the small town. So instead of growing in area, the company has grown in height instead. 'We use every bit of space we have,' they say on a tour of the site. Instead of a classic cellar, there is a hall with a refrigeration system. Although the company now has 260 employees, everyone knows everyone, the guide says. There are whole families who work in the brewery. A new visitor centre opened two years ago, with a new spiral staircase wrapped around the distinctive chimney, which is still in use. The 189 steps lead visitors to a viewing platform. A house speciality are the non- alcoholic beers with the name Bernard with a clear head and flavours such as plum and cherry. Budweiser Budvar: Cooperation with micro-breweries Next to these medium-sized companies, the Czech state-owned brewery Budejovicky Budvar is like a giant spaceship. The fourth largest producer of beer in the Czech Republic, they are now also working with a number of microbreweries. The result is limited edition beers like Do You Drink German?, which is like a 'modern kolsch beer'. Summer Affair, Black Jack and Echt IPA are all already sold out. Even before you enter the brewery in Ceske Budejovice, you can smell the hops and malt in the air. There is a small exhibition documenting the city's long history of beer brewing, and an artesian well, where the soft water bubbles up from a depth of 300m. In the boiler house it's cosy and warm, but from there you go to the frosty storage cellar. At the end of the tour you can enjoy a freshly tapped beer from the storage tank, something that only brewers are normally allowed to do. The company became known worldwide for its decade-long trademark dispute with its American competitor Anheuser-Busch over the naming rights to Budweiser beer. Budweiser Budvar is therefore imported as 'Czechvar' in the United States. Over the next few years, the Czechs want to invest significant sums in a new visitor centre with a restaurant, a car park and cycle path access. The aim is to increase the number of visitors from around 60,000 to 200,000 annually. – MICHAEL HEITMANN/dpa
Asharq Al-Awsat
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Kvitova Not Setting Goals in Comeback from Maternity Break
Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova said she has been encouraged by the success of several new mothers on their return to the WTA Tour, but the Czech is tempering expectations ahead of her own comeback from maternity leave this week. The former world number two, who turns 35 next month, gave birth to her son Petr last July and will return to the WTA Tour in Austin, Texas before high-profile hardcourt events in Indian Wells and Miami. New mothers Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka have both returned to a high level after time away from the game while Belinda Bencic won the Abu Dhabi title this month. "Those girls are pretty young still of course, I would say my age is different," Kvitova told the WTA website. "But we're used to working hard. Even after pregnancy and giving birth we know what to do and we're willing to do it. When you already played well before, you want to be back where you belong, basically. "Belinda and I are in touch, and it's nice she's playing so well. Her daughter is like 2-1/2 months older than our Petr, so that's fun. She just showed us that it's possible, coming back after giving birth. That's a good sign." Kvitova meets Briton Jodie Burrage later on Tuesday in her first match in 17 months and she said it felt like a big deal. "Sometimes I'm really surprised by myself. Like, why I did it? I would have regretted it if I didn't come back," she said. "I'm not putting any goals on myself, I'll never play as good as I was playing when I was winning tournaments. "I want to enjoy myself playing tennis and it'll take time."
Reuters
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Kvitova not setting goals in comeback from maternity break
Feb 25 (Reuters) - Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova said she has been encouraged by the success of several new mothers on their return to the WTA Tour but the Czech is tempering expectations ahead of her own comeback from maternity leave this week. The former world number two, who turns 35 next month, gave birth to her son Petr last July and will return to the WTA Tour in Austin, Texas before high-profile hardcourt events in Indian Wells and Miami. New mothers Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka have both returned to a high level after time away from the game while Belinda Bencic won the Abu Dhabi title this month. "Those girls are pretty young still of course, I would say my age is different," Kvitova told the WTA website. "But we're used to working hard. Even after pregnancy and giving birth we know what to do and we're willing to do it. When you already played well before, you want to be back where you belong, basically. "Belinda and I are in touch, and it's nice she's playing so well. Her daughter is like 2-1/2 months older than our Petr, so that's fun. She just showed us that it's possible, coming back after giving birth. That's a good sign." Kvitova meets Briton Jodie Burrage later on Tuesday in her first match in 17 months and she said it felt like a big deal. "Sometimes I'm really surprised by myself. Like, why I did it? I would have regretted it if I didn't come back," she said. "I'm not putting any goals on myself, I'll never play as good as I was playing when I was winning tournaments. "I want to enjoy myself playing tennis and it'll take time."
