Latest news with #Wigan
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Belfast Telegraph
Michael Dunlop takes Supertwin glory to increase Isle of Man TT tally to 31: ‘I still want to improve'
Dunlop has been the man to beat in the class in recent years and he followed up his double in 2024 with another comfortable win on the Italian Paton S1-R, coming home over 22 seconds ahead of Manxman Michael Evans (Dafabet Racing Kawasaki), who was celebrating his first TT podium on his birthday. Dunlop's latest victory – his second of race week after he won Monday's opening Supersport race – was a record 48th podium for the Ballymoney man. Wigan's Rob Hodson was also celebrating his first TT podium as he finished third on the SMT Racing Paton, 13 seconds behind runner-up Evans. Dunlop said: 'I felt good and just got bedded into it, and I thought it was Michael [Evans]. I was up 10 seconds on him and I assumed that's who it was. 'Obviously this job here is just a nursing match and the bike wasn't overly strong today for some reason – that's not being rude to the lads – the bike was good, but it just lacked a wee bit and Michael kept trying to pass me. 'I think he realised there was no point because I'd jam it back in again! 'Thanks to the Paton lads again and it's 31 wins now, and I'd like to thank them and I appreciate all the work they do for me. 'My Italian's not great and my English is even worse, but I've a great working relationship and I've a lot of time for the boys and we'll sit down tonight, improve and keep going. I'm happy, everything's good.' Reflecting on yet another win around the legendary 37.73-mile Mountain Course, Dunlop said he was feeling good with two wins from four races so far. 'It's nice, 31 wins, and the week's been good,' he added. 'We've had ups and downs, ins and outs, and everything else for that matter, but that's the TT and I'm sitting with two wins this week already. 'Folk come here hunting for wins and I've got two, so just keep pushing and I'm happy riding, so I'm good.' Last year, the 36-year-old surpassed his uncle Joey's record of 26 wins, which had stood since 2000. Dunlop won four races 12 months ago for the second consecutive year and is already on course to repeat the feat. He will have another strong chance in Wednesday's second Supersport race, which is scheduled for 10:45am. The second Sidecar race is also set to take place at 2pm. Tuesday's race schedule was switched to an evening contingency plan after heavy rain and high winds on Monday night left roads wet in places and deemed unsuitable for racing in the afternoon following an inspection lap. North West 200 Supertwin race winner Paul Jordan narrowly missed out on a podium last night on the Jackson Racing Aprilia by only 1.757s to Hodson. Davey Todd, Monday's Superbike winner, was fifth on the Milenco by Padgett's Racing Paton with Dominic Herbertson completing the top six on the Melbray Racing Paton ahead of Ulsterman Adam McLean (Flitwick Yamaha). A second Supertwin race is due to be held on Friday, when Dunlop will be the favourite for honours once more.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Matt Dufty offers advice to Wembley first-timers and discusses role change
Matt Dufty is preparing for his second Challenge Cup Final after being named as player of the match during the semi-final victory over Leigh Leopards (Image: Allan McKenzie/ LAST year, the majority of Warrington Wolves' players were experiencing Wembley for the very first time. Indeed, 11 of the 17 players Sam Burgess selected to contest the 2024 Challenge Cup Final had never played on the grandest stage British sport can offer before, including full-back Matt Dufty. Advertisement It showed in their performance as The Wire faltered badly against Wigan Warriors to end up on the losing side, but they now have a chance at immediate redemption. This time, the number of Wembley first-timers will be much lower and Dufty believes the experience will serve him and his teammates well. 'You don't realise how special a venue it is until you walk out there,' he said. 'I don't usually like going looking at fields before going out to play – my first taste is usually going out for warm-up – but I probably should have had a look last year. 'When I first walked out, I was thinking 'oh my word.' Advertisement 'To get there two years in a row is special but lifting that cup would be even better. Winning something with this playing group would be top of the list for me.' Despite scoring a try, Matt Dufty's first experience of playing at Wembley was an unhappy one as part of a Wire side that lost to Wigan in last year's Challenge Cup Final (Image: Ed Sykes/ So having lived and learnt, what would his advice be for the likes of Luke Yates, Adam Holroyd and Arron Lindop – all of whom are likely to be in the same boat as he was last year? 'Everybody handles things like this differently but I think it will help to go and have a look beforehand. Any excuse to be inside Wembley is a good one,' he said. 'I'd say the key thing to remember is that it's another game of footy. Advertisement 'We got a bit swept up in the occasion last year and I think we lost the game rather than Wigan beating us. 'Get a touch of the ball, get your first carry out of the way and it will soon become another game of footy. There's no next week, so we've got to put our best foot forward.' In his key role at full-back, Dufty is likely to play a big part in Warrington's bid to beat the odds on Saturday as they bid to derail the juggernaut that is Super League leaders Hull KR. And his position has become much more vital in recent weeks given the absence of skipper George Williams and hooker Danny Walker from the creative spine, with scrum-half Marc Sneyd having also been in and out of the side of late. Advertisement That has meant his role has had to change given he was among the more experienced players remaining, but it is a change he is embracing. Matt Dufty chats to the Warrington Guardian's Matt Turner (Image: Allan McKenzie/ 'It's been different for me this year,' the Australian said. 'Sometimes I feel like I'm the last man standing in that spine but I've tried to take on more of a leadership role with it. 'I feel like I'm learning about myself a lot more. 'I try and do what's best for the team – I'd say humbling is probably the wrong word but it's certainly been a learning experience. Advertisement 'Obviously, I'm associated more with the flashy stuff but I've tried to focus more on the unseen things that help the team more. 'Last year, we were in form almost all year. Our consistency was there and we didn't have too many injuries. 'This year, we've had a few challenges that have probably rattled the group a bit but anything can happen in a Challenge Cup Final. 'It's hard because you want to win every week. Sometimes you look back and think we played better than the result but there's others where we just weren't there at all. 'We've probably had too many of those this year but we've been building in the last few weeks and learning from our losses.' Advertisement One of the defeats Dufty mentioned came just a fortnight ago against their Wembley opponents, with Hull KR leaving The Halliwell Jones Stadium with a 31-12 victory in Round 12 of Super League. The Warrington side that takes the field on Saturday is likely to be much closer to full strength than the one that did so that night, and the number one believes the game painted a clear picture of how they can get the job done. Dufty was a part of the Wire side beaten by Hull KR a fortnight ago (Image: Olly Hassell/ 'Their coach touched on it after the game – they took their opportunities and we missed a few,' he said. 'We had chances to be in that game more than we were and I think the scoreline didn't really reflect how the game went. 'For us this week, it's about nailing our plan, not dropping too many balls or conceding too many penalties. 'They are a well-structured team that sticks to its game plan. We've got to do the same.'
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Aspinall teases UFC return fight ‘date and location'
Tom Aspinall has teased that he has a 'date and location' for his next UFC fight, as fans continue to hope for an announcement around a clash with Jon Jones. Britain's Aspinall won the interim UFC heavyweight title in November 2023, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in a fight that was booked after an injured Jones could not defend the regular belt against Stipe Miocic. Advertisement With Jones, 38, out for a year, Aspinall took the rare decision to defend the interim title, which he retained with a July KO over Curtis Blaydes. Jones then finally returned in November, stopping Miocic to retain the regular strap. Yet the American has refused to commit to fighting Aspinall, 32, who has been running out of patience. And when the Wigan fighter discussed the topic with two of Jones's former opponents, Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, he provided an update on Monday (2 June). 'You guys are gonna see, you guys are gonna see really soon,' Aspinall said. 'This is exciting times for the heavyweight division, man. We get some movement. 'People are literally forgetting that heavyweights exist! Nobody's fought for so long, like, this is crazy. They've got a guy holding it up – that's old news, that's old news. Advertisement 'The active heavyweight champion is here to fight them all, let's get it on. Well, I'll tell you something: I've got a date and a location. I've got a date and a location.' Tom Aspinall (left) knocked out Curtis Blaydes in July to retain the interim heavyweight belt (REUTERS) Fans may interpret that update as Aspinall having agreed a return date with the UFC but without Jones being confirmed as the opponent. With the UFC having announced main events for its pay-per-views in June, July and August, as well as a Mexican-centric event in September, Aspinall seems unlikely to fight before October. 'Jon's retired. What are you talking about, guys?' Aspinall added. 'You guys don't follow Jon on social media? Me [neither], actually, but the guy's living his best life, he's had a fantastic career, we all know. We know Jon's a religious man, so I want to say: God bless him moving forward with what he does in his life and career. Advertisement 'We move on, we move on. I'm the undispited heavyweight champion of the world, I'm ready to take on all comers, get this division moving again. Us guys have been waiting around too long. 'The contenders are getting sick of it, everybody's getting sick of it, even the fans are getting sick of this stuff. So, Jon's retired, and it's time that we move on.' Jon Jones (right) stopped Stipe Miocic in November, beating the heavyweight great in round three (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) While some fans view Jones as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, his career has been marred by numerous failed drug tests and run-ins with the law. Still, the American is effectively unbeaten, with his sole loss having come via DQ in 2009. Advertisement Meanwhile, Aspinall is 15-3 in MMA and 8-1 in the UFC. In the promotion, his only defeat occurred due to injury, while all of his career finishes have come via stoppage. In the UFC, Aspinall holds the record for the shortest fight time of an athlete with five or more bouts; all of his wins in the promotion have come in the first two rounds – seven in round one, two in the first minute. Aspinall's decision to defend the interim belt was a rarity in the UFC, as the Wigan heavyweight aimed to stay active during Jones's absence. In that fight, Aspinall stopped Curtis Blaydes in 60 seconds, avenging his injury-induced loss to the American in 2022.
The Independent
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Tom Aspinall teases UFC return fight ‘date and location'
Tom Aspinall has teased that he has a 'date and location' for his next UFC fight, as fans continue to hope for an announcement around a clash with Jon Jones. Britain's Aspinall won the interim UFC heavyweight title in November 2023, knocking out Sergei Pavlovich in a fight that was booked after an injured Jones could not defend the regular belt against Stipe Miocic. With Jones, 38, out for a year, Aspinall took the rare decision to defend the interim title, which he retained with a July KO over Curtis Blaydes. Jones then finally returned in November, stopping Miocic to retain the regular strap. Yet the American has refused to commit to fighting Aspinall, 32, who has been running out of patience. And when the Wigan fighter discussed the topic with two of Jones's former opponents, Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen, he provided an update on Monday (2 June). 'You guys are gonna see, you guys are gonna see really soon,' Aspinall said. 'This is exciting times for the heavyweight division, man. We get some movement. 'People are literally forgetting that heavyweights exist! Nobody's fought for so long, like, this is crazy. They've got a guy holding it up – that's old news, that's old news. 'The active heavyweight champion is here to fight them all, let's get it on. Well, I'll tell you something: I've got a date and a location. I've got a date and a location.' Fans may interpret that update as Aspinall having agreed a return date with the UFC but without Jones being confirmed as the opponent. With the UFC having announced main events for its pay-per-views in June, July and August, as well as a Mexican-centric event in September, Aspinall seems unlikely to fight before October. 'Jon's retired. What are you talking about, guys?' Aspinall added. 'You guys don't follow Jon on social media? Me [neither], actually, but the guy's living his best life, he's had a fantastic career, we all know. We know Jon's a religious man, so I want to say: God bless him moving forward with what he does in his life and career. 'We move on, we move on. I'm the undispited heavyweight champion of the world, I'm ready to take on all comers, get this division moving again. Us guys have been waiting around too long. 'The contenders are getting sick of it, everybody's getting sick of it, even the fans are getting sick of this stuff. So, Jon's retired, and it's time that we move on.' While some fans view Jones as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, his career has been marred by numerous failed drug tests and run-ins with the law. Still, the American is effectively unbeaten, with his sole loss having come via DQ in 2009. Meanwhile, Aspinall is 15-3 in MMA and 8-1 in the UFC. In the promotion, his only defeat occurred due to injury, while all of his career finishes have come via stoppage. In the UFC, Aspinall holds the record for the shortest fight time of an athlete with five or more bouts; all of his wins in the promotion have come in the first two rounds – seven in round one, two in the first minute. Aspinall's decision to defend the interim belt was a rarity in the UFC, as the Wigan heavyweight aimed to stay active during Jones's absence. In that fight, Aspinall stopped Curtis Blaydes in 60 seconds, avenging his injury-induced loss to the American in 2022.
South Wales Argus
15 hours ago
- Sport
- South Wales Argus
Warrington captain George Williams declares himself fit for Challenge Cup final
The 30-year-old has been on a fast-track to recovery since he suffered an ankle injury in early April that required surgery. With Matty Ashton and Danny Walker already sidelined, the return of Williams will be a huge boost to Warrington's hopes of erasing the memory of last year's final loss to Wigan. Williams said: 'When you get the injury it's an eight to 10 week lay-off and it'll be seven weeks and two days post-op. So it's really not miles faster. Hull KR hope to have Michael McIlorum (pictured) in Willie Peters' squad for the Challenge Cup final (Martin Rickett/PA). 'But it's been easy for me because I've done everything I can, because the goal was always to play at Wembley. 'I could have played last week but it was a bit of a risk and we were always chasing this week.' Meanwhile Rovers also hope for welcome news on the injury front with hooker Michael McIlorum set to be named in Willie Peters' final squad. Like Williams, McIlorum also required surgery on a bicep injury he sustained in April, and it was initially feared he would be ruled out for three months. But the 37-year-old has made good progress in training and Peters is cautiously optimistic that he can play some part in the Robins' bid to end their 40-year trophy drought. Peters said: 'He'll be named, but the odds of him playing, I'm not sure yet. He's got to get through some things. 'The thing with Mickey is he's built differently. It should still be a while really, so that's why we've got to look at the pros and cons and weigh it all up. 'There's obviously risk and a lot of factors are involved. Mickey will make a decision, and I'll take his word if he can take to the field.'
