Liverpool fighter Paddy Pimblett saw his nine-fight unbeaten streak come to an end after a punishing five-round battle with Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Pimblett, 31, showed immense courage and resilience but was ultimately outscored by the American, who earned a unanimous decision victory to claim the interim lightweight title. Gaethje, 37, delivered a throwback performance, dragging Pimblett into a relentless war that pushed both fighters to their limits. Bloodied but unbroken, Pimblett fought toe-to-toe with Gaethje until the final bell, with both men raising their arms in anticipation of the verdict. However, the judges sided with Gaethje on all three scorecards. “Paddy’s right — Scousers don’t get knocked out,” Gaethje said afterwards. “I knew I had to pressure him and take away his confidence. He’s dangerous, so I couldn’t give him space.” The win marks Gaethje’s second reign as interim champion, setting up a future clash with undisputed lightweight champion Ilia Topuria once he returns from a personal break. Despite the loss — his first in the UFC and fourth of his professional career — Pimblett handled defeat with dignity, applauding Gaethje as the scores were announced. “I wanted to walk away with that belt,” Pimblett admitted. “I know how tough I am, and I don’t need to prove that. I’ll learn from this and come back better.” The Briton also used his post-fight interview to once again speak openly about mental health, urging men to seek help and talk about their struggles rather than suffering in silence.
Old Trafford — Manchester United’s hopes of silverware this season were extinguished before mid-January as Brighton produced a clinical display to knock them out of the FA Cup. Goals from Brajan Gruda and former United striker Danny Welbeck sealed a 2–1 third-round victory, exposing familiar defensive frailties and deepening the club’s ongoing crisis.
The defeat means United have now exited both the FA Cup and League Cup at the earliest possible stage for the first time since the 1981–82 season. With European qualification now their only remaining objective, United’s 2025–26 campaign continues to unravel.
Brighton struck decisively in the first half. A swift move down the left saw Ferdi Kadioglu combine with Welbeck, whose cross led to Georginio Rutter’s header being cleared off the line by Lisandro Martínez. Gruda reacted quickest, firing home to give the visitors a deserved lead. The camera soon cut to Sir Alex Ferguson, seated alongside Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, all visibly unimpressed.
United struggled to respond. Diogo Dalot fired straight at goalkeeper Jason Steele after being released by a neat pass, while Bruno Fernandes and Matheus Cunha failed to trouble Brighton with speculative efforts before the break.
Any hopes of a revival faded further after half-time. Brighton continued to control the rhythm, and United’s lack of cohesion in attack allowed the visitors to keep them pinned back. Defensive errors again proved costly when Welbeck was given time and space on the edge of the area, calmly drilling a low shot past Senne Lammens to double Brighton’s lead.
Benjamin Šeško briefly reignited belief with a late header — his third goal in two matches — but United could not find an equaliser despite a noisy Old Trafford urging them on. Matters worsened in stoppage time when 18-year-old substitute Shea Lacey was sent off for dissent after receiving a second yellow card, leaving the teenager in tears as he left the pitch.
Interim manager Darren Fletcher was also booked after the final whistle for protesting the decision, capping a bleak afternoon. Fletcher, who took charge following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal last week, is expected to be replaced within days, with Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Michael Carrick among those interviewed.
United now sit seventh in the Premier League, three points adrift of the Champions League places, with only a top-four finish left to salvage their season. Brighton, meanwhile, march on — led by Welbeck, whose return to Old Trafford only underlined how far his former club have fallen.
Terry Yorath, the former Welsh international who captained and later managed the Wales national football team, has died at the age of 75. As a player, Yorath was known as a combative midfielder and defender for Leeds United, becoming a regular from 1972 onwards under Don Revie and later Jimmy Armfield. He won a First Division title in 1973-74 and played in the 1975 European Cup final against Bayern Munich.
Yorath made 198 appearances for Leeds before moving to Coventry City as captain, and later to Tottenham Hotspur, concluding his top-flight career in 1981. Internationally, he earned 59 caps for Wales, 42 as captain, during a period of modest national success. As Wales manager from 1988 to 1993, he led the team to its highest-ever world ranking at that time, 27th, and came close to qualifying for the 1994 World Cup.
He later managed Lebanon, raising their ranking from 145th to 87th, and had managerial stints at Swansea City, Bradford City, Cardiff City, and Sheffield Wednesday, though these did not replicate his international success.
Born in Grangetown, Cardiff, Yorath initially played rugby at Cathays High School but excelled in football, representing Wales Schools before being signed by Leeds at 15. Despite early competition from Billy Bremner and Johnny Giles, he broke through in 1972 and featured in multiple European finals, often amidst controversy over refereeing decisions.
Yorath was also noted for his bravery off the field, helping save spectators during the 1985 Bradford fire, sustaining an injury in the process. His coaching career began at Bradford as a player-coach, before he moved into management, achieving promotion with Swansea City and later revitalizing the Wales national team.
He endured personal tragedy when his eldest son, Daniel, died at age 15 in 1992, a loss that eventually contributed to the end of his 1971 marriage to Christine Kay in 2007. Yorath is survived by three children from that marriage: Gabby, Louise, and Jordan.
Terence Charles Yorath, footballer and manager, born 27 March 1950; died 8 January 2026.
Arsenal forward Gabriel Martinelli will not face additional punishment for pushing Liverpool defender Conor Bradley while he was injured on the pitch. During stoppage time in Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool, Martinelli also appeared to throw the ball at Bradley, who was later stretchered off.
Referee Anthony Taylor booked Martinelli for the incident, which drew widespread criticism from fans and angered Liverpool’s players. Martinelli has since apologised for his actions.
The Football Association has confirmed that no further retrospective action will be taken, as the incident was addressed appropriately during the match by the referee.
Real Madrid survived a tense clash with Atlético Madrid, holding on for a 2-1 victory that keeps Xabi Alonso’s position intact—for now—and sets up a Super Cup final against Barcelona on Sunday. Goals from Fede Valverde and Rodrygo gave Real the edge in a match where judgment and anxiety loomed over Alonso after a month of intense scrutiny.
Madrid wasted no time asserting themselves, scoring after just 77 seconds. Valverde converted a free kick, awarded after Gonzalo García, a 21-year-old substitute for Kylian Mbappé, was fouled by Conor Gallagher. The Uruguayan midfielder’s shot from 25 yards soared past the three-man wall and beat Jan Oblak, giving Real an early lead.
Despite falling behind, Atlético controlled much of the game, taking 22 shots and pressuring Real’s defense repeatedly. Julián Alvarez, Antoine Griezmann, and Sørloth all came close to equalizing, but Madrid’s defense and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois held firm. Courtois made crucial stops, including a near-impossible save from Sørloth and another from Baena.
Rodrygo extended Real’s lead with a composed finish after a slick move past Atlético’s Robin Le Normand, but the lead was short-lived. Sørloth headed in a goal to bring Atlético back into the contest with an hour remaining, forcing Alonso to adjust his defense. He shifted Jude Bellingham to cover the left, replaced injured players Rüdiger and Raúl Asencio, and moved Fran García and Ferland Mendy to reinforce the left side. Vinícius Jr., who had gone 16 matches without a goal, was withdrawn.
In the final minutes, Atlético threw everything forward. Courtois denied an overhead kick from Griezmann, Llorente narrowly missed a curling effort, and Tchouaméni made a crucial interception to prevent a last-minute equalizer. In stoppage time, Atlético had one final chance at 95:33, but the moment slipped away.
Real Madrid held on to claim the win, keeping their Super Cup hopes alive and giving Alonso a reprieve amid the mounting pressure. The result sets up a blockbuster showdown with Barcelona, a match that promises both opportunity and expectation in equal measure.
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Teams are always warned not to think too far ahead, but it would be hard to fault Miami for imagining this moment long before the season began.
The Hurricanes quietly envisioned a path that started with a home opener against Notre Dame and ended with a national championship game played in their own stadium. On Thursday night, that vision became reality.
Miami secured a dramatic 31–27 victory over Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff semifinals at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, powered by a poised performance from quarterback Carson Beck and the steady leadership of head coach Mario Cristobal, who has made restoring Miami’s proud tradition his personal mission.
Though Cristobal maintained his trademark intensity after the game, the achievement is remarkable. Miami opened the first CFP rankings on Nov. 3 at No. 18 following an overtime loss to SMU, barely sneaked into the 12-team playoff field, and has now won three straight postseason games. The Hurricanes will become the first team in the BCS/CFP era (since 1998) to play for a national championship in their home stadium.
“When everyone rushed the field, it felt unreal,” said linebacker Wesley Bissainthe, a Miami native who joined the program when Cristobal arrived in 2022. “Playing for Miami, in front of people from where I’m from — it means everything.”
Miami is no stranger to homegrown championship success. Three of the program’s five national titles were won at the Orange Bowl, including the 1991 championship when Cristobal himself started at offensive tackle. After more than 20 years of inconsistency, it took a coach with deep Miami roots to guide the Hurricanes back to the brink of a sixth title.
Thursday’s win, however, was anything but easy.
Miami controlled much of the game, leading most of the night and dominating key metrics such as time of possession, total plays, and rushing yards. But penalties and miscues stalled drives in the third quarter, allowing Ole Miss to stay within reach.
The fourth quarter turned into chaos, featuring four lead changes in the final seven minutes. With Miami legends like Michael Irvin, Ray Lewis, Gino Torretta, and Edgerrin James watching from the sideline, Beck connected with freshman standout Malachi Toney for a 36-yard touchdown with 5:04 remaining to give Miami a 24–19 lead.
Ole Miss responded quickly. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss marched the Rebels down the field, aided by a controversial pass interference call on third down — a painful reminder for Miami fans of the 2003 Fiesta Bowl. Chambliss then hit Dae’Quan Wright for a 24-yard touchdown with 3:13 left, putting Ole Miss back on top.
Miami hadn’t trailed that late in the fourth quarter since an October loss to Louisville, a game in which Beck threw four interceptions. That defeat marked a turning point in Beck’s season, and against Ole Miss, he showed why. Calm and composed, Beck led a 15-play, 75-yard drive that ended with his own 3-yard touchdown run to reclaim the lead for good.
“The tougher it gets, the better we seem to play,” Cristobal said. “That says everything about this team’s resilience and will.”
Offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson called Beck’s journey “an epic story.” Beck transferred to Miami a year ago while rehabbing an elbow injury that kept him sidelined until fall camp.
“He earned that moment,” Dawson said. “When it mattered most, he rose to it. I think he quieted a lot of doubters.”
As Miami sealed the win, Ray Lewis turned to the crowd and urged the fans to get louder. When the final seconds expired, former players and current Hurricanes celebrated together — united by a shared belief and a hard-earned return to prominence.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Edgerrin James said. “When Coach Cristobal arrived, the old Miami mentality came back. Making the playoffs and then playing for the championship in Miami — it doesn’t get better than that.”
Since the loss to SMU, Miami has won seven straight games, five of them away from home. After their final regular-season home game against NC State on Nov. 15, safety Keionte Scott made it clear the Hurricanes weren’t done at Hard Rock Stadium.
“We knew we were special,” Bissainthe said. “If we got into the playoff, a lot of teams were going to have problems.”
Offensive lineman Anez Cooper, another Cristobal-era player, summed it up simply as the clock ran out.
“I cried,” he said. “I’m just happy we’re going back home.”
