Off the wire

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

UFC alters main event

UFC 249 is still on schedule for April 18, with Tony Ferguson fighting Justin Gaethje for an interim lightweight title in the main event. Although UFC President Dana White hasn’t announced a venue for his promotion’s biggest pay-per-view show of the spring, he remains determined to hold an event in less than two weeks despite the coronavirus pandemic. The mixed martial arts promotion announced the change to UFC 249’s main event bout Monday. Gaethje replaces lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, who is apparently unable to leave Russia amid the pandemic. White has remained steadfast in his plan for the UFC to fight on while virtually all high-level sports competition has stopped. White reportedly is attempting to secure a venue on the West Coast for the show, likely on tribal lands. Most U.S. states have restrictions in place that would make it impossible to stage a show even without an audience. Ferguson (25-3) is a longtime lightweight contender who has been booked to fight Nurmagomedov five times. Every single bout has fallen through due to injury or other circumstances. Gaethje (20-2) is among the UFC’s most exciting fighters with his heedless brawling mentality.

BASKETBALL

Boston earns award

South Carolina freshman Aliyah Boston has been named the Lisa Leslie Award winner, a honor presented to women’s basketball’s top center. The 6-5 Boston becomes the second South Carolina player in three seasons to capture the award from the Basketball Hall of Fame and Women’s Basketball Association, joining 2018 winner A’ja Wilson. Boston was the SEC freshman and defensive player of the year. She averaged 12.5 points and 9.4 rebounds this season while setting a South Carolina freshman mark with 86 blocked shots.

Upcoming Events