Page 22 - ATD25Febr2016

A22

SPORTSThursday 25 February 2016

Djokovic wins 700th career NFL the number of personal
Continued from page 17 fouls assessed to individual
m atch to reach Dubai quarters players during the season
SANDRA HARWITT Beckham played ag- because repeat offend-
gressively throughout the ers already receive bigger
Associated Press game, but some of his pen- fines and more punitive
alties were so flagrant it actions under the current
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- spurred a debate whether NFL system.
players with more than one The NFL Players Association
ates (AP) - Novak Djokovic offense in a game should does not have to approve
automatically be ejected rules changes before they
earned his 700th career — like basketball players take effect.
and coaches who receive League officials and the
match win at the ex- more than one technical union have had some dis-
foul, or soccer players who cussions about revamping
pense of Tunisian wild card receive two yellow cards. the discipline process.
NFL Commissioner Roger The other big issue for the
Malek Jaziri 6-1, 6-2 at the Goodell said during Super competition committee on
Bowl week he believes two this year’s agenda in Indy
Dubai Championships on personal fouls in the same is a retread: the definition
game by one player should of a catch. Over the past
Wednesday. lead to ejection, and Jones several years, fans, players
indicated there’s not much and even coaches have
Djokovic, who joined the dissension on that point. argued vehemently they
And now that everyone have had a hard time un-
tour a decade ago, has is in Indianapolis for the derstanding the rule.
league’s annual scouting Jones said the committee
a 700-146 career match combine, which begins has not looked at replays
Wednesday, the topic is of Larry Fitzgerald’s recep-
record. He’s one of three front and center. tion in last season’s play-
“We’ve had preliminary off game against Green
active players to reach 700 discussions,” Atlanta Fal- Bay, which was upheld by
cons president and com- a replay review, or com-
wins, the others being Rog- mittee chairman Rich McK- pared it to the one Dez
ay said. “But it takes some Bryant thought he made
er Federer with 1,067, and amount of time to develop in the playoffs a year ear-
something like this.” lier at Green Bay. Bryant’s
Rafael Nadal on 775. Novak Djokovic from Serbia returns the ball to Malek Jaziri from There has been no discus- “catch” was overturned
“Sounds like I played many Tunisia during the third day of Dubai Tennis Championships in sion of implementing an and ruled incomplete.q
matches in my career,” a Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016. NBA-style rule based on
smiling Djokovic told the
crowd. Djokovic has won Associated Press

the Dubai title four times, secure the match three Second-seeded Stan

but lost to Federer in the points later. Wawrinka of Switzerland

last two years. “Solid match and perfor- advanced with a 7-5, 6-1

In the first set, Djokovic lost mance,” Djokovic said. I win against Croatian quali-

just two points in four ser- will take the positives for to- fier Franko Skugor.

vice games. morrow.” Wawrinka, who was two

The only scare he faced Djokovic will play sixth- points from defeat in his

was when serving for the seeded Feliciano Lopez of first round match against

match in the eighth game Spain in the quarterfinals. Sergiy Stakhovsky, will play

of the second set. He Lopez advanced with a eighth-seeded Philipp

double faulted to a break 6-3, 7-6 (7) win over Lukas Kohlschreiber of Germany
point, but recovered to Rosol of Czech Republic. in the quarterfinals.q

McGregor to fight Diaz at UFC 196 after Dos Anjos gets hurt

GREG BEACHAM With less than two weeks fighter during his lengthy
AP Sports Writer for Diaz to cut weight, the
Conor McGregor will fight fighters agreed to meet career until last year, when
Nate Diaz at UFC 196 on at the 170-pound welter-
March 5 after champion weight limit in the UFC 196 he tore a knee ligament
Rafael Dos Anjos dropped main event. Bantamweight
out of their bout with a foot champion Holly Holm also and needed a nine-month
injury. meets Miesha Tate on the
UFC President Dana White pay-per-view card at the gap between bouts.
announced the 170-pound MGM Grand Garden Are-
matchup Tuesday night af- na in Las Vegas. Dos Anjos eagerly accept-
ter a day of frantic shuffling. Diaz and his older brother,
Dos Anjos (24-7) was forced Nick, are rivaled only by ed the huge payday and
out of the matchup after McGregor himself as mixed
injuring his foot in training in martial arts’ most eloquent high-profile matchup with
his native Brazil. McGregor trash-talkers, and the UFC
(19-2) won the 145-pound 196 fighters are already off McGregor, boasting of the
featherweight title in De- to an entertaining start.
cember, and the loqua- While fans speculated ease with which he would
cious Irish superstar hoped about McGregor’s new
to hold the 155-pound light- opponent earlier Tuesday, win. Instead, Dos Anjos be-
weight belt simultaneously. Nate Diaz tweeted: “He’s
Diaz (18-10) isn’t a title con- going to have to get on his came the second straight
tender, but the entertain- knees and beg...”
ing brawler from Stockton, Diaz was echoing previ- Brazilian champion to incur
California, is one of the ously boastful social-media
UFC’s most popular fighters comments from McGregor, a serious injury during train-
in his weight class. Diaz lost who has said he wants his
a decision to Dos Anjos last future opponents to line up ing for McGregor, missing
year, but also beat Michael “on their knees with their
Johnson in December in a hands out. I want them to In this Dec. 11, 2015, file photo, Conor McGregor poses on the out on a large payday in
thrilling lightweight bout. beg” for the payday that
scale during the weigh-in for UFC 194 in Las Vegas. the process. Aldo, the UFC’s

comes with fighting him. Associated Press long-reigning feather-
in 13 seconds in December.
weight champion, was pur-
White detailed the pro- White said Donald “Cow-
sued and verbally trashed
motion’s hustle to fill the boy” Cerrone and former
for months by McGregor.
matchup with McGregor champions Anthony Pet-
Aldo dropped out of their
in an interview on ESPN’s tis and BJ Penn and other
bout 11 days beforehand
“SportsCenter,” saying for- fighters were willing to
with a rib injury last sum-
mer champions Jose Aldo take the bout, but the UFC
mer, and McGregor beat
and Frankie Edgar turned chose Diaz.
late replacement Chad
down the short-notice Dos Anjos stopped Cerrone
Mendes to win the interim
fight. Edgar is thought to in December to defend
title. Aldo finally faced Mc-
be injured, while the short his title in his first fight since
Gregor in December, and
preparation time wasn’t claiming the belt last March
McGregor ended Aldo’s
enough for Aldo, who was with a win over Pettis. Dos
18-fight win streak in spec-
knocked out by McGregor Anjos had been a durable
tacular fashion.q