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SPORTS Monday 6 noveMber 2017

Lipinets wins vacant IBF junior welterweight belt over Kondo

By BARRY WILNER In a bout featuring lots of his native Japan for the first and landing uppercuts. He The Showtime bout took
AP Sports Writer action but lots of missed time, carried much of the opened a cut on Kondo’s place on the undercard of
NEW YORK (AP) — punches, the 28-year-old action in the second half of nose in the second round, Deontay Wilder’s defense
Sergey Lipinets won a Lipinets of Kazakhstan won the bout. but it was the gash on Lipin- of his WBC heavyweight
unanimous decision over despite dealing with a cut The AP scored it 115-113 for ets from a head butt in the crown.
Akihiro Kondo for the va- on the forehead that bled Lipinets, who is 13-0. sixth round that had more “It was a fair decision,”
cant IBF junior welterweight for the final six rounds. Kondo fell to 29-7-1, los- effect in the fight. Kondo said.
title Saturday night, a deci- He won 118-111 on one ing for the first time in nine “The head butt really im- “He hit me with a lot of
sion that was lustily booed judge’s card and 117-111 fights. paired my vision and it led hard punches and I felt like
by the crowd at Barclays on two others even though Lipinets was sharp early, us- to me walking into some I needed at least a knock-
Center. Kondo, fighting outside of ing his right lead to score stupid shots,” Lipinets said. down in the last round.” q
St. Pierre wins UFC title fight to cap night of new champs

By DAN GELSTON “I don’t have words in my
AP Sports Writer mouth right now,” GSP said,
NEW YORK (AP) — Georges wiping blood from his face.
St. Pierre peered through He went to a hospital after
the blood that washed the fight to get stitches on
over his face and locked his nose.
on a choke hold, a packed St. Pierre’s 13th straight UFC
house at Madison Square victory made it 3 for 3 for
Garden absolutely roaring the championship chal-
for “G-S-P!” lengers in front of 18,201
St. Pierre tightened his grip fans in the promotion’s sec-
until Michael Bisping had no ond card at the Garden in
more fight left. Four years 12 months. T.J. Dillashaw
after he walked away from won the bantamweight
UFC for a mental breath- championship for the sec-
er, St. Pierre walked out ond time and Rose Nama-
of MSG a champion — a junas won the strawweight
breathtaking reminder that title on the pay-per-view
the Canadian is still one of card.“It’s time for a new
the best ever inside the oc- era in this sport,” Namaju-
tagon. nas said.UFC, a promotion
And he proved it in the at a crossroads with its box
main event in one of UFC’s office superstars Conor Mc-
all-time great cards. Gregor, Ronda Rousey and Georges St-Pierre, of Canada, fights England’s Michael Bisping, below, during a middleweight
St. Pierre ended UFC 217 Jon Jones on the bench, title mixed martial arts bout at UFC 217 Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017, in New York. St-Pierre won the fight.
by reasserting himself as a got a breakthrough out- (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
top star in the sport, turning ing from Namajunas that St. Pierre was one of the November 2013. St. Pierre But Bisping busted open St.
his middleweight champi- stamped her as the face of UFC’s marquee names and simply said he needed a Pierre’s nose, smothering
onship bout against Bisp- the women’s division. a legit pay-per-view draw break. both fighters in blood as
ing into a mismatch Satur- But UFC needed a blast during his long reign atop Against the trash-talking they wrestled on the mat
day night. The 36-year-old from the past to ignite the the 170-pound division, but Bisping, St. Pierre had take- before getting up looking
fought like he had only four fanbase as it moves to- the Canadian star walked downs in each of the first like they’d just left the set of
months off, not four years. ward 2018. away an MMA legend in two rounds. a horror film.q

Deontay Wilder knocks out Bermane Stiverne in 1st round

By BARRY WILNER tance with him. just want to prove that I am moved slowly and cau- challenger back down.
AP Sports Writer Wilder sent Bermane Sti- the best. I know I am the tiously around the ring. Sud- At that point, Wilder
NEW YORK (AP) — When verne to the canvas three best, but I wanna prove I denly, Wilder lashed out climbed atop the ropes in
Deontay Wilder finally took times in the opening round am the best.”There wasn’t with a huge right that felled a neutral corner, shouting
off the gold mask he wore to defend his WBC heavy- much question of that in the Stiverne (25-3-1). at Stiverne’s trainer to end
into the ring, he displayed weight title Saturday night Showtime card that ended Already, Wilder was cel- things.When they didn’t,
a fierce scowl. at Barclays Center. in spectacular fashion.The ebrating, but Stiverne got another right and then a
That look never disap- “So much frustration, it just 32-year-old Wilder jabbed up. Unwisely, it turned out, mammoth left hook sent
peared from his face as he seemed like my career, it’s through much of the first because another big right down the challenger for
knocked out the only man been crazy . so many guys round while Stiverne, who as part of a flurry of punch- the final time with his “Ala-
who’d ever gone the dis- using PEDs,” Wilder said. “I hadn’t fought in two years, es sent the 38-year-old bama Slammer.” q