UFC president Dana White said Thursday that UFC 249 will not go forward on April 18, despite his best efforts to make the event happen. White made the announcement to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, saying that the UFC’s broadcast partners took the decision out of his hands. UFC Told to ‘Stand […]
Robots, Mannequins Serve as Alternative Fans for Professional Sports Teams
A handful of sports leagues are still playing games, and eventually, many more competitions will join them as the world regains some sense of normalcy in the future. But even when athletes retake the field, they’ll likely do so without supporters in the stands, which has led some teams to […]
Field of Eight NBA, WNBA Players Set for Televised HORSE Challenge
Eight current and former NBA and WNBA players will take part in a classic basketball competition from the safety of their homes when ESPN broadcasts the NBA HORSE Challenge beginning on Sunday, April 12. The tournament will benefit charity, with State Farm donating more than $200,000 to coronavirus response efforts […]
UFC 249 Taking Place on Tribal Lands at California’s Tachi Palace Casino Resort
The UFC will hold its next pay-per-view event in California, as UFC 249 will go off at the Tachi Palace Casino Resort, according to multiple media reports. The tribal casino has hosted mixed martial arts events in the past, with the resort hosting most of the early World Extreme Cagefighting […]
Presidential Election Betting Goes Live in West Virginia, Pulled Minutes Later
FanDuel Sportsbook in West Virginia became the first bookmaker to offer legal betting on a US presidential election on Tuesday night, but quickly backtracked, removing the market from its online offerings in the state just minutes later. No regulator in the United States had approved election betting until West Virginia […]
Tennis Integrity Unit Blames Coronavirus Pandemic for Uptick in Suspicious Gambling Activity
The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) – the body tasked with monitoring for suspicious gambling activity in the sport – issued a quarterly report on Wednesday saying that the number of suspect matches was up in early 2020, likely due to the coronavirus pandemic. The TIU reported nearly double the number […]
ATP, WTA May Push Back End of 2020 Tennis Seasons, USTA Calls for Pause on Pro and Amateur Play
The ATP and WTA are considering extending the 2020 tennis season as a way to deal with the complications caused by post-pandemic rescheduling concerns. On Monday, the heads of both tours said that they are working together to assemble a new calendar that would extend beyond November and see more […]
MLB, Players Consider Starting Season in May, Playing All Games in Arizona
Major League Baseball and its players’ union are considering a plan that would see the league start playing games as early as May in Arizona, according to multiple media reports. ESPN and the Associated Press cited sources who said that MLB officials had discussed several different plans for beginning the […]
Dana White: Location Found for UFC 249, Private Island Secured for Future Events
UFC president Dana White insisted he would find a way to hold UFC 249 and future cards after canceling three events due to the coronavirus pandemic. It appears that White is living up to that promise, as he claims to have secured a venue in the US for UFC 249, […]
Chess Moves Online: Banter Blitz Cup Reaches Semifinals, Magnus Carlsen Invitational Begins April 18
Chess betting took center stage momentarily during the COVID-19 pandemic until FIDE postponed the remainder of the Candidates Tournament due to Russian travel restrictions. But online chess offers a nearly perfect replacement for the live game, and some of the world’s top players will be in action on the internet […]
Rob Gronkowski Makes His Mark on the WWE, Wins 24/7 Championship at WrestleMania
Rob Gronkowski entered WrestleMania 36 as the host of the wrestling spectacular. He left the show as a WWE champion – of sorts. Gronkowski won the WWE 24/7 Championship, a title designed to change hands as frequently as possible. 24/7 Championship Changes Hands Anytime, Anywhere Unlike the WWE Championship or […]
NFL Doctor: Widespread Testing Required for 2020 Season to Start on Time
NFL officials say they would like the 2020 season to begin on Sept. 10, the date that was set for the first game of the year prior to the coronavirus pandemic. But the league’s leading doctor now says that such a timeframe will only be possible if widespread testing is […]
WrestleMania 36: WWE Prepares to Air World’s Largest Pro Wrestling Extravaganza from Empty Arena
Fans won’t be able to attend. Some wrestlers won’t be able to perform. But WWE is still preparing to air WrestleMania 36 over two nights this weekend in what promises to be one of the most surreal moments in the company’s history. WrestleMania has moved from Raymond James Stadium in […]
WNBA Delaying Training Camps, Start of Regular Season
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced Friday that the league is pushing back the start of its 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the league is delaying most activities, the WNBA will still hold its draft on April 17, though it will use a virtual format with players participating […]
Toronto Says Professional Sports Teams Can Potentially Play Despite Ban on Large Events
Toronto officials have banned all city-permitted events through June 30, a move that concerned major sports leagues hoping they might be able to restart play by early summer. The city’s mayor is now providing those teams with some hope, saying the policy won’t apply to major sporting events in the […]
Washington D.C. Delays Launch of Mobile Sports Betting
After a series of controversies and delays, Washington, D.C.’s sports betting platform is finally ready to launch. But without any American sports to wager on, officials now plan to wait on taking their first bets in the nation’s capital. The D.C. Office of Lottery and Gaming announced a March 31 […]
UFC Notebook: Ferguson Wants Nurmagomedov Stripped of Lightweight Title
Khabib Nurmagomedov has officially confirmed that he will not be fighting at UFC 249, a move that has Tony Ferguson saying the champion should be stripped of his title. Nurmagomedov has made it clear in recent days that he doesn’t see a way to fight on the April 18 card […]
Swedish Amateur Soccer Team Receives Death Threats Over Friendly Match Featured at Betting Sites
A seventh-tier Swedish soccer club says it dealt with online abuse after drawing a friendly match on Monday, apparently because betting sites offered odds on the match. Skabersjo IF and Vastra Ingelstad IS drew their match, 1-1. Outside of the friends and families of the players on both teams, few […]
UEFA Indefinitely Suspends Champions League, Europa League, Season Could Be ‘Lost’
UEFA announced an indefinite suspension for the Champions League and Europa League on Wednesday, as officials acknowledge that, at a certain point, Europe may simply lose the remainder of its soccer schedule. European soccer has almost entirely shut down, with the exception of the Belarusian Premier League, which continues on […]
Wimbledon Canceled for First Time Since WWII Due to Coronavirus
The All England Club announced the cancellation of the 2020 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The decision means that this will be the first year 1945 that Wimbledon will not take place, with the last cancellation being due to World War II. This is also […]