Latest news with #Greco-Roman
The Age
18 hours ago
- The Age
Australian crypto king bit off part of attacker's finger during botched kidnapping, court told
London: Australian crypto billionaire Tim Heath bit off part of an attacker's finger while fighting off a kidnapping attempt outside his apartment in Tallinn last year, an Estonian court has heard. Heath, 47, was ambushed in the stairwell of his apartment in Tallinn's Old Town on the night of July 29 last year. The assault was part of an alleged plot by an organised group to abduct the entrepreneur and extort cryptocurrency. The Tallinn-based Eesti Ekspress reported that one of the men, 49-year-old Azerbaijani national Allahverdi Allahverdiyev, allegedly placed his hand over Heath's mouth to silence him during the attack. Heath responded by biting through his index finger. The court heard that DNA evidence later confirmed part of the bloodied severed finger was found on the street near St Nicholas Church, about 100 metres from the scene. Heath also lost a tooth in the attack but managed to resist long enough to prevent the group from forcing him into a waiting van. Allahverdiyev, a former Greco-Roman wrestler and boxer, told the court he was promised €100,000 ($180,000) to carry out the kidnapping. He admitted to being part of the attack but claimed he had second thoughts once it began, the paper reported. 'I did it,' he said in court. 'I pretended to do something. It lasted about 30 seconds.' He also testified that he told the others to abort the plan, shouting: 'Let's go! Let's leave!' Kidnappings and physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency industry figures have surged in the past 18 months. At least 231 reported incidents have involved digital asset holders and nearly one-third of those have occurred since the beginning of last year, according to industry experts. Eesti Ekspress reported that since the attempted abduction, Heath has spent more than €2.7 million on private security, changed homes and rarely appears in public without protection. His legal team is seeking restitution of those costs from the accused, despite the low likelihood of recovery.
Sydney Morning Herald
18 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australian crypto king bit off part of attacker's finger during botched kidnapping, court told
London: Australian crypto billionaire Tim Heath bit off part of an attacker's finger while fighting off a kidnapping attempt outside his apartment in Tallinn last year, an Estonian court has heard. Heath, 47, was ambushed in the stairwell of his apartment in Tallinn's Old Town on the night of July 29 last year. The assault was part of an alleged plot by an organised group to abduct the entrepreneur and extort cryptocurrency. The Tallinn-based Eesti Ekspress reported that one of the men, 49-year-old Azerbaijani national Allahverdi Allahverdiyev, allegedly placed his hand over Heath's mouth to silence him during the attack. Heath responded by biting through his index finger. The court heard that DNA evidence later confirmed part of the bloodied severed finger was found on the street near St Nicholas Church, about 100 metres from the scene. Heath also lost a tooth in the attack but managed to resist long enough to prevent the group from forcing him into a waiting van. Allahverdiyev, a former Greco-Roman wrestler and boxer, told the court he was promised €100,000 ($180,000) to carry out the kidnapping. He admitted to being part of the attack but claimed he had second thoughts once it began, the paper reported. 'I did it,' he said in court. 'I pretended to do something. It lasted about 30 seconds.' He also testified that he told the others to abort the plan, shouting: 'Let's go! Let's leave!' Kidnappings and physical attacks targeting cryptocurrency industry figures have surged in the past 18 months. At least 231 reported incidents have involved digital asset holders and nearly one-third of those have occurred since the beginning of last year, according to industry experts. Eesti Ekspress reported that since the attempted abduction, Heath has spent more than €2.7 million on private security, changed homes and rarely appears in public without protection. His legal team is seeking restitution of those costs from the accused, despite the low likelihood of recovery.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC
THE Ultimate Fighting Championship is potentially just days away from having a new poster boy. And it's somewhat fitting that the potential coronation of mixed martial arts' premier promotion's new king will take place nearly four years to the day that Conor McGregor - the face of the sport for several years - had what looked to be his final outing. Advertisement 9 Ilia Topuria is on the cusp of making UFC history Credit: AP 9 The Georgian-born Spaniard will look to claim the vacant UFC lightweight title Credit: GETTY 9 Standing between Topuria and yet more history is former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira Credit: GETTY 9 Topuria and his family come from incredibly humble beginnings Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Many have long thought the heir apparent to McGregor's throne was 'Suga' Sean O'Malley, although back-to-back championship defeats to Merab Dvalishvili have seen the former bantamweight king's sweetness fade. The man poised to succeed 'The Notorious' is a Georgian-born Spaniard who made a statement on the prelims of what with increasing certainty looks to be the last McGregor card in UFC history. The man in question is former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who will bid to further write his name into the history books early on Sunday morning in the Las Vegas . Undefeated Topuria will do battle with fellow fan favourite and former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev left aside. Advertisement READ MORE ON TOPURIA Becoming the TENTH two-weight champion in UFC history in the fashion he claimed and defended the featherweight title will catapult Topuria into a new stratosphere, one he always believed he'd reach. Topuria, 28, was born in 1997 in Halle, Germany , where his parents were granted refuge during the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s. It was in Germany that Topuria would discover the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling , which he practised along with his younger brother, Aleksandre. The Topuria family would eventually return to Georgia , where the brothers would continue their education in Greco-Roman wrestling, in 2003. Advertisement Most read in MMA JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 9 Ilia Topuria and his siblings are the sons of refugees who fled the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria and his younger brother, Aleksandre, dropped out of school in their mid-teens to pursue MMA Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria tore through the regional and European scene before being signed by the UFC Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Advertisement 9 He rewarded his dad's trust in him by winning UFC gold in February 2024 Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Eager to provide a better life for their children, Topuria's parents, Zaza and Inga, moved the family to Alicante, Spain , in 2012. Not long after their arrival, Topuria's mother spotted a man sporting cauliflower ears and asked him if he knew where her sons could continue their training. Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs That chance encounter paved the way for Topuria to start his mixed martial arts journey under the tutelage of the Climent brothers, Agustin and Jorge. Advertisement The Topuria brothers' passion for MMA was so fervent that they both asked their dad if they could DROP OUT of school to pursue their dreams of fighting in the UFC. In 2022, Ilia said of his early teenage years in Spain: 'Yes [it was hard to communicate], but I left school when I was like 15 years old. 'When I was 15 years old, I went with my brother to talk with my father to tell him, 'Hey, dad. ''We don't want to go to school any more, but we really want to train. Advertisement 'And we're going to the gym all day, every day, and we're going to train.' 'Because my dream was to fight in the UFC. And he told me, 'If you're really going to train all the time like you tell me, then you have my approval. 'That's one of the reasons why I made my debut so young in the UFC, because it's very tough to get into the UFC from Spain. 'Because I wasn't living in the United States and I wasn't born here, because it's easier.' Advertisement I left school when I was like 15 years old." Ilia Topuria Three years after beginning his training with the Climent brothers, Topuria made his professional debut at the tender age of 18. He'd rip through the competition on the regional and European circuits with eight straight finishes, seven of which came via submission. The UFC came calling in October 2022 and Topuria hasn't looked back since, stopping all comers bar Youssef Zalal and Josh Emmett - both of whom were battered from pillar to post - on his way to claiming and defending the featherweight crown. His coronation as featherweight king came last February with a sensational second-round knockout of fan favourite Alexander Volkanovski. Advertisement And his final outing in the division last October saw him achieve the previously unthinkable and knock out iron-chinned former featherweight champion Max Holloway. Topuria's exploits - in particular his championship victories - have seen him become a superstar in Georgia, Spain and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. He has a whopping 7.7million Instagram followers, has been recognised by boyhood footie team Real Madrid - who presented him in front of a capacity crowd at the Bernabeu after his KO of Volk - and is pals with Los Blancos legends Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos. His global following will explode and the celebs in his orbit will only become bigger, even though he doesn't crave the limelight, should he become a two-weight champion in a similar fashion to his featherweight coronation. Advertisement The title of 'biggest star in the UFC' is right there for the taking for Topuria. All that remains now is for him to make it his own in devastating fashion. 9 Ilia Topuria is already a superstar in Spain and can become a global name with a win over Charles Oliveira Credit: GETTY
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC
TOP OF THE WORLD Meet Ilia Topuria, the son of refugees and high school dropout set to replace Conor McGregor as the face of the UFC Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE Ultimate Fighting Championship is potentially just days away from having a new poster boy. And it's somewhat fitting that the potential coronation of mixed martial arts' premier promotion's new king will take place nearly four years to the day that Conor McGregor - the face of the sport for several years - had what looked to be his final outing. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Ilia Topuria is on the cusp of making UFC history Credit: AP 9 The Georgian-born Spaniard will look to claim the vacant UFC lightweight title Credit: GETTY 9 Standing between Topuria and yet more history is former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira Credit: GETTY 9 Topuria and his family come from incredibly humble beginnings Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Many have long thought the heir apparent to McGregor's throne was 'Suga' Sean O'Malley, although back-to-back championship defeats to Merab Dvalishvili have seen the former bantamweight king's sweetness fade. The man poised to succeed 'The Notorious' is a Georgian-born Spaniard who made a statement on the prelims of what with increasing certainty looks to be the last McGregor card in UFC history. The man in question is former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who will bid to further write his name into the history books early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas. Undefeated Topuria will do battle with fellow fan favourite and former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant 155lbs belt, which the dominant Islam Makhachev left aside. READ MORE ON TOPURIA UFC 317 Topuria vs Oliveira: Live stream, results, start time and TV channel Becoming the TENTH two-weight champion in UFC history in the fashion he claimed and defended the featherweight title will catapult Topuria into a new stratosphere, one he always believed he'd reach. Topuria, 28, was born in 1997 in Halle, Germany, where his parents were granted refuge during the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s. It was in Germany that Topuria would discover the sport of Greco-Roman wrestling, which he practised along with his younger brother, Aleksandre. The Topuria family would eventually return to Georgia, where the brothers would continue their education in Greco-Roman wrestling, in 2003. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 9 Ilia Topuria and his siblings are the sons of refugees who fled the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in Abkhazia in the '90s Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria and his younger brother, Aleksandre, dropped out of school in their mid-teens to pursue MMA Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 Topuria tore through the regional and European scene before being signed by the UFC Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA 9 He rewarded his dad's trust in him by winning UFC gold in February 2024 Credit: INSTGRAM@ILIATOPURIA Eager to provide a better life for their children, Topuria's parents, Zaza and Inga, moved the family to Alicante, Spain, in 2012. Not long after their arrival, Topuria's mother spotted a man sporting cauliflower ears and asked him if he knew where her sons could continue their training. Watch jacked Ilia Topuria complete epic UFC 317 body transformation after ditching crash diet to lose over 40lbs That chance encounter paved the way for Topuria to start his mixed martial arts journey under the tutelage of the Climent brothers, Agustin and Jorge. The Topuria brothers' passion for MMA was so fervent that they both asked their dad if they could DROP OUT of school to pursue their dreams of fighting in the UFC. In 2022, Ilia said of his early teenage years in Spain: 'Yes [it was hard to communicate], but I left school when I was like 15 years old. 'When I was 15 years old, I went with my brother to talk with my father to tell him, 'Hey, dad. ''We don't want to go to school any more, but we really want to train. 'And we're going to the gym all day, every day, and we're going to train.' 'Because my dream was to fight in the UFC. And he told me, 'If you're really going to train all the time like you tell me, then you have my approval. 'That's one of the reasons why I made my debut so young in the UFC, because it's very tough to get into the UFC from Spain. 'Because I wasn't living in the United States and I wasn't born here, because it's easier.' I left school when I was like 15 years old." Ilia Topuria Three years after beginning his training with the Climent brothers, Topuria made his professional debut at the tender age of 18. He'd rip through the competition on the regional and European circuits with eight straight finishes, seven of which came via submission. The UFC came calling in October 2022 and Topuria hasn't looked back since, stopping all comers bar Youssef Zalal and Josh Emmett - both of whom were battered from pillar to post - on his way to claiming and defending the featherweight crown. His coronation as featherweight king came last February with a sensational second-round knockout of fan favourite Alexander Volkanovski. And his final outing in the division last October saw him achieve the previously unthinkable and knock out iron-chinned former featherweight champion Max Holloway. Topuria's exploits - in particular his championship victories - have seen him become a superstar in Georgia, Spain and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world. He has a whopping 7.7million Instagram followers, has been recognised by boyhood footie team Real Madrid - who presented him in front of a capacity crowd at the Bernabeu after his KO of Volk - and is pals with Los Blancos legends Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos. His global following will explode and the celebs in his orbit will only become bigger, even though he doesn't crave the limelight, should he become a two-weight champion in a similar fashion to his featherweight coronation. The title of 'biggest star in the UFC' is right there for the taking for Topuria. All that remains now is for him to make it his own in devastating fashion.
![Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnson enjoy a yacht costume party during their Greece summer getaway [See Pic]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.toiimg.com%2Fthumb%2Fmsid-122122818%2Cwidth-1070%2Cheight-580%2Cimgsize-89396%2Cresizemode-75%2Coverlay-toi_sw%2Cpt-32%2Cy_pad-40%2Fphoto.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnson enjoy a yacht costume party during their Greece summer getaway [See Pic]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Findiatimes.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
Time of India
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnson enjoy a yacht costume party during their Greece summer getaway [See Pic]
Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie Johnson. Image via: magicjohnson/ Instagram NBA legend Magic Johnson is once again living his best life. In his recent post on Instagram, it was revealed that he and his wife, Cookie Johnson, have been enjoying on the sparkling waters of Greece. The 65-year-old Hall of Famer, known for his post-retirement success as a businessman and team owner, recently shared a glimpse into his luxurious summer escape. While cruising through the Ionian Islands with his wife, Cookie, and a few close friends, Johnson and his wife appeared in a costume-themed yacht party that instantly grabbed attention online. Magic Johnson and his wife, Cookie Johnson, enjoy a yacht costume party during their summer getaway Magic Johnson took to Instagram to offer fans a peek into one of the more entertaining nights of his vacation. In his latest Instagram post, he shared a glimpse of a toga-themed costume party aboard a lavish yacht. 'We had a fun toga party on the yacht last night with our friends and the crew!' he captioned the post, tagging his wife, Cookie Johnson. The photo carousel featured three snapshots, starting with a portrait of the NBA icon and Cookie dressed as a Greek god and goddess. The couple stood out in their white and gold attire against the stunning sea backdrop. In the other pictures, Johnson's guests could be seen fully embracing the theme, donning togas and sandals, surrounded by crew members and laughter. For those unfamiliar, toga parties are inspired by Greco-Roman traditions, where attendees wear draped garments resembling ancient Roman clothing, often to celebrate in a spirited and theatrical fashion. The yacht party was just one highlight of Johnson's ongoing trip across Greece. He began his tour on the Ionian Islands, making stops in Corfu and Kefalonia. 'Cookie and I are enjoying our time in Greece with our friends Dave and Tonya, Tony and Vanessa, Frank and Nina Cooper, and Eula Smith. Take a look at the beautiful castle lit up at nighttime!' he shared in another Instagram post, showing both his admiration for Greek culture and the camaraderie of his travel circle. While Magic may have hung up his jersey long ago, his life has only grown more dynamic. From winning five NBA championships and earning three MVP awards with the Los Angeles Lakers to building a reported net worth of $1.5 billion. Also Read: "That's why I married your dad" — Cooper Flagg's mom Kelly Flagg makes hilarious admission about her marriage during candid chat with her son The Lakers legend and his wife share a beautiful relationship and are dubbed as one of the NBA's power couples. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
