Latest news with #LoftusVersfeld
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 319 Main Card Set With High-Stakes Featherweight Co-Main Event
Pretoria , South Africa - 6 July 2024; UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus du Plessis is introduced to ... More the crowd before the first test between South Africa and Ireland at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images) The TBD vs. TBD slot on the upcoming UFC 319 fight card has been filled. During Saturday's UFC Abu Dhabi fight card, the UFC announced that high-profile UFC free agent signing Aaron Pico would face the undefeated Lerone Murphy in the co-main event of the UFC 319 pay-per-view card. UFC 319, which features a main event title fight between middleweight champ Dricus du Plessis and the unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev takes place on Saturday, August 16. The United Center in Chicago plays host to the UFC 319 PPV fight card. The UFC has not held a fight card in Chicago since 2019. The UFC 319 main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN, and early prelims on ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass. UFC 319 Pay-Per-View Card Officially Announced Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev - For Du Plessis's UFC middleweight title Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico - Featherweight Geoff Neal vs. Carlos Prates - Welterweight Jared Cannonier vs. Michael Page - Middleweight Tim Elliott vs. Kai Asakura - Flyweight Other UFC 319 Fights Officially Announced King Green vs. Diego Ferreira - Lightweight Gerald Meerschaert vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk - Middleweight Jessica Andrade vs. Loopy Godinez - Women's Strawweight Chase Hooper vs. Alexander Hernandez - Lightweight Edson Barboza vs. Drakkar Klose - Lightweight Bryan Battle vs. Nursulton Ruziboev - Middleweight Karine Silva vs. JJ Aldrich - Women's Flyweight *The full UFC 319 fight card has not been officially released by the UFC. UFC 319 Main Event: Dricus du Plessis Vs. Khamzat Chimaev PERTH, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 18: Dricus Du Plessis of South Africa reacts after his submission victory ... More against Israel Adesanya of Nigeria in the UFC middleweight championship fight during the UFC 305 event at RAC Arena on August 18, 2024 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Dricus du Plessis (23-2) joined the UFC in October 2020 as a 26-year-old with a 14-2 record. Before he joined the UFC, Du Plessis had won titles with KSW and EFC. He made his debut against Markus Perez on the main card of a UFC Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi. Du Plessis knocked out Perez in the first round. He followed that win with a July 2021 'Performance of the Night' KO win of Trevin Giles. Those two wins earned him a shot against the ranked veteran Brad Tavares. Du Plessis won that scrap via decision. The victory put him in the top 15 of the division. A December 2022 submission win over Darren Till moved Du Plessis to No. 10 in the division. A TKO win over the No. 5 ranked Derek Brunson followed. Du Plessis, who was working his way up the rankings, faced a tough test in his next outing when he met the No. 2 ranked Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. Du Plessis continued his rise, knocking out the former UFC champion in the UFC middleweight title eliminator and earning another 'Performance of the Night' bonus. More important than the bonus was the title shot Du Plessis received for that win. He faced then-champion Sean Strickland in January, taking the title from Strickland in a 'Fight of the Night' bonus-winning scrap In his first title defense Du Plessis picked up an August 2024 submission win over former UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya. Du Plessis most recently faced Strickland in a rematch at UFC 312 in early February of this year. Du Plessis won that contest via unanimous decision. I wrote of the champ after that fight, "Dricus du Plessis looked much more controlled and less reckless at UFC 312 than in many of his previous battles. He mixed up his striking techniques and targets against Sean Strickland, landed the more powerful blows, and didn't put himself in too many awkward positions. "Du Plessis did a much better job in his UFC 312 rematch against Strickland in shutting down his foe's offense. In the first fight, Strickland landed 173 of 408 significant strikes. While in the rematch, Strickland was held to 128 landed strikes on 263 attempts. Meanwhile, Du Plessis increased his landed strikes and landing percentage from the first fight to the second. In the first battle, Du Plessis landed 137 of 354 attempts for a landing rate of 38 percent. At UFC 312, the champ landed 147 of 314 attempts for a striking rate of 46 percent. 'Du Plessis has defended the UFC middleweight crown twice while going 9-0 in the UFC. Despite his winning ways, the champ remains a bit of an enigma because his style shouldn't work — but it does.' ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - OCTOBER 26: Khamzat Chimaev of Russia prepares to face Robert ... More Whittaker of New Zealand in a middleweight fight during the UFC 308 event at Etihad Arena on October 26, 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Chimaev (14-0) is the No. 3 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings. The 30-year-old made his UFC debut in July 2020 with a second-round submission win over John Phillips. He followed that victory with a first-round TKO over Rhys McKee 10 days later, breaking the UFC record for the quickest turnaround between UFC wins in the modern era. Then, in September, Chimaev knocked out Gerald Meerschaert. Things slowed down for Chimaev after that. He was booked to face Leon Edwards in December 2020, but that matchup never came to be despite multiple attempts to make the fight happen. The reason behind the numerous cancellations of Edwards vs. Chimaev was COVID-19. When Chimaev finally returned to the Octagon in October 2021, he made short work of Li Jingliang, scoring a submission at 3:16 of Round 1. In his next bout, Chimaev went the distance for the first time in his career, picking up a victory over Gilbert Burns. He followed that with a submission over Kevin Holland. A break of more than a year followed that victory. Chimaev's next outing was an October 2023 matchup against Kamaru Usman, a fight that Chimaev won via decision. A year after that, Chimaev made short work of Robert Whittaker, defeating the ex-UFC middleweight champ via submission (face crank) in the first round of their UFC 308 scrap. UFC 319 Co-Main Event: Lerone Murphy Vs. Aaron Pico LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 05: Lerone Murphy of England reacts after his victory over Josh Emmett in ... More their featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 05, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Lerone Murphy (16-0-1) opened his UFC career with a 2019 draw against Zubaira Tukhugov. Since then, the 34 year old has done nothing but win. Murphy has gone 8-0 with the UFC since that draw, most recently beating former UFC interim title challenger Josh Emmett by decision. Before that April 2025 victory, Murphy picked up wins over Edson Barboza and Dan Ige. Murphy is the No. 6 ranked fighter in the official UFC 145-pound division. MIAMI, FLORIDA - APRIL 11: Aaron Pico is seen during a Q&A session prior to the UFC 314 ceremonial ... More weigh-in at Kaseya Center on April 11, 2025 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC) Aaron Pico (13-4) joined the UFC as a free agent earlier this year. Pico was with Bellator for his entire MMA career before departing as a free agent. The 28-year-old had an up-and-down run with the promotion, but he enters UFC Abu Dhabi on a three-fight winning streak. His record in his past 10 fights is 9-1. His only loss during that span, which dates back to January 2020, is a October 2022 TKO loss to Jeremy Kennedy in a fighter were the doctor stopped the bout because Pico dislocated his shoulder. When announcing the initial UFC 319 co-main event of Movsar Evloev vs. Pico, UFC CEO Dana White called Pico, 'the guy most people consider to be the top free agent in the world.' White added, 'Aaron Pico is a ridiculously violent striker and a very high-level grappler. Pico has had hype behind him since he was a teenager because of his skill and fighting style, which people compare him to the likes of Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier.' The Pico vs. Evloev fight fell apart in mid-July when Evloev was pulled from the card due to illness. UFC 319 Fight Card Location: United Center in Chicago, IL UFC 319 Date: Saturday, August 16 UFC 319 Time: Main Card: 10:00 p.m. ET Preliminary Card: 8:00 p.m. ET Early Prelims: 6:00 p.m. ET We will have more on UFC 319, including the official announcement of the UFC 319 co-main event, as fight night nears.
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Blue Bulls enter Currie Cup tournament with good mix of youth and experience
The Bulls showed that they are serious about winning the Currie Cup this year, when Coach Phiwe Nomlomo named his squad for this tournament, which kicks off this coming weekend. No fewer than six of the players who starred for the Junior Springboks in winning the u.20 World Championship and four Springboks are among those named in Nomlomo's squad for the tournament. The robust health of the union's junior pathways is further reflected in another 10 players being u.21, which signals both ambition and confidence on the part of Nomlomo and his coaching team. Thus, more than 50 percent of the squad (excluding the injured list) is comprised of club and u.21 players. Former SA u.20 player Nama Xaba, a flanker, will captain the side this season. Ahead of this weekend's start against Western Province in Cape Town, Nomlomo hailed South African rugby's oldest competition as a 'great opportunity for the players to go out and do their best for themselves and the jersey'. He said he was excited that incoming Bulls URC coach, Johan Ackermann, would be able to see the Currie Cup squad first hand, and to run the rule over the depth at Loftus Versfeld. 'They've put in the work,' said Nomlomo, who is under no illusions as to the strength of the competition. – Loose head prop Lizo Gqoboka, who is back at Loftus Versfeld after his stint in Cape Town, lock Marvin Orie, wing Aphiwe Dyantyi and veteran flank, Nizaam Carr, are the four Springboks in the group, while Stedman Gans is a sevens Bok. – The 31-year-old flyhalf, Jaco van der Walt, played four tests for Scotland in 2020 and 2021. – The world champion Junior Boks who will wear Blue Bulls colours are Esethu Mnebelele, Jacobus Grobbelaar, Jean Erasmus, JJ Theron, Cheswill Jooste and Demitre Erasmus. The full squad for the Currie Cup season is: Forwards: Abri van der Westhuysen; Cassie Badenhorst; Dylan de Leeuw; Dylan Smith; Esethu Mnebelele; Francois Klopper; Jacobus Grobbelaar; Jean Erasmus; Jeandré Rudolph; JJ Theron; Joe van Zyl; Junior Pokomela; Lizo Gqoboka; Marco Ferreira; Marvin Orie; Nama Xaba (captain); Ruan Swart; Shaun Schurmann and Sintu Manjezi. Backs: Boeta Chamberlain; Brooklyn Newmann; Cheswill Jooste; Chris Barend Smit; Daimon O'Connell; Demitre Erasmus; Henry Immelman; Jaco van der Walt; Katlego Letebele; Liam Koen; PA van Niekerk; Riyaad Bam; Stedman Gans; Steven Nel; Stravino Jacobs and Zak Burger. Injured players: Aphiwe Dyantyi; Celimpilo Gumede; Corné Beets; Cornel Smit; Heinrich Theron; Juann Else; Khutha Mchunu; Nizaam Carr and Simphiwe Matanzima. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Herald
09-07-2025
- Sport
- The Herald
Kariega's Dolf eager to play in front of home fans
Growing up playing touch rugby with some boys in Pelican Street in Rosedale, Kariega, taught Springbok Women fullback Byrhandre Dolf how to step past bigger people, hence her dream to meet Cheslin Kolbe, who has perfected that art on the rugby field. And as soon as Dolf had moved from playing on tar to grass when her talents were recognised, she was invited to play rugby with her peers. Imagine Dolf's joy when the Springbok Women and Springboks flew from Johannesburg to Gqeberha on the same flight on Sunday, and she found herself seated next to Kolbe. As she recalls enthusiastically: 'We talked a bit of rugby, and he gave me some stepping tips.' Since boarding the flight to the Friendly City, Dolf has not stopped smiling. Not only did she score a wonderful try against Canada in the first Test at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, where she plays her provincial rugby for the Bulls Daisies, but then, after spending some time on the plane with Kolbe, she realised she was home when the plane touched down at the Dawid Stuurman International Airport. 'It was such a great feeling to be back. Rugby takes you to many places, but it also takes you away from home a lot, so for me to come back here was such a great feeling,' she said after the Bok Women completed their second training session of the week. This focused squarely on a better result than the 50-20 defeat suffered in Pretoria. 'We trained nicely so far, and we actually took some confidence from that game, despite the result. 'We scored three very good tries and realised that the gap between them as number two ranked team in the world, and ourselves is not that big, providing that we limit our soft moments and stay in the fight.' For Dolf, who made her Test debut against Canada 21 matches ago in 2023, the positives outweigh the negatives coming into the second clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium. 'We focused on playing with more intensity and not having those 'switched off' moments, and that already worked well for us at training. 'I am optimistic that we will be a much harder team to break down this weekend,' she said. Dolf will be playing in the green and gold in front of her family for the first time, especially doing so in front of her grandmother, Lizzie Jantjies, with whom she lived from the age of eight. 'She is going to be there and see me play and that is special, as well as other family and friends,' Dolf said, adding that her previous experience at the iconic city landmark was equally memorable. 'I was already playing rugby at the time and loving it and also doing well, having played for the Eastern Province U16 and U18 teams at the National Girls Weeks. 'In 2021, when the Springboks played against Argentina, I was actually a ball retriever inside the stadium for that match and when I handed Malcolm Marx the ball to throw into the line-out, I was the happiest person ever, being so close to a rugby idol.' A lot of time has passed since and for Dolf, a lot of accolades have happened. She captained the Junior Springbok Women in 2022, made her Test debut a year later and went on to play in 21 Tests, scoring seven tries (and one conversion) in the green and gold, and missing only three Tests since that debut. 'That day I gave Malcolm the ball was huge for me and, since then, a lot of good things happened for me in rugby,' she said. — SA Rugby Communications
TimesLIVE
08-07-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Bulls bolster squad with Serfontein, Orie, Janse van Rensburg and De Wet
The post-Jake White era has started in earnest at Loftus Versfeld, with the Bulls announcing the arrival of experienced midfielder Jan Serfontein, locks Marvin Orie and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg and scrumhalf Paul de Wet. Serfontein returns to Pretoria on an initial three-year deal and EPCR Challenge Cup and French Top 14 winner Janse van Rensburg has put pen to paper for a contract that expires in June 2027. Orie and De Wet have joined the herd on short-term deals. Serfontein returns to Tshwane from French side Montpellier, whom he left the capital for and made more than 147 appearances since the 2017 season. Before his departure, the Springbok centre earned 48 caps for the Bulls, scoring 15 tries from 45 matches. The Grey alumni arrived back at Loftus on July 1 and will have his contract with the club run to 2028.
IOL News
08-07-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Jan Serfontein returns to the Bulls as Springboks make their way back to Loftus
While Jake White has been booted out of Loftus Versfeld, his dream of more Springboks moving back to the Bulls is becoming a reality. On Tuesday, the Bulls announced the return of veteran centre Jan Serfontein and Springbok Marvin Orie to the Pretoria kraal. Serfontein, who had been on the books of French side Montpellier since 2017, has signed an initial three-year contract with Bulls. The Grey College alumnus made more than 147 appearances since the 2017 season for Montpellier after leaving the Bulls. Before his departure, the Springbok centre earned 48 caps for the Pretoria side, scoring 15 tries from 45 starts. Serfontein will link up with former teammate, Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard, who also recently returned to Pretoria after stints with Montpellier and the Leicester Tigers in England.
