In a weekend which saw UFC 257 and the FA Cup grabbing a lot of attention, there was plenty of other action from the world of sport making the headlines, too. From driving prodigies at Ferrari to Manny Pacquiao’s next fight, here are five sports stories you might have missed...
It’s Patrick Mahomes Vs Tom Brady At Super Bowl LV
Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs booked their place at Super Bowl LV this weekend following a 28-24 win over the Buffalo Bills and they will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by six-time ring winner Tom Brady in his 10th Super Bowl appearance.
Many believe the game, due to take place on 7 February, will determine if Mahomes, already a Super Bowl winner and the hottest property in the NFL, has what it takes to one day overtake Brady as the sport’s greatest of all time. The 55th Super Bowl will take place at the Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium, the first time a team has played in the showpiece event in their home stadium.
Ryan Garcia Confirms He’s Fighting Pacquiao Next, Not McGregor
It was a tough weekend for Conor McGregor. First he’s beaten inside two rounds by Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 and then within 24 hours he saw a fight worth potentially millions against Manny Pacquiao evaporate when boxer Ryan Garcia seemed to confirm on Instagram that he was fighting the Filipino great next instead.
Garcia wrote, “A dream turned reality. It’s an honour to share the ring with Manny Pacquiao. I will always respect what you did in and out of the ring. Here’s to the best man winning.”
ESPN Mexico report that the two camps have yet to sign anything but a September date in Los Angeles or Saudi Arabia has been discussed.
Ferrari Sign First Female Driver To Academy
Maya Weug - remember the name. The teenage Dutch driving prodigy has just made motorsport history as the first female inductee into the Ferarri Driver Academy. Weug, 16, beat three other finalists at the FIA's inaugural Girls on Track - Rising Stars programme and will now be given a seat at the FIA’s Formula 4 championships this year.
"This is a key moment in the history of Scuderia Ferrari and its Academy, the FDA, set up in 2019 to shape the drivers of the future for our Formula 1 team," said Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto.
Tyrell Hatton Outshines Rory McIlroy In Abu Dhabi
Tyrell Hatton overtook Rory McIlroy in the world rankings this weekend with a win at the Abu Dhabi Championship, continuing a rich vein of form that has seen the Englishman win four titles since 2019.
The tournament was supposed to be a dress rehearsal for McIlroy ahead of The Masters in 11 weeks’ time but instead it showed that Hatton too should be targeting major honours of his own. With the win, Hatton all but ensured a place on Europe’s Ryder Cup team this year.
“Everyone in their career, their goal is to win a major and I’m no different,” said Hatton.
“Obviously the majors last year for me were disappointing, I missed the cut in all three. But golf’s a funny game. You’re trying your best every single week, and some weeks it sort of works out better than others. So I’m hoping that in 2021, the majors fall in good weeks for me.”
Man United Go Three Points Clear At Top Of WSL
Having had their 10-match unbeaten run halted by Chelsea last weekend, Manchester United moved back to the top of the Women’s Super League with a 2-0 win over Birmingham. Leah Galton and Ella Toone got themselves on the scoresheet for Casey Stoney’s side, who were unlucky not to have scored more.
With second-placed Chelsea and fourth-placed Arsenal both having matches postponed due to poor weather conditions, United are now three points clear of Chelsea, who have two matches in hand, and six points clear of the Gunners, who have a game in hand themselves.
