SportsNews

UFC ref rates Adesanya fight as greatest

Published

1 year ago

September 29, 2024

Veteran UFC referee Marc Goddard has hailed the epic middleweight clash between Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum as the greatest fight he has ever officiated.

Speaking to talkSPORT MMA, Goddard singled out the co-main event of UFC 236 in Atlanta as his most memorable encounter in the Octagon.

The British official, who has overseen numerous iconic bouts, described the interim middleweight title fight as an “ungodly” display of heart and skill.

“Every day of the week, twice on a Sunday, it’s Israel Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum,” Goddard declared when asked about his top fight. “I couldn’t believe what I was watching unfold in front of me.”

Goddard said he was deeply moved by the fighters’ extraordinary determination, recounting a poignant moment before the final round when Adesanya declared, “I’m prepared to die.”

“You had two guys in the exact same moment that wouldn’t go away,” Goddard explained. “They went into the deepest, darkest depths of their soul and into the deepest, darkest waters imaginable in a fight, and I was right alongside them.”

Goddard admitted the intensity of the bout left a lasting impact on him, saying, “I’ve cried after that fight watching it back because it was ungodly what those guys did.”

The five-round war, which Adesanya won by unanimous decision, has been widely regarded as one of the greatest fights in UFC history, with Goddard’s emotional testimony further cementing its legendary status in mixed martial
arts.

SportsNews

2026 World Cup: Super Eagles waiting for FIFA’s decision – Iwobi

Published

3 hours ago

February 6, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

Super Eagles playmaker, Alex Iwobi, has admitted they are waiting to see if the team would still play at the 2026 World Cup.

The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, is optimistic of a potential lifeline from FIFA, after it submitted a petition against the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Iwobi was asked by SuperSport if he would rather lift the AFCON 2025 trophy or qualify for the World Cup?

The 29-year-old, who played at the 2018 of the World Cup, replied: “I mean we’re still waiting, well hopefully we can go to the World Cup, but I feel it’s a tough one.

“It’s a tough one because winning AFCON is like… It’s a great legacy, it’s a great thing to have like in your career, a memorable moment.

“But then at the same time, because I’ve been to the World Cup already, a lot of the players haven’t been. They would like to say ‘I want to go to the World Cup,’ so I can’t be selfish and say win the AFCON and for my teammates to not go to the World Cup. So it’s a tough one. I don’t know. I don’t know.”

Politics

PRESIDENT TINUBU CONDOLES WITH SAMUEL CHUKWUEZE OF THE SUPER EAGLES ON THE PASSING OF HIS MOTHER

Published

1 week ago

January 30, 2026

Ekwutos Blog

President Bola Tinubu sends his condolences

to Super Eagles forward Samuel Chukwueze on the passing of his mother.

The President also extends his sympathies to the family and friends of Mrs Sarah Chukwueze, who passed away on Thursday.

President Tinubu mourns with the Chukwueze family and encourages them to find solace in the memory and legacy of their late matriarch.

“The passing of Mrs Chukwueze, the mother of one of our bright football stars, just a few days after the passing of Super Eagles’ captain Wilfred Ndidi’s father, is deeply saddening.

I mourn with them, and I am with them in prayers during this difficult time,” the President says.

President Tinubu prays that God Almighty will grant the departed eternal rest.

Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President
(Information and Strategy)