Sports

12:08 PM ET This weekend saw Lionel Messi play for a new club (weird), Manchester United flatter to deceive (not weird), Juventus struggle without the United-bound Cristiano Ronaldo (not his fault) and Arsenal learn more humbling lessons, this time against Manchester City. (We expected that, right?) There were big wins for Barcelona, Real Madrid and

12:34 AM BST An emotional Ardie Savea says he has no intention of deviating from his usual approach to rugby despite being named New Zealand captain ahead of the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship meeting with Australia in Perth next weekend. Savea will celebrate his 53rd appearance for his country by taking over the captaincy after

10:22 PM ET Associated Press DEL MAR, Calif. — Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit held off Rock Your World in the stretch to win the $100,000 Shared Belief by 1¼ lengths on Sunday at Del Mar for embattled trainer Bob Baffert. Medina Spirit raced for the first time since finishing third as the 9-5 favorite

11:40 PM ET Associated Press DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ryan Blaney won for the second consecutive week when the race Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway ended under caution in overtime with a typical fiery finish. Tyler Reddick took the 16th and final spot in the playoffs with a seventh-place finish. Reddick needed only to

1:47 AM ET Giga Chikadze was out to prove a point in his first UFC main event. Facing one of the legends of the sport in Edson Barboza on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Chikadze displayed his striking prowess and stopped Barboza in the third round after a flurry of punches. The former kickboxing star

7:34 AM ET JAKE PAUL ARRIVED at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, just after 9 p.m. on April 24. He got to his front-row seat for UFC 261 during a preliminary fight between Alex Oliveira and Randy Brown. As Paul settled into his spot, a buzz came over the crowd. People around him

7:32 PM ET Associated Press SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Essential Quality just keeps on winning, displaying a grit that his handlers simply marvel at. The Belmont Stakes winner added the $1.25 million Travers Stakes to his resume Saturday, holding off Midnight Bourbon in a stirring stretch duel at Saratoga Race Course for his eighth victory

4:28 PM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Novak Djokovic said winning the calendar-year Grand Slam would be the highlight of his career in a news conference on Friday at the US Open. “I think it’s an easy question — yes, it would be,” he said when asked if winning all four majors in 2021 would be his

5:44 PM ET OWINGS MILLS, Md. — The Bryson DeChambeau Experience has, for quite some time, felt a bit like a spinning roulette wheel. It’s hard to predict what outcome might emerge, because virtually anything seems possible. His round on Friday at the BMW Championship was more proof of that, as DeChambeau flirted with becoming

12:15 PM ET The Cleveland Cavaliers are acquiring Chicago Bulls restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen in a three-way trade that also involves the Portland Trail Blazers, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Markkanen is heading to the Cavs on a four-year, $67 million deal in a sign-and-trade agreement with the Bulls. Chicago will receive Derrick Jones

7:15 PM ET The NFL has proposed increasing its COVID-19 testing cadence for vaccinated players as cases surge around the country and multiple teams deal with case clusters that have sidelined prominent players and coaches this summer. The league wants to move testing for vaccinated players to once every seven days from once every 14

7:30 AM ET When asked last month about the possibility of a 12-team College Football Playoff, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney was blunt in his disapproval. “Our team isn’t for it,” he said. “They don’t want to play more games. And to be honest with you, I don’t know if there’s 12 teams good enough.” How

7:00 AM ET Editor’s note: From rising strikeout totals and unwritten-rules debates to connecting with a new generation of fans and a looming labor battle, baseball is at a crossroads. As MLB faces these challenges, we are embarking on a season-long look at The State of Baseball, examining the issues and storylines that will determine

12:26 PM ET What a weekend of fun we had across Europe! There were big wins for Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League, a big fight in Ligue 1 that will resonate for some time, and some off-field drama involving Cristiano Ronaldo‘s status at Juventus. Also we saw Barcelona, Man United and

6:42 PM BST Tries from wing Makazole Mapimpi and hooker Malcolm Marx helped South Africa secure a comfortable 29-10 victory over Argentina in their Rugby Championship clash at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday. Both tries came in the second half, and the Springboks will be disappointed they could not score more to earn

6:17 PM ET Associated Press HENDERSON, Ky. — Fire destroyed a barn at Ellis Park race track in Kentucky early Sunday, with officials saying the horses inside were rescued. Sunday’s racing program was canceled after the fire in the receiving barn, where horses are supervised and examined before running in a race. The barn can

6:30 PM ET The UFC Fight Night main event between Jared Cannonier and Kelvin Gastelum on Saturday night in Las Vegas is a pivotal one in the 185-pound division. The winner will remain a top contender, while the loser will slide down the rankings. ESPN has Cannonier ranked No. 5 at middleweight. Gastelum is currently

1:47 AM ET Jared Cannonier has been in the UFC for six years, competing in three different weight divisions. He’s closer to 40 years old than 30. Yet, on Saturday night, the former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) employee put forth perhaps his most impressive performance in the Octagon. Cannonier bested Kelvin Gastelum via unanimous decision

7:44 PM ET Associated Press Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s career rushing leader, is joining the Xfinity Series as a part owner of Jesse Iwuji Motorsports. Iwuji is fielding his own team as an owner-driver, and now he has Smith on board. Smith joins a growing list of sports personalities to get involved in motorsports team

7:16 AM ET Mark KriegelESPN LOS ANGELES — It feels odd to watch a man who’s earned purses in excess of $200 million wrapping his own hands, but Manny Pacquiao works with a practiced diligence that belies both his fortune and his standing as a presidential hopeful back home in the Philippines. He binds his