Press conference news — SportsCatch

Verstappen's blunt Sepang heat prep answer wins over F1 fans at Malaysian GP

Asked how he had prepared for Sepang's punishing heat and humidity ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen delivered a characteristically unfiltered response that quickly went viral among Formula 1 fans.

Formula 1 Oct 2

Mo'unga warns All Blacks face a dangerous Wallabies side buoyed by Springboks scalp

Richie Mo'unga has praised Australia's 42-38 victory over South Africa and cautioned that the Wallabies will arrive at Eden Park for the Bledisloe Cup opener brimming with confidence after five straight wins under Les Kiss.

Rugby Oct 2

Klopp breaks silence on City's 114 charges as Heskey backs Isak to rediscover best form

Jurgen Klopp has addressed Manchester City's landmark financial misconduct ruling, citing respect for Pep Guardiola as his reason for staying largely silent. Meanwhile, former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes Alexander Isak is finally justifying his £125m price tag after a slow start.

Football Oct 2

Dana White confirms UFC will produce Fury vs. Joshua as Hearn's 'PR disaster' jab backfires

Dana White has confirmed that the UFC will produce the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua heavyweight fight on December 11 in Cardiff, pushing back on Eddie Hearn's claim that White had been sidelined from the event entirely.

MMA Oct 1

Silva and Wang Cong clash at staredown as UFC 332 vacant flyweight title looms

Natalia Silva and Wang Cong faced off intensely at the UFC 332 pre-fight press conference on Thursday, with Wang publicly calling out Silva for not doing enough to promote their flyweight title fight. The pair meet Saturday for the belt vacated by injured champion Valentina Shevchenko.

MMA Oct 1

Silva and Wang Cong face off at UFC 332 press conference to decide flyweight title

Natalia Silva and Wang Cong squared off at the UFC 332 pre-fight press conference Thursday, with the pair set to contest the vacant women's flyweight championship after Valentina Shevchenko's injury forced her out.

MMA Oct 1

Piastri dismisses Zak Brown's friendship concerns after drivers' Langkawi getaway

Oscar Piastri has pushed back on McLaren CEO Zak Brown's view that driver friendships blunt competitive instincts, speaking ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix after a Langkawi holiday with Norris, Russell, Bearman, Bortoleto, Albon and Sainz.

Formula 1 Oct 1

Klopp dismisses far-right 'idiocy' over Germany squad's racial make-up as 'complete nonsense'

Jurgen Klopp has hit back at AfD politicians who attacked his Germany squad's racial composition after Sunday's defeat to Greece, calling the debate idiotic and saying he refuses to give such people his attention.

Football Oct 1

Klopp brands far-right criticism of Germany squad's racial makeup 'complete nonsense'

Jurgen Klopp has hit back at social media claims that his Germany squad is 'not white enough', dismissing the accusations as idiocy after AfD politicians used the team's defeat to Greece to attack its racial composition.

Football Oct 1

Ronaldo slams the door on Portugal and faces a barrage of criticism

After a clash with coach Jorge Jesus, Cristiano Ronaldo left the Portugal camp without permission on Wednesday. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner flew back to Madrid by private jet, promising to explain himself, while the press and pundits fire away.

Football Oct 1

Zidane on his 2006 headbutt: "I'm not proud, but no regrets"

On the eve of France-Italy in the Nations League, Zinedine Zidane reflected on the headbutt he inflicted on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final: the France manager owns the episode without disowning it, but without being proud of it.

Football Oct 1

UFC 332 flyweight title fight headlines low-buzz Salt Lake City card this weekend

Natalia Silva and Wang Cong clash for the vacant UFC flyweight title at UFC 332 in Salt Lake City on Saturday, headlining a card that has struggled to generate significant fan interest ahead of fight night.

MMA Oct 1

Verstappen targets first 2026 win at Sepang, the circuit where his F1 career ignited

Max Verstappen has reached the podium six times in his last eight races but is yet to win in 2026. The four-time champion returns to Sepang — where he claimed his second career victory in 2017 — still hunting Red Bull's first win of the season.

Formula 1 Oct 1

Dembélé dismisses tension rumours with Mbappé: "We sit next to each other at the table"

Captain of the French national team in the absence of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé dismissed speculation at a press conference about a rift between the two forwards, who are rivals for the Ballon d'Or.

Football Oct 1

Pro-Palestine protesters urge Republic of Ireland to boycott second Israel fixture in Serbia

Dozens of demonstrators gathered outside Dublin's Aviva Stadium on Thursday to demand the FAI and Ireland players refuse to face Israel again on Sunday, days after a 3-0 defeat of Israel in Hungary drew significant political controversy.

Football Oct 1

Joshua backs Hearn to pull plug on Fury fight if Dana White dispute forces the issue

Anthony Joshua says his loyalty lies with promoter Eddie Hearn and he will support any decision to cancel the December 11 bout against Tyson Fury if the ongoing feud with Dana White makes the fight untenable.

MMA Oct 1

Russell warns tyre overheating at Sepang could kill overtaking at Malaysian Grand Prix

George Russell has cautioned that extreme heat at the Sepang International Circuit will cause aggressive tyre overheating, making it harder for drivers to follow closely or re-attack after being passed. McLaren's Oscar Piastri echoed the concern, flagging high degradation on a resurfaced but abrasive track.

Formula 1 Oct 1

Antonelli reveals why he drove 'under the limit' to salvage fifth from 16th in Baku

Kimi Antonelli started the Azerbaijan Grand Prix 16th after a Q1 crash and practice disruptions, yet finished fifth by consciously managing risk rather than forcing his way through the field. The championship leader explained the mindset shift ahead of this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Formula 1 Oct 1

Ronaldo walks out on Portugal squad after federation president and manager fail airport plea

Cristiano Ronaldo departed Portugal's Nations League camp in Copenhagen on Wednesday after federation president Pedro Proenca and manager Jorge Jesus failed to persuade him to stay, even pursuing him to the airport. The 41-year-old faces a potential one-to-six-month international ban under FPF disciplinary rules.

Football Oct 1

Sterling challenges Foster to fix MMA refereeing before banning oblique kicks

Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has pushed back against California Athletic Commission Director Andy Foster's proposal to ban oblique kicks, arguing that poor referee accountability is a far more pressing problem in MMA.

MMA Oct 1