Fighter Paddy Pimblett believes his ego was part of the reason he lost to Justin Gaethje in their interim UFC lightweight title fight in January.

Gaethje defeated the Liverpudlian on points in a gruelling encounter in Las Vegas in which Pimblett never managed to build any momentum.

It was the first loss of Pimblett’s UFC career and ended a nine-fight winning streak.

“I think it was a little bit of my ego got in the way,” Pimblett said on his YouTube, external channel reflecting on the fight.

“I wanted to knock him out. I wanted to show everyone I can strike. I wanted a war.

“When you’re trying to take him down in the fifth round after he bludgeoned you at the end of the second, it’s quite hard.

“Back to fight IQ. Back to the gameplan and not just swinging recklessly.”

Pimblett threw 170 strikes to Gaethje’s 200, with a majority of the contest being contested on the feet.

Gaethje, 37, knocked Pimblett down twice on the way to securing the interim belt and a shot at Ilia Topuria at UFC White House on 14 June.

Pimblett is back in camp and aiming to return to action at UFC 329 in July.

The 31-year-old is waiting to be assigned an opponent but Frenchman Benoit Saint-Denis, currently on a four-fight winning streak, is rumoured to be the current frontrunner.

Pimblett says he is eager to have a rematch with Gaethje in future.

“I’ve got to show everyone why I deserved to get that title shot, show everyone that I’m going to be getting another one in the near future,” Pimblett said.

“I hope [Justin] beats Ilia so I can fight him again.

“That’s all I’m hoping for. He’s got a big ask, beating Ilia Topuria.”

Chelsea captain Millie Bright has retired from football with immediate effect.

The 32-year-old made 294 appearances for the Blues after joining from Doncaster Belles in 2015 and also won 88 caps for England.

The defender won eight Women’s Super League titles with the Blues – including six in a row between 2020 and 2025 – as well as six FA Cups and four League Cups.

But the former England defender has not featured for the Blues since February because of an ankle injury and has decided now is the time to end her career.

“Representing Chelsea over the last 12 years has been everything to me, but I’m now ready to say goodbye to playing football,” said Bright.

“I’ve given all I can, and I never wanted to fight for any other badge.

“It is now time, and I’m ready to go into a new era. I’m always going to be Chelsea, but just in a different way.”

Bright will be taking on a new role as a club ambassador, and will retain her position as a trustee of the Chelsea foundation.

Bright will go down as one of the most influential figures in English women’s football.

The defender retired from international duty last October, having picked up her 88 caps over a nine-year spell.

She was instrumental in the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 victory, starting all six matches as they claimed a first major trophy.

She also wore the captain’s armband as England reached the 2023 World Cup final and was a dependable leader throughout her career.

“Millie has played such a big role in the growth of the women’s game, with both England and Chelsea, and she has achieved so much along the way – what she has given to her club and country is incredible,” said Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman.

“It is hard to put into words the impact she has had. She has inspired so many people, pushed standards and shown girls and boys what can be achieved in the sport.”

Bright withdrew from England’s Euro 2025-winning squad on the eve of the tournament, stating she was “not able to give 100% physically and mentally”.

Her position in the side was no longer certain, with younger defenders Maya le Tissier, Esme Morgan and Lotte Wubben-Moy continuing to progress with England.

As a result, Bright was able to turn her attentions fully to Chelsea this season in the hope of leading them to a seventh successive WSL title.

But it has not gone to plan for Sonia Bompastor’s side with Chelsea sitting six points adrift of leaders Manchester City with two WSL games remaining.

They were knocked out of the Champions League quarter-finals by Arsenal but won the League Cup and are in the FA Cup semi-finals.

It has not been the fairytale ending Bright would have hoped for personally as she has been forced to sit out since February with a frustrating ankle injury.

That was no doubt a contributing factor in her decision to retire, with her contract coming to an end in the summer.

A transition period is on the cards at Chelsea with Bompastor set to make her mark in the transfer window as they look to bounce back from a difficult campaign.

The emergence of young defenders like Veerle Buurman has signalled a natural phasing out on Bright’s part, and other senior players – such as striker Sam Kerr – are also expected to exit.

While still club captain, Chelsea’s dependence on Bright has waned – she started all of their WSL games last season as they claimed an unbeaten domestic treble but Bompastor has been forced to look elsewhere this year.

Bright will continue at Chelsea as a club ambassador and as a trustee of Chelsea’s foundation.

But in recent years the 32-year-old has explored opportunities outside playing, most notably starting the “Daly Brightness” podcast with former England team-mate Rachel Daly.

They faced backlash in April for using a promo image of Chelsea team-mate Lauren James’ sending off at the 2023 World Cup, prompting an apology from producers.

Bright also has a presence on social media, first becoming prominent in 2022 when she regularly posted TikTok videos with goalkeeper Mary Earps.

Following England’s Euro 2022 victory, she became a familiar name among casual viewers and carried the weight of responsibility going into the 2023 World Cup in Leah Williamson’s absence, knowing external expectation had grown tenfold.

Off the pitch, she became a fierce advocate for mental health support and was among those who played a key part in the Lionesses’ call for equal access for girls football in schools following their Euro 2022 success.

She was seen as a joker in the dressing room and had a close relationship with former Chelsea boss Emma Hayes, as well as key players Erin Cuthbert, Guro Reiten and Kerr.

A towering presence on the pitch, who usually came out on top in a one-on-one duel, Bright was often England manager Wiegman’s go-to person, and she even did a job up front on occasions when it was needed – most notably finishing joint-top scorer at the inaugural Arnold Clark Cup in 2022, sharing the Golden Boot award with then-Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.

In her prime, Bright was widely regarded as one of Europe’s best centre-backs and was named in the FifPro World XI twice.

She was also appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s 2024 New Year Honours for services to football.

Ben Haines, Ellen White and Jen Beattie are back for another season of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast. New episodes drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women’s Super League and beyond on the Women’s Football Weekly feed

Former NFL player Josh Mauro has died at the age of 35.

The British-born defensive end played 80 games between 2014 and 2021, most of them for the Arizona Cardinals.

His father Greg has confirmed on social media, external that he died last Thursday. His cause of death has not been revealed.

“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Josh Mauro,” the Cardinals said in a statement.

“Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all who knew him. We extend our deepest condolences to everyone grieving this loss.”

Mauro, who also played for the New York Giants, Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, was born in St Albans when his father worked in the UK. His family moved back to the USA when he was three.

Former Cardinals player and executive Adrian Wilson said: “I had the opportunity to be around Josh for several years with [coach Bruce Arians].

“[Josh was] always in shape, always ready to go wherever he got that call. One of the things I respected most about him, you could depend on him.”

England defender John Stones said he “lived all my dreams out” at Manchester City after confirming he will leave at the end of the season.

Stones, whose contract runs out this summer, has made 293 appearances since joining from Everton for £47.5m in 2016.

He helped City win six Premier League titles, the Champions League, two FA Cups, five League Cups, three Community Shields, the Club World Cup and the Uefa Super Cup.

“It has been my home for the past 10 years and it will be my home for the rest of my life,” said an emotional Stones in a social media post.

“It has been a rollercoaster in many ways. I came as a kid and now leaving as a man – becoming a father, a husband and, on the pitch, a very fulfilled player.

“I lived all my dreams out and lifted all the things that I came here to achieve.

“At the start of my career here I never would thought I would be in this position. Firstly, to achieve everything but to have the love, the bond with everyone. Every dream has been smashed out of the park.”

Stones was Pep Guardiola’s second signing at City, becoming the world’s second most expensive defender at the time.

“I don’t think it would have been anywhere near as successful without him,” said Stones.

“I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to spend so long with him, win everything with him. I feel lucky and grateful for what he’s done for me.”

More to follow.

The understated clench of a gloved fist and casual wave of the bat when reaching three figures did not hint at the significance of the moment, nor the repeat after flicking the runs to seal Durham’s victory.

But Emilio Gay’s 159 not out may be the most consequential performance of this weekend in the County Championship.

It sealed a brilliant win against his side’s Division Two title rivals Lancashire – it completed the third highest run-chase in Durham’s first-class history – but also meant, for the second time this season, Gay ensured his name is the one being spoken about.

If the subplot to these early season rounds is the contest to unseat Zak Crawley as England’s Test opener, after captain Ben Stokes encouraged county players to demand selection with their form, then Gay has staked his claim.

His century was his second in three matches this season. He could not have done much more to this point to answer Stokes’ call.

Gay may have been batting at number three against Lancashire, as he has done almost exclusively since moving from Northamptonshire before the start of last season, but he remains an opener by trade.

His place as Durham’s number three is a happy compromise, given the county has captain Alex Lees, a former England opener, and the highly-rated Ben McKinney in its ranks.

He opened for his school, in club cricket, for Northants and, significantly, for England Lions in Australia last winter where he had moderate success before a hamstring injury curtailed his tour.

As the Lions shadowed the first XI’s Ashes shellacking, Gay returned scores of 56 not out against the Prime Ministers’ XI and 78 against a Cricket Australia XI in Perth.

Lions head coach Andrew Flintoff is known to be a big fan.

“I know there’s going to be a lot of talk about him,” said Durham’s coach Ryan Campbell after the Lancashire win. “All we’re talking about is him playing for Durham.

“He was disappointed with his shot in the first innings when he’d done the hard work and he could’ve cashed in. This time he did.”

The first-innings dismissal Campbell mentions was a loose drive to Lancashire seamer Tom Bailey which resulted in an edge being caught at slip. Some would say it was Crawley-esque.

But Gay, who has played for Italy in three T20s having qualified through his maternal grandfather and is also eligible for West Indies via his paternal grandparents, appears to have the all-round game to suit England in their rebirth under Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.

His team-mate McKinney, another tipped for Crawley’s spot after his 244 against Gloucestershire last week, may have more eye-catching attacking power but Gay has the more balanced set-up.

He mixes classical strokes with a hint of flair and a solid-looking defence.

Gay’s two centuries this year, the first of which came on the season’s opening day, follow four in Division One in Durham’s relegation season last year.

One of those in 2025 came against champions Nottinghamshire and another against Surrey, who finished second.

“Is he good enough? Quite possibly,” said BBC Newcastle commentator Martin Emmerson, who has watched Gay throughout his Durham career.

“Consistency is key, though. While he scored nearly 1,000 runs in Division One last season, there were also five ducks early in the year.”

Gay will have three more Championship matches to further press his case before England’s hierarchy convenes to pick their squad for the first Test of the summer against New Zealand on 4 June.

For the last two of those matches, against Worcestershire and the return at Kent, he will have Stokes in the dressing room, assuming the all-rounder’s recovery from cheek surgery continues as planned.

There are also two four-day Lions fixtures against South Africa A scheduled for late May, with England’s players coming together for a camp in the week in between.

Selections there may reveal plenty.

The first Lions match may be when England get their wish in seeing 22-year-old left-hander James Rew face the new ball.

He is another of the outstanding candidates despite his 379 runs at an average of 75.80 coming in Somerset’s middle order. It is not inconceivable Rew, Gay and McKinney all line up against the Proteas second string.

Over the weekend Haseeb Hameed and Dom Sibley, two openers from England’s past eyeing a recall, also made centuries which muddied the selection waters further.

It does not help that the position of England’s national selector remains vacant – that recruitment process has reached its second stage – but finding context in early-season county batting performance remains difficult, given the lack of similarity between it and the pace and bounce found at Test level.

That is only multiplied when runs flow as they did across this weekend, when all four Division One matches ended in high-scoring draws.

For all of the talk of adapting, England remain keen on batters able to put the best bowlers under pressure and who can deliver on the biggest stage.

What will catch their eye more? Sibley’s 101 from 283 balls in Surrey’s stalemate against Essex or Gay, who thwarted James Anderson and the highly-rated seamer Mitch Stanley to drag Durham from staring at a heavy defeat to victory?

Conversely, Gay’s runs have come in the second division and Lancashire’s attack was tired after four games in four weeks, and Bailey ended the match bowling loopy spin after Lancashire’s request for an injury substitute was rejected.

Context is hard to find but Gay could have done little more.

by CricViz analyst Kieran Parmley

Emilio Gay has slowly pushed himself into England’s consideration over the last few years thanks to his stellar performances at domestic level.

In first-class cricket since the start of 2024, the top-order southpaw is averaging 50.35 across 32 matches, recording eight centuries and eight half-centuries in this timeframe.

Gay notched his unbeaten 159 against Lancashire from the number three spot, however his record when opening the batting will interest England just as much.

The Durham man is averaging 53.21 across 31 innings as a first-class opener since 2024; by comparison, Gay is averaging 44.09 from 22 innings in the number three spot.

As a left-handed opener, right-arm pacers bowling from round the wicket pose an immediate threat to Gay with the new ball.

While Gay generally has a good record against right-arm pace new-ball bowling, his average drops slightly to 29.50 when facing right-arm pacers from round the wicket inside the first 10 overs.

Stylistically, Gay differs slightly from England’s current opening pair when facing the new ball and could signify a shift in mentality at the top of the order.

Gay attacks just 22% of deliveries in overs 1-10, while Duckett attacks 42% and Crawley 34%. Gay tends to defend or leave the ball early on, defending or leaving just under 60% of deliveries against the new ball.

Gay has a dismissal rate of 70 when defending or leaving against the new ball – a significantly better record than current opener Zak Crawley, who is dismissed every 38 deliveries when playing defensively or leaving early on.

Gay is strong playing through the off side against pace, particularly behind square, scoring 29% of his runs against pace behind square on the off side.

As a result, Gay is perhaps slightly weaker down the ground compared to England’s current openers, scoring only 15% of his runs down the ground – current opener Crawley scores 23% of his runs down the ground against pace by comparison.

One small area of concern for England could be Gay’s record against international bowlers during his performances at county level.

While Gay’s recent century came against James Anderson’s Lancashire, he has previously come unstuck against Test-level bowlers.

Since the start of 2024, he is averaging just 21.37 when facing bowlers with a Test cap. Perhaps more relevant to this summer, Gay was dismissed by New Zealand’s Matt Henry in both innings during a county game against Somerset last summer.

As expected in first-class cricket, Gay is vulnerable facing good length deliveries, averaging just 22.51 against length balls.

He has a strong record facing back of a length and short deliveries and unsurprisingly has good numbers playing the pull shot, albeit off a small sample size – scoring 125 runs off 76 pull shots, with just one dismissal.