Manila Chooks set for Montreal Masters participation

The Philippines get another crack to be on the 3x3 stage, with the return of Manila Chooks TM onto the 3x3 pro circuit.

FIBA 3x3 has invited the squad to participate in the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Montreal Masters, which takes place from September 4-5.

This is the second tournament they are participating after the Doha Masters back in March. They were supposed to be in the Lipik Challenger back in May, but they were unable to participate due to visa-related matters.

Chooks-to-Go President Ronald Mascariñas shares, "The team is hungry to redeem themselves. They have been ready since May but unfortunately their Croatian visas did not make it in time for the FIBA 3×3 Lipik Challenger. There have been a lot of challenges faced by the team brought about by the current pandemic but we are confident that frequent participation in the FIBA 3x3 pro circuit will only make the team stronger."

The squad is composed of Mac Tallo, Zach Huang, Dennis Santos, and Mark Yee, with Chico Lanete serving as an alternate. Aldin Ayo remains as the head trainer. Their RT-PCR tests are slated for Tuesday, with a planned departure date the next day.

Pandemic-related conditions have forced preparations to be restricted to online training. Ayo adds, "With regards to conditioning, there will be no problem as we made sure that the players figured in high-intensity workouts. The chemistry will also be there since the team has been together for three months already. But the tournament itself is a different beast. With the limitations that we have, we studied a lot of films on our possible opponents and we are hoping that the preparations translate to winning games."

Twelve teams are set to participate, led by 2nd-ranked Riga and 4th-ranked Ub. Three more top-ten sides also present in 7th-ranked Amsterdam, 8th-ranked Antwerp, and tenth-ranked Edmonton.

The other teams in the field are Princeton, Lausanne, Raudondyaris, Omaha, home side Old Montreal, and a yet-to-be-identified team who will be topping a Quest event.

$40,000 awaits the champion in this leg, with a total prize pool of $110,000.

Mascariñas adds, "We are hoping for a good result in Montreal as this tournament will be the starting point for our domestic season."

Alapag joins Stockton Kings

Jimmy Alapag

The Mighty Mouse has landed a new gig.

Jimmy Alapag is set to join the Stockton Kings for the upcoming NBA G League season. Fresh from helping the Sacramento Kings win the 2021 NBA Summer League title in Las Vegas as an assistant coach, he reunites with Kings Summer League head coach Bobby Jackson to do the same duties.

After an iconic playing career that lasted fourteen seasons for both club and country, Alapag moved into coaching, serving as the head coach of Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League. He helped Alab claim the ABL title in 2018, and helped shepherd the side to a then second-best 10-6 record before the coronavirus pandemic forced the postponement and eventual cancellation of the season.

The other Kings hirings are as follows:

Serving as Associate Head Coach is Will Scott, who was the Head Video Coordinator and Player Development Coach in Sacramento the last couple of seasons. Scott was part of Luke Walton's staff with the Los Angeles Lakers as the Head Video Coordinator during Walton's head coaching tenure with the Lakers from 2016-19. Before that, he served in various capacities with the Lakers and their G League counterparts South Bay Lakers since the 2011-12 season.

Alongside Alapag as an Assistant Coach is Akachi Okugo, who spent last season with the Sacramento Kings as its Player Development Manager. Okugo is about to spend his fifth season with the franchise after an outstanding playing career at California State University - San Marcos, where he is second all-time in three-pointers made and was an Honorable Mention All-Conference as a senior.

Sydney Haydel has been tapped as Stockton's Director of Basketball Operations, whilst also serving as Player Development Coordinator for Sacramento. She is coming off a five-year stint with the NBA league office in the Basketball Strategy and Analytics department, playing a key role in the completion of the pandemic-affected 2019-20 season at the NBA campus inside Walt Disney World in Florida. She will assist current Kings Vice President of Player Development and Stockton Kings General Manager Paul Johnson. A University of Hawaii alumna, Sydney has had grassroots coaching experience teaching the sport with the Jr. NBA program in India and China, while also playing a part in the Leading Youth Sports and Development (LYSD) while in West Africa.

Kaiti Jones will serve as Stockton's Performance Coach and Sport Scientist. Jones is coming off a five-year stint at the University of Louisville, spending four of those with the women's basketball program as its strength and conditioning coach. With the Cardinals, Jones led the development, implementation, and analysis of sport-specific preparation, training, assessment, testing, screening and monitoring for its student-athletes. Kaiti will report to Katie Babcock, who is starting her fourth season as the Kings' Head Athletic Trainer.

NBA releases Opening Week, Christmas schedule

Just as one major event closes with the conclusion of Summer League, the National Basketball Association gets us closer to its milestone season.

The league on Wednesday revealed thirteen matchups, all of which will be shown nationally in the United States, with the remaining portion of the schedule to be known this weekend. This includes games that are to celebrate the NBA's 75th season.

Eight of the matchups are part of the Kia NBA Tip-Off 2021 that involve twelve teams, with three rematches from last season's playoffs as well as the last eight Most Valuable Player awardees.

On October 19 (20 in Manila), the league will kick off its historic campaign with the freshly-minted champions Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Brooklyn Nets. The Bucks outlasted the Nets in seven games for a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals, and are very eager to showcase their first championship banner in fifty years against one of perceived favorites for the upcoming season.

That game will be followed by the Golden State Warriors visiting the Los Angeles Lakers, a rematch of one of the games in the inaugural edition of the Play-In Tournament. The hosts managed to defeat the visitors, 103-100 to earn the seventh seed, but succumbed to the Phoenix Suns in six games in the first round.

On October 20 (21 in Manila), the aforementioned Suns will host the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of their Conference Semifinal matchup, while Ime Udoka will make his head coaching debut with the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden versus the New York Knicks.

October 21 (22 in Manila) will feature the Atlanta Hawks hosting the Dallas Mavericks, in the latest chapter of the intertwined history between Trae Young and Luka Doncic. Also. the Los Angeles Clippers are headed to the Chase Center to face the Warriors.The final set of confirmed Kia Tip-Off matches as of now is slated for October 22, the Nets travel to Philadelphia to face the 76ers, while Suns and Lakers revisit their matchup at Staples Center.

For Christmas (December 26 in Manila), the NBA is once again setting up a five-game slate.

Opening things up on their 74th edition of the holiday games is the Hawks visiting the Knicks, a first round meeting last postseason that got some notoriety with Trae Young against the raucous fans at MSG. It also marks the first time Atlanta is playing on this day since 1989, ending a drought that had been the longest among all the thirty NBA teams.

The Celtics will head to Milwaukee to face the Bucks, followed by the Suns hosting the Warriors. The much-anticipated star-studded matchup between the Lakers and Nets will take place in Los Angeles, whilst the Utah Jazz get to stay home and face the Mavericks.

The NBA also reiterated key dates on its 2021-22 season, with the league holding its 2022 All-Star Game in Cleveland on February 20 (21 in Manila). The regular season ends on April 10 (11 in Manila), with the Play-In Tournament taking place on April 12-15 (13-16 in Manila), followed by the postseason kick-off on April 16 (17 in Manila).

Pacquiao vs. Ugas: The Legend vs. The Olympian' set for GMA broadcast

The change in opponents will not alter GMA's plans to show Manny Pacquiao's upcoming fight in Las Vegas.

All things remain as scheduled for the Senator's showdown against current WBA welterweight champion Yordenis Ugas, after the latter stepped up to replace Errol Spence Jr. The American had to bow out due to a detached retina.

GMA Network, is still set to show the free TV broadcast of the boxing event on Sunday, August 22, in partnership with TAP Digital Media Ventures Corp, at 11am, with a same-day replay at 1030pm. Those who prefer a live blow-by-blow coverage can head on to GMA's flagship AM radio station Super Radyo DZBB 594 and its sister stations nationwide starting at 9am.

The Cuban is set to defend the title for the first time after defeating Abel Ramos last year. This is the same title Pacquiao claimed in defeating Keith Thurman in his last fight back in 2019. Ugas had been set to face Fabian Maidana as part of the undercard for Pacquiao-Spence before all the changes were made.

Sky to offer Pacquiao vs Ugas on SKY PPV

Manny Pacquiao's tweaked next fight will be on pay-per-view.

With Errol Spence Jr sidelined due to a detached retina, Yordenis Ugas steps up to the plate to secure the event on August 22, starting at 9am Manila time, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ugas is defending the WBA super welterweight title in this matchup, the same title Manny Pacquiao claimed in his previous fight against Keith Thurman. The Cuban totes a 26-4 record (with 12 wins coming via KO) and claimed that belt after defeating Abel Ramos last year.

Fans in the country can check out the fight commercial-free and in HD through SKY Pay-Per-View at PhP 750. There will also be same-day replays at 3pm and 7pm, as well as a telecast the next day at 7pm.

As an additional perk, fight fans can also check out a loop of Pacquiao's greatest fights in the run-up to "Pacquiao vs Ugas," Matches against Marco Antonio Barrera, Oscar Dela Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley, and his first duel with Juan Manuel Marquez will be broadcast until August 21.

Interested SKY subscribers can check out mysky.com.ph/skyppv or text SKY PPV <Account Number> to 23662. For more details, follow SKY on Facebook (fb.com/myskyupdates), Twitter, and Instagram (@myskyupdates).

Historic ONE: Empower event set for September 3

ONE: Empower

After being postponed due to the pandemic, ONE Championship has released a new date for its historic mixed martial event, ONE: Empower.

Originally booked for a late May date, the first all-women's fight card hosted by a major mixed martial arts outfit is scheduled to take place on September 3 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The main event features Xiong Jing Nan defending her ONE Women's Strawweight title against 2nd-ranked Michelle Nicolini, but the highlight lies with the four quarterfinal matchups that comprise the ONE Women's Atomweight World Grand Prix.

Top-ranked atomweight contender Denice Zamboanga faces fifth-ranked Seo Hee Ham, with the latter making her ONE Championship debut.

Second-ranked Meng Bo takes on Ritu Phogat, with the Indian contender fresh from a victory against Lin Heqin.

Alyona Rassohyna and Stamp Fairtex face each other in a rematch from February.

Itsuki Hirata going up against ONE Championship newcomer Alyse Anderson.

Completing the main card for ONE: Empower is a kickboxing duel between Anissa Meksen and Cristina Morales.

For the lead card, Filipino-American striking sensation Jackie Buntan will go up against Daniela Lopez in the main feature as a ONE Super Series Muay Thai matchup.

Serving as a World Grand Prix alternate bout is a fight featuring Mei Yamaguchi and Julie Mezabarba, with another fight to be finalized by the end of ONE: Battleground III, as the winner of Bi Nguyen and Jenelyn Olsim gets to clash with Grace Cleveland.

The complete ONE: Empower card is as follows:

ONE Women’s Strawweight World Championship
(C) Xiong Jing Nan vs. (2) Michelle Nicolini
Strawweight: 52.3 KG–56.7 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix
(1) Denice Zamboanga vs. Seo Hee Ham
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Mxed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix
(4) Stamp Fairtex vs. (3) Alyona Rassohyna
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix
(2) Meng Bo vs. Ritu Phogat
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix
Itsuki Hirata vs. Alyse Anderson
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Kickboxing
Anissa Meksen vs. Cristina Morales
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

LEAD CARD

Muay Thai
Jackie Buntan vs. Daniela Lopez
Strawweight: 52.3 KG–56.7 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix Alternate
Mei Yamaguchi vs. Julie Mezabarba
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Mixed Martial Arts – Atomweight World Grand Prix Alternate
Bi Nguyen/Jenelyn Olsim vs. Grace Cleveland
Atomweight: 47.7 KG–52.2 KG

Lipeng extends Folayang's ONE Championship woes

 

Zhang Lipeng

ONE Championship became witness to an impressive debut, as Chinese veteran Zhang Lipeng made a successful debut with the outfit on Friday night.

Lipeng secured a unanimous decision victory over Eduard Folayang at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, capping off five exciting mixed martial arts matchups.

Zhang applied pressure early, taking Folayang to the ground successfully and controlling him on the mat. After securing the Filipino icon’s back, Zhang pounded away while threatening with a rear-naked choke.

Folayang tried to swing the momentum in the second round, using low kicks to chop his opponent’s legs. But Zhang made crucial adjustments and took the action back to the ground with a blast double.

In the third and final frame, Folayang had more success defending the takedowns as he continued to work Zhang’s legs. But a huge slam toward the end of the round sealed the deal for the Chinese stalwart. All three judges scored the bout for Zhang to win by unanimous decision.

Also lasting the distance is the matchup between Alex Silva and Miao Li Tao. Silva, the former ONE Strawweight World Champion utilized his expert grappling to stifle his Chinese opponent on the mat and earn a clear-cut unanimous decision. Silva threatened with submissions early in the first round, catching Miao in a deep armbar attempt. The grappling dominance continued in the second and third frames, allowing the Brazilian to pull ahead on the scorecards.

The heavyweight clash between Thomas Narmo and Alain Ngalani ended in a no-contest, after the latter committed an unintentional foul that left the Norwegian fighter unable to continue in the second round.

Eko Roni Saputra needed just ten seconds to finish his matchup against Liu Peng Shuai, as the Indonesian rising star landed a dynamite right hand to force a historic quick conclusion. The victory was Saputra's fifth consecutive first round stoppage, and is the fastest in the history of the flyweight division for ONE Championship.

Opening the card was Rahul Raju securing a second round submission victory over Otgonbaatar Nergui. After withstanding a strong and aggressive approach from his Mongolian opponent in the first round, Raju rode on his grappling in the next one, eventually setting up a rear-naked choke to secure the win.

The official results for ONE: Battleground II are as follows:

Mixed Martial Arts - Lightweight: Zhang Lipeng def. Eduard Folayang via Unanimous Decision
Mixed Martial Arts - Strawweight: Alex Silva def. Miao Li Tao via Unanimous Decision
Mixed Martial Arts - Heavyweight: Thomas Narmo vs. Alain Ngalani - No Contest (NC)
Mixed Martial Arts - Flyweight: Eko Roni Saputra def. Liu Peng Shuai via Knockout (KO) at 0:10 of Round 1
Mixed Martial Arts - Lightweight: Rahul Raju def. Otgonbaatar Nergui via Submission (Rear-naked Choke) at 3:54 of Round 2