THE ULTIMATE Fighting Championship capped a busy week of return to action with another event in Jacksonville, Florida, on Sunday (Manila time), which was highlighted by the second-round technical knockout victory by heavyweight contender Alistair “The Demolition Man” Overeem.

LONDON -- Singapore Grand Prix promoters have ruled out holding their Formula One race without spectators, casting further uncertainty over the likelihood of the September event going ahead.

Novak Djokovic was on top of tennis just two months ago. A record eighth Australian Open crown and a fifth Dubai Tennis Championships title followed Serbia’s 6-0 ATP Cup run with him at the helm -- all clear indications that he was in the midst of yet another dominant turn to start the year. Unfortunately, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic compelled the sport to grind to a halt; competitions were suspended indefinitely, leaving him in the dark as to when he could resume his quest to be the best of the best of all time.

MIAMI HEAT head coach Erik Spoelstra has been with the organization for more than two decades now and it is a choice that he is very grateful for as it led to a very fulfilling and successful coaching career.

LONDON -- Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher has been named the most influential person in Formula One history after a vote by fans on the sport’s official Website.

AMID the uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the offseason National Collegiate Athletic Association ceremony of turning over hosting duties was successfully done this week.

THE ULTIMATE Fighting Championship staged the second of a scheduled three events in eight days on Thursday (Manila time) with veteran light heavyweight Glover Teixeira and heavyweight Ben Rothwell emerging victorious.

The National Basketball Players Association denied the other day that it asked members if they want “to try and play again this season.” Its statement, coming within hours of ESPN scribe Adrian Wojnarowski’s tweet disclosing the “yes or no” query its regional representatives supposedly sent its ranks via text messages, was, however, notable for construction. “The NBPA is not engaging in and has not authorized any formal poll of its players,” it said. Which is to say it could have engaged its constituency exactly as reported: in an informal, non-scientific manner.

FOLLOWING a Board of Governors call with commissioner Adam Silver on Tuesday, the National Basketball Association (NBA) is “increasingly positive about the league’s momentum” toward resuming the 2019-20 season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported.

LOCAL FOOTBALL will have it challenging as long as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains a going concern for the country. But stakeholders remain hopeful that in due time some semblance of normalcy can be achieved.

ACKNOWLEDGING that local sports has been changed considerably by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is working and strengthening its legs heading into the “new normal” of doing things.

BENGALURU -- London Mayor Sadiq Khan is opposed to the idea of the Premier League resuming in the capital next month while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause hundreds of deaths in the UK each day, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office has said.