Pleads for help from Obama
Keys sends a five-page letter (source) to President Obama, asking him to intercede in his case, arguing that federal statute is being misapplied and that a sentence of two years in prison over such an event is excessive.
Although I do not understand the nuances of law, I am aware that at this point only presidential intervention in the form of a commutation of sentence or a presidential pardon can prevent the execution of this draconian sentence. Therefore, I respectfully request your assistance in advocating on my behalf for President Obama to review my case and consider using any and all executive powers afforded to him in preventing my scheduled incarceration and any other provision of the sentence for his he feels is unjustified and unwarranted. Doing so would not only reverse what many consider to be an unwarranted sentence triggered by an overzealous prosecutor based on a draconian and outdated law, it will allow me to continue serving the public as a journalist.
Alvarez: I’ll fight McGregor at Welterweight
At a press conference for UFC 201, Alvarez challenges McGregor,
I started my career at 170. Actually, I wouldn’t have to make the cut, so I’d actually appreciate that if he made it at 170. I don’t like going to 155; I do it because everyone else does. It just means we’ll have a better training camp, more power, and it will be a little more enjoyable. 100 percent, I’d fight McGregor at welterweight…What I’m seeing is not the right style matchups. He’s fighting the perfect style matchups. He’s not fighting the guys that will threaten him the way I can, the way a lot of these wrestlers can. If you look at his fights, he hasn’t been in a lot of bad positions, and there’s a reason for that. I’m not the style matchup that’s in his favor. I can put him in bad places, and I don’t think he’ll be able to adapt or overcome.
Aldo reveals McGregor taunt
Aldo reveals what he told McGregor after he beat Frankie Edgar in UFC 200.
It was spontaneous. I knew he was there. When I was fighting, I saw him between rounds, I saw him there. So, when the fight was over, I only said ‘You’re next.’
Kavanagh: McGregor will win in four rounds
Kavanagh says that McGregor will score a fourth-round finish over Diaz in the Aug. 20 rematch.
[Conor’s preparation has been] 100 times more serious this time around. [He] got tired early by throwing too many power shots.
Aldo: McGregor MSG rematch ‘highly likely’
Aldo says that a win by McGregor in Las Vegas would prevent them from fighting each other at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden, but that expects Diaz to win.
If he loses (to Diaz), it’s highly likely that they put us to fight on November 12, at Madison Square Garden. The Irish community is big over there. But if he wins, I think they will do a third fight between them and ruin all my plans…If I had to bet, it would be Nate [who wins] again. From what I saw he’s way bigger, stronger, and he’s training. He got that fight on short notice and still was able to win. Well trained, it’s really hard for McGregor. If you look at (Diaz’s) fights, even when he’s getting beat, he finds a way to come back. If I had to bet, it would be Nate…I’m rooting for [McGregor] to lose, of course. If he wins, they will do another rematch with Nate, and that’s bad. He has to lose. He has to lose. He will lose.
Comments on Mendes drug test
McGregor comments on Mendes’ failed drug test and subsequent suspension.
I wonder was he on that stuff when we fought. One thing I know for sure tho, you can’t put steroids on your chin.
Kavanagh: McGregor will beat Aldo again
Despite his admiration for Aldo’s performance, Kavanagh says he does not expect a different outcome when Aldo meets McGregor, most likely in November. He also expresses his regret at the fact that Edgar was unable to get the job done against Aldo.
Probably I had a little personal vision or dream of it being Edgar going in and doing amazing against Aldo…It would have been just amazing. As storylines go, that would have been really, really exciting. Really, really interesting. But I guess Aldo showed he had ‘The Answer’ again, and I think Aldo — I said this in the lead-up to Conor’s fight — is one of the best in the world at beating short wrestlers…There are certain things he’s doing that are really, really brilliant, but then on the other side I look at it and go, ‘It’s pretty much the same guy that [Conor] beat the last time’. It’s not the most unpredictable style — Muay Thai, defensive wrestling. It just looked a very similar guy…I think [Aldo] has improved a lot at beating that sort of guy again, but Conor’s not a short wrestler. I’m sure Aldo will have a more tempered approach the next time. I think the first time he did certain things that I don’t think he will do the second time. It will be very hard to beat 13 seconds the second time but he will definitely want to show his dominance and that it wasn’t a lucky punch.
Kavanagh expects decisive McGregor win, no Diaz rematch
Kavanagh says that he expects McGregor to win against Diaz so comprehensively that another rematch won’t be required.
I want this win to be in such a way that there are no questions. If this is a back-and-forth contest, if Conor ekes out a decision, then it has to be [a rubber match]. Nate obviously did fantastic in their first match. Conor accepted the change of weight class and style with very short notice, but you’ve got to give massive props to Nate. He accepted it on very short notice [too]. Now let’s do it where both guys have had months and months of preparation, and there can be no questions asked. And let’s make the victory in such a way that no one can say, ‘Well, he was close, he was close, let’s do the best out of three’. Neither can bitch or moan. Conor can’t say anything about it — ‘Well, new style of opponent, new weight class’ — and Nate can’t say anything about, ‘Well, it was on nine day’s notice’. No. You both knew who you were fighting, you both knew at what weight class, you both had months of preparation. Who won that one? I want that to be decisive. Now, in saying that, maybe there still is cause for a rubber match, but I think it’ll be done in such a way that there won’t be.
Austria MotoGP Test
Rossi improves from ninth to fifth on the final day of MotoGP testing at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria. The race will take place August 12-14.
I raced here in ’96-’97 – a lifetime ago! – but the track was the same and it’s a great feeling [to be back]…It is a particular type of track. Very, very fast and you stay a lot of time at full throttle. There are just nine corners but sincerely speaking I like the track and it’s good to ride. But unfortunately on the performance side it is not our track, because usually we suffer a bit with top speed and in the straight we lose quite a lot. We were able to improve the lap times and our position today and we’re a little bit closer to the top guys. But it will be a very difficult race, especially with some of our factory rivals; they are faster than us.
Supports pit-to-bike radio
After his poor results in Assen and Germany, Rossi says he supports pit-to-bike radio communication.
It’s not Formula One, but for sure now if we can have direct communication with the pit box it can be a lot more easy. Sometimes with the pit board it is difficult, for example if you take Assen, if they say to me that I have already two seconds of advantage, I just have to slow down and I can avoid the mistake. So if it’s possible have a radio, I don’t know why we don’t have. Maybe the cost, but can be important to have yes.
However, Marc Marquez disagrees, saying he cannot imagine leaning into a corner at 200 miles per hour and somebody speaking.
Kahn wants McGregor MMA fight
Khan says Mayweather would most likely not take a fight with McGregor.
I don’t think Mayweather would ever take it. When Mayweather knows he’s in a real fight, he just backs out of it. It was good hype while it lasted but I knew it was never going to happen. If it did happen, it would be the biggest fight ever. It would’ve been a great business move, but I don’t think it would’ve been a good fight. I don’t think Mayweather would want to fight under MMA rules. I look at it more as a publicity stunt. People were talking about it. It worked while it lasted, and they brought the hype up.
However, he says he is interested in fighting McGregor under MMA rules.
I would get into a cage and I would fight in MMA rules, so that’s the difference between me and Mayweather. I would definitely give it a go. It’s something to learn, as well. I’m at that age where I’m still learning, adapting and getting better. So I still have time under me as well. I’m still a young lad and got loads left in me…As a fighter, that’s a fight I would take. McGregor is a massive name in MMA, and I’m a big name in boxing, so globally, I think it would be a massive fight…Even if I started to train MMA next year, I’d only be 30 years old. I could stop and train for a full year and become a good MMA fighter…McGregor has some great boxing skills. A good boxer will always win a MMA fight.
Cruz wants fight against Aldo or McGregor
Cruz says his fans want him to fight Aldo or McGregor.
Aldo looked better than I’ve ever seen him look, in any of his fights, this last time against Edgar. That is a challenge and that’s what I’m here for…The people that I want to fight are because fans are interested in it. I know they are. I know they’re interested in me maybe fighting Aldo. Me maybe fighting for the pound-for-pound No. 1 spot against a guy I already beat for five rounds in Demetrious Johnson. He’s hurt, who knows if that can happen or not. I’m just saying. That’s a money fight people would want to see. I know that if Conor McGregor comes out healthy and Aldo gets hurt before they’re supposed to meet up, the fans would want to see me fight Conor McGregor. I know fans would want to see that fight.
Marquez: Rossi not far enough behind
Marquez says that Rossi is still a factor in the Championship.
Jorge is at the moment the strongest one, because he is the closest one in the championship. He is second and will be really strong in the second half of the season, so we need to take care about him. But also not forget Valentino, [the gap’s] far but not far enough. Like we saw last races, he was very strong, and it will be hard to manage this distance.
Sonnen: McGregor wants losing excuse
Sonnen says McGregor’s decision to fight Diaz before returning to the 145 class, could be because he wants to have an excuse for losing.
Jon [Jones] said, ‘every fight I have, I go party the week of so that I can lose. And when I lose I can always say, ‘well yeah, but I didn’t it serious I was partying the week of.’ And he was so good it didn’t happen, but that’s how he’d feather his nest and he said, ‘I’m not giving myself that out anymore – I’m taking it serious, I’m training hard, no built-in excuses.’ And that was just Jon’s approach. But the reason why I bring him up is that you see how good and how dominant he is, even he would have those built-in excuses. So yes, that is a real thing. Conor could have a little bit of that…At the end of the day, it’s a guy who had seven minutes of energy fighting in the same weight class, doing the same thing against the same opponent three months later man. It doesn’t matter what you do, you might be able to stretch seven minutes, you train, you buckle down and then all of a sudden you’re good for seven-and-a-half. Seven forty if you’re lucky. You cannot go put 23 minutes (in the gas tank) it doesn’t work that way.
Kavanagh: McGregor undergoing ‘military style’ training
Coach Kavanagh says McGregor is reaching new levels of training in Las Vegas.
If I was to sum it up, there’s order to this training camp. There’s no chaos. Everything is very disciplined, very military style. Beforehand, it was kind of done on Conor’s whim, how he felt on a certain day. This training camp has been based on cycles. Every day, we start at 1 p.m. sharp. In the evenings, we do cardio training. Everything is measured, nothing is left to ‘How you feeling?’ We have a performance doctor taking care of the performance side of things, I’m taking care of the fighting side of things, everybody is working together and nothing we’ve done before comes close to comparison for this one…he last couple of weeks there has been a real level of growth to what he has been able to do. Now, he really is a truly elite athlete. He has always been an incredible fighter, but now, training like a true Olympian-style champion — for me, that’s a scary combination.
Moves training camp to Las Vegas
McGregor moves Las Vegas, to train in preparation for UFC 202 against Nate Diaz.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHyDhFrBrlL/
‘I Really Want To Get Back On Track’
Rossi says he is confident of success at the German GP.
I really want to get back on track. Over these last few days I‘ve rested at home, but now I want to leave for the race at Sachsenring. In Assen we worked well throughout the weekend and we were really fast, both in wet and dry conditions, but the race was not very lucky for us. At the Sachsenring circuit we will have to work well as we have been doing during all weekends this season. We are fast and I‘m comfortable with the YZR-M1 and with the Michelin tyres. I like this track and Sunday I will do my best to make it a good race.
Aldo: McGregor ‘not going to be as lucky next time’
Also says he is set on beating McGregor in a rematch.
I have one goal and which is to be champion. It’s to beat that (expletive) and he can be sure that next time I catch him here he’s not going to be as lucky as he was the first time. I was born to be the champion, if I’m the interim champion or whatever I was always the champion. If I get the fight next with him I’m going to still be the champion.
Rossi: Michelin ‘behind schedule’ with wet tyres
Rossi says the high number of crashes in rainy conditions in MotoGP this year will be reduced once Michelin can develop its wet-weather tyres.
With the wet tyres, Michelin right now is where it was with the slicks back in March. After that they worked and improved a lot on the front tyre. With the wet tyres they are behind schedule. These tyres have a lot of grip on the rear and very little on the front, exactly the opposite to the Bridgestones we had last year.We were used to putting a lot of pressure on the front end and that’s why now, as soon as we push the Michelins, we are asking too much of them and the front shuts down.
‘We’ve learned from the past’
Marquez comments on his progress ahead of the German GP.
We’re going to the German GP aiming for a podium position and of course possibly to fight for the win. The Sachsenring is normally a very good track for me that I like very much, maybe because it has so many left-hand corners, a bit like a dirt track! On the other hand, it’s another one on the calendar where the weather has sometimes played a crucial role in the past, so we’ll see how it goes there. We’ve learned from the past and we’re approaching this season race-by-race, trying to be ready and make the most of what we have and what the situation requires.