Credits McGregor for UFC chance
Justino credits McGregor for being able to fight in a UFC weight classes, which had a maximum weight of 135. Justino fights at 145, but will drop to 1450 for her upcoming fight against Leslie Smith.
I think [Conor] McGregor opened the door for this. He’s fighting at different weights. He [sold] a lot of pay-per-views and it opened the opportunity. I think the UFC sees the great opportunity and it’s a great time…I’m really happy for the opportunity and I’ll do my best in Curitiba and of course I’ll try for the KO and I’ll do my best…I think it will open the door for me for more fights at 140. Maybe I can fight Miesha [Tate] at 140 and Holly Holm and maybe Ronda [Rousey] when she gets off the pillow.
‘Feels positive’ for Argentina
Marquez says he is positive for the Argentinian GP.
We come to Argentina in a positive mood after achieving a third-place finish in Qatar, a result that wasn’t really predictable before the start of the season. We worked very hard and very well with Honda and with the team over the weekend, and on race day I was able to push as hard as is currently possible. Of course we haven’t had a winter test here to count on and we’ll have to see if the setup we found in Qatar will also work here. That would be a good step forward for us, generally speaking, and we could even aim for a little bit better result on Sunday. Of course it will be a question mark until Friday but all in all, Argentina is a circuit that I like. We’ve always been fast here, so I feel positive for the weekend.
‘We will have to do better’
Rossi comments on the upcoming Argentina MotoGP.
I am very happy to go to Argentina. In this place I have many fans and it’s always nice to feel the affection and passion of these people. I have great memories here. Last year it was a great race. It will be difficult to repeat the same result but we will try. In Qatar I was not able to go on the podium but it was a good race anyway. We worked well throughout the weekend. In Argentina we will have to do the same thing, but we’ll have to do better in the race and try to get on the podium. I really like the Termas track and we will try our best!
Calls for better industry metrics
Speaking at a “fireside chat” Guardian Media Changing Summit 2016, Highfield calls for better industry metrics.
We’ve created two metrics – newspaper sales and unique users – and never the two shall meet. We need to create a new, single, de-duped, audience-led metric – a total readership-like number that ad agencies and advertisers will buy into.
Says BBC should pay for regional reporters
Highfield says the BBC should pay for regional papers’ journalists to cover courts and council meetings. Regional papers are seeking £14m a year from the BBC’s licence fee income to cover public service reporting. The proposed new deal would fund 364 public service journalists.
[The BBC] would be setting aside an amount to fund council reporting. But instead of the 100 journalists being employed by the BBC, and effectively being tanks on our lawns, the idea we are working through with them is that this could be an even bigger initiative with several hundred journalists. But they would be employed by us, and that is the difference, and commissioned to provide council and other quango reporting to the BBC.
Agostini: Lorenzo has ‘super’ Ducati offer
Agostini says that Lorenzo has an offer from Ducati:
I hope Lorenzo signs with Ducati. I say that as an Italian. I know for a fact that [Ducati owner] Audi has made him a super offer…I know how I would reason it out. Does the money they are offering make up for giving up on the best equipment, which is what Yamaha undoubtedly has? In that case, if Jorge thinks he can make a difference dressed in red, then he will do well in accepting the challenge. But I don’t think he’s fully convinced.
Claims McGregor is avoiding Edgar
Abdelaziz, Edgar’s Manager, says that McGregor is avoiding Edgar.
When history speaks for itself, Frankie Edgar will go down as the guy who fought anyone at any weight, any time, and anywhere. But when history speaks for @thenotoriousmma he was a ufc champion who hand picked his opponents and chose a guys out of shape to fight him and he ducked frankie. Every media member I talked to, a majority of the fans wants to see Edgar vs Mcgregor but Conor’s coaches since he lost to Nate Diaz for every interview they talk about everyone else except for frankie. At this point im blaming the @ufcfor not making this fight happen because I think it’s really up to them and they can make Conor fight frankie. Im done with this. It’s been a miserable last 4 months talking and negotiating getting this fight to happen but now I realize the only person who needs to step up and say he wants to fight frankie is Conor. But I don’t believe he wants to because he and everyone else knows that frankie would whoop his ass. I have 0 respect for a champion who ducks contenders and that’s that
Zeelenberg: Win more titles with Yamaha
Zeelenberg says Lorenzo should stay with Yamaha.
This will be his own decision and it won’t be just one factor. It is true that Jorge [has a strong package at Yamaha] but I can also imagine all competitors at a certain point want to do something else. Looking at that, he has been at Yamaha for eight years, there is a possibility he will [leave]. But I hope of course he is clever enough to stay with Yamaha and to win another two titles – maybe three [including this season]…The race was tight. I expected Maverick [Vinales] there as well, but anyway it was nice to see a group battling…When Andrea was in front, he was fast but the pace was dropping two or three tenths. This is the difficult point, to keep ‘55.4-5 lap times. The rest were able to follow, but Jorge set the benchmark and was able to make another step when the fuel level dropped to escape. This is his personality and character.
Sends support to Alonso
Marquez passes on his best wishes to two-time F1 world champion and fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso who walked away unhurt from a huge smash after running into the rear of Esteban Gutierrez’s Haas car.
I want to make sure I send a message of encouragement to Fernando Alonso given the accident he had at the Formula 1 Australian GP. I’m glad it was nothing major. I’m sending him a huge hug, and I’m sure that this year’s season will go much better.
Yamaha accelerated Rossi’s contract decision
Despite Rossi saying that he would wait “five or six races to decide” about a two-year contract extension with Yamaha beyond 2016, the timing was changed by team-mate Jorge Lorenzo’s goal of having a new deal secured before the first race. Rossi signed in Doha. Rossi:
I thought in my mind to wait some races, I want to see if I am competitive. Also because usually it is like this, you decide around June. I spoke with Yamaha after the test and they said to me that they are very happy if I continue. In my mind I wanted to continue. The contract more or less was already ready. They said to me, ‘why wait?’ and I said, ‘I agree’, so we did it.
Yamaha’s Jarvis:
I think his expectation and our expectation is most likely this will be the last contract in MotoGP, I guess. But never say never, as we have learned from his career up until today.
Profits rise by more than a fifth but further cuts loom
Johnston Press reports total revenue for 2015 was down by 6.8% from £260m in 2014 to £242.3m last year. However, profits increased by 22.6% to £31.5m by reducing costs to £191.7m from £205.3m in 2014. CEO Highfield says the group hopes to sell some brands and some of its key assets. However, he said he “could not rule out” closing some titles. Debt is down by £14.8m to £179.4m from £194.2m in 2014, with interest payments reduced by almost £10m to £19.1m. The number of people reached through Johnston’s digital titles was up by 40.7% to 22.6 million, with digital advertising revenue rising by 12.4% to £30.6m.
We are a plc and our primary objective is to keep the business moving forward … we have to make profits. We are all on the same side here, which is try to get the business back to growth and get the long-standing debt off our shoulders. The tough trading conditions have already been highlighted by DMGT and Trinity Mirror. We are being prudent in not anticipating it getting better and we are going to make sure we are cutting our cloth appropriately.
Highfield also says Johnston has filled all but two of 50 roles for i for when it takes control of the title on 10 April, filling the roles from The Independent within two weeks.
Happy with Qatar result
Marquez says he is happy with his third place result in Qatar. He gained a second over testing.
I’m happy with this third place because I know that we gave our all and just two weeks ago we were one second off the pace compared to the other guys on the podium…The race was faster than we expected and we had a great weekend because we got 100% out of performance at a circuit that we find hard…I spent much of the race behind Dovizioso because I couldn’t pass him and it was difficult to make up the ground lost with his better acceleration on the straight. Whenever I got close I’d lose him again! Although I knew it would be difficult, I made another attempt with four laps remaining but he overtook me on the last lap. I tried again in the last corner but it wasn’t possible. I hope that the circuits coming up on the calendar favour us a little more.
Surprised at fast pace
Rossi, says he was surprised how fast the Qatar Gp was. Teammate Jorge Lorenzo completed the race seven seconds faster than Rossi’s 2016 win.
It was a very fast race, faster than last year, which nobody expected. Michelin did a very good job, and also the electronics are good. We expected more difference, to struggle more. But already with three [pre-season] tests, all of the manufacturers improved a lot…I was hoping for some more fights, but maybe it was better last year, more overtaking. This year was more one behind the other…It’s better to arrive fourth, two seconds from first, than arrive second or third, 10 seconds behind. I was strong, but not enough to try one attack, for one sector, one braking. They beat us, we are behind, but anyway we are strong.
Rossi: Lorenzo deserves penalty
Rossi says that Lorenzo deserves a penalty for blocking him during qualifying. Rossi had started a flying lap, found Lorenzo – who had just exited pitlane – at Turn 1. Rossi and Lorenzo exchanged hand signals, and appeared to continue the exchange after the chequered flag, while preparing for practice starts. Rossi:
He exited from the pit without looking at the track and when he arrived at the first corner, he tried to slow down but he was on the line…The problem is that I say, ‘why?’, and I expect, ‘sorry’, but he say to me like this [with hand motion], ‘what the f-ck do you want?’ The problem is that this situation happened exactly the same in Misano qualifying when I did the same mistake. He was very angry with me after that practice and at the end they gave me one [penalty] point. They don’t give him one point. I don’t know why.
Lorenzo:
In my opinion, he has no reason to complain, Everybody knows that when you exit the pits, you cannot stop to let them past because there was some riders entering the first corner and you are already in the corner. All you can do is try to stay in the white line. This is what I did, I could not be in the air, or in the gravel. What can I do? If he is still angry with me, I don’t know the reason.
Need set-up improvement for Qatar
Marquez says that despite his difficult test season, he is confident going into Qatar.
The season is finally about to start, and I’m looking forward to it. When we came here two weeks ago we did a big step forward with the set-up at the very end of the test, and I really felt at ease with the bike, especially in my last run that was quite late in the evening with the dew already starting to form. That’s positive in view of the race, even if we’re not yet where we’d like to be and still have a margin for improvement with the set-up. The Losail layout may not be the most favourable of the season for our bike, but in the past we’ve scored a podium and a win here with the RC213V, so we’ll fight to get the best result on Sunday. This year there are a few variables that aren’t yet completely predictable, such as tyre wear at race distance, for example, and the bike’s behaviour with the new electronics. Still, Honda never cease to work hard, as is the case for me and the whole team, so I’m positive and look forward to the action starting.
Casino ‘treated me like dirt’
Hamilton posts and then deletes a tweet criticizing the Sky City Casino in Auckland, New Zealand.
Don’t ever go to the sky city casino in Auckland, they treated me like dirt. Can’t believe how rude they were. Worst casino experience ever!
The casino’s management say they have been in touch with Hamilton, but were not willing to discuss the cause of the problem.
Aiming for Qatar top-three position
Rossi says he is aiming at a top-three position in Qatar.
Finally we start talking about racing! I’m very glad that a new season begins. Our tests were definitely positive, but the race is another thing…Last season for me began very well. I don’t know if I will be able to repeat that result but I will try to get on the podium for sure. This first race will be really important to understand the real potential of the bikes and the riders.
It will be important to start to work well from the first sessions and get ready and have clear ideas going into the race. I feel ready and motivated and so does the team, so let’s go!
Shares xXx photo
Jam shares photos and videos of himself with Diesel and Caruso, from the set of xXx. Diesel:
With my people, Nicky Jam. His first performance is in xXx. Arrrrr!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BC6hQJ8CTSu/
‘I am going into a new chapter in my life’
Hamilton says he is still hungry for success in Formula 1 despite achieving his childhood ambition of winning his third title last year.
I don’t know how far I can go, how long I will go on in F1. I am going into a new chapter in my life and I will see where it takes me. [I am motivated by] my love for the sport and cars; my love for wanting to be able to take the car to the edge, to the unknown, to an area most people can’t. Those who said I would not succeed, and not amount to anything, I am going to continue to prove them wrong and smile in their face as I do so…I still pinch myself every day to think I used to go home from school and put the video in and watch Ayrton and now I have matched him in a similar amount of races in terms of results. But he still has more poles than me so I still have more targets in that sense…I don’t know how long I will be as good as I have been. But that’s the exciting thing about life; you don’t know what’s around the corner so I will give it everything I have got.
Says incorrect setup could cost points
Marquez says that the progres of Ducati and Suzuki will have an effect on the upcoming season.
Last year, two years ago, when maybe on Sunday you didn’t feel well, you didn’t have the correct set-up, you finished fourth or fifth. This year it will be different. This year, you must be ready because if not you could finish eighth, ninth, 10th, because you have many riders. We anyway have Ducati riders, Suzuki riders that did a big step and it will be really nice, I think, especially the first race.