Joshua "The Passion" Pacio left no doubt about who rules the ONE Championship strawweight division.The Filipino champion delivered a spectacular first-round submission victory over Russian challenger Mansur Malachiev to successfully retain the ONE Strawweight MMA World Championship in the main event of The Inner Circle 21 at the historic Lumpinee Stadium on Friday.Nearly three years after their first encounter went the distance, Pacio made sure the rematch would have a far more decisive ending.Malachiev came out aggressively, quickly taking Pacio to the canvas and threatening with a tight rear-naked choke. For a brief moment, the reigning champion appeared to be in serious danger of losing his title.But champions thrive under pressure.Displaying remarkable composure, Pacio escaped the submission attempt and immediately shifted the momentum. After reversing position, the Team Lakay standout unleashed a series of elbows and short punches before smoothly transitioning to Malachiev's back.Pacio then locked in a rear-naked choke of his own. Although the Russian briefly escaped the initial attempt, the Filipino tightened his grip once more, leaving Malachiev unconscious at the 4:23 mark of the opening round.The emphatic finish secured Pacio's second successful title defense in his current reign as ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion and further cemented his status as one of the organization's premier athletes.The victory also earned Pacio a $50,000 Performance Bonus, improved his professional record to 24-5, and marked the 10th submission victory of his MMA career.For Malachiev, who entered the bout looking to avenge the only loss of his career, the defeat dropped his record to 14-2—with both setbacks coming at the hands of the Filipino champion.Once again, Joshua Pacio proved that when the stakes are highest, he rises to the occasion. With another dominant title defense in the books, "The Passion" remains the undisputed king of the ONE Championship strawweight division.

NLEX Road Warriors survived a hard-fought battle against Terrafirma Dyip, 101-100, in the PBA Governor's Cup last night, at the Ynares Center.NLEX controlled the game in the first three quarters, not until Terrafirma attempted a comeback in the final frame. Terrafirma managed to trim their deficit by outscoring the Road Warriors 33-11, including Justin Strings' mid-range jumper to cut the lead in just one point in the 4th quarter.NLEX held their composure on defense in the final seconds, and Geo Chiu's successful offensive rebound already ran out of time to put a quality bucket, which secured the Road Warriors' victory. DeQuan Jones led his team with 30 points, while Schonny Winston and Robert Bolick added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Under new head coach Jimmy Alapag, the Road Warriors improved to 2-0 in the conference. They are scheduled to face Titan Ultra Giant Risers on July 14. 

Gilas Pilipinas Boys beats Japan, 19-14, in the 2026 FIBA 3x3 Nations League Asia 2 finals in the Stop 3 final on Wednesday at Hextar World Empire City in Malaysia.The Philippines secured their title triumph through strong teamwork, efficient offensive scoring, and control of the game's tempo. Gilas built an 18-10 cushion behind timely baskets and maintained its composure to close out the championship match, showcasing the depth that fueled its unbeaten Stop 3 run.Cabs Cabonilas emerged as the Player of the Game after he contributed seven points in the final. The Gilas standout also played a crucial role throughout Stop 3, which he tallied 11 points against New Zealand and 10 more against Singapore to spearhead the Philippines' title-winning campaign.Japan tried to keep the team within striking distance throughout the final and helped the squad stay competitive despite facing a double-digit deficit.Despite their resilience, the team struggled to match the Philippines' scoring pace in the closing stages. Unable to contain Gilas Pilipinas' balanced attack, they found it difficult to generate consistent offense.With the victory, Gilas moved into a tie with Belarus atop the conference standings with 240 points apiece, and will return to action in Stop 4 on Friday against New Zealand and Malaysia. 

Central Visayas (Region VII) pulled off a surprising act on the first day of the 64th Palarong Pambansa, bagging the meet’s first gold medal on Thursday, July 11, at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).So far, Central Visayas has collected 13 gold medals, six silvers, and five bronzes on the first day of the five-day national games.Leading the region’s gold medal haul was Asia Paraase, who won the meet’s first fold medal early Thursday morning by topping the 3,000-meter secondary girls’ run at the CCSC oval. Other gold medalists included female woodpushers Edelyn Vosotros and Kristina Concepcion Belano, arnisador Nathaniel Abing, and nine golds from dancesport dancers.Paraase secured the gold medal after clocking in a time of 10:27:36, beating Eastern Visayas’ (Region VIII) Chrishia Mae Tajarros (10:39:72) and Davao Region’s (Region XI) Mary Jane Pagayon (10:52:72).At the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu, Central Visayas’ chess players Edelyn Vosotros and Kristina Concepcion Belano of the University of Cebu Webmasters delivered two gold medals. Vosotros earned two golds for finishing with a perfect seven points in the blitz category, and she paired with Belano to rule the team with 12 markers.The region also earned silver medals from Jormaine Pinanonang (100m hurdles elementary girls), Kharis Lark Reil Pantonial (110m hurdles secondary boys), and Kleone Mole (400m freestyle secondary girls’ swimming).Bronze medals went to Ace Francis Bacongallo (long jump elementary boys) and Kacie Grabrielle Tionko (400m freestyle secondary girls’ swimming).In dancesport, which is making its debut as a medal sport this year, Francis Dave Sombal and Mitchloni Dinauanao won six gold medals in the secondary Latin event at the GMall of Cebu Activity Center.Their performances in samba, cha-cha, rumba, paso doble, jive, and the 5-dance were almost flawless.Danieca Mae Ansay and Nash Daniel Placencia also shone in the elementary Latin contest, winning gold in rumba and jive, along with two silvers and two bronzes in other dances.Troy Nathaniel Abing from Lapu-Lapu City brought home the region’s 13th gold in individual likha anyo single weapon of elementary boys’ arnis at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex.The region expects to win more golds in the third day of competition on Friday.

The Philippines-Davao NTB Wolves barely broke out a sweat after outclassing New Zealand-Fil Nation Select, 81-44, in the PSL Global Championship Challenge on Thursday, July 18, at the Victoria Sports Club in Quezon City.Seth Abiendo led the charge for the Philippines Born 2004 team, which remained undefeated in four games. Abiendo finished with 16 markers on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting from the field.Davao NTB Wolves will next face UK-KAMPI on Friday, July 19.Over at the young division, the Philippines Born 2006 team, represented by Cebu-University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJR), picked up its fourth straight win after hammering UK-KAMPI Basketball over a 104-67 victory.Jan Vince Oringo showcased another excellent performance as he exploded with 26 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists and powered the Philippines Under-18 squad to another convincing win.North America, on the other hand, scored a repeat win over previous contender, Philippines-Pampanga, 85-68 in the Born 2008 division.Dominic Tuason tallied 5-of-9 3-point shots on his way to finishing with 27 points to lead the charge for the young Filipino cagers of the North American Basketball Association (NABA) - Intercity supported squad.

The PLDT High Speed Hitters are off to a winning start in Pool A of the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference, with the Creamline Cool Smashers absorbing a rare opening-day loss on Tuesday, July 16, at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.The Rald Ricafort-coached squad snatched a 16-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-19, 15-12 triumph against undermanned Creamline.Russian import Lena Samoilenko was the standout in the clash and took charge of the offense after tallying 34 points on 32 attacks and two aces, while Kath Arado displayed brilliance by protecting their side of the taraflex with 24 digs.Completing PLDT’s setup was Kim Fajardo, who made the plays after tallying 19 markers.The High Speed Hitters played without Savannah Davison, who is out due to a knee injury that would sideline her indefinitely. Also, not available were Rhea Dimaculangan, who is on leave, and Dell Palomata, who is training with the national team.“That was absolutely a hard-fought win. That is what we prepared for, to be mentally prepared in this type of competition,” Ricafort told the media during the post-game press conference.“We know it is troublesome to have fewer players available; even the Creamline team got inadequate numbers of players, but they still proceeded with the match. Definitely a good win for us,” he added.The Cool Smashers, on the other hand, played without stars Alyssa Valdez and Tots Carlos, while Jema Galanza’s absence was expected due to her commitment to Alas Pilipinas.Creamline American reinforcement Erica Stauton led her pack with 20 points and 10 receptions, while Bernadeth Pons and Michele Gumabao added 18 and 16 points, respectively.This marks the first time that Creamline lost a tournament opener in the PVL since 2019.Up next for PLDT is Galeries Tower on Saturday, July 20, while Creamline matches up with Farm Fresh on the same day. 

The Nxled Chameleons rose past the Galeries Tower Highrisers in a five-set marathon to take the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference opener on Tuesday, July 16, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.The Chameleons overwhelmed Highrisers with 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-12 victory led by their American import, Meegan Hart, with 19 points on 12 attacks and seven blocks, while locals May Luna and Chiara Pementilla contributed 17 and 14 markers, respectively.“It was great, we got a win so it is always great but I am feeling really welcomed in the Philippines. So far, the experience has been awesome. I am really excited to be here with the team and win a lot of games,” Hart told reporters during the postgame press conference.Meanwhile, France Ronquillo paced the Highrisers with 17 points while Thai import Sutadta Chuewulim had 14 points and eight receptions. Middle blockers Roselle Baliton and Andrea Marzan scored 12 markers each.Nxled will have the chance to make it two wins in a row against Cherry Tiggo on Saturday, July 20, while Galeries can bounce back against PLDT at the same game date.

The Philippine’s 22-man delegation is set to bring pride and glory to the country in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and fans will get an exclusive look at the athletes’ journeys through a new series of documentaries, starting Thursday, July 18.SMART Sports is set to release a four-part series entitled “Puso in Paris 2024” directed by Clev Mayuga.“I think our investment in the Olympics and in our athletes has a lot to do with our connection to these athletes. The main purpose of this series is to get to know them a little bit more so we can root for them, cheer for them, and be with them,” said PLDT and Smart Vice President Jude Turcuatco in an interview with Tiebreaker Times.The series opens with an episode on the Philippines’ golden boy artistic gymnastics, Carlos Edriel Yulo, who shares how this Olympics will be different after his struggles in last year’s Tokyo edition.The second episode, airing on Friday, July 19, will spotlight the boxers, including Tokyo 2020 medalists Nesthy Petecio and Eumir Marcial, and Aira Villegas, as they share how boxing has helped them rise from humble beginnings. The second part of the episode, meanwhile, centers on Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medalist Carlo Paalam and first-time Olympian Hergie Bacyadan.The final two episodes will air the following Thursday and Friday, July 25 and July 26.The third episode will dive into the preparations of the first-time Olympian Vanessa Sarno, Elreen Ando, and John Ceniza and how they are upholding the legacy set by the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medalist, Hidilyn Diaz.The series wraps with World No. 2 pole vaulter EJ Obiena, who is on a quest to fulfill a new dream of becoming an Olympic gold medalist.The Philippines first joined the Olympic games a hundred years ago. For this year’s Summer Games, the Philippines will be represented by 22 warriors aiming for the podium finish.“Puso in Paris 2024” will be available for free on the Smart Livestream App.

Eliza Yulo, youngest of the famed artistic gymnast siblings, snared three more gold medals to hike her total to five at the 64th Palarong Pambansa secondary girls artistic gymnastics at the Cebu Institute of Technology - University (CIT-U) on Sunday, July 14.Prior to this tournament, the younger sister of world champion and Olympian Carlos Yulo already won two golds from the individual and team all-around categories.Yulo dominated the uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise events while also bagging a silver medal at the vault where she notched 11.650 points.The 14-year-old scored a quick gold in uneven bars with a 9.85 score over NCR teammate Amara Zoe Lagdameo and Western Visayas’ Sarah Lee Thompson.Yulo then bounced back from an iffy performance in the balance beam bagging a golden 12.05 result ahead of CALABARZON’s Jewel Rich Dagohoy and Central Luzon’s Tallula Adrienne Rose Nadres.The US-trained gymnast achieved a 10.900 mark in floor exercise, enough for a double gold tie with NCR teammate Cielo Esliza.Yulo and Esliza won a gold medal each.“I am so happy and surprised because this is only my first Palaro in the secondary level,” Yulo told Rappler after the event.“My US training helped a lot. I cleaned up a lot of my movements and skills,” she added.Despite missing the clean gold sweep, a five-gold haul is still no small feat even for an athlete of Yulo’s caliber, especially considering that she still has four years of Palaro eligibility in the secondary level.As of July 15, 9:45 am, the National Capital Region is now leading the medal scoreboard of the 2024 Palarong Pambansa with a total of 170 medals, followed by CALABARZON (Region IV-A) with 116 medals and Western Visayas (Region VI) claiming the third spot with an overall 99 medals.

Being ranked World No. 2 in the men’s pole vault, Filipino Olympian Ernest John “EJ” Obiena is expected to end the Paris Games 2024 with flying colors by having a podium finish and probably take home the gold for the country.Facing the tall order already, he will be also dealing with added adversity as he has been battling undisclosed “various physical problems” for the past several months. In a lengthy post on Instagram, Obiena said:

The Philippine Sports Commission has begun the preparations for the 11th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games scheduled in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on December 1 to 5.The tournament aims to foster excellence and camaraderie in sports among young people in the sub-region.PSC commissioner Walter Torres on Thursday, July 18, assured the successful production of the games, which features athletics, archery, badminton, karate, swimming, sepak takraw, pencak silat, and e-sports.City Tourism Department (CTD) chief Demetrio Alvior Jr. said representatives from BIMP-EAGA visited the country last May to discuss the friendship games, as there are specific requirements that need to be met, particularly because most of the attendees will be Muslims.One of the requirements is halal certification, which Puerto Princesa City and Palawan currently do not have. However, according to Alvior, they are already taking measures to address this issue before the friendship games.“The only challenging part for us is accommodating those coming from Muslim countries since we don’t have a large halal restaurant here. However, we already have strategies in place to address this,”said Alvior.The CTD chief also mentioned that the federation handling the event initially wanted all food to be halal and uniformly served to all Muslim delegates, regardless of the hotel they are staying.“This is a significant and somewhat delicate event, but it is also a test to see if we are serious about advancing in sports. We need to participate in these major events to identify what we still lack and what needs improvement,” he added.Puerto Princesa City will host the BIMP-EAGA Friendship Games for the second time. The first was in 2003.Brunei Darussalam’s capital Bandar Seri Begawan played host in the last edition of the games.

As Typhoon Carina pummeled the Philippines, causing a lot of difficulties for the Filipinos who were left stranded in the floods, a glimmer of hope from heroes both outside and inside the game tried their best to uplift the diminished morale of their fellow kababayan.Some well-known esports and gaming personalities have allocated their time and effort to offer a helping hand to their countrymen who are in dire need.Content creator Elyson Caranza, also known as GHOST Wrecker, and his team traveled across the floods of Araneta Village in Malabon to offer their support. They brought four boats that can transfer eight individuals. They also sought help from the community if they could provide ropes.Wrecker then posted on his social media page hoping that more volunteers can offer their services.“Sino pa may kilalang pwede mag rescue diyan? May apat na bangka pa ako dito, at saka lifevest 20pcs. Pahinga ko lang team ko. Need lang more rescuers along Malabon,” posted Wrecker on his Facebook page.Meanwhile, Aurora’s Royal Duo of Johnmar “OhMyV33nus” Villaluna and Danerie James “Wise” Del Rosario have received donations from the community.Wise then posted a photo of the total collection amount they received while also giving instructions to those who are willing to support their cause. Together with V33nus, Wise was able to prepare relief goods to be delivered to the communities affected by the super typhoon.Gamer and streamer Setsuna “Akosi Dogie” Ignacio offered support for those who are impacted by the flood crisis by announcing on his social media page that he is prepared to send donations based on the outcome of his live stream session."Mga guys mamayang live ko, kung magkano na talo ko, ganun halaga ibibigay natin sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo at kung magkano napanalo ko ayun din ibibigay natin na tulong sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo. INGAT PO KAYO AT MAG DASAL PO MGA KABABAYAN," as stated on his Facebook post.On the other hand, it is not only players and gaming personalities who had their say in the current crisis. Team Secret has reminded the community of the emergency protocols by posting photos of phone numbers coming from government agencies on their social media sites.Secret has also emphasized that animal lives are just as important as the humans, advising the community to be responsible in taking care of their pets as the heavy downpour and floods can be a struggle for animals who could be abandoned in the middle of the calamity as well.In times of catastrophe, the Bayanihan spirit remains alive in the hearts of Filipinos and with the efforts of these notable people in the world of gaming, perhaps others as well would feel inspired to aid the victims of Typhoon Carina. 

The 37th Thai King’s Cup Sepaktakraw World Championship will lose some of its lustre as Indonesia and Philippines, semifinalists in the regu event at the International Sepaktakraw Federation (ISTAF) Sepaktakraw World Cup last May, have officially withdrawn from the tournament. ISTAF secretary-general Abdul Halim Kader announced that the Indonesian Sepaktakraw Association withdrew from the King’s Cup to focus on the 21st National Sports Week in the republic from September 8 to 20.However, the Philippine Sepaktakraw Association did not provide any reason for their withdrawal by the final registration deadline on July 14.

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters swept the 39th Kadayawan Invitational basketball tournament after dominating the De La Salle Green Archers 138-116 during the finals night held last July 28 at the University of Southeastern Philippines gymnasium in Davao City.Photo: Rain or Shine Facebook page RoS’ import in the upcoming PBA Governor’s Cup led the way with 34 points and 11 rebounds while the eventual Finals MVP Andrei Caracut added 21 points, eight assists and three rebounds.Supporting the two are Gian Mamuyac and Keith Datu. Mamuyac finished with 17 markers while Datu also tallied the same score highlighted by his 3-of-4 shooting from the three-point area.The Elasto painters were perfect 4-0 from the came at the expense of fellow PBA teams Phoenix Fuel Masters and Converge FiberXers in the single round elimination while defeating UAAP champions De La Salle Green Archers twice - one in the eliminations and one in the finals.In the finals, UAAP MVP Kevin Quimabao still led the Green Archers with a double-double performance of 19 points and 16 rebounds despite having an ankle sprain. He was supported by Mike Philips who tallied 18 markers and 11 boards.The reigning UAAP champions might not won the Kadayawan tourney but they still held their heads up high as they defeated two pro teams in Converge and Phoenix during the elimination round and even got toe-to-toe against eventual champions RoS in the preliminaries before bowing down to them in the tournament finale.Meanwhile, Phoenix defeated Converge 87-81 in their battle for third.Phoenix import Jay McKinnis led the way for the Fuel Masters by scoring 22 points and grabbing 17 rebounds while star Jason Perkins added 13 markers.The champion team received P200,000 as prize money.

Carlos Yulo begins the first of his three final events at the Paris Olympics men’s artistic gymnastics at the Bercy Arena on Wednesday, July 31.The reigning Asian all-around champion, Yulo showed he can go toe-to-toe with the best in the world after placing ninth in the qualification with a total of 83.631 points.The individual all-around finals, featuring 24 finalists, is expected to be a showdown among the Chinese and Japanese aces with Filipino-British bet Jake Jarman as a dark horse.Meanwhile, Gymnastics Association of the Philippines president Cynthua Carrion is realistic that Yulo has a slim chance in the all-around competition.“He will not win,” said Carrion bluntly. “But he will give it his all.”But Yulo will be there in what could well be a preview to an anticipated Yulo moment in floor exercise and vault finals at the Bercy Arena this weekend.Yulo's determination to succeed stems from a frustrating finish in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games, where the 2019 floor exercise world champion could not make the final event as a fall during the qualification round took him out of medal contention.

The Creamline Cool Smashers cruised past the Nxled Chameleons in straight sets to end their Pool A campaign on a winning note at the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena on Thursday, August 8.The Cool Smashers continued their dominant play, capping off their round one schedule with a 25-18, 25-18, 25-20 victory over the Chameleons.In the absence of Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, and Jema Galanza, Creamline banked on the trio of American import Erica Staunton, Bernadeth Pons, and Michele Gumabao to bemused Nxled and improve to a 4-1 record.

After two years of waiting, the No. 2 overall pick in the Season 49 rookie draft Sedrick Barefield is now ready to take his act to the Philippine Basketball Association.Barefield said that he is blessed to finally get going in Asia's first-ever play-for-pay league where he is expected to play a major role in Blackwater’s campaign in the 49th Season Governor’s Cup.He also credited the Bossing head coach Jeffrey Cariaso and his wards for making the transition smooth for him.

Filipina weightlifter Vanessa Sarno capped her Olympic debut in disappointment after logging a DNF (did not finish) at the Paris Olympics women’s weightlifting 71kg class at the South Paris Arena early Saturday (Manila time).What looked like a promising Paris Games campaign came to a quick halt as the 20-year-old Sarno used up all her three snatch attempts at 100kg, 10kg lower than her previous personal and national record, to no success.

World championships medalists Joseph Arcilla and Bien Zoleta-Mañalac will banner the 12-man Soft Tennis Pilipinas team at the 2024 World Soft Tennis Championship slated September 1 to 11 at Anseong, South Korea.Team captain Arcilla will banner the men’s team with Dheo Talatayod, Patrick Mendoza, Adjuthor Moralde II, Samuel Nuguit and Sherwin Nuguit, while captain Zoleta-Mañalac will steer the women’s squad, alongside Princess Catindig, Bambi Zoleta, Cristy Sañosa, Virvien Bejusano, Bea Ebriega and Shyryn Salazar.The team is now in Daegu and Sunchang City, South Korea for a three-week training camp.The 12-member team will first compete at the 2024 Sunchang Open Soft Tennis Tournament set for August 25 to 31, as a final build-up to the world meet.

Cignal will head into the Premier League Volleyball (PVL) Reinforced Conference quarterfinals after outplaying Nxled on Tuesday, August 20, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.The HD Spikers ended its preliminary campaign after sweeping the Chameleons with a 27-25, 25-20, 25-20 victory.The HD Spikers continued to bank on the Venezuelan wing spiker MJ Perez who dispatched 17 attack points apart from 10 excellent digs to move on to the quarterfinals.