Conor McGregor could do ‘big things’ if he were to buy Man Utd or Celtic

1. ‘The Notorious’ reveals interest in British football giants

Football

UFC star Conor McGregor has ambitions of one day owning a sports team and admits he would be interested in buying Manchester United or Celtic. In a Q&A on Twitter the Irishman said they “are teams I like for sure” and “I feel I could do big things for a club”.

McGregor’s net worth stands at an estimated £120m to £180m, The Independent says, but “some reports suggest it might be considerably higher - up to £300m”.

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Aside from lucrative earnings from MMA and boxing, in 2018 the 32-year-old founded Irish whiskey distiller Proper No. Twelve and last month sold a majority stake in the brand for $600m (£424.9m), which will be split between McGregor and his fellow co-founders.

“The Notorious” also has sponsorship deals with Electronic Arts, Reebok and Wynn Resorts, according to Forbes.

2. Hamilton wants new contract sorted before summer break

Formula 1

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has suggested that he expects Lewis Hamilton to sign a two-year deal with the F1 team. Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, is currently contracted to Mercedes until the end of the 2021 season, but Wolff wants the new terms to be more than a year, The Guardian reports.

“Yes, it should be [more than a year],” said Wolff. “We don’t want to be in a stressful situation every single year where we are absolutely flat-out trying to win races and needing to negotiate. I would rather that doesn’t happen every year.”

After his win in Spain last weekend, the 36-year-old British driver said he would like negotiations to be concluded by the time F1 takes its summer break in August. “There’s still some life in this old dog,” he said. “Hopefully soon we can start, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the actual job. We still have 19 races to do but it would be great to get something in place before the break so then we could be in that break and have a clear picture of the future.”

3. Parker ‘gutted’ after Fulham’s relegation from the EPL

Football

Scott Parker admits that Fulham need to make “big decisions” after the west London club were relegated from the Premier League for the second time in three years. Speaking to Sky Sports after his side’s 2-0 home loss against Burnley last night, Parker said he was “hurt” and “gutted” after the drop was confirmed.

“While we have had progression, we have fallen short at this level,” he said. “There is no denying that, that is why we have been relegated. We need to work out what we need to do to improve that, not just as players and a team but as a football club.

“We’ve had a relegation, promotion, and relegation. After the highs and lows of that journey, we need to find how we can keep a level about us. That is the next task.”

4. Summer international rugby schedule is confirmed

Rugby union

World Rugby has announced the men’s international summer fixture schedule. The British & Irish Lions take on Japan at BT Murrayfield on 26 June before embarking on their tour of South Africa. The Lions will play five warm-up games and then three Tests against the Springboks. This summer England, Ireland, Wales and Scotland will also be in action.

Summer fixtures

• 26 June: British & Irish Lions vs. Japan (BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh)
• 3 July: DHL Stormers vs. British & Irish Lions (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town)
• 3 July: South Africa vs. Georgia
• 3 July: Ireland vs. Japan (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
• 3 July: Wales vs. Canada (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
• 3 July: England vs. USA (Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham)
• 7 July: SA Invitation XV vs. British & Irish Lions (Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium, Port Elizabeth)
• 7 July: Australia vs. France (Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney)
• 10 July: Cell C Sharks vs. British & Irish Lions (Jonsson Kings Park, Durban)
• 10 July: New Zealand vs. Fiji
• 10 July: South Africa vs. Georgia
• 10 July: England vs. Canada (Twickenham Stadium, Twickenham)
• 10 July: Romania vs. Scotland (Stadionul National Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest)
• 10 July: Ireland vs. USA (Aviva Stadium, Dublin)
• 10 July: Wales vs. Argentina (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
• 11 July: Uruguay vs. Argentina XV (Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo)
• 13 July: Australia vs. France (AAMI Park, Melbourne)
• 14 July: South Africa A vs. British & Irish Lions (Mbombela Stadium, Mbombela)
• 17 July: Vodacom Bulls vs. British & Irish Lions (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
• 17 July: New Zealand vs. Fiji
• 17 July: Australia vs. France (Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane)
• 17 July: Georgia vs. Scotland
• 17 July: Wales vs. Argentina (Principality Stadium, Cardiff)
• 24 July: South Africa vs. British & Irish Lions (FNB National Stadium, Soweto)
• 31 July: South Africa vs. British & Irish Lions (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town)
• 7 August: South Africa vs. British & Irish Lions (Emirates Airlines Park, Johannesburg)