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Tag: unfazed

  • Sergei Pavlovich unfazed by those who ‘turned away’


    Being on a losing skid has Sergei Pavlovich sensing a sway in support heading into UFC Fight Night 250.

    Once a destructive force at heavyweight with six straight first-round knockout wins, Pavlovich (18-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) now finds himself on the first losing streak of his career. The 32-year-old is coming off back-to-back losses to interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and most recently Alexander Volkov at UFC on ABC 6.

    “Of course I felt it. I felt that some people turned away, but I don’t pay them too much attention,” Pavlovich said through an interpreter during Wednesday’s media day. “I want to thank personally the people that have stayed, that supported me through this. For them, I want to do this, and those people who came and went and whatever, I’m not worried about that.”

    Pavlovich will look to rebound when he takes on experienced striker Jairzinho Rozenstruik (15-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 250 (ESPN+) main card at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    “He’s a very explosive guy, he’s very fast, he has a lot of experience,” Pavlovich said of Rozenstruik. “So, you have to be ready for anything when it comes to him, and I’m ready for all three rounds.”

    For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 250.

    Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.





    Sergei Pavlovich, the Russian heavyweight fighter, has proven once again that he is unfazed by those who have ‘turned away’ from him in the past. Despite facing setbacks and criticism, Pavlovich continues to persevere and show his resilience in the ring.

    In a recent interview, Pavlovich expressed his determination to prove his doubters wrong and show the world what he is truly capable of. He credits his unwavering self-belief and dedication to his craft as the driving force behind his success.

    Pavlovich’s fighting spirit and unwavering confidence make him a force to be reckoned with in the world of MMA. He remains focused on his goals and is not deterred by the opinions of others.

    As he continues to climb the ranks and make a name for himself in the fighting world, Sergei Pavlovich serves as a reminder that perseverance and self-belief are key to overcoming obstacles and achieving success.

    Tags:

    1. Sergei Pavlovich
    2. MMA fighter
    3. UFC heavyweight
    4. Russia
    5. Professional athlete
    6. Determination
    7. Overcoming adversity
    8. Resilience
    9. Fighting spirit
    10. Inspirational athlete

    #Sergei #Pavlovich #unfazed #turned

  • Sidney Crosby unfazed by Connor McDavid’s temper outburst vs. Canucks: ‘That’s hockey’


    LOS ANGELES — Very few players in hockey history can relate with the kind of attention and on-ice abuse that Connor McDavid receives on a regular basis.

    Sidney Crosby is one of them.

    McDavid, after being held to the ice by Vancouver’s Conor Garland for a handful of seconds in the final moments of the Canucks’ 3-2 win on Saturday, lost his temper and cross-checked the Canucks forward in the face. It earned McDavid a three-game suspension, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Monday.

    “I saw the cross-check,” Crosby told The Athletic following the Penguins’ morning skate in Los Angeles on Monday, about three hours before the suspension was levied. “But I couldn’t tell if it was his glove or his stick that hit him in the face.”

    Crosby said that, in his view, that makes a difference. In other words, if it was McDavid’s glove that struck Garland in the face, it wasn’t a huge deal. But if it was his stick, then it’s a different story.

    “It’s hard to say how bad it was from the angle that was available,” Crosby said. “You’re splitting hairs.”

    Crosby has been the victim of considerable abuse in his NHL career, notably being cross-checked in the head by the New York Rangers’ Marc Staal and the Columbus Blue Jackets’ Brandon Dubinsky. He is also more than familiar with what Garland did to McDavid.

    Throughout hockey history, great players have to deal with such things and don’t always receive the benefit of the doubt from officials.

    Crosby and McDavid have never been teammates at any level, but that will change next month when they will both represent Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off in Montreal and Boston. Like he has done for more than a decade, Crosby will captain Team Canada. McDavid will enter the tournament universally viewed as the world’s greatest current player.

    Crosby held that distinction for many years and possesses a unique understanding of McDavid’s plight. Crosby has dropped the gloves out of frustration 10 times in his career, most recently in November when he fought Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor. Crosby has never been disciplined by the NHL and has never been involved in an incident like this.

    McDavid has never been assessed a fighting major, though he did drop the gloves twice while playing for the Erie Otters in the Ontario Hockey League.

    “It’s like anything,” Crosby said. “Sometimes your emotions get the best of you. It’s a physical sport. The one time you see that, you probably didn’t see there nine hits that Connor took. Those ones are the ones that never make the highlights. When you retaliate, you make the highlights.”

    Crosby knew there was a good chance that McDavid would get suspended. While the Penguins captain grimaced when talking about the idea of cross-checking someone in the face, he seemed relatively unfazed.

    “Whether it’s him or anyone else, it’s an emotional game,” Crosby said. “That’s going to happen sometimes. If there were calmer or cooler circumstances, he probably wouldn’t have done that.”

    The circumstances, of course, were not calm nor cool.

    “That’s hockey,” Crosby said.

    (Photo: Jeanine Leech / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)





    Sidney Crosby unfazed by Connor McDavid’s temper outburst vs. Canucks: ‘That’s hockey’

    In a recent game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks, superstar Connor McDavid let his emotions get the best of him as he unleashed a rare temper outburst on the ice. However, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was quick to dismiss the incident, chalking it up to the intensity of the game.

    When asked about McDavid’s outburst, Crosby simply shrugged and said, “That’s hockey. Emotions run high, especially in a fast-paced game like hockey. It’s not uncommon to see players get frustrated and let their emotions show. It’s just part of the game.”

    Crosby’s nonchalant response to McDavid’s outburst highlights the unwavering focus and composure that has made him one of the greatest players in the game. Despite the drama on the ice, Crosby remains unfazed and continues to lead by example with his professionalism and sportsmanship.

    As two of the biggest stars in the NHL, Crosby and McDavid are no strangers to the pressures and demands of being in the spotlight. While McDavid’s outburst may have raised eyebrows, Crosby’s calm and collected demeanor serves as a reminder that in the world of hockey, keeping a cool head is key to success.

    In the end, Crosby’s reaction to McDavid’s outburst reinforces the notion that in the fast-paced and high-stakes world of professional hockey, it’s important to stay focused, composed, and above all, respectful of the game.

    Tags:

    1. Sidney Crosby
    2. Connor McDavid
    3. NHL
    4. Hockey
    5. Temper outburst
    6. Canucks
    7. Sports news
    8. Hockey rivalry
    9. NHL stars
    10. Hockey players

    #Sidney #Crosby #unfazed #Connor #McDavids #temper #outburst #Canucks #hockey

  • Pak vs WI – Unfazed Jayden Seales over-delivers in spin-friendly Multan


    Jayden Seales knew the deck, quite literally, was stacked against him. Pakistan had spent the last few days working on that deck to make it so, erecting a protective greenhouse and attempting to warm up the Multan surface in frigid conditions using wedding-style heaters. The idea was to dry the pitch out and help the spinners get turn early on. With the 23-year-old the only opposition fast bowler, it would have felt, to him, as if the whole move was simply Operation Stop Jayden Seales.

    Well, it failed. There’s only so much that can be done when the temperature drops into single digits, and fog encircled the stadium, forcing the game to start four hours late. Seales knew his window to strike was narrow, and he had little time to waste.

    “We saw from the training sessions that the ball did a little bit when it was new,” he told a press conference after the end of day’s play. “For me, I needed to try and get the best out of the new ball and put the ball in the right areas. And with the cooler conditions this afternoon, it did a bit and it worked out for us.”

    Seales had more of an active role in making sure it worked out than he takes credit for. With spin operating right from the outset at the other end, he landed the ball on hard lengths, his height and pace making sure to extract enough bounce. But it was also his guile with the wrists that guaranteed seam movement, particularly in the dismissals of Kamran Ghulam and Babar Azam.

    Having already dispatched the debutant Mohammad Hurraira, he was shaping it away from Ghulam when he was driven through the off side for four, and when the next one landed around a similar line, Ghulam felt secure enough to shoulder arms. But this one seamed back in and smashed into Ghulam’s thigh, with HawkEye confirming it would have clipped the bails.

    “I just wanted to build pressure,” he said. “As a fast bowler in Asian countries, you tend to want to make a big impact and you want to do well for the team. Spin obviously dominates in these conditions. So as a fast bowler, I always wanted to get a wicket or be in the game and it so happened that I got the wickets for the team today.”

    But the dismissal to remove Babar required a delivery to match the quality of the batter, and Seales rose to the challenge. Babar came into this innings, with three successive Test half-centuries amid murmurs he may be returning to form. But before his spell ended, Seales ensured he bowled the delivery to give Pakistan one more bloody punch and leave them staggering.

    “As a fast bowler, I always wanted to get a wicket or be in the game and it so happened that I got the wickets for the team today.”

    Seales after the opening day

    He landed it on a length as Babar prepared to get in line and defend. Ball-tracking showed the trajectory was sending it right to the middle of his bat, but he got it to land perfectly on the seam to nip away ever so slightly, and take the outside edge.

    “I figured that he was watching my hand a bit, so I just tried to deceive him and it so happened that paid off. I think as a bowling unit, we did really well and we’ve just got to back it up again tomorrow. I think going forward in the game the spinners will come into the game a lot more. It may reverse-swing at some point, but I still think that the spinners may dominate in this game moving forward.”

    But Seales has happy memories against Pakistan, and having long odds against him doesn’t faze him much. It was against this opposition four years ago as a teenager playing his third Test that he secured his breakout performance in Jamaica, taking eight wickets before holding his nerve in a thrilling tenth-wicket stand to secure his side a one-wicket win. He was named the Player of the Match.

    While he knows his tactics may need to change here, his mentality evidently has not. “I don’t really think of it as pressure or anything like that [being the sole seamer]. For me as a player, [it’s] coming into the game a lot more and lifting my hand up for the team and just trying to do our job every time I’m called upon.

    “In international cricket, you expect the players to be good and you have to back yourself and match up with players skill for skill and who is the better man on the day will win. And it so happened that today I was the man for the team.”

    Seales may undersell himself, but, more importantly for West Indies, he finds a way to over-deliver. And in conditions tailor-made to shut him out, few could argue he has not done exactly that.

    Danyal Rasool is ESPNcricinfo’s Pakistan correspondent. @Danny61000



    The recent test match between Pakistan and West Indies in Multan saw young fast bowler Jayden Seales steal the show with his impressive performance on a spin-friendly pitch. Despite not being a spinner himself, Seales remained unfazed and over-delivered with his skill and determination.

    Seales, who made his test debut just last year, proved to be a valuable asset for the West Indies team as he picked up crucial wickets and put pressure on the Pakistani batsmen. His ability to adapt to the conditions and execute his plans with precision was commendable.

    The 20-year-old’s stellar performance in Multan is a testament to his talent and potential as a fast bowler. With his pace, control, and ability to read the game, Seales has shown that he has what it takes to succeed at the highest level.

    As he continues to develop and gain experience, Jayden Seales could very well become a key player for the West Indies team in the years to come. His performance in the recent match against Pakistan is a clear indication of the bright future that lies ahead for this young and talented cricketer.

    Tags:

    1. Pak vs WI cricket match
    2. Jayden Seales performance
    3. Spin-friendly Multan pitch
    4. Unfazed Jayden Seales
    5. Pakistan vs West Indies match
    6. Multan cricket stadium
    7. Jayden Seales cricket update
    8. West Indies bowler Jayden Seales
    9. Pak vs WI series
    10. Multan pitch conditions

    #Pak #Unfazed #Jayden #Seales #overdelivers #spinfriendly #Multan

  • Africa’s 2024 in review: Adoption unfazed, regulatory reckoning

    Africa’s 2024 in review: Adoption unfazed, regulatory reckoning


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    7. Africa’s 2024 in review: Adoption unfazed, regulatory reckoning

    Africa’s digital asset and blockchain industry has continued to grow over the years, unfazed by regulations (or a lack thereof), price volatility, or infrastructural deficiencies. In 2021, the sector made its mark; in 2022, it came of age; in 2023, it matured and moved beyond speculation; and this year, regulators have caught up, with some of the virtual asset service providers (VASPs) that have operated unchecked for years feeling the heat.

    For BSV blockchain, 2024 was yet another great year in Africa as adoption continued to rise, with the BSV Association’s (BSVA) education initiatives across the region bearing fruit.

    Adoption soars

    Africa has often been cited as the next frontier for digital asset adoption. However, in 2024, the region proved that its time is now. 

    Across the region, blockchain and digital asset adoption soared. Unlike in other regions where speculation dominates, especially in a bullish year like 2024, Africa’s adoption focused on actual use cases, from cross-border payments with digital assets to certificate verification with blockchain.

    The Consensys Web3 Perception report in December identified Nigeria and South Africa as the two global leaders in digital asset adoption. The 2024 Chainalysis adoption index also found that Nigeria has the second-highest adoption rate after India.

    This adoption is reflected in the rise of stablecoins as the most popular digital asset in the continent, accounting for over 40% of the activity. Africans have been using stablecoins for payments, especially in cross-border transfers, as they don’t suffer from volatility.

    Share of Bitcoin and stablecoin in Sub-Saharam chart
    Source: Chainalysis

    Social media platforms have played a central role in this rising adoption, none more so than Telegram. A report by Seychelles-based exchange Bitget found that digital asset-focused Telegram groups recorded nearly 200% growth in Africa and now boast millions of users. 

    This adoption is making its way into national initiatives. Earlier this year, the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) published its digital payments roadmap, citing stablecoins and tokenization as some of the key priorities.

    Beyond digital assets, blockchain adoption has also soared in 2024. At the national level, African leaders have been calling on their governments to adopt the technology to fight graft and improve efficiency. Earlier this year, Ghana’s Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia cited blockchain as the technology that can deliver Africa from the prevalent corruption. Nigeria’s anti-graft agency is also exploring how blockchain can stamp out corruption in the continent’s largest economy.

    Nigeria has remained the regional leader in blockchain adoption. The country is now training thousands every year on blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI). Its civil aviation authority has also adopted blockchain to boost efficiency, while one local higher learning institution launched the country’s first blockchain platform to authenticate certificates.

    Nigeria could also become Africa’s first country to have its own sovereign blockchain network, with plans underway to develop Nigerium.

    BSV’s adoption has continued in Africa, with the BSVA’s education initiatives playing a big part. This year’s highlight was the launch of KitePesa, a new stablecoin in Uganda, backed one-to-one by the country’s shillings. KitePesa will complement the country’s mobile money systems, which serve 64% of the population, making it easier to pay, transfer and store funds. Reginald Tumusiime, whose company developed KitePesa, says the stablecoin’s advantages over mobile money include cheaper transactions, enhanced security, and micropayments.

    Tumusiime is also the leader of the Blockchain Association of Uganda (BAU), and in this role, he organized the Kampala Blockchain Summit in November. BSVA was highly involved, and its Utilization Director, Thomas Giacomo, was among the speakers.

    In Southern Africa, BSVA has been conducting workshops in Lesotho and South Africa, spearheaded by BSV Ambassador and VX Technologies executive Catherine Lephoto. In Western Africa, the Association has partnered with the Nigerian government and Domineum to impart blockchain skills to thousands in Nigeria.

    The year of regulatory reckoning

    While adoption was in high gear, regulators also stepped up their game, cracking down on dozens of VASPs that have operated unchecked for years.

    The crackdown was most rampant in Nigeria. It started early this year, with the economic crime watchdog, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), setting its sights on unlicensed offshore exchanges. It accused these exchanges, led by Binance, of conducting a “sophisticated heist” on the Nigerian economy by offering backdoor access to the forex market through USD-backed stablecoins. It even led to the shutdown of Bureau de Change operations in Abuja as they protested the unlicensed exchanges.

    After ordering all unlicensed offshore exchanges to shut down, the EFCC pursued those it deemed to have broken specific laws. As expected, Binance was at the top of the list. The watchdog accused the exchange of helping users launder over $35 million, a case still ongoing amid a scandal involving the arrest and eventual release of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan.

    In South Africa, the regulators took a different route. The financial industry watchdog has issued dozens of licenses to VASPs this year as the country seeks to legalize digital assets to better protect investors.

    Ghana’s central bank also issued draft guidelines for VASPs this year, as Kenya formed a ‘crypto’ working group as it continues to struggle with regulating the ever-growing sector. Still, the East African nation collected over $78 million in taxes from the sector.

    Central banks have also been exploring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs). Eswatini, Rwanda, and Ethiopia have all published papers exploring the possible design and operation principles for their digital currencies.

    What’s next for Africa

    As we head into 2025, Africa’s digital asset and blockchain sector is poised for what could be its best year yet. Unlike in previous years, when VASPs operated under regulatory shadows, 2025 will bring them to the masses in a regulated and controlled manner. Nigeria has already licensed three exchanges for the first time ever, while South Africa has issued over 70 licenses. Others, like Ghana, Kenya, and Egypt, are exploring options and are expected to issue draft guidelines in the first half of 2025.

    Adoption will also continue to soar. The region’s tech-savvy and young population has proven it’s ready to leverage the power of blockchain and digital assets to compete with more developed nations. Today, Africa is already producing some of the best talent in the blockchain world, and with education initiatives in Uganda, South Africa, Uganda, and elsewhere kicking up a notch, this will only improve. 

    Watch: Boosting financial inclusion in Africa with BSV blockchain

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    Africa’s adoption of emerging technologies in 2024 has been nothing short of impressive, with advancements in AI, blockchain, and fintech reshaping industries across the continent. Despite this rapid progress, the regulatory landscape has begun to catch up, leading to a reckoning on how these technologies are governed and implemented.

    In the realm of blockchain, Africa has seen a surge in adoption with countries like Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa leading the way in leveraging this technology for various applications such as supply chain management, voting systems, and cross-border payments. The potential for blockchain to revolutionize industries and improve transparency and efficiency is undeniable, and African nations are keen to capitalize on these opportunities.

    Similarly, AI has been making significant strides in Africa, with advancements in machine learning and data analytics driving innovation in sectors like healthcare, agriculture, and finance. From predictive healthcare diagnostics to precision agriculture solutions, AI is proving to be a game-changer for the continent, helping to address key challenges and drive economic growth.

    However, as these technologies continue to evolve and proliferate, the need for robust regulatory frameworks has become increasingly apparent. Issues of data privacy, security, and ethical AI deployment have come to the forefront, prompting regulators to take a closer look at how these technologies are being used and ensuring that they are aligned with national priorities and values.

    In the coming years, Africa will need to strike a balance between fostering innovation and ensuring responsible adoption of emerging technologies. Regulatory bodies will play a critical role in setting the guidelines and standards for these technologies, ensuring that they are harnessed for the greater good of society and are not used to exploit or harm individuals.

    As Africa looks to the future, it is clear that the adoption of emerging technologies will continue to drive growth and development across the continent. By embracing innovation while also addressing regulatory challenges, Africa is poised to lead the way in shaping the digital future of the world.

    Tags:

    Africa, African adoption trends, regulatory challenges, Africa’s 2024, cryptocurrency adoption, blockchain technology, African fintech, regulatory landscape, African economy, digital assets, African financial sector

    #Africas #review #Adoption #unfazed #regulatory #reckoning

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