Sports Friday: Mussina Retires, Steelers Roll

After 18 major-league seasons, Mike Mussina announced his retirement Thursday. A 270-game winner with the Yankees and Orioles, the 40-year old right hander ranks 32nd on baseball's career win list.

Lesnar wrestles UFC title from Couture

By Jim Hoban

Youth - and size - won out over experience in a ring called the Octagon.

Brock Lesnar, a 31-year-old former NCAA wrestling champ, pummeled Randy Couture, 45, to the mat at 3:07 of the second round to win Ultimate Fighting's ultimate championship, the heavyweight title, last night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Aside from the disparity in size - Lesnar is a hulk at 6 feet 3 inches, 275 pounds compared with Couture, 6-1 and a lean 220 - Couture hadn't fought in 15 months, disdaining contract squabbles as he awaited the big fight he craved.

And big is what he got.

Lesnar, who lost the 1999 NCAA wrestling title to the Patriots' Stephen Neal, then won the title the next season, had the upper hand throughout the fight. He landed a standing elbow that stunned Couture to open Round 2 and had the defending champion backpedaling.

Lesnar landed a right hand to Couture's temple, then engulfed him with hammer punches with Couture (16-9) on the mat. The referee had to step in and stop the fight.

Lesnar wrestles UFC title from Couture....

Roy Jones, Jr. on CenterStage

The legendary boxer plays Hit and Run with Michael Kay.

Calzaghe Dominates Jones in Unanimous Decision

Joe Calzaghe overcame a first-round knockdown to beat Roy Jones Jr. in a unanimous decision Saturday night. The Welshman said this would be his final bout.

Calzaghe ready for showdown with Jones

By DAVE SKRETTA

NEW YORK (AP) — Roy Jones Jr. claims he's been seeing Joe Calzaghe punching in his sleep.

It wouldn't surprise anybody, either. The undefeated champion from Wales is known for his tremendous work rate, often throwing more than 100 blows in a round. He's always moving forward, always pressuring his opponent.

It's the reason Calzaghe is a fan favorite. And the reason he's one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world.

"He started punching yesterday," Jones joked earlier this week. "I've been ducking and dodging in my sleep. I know he's punching already. I ain't tripping about that, because that's what he does. But we'll have to see Saturday night what we're going to do about that."

Their light heavyweight fight at Madison Square Garden may be coming 10 years too late, but the 36-year-old Calzaghe — one of the longest-reigning champions in boxing history — and the 39-year-old Jones, himself an eight-time world champion, both insist their skills haven't dulled.

Calzaghe ready for showdown with Jones....

Reports: EliteXC tells employees, fighters it's out of business

ESPN.com news services

The parent company of the EliteXC mixed martial arts circuit is closing its doors for good, according to multiple reports.

Sherdog.com reported that according to T.J. Thompson, an executive at ProElite Inc., he was informed that the company would close for good this week and would file for bankruptcy protection. And Sports Illustrated, on its Web site, reported that ProElite told its employees and fighters on Monday that it was shutting down, effective immediately, according to multiple sources.

Sherdog also reported that according to numerous sources, an EliteXC card scheduled for Nov. 8 in Reno, Nev., has been canceled. According to the report, Joey Villasenor, who was scheduled to fight Robbie Lawler for the circuit's middleweight title on the card, was informed Monday it had been scrubbed.

ProElite did not return calls seeking comment, according to the reports.

Reports: EliteXC tells employees, fighters it's out of business....

Hopkins dominates Pavlik in middleweight bout

By TOM CANAVAN

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Bernard Hopkins gave Kelly Pavlik a boxing lesson and a first loss that he will never forget.

The 43-year-old Hopkins used lightning quick combinations and a cagey, near-perfect defense to embarrass and confuse Pavlik in a 12-round non-title bout Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall.

Hopkins, who dominated the middleweight class for a decade, made the 26-year-old Pavlik — the WBC and WBO middleweight champion — look slow and powerless in fighting at 170 pounds, 10 pounds over his weight class.

"I think this was my best performance, better than (Antonio) Tarver, better than (Felix) Trinidad, better than Oscar (De La Hoya), better than my 21 defenses," Hopkins said. "I am extremely happy."

Hopkins received winning scores of 119-106 from judge Alan Rubenstein, 117-109 from Barbara Perez and 118-108 from Steve Weisfeld.

Hopkins dominates Pavlik in middleweight bout....