National Sports

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Outside of a great honeymoon to start 2023, Lydia Ko had a year she’d pretty much like to forget.

TORONTO — UFC middleweight champion Sean (Tarzan) Strickland and South African challenger Dricus (Stillknocks) Du Plessis both made weight Friday in advance of their UFC 297 showdown Saturday. Fighters had a window from 9 to 11 a.m.

EDMONTON — The Edmonton Oilers head into a game against their provincial rivals with a chance to close in on NHL history. The Oilers will be going for their 13th win in a row when they visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Inter Milan is hoping a midseason trophy will catapult the team to the Serie A title. The Nerazzurri are on track following a 3-0 win over Lazio in the Italian Super Cup semifinals on Friday.

TORONTO — Pascal Siakam is no longer a Raptor but his love affair with Toronto will continue.

The Canadian women's soccer team is returning to the SheBelieves Cup in April in the U.S. for the third time in four years. The 10h-ranked Canadians join the second-ranked U.S., No. 8 Japan and No.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Sporting Kansas City has agreed to part ways with sporting director Gavin Wilkinson after only eight days, citing an “impassioned response from our fans” regarding the controversial hire, the team announced Friday.

TORONTO — UFC president Dana White has had more than a few challenging personalities on his roster over the years. UFC middleweight champion Sean (Tarzan) Strickland may take the cake.

VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks have signed president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford to a three-year extension. Rutherford was named president of hockey operations and interim general manager on Dec.

CALGARY — The Calgary Stampeders have re-signed American defensive lineman Julian Howsare, the CFL club announced Friday. The five-year veteran was slated to become a free agent next month.