So strong was the narrative surrounding Conor McGregor’s recent occupation of New York that one could be forgiven for pegging him as a pioneer.

Mystery surrounds how a koi carp fish ended up in a fast-flowing, normally shallow Cork river and how it survived after being attacked by birds and territorially aggressive brown trout.

Billy Joe Saunders believes the placid build-up to his bout against Andy Lee tonight will work in his favour.

Billy Walsh “has not tendered his resignation”, according to a statement issued by the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) last night.

Victor Raul Capacita is being lined up as the opponent for John Joe Nevin’s first fight since last November in New York next Tuesday.

Olympic champion Katie Taylor is convinced her best is yet to come as she prepares to lead Ireland into the inaugural European Games in Baku next month.

Matthew Macklin has revealed talks have begun for his fourth world title shot, with WBA champion Danny Jacobs in his sights for a potential September clash on the east side of America.

Jorge Sebastian Heiland made a mockery of the bookies’ odds which ranked Matthew Macklin as a 1/20 favourite ahead of their WBC world middleweight title eliminator on Saturday night, but, in hindsight, Father Time was the most difficult opponent for the home fighter.

While Matthew Macklin is the star attraction of this weekend’s fight card at the 3 Arena, more evidence was offered at the final pre-fight press conference to suggest that the bitter showdown between Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan and Anthony Fitzgerald will steal the show as their war of words spilled over into a physical altercation, followed by a kiss yesterday.

Matthew Macklin has pulled out of his middleweight clash with Jorge Sebastien Heiland in Dublin due to his lead trainer Jamie Moore being shot twice in the legs in Marbella.

Former European light-middleweight boxing champion Jamie Moore is recovering in hospital after being shot twice in the legs in Marbella.

It’s very nearly five years since Poonsawat Kratingdaenggm floored Bernard Dunne and thousands of onlookers at the O2, but Matthew Macklin has promised that he is the man to finally bring big-time boxing back to this country.

Irish favourite Matthew Macklin will hope to secure a fourth shot at a world title when he takes on Jorge Sebastien Heiland in an official eliminator for the WBC middleweight crown at the National Stadium in Dublin on August 30.

Matthew Macklin is hoping his Dublin return on August 30 will set up Ireland’s answer to Froch-Groves II before the end of the year.

There was mayhem at Ravenhill last night as 14-man Ulster heroically booked a place in the last four of the RaboDirect League.

Ulster 58 Connact 12

Andy Lee believes his step down in weight opens up a “whole new world of boxing” — one which includes the world’s leading fighter, Floyd Mayweather Jnr.

Ulster 38 Newport-Gwent Dragons 8

Benetton Treviso 12 Ulster 14

Former GAA President Seán Kelly has backed Lar Corbett’s bid to buy Hayes Hotel in Thurles after the Tipperary hurler confirmed he wants to purchase the Association’s birthplace.

All-Ireland winning Tipperary hurler Lar Corbett and international boxing star Matthew Macklin have set their sights on purchasing Hayes Hotel in Thurles — the birthplace of the GAA.

RABO DIRECT PRO12:

Irish middleweight Andy Lee has thrown down the gauntlet to Matthew Macklin to face him in 2014.

The look on Andy Lee’s face when the referee called a halt to his bout with Ferenc Hafner, after just 1 minute and 19 seconds of round two, said it all about the man’s current level of ambition.

Andy Lee might have only found out about tonight’s fight on Tuesday, but the Limerick middleweight believes it could be a career-altering evening in his quest to become world champion.

Andy Lee has confirmed that talks are underway about a possible fight with Matthew Macklin in March of next year.

Matthew Macklin felt the full force of Gennady Golovkin’s power on Saturday night when the undefeated middleweight retained his WBA and IBO titles with a devastating third-round stoppage.

Matthew Macklin came up short once again in his bid to win a portion of the world middleweight crown after being brutally knocked out in the third round by the unbeaten WBA World 160lb champion Gennady Golovkin.

Matthew Macklin faces a third world title bid in Connecticut tonight. John Riordan spoke to him in New York City this week.

Last Saturday night I out-boxed a very determined man in Anthony Fitzgerald. Considering it was my first fight in nine months and my first under a new coach, I’m happy to take the points win.

Tomorrow night in Belfast I will step back into the ring and start a new phase of my career. I’m facing Anthony Fitzgerald from Dublin.

Ulster 47 Scarlets 17

Ulster 45 Edinburgh 20

Ulster 25 Connacht 0

Cardiff Blues 19 Ulster 48

A 52-year-old woman would not have died at Roscommon County Hospital in February if she had not fallen down a flight of stairs in a wheelchair at the hospital six days earlier, an inquest heard yesterday.

Ulster may not have any further interest in the RaboDirect Pro 12 play-offs after Leinster won a tepid affair game at Ravenhill last night, but more worrying was the injuries to Paddy Wallace, Chris Henry and Pedrie Wannenburg ahead of next week’s Heineken Cup semi-final against Edinburgh at the Aviva.

Connacht grabbed their first interprovincial win over Ulster since 2005, but Brian McLaughlin is not giving up hope just yet for a RaboDirect Pro12 top-four place.

By stunning Ballymena with a late winning try, Belfast Harlequins inched ever closer to being crowned Division 1B champions and winning promotion to Division 1A.