Andrew McDermott 
Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of one of the greatest achievements in the history of motorsport when the first – and to date only – driver won the Triple Crown. Here we break down exactly what that means and whether the feat can ever be repeated.
Huddersfield and Cardiff could both be involved in exciting ends to the season but for very different reasons ahead of Friday night’s Championship clash. The Terriers have been sucked into the relegation battle after a dismal run of results, while Cardiff have surged up the table under Mick McCarthy.
We have already enjoyed one title fight in the UFC this year, with Kamaru Usman successfully defending his welterweight belt in style and setting a record winning streak for the division in the process. As the sport continues to recover from the disruption of COVID-19, we have picked out the 10 MMA fights we would most like to see during the rest of 2021.
The first leg of the Europa League last-32 tie was a scrappy 0-0 draw but Leicester are now clear favourites to go through in the second leg. A clean sheet in the Czech capital means the Foxes should progress if they can be more ruthless with their finishing at the King Power Stadium.
Rangers have one foot in the last 16 of the Europa League after a 4-3 win in the first leg but still face a tricky test in the return match at Ibrox. Borna Barisic’s spot-kick double ensured Steven Gerrard’s team claimed a one-goal lead from a roller-coaster clash in Belgium.
There will be important points at stake as well as the Brian Clough Trophy when Nottingham Forest make the short trip to Derby. Unfortunately for neutrals, the bitter rivalry between these teams often means it is a scrappy affair and seven league meetings in the last four seasons have produced just eight goals.
Brighton must still be wondering how they lost to Crystal Palace on Monday night but cannot afford to dwell on that disappointment for too long. The Seagulls dominated against their bitter rivals but lost 2-1 after conceding in injury time, meaning they are only four points clear of the relegation zone.
Naomi Osaka and Jennifer Brady produced a thrilling semi-final at the US Open last year and neutrals will hope for more of the same when they meet in the Australian Open women’s singles final. Osaka triumphed 7-6 3-6 6-3 in New York so Brady may feel she has more of a chance than odds of 18/5 suggest.
Fulham’s improved performances have not quite turned into the points they would have liked but they have the chance to put that right against rock-bottom Sheffield United. The Cottagers have only lost one of their last six games but four draws in that time mean they start the weekend still six points from safety.
Burnley have been held to a draw against two of the teams below them in their last two home games and will hope it is third time lucky when West Brom arrive at Turf Moor. This looks a must-win fixture for West Brom, though, given they start the weekend 12 points from safety, so this could be a more open game than might usually be expected.
With several highly-anticipated fights across the worlds of boxing and MMA expected to take place in 2021, there could well be some new records set for the number of pay-per-view buys. We have taken a look at the biggest pay-per-view fights in the history of combat sports so far to set the standard that the next generation of super fights would have to reach.
Stefanos Tsitsipas looked to be on his way out of the Australian Open after losing the first two sets against Rafael Nadal but is now one win away from a maiden grand slam final. While Tsitsipas produced a stunning comeback to beat the Spaniard, Daniil Medvedev had no such drama as he cruised to a straight-sets victory over Andrey Rublev.
Chelsea have already thrashed Barnsley in the EFL Cup this season so should be confident of a routine victory when they meet in the FA Cup fifth round FA Cup. Kai Havertz hit a hat-trick as the Blues cruised to a 6-0 win at Stamford Bridge in September, although both clubs have since had a change of manager.
Sheff Utd have used the FA Cup to try and build much-needed confidence this season and are expected to do the same when they host Bristol City. The Blades remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League but have again been handed a kind cup draw, having squeezed past two League One opponents.