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JEDDAH: Australia and Iran booked their places in the semi-finals of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 with big wins over the Philippines and Chinese Taipei, as the men’s continental basketball competition continued on Wednesday night in Jeddah.

Reigning two-time champions Australia defeated the Philippines 84-60 and remain unbeaten in the competition since entering it for the first time in 2017.

The Boomers dominated from the start, sinking seven 3-pointers in the first quarter on the way to building a 29-12 lead. Jaylin Galloway led the early charge, while Jack McVeigh and Will Magnay contributed impressive performances on the offensive and defensive fronts.

“I'm just really proud of how we rebounded and defended,” said coach Adam Caporn. “We just rallied on the defensive end and on the boards. I’m very happy.

Disappointed Philippines coach Tim Cone said: “We really liked our time together. I like the way we play, I like the togetherness, they are all easy to coach, but I didn’t like our performance tonight.”

Philippines center Justin Brownlee, whose 3-pointer forced overtime on Monday in the play-off victory over ��������, was held in check this time by the Australian defense and finished with 10 points on 3-of-7 field goal shooting.

In the day’s other quarter-final, Iran completed one of the most dramatic comebacks ever seen at Asia Cup, reversing a 21-point deficit to edge Chinese Taipei 78-75 at King Abdullah Sports City.

The turnaround was about more than simply advancing to the semi-finals for the Iranians, it was about reaffirming their status as genuine title contenders.

“At halftime, we had a long talk and we changed the approach,” said coach Sotirios Manolopoulos. “We had to start from defense to play aggressively, possession by possession. We knew we will get our shots, and this time we will make our shots. For the second half, we played to our maximum.”

For Chinese Taipei, the defeat marked a heartbreaking end to the competition.

“We shot better but we still lost the game; this is basketball,” said coach Gianluca Tuccil.

Australia and Iran, both of whom are unbeaten in this year’s competition, will face off on Saturday at King Abdullah Sports City for a spot in the final.

China will take on South Korea and then New Zealand face Lebanon in the remaining two quarter-finals, which take place on Thursday.

NEW YORK: The Professional Fighters League has announced a championship double-header for its return to the UAE, as two PFL world title bouts will headline PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai - The Rematch on Friday, Oct. 3 at the Coca-Cola Arena.

The biggest rematch in PFL history takes center stage, as Dagestan’s undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov (19‑0, 1 NC) and Ireland’s Paul Hughes (14‑2) battle for the PFL lightweight title in the main event.

In the co-main event, former Bellator light heavyweight champion Corey Anderson (19-6) will face 2024 PFL light heavyweight tournament champion Dovlet Yagshimuradov (25-7-1) for the PFL light heavyweight title.

Three bouts have also been confirmed for the early card, including a heavyweight wrestling clash between former Iranian national team member Pouya Rahmani (4-0) and Tunisian Olympian Slim Trabelsi (8-0), both of whom will be looking to preserve their undefeated records.

The second is a grudge match nearly seven years in the making between Zubaira Tukhugov (20-6-1) and Artem Lobov (14-15-1). Originally planned for 2018, the matchup was scrapped following the UFC 229 post-fight brawl and subsequent suspensions.

Finally, 2024 PFL MENA welterweight champion Omar El-Dafrawy (14-5) of Egypt will fight 2024 PFL Europe welterweight champion Florim Zendeli (10-1-1) of Albania in a battle of the regional tournament winners, both of whom are in the midst of multi-fight unbeaten streaks.

Additional main card and early card bouts will be announced at a later date.

The October event is part of PFL’s multi-year partnership with the Dubai Sports Council and Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism.

Since its launch in November, the Road to Dubai campaign has brought a series of PFL global MMA events to the UAE. While the finale is scheduled for January, the October event is an additional showcase.

PFL CEO John Martin said it would be “one of the biggest nights in PFL history.”

“To have two PFL world titles on the line, featuring four world-class athletes at the top of their game, shows exactly what makes the PFL different. This is more than just a fight card, it’s a global showcase of elite talent, compelling narratives and the power of our international platform. Dubai is quickly becoming one of the sport’s true capitals and there’s no better setting for a night of championship-level drama and the biggest rematch in PFL history.”

Nurmagomedov and Hughes first met in January, also at the Coca-Cola Arena, and delivered an instant fight-of-the-year contender. The sold-out event saw fans traveling from Russia and Ireland to create a charged atmosphere for an electric five-round battle. While Nurmagomedov emerged victorious, the outcome sparked fierce debate among fans, many of whom felt Hughes had done enough for victory, setting the stage for a not-to-be-missed rematch.

Fueled by the loss, Hughes came roaring back with a statement win in May with a 42-second stoppage of Bruno Miranda in front of a capacity crowd in Belfast. After the fight, he made his intentions crystal clear: “Usman Nurmagomedov, you can run and delay this rematch as long as you want, but your day is coming.”

Meanwhile, Nurmagomedov remains undefeated and is widely regarded as one of the most technically complete fighters in MMA. Competing in what many consider the sport’s toughest division, the 27-year-old champion’s resume includes victories over elite opponents like former champions Patricky Pitbull and Benson Henderson, and Alexander Shabliy.

The light heavyweight title contest is also a rematch of the fighters’ 2021 Bellator World Grand Prix quarterfinal, where Anderson earned a third-round finish over Yagshimuradov. Anderson went on to capture the Bellator light heavyweight championship and most recently handed 2024 PFL heavyweight champion Denis Goltsov his first loss in nearly two years, stopping him last month at PFL Champions Series: Road to Dubai — Cape Town.

Meanwhile, the pride of Turkmenistan has been on a tear since that defeat, riding a dominant seven-fight win streak, a run capped by a victory over Impa Kasanganay to claim the 2024 PFL light heavyweight title.