The Morning Sports Briefing

UFC

There has been much ado about Conor McGregor's loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196 last Saturday but, in her column this morning, Sonia O'Sullivan questions the credibility of a sport that is so violent and gruesome.

“There was also a review of the choke-hold earlier in the evening that sent Holly Holm out of the octagon unconscious: is this just one step away from death?” she says.

Soccer

Chelsea made their exit from the Champions League last night as they went down 2-1 at Stamford Bridge to an impressive Paris St Germain side. Goals from Adrien Rabiot and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were enough to see the French side comfortably through, despite Diego Costa's first half equaliser.

Meanwhile, two late Benfica goals sent them through to the quarter-finals ahead of Zenit St Petersburg as they ran out 3-1 winners on aggregate.

Tonight Manchester United travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool as one of the biggest rivalries in the world enters the European stage for the first time.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has said he is ready for the "mother of all games".

“I don’t believe in enemies in football, I believe in real opponents,” said Klopp.

“I have absolutely no problem with Louis van Gaal but the last thing I want is for him to win. You can have good friends in football but not for the 95 minutes when you are wearing the wrong shirt. You can forget all the common experiences in your life then.”

Meanwhile, his opposite number has spoken of how fans of the two clubs need to stop living in the past and face the realities of the Europa League.

Van Gaal insisted he was "happy" for the 20-times Premier League champions to be involved in the new, convoluted version of the Uefa Cup and would not accept it was unsatisfactory for two clubs who have won the European Cup a combined total of eight times to be involved in a competition that has rarely been embraced by the top English clubs.

It is the first time that the two clubs have met in Europe in a rivalry that goes back a long way.

However, the hatred wasn't always as intense between the two teams, as Daniel Taylor explains.

Also this evening Tottenham travel to Germany for the first leg of their last 16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.

Rugby

Joe Schmidt will today announce his Ireland team to face Italy at the weekend with Simon Zebo and Jared Payne expected to be restored to the line-up. Rob Kearney looks to be out of the reckoning with a hamstring problem.

Meanwhile, Gerry Thornley spoke to Mike Ross about his unerring consistency which has seen him take over the mantle of prop from John Hayes - the two combined have worn been the only players to wear the number three jersey in the Six Nations for 16 years.

“It was a pretty fast track; I felt like I was sucking in passing seagulls at one point. You try to focus on your job, the set-piece and your role in defence and your role in attack. Our scrum was pretty good, I thought. And then it is just getting match fitness back too,” Ross said of the clash with England.

GAA

The repercussions from Maria Sharapova's admittance to failing a drugs test at the Australian Open continue to rumble on and have now reached the GAA.

Yesterday, Feargal McGill, the GAA’s head of games administration re-stated the fact that all players must be up to date with the latest World Anti-Doping Authority prohibited list.

Meanwhile Kerry under-21s last night ended their four year losing streak in the Munster championship when they saw off Tipperary at Austin Stack Park.

Tennis

Malachy Clerkin writes this morning of how tennis has been damaged by the authorities response to Maria Sharapova's doping revelations.

“Meldonium is a performance enhancing drug. It was when it was legal, it is now that it’s on the banned list. Sharapova took it for a decade despite its normal course of use being four-to-six weeks. She continued to take it without mentioning either it, or the ailment for which it was prescribed, until after she was caught,” he writes.

Women in Sport

This week's pages include an extended interview with the three women who play a key part in the running of Gordon Elliot's stable.

With Cheltenham kicking off next week this is the key time of year for Elliot and Camilla Sharples, Mary Nugent and Zoe Winston are hopeful that there will be a number of winners coming from the Co Meath yard.

Also in our Women in Sport series, Johnny Watterson speaks to Irish paralympic cyclist Eve McCrystal.

What to watch out for

Golf: Day one of the True Thailan Classic. Sky Sports 4 from 6am.

On the PGA Tour, Jordan Spieth looks to defend his Valspar Championship title. Sky Sports 4 from 8pm.

Cricket: Scotland play Zimbabwe and Hong Kong take on Afghanistan in the ICC World Twenty20. Sky Sports 2 from 9am.

Soccer: Europa League action sees Tottenham up first away to Borussia Dortmund (BT Sport 2 from 5.30). Then Manchester United travel to face liverpool at Anfield (BT Sport Europe from 7.15) while Athletic Bilbao play Valencia on BT Sport 2.