SUNDAY SPORTS

Germaine de Randamie defeated Holly Holm by unanimous decision Saturday in Brooklyn in a clinch-filled bout at UFC 208 to become the first featherweight champion in the woman’s division.

The 32-year-old de Randamie (7-3) dropped to her knees in celebration as the Barclays Center crowd booed the end of a lacklustre bout Saturday night.

UFC created the new 145-pound division in part as a showcase for Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino. Justino was the lone fan standing in the front row toward the end of the five-round bout. Justino’s UFC fate is in limbo because of a doping violation that knocked her off the New York card.

A fight may not be on the immediate horizon.

De Randamie, a Dutch kickboxer who also fought in Strikeforce, said she needed surgery on one of her hands.

Holm (10-3) has lost three straight bouts since she became the first fighter to defeat Ronda Rousey in December 2015.

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Richard Panik scored twice and set up one more as the Chicago Blackhawks stretched their winning streak to five games with a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists and Trevor van Riemsdyk and Artem Anisimov (ah-NEE’-see-mahv) also scored for the Blackhawks. Patrick Maroon replied for the Oilers, who have lost four of their last five games.

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The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to stumble. Evander Kane scored twice and Jack Eichel had a career-high three assists as the Buffalo Sabres downed Toronto 3-1. That’s the Maple Leafs’ sixth loss in eight games. Mitch Marner scored the lone goal for Toronto.

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Another loss for the Montreal Canadiens. Patrik Berglund scored a hat trick to lead the visiting St. Louis Blues to a 4-2 win in Montreal. The Habs are now 1-4-and-1 in their last six games. And in Winnipeg, Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat (AWN’-dray PAL’-at) and Victor Hedman each had a goal and an assist to lift Tampa over the Jets 4-1.

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Craig Anderson didn’t miss a beat in his first game in 69 days. The Senators goaltender stopped all 33 shots he faced as Ottawa blanked the Islanders 3-0. Anderson left the club in early December to be with his wife Nicholle, who is battling cancer. And in Boston, the Bruins edged Vancouver 4-3.

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Mark McMorris was golden in Quebec City. The snowboarder from Regina finished first in the big air event at a World Cup stop. Defending champion Max Parrot of Bromont, Quebec finished second. And Teal Harle of Campbell River, B-C was the top Canadian in the ski big air. He finished fourth.

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Kevin Durant scored 34 points and was booed loudly in his return to Oklahoma City as the Golden State Warriors beat the Thunder 130-114. It was Durant’s first game back since he left the Thunder after eight seasons in Oklahoma City to join the rival Warriors as a free agent last summer. Durant and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook yelled at each other at one point in the third quarter as they walked toward their benches during a timeout.

(CP)