Sure, I can help with that.

Here is a more detailed paraphrase of the text:---**RIYADH:** The Saudi Pro League resumed after a two-week international break with Al-Ittihad, the champions of the 2022-2023 season, demonstrating their intent to challenge for the title again with a dominant 7-1 victory over Al-Wehda, placing them at the top of the table.

On Sunday morning, Al-Ittihad knew they needed to defeat their old rivals Al-Wehda by six goals to surpass Al-Hilal and claim the top spot, and they did just that, winning 7-1.

The match began with 60,000 fans at the King Abdullah Sports City putting on a show with top-class tifos.

Al-Wehda had started the season well but could not compete with the Tigers, who seem to be thriving under new coach Laurent Blanc.

Karim Benzema certainly is, scoring a hat-trick (including one spectacular strike) to remind the rest of the league that Al-Ittihad has a world-class striker and a team full of firepower, as well as a desire to reclaim the title after a disappointing season last time around.

And there’s more.

New signing Moussa Diaby recorded no less than four assists, a feat that has never been bettered in the history of the league.

If he continues this way and Benzema stays fit and in this kind of form, then Ittihad has a real chance.

No wonder, at the end, fans chanted “Bring on Al-Hilal.

” Saturday’s clash against the champions should be a classic.

Three games, three wins, but did anyone really expect anything different? After the 3-0 win over Al-Riyadh, the opposition coach Sabri Lamouchi said that Al-Hilal are the best team in Asia.

Few would argue with that.

Especially when they have Salem Al-Dawsari in such form.

The 2022 Asian Player of the Year returned from international duty in China to inspire the champions.

Not only did he open the scoring, he then made both for Aleksandar Mitrovic—the Serbian striker is also picking up where he left off last season.

Al-Dawsari said that the new boys Marcos Leonardo and Joao Cancelo have slotted right in.

That is what happens under coach Jorge Jesus.

Just like Manchester City in England, Al-Hilal are looking ominous even at this early stage.

The positive for the rest of the league is that they have not yet played one of their title rivals and they also have the Asian Champions League this week to focus on.

Their next opponents, Al-Ittihad, do not.

After Al-Nassr’s 1-1 draw with Al-Ahli, fans in Iraq may be devastated that Cristiano Ronaldo has not made the trip for their AFC Champions League clash, but it could help Al-Nassr’s domestic challenge.

It will not have gone unnoticed in the yellow corner of Riyadh that last season, Al-Hilal dropped six points over the whole campaign.

Already in the first three games, Al-Nassr have dropped four.

There is still a long way to go but they really need to get into their groove.

Only a 99th minute own goal gave them a share of the points against Al-Ahli.

It ended a memorable match.

These are two of the biggest teams in Asia, with an impressive following from Al-Ahli generating a great atmosphere.

There are more twists to come this season, but Nassr cannot afford to fall too far behind the leaders.

A 2-1 win at Al-Fateh made it three wins from three for Al-Ettifaq this season.

Last season, Steven Gerrard’s men also started well but this already looks a more solid version of the team from Dammam.

The Greens have conceded only one goal in the three games and are looking hard to beat.

Gerrard has brought in a number of new players since the start of last season but Moussa Dembele remains arguably the most vital, scoring winning goals in the first two games including an impressive 1-0 victory at Al-Shabab on the opening day.

At the back, former Al-Nassr centre-back Abdullah Madu already looks to be a rock and new goalkeeper Marek Rodak has settled in quickly.

With Gini Wijnaldum and Seko Fofana looking good in midfield, there are reasons for fans in the east to be optimistic.

Next week’s clash against Al-Nassr, who will be looking for revenge for last season’s early loss, is going to be one to watch.

The newly-promoted team from the east lost their first game of the season, 1-0 to an Al-Shabab team that is looking more solid than in recent years.

Al-Qadsiah made waves in the summer with signings such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Marseille and Nacho from Real Madrid.

With two wins in the first two games, it was all looking a little easy but Al-Shabab demonstrated that life in the big time is going to be anything but.

Going up against a well-organised defence with Nader Al-Sharari a standout, was a different challenge.

That is OK, as Al-Qadsiah—owned by Aramco—are still a work in progress.

Even with the big names that coach Michel has at his disposal, there are no expectations for a title challenge this season.

Fans will be excited to see where they place at the end of it all but, more pressing, is how they bounce back from their first defeat.

There are two winnable fixtures before the big clash against Al-Ahli.

**ABU DHABI:** Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria vowed to become the first man to knock out Max Holloway.

He made good on his promise at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Using a huge right hand to daze Holloway, Topuria (16-0) followed up moments later with a powerful left hook that dropped the 32-year-old.

Topuria pounced on Holloway immediately for a ground-and-pound finish before referee Mark Goddard stopped the bout at the 1:34 mark of the third round.

“To beat a legend like Max Holloway, I don’t know what to say,” Topuria said.

“He’s been a great example for the generation.

.

.

.

I hope I’m gonna be as small example he has been for me for the new generation.

” Topuria said he knew immediately with his initial power punch that the victory was within his grasp.

“I catch him with.

.

.

the right hand, I felt it,” Topuria said.

“I saw it in his face.

You don’t see that often in Max Holloway.

” Topuria opened the match with Holloway’s traditional gesture of pointing to the center of the ring, indicating he wanted to throw down with immediacy.

Holloway, instead, pointed to where he was standing.

The two mixed it up in the first round, Topuria doing early damage with leg kicks to Holloway’s lead leg.

Both fighters’ boxing skills were on display in the second round, with Holloway landing several big shots.

But it was Topuria’s leg kicks that seemingly continued to weaken Holloway.

Then came his two big punches in the third.

“He just landed a shot and I guess it hurt much more than I thought it did,” said Holloway, who fell to 26-8.

“I felt great until he did it.

No excuses.

I felt great, I had a great camp, no injuries.

I went out there, did my thing.

He was just a better man tonight.

” It was Topuria’s first title defense since capturing the belt with a second-round technical knockout of Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 on Feb.

17.

Topuria’s back-to-back victories over Holloway and Volkanovski make a case for Fighter of the Year.

Volkanovski was in attendance Saturday, and Topuria said he would honor him with a rematch.

“You deserve that, you’re the man,” Topuria told Volkanovski, who entered the octagon after the match.

In the co-main event, No.

13 Khamzat Chimaev (14-0) stopped No.

3 Robert Whitaker (27-8) with a first-round submission just 3:34 into the fight, after taking him down and administering a wicked face crank.

“I’m going for the belt!” Chimaev exclaimed after his dominating win.

“I love you brother, you’re a legend,” the Russian told Whitaker during his post-fight interview.

Additionally from the main card: Top-ranked light heavyweight Magomed Ankalaev defeated No.

5 Aleksandar Rakic by unanimous decision after three rounds.

In an action-packed three-round featherweight match, Lerone Murphy beat Dan Ige by unanimous decision.

Shara Magomedov (15-0-0) defeated Armen Petrosyan (9-4-0) by TKO at the 4:52 mark of the second round of their middleweight bout.

**TOKYO:** Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen won the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo on Sunday for her third title of the year, beating Sofia Kenin 7-6(7/5), 6-3 in the final.

China’s Zheng, the tournament’s top seed, kept her cool to edge a tight first set despite two rain delays, before pressing home her advantage to take the second comfortably.

The win extended world No.

7 Zheng’s impressive run of form this year after she became the first Chinese player to win an Olympic singles tennis gold when she triumphed in Paris.

Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, was in doubt after retiring from her doubles semifinal on Saturday with a leg injury.

The American played the final with heavy strapping on her upper leg but showed no outward signs of discomfort.

Neither player was allowed to get into a rhythm early in the match