IN BRIEF

BOXING

As 45th birthday nears, Holyfield eyes fifth title

Evander Holyfield is chasing an unprecedented fifth world heavyweight championship and with something to prove as his 45th birthday approaches.

Holyfield fights WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov today, and a clearly partisan crowd will be behind the unbeaten Russian at Khodynka Arena in Moscow.

Holyfield, six days short of turning 45, can become the second-oldest heavyweight champion. At 45 and 300 days, George Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer to win the WBA and IBF titles in 1994.

Also: Former heavyweight contender Joe Mesi won for the seventh time since returning from a brain injury, stopping Shannon Miller at 2:51 of the first round at Twin River Event Center in Lincoln. R.I.

Mesi improved to 36-0 with his 29th knockout.

FOOTBALL

Steelers' Davenport faces legal troubles

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najeh Davenport was charged in Cleveland with domestic violence, child endangering and unlawful restraint in a custody-related confrontation with the mother of his 5-year-old son.

Chief Michael McGrath said Davenport would be given a chance to surrender for a court appearance on the misdemeanors. If convicted, he could face a sentence of 14 months.

Police said the Oct. 4 dispute involved Anita Person and custody of their son.

Also: Dallas Cowboys safety Roy Williams has been fined for the second time this season for a "horse-collar" tackle.

The NFL fined Williams $15,000 for a tackle against running back Marshawn Lynch in Monday night's game at Buffalo.

Suspended Penn State running back Austin Scott is charged with raping a woman at his State College, Pa., campus apartment after meeting her at a bar.

Scott was arraigned on charges of rape, sexual assault and two counts of aggravated indecent assault, all felonies, in connection with the Oct. 5 encounter. According to court papers, Scott told investigators the woman did not initially want to have sex.

A walk-on defensive back for the Florida Gators was killed when the motorcycle he was driving hit a median at a high rate of speed, Gainesville, Fla., police said.

Michael Guilford, a 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Quincy, Fla., was not wearing a helmet.

MISCELLANEOUS

Flyers forward slapped with 25-game penalty

Philadelphia forward Jesse Boulerice was suspended 25 games by the NHL for striking Vancouver's Ryan Kesler across the face with his stick, the longest single-season ban in league history.

"I expected the worst," Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. "Is 25 the worst? It's pretty close to what I expected."

Also: The UNLV volleyball team extended its winning streak to three matches with a 30-19, 31-29, 30-18 Mountain West Conference victory over Texas Christian in Forth Worth, Texas.

The Rebels. who improved to 5-2 in league and 14-3 overall, were led by Melody Nua's fifth double-double of the season.

The UNLV men's soccer team had a 16-13 edge in shots on goal but dropped a 1-0 Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match to Sacramento State in Sacramento, Calif., when the Hornets' Eli Millan tallied off a deflected header in the 100th minute.

UNLV dropped to 1-2 in league and 5-5-2 overall.