18 days ago
A look up and a precise finish with sublime skill: Michael Olise once again demonstrated his exceptional quality in FC Bayern's 5–0 win over Bodø/Glimt. In the 83rd minute of the Champions League encounter, the Frenchman picked up pace down the right flank, cut inside and curled the ball beautifully into the top corner. A goal that was the perfect way to kick off the new Champions League campaign.
The German record champions' fans were thrilled by Olise's goal and chose it as FC Bayern's Goal of the Month for September. With 43.4 per cent of the vote, the forward came out on top against Alphonso Davies, who had also scored a spectacular goal to make it 3–0 during that same 5–0 win. Davies received 20.1 per cent of the vote.
Hot on Davies' heels were Jamal Musiala with his opener against Union Berlin (16.8 per cent) and Momoko Tanikawa, who also received 16.8 per cent of the votes for her winner against SC Freiburg. Fifth place went to Bogdan Olychenko for his opener for the FC Bayern reserves against Eichstätt (2.9 per cent).
It's already Olise's second consecutive fan accolade following his Goal of the Month for August. With his stunning finish against Bodø/Glimt, the Frenchman once again demonstrated that he's set to deliver special moments on a regular basis this season too.
Olise has been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or alongside Harry Kane, Luis Díaz and Dayot Upamecano:
#champions
The German record champions' fans were thrilled by Olise's goal and chose it as FC Bayern's Goal of the Month for September. With 43.4 per cent of the vote, the forward came out on top against Alphonso Davies, who had also scored a spectacular goal to make it 3–0 during that same 5–0 win. Davies received 20.1 per cent of the vote.
Hot on Davies' heels were Jamal Musiala with his opener against Union Berlin (16.8 per cent) and Momoko Tanikawa, who also received 16.8 per cent of the votes for her winner against SC Freiburg. Fifth place went to Bogdan Olychenko for his opener for the FC Bayern reserves against Eichstätt (2.9 per cent).
It's already Olise's second consecutive fan accolade following his Goal of the Month for August. With his stunning finish against Bodø/Glimt, the Frenchman once again demonstrated that he's set to deliver special moments on a regular basis this season too.
Olise has been shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or alongside Harry Kane, Luis Díaz and Dayot Upamecano:
#champions
2 months ago
Now that the Houston Rockets have locked up Amen Thompson with a five-year, $208 million contract extension that runs through the 2031-32 season, they can rest easy knowing their young core is secure for several seasons.
Thompson, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason all have agreed to contract extensions over the past two years that can keep them together through at least the next three years until Şengün reaches the player option in his contract that he can pick up for the 2029-30 season.
The Rockets' entire roster actually is pretty secure for the next two seasons. Of the players expected to be in the rotation, only Fred VanVleet and Bogdan Bogdanovic definitely will be a free agent next offseason. Kevin Durant has a player option for $46.1 million he can pick up to play another year in Houston, and Marcus Smart, who signed with the team in July, has a $6.3 million player option for 2027-28.
Here's a look at the contract for each Rockets player entering the 2026-27 season ...
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/ Karen Warren) (Karen Warren/Associated Press)
#houston #player #next
Thompson, Alperen Şengün, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason all have agreed to contract extensions over the past two years that can keep them together through at least the next three years until Şengün reaches the player option in his contract that he can pick up for the 2029-30 season.
The Rockets' entire roster actually is pretty secure for the next two seasons. Of the players expected to be in the rotation, only Fred VanVleet and Bogdan Bogdanovic definitely will be a free agent next offseason. Kevin Durant has a player option for $46.1 million he can pick up to play another year in Houston, and Marcus Smart, who signed with the team in July, has a $6.3 million player option for 2027-28.
Here's a look at the contract for each Rockets player entering the 2026-27 season ...
Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) reacts during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Friday, April 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/ Karen Warren) (Karen Warren/Associated Press)
#houston #player #next
3 months ago
Fans attending the latest Ultimate Fighting Championship event at Golden 1 Center inSacramento, California, were treated to an action-packed card.
The UFC Sacramento headliner featured a middleweight clash betweenAnthonyHernandez and GregoryRodrigues. The two delivered an entertaining fight, butRodrigues ultimately had his hand raised. In the co-main event,VitorPetrino defeated SergheiSpivac in a heavyweight bout. Although the co-feature did notlive up to expectations, the event produced 10 finishes in 13fights.
Let's examine what could be next for the main-card winners.
Thanks to sharper striking and punishing leg kicks, Rodrigues(20-6, 11-3 UFC) outstruck fellow former Legacy Fighting Alliance ****** leholder Hernandez (15-4, 1 NC; 9-4UFC) in the UFC Sacramento main event. Hernandez rallied in Rounds3 and 4, but "Robocop" did enough to earn a unanimous decision.Rodrigues has won seven of his past eight Octagon appearances.
The next logical step for Rodrigues could be a clash with NassourdineImavov. Both fighters consistently pursue finishes, making thisan appealing matchup. Although Imavov has called for a ****** le shot,he might have to wait with KhamzatChimaev and Dricus DuPlessis also pursuing the championship currently held bySeanStrickland. A victory over Imavov could move Rodrigues close tohis own shot at the middleweight crown.
In the heavyweight co-main event, Petrino (15-2, 8-2 UFC) grappledhis way to a unanimous decision over former World Warriors FightingChampionship ****** leholder Spivac (18-7, 9-7 UFC) in a lacklusteraffair. It was not Petrino's best performance, but the victoryextended his winning streak to four.
The Brazilian continues to climb the rankings in a heavyweightdivision badly in need of new contenders. A matchup with notedfinisher BrandoPericic, who is building momentum of his own, could offer aninteresting test. The pairing would give both men an opportunity toestablish themselves as emerging threats in the division.
Former two-division OneChampionship ****** leholder Reinierde Ridder (22-4, 5-2 UFC) made a successful UFC lightheavyweight debut by defeating RomanDolidze (15-6, 9-6 UFC). De Ridder capitalized on Dolidze'sdecision to pull guard early, overwhelming his opponent on thecanvas by continually advancing position and landing punches.
The end came 4:01 into the first round, when Dolidze could no longer intelligently defend himself as de Ridder poured onstrikes from back control. Although "The Dutch Knight"rebounded from consecutive defeats, the victory came against afellow middleweight competing outside his usual weight class.
To secure a spot in the light heavyweight rankings, de Riddershould next face an established 205-pounder such as BogdanGuskov. Although Guskov lost his most recent ****** ignment, heremains a dangerous opponent who could provide a meaningfultest.
#although
The UFC Sacramento headliner featured a middleweight clash betweenAnthonyHernandez and GregoryRodrigues. The two delivered an entertaining fight, butRodrigues ultimately had his hand raised. In the co-main event,VitorPetrino defeated SergheiSpivac in a heavyweight bout. Although the co-feature did notlive up to expectations, the event produced 10 finishes in 13fights.
Let's examine what could be next for the main-card winners.
Thanks to sharper striking and punishing leg kicks, Rodrigues(20-6, 11-3 UFC) outstruck fellow former Legacy Fighting Alliance ****** leholder Hernandez (15-4, 1 NC; 9-4UFC) in the UFC Sacramento main event. Hernandez rallied in Rounds3 and 4, but "Robocop" did enough to earn a unanimous decision.Rodrigues has won seven of his past eight Octagon appearances.
The next logical step for Rodrigues could be a clash with NassourdineImavov. Both fighters consistently pursue finishes, making thisan appealing matchup. Although Imavov has called for a ****** le shot,he might have to wait with KhamzatChimaev and Dricus DuPlessis also pursuing the championship currently held bySeanStrickland. A victory over Imavov could move Rodrigues close tohis own shot at the middleweight crown.
In the heavyweight co-main event, Petrino (15-2, 8-2 UFC) grappledhis way to a unanimous decision over former World Warriors FightingChampionship ****** leholder Spivac (18-7, 9-7 UFC) in a lacklusteraffair. It was not Petrino's best performance, but the victoryextended his winning streak to four.
The Brazilian continues to climb the rankings in a heavyweightdivision badly in need of new contenders. A matchup with notedfinisher BrandoPericic, who is building momentum of his own, could offer aninteresting test. The pairing would give both men an opportunity toestablish themselves as emerging threats in the division.
Former two-division OneChampionship ****** leholder Reinierde Ridder (22-4, 5-2 UFC) made a successful UFC lightheavyweight debut by defeating RomanDolidze (15-6, 9-6 UFC). De Ridder capitalized on Dolidze'sdecision to pull guard early, overwhelming his opponent on thecanvas by continually advancing position and landing punches.
The end came 4:01 into the first round, when Dolidze could no longer intelligently defend himself as de Ridder poured onstrikes from back control. Although "The Dutch Knight"rebounded from consecutive defeats, the victory came against afellow middleweight competing outside his usual weight class.
To secure a spot in the light heavyweight rankings, de Riddershould next face an established 205-pounder such as BogdanGuskov. Although Guskov lost his most recent ****** ignment, heremains a dangerous opponent who could provide a meaningfultest.
#although
3 months ago
The NBA has been showing us for a while that simply putting several stars together isn't enough to win anymore. The 2024 Celtics had a stacked roster almost everywhere, with close to 10 guys who could handle minutes, while the 2025 Thunder might honestly be one of the deepest teams we have seen in a long time. Then the Knicks won the 2026 ***** le with a rotation that became much more important after Mike Brown replaced Tom Thibodeau and started trusting the bench more.
That is pretty much the rule now. A team can have crazy firepower in the starting five, but if the second unit can't score, defend, or survive five minutes without the stars, competing for four playoff rounds becomes much harder. Over 82 games, it matters even more, because injuries, rest, and bad shooting nights are going to happen no matter how talented the roster is.
So for this ranking, the focus is simple: which five teams enter 2026-27 with the deepest benches in the league? These are second units with several players who can change a regular-season game, cover an injury for a few weeks, or even stay on the floor during a tough playoff series. That obviously doesn't mean one of these five teams is guaranteed to win the ***** le, but having too many productive bench pieces is always a pretty nice problem to have.
The Rockets have a ridiculous amount of bodies behind their starting five, and the interesting part is that most of them bring something different. If Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun start, Ime Udoka can still bring Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Steven Adams, and Clint Capela from the bench.
Sheppard gives them the scoring and shooting that second units usually need. He was up to 13.5 points and 3.4 ***** ists last season while hitting 39.4% from three, so Houston doesn't have to leave Durant on the floor every time VanVleet sits just to have somebody who can create offense.
#bench #several
That is pretty much the rule now. A team can have crazy firepower in the starting five, but if the second unit can't score, defend, or survive five minutes without the stars, competing for four playoff rounds becomes much harder. Over 82 games, it matters even more, because injuries, rest, and bad shooting nights are going to happen no matter how talented the roster is.
So for this ranking, the focus is simple: which five teams enter 2026-27 with the deepest benches in the league? These are second units with several players who can change a regular-season game, cover an injury for a few weeks, or even stay on the floor during a tough playoff series. That obviously doesn't mean one of these five teams is guaranteed to win the ***** le, but having too many productive bench pieces is always a pretty nice problem to have.
The Rockets have a ridiculous amount of bodies behind their starting five, and the interesting part is that most of them bring something different. If Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., and Alperen Sengun start, Ime Udoka can still bring Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Marcus Smart, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Steven Adams, and Clint Capela from the bench.
Sheppard gives them the scoring and shooting that second units usually need. He was up to 13.5 points and 3.4 ***** ists last season while hitting 39.4% from three, so Houston doesn't have to leave Durant on the floor every time VanVleet sits just to have somebody who can create offense.
#bench #several
3 months ago
Ali Abdelaziz sees Magomed Ankalaev vs. Paulo Costa as the perfect No. 1 contender bout.
Former light heavyweight champion Ankalaev (21-2-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) is fresh off a dominant finish of Bogdan Guskov in the UFC Fight Night 282 headliner in Abu Dhabi. Costa dubbed Ankalaev's performance as boring, and criticized him for getting booed during the fight.
Ankalaev put the blame on Guskov for not willing to engage, and fears Costa would approach him the same. Either way, Ankalaev's manager Abdelaziz thinks a fight against Costa (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) makes sense.
"Carlos Ulberg needs to take his time. He's the champion," Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. "I think the fight needs to happen, him and Paulo Costa. Paulo Costa said a lot of reckless things, and you know what? He does a good job to get people's attention – not in a bad way. A lot of a**holes, they say a lot of sh*t and they get bad attention. He's funny. He's witty. He's a good fighter, too.
"Paulo Costa, people think he's a joke. He's a real serious fighter, and I think him and Ankalaev for an interim belt, for a regular fight, doesn't matter. They just need to fight. This is what I want. That's what the UFC wants, too. The UFC offered this fight to Ankalaev three times, and I'm not sure why this fight didn't happen. ... I don't think his chances of winning are very high."
#happen
Former light heavyweight champion Ankalaev (21-2-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) is fresh off a dominant finish of Bogdan Guskov in the UFC Fight Night 282 headliner in Abu Dhabi. Costa dubbed Ankalaev's performance as boring, and criticized him for getting booed during the fight.
Ankalaev put the blame on Guskov for not willing to engage, and fears Costa would approach him the same. Either way, Ankalaev's manager Abdelaziz thinks a fight against Costa (16-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) makes sense.
"Carlos Ulberg needs to take his time. He's the champion," Abdelaziz told MMA Junkie. "I think the fight needs to happen, him and Paulo Costa. Paulo Costa said a lot of reckless things, and you know what? He does a good job to get people's attention – not in a bad way. A lot of a**holes, they say a lot of sh*t and they get bad attention. He's funny. He's witty. He's a good fighter, too.
"Paulo Costa, people think he's a joke. He's a real serious fighter, and I think him and Ankalaev for an interim belt, for a regular fight, doesn't matter. They just need to fight. This is what I want. That's what the UFC wants, too. The UFC offered this fight to Ankalaev three times, and I'm not sure why this fight didn't happen. ... I don't think his chances of winning are very high."
#happen
3 months ago
Navajo Stirling got his chance to break into the upper tier of the light heavyweight division at UFC Fight Night 283 and took full advantage with a finish of former champion Jan Blachowicz.
Stirling (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) accepted the fight as a replacement for Bogdan Guskov on less than two weeks' notice, and he came and landed and early massive left hand that send Blachowicz (29-12-2 MMA, 12-9-2 UFC) flying across the cage. The Kiwi pounced and landed some slicing elbows and didn't stop throwing until the referee intervened for the TKO at the 2:56 mark of Round 1 in the light heavyweight bout at Belgrade Arena in Serbia.
Check out the replay of Stirling's shining performance below (via X):
After the fight, Stirling thanked the 43-year-old Blachowicz for his contributions to the weight class over the years and the opportunity to fight. Then, he took aim at the next names that will carry him forward toward a 205-pound ****** le shot.
"If (Khalil) Rountree or (Paulo) Costa wants to fight before the year ends, you know who to call," Stirling said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. "1-800-I'm-Going-to-Whip-That-Ass."
#stirling
Stirling (11-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) accepted the fight as a replacement for Bogdan Guskov on less than two weeks' notice, and he came and landed and early massive left hand that send Blachowicz (29-12-2 MMA, 12-9-2 UFC) flying across the cage. The Kiwi pounced and landed some slicing elbows and didn't stop throwing until the referee intervened for the TKO at the 2:56 mark of Round 1 in the light heavyweight bout at Belgrade Arena in Serbia.
Check out the replay of Stirling's shining performance below (via X):
After the fight, Stirling thanked the 43-year-old Blachowicz for his contributions to the weight class over the years and the opportunity to fight. Then, he took aim at the next names that will carry him forward toward a 205-pound ****** le shot.
"If (Khalil) Rountree or (Paulo) Costa wants to fight before the year ends, you know who to call," Stirling said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. "1-800-I'm-Going-to-Whip-That-Ass."
#stirling
3 months ago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is live THIS MORNING (Sat., Aug. 1, 2026) with UFC Belgrade, streaming live online via Paramount+. The event happens inside Beogradska Arena in Belgrade, Serbia. This is the promotion's first-ever trip to the Balkans. Uros Medic vs. Daniel Rodriguez serves as our main event today.
Medic — from nearby Novi Sad, Serbia — gets his first UFC main event slot here. He's earned it with blistering finishes over Geoff Neal (see that here), Muslim Salikhov (that one here) and Gilbert Urbina (re-live that here). The combined time of those fights is less than four minutes. Rodriguez, meanwhile, is coming off a grueling win over Kevin Holland; however, he's been held out for sometime because of legal issues (which saw him stuck in a Mexican jail for eight months).
The co-main event is Jan Blachowicz vs. Navajo Stirling. Blachowicz was scheduled to face Bogdan Guskov, before Guskov was needed in Abi Dhabi last weekend. Stirling comes in on short notice, just a month removed from his win over Ion Cutelaba.
The rest of the main card is a "Balkans vs. The World" theme with Aleksandar Rakic vs. Marcin Tybura, Dusko Todorovic vs. Robert Valentin, Vlasto Cepo vs. Gilbert Urbina and Milos Janicic vs. Noah Gugnon.
The "Prelims" are headlined by Ludovit Klein vs. Tofiq Musayev. Mateusz Rebecki (a walking "Fight of the Night") also makes an appearance. He's facing Kyle Prepolec. Other notable fights on the undercard include Oban Elliott vs. Michael Oliveira and Bogdan Grad vs. Dennis Buzukja.
#gilbert
Medic — from nearby Novi Sad, Serbia — gets his first UFC main event slot here. He's earned it with blistering finishes over Geoff Neal (see that here), Muslim Salikhov (that one here) and Gilbert Urbina (re-live that here). The combined time of those fights is less than four minutes. Rodriguez, meanwhile, is coming off a grueling win over Kevin Holland; however, he's been held out for sometime because of legal issues (which saw him stuck in a Mexican jail for eight months).
The co-main event is Jan Blachowicz vs. Navajo Stirling. Blachowicz was scheduled to face Bogdan Guskov, before Guskov was needed in Abi Dhabi last weekend. Stirling comes in on short notice, just a month removed from his win over Ion Cutelaba.
The rest of the main card is a "Balkans vs. The World" theme with Aleksandar Rakic vs. Marcin Tybura, Dusko Todorovic vs. Robert Valentin, Vlasto Cepo vs. Gilbert Urbina and Milos Janicic vs. Noah Gugnon.
The "Prelims" are headlined by Ludovit Klein vs. Tofiq Musayev. Mateusz Rebecki (a walking "Fight of the Night") also makes an appearance. He's facing Kyle Prepolec. Other notable fights on the undercard include Oban Elliott vs. Michael Oliveira and Bogdan Grad vs. Dennis Buzukja.
#gilbert
3 months ago
Bogdan Grad secured a second-round submission over Dennis Buzukja earlier today (Sat., Aug. 1, 2026) at UFC Belgrade LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Belgrade Arena in Belgrade, Serbia, but the win didn't come without some controversy.
Buzukja came into this fight as a betting underdog, but the Longo-Weidman MMA product looked sharp from the opening bell. He finally had a full camp and appeared to be more confident in the early going. Grad returned favor with some slick spinning techniques before turning to his wrestling and forcing Buzukja to the ground. Grad ended up winning the first round, but it was closer than most expected.
Grad continued his wrestling deep into the second round, but he appeared to be tiring. This allowed Buzukja to land some good punches on the feet. Grad eventually got his second wind and ended up scoring a takedown along the cage. That's when Grad transitioned to a tight arm-triangle choke and put Buzukja in serious danger. Buzukja was fighting and trying to stay in the fight, but it appeared that he tapped on Grad's leg. The referee stepped in and stopped the fight, but Buzukja immediately protested as it looked like his "tap" could have been an attempt to push Grad's leg off.
Check out the video highlights below and let us know your thoughts on the finish!
For complete UFC Belgrade results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
#belgrade #fight #ended
Buzukja came into this fight as a betting underdog, but the Longo-Weidman MMA product looked sharp from the opening bell. He finally had a full camp and appeared to be more confident in the early going. Grad returned favor with some slick spinning techniques before turning to his wrestling and forcing Buzukja to the ground. Grad ended up winning the first round, but it was closer than most expected.
Grad continued his wrestling deep into the second round, but he appeared to be tiring. This allowed Buzukja to land some good punches on the feet. Grad eventually got his second wind and ended up scoring a takedown along the cage. That's when Grad transitioned to a tight arm-triangle choke and put Buzukja in serious danger. Buzukja was fighting and trying to stay in the fight, but it appeared that he tapped on Grad's leg. The referee stepped in and stopped the fight, but Buzukja immediately protested as it looked like his "tap" could have been an attempt to push Grad's leg off.
Check out the video highlights below and let us know your thoughts on the finish!
For complete UFC Belgrade results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
#belgrade #fight #ended
3 months ago
Jan Blachowicz and Navajo Stirling meet in the UFC Fight Night 283 co-feature Saturday at Belgrade Arena in Serbia. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie ******* yst Dan Tom.
Last event's results: 4-1
UFC main cards, 2026: 79-42-1
Blachowicz (29-11-2 MMA, 12-8-2 UFC) is hunting for his first win since May 2022, which came against Aleksandar Rakic. Since then, the former champion has recorded two losses and two draws. His last fight was a majority draw against Bogdan Guskov at UFC 323 in December.
Stirling (10-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) puts his undefeated record on the line against a former ******* leholder in his third fight of the year. He has finished his last two opponents, stopping Bruno Lopes and Ion Cutelaba both in the second round in March and June, respectively.
#last #former #night #saturday
Last event's results: 4-1
UFC main cards, 2026: 79-42-1
Blachowicz (29-11-2 MMA, 12-8-2 UFC) is hunting for his first win since May 2022, which came against Aleksandar Rakic. Since then, the former champion has recorded two losses and two draws. His last fight was a majority draw against Bogdan Guskov at UFC 323 in December.
Stirling (10-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) puts his undefeated record on the line against a former ******* leholder in his third fight of the year. He has finished his last two opponents, stopping Bruno Lopes and Ion Cutelaba both in the second round in March and June, respectively.
#last #former #night #saturday
3 months ago
We at Sherdog provide regular, in-depth preview coverage for allmajor events, including our oft-praised preview column along withour "Sheehan Show" handling all sorts of related matters includingbetting. With those official sources for picks handled, we wouldlike to take the edge off here and get a bit lighter with one finalbreakdown.
The industry of sports betting is exploding before our very eyes,with billions of dollars pumping in since legalization stateside.Oftentimes, those driving the lines are right on the money withtheir openings, valuations and ***** yses. Occasionally, they are wayoff, or otherwise merit some additional conversation. That is wherewe come in with this reinvigorated series of Prime Picks, where,swiping a line from game show host Sam Reich, we hold hands andjump into the abyss together for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's maiden voyageto Serbia on Saturday. Try it out.
JanBlachowicz (+260)
OR
MarcinTybura (+280)
Why Not Both Total: (+1268)
First off, we are not suggesting that one should go out on a limbfor both Blachowicz and Tybura, but rather that one should choosetheir poison. The most daring, optimistic bettors might be temptedto throw a few bucks on the flier, but we see that as just a way topad the betting company's bank account. One or the other, however,could pull off the upset as elder statesmen in their respectivedivisions of light heavyweight and heavyweight. The "fightinguncle" movement is still very much in play.
Having turned 43 in February, former champ Blachowicz isunquestionably on the tail end of his UFC career. The last time hewon a fight, GloverTeixeira held the belt in their weight class and future starPaddyPimblett just picked up his second win under the UFC banner.There is an age cliff that every athlete encounters, and thatincludes Yoel Romeroeven as he draws Darren Tillsoon without gloves on. With that gloom-and-doom surrounding thePolish vet's tenure out in the open, there are still ample ways hecan pick up the win. After all, if a top-10 BogdanGuskov—whom he drew with in December—is the worst loss he hassuffered in that stretch, who is to say how "washed" he is againstburgeoning talent?
Blachowicz is an equal opportunity finisher despite his reputationof "Polish Power," with that expectation looming so large that mostforget he posts an equal number of subs to knockouts. It has notbeen since 2018 that he landed one, and it is not the implicationthat he will put NavajoStirling in danger with offensive submission grappling, butrather that he has demonstrated a wherewithal in the field to addanother wrinkle to his game. Additionally, Blachowicz serves ***** neakily effective takedown artist, practically shutting downIsraelAdesanya in a performance that at the time seemed shockingwhile in hindsight might have been predictable. Blachowicz canspoil the record of the unbeaten upstart in a variety of ways, aslong as he does not keep his chin on the proverbial gunnery rangehoping to s
The industry of sports betting is exploding before our very eyes,with billions of dollars pumping in since legalization stateside.Oftentimes, those driving the lines are right on the money withtheir openings, valuations and ***** yses. Occasionally, they are wayoff, or otherwise merit some additional conversation. That is wherewe come in with this reinvigorated series of Prime Picks, where,swiping a line from game show host Sam Reich, we hold hands andjump into the abyss together for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's maiden voyageto Serbia on Saturday. Try it out.
JanBlachowicz (+260)
OR
MarcinTybura (+280)
Why Not Both Total: (+1268)
First off, we are not suggesting that one should go out on a limbfor both Blachowicz and Tybura, but rather that one should choosetheir poison. The most daring, optimistic bettors might be temptedto throw a few bucks on the flier, but we see that as just a way topad the betting company's bank account. One or the other, however,could pull off the upset as elder statesmen in their respectivedivisions of light heavyweight and heavyweight. The "fightinguncle" movement is still very much in play.
Having turned 43 in February, former champ Blachowicz isunquestionably on the tail end of his UFC career. The last time hewon a fight, GloverTeixeira held the belt in their weight class and future starPaddyPimblett just picked up his second win under the UFC banner.There is an age cliff that every athlete encounters, and thatincludes Yoel Romeroeven as he draws Darren Tillsoon without gloves on. With that gloom-and-doom surrounding thePolish vet's tenure out in the open, there are still ample ways hecan pick up the win. After all, if a top-10 BogdanGuskov—whom he drew with in December—is the worst loss he hassuffered in that stretch, who is to say how "washed" he is againstburgeoning talent?
Blachowicz is an equal opportunity finisher despite his reputationof "Polish Power," with that expectation looming so large that mostforget he posts an equal number of subs to knockouts. It has notbeen since 2018 that he landed one, and it is not the implicationthat he will put NavajoStirling in danger with offensive submission grappling, butrather that he has demonstrated a wherewithal in the field to addanother wrinkle to his game. Additionally, Blachowicz serves ***** neakily effective takedown artist, practically shutting downIsraelAdesanya in a performance that at the time seemed shockingwhile in hindsight might have been predictable. Blachowicz canspoil the record of the unbeaten upstart in a variety of ways, aslong as he does not keep his chin on the proverbial gunnery rangehoping to s
3 months ago
JanBlachowicz's journey back to ******* le contention has taken anotherunexpected turn.
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight ******* leholderwas originally slated to rematch BogdanGuskov at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1 in Serbia. However, those plans changedwhen Guskov was offered the UFC Abu Dhabi main event spot against MagomedAnkalaev following KhalilRountree's withdrawal.
As such, Blachowicz (29-11-2) will now square off against NavajoStirling in the new co-main event in Belgrade and the Polishveteran is unfazed by the change.
After Guskov accepted the short-notice bout against Ankalaev,Blachowicz was paired with Stirling. The former champion insistslittle has changed in his preparation.
"I am doing this all my life," Blachowicz said in a recentinterview. "It's a new opponent. I have a lot of respect for him,but it's just another fighter who I have to stop. I don't thinkabout this mess around because I don't want to waste energy forthat. Okay, it's a new opponent; that's it. We do small changes andwe are here to win the fight against him, or a different opponentdoesn't matter."
The upcoming matchup gives Blachowicz an opportunity to halt thelongest winless stretch of his UFC tenure. He has gone fourstraight outings without a victory and is coming off a majoritydraw against Guskov this past December. His last win came all theway back in May 2022 when he defeated AleksandarRakic.
He'll have his work cut out for him against the surging Stirling,who boasts a perfect 10-0 record.
#main #opponent
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight ******* leholderwas originally slated to rematch BogdanGuskov at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1 in Serbia. However, those plans changedwhen Guskov was offered the UFC Abu Dhabi main event spot against MagomedAnkalaev following KhalilRountree's withdrawal.
As such, Blachowicz (29-11-2) will now square off against NavajoStirling in the new co-main event in Belgrade and the Polishveteran is unfazed by the change.
After Guskov accepted the short-notice bout against Ankalaev,Blachowicz was paired with Stirling. The former champion insistslittle has changed in his preparation.
"I am doing this all my life," Blachowicz said in a recentinterview. "It's a new opponent. I have a lot of respect for him,but it's just another fighter who I have to stop. I don't thinkabout this mess around because I don't want to waste energy forthat. Okay, it's a new opponent; that's it. We do small changes andwe are here to win the fight against him, or a different opponentdoesn't matter."
The upcoming matchup gives Blachowicz an opportunity to halt thelongest winless stretch of his UFC tenure. He has gone fourstraight outings without a victory and is coming off a majoritydraw against Guskov this past December. His last win came all theway back in May 2022 when he defeated AleksandarRakic.
He'll have his work cut out for him against the surging Stirling,who boasts a perfect 10-0 record.
#main #opponent
3 months ago
UFC Fight Night 282 took place Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, featuring Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov in the main event. The former champion Ankalaev sat at No. 2 in the light heayvweight division ahead of the event, and holds his spot after a final-round TKO win.
In the co-main event, former flyweight **** le challenger Steve Erceg was stopped by Ramazan Temirov. Erceg loses his No. 11 spot, falling to No. 13. Temirov enters the ranks, claiming the No. 12 spot, while Asu Almabayev moves up to No. 11.
PFL Washington took place in the nation's capital, where Thad Jean claimed the vacant welterweight **** le by defeating short-notice replacement Ernesto Rodriguez. Jean enters the honorable mentions at 170 pounds, while his original opponent, Shamil Musaev, falls out.
Check out all of the moves in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, July 28: Ramazan Temirov enters top 15
#enters #jean
In the co-main event, former flyweight **** le challenger Steve Erceg was stopped by Ramazan Temirov. Erceg loses his No. 11 spot, falling to No. 13. Temirov enters the ranks, claiming the No. 12 spot, while Asu Almabayev moves up to No. 11.
PFL Washington took place in the nation's capital, where Thad Jean claimed the vacant welterweight **** le by defeating short-notice replacement Ernesto Rodriguez. Jean enters the honorable mentions at 170 pounds, while his original opponent, Shamil Musaev, falls out.
Check out all of the moves in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie rankings, July 28: Ramazan Temirov enters top 15
#enters #jean
3 months ago
BogdanGuskov has addressed his loss to MagomedAnkalaev.
Guskov (18-4-1) stepped up on 14 days' notice to replace KhalilRountree against Ankalaev (21-2-1) in the main event of theUltimate Fighting Championship's recent Fight Night in AbuDhabi. Guskov never quite found momentum as Ankalaev slowly andsteadily picked him apart. The former UFC champion eventually tookthe Uzbek contender down and finished him with ground-and-pound inthe final round.
Guskov apologized to his fans and thanked them for their unwaveringsupport. He vowed to bounce back stronger from his defeat atUFC Abu Dhabi.
"I'm sorry to everyone who believed in me," Guskov wrote on X."That night wasn't my night, but I'm grateful for everyone whostood behind me and supported me through this journey. Thank youfor all the kind words and messages. I'll learn from this, comeback stronger. I'm not done yet."
This was Guskov's first loss since a submission defeat in his UFCdebut in 2023. "Hitman" had bounced back from that result with afour-fight finishing streak before fighting JanBlachowicz to a draw last year.
#night #fight #stronger
Guskov (18-4-1) stepped up on 14 days' notice to replace KhalilRountree against Ankalaev (21-2-1) in the main event of theUltimate Fighting Championship's recent Fight Night in AbuDhabi. Guskov never quite found momentum as Ankalaev slowly andsteadily picked him apart. The former UFC champion eventually tookthe Uzbek contender down and finished him with ground-and-pound inthe final round.
Guskov apologized to his fans and thanked them for their unwaveringsupport. He vowed to bounce back stronger from his defeat atUFC Abu Dhabi.
"I'm sorry to everyone who believed in me," Guskov wrote on X."That night wasn't my night, but I'm grateful for everyone whostood behind me and supported me through this journey. Thank youfor all the kind words and messages. I'll learn from this, comeback stronger. I'm not done yet."
This was Guskov's first loss since a submission defeat in his UFCdebut in 2023. "Hitman" had bounced back from that result with afour-fight finishing streak before fighting JanBlachowicz to a draw last year.
#night #fight #stronger
3 months ago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back in Abu Dhabi TODAY (Sat., July 25, 2026) to stage UFC Abu Dhabi from inside Etihad Arena, Fight Island, UAE featuring a Light Heavyweight fight between Magomed Ankalaev taking on Bogdan Guskov. In the co-main event, which will stream on Paramount+, Steve Erceg will battle Ramazan Temirov in a Flyweight bout.
What UFC event is on tonight? UFC Abu Dhabi: "Ankalaev vs. Guskov"
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Abu Dhabi? Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov Light Heavyweight fight is the five-round main event.
What time does UFC Abu Dhabi start? TODAY (Sat., July 25, 2026), beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Paramount+.
Where will UFC Abu Dhabi take place? Paycom Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
#dhabi #guskov #today #july
What UFC event is on tonight? UFC Abu Dhabi: "Ankalaev vs. Guskov"
Who is fighting tonight at UFC Abu Dhabi? Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov Light Heavyweight fight is the five-round main event.
What time does UFC Abu Dhabi start? TODAY (Sat., July 25, 2026), beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Paramount+.
Where will UFC Abu Dhabi take place? Paycom Center in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
#dhabi #guskov #today #july
3 months ago
It took years for Magomed Ankalaev to climb to the top of the light heavyweight mountain, and less than 90 seconds for his reign to end. There's no telling how long it will take him to make it back, but he takes his first steps to another championship opportunity at UFC Abu Dhabi.
Saturday's main event features Ankalaev in his first fight since a brutal knockout loss to rival Alex Pereira at UFC 320 this past October. Ankalaev was originally set to face Khalil Rountree Jr., but with Rountree forced to withdraw, in steps up-and-coming contender Bogdan Guskov. This is a change of plans for Guskov as well as he was lined up to rematch Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade next week, only for the matchmakers to call upon him to save the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner.
For one reason or another, Ankalaev has seemingly never been a favorite of the UFC's shot-callers as it took a seven-year unbeaten streak for him to earn his first ******* le shot; now, he needs to stifle Guskov just to keep his spot in line. On the other side, Guskov is undefeated in his past five fights and suddenly finds himself with an opportunity to jump into the top 5 of the rankings.
Will it be status quo or a new face in the ******* le picture by the end of the weekend?
What: UFC Abu Dhabi
#guskov #steps #Opportunity #past
Saturday's main event features Ankalaev in his first fight since a brutal knockout loss to rival Alex Pereira at UFC 320 this past October. Ankalaev was originally set to face Khalil Rountree Jr., but with Rountree forced to withdraw, in steps up-and-coming contender Bogdan Guskov. This is a change of plans for Guskov as well as he was lined up to rematch Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade next week, only for the matchmakers to call upon him to save the UFC Abu Dhabi headliner.
For one reason or another, Ankalaev has seemingly never been a favorite of the UFC's shot-callers as it took a seven-year unbeaten streak for him to earn his first ******* le shot; now, he needs to stifle Guskov just to keep his spot in line. On the other side, Guskov is undefeated in his past five fights and suddenly finds himself with an opportunity to jump into the top 5 of the rankings.
Will it be status quo or a new face in the ******* le picture by the end of the weekend?
What: UFC Abu Dhabi
#guskov #steps #Opportunity #past
4 months ago
This week, the UFC travels across the globe to Abu Dhabi for a Fight Night event.
At UFC Fight Night 282, former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev takes on short-notice opponent Bogdan Guskov.
Elsewhere, veterans of the promotion are competing in various combat sports. Scroll below to see how last week's UFC vets fared on the regional scene, and check out the names and details of the upcoming weekend's competitors.
Upcoming event information from Tapology.
Elias Silverio: Unanimous decision loss vs. Khalid Satuev at ACA 205
#dhabi #bogdan #elsewhere
At UFC Fight Night 282, former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev takes on short-notice opponent Bogdan Guskov.
Elsewhere, veterans of the promotion are competing in various combat sports. Scroll below to see how last week's UFC vets fared on the regional scene, and check out the names and details of the upcoming weekend's competitors.
Upcoming event information from Tapology.
Elias Silverio: Unanimous decision loss vs. Khalid Satuev at ACA 205
#dhabi #bogdan #elsewhere
4 months ago
The UFC Fight Night 282 main event is locked in after Magomed Ankalaev and Bogdan Guskov did their jobs on the scale at Friday's official weigh-in.
Former light heavyweight champion Ankalaev (21-2-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) will attempt to rebound from losing the belt to Alex Pereira in October when he clashes with surging contender Guskov (18-3-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC), who stepped into the fight on short notice after Khalil Rountree Jr. withdrew.
Despite serving as a replacement, Guskov had no issues on the scale as he hit 205.5 pounds. There was no drama for Ankalaev, either, because he registered at 205.5 pounds.
The stage is now set for Saturday's five-round headliner, which takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, and streams on Paramount+ beginning at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.
Check out complete results from UFC Fight Night 282 official weigh-ins here.
#night #scale #magomed
Former light heavyweight champion Ankalaev (21-2-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) will attempt to rebound from losing the belt to Alex Pereira in October when he clashes with surging contender Guskov (18-3-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC), who stepped into the fight on short notice after Khalil Rountree Jr. withdrew.
Despite serving as a replacement, Guskov had no issues on the scale as he hit 205.5 pounds. There was no drama for Ankalaev, either, because he registered at 205.5 pounds.
The stage is now set for Saturday's five-round headliner, which takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, and streams on Paramount+ beginning at 9 a.m. ET/6 a.m. PT.
Check out complete results from UFC Fight Night 282 official weigh-ins here.
#night #scale #magomed
4 months ago
Image: Ben Duffy/Sherdog.com illustration
We at Sherdog provide regular, in-depth preview coverage for allmajor events, including our oft-praised preview column along withour "Sheehan Show" handling all sorts of related matters includingbetting. With those official sources for picks handled, we wouldlike to take the edge off here and get a bit lighter with ourbreakdowns.
The industry of sports betting is exploding before our very eyes,with billions of dollars pumping in since legalization stateside.Oftentimes, those driving the lines are right on the money withtheir openings, valuations and ****** yses. Occasionally they are wayoff, or otherwise merit some additional conversation. That is wherewe come in with this reinvigorated series of Prime Picks, where,stealing a line from game show host Sam Reich, we hold hands andjump into the abyss together for Saturday morning's Ultimate Fighting Championship's jaunt toAbu Dhabi. Try it out.
MagomedAnkalaev (-575)
MagomedZaynukov (-290)
MagomedTuchalov (-900)
We admit, we're getting away with a technicality here by notincluding MuhammadSaid in our same-name parlay. After all, Magomed is the Russiantransliteration of Muhammad. Also, good luck trying to search thename "Muhammad Said" without any additional qualifiers and stillgarner any information about the fighter of that namesake. All ofthese Magomeds are rightful favorites, and in the case of two ofthe more expected victors of Tuchalov and Ankalaev, moneyline betsare just not worth it.
Therefore, we pair these three gents together, all of whom haveclear paths to victory against foes who have displayed exploitableweaknesses. Some are giving BogdanGuskov a proverbial "puncher's chance" to win this fight,although he might have some surprise jiu-jitsu in his back pocket.Nevertheless, unless Ankalaev chooses to take things horizontal—heis not nearly as keen on doing this despite his reputation, onlydoing so in his first triumphant meeting against AlexPereira. Against "Poatan," he did attempt a clean dozen shots.While he did not land a single one, the mere threat of the takedownallowed him to get in on the stoic striker and do some work. A fewfaked shots against "Hitman," whose takedown defense has alreadycome into question despite his recent successes, would payimmediate dividends.
We get to the meat of the order. More specifically, the pork. JohnPork. "Wild Chanco" Zaynukov, who actually had his nickname onFight Finder as "John Pork" until specifically reaching out torequest that it be taken down. RobertWhittaker didn't have the same problem when Ben Fowlkes andChad Dundas first crowned him "Bobby Knuckles" in the always-great"Co-Main Event Podcast" and it stuck. Even though DamianRzepecki will hold a slight bit more experience and morestoppages on his ledger, he and Zaynukov stand at differentterraces in their respective careers.
To get signed through the promotion, the Dagestan native in thepipeline of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School
We at Sherdog provide regular, in-depth preview coverage for allmajor events, including our oft-praised preview column along withour "Sheehan Show" handling all sorts of related matters includingbetting. With those official sources for picks handled, we wouldlike to take the edge off here and get a bit lighter with ourbreakdowns.
The industry of sports betting is exploding before our very eyes,with billions of dollars pumping in since legalization stateside.Oftentimes, those driving the lines are right on the money withtheir openings, valuations and ****** yses. Occasionally they are wayoff, or otherwise merit some additional conversation. That is wherewe come in with this reinvigorated series of Prime Picks, where,stealing a line from game show host Sam Reich, we hold hands andjump into the abyss together for Saturday morning's Ultimate Fighting Championship's jaunt toAbu Dhabi. Try it out.
MagomedAnkalaev (-575)
MagomedZaynukov (-290)
MagomedTuchalov (-900)
We admit, we're getting away with a technicality here by notincluding MuhammadSaid in our same-name parlay. After all, Magomed is the Russiantransliteration of Muhammad. Also, good luck trying to search thename "Muhammad Said" without any additional qualifiers and stillgarner any information about the fighter of that namesake. All ofthese Magomeds are rightful favorites, and in the case of two ofthe more expected victors of Tuchalov and Ankalaev, moneyline betsare just not worth it.
Therefore, we pair these three gents together, all of whom haveclear paths to victory against foes who have displayed exploitableweaknesses. Some are giving BogdanGuskov a proverbial "puncher's chance" to win this fight,although he might have some surprise jiu-jitsu in his back pocket.Nevertheless, unless Ankalaev chooses to take things horizontal—heis not nearly as keen on doing this despite his reputation, onlydoing so in his first triumphant meeting against AlexPereira. Against "Poatan," he did attempt a clean dozen shots.While he did not land a single one, the mere threat of the takedownallowed him to get in on the stoic striker and do some work. A fewfaked shots against "Hitman," whose takedown defense has alreadycome into question despite his recent successes, would payimmediate dividends.
We get to the meat of the order. More specifically, the pork. JohnPork. "Wild Chanco" Zaynukov, who actually had his nickname onFight Finder as "John Pork" until specifically reaching out torequest that it be taken down. RobertWhittaker didn't have the same problem when Ben Fowlkes andChad Dundas first crowned him "Bobby Knuckles" in the always-great"Co-Main Event Podcast" and it stuck. Even though DamianRzepecki will hold a slight bit more experience and morestoppages on his ledger, he and Zaynukov stand at differentterraces in their respective careers.
To get signed through the promotion, the Dagestan native in thepipeline of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School
4 months ago
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is just over 24 hours away from the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi mixed martial arts (MMA) event, which is set to go down this Sat. (July 25, 2026) on Paramount+ from inside Etihad Arena on "Fight Island" in Abu Dhabi, UAE. UFC Abu Dhabi will be headlined by a Light Heavyweight clash between former champion Magomed Ankalev and rising contender Bogdan Guskov.
Before the Paramount+ card gets underway this weekend in Abu Dhabi, which also includes a Flyweight showdown between former 125-pound ****** le challenger Steve Erceg and Ramazan Temirov, all 26 fighters must hit the scale to prove themselves worthy.
Complete UFC Abu Dhabi weigh-ins text results beginning at 1 a.m. ET below:
205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev () vs. Bogdan Guskov ()
125 lbs.: Steve Erceg () vs. Ramazan Temirov ()
265 lbs.: Rizvan Kuniev () vs. Tyrell Fortune ()
170 lbs.: Islam Dulatov () vs. Wellington Turman ()
155 lbs.: Magomed Zaynukov () vs. Damian Rzepecki ()
170 lbs.: Saygid Izagakhmaev () vs. Abubakar Vagaev ()
265 lbs.: Valter Walker () vs. Thomas Petersen ()
155 lbs.: Ismael Bonfim () vs. Axel Sola ()
205 lbs.: Brendson Ribeiro () vs. Magomed Tuchalov ()
155 lbs.: Nurullo Aliev () vs. Mike Davis ()
170 lbs.: Santiago Ponzinibbio () vs. Sam Patterson ()
205 lbs.: Dustin Jacoby () vs. Muhammad Said ()
135 lbs.: Abdul Hussein () vs. Cody Gibson ()
#guskov
Before the Paramount+ card gets underway this weekend in Abu Dhabi, which also includes a Flyweight showdown between former 125-pound ****** le challenger Steve Erceg and Ramazan Temirov, all 26 fighters must hit the scale to prove themselves worthy.
Complete UFC Abu Dhabi weigh-ins text results beginning at 1 a.m. ET below:
205 lbs.: Magomed Ankalaev () vs. Bogdan Guskov ()
125 lbs.: Steve Erceg () vs. Ramazan Temirov ()
265 lbs.: Rizvan Kuniev () vs. Tyrell Fortune ()
170 lbs.: Islam Dulatov () vs. Wellington Turman ()
155 lbs.: Magomed Zaynukov () vs. Damian Rzepecki ()
170 lbs.: Saygid Izagakhmaev () vs. Abubakar Vagaev ()
265 lbs.: Valter Walker () vs. Thomas Petersen ()
155 lbs.: Ismael Bonfim () vs. Axel Sola ()
205 lbs.: Brendson Ribeiro () vs. Magomed Tuchalov ()
155 lbs.: Nurullo Aliev () vs. Mike Davis ()
170 lbs.: Santiago Ponzinibbio () vs. Sam Patterson ()
205 lbs.: Dustin Jacoby () vs. Muhammad Said ()
135 lbs.: Abdul Hussein () vs. Cody Gibson ()
#guskov
4 months ago
At the UFC Abu Dhabi weigh-ins, all 26 fighters on Saturday's fight card step on the scale Friday in Azerbaijan. Watch ceremonial weigh-ins above, set to kick off at 10 a.m. ET.
In the main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev fights fast-rising contender Bogdan Guskov. Both fighters can weigh no more than the 206 pound limit for their non-title fight.
Ankalaev is currently No. 3 at light heavyweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, while Guskov stands at No. 12. Coming off of his first loss since 2018, a ***** le fight defeat to Alex Pereira, Ankalaev also holds a spot in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings at No. 17.
In the co-main event, one-time UFC ***** le challenger Steve Erceg squares off with Ramazan Temirov in a flyweight contest. Neither man may weigh more than 126 pounds.
Check out the UFC Abu Dhabi weigh-in results below.
#weigh #pound
In the main event, former UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev fights fast-rising contender Bogdan Guskov. Both fighters can weigh no more than the 206 pound limit for their non-title fight.
Ankalaev is currently No. 3 at light heavyweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, while Guskov stands at No. 12. Coming off of his first loss since 2018, a ***** le fight defeat to Alex Pereira, Ankalaev also holds a spot in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings at No. 17.
In the co-main event, one-time UFC ***** le challenger Steve Erceg squares off with Ramazan Temirov in a flyweight contest. Neither man may weigh more than 126 pounds.
Check out the UFC Abu Dhabi weigh-in results below.
#weigh #pound
4 months ago
UFC Fight Night 282 official weigh-ins take place Friday from the host hotel on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, and MMA Junkie will have results from the session below beginning at 1 a.m. ET/10 p.m. PT.
Among those weighing in for Saturday's event, which takes place at Etihad Arena (Paramount+), will be light heavyweight headliners Magomed Ankalaev (21-2-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) and Bogdan Guskov (18-3-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC), who meet in a five-round matchup.
Magomed Ankalaev () vs. Bogdan Guskov ()
Steve Erceg vs. Ramazonbek Temirov ()
Islam Dulatov () vs. Wellington Turman ()
#place
Among those weighing in for Saturday's event, which takes place at Etihad Arena (Paramount+), will be light heavyweight headliners Magomed Ankalaev (21-2-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) and Bogdan Guskov (18-3-1 MMA, 4-1-1 UFC), who meet in a five-round matchup.
Magomed Ankalaev () vs. Bogdan Guskov ()
Steve Erceg vs. Ramazonbek Temirov ()
Islam Dulatov () vs. Wellington Turman ()
#place
4 months ago
Magomed Ankalaev returns to the cage on Saturday, July 25th to headline a UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi against Bogdan Guskov. We haven’t seen or heard much from Ankalaev since he lost his light heavyweight ****** le to Alex Pereira, dropping his record to 1-1 against his bitter rival.
It’s unclear how much of that rivalry is actually generated by Ankalaev and how much is just”Big Ank,” the disrespectful personality on X (formerly Twitter) that many believe is actually the work of Ankalaev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz. During this week’s media day, Ankalaev explained why he was a man of few words in real life.
“How are people going to know what I am or what I have inside?” Ankalaev said. “I’m a professional fighter, I like to keep my emotions inside. And if there’s no crossing of a specific line, then I come out here and I come out as a professional. But if somebody crosses that line or kind of toes the line, then I’m sure I can show my character as well. Other than that, I like to keep my emotions in, my head cool, and go and do my job.”
Ankalaev recently said he’d be willing to chase Pereira up to heavyweight for a third fight, a comment that “Poatan” seemed to dismiss by commenting “Are you even still alive over there?”
“Alex Pereira must have been sleeping for a long time because I believe he was put to sleep pretty hard,” Ankalaev said, referring to Pereira’s recent knockout loss at the hands of Ciryl Gane. “If you can pass him a message, tell him I’m alive and well, and I’m waiting to see what he can show.”
#pereira #line #heavyweight
It’s unclear how much of that rivalry is actually generated by Ankalaev and how much is just”Big Ank,” the disrespectful personality on X (formerly Twitter) that many believe is actually the work of Ankalaev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz. During this week’s media day, Ankalaev explained why he was a man of few words in real life.
“How are people going to know what I am or what I have inside?” Ankalaev said. “I’m a professional fighter, I like to keep my emotions inside. And if there’s no crossing of a specific line, then I come out here and I come out as a professional. But if somebody crosses that line or kind of toes the line, then I’m sure I can show my character as well. Other than that, I like to keep my emotions in, my head cool, and go and do my job.”
Ankalaev recently said he’d be willing to chase Pereira up to heavyweight for a third fight, a comment that “Poatan” seemed to dismiss by commenting “Are you even still alive over there?”
“Alex Pereira must have been sleeping for a long time because I believe he was put to sleep pretty hard,” Ankalaev said, referring to Pereira’s recent knockout loss at the hands of Ciryl Gane. “If you can pass him a message, tell him I’m alive and well, and I’m waiting to see what he can show.”
#pereira #line #heavyweight
4 months ago
Paulo Costa is itching to keep his momentum rolling in the UFC light heavyweight division. Yet it hasn't been easy to find the right fight for the final fight of his contract.
In a recent social media tirade, Costa, 35, vented his frustrations over being sidelined. "Borrachinha" last fought in March, when he scored an impressive knockout of the previously unbeaten Azamat Murzakanov. The layoff has tested the patience of the Brazilian contender.
Speaking in-studio in Las Vegas on Monday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Costa revealed he was contacted about replacing Khalil Rountree Jr. in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event on July 25 against Magomed Ankalaev. Instead, Costa declined what would've been the final fight of his deal, prompting Bogdan Guskov to take Rountree's place.
"I'm looking for a fight, but not a short-notice, five-round fight in Abu Dhabi," Costa told Uncrowned. "They offered that fight just to get a no as an answer from me. They extended [my contract] for six months [because of that]. I think there were some misunderstandings and mistakes — I don't understand exactly how they configure these things, and extensions and stuff. I'm not a lawyer. You need to know the small letters on the contract stuff. But I'm a fighter. I just fight.
"Dana White and [UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell] came up to me after my last fight and said, 'I think this is the biggest victory of your career.' Maybe. And now, nothing's happened.
In a recent social media tirade, Costa, 35, vented his frustrations over being sidelined. "Borrachinha" last fought in March, when he scored an impressive knockout of the previously unbeaten Azamat Murzakanov. The layoff has tested the patience of the Brazilian contender.
Speaking in-studio in Las Vegas on Monday's edition of "The Ariel Helwani Show," Costa revealed he was contacted about replacing Khalil Rountree Jr. in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event on July 25 against Magomed Ankalaev. Instead, Costa declined what would've been the final fight of his deal, prompting Bogdan Guskov to take Rountree's place.
"I'm looking for a fight, but not a short-notice, five-round fight in Abu Dhabi," Costa told Uncrowned. "They offered that fight just to get a no as an answer from me. They extended [my contract] for six months [because of that]. I think there were some misunderstandings and mistakes — I don't understand exactly how they configure these things, and extensions and stuff. I'm not a lawyer. You need to know the small letters on the contract stuff. But I'm a fighter. I just fight.
"Dana White and [UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell] came up to me after my last fight and said, 'I think this is the biggest victory of your career.' Maybe. And now, nothing's happened.
4 months ago
Magomed Ankalaev has a new opponent for his UFC Abu Dhabi headlining bout.
The UFC announced Monday that Ankalaev (20-2-1, 1 NC) is now set to fight Bogdan Guskov (18-3-1), who steps in for Khalil Rountree in the July 25 main event, which takes place at Etihad Arena. The reason for Rountree's withdrawal was not disclosed, though according to Ankalaev, Rountree pulled out with an injury.
Guskov was previously scheduled to rematch Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1, but that fight is off the schedule once again after previously being postponed from UFC 328 due to a Blachowicz injury.
Following Monday's announcement, Blachowicz released a statement claiming he was the first choice to step in for Rountree, but didn't think he could make the light heavyweight limit in time, so Guskov was selected instead. He still aims to stay on the UFC Belgrade card.
A quick updated about my upcoming bout.
The UFC announced Monday that Ankalaev (20-2-1, 1 NC) is now set to fight Bogdan Guskov (18-3-1), who steps in for Khalil Rountree in the July 25 main event, which takes place at Etihad Arena. The reason for Rountree's withdrawal was not disclosed, though according to Ankalaev, Rountree pulled out with an injury.
Guskov was previously scheduled to rematch Jan Blachowicz at UFC Belgrade on Aug. 1, but that fight is off the schedule once again after previously being postponed from UFC 328 due to a Blachowicz injury.
Following Monday's announcement, Blachowicz released a statement claiming he was the first choice to step in for Rountree, but didn't think he could make the light heavyweight limit in time, so Guskov was selected instead. He still aims to stay on the UFC Belgrade card.
A quick updated about my upcoming bout.
4 months ago
Bobby Marks: Some context on the Quinten Post offer sheet in Memphis. * Last time a player signed an offer sheet of $5M+ per season was Matisse Thybulle with Dallas in 2023. * Last time an offer sheet went unmatched was 2020 (Bogdan Bogdanovic with Sacramento/Atlanta)
x.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Last time a player signed an offer sheet of $5M+ per …
x.com
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Last time a player signed an offer sheet of $5M+ per …
4 months ago
Marcus Smart is the latest free agent to leave the Los Angeles Lakers. The veteran guard has reached agreement on a two-year, $13 million contract with the Houston Rockets, ESPN reported.
The second year of his contract will reportedly be a player option.
Smart, who played under Houston coach Ime Udoka, gives Houston a tough, defensive-minded guard who can also **** e the floor with his 3-point shooting. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 **** ists and 1.4 steals with the Lakers last season.
The Rockets struggled at times with their guard play during their first-round playoff loss to the Lakers. Starting point guard Fred VanVleet is set to return this upcoming season while Houston also is signing Bogdan Bogdanović in free agency to add more shooting to the roster.
Smart joins LeBron James and Luke Kennard in leaving the Lakers in free agency. Los Angeles is reshaping its roster around Luka Doncic. Kennard reached agreement with the Phoenix Suns a day earlier while James announced he plans to continue his career elsewhere.
The second year of his contract will reportedly be a player option.
Smart, who played under Houston coach Ime Udoka, gives Houston a tough, defensive-minded guard who can also **** e the floor with his 3-point shooting. He averaged 9.3 points, 3.0 **** ists and 1.4 steals with the Lakers last season.
The Rockets struggled at times with their guard play during their first-round playoff loss to the Lakers. Starting point guard Fred VanVleet is set to return this upcoming season while Houston also is signing Bogdan Bogdanović in free agency to add more shooting to the roster.
Smart joins LeBron James and Luke Kennard in leaving the Lakers in free agency. Los Angeles is reshaping its roster around Luka Doncic. Kennard reached agreement with the Phoenix Suns a day earlier while James announced he plans to continue his career elsewhere.
4 months ago
INDIANAPOLIS -- NBA free agency officially opens at 6 p.m. on Tuesday with the flipping over of the league calendar which formally allows teams to begin negotiating with free agents who are not their own. Players can't formally sign until July 6 so this is sometimes considered a "legal tampering period" but there will be news about players agreeing to change teams starting not long after the clock hits 6 p.m. in the Eastern time zone.
That being said, teams have been able to negotiate with their own free agents since the day after the NBA Finals and in the same stretch teams have been able to engage with other on trades so some of the biggest personnel stories of the summer have already come to pass. The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade between the Bucks and Heat the day before the draft still marks the biggest move of the summer, but Monday was one of the overall most active days of the cycle so far as it marked a deadline for many players and teams to decide on player and club options for this season.
Over the course of the day, some of the league's most interesting free agents came off the board either because options were exercised or extensions were executed. Among them were Sacramento's Zach LaVine, Golden State's Kristaps Porzingis, Houston's Fred VanVleet, Miami's Andrew Wiggins, the Lakers' Deandre Ayton, Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort, Detroit's Kevin Huerter, San Antonio's Julian Champagnie, the Clippers' Brook Lopez and Utah's Jusuf Nurkic. However, there was a major trade with troubled All-Star point guard Ja Morant going from Memphis to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray and intrigue among several players who either declined options or saw their clubs decline them.
Former MVP James Harden declined his player option but is apparently working on a multi-year deal with Cleveland. Golden State's Draymond Green declined his player option, but the point of that was apparently to open up room under the first luxury tax apron to allow the Warriors to try to make plays for the Lakers' LeBron James and the Wizards' Anthony Davis to try to pair the two Olympians with Green and Stephen Curry. Atlanta's Jonathan **** inga had his club option declined as did the Clippers' Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum and Oklahoma City's Kenrich Williams. The Clippers' Bradley Beal and the Lakers' Marcus Smart both declined player options to opt for free agency.
The Pacers for their part have been fairly quiet and there isn't much smoke going around about their potential involvement in any player movement. They picked up the $2.8 million club option for Micah Potter, which gives them the bird-in-hand advantage of having three centers under contract heading into free agency. However, his contract is not fully guaranteed until July 10, so they can continue to monitor the free agent market to see if they can find a better center and waive Potter if they do.
That being said, teams have been able to negotiate with their own free agents since the day after the NBA Finals and in the same stretch teams have been able to engage with other on trades so some of the biggest personnel stories of the summer have already come to pass. The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade between the Bucks and Heat the day before the draft still marks the biggest move of the summer, but Monday was one of the overall most active days of the cycle so far as it marked a deadline for many players and teams to decide on player and club options for this season.
Over the course of the day, some of the league's most interesting free agents came off the board either because options were exercised or extensions were executed. Among them were Sacramento's Zach LaVine, Golden State's Kristaps Porzingis, Houston's Fred VanVleet, Miami's Andrew Wiggins, the Lakers' Deandre Ayton, Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort, Detroit's Kevin Huerter, San Antonio's Julian Champagnie, the Clippers' Brook Lopez and Utah's Jusuf Nurkic. However, there was a major trade with troubled All-Star point guard Ja Morant going from Memphis to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray and intrigue among several players who either declined options or saw their clubs decline them.
Former MVP James Harden declined his player option but is apparently working on a multi-year deal with Cleveland. Golden State's Draymond Green declined his player option, but the point of that was apparently to open up room under the first luxury tax apron to allow the Warriors to try to make plays for the Lakers' LeBron James and the Wizards' Anthony Davis to try to pair the two Olympians with Green and Stephen Curry. Atlanta's Jonathan **** inga had his club option declined as did the Clippers' Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum and Oklahoma City's Kenrich Williams. The Clippers' Bradley Beal and the Lakers' Marcus Smart both declined player options to opt for free agency.
The Pacers for their part have been fairly quiet and there isn't much smoke going around about their potential involvement in any player movement. They picked up the $2.8 million club option for Micah Potter, which gives them the bird-in-hand advantage of having three centers under contract heading into free agency. However, his contract is not fully guaranteed until July 10, so they can continue to monitor the free agent market to see if they can find a better center and waive Potter if they do.
4 months ago
INDIANAPOLIS -- NBA free agency officially opens at 6 p.m. on Tuesday with the flipping over of the league calendar which formally allows teams to begin negotiating with free agents who are not their own. Players can't formally sign until July 6 so this is sometimes considered a "legal tampering period" but there will be news about players agreeing to change teams starting not long after the clock hits 6 p.m. in the Eastern time zone.
That being said, teams have been able to negotiate with their own free agents since the day after the NBA Finals and in the same stretch teams have been able to engage with other on trades so some of the biggest personnel stories of the summer have already come to pass. The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade between the Bucks and Heat the day before the draft still marks the biggest move of the summer, but Monday was one of the overall most active days of the cycle so far as it marked a deadline for many players and teams to decide on player and club options for this season.
Over the course of the day, some of the league's most interesting free agents came off the board either because options were exercised or extensions were executed. Among them were Sacramento's Zach LaVine, Golden State's Kristaps Porzingis, Houston's Fred VanVleet, Miami's Andrew Wiggins, the Lakers' Deandre Ayton, Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort, Detroit's Kevin Huerter, San Antonio's Julian Champagnie, the Clippers' Brook Lopez and Utah's Jusuf Nurkic. However, there was a major trade with troubled All-Star point guard Ja Morant going from Memphis to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray and intrigue among several players who either declined options or saw their clubs decline them.
Former MVP James Harden declined his player option but is apparently working on a multi-year deal with Cleveland. Golden State's Draymond Green declined his player option, but the point of that was apparently to open up room under the first luxury tax apron to allow the Warriors to try to make plays for the Lakers' LeBron James and the Wizards' Anthony Davis to try to pair the two Olympians with Green and Stephen Curry. Atlanta's Jonathan ******* inga had his club option declined as did the Clippers' Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum and Oklahoma City's Kenrich Williams. The Clippers' Bradley Beal and the Lakers' Marcus Smart both declined player options to opt for free agency.
The Pacers for their part have been fairly quiet and there isn't much smoke going around about their potential involvement in any player movement. They picked up the $2.8 million club option for Micah Potter, which gives them the bird-in-hand advantage of having three centers under contract heading into free agency. However, his contract is not fully guaranteed until July 10, so they can continue to monitor the free agent market to see if they can find a better center and waive Potter if they do.
That being said, teams have been able to negotiate with their own free agents since the day after the NBA Finals and in the same stretch teams have been able to engage with other on trades so some of the biggest personnel stories of the summer have already come to pass. The Giannis Antetokounmpo trade between the Bucks and Heat the day before the draft still marks the biggest move of the summer, but Monday was one of the overall most active days of the cycle so far as it marked a deadline for many players and teams to decide on player and club options for this season.
Over the course of the day, some of the league's most interesting free agents came off the board either because options were exercised or extensions were executed. Among them were Sacramento's Zach LaVine, Golden State's Kristaps Porzingis, Houston's Fred VanVleet, Miami's Andrew Wiggins, the Lakers' Deandre Ayton, Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort, Detroit's Kevin Huerter, San Antonio's Julian Champagnie, the Clippers' Brook Lopez and Utah's Jusuf Nurkic. However, there was a major trade with troubled All-Star point guard Ja Morant going from Memphis to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray and intrigue among several players who either declined options or saw their clubs decline them.
Former MVP James Harden declined his player option but is apparently working on a multi-year deal with Cleveland. Golden State's Draymond Green declined his player option, but the point of that was apparently to open up room under the first luxury tax apron to allow the Warriors to try to make plays for the Lakers' LeBron James and the Wizards' Anthony Davis to try to pair the two Olympians with Green and Stephen Curry. Atlanta's Jonathan ******* inga had his club option declined as did the Clippers' Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nicolas Batum and Oklahoma City's Kenrich Williams. The Clippers' Bradley Beal and the Lakers' Marcus Smart both declined player options to opt for free agency.
The Pacers for their part have been fairly quiet and there isn't much smoke going around about their potential involvement in any player movement. They picked up the $2.8 million club option for Micah Potter, which gives them the bird-in-hand advantage of having three centers under contract heading into free agency. However, his contract is not fully guaranteed until July 10, so they can continue to monitor the free agent market to see if they can find a better center and waive Potter if they do.
5 months ago
A television ****** yst has drawn widespread condemnation after making deeply offensive racist remarks during a World Cup match. Former player Rade Bogdanović was serving as a studio ****** yst on Serbian TV for Belgium's game against Iran on Sunday when he voiced his abhorrent views.
Belgium were held to a frustrating 0-0 tie by Iran in their second Group G game in Los Angeles. The talent-laden Belgian squad now faces the very real threat of an early exit, having also been held by Egypt.
Their prospects of securing a vital victory were further damaged when defender Nathan Ngoy received a red card in the 66th minute for a last-man foul. The 23-year-old, earning just his sixth international cap, was devastated by the dismissal, via The Mirror.
Australian soccer fans' anti-Donald Trump chant could spark World Cup controversy
Belgium were held to a frustrating 0-0 tie by Iran in their second Group G game in Los Angeles. The talent-laden Belgian squad now faces the very real threat of an early exit, having also been held by Egypt.
Their prospects of securing a vital victory were further damaged when defender Nathan Ngoy received a red card in the 66th minute for a last-man foul. The 23-year-old, earning just his sixth international cap, was devastated by the dismissal, via The Mirror.
Australian soccer fans' anti-Donald Trump chant could spark World Cup controversy
5 months ago
Bogdan Bogdanovic stands at the center of a looming free agency chase by the Denver Nuggets, as reported by Serbian outlet Meridian Sport’s Djordje Matic on Thursday. The Nuggets are eagerly anticipating the June 30 opening of the free-agent market to bolster their championship ambitions ahead of the 2026–27 NBA Regular Season. The front office is prioritizing the Serbian guard due to his proven synergy with fellow countryman and superstar Nikola Jokic. They recognize that their on-court chemistry, built during successful runs with the Serbian senior national team, could significantly elevate the performance of the entire roster, as noted by Matic.
EuroHoops.net
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The front office is prioritizing the Serbian guard due …
EuroHoops.net
This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The front office is prioritizing the Serbian guard due …
