In a recent post on X, journalist Paul O'Keefe claimed that Tottenham Hotspur have identified Villarreal forward Georges Mikautadze as a target for this summer transfer window. It is believed that Spurs are hoping to improve their attack by recruiting the Georgian striker this off-season.
Mikautadze enjoyed a good run of form at the Spanish club recently as he put in a run of impressive displays for them in the final third. The 25-year-old banged in 13 goals and grabbed six **** ists in 32 appearances for the Yellow Submarine last season in the league.
The Georgia international is currently one of the most talented forwards in La Liga. Hence, it is no surprise that Spurs are eyeing a move to bring him to England in this transfer period.
His current deal at Villarreal will run out in the summer of 2031, which could make it tough for Tottenham to land him on a cut-price deal this off-season.
VITORIA-GASTEIZ, SPAIN – MARCH 13: Georges Mikautadze of Villarreal is challenged by Nahuel Tenaglia of Alaves during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Deportivo Alaves and Villarreal CF at Estadio de Mendizorroza on March 13, 2026 in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

#villarreal #georges #march

As Barcelona gear up for the final stretch of the pre-season, Roony Bardghji will simply be a bystander, having been excluded from the team to play in the Friuli Venezia Giulia Cup.
Hansi Flick has sent a clear message to the young Swede that he no longer has any future at Camp Nou and that his departure must be completed.
As such, Bardghji will become one of many players set to leave the club this summer.
According to Florian Plettenberg, Bardghji is now on the verge of leaving Barcelona, with the plan having been in place for weeks.
Bardghji has no future at Barcelona. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

#bardghji #swede

Juan Cuadrado denies he 'betrayed' Juventus by crossing over to rivals Inter as a free agent. 'I didn't want to leave, they broke their promise.'
The Colombia international first came to Italian football for Udinese in 2009, also having spells with Lecce, Fiorentina and Chelsea until joining Juventus in 2015.
MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 20: Luka Jovic of AC Milan is challenged by Isak Hien and Juan Cuadrado of Atalanta during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Atalanta at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 20, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
When his contract was allowed to expire in the summer of 2023, he shocked many by deciding to cross over to their bitter rivals Inter.
BERGAMO, ITALY – MARCH 01: Juan Cuadrado of Atalanta BC looks on during the Serie A match between Atalanta BC and Venezia FC at Gewiss Stadium on March 01, 2025 in Bergamo, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

#juan

How's it going y'all? Today, we're back with another Big Ten basketball preview. And, unfortunately, we have to talk about the Washington Huskies. The Huskies finished last season with a 16-17 record, going 7-13 in conference missing the NCAA Tournament.
UW will be going into the season without their top scorer from last year, Hannes Steinbach, who was drafted 14th overall by the Charlotte Hornets after averaging 18.5 points and 11.8 rebounds. They're also losing their 2nd leading scorer, Zoom Diallo, who transferred to Kentucky after averaging 15.7 points and 4.5 **** ists last year.
The Huskies will be returning Wesley Yates III, a 6'4" guard who averaged just under 13 points last year, although his efficiency could use some work after shooting just 37.1% from the floor.
One new name to watch is 5'10" PG Ryan Beasley, who's coming in from San Francisco. Beasley averaged 13.6 points and 4 **** ists a game last year, his lone season as the starting PG for the Dons.
The other name to watch is LeJuan Watts, a senior forward transfer from Texas Tech. Watts is coming in after averaging ~12 points and 6 rebounds a game last year for the Red Raiders. He played an undersized 4 last season, but is an excellent cutter and can step out and **** e the floor as well (37% from three for his career).

#huskies

Celtic's hopes of signing Haissem Hassan have taken a hit after fresh claims suggested the Egyptian international now favours Marseille. According to Celtic FC News Room, the Ligue 1 side have reached an agreement on personal terms with the 24-year-old after holding discussions for several weeks. The transfer has yet to cross the line because Marseille must trim their squad before committing funds, although the French club now appear to hold the advantage.
That leaves Celtic watching events unfold rather than controlling them. Earlier talks had placed the Scottish champions in a strong position, yet Hassan's preference has shifted. Unless Marseille fail to create room in their squad or free up finances, Martin O'Neill's side could lose one of their leading attacking targets before the window closes.
Hassan enjoyed a respectable campaign with Real Oviedo in La Liga during 2025/26. He made 37 league appearances, including 20 starts, produced three ******* ists, completed 26 successful dribbles, posted an 82% passing accuracy and accumulated 1,965 minutes. Those figures explain why several clubs remain interested despite his limited attacking output.
OVIEDO, SPAIN – OCTOBER 17: Haissem Hassan of Real Oviedo during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Oviedo and RCD Espanyol de Barcelona at Carlos Tartiere on October 17, 2025 in Oviedo, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)
Replacing Nicolas Kühn already looked like a demanding task. After Daizen Maeda left for Ipswich Town, the need becomes even greater. Celtic require a winger capable of stretching defences, creating isolation against full-backs and turning slow attacks into quick breaks.

#hassan #side

Meet the Mets pitcher making MLB fans mad over 'cocky' jumping strikeout celebration originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Much like famed reggae artist Marcia Griffiths, Mets reliever Jefry Yan feels like jumping.
New York has had plenty of eye-catching athletes bear its colors in recent years, from Juan Soto to Edwin Diaz. Few have displayed the plyometrics quite like Yan, a gymnastic of sorts from the mound — who happens to be armed with one of the hardest fastballs in the league.
Yan made his big-league debut in the Mets' 6-5 win over the Guardians on Aug. 5. He shined from his post atop the hill, striking out two while getting out of a bases-loaded jam in one inning of work. Suffice to say, Yan's outing — and the depth-defying stunts that accompanied it — had the baseball world talking.
With that, here's what you need to know about Yan, the latest showman to take hold of the spotlight in the Big Apple.

#preferred #marcia

Ricky Martin's eldest sons are back home. Valentino and Matteo, the fraternal twins the Grammy winner welcomed via surrogate in 2008, were photographed on August 4 spending the afternoon at Plaza Las Américas in San Juan, grabbing a bite at a well-known restaurant before browsing a fast-fashion store with a small group of friends.
Mateo and Valentino at a mall in Puerto Rico (Alfredo Rolon/The Grosby Group)
This week they celebrate their 18th birthday — a milestone Martin is marking on home turf, having spent the summer settled into Puerto Rico with all four of his children.
The outing came days after Martin shared beach photos of his younger kids, Lucía and Renn, from the island. Now it's the twins' turn in the spotlight, even if they weren't seeking it. Valentino — the more media-facing of the two — kept it casual in black jeans, a sand-colored T-shirt, a black cap and sneakers. Matteo, the quieter twin, opted for blue denim, a white short-sleeve tee, a cap and a shoulder bag.
When the afternoon wrapped, the pair drove off in their own SUV, reportedly keeping a respectful, reserved distance from the cameras throughout.

#rico #black

Ever since the New York Mets signed Juan Soto, there have been rumors of tension between him and Francisco Lindor, the face of the franchise before Soto's arrival.
The fact that the team has been extremely disappointing for the last two seasons likely has not helped things, but both players have publicly denied any beef. However, that does not mean things were sunshine and rainbows behind the scenes.
According to ESPN's Jorge Castillo, there was lingering tension between the two, but Freddy Peralta, who is now with the Tampa Bay Rays, arranged for the two to sit down and work things out.
"With tension lingering into their second season as teammates, multiple sources told ESPN that Peralta in June arranged for the two stars to vent and work through their disconnect," Castillo wrote on Wednesday. "Since then, sources told ESPN, Lindor and Soto's relationship has been noticeably warmer, with the players interacting more often."
Looking for the perfect gift for a baseball player in your life? Check out our brand new baseball lifestyle brand!

#peralta #players #lingering

By Chibuike Oguh
NEW YORK Aug 3 (Reuters) - The yen strengthened against the dollar and euro on Monday as investors watched for signs of further intervention after Tokyo and Washington stepped into the foreign exchange markets last week to support ***** an's currency.
Japan and the ‌U.S. conducted coordinated yen-buying intervention and will not hesitate to take further action, ***** an's Finance Ministry said on Monday.
The ***** anese currency was ‌last up 0.18% at 157.05 per dollar, remaining at its strongest level in about three months.
"It became clear by Friday that there was an intent, and more, of an announcement of the U.S. actually working together with the ***** anese to intervene in the FX," said Juan Perez, director of trading at Monex USA.

#dollar

In a recent report, Sport claimed that Manchester United have identified Racing Santander youngster Jorge Salinas as a target for this summer transfer window. It has been mentioned that the Red Devils are willing to trigger the Spanish defender's release clause to beat Barcelona in the race to land him this off-season.
Salinas enjoyed a good run of form at the Spanish club in the previous campaign when he produced a series of impressive displays for them on the left flank. The 19-year-old picked up seven ******* ists in 34 matches for Rayo Vallecano last season across all competitions.
The Spanish teenager is currently one of the most gifted young defenders in La Liga. Thus, the Red Devils would do well to win the race for his services in this transfer period.
His current contract at the Spanish club will expire in the summer of 2029, which could make it difficult for Man United to sign him on a cut-price deal this off-season.
Santander, SPAIN – MAY 16: Jorge Salinas of Real Racing Club de Santander controls the ball while under pressure from Juanmi Latasa of Real Valladolid CF during the LaLiga Hypermotion match between Real Racing Club de Santander and Real Valladolid CF at Campos de Sport de El Sardinero on May 16, 2026 in Santander, Spain. (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images)

#club #united #jorge

The offensive line is the most unique position on the football field. Not only does it require talent, but it requires a mix of technique and chemistry that's hard to find. Five players have to be in lockstep, and one weak link can sink the entire group.
2025 was a down year for offensive line play in the SEC. Six teams averaged less than four yards per carry. Teams that were expected to be strong up front, like Texas and Florida, averaged less than 4.5 yards per carry.
Today, we'll be looking at one key leverage point for every offensive line in the SEC. These are players that, if they put it together, can elevate their respective offensive lines. For some OLs, that means going from good to elite. For others, it means going from bad to average.
Some of the leverage points were included because they were the weak link last year. Others are on here because they were already good, but have a chance to carry the group if another step is taken. Let's jump in.
Juan Gaston enters his sophomore campaign after signing with Georgia as a four-star in 2025. Coming out of high school, Gaston was the No. 62-ranked recruit in the country and No. 4 at his position. Gaston is massive, standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing well over 300 pounds, which allowed him to step right in and play right away, earning a start in the season opener last Fall.

#gaston #line #teams #players

The World Athletics U20 Championships meet is back in Eugene for the second time in 12 years and though the gates at Hayward Field don't open until Aug. 5, the first record of the meet has already been set.
Approximately 1,800 athletes from 147 countries are expected to compete Wednesday through Sunday, breaking the previous high of 1,558 competitors for the 2024 meet in Lima, Peru.
Among them are current Oregon track athlete Juan Gonzalez (men's 5,000 meters), and future Ducks Jaslene Massey (women's discus and shot put), Ellery Lincoln (women's 1,500), Simon Rosselli (men's discus) and Estonian heptathlete Mia Uusorg.
Get tickets for the World Athletics U20 Championships
The 2014 U20 championships at Hayward Field featured many young athletes who have gone on to have tremendous success on the world stage, including American women's discus star Valarie (Allman) Sion and men's sprinter Trayvon Bromell; Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei, who owns world records in the men's 5,000 and 10,000; Ethiopian men's distance star Yomif Kejelcha; sprinter Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain; and Croatia's Sara Kolak, who two years after the 2014 meet would win Olympic gold in the women's javelin.

#meet

If the Cincinnati Reds didn't lose the trade deadline this time around, they at least didn't do much to make the team better toward the retooling that was supposed to be in play for another try at a playoff run next season.
With seven pending free agents on the roster, along with a few others who attracted serious interest from buyers in the weeks and days leading up to the Aug. 3 deadline, the Reds made exactly two nondescript trades that in a best-case scenario will pay off three or four years from now.
The return for those two players was indicative of the interest level – in most cases non-interest – the front office found in the players it was shopping, according to sources with rival teams on the buyer side of the market as well as within the organization:
First baseman Nathaniel Lowe, a lefty-hitting platoon player who was signed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal the first week of spring training, was traded in the final minutes before the deadline to the Cleveland Guardians for 19-year-old pitcher Alejandro Rivera, a right-handed pitcher in low-A ball, and infielder Juan Brito, a former top-100 prospect who hit .176 in a 15-game MLB debut this season.
Lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson, who signed a one-year $4.5 million deal over the winter, also was traded in the final minutes, to the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals for $250,000 of international bonus-cap **** e.

#interest #players

If the Cincinnati Reds didn't lose the trade deadline this time around, they at least didn't do much to make the team better toward the retooling that was supposed to be in play for another try at a playoff run next season.
With seven pending free agents on the roster, along with a few others who attracted serious interest from buyers in the weeks and days leading up to the Aug. 3 deadline, the Reds made exactly two nondescript trades that in a best-case scenario will pay off three or four years from now.
The return for those two players was indicative of the interest level – in most cases non-interest – the front office found in the players it was shopping, according to sources with rival teams on the buyer side of the market as well as within the organization:
First baseman Nathaniel Lowe, a lefty-hitting platoon player who was signed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal the first week of spring training, was traded in the final minutes before the deadline to the Cleveland Guardians for 19-year-old pitcher Alejandro Rivera, a right-handed pitcher in low-A ball, and infielder Juan Brito, a former top-100 prospect who hit .176 in a 15-game MLB debut this season.
Lefty reliever Caleb Ferguson, who signed a one-year $4.5 million deal over the winter, also was traded in the final minutes, to the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals for $250,000 of international bonus-cap ******* e.

#deadline #interest #year

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired longtime Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela to bolster their bullpen Aug. 3, trading minor-leaguers Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez.
Here's what to know about the right-hander:
He's 31 years old.
He stands 6-foot-1, 235 pounds.
The native of Venezuela has been with the Rockies organization since making his Major League debut in 2017, and he's been a starting pitcher for most of his career. He's made 145 career starts and appeared in 212 big-league games overall.

#league #pitcher #antonio #mark

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired longtime Colorado Rockies pitcher Antonio Senzatela to bolster their bullpen Aug. 3, trading minor-leaguers Mark Manfredi and Juan Martinez.
Here's what to know about the right-hander:
He's 31 years old.
He stands 6-foot-1, 235 pounds.
The native of Venezuela has been with the Rockies organization since making his Major League debut in 2017, and he's been a starting pitcher for most of his career. He's made 145 career starts and appeared in 212 big-league games overall.

#Rockies #mark

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers had their sights set on acquiring a top-tier pitcher before the trade deadline — namely Tarik Skubal — but had to shift gears when the back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner ended up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Instead, the Brewers, who entered Monday tied with the Dodgers for the best record in the major leagues, settled for veteran starter Dustin May, who was acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals shortly before the deadline.
Milwaukee also got left-handed reliever JoJo Romero in the deal. In exchange, the Brewers sent minor league outfielders Alexander Frías and Josiah Ragsdale to the Cardinals.
The NL Central leaders bolstered their bullpen further by obtaining reliever Antonio Senzatela from the Colorado Rockies for left-hander Mark Manfredi, who has split time between Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville, and infielder Juan Martínez, who has played with the Rookie ACL Brewers and Class A Wilson this season.
"The fans have every right to have any opinion they want about what we should or shouldn't do," Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy said before Monday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. "But ****** ody wants to win more than the guys in that (clubhouse)."

#milwaukee #deadline

Bournemouth are finalising an £11.1m move for Sevilla right-back Juanlu as new manager Marco Rose's squad nears completion.
The 22-year-old will cost an initial £9.4m, with a further £1.7m in add-ons, and is expected to move to the south coast on a long-term contract.
Juanlu is a tall, attacking full-back with significant experience despite his young age and has been heavily capped at Spanish youth level.
It would be the Cherries' third signing of the summer after the arrivals of Antonio Silva from Benfica for £26.6m and striker Alvaro Rodriguez from Elche for £25.7m earlier in the transfer window.
Rose is now looking only for a new number two goalkeeper capable of challenging Djordje Petrovic as Bournemouth continue pre-season ahead of a historic campaign in which they will compete in the Europa League for the first time.

#juanlu #spanish #silva

Luis Castillo's tenure as a Seattle Mariner has apparently come to an end. The Mariners announced tonight they have traded Castillo to the White Sox in exchange for reliever Seranthony Dominguez, outfielder Nolan Jones, and catching prospect Boston Smith. Per Daniel Kramer, the Mariners aren't sending any money to offset the remainder of what Castillo is owed on the extension he signed in 2022, which runs through 2027 with a vesting option for 2028 if he reaches 180 innings.
In exchange, the Mariners will be absorbing Dominguez's not-insignificant salary for the remainder of this year and the next year of his contract, when he's slated to make $10.5M. Dominguez also has an option for 2028, but it's a mutual option (with a $2M buyout).
The 31-year-old Dominguez is on pace for the worst season of his career; he still collects strikeouts but his walk rate has ballooned over the past two seasons; he's currently walking over 14% of batters faced. Compounding that problem is a serious case of dingeritis – a career-high 16.7% of fly ******* he's allowed have gone for homers, even in Chicago's ******* ious confines. But he does still strike a lot of batters out and generate whiffs, he can still rush the fastball up at 97+, and he's got a full complement of pitches for the Mariners pitching coaches to work with, even if he's primarily a heater-sweeper pitcher as a reliever. It's an expensive gamble, but the Mariners are both solving their rotation logjam (temporarily) and shedding Castillo's contract in the move; if Dominguez can be Mariner-pitching-hive-minded into even a serviceable mid-innings arm, that's a boon to the beleaguered bullpen.
The other pieces coming over in the trade are interesting in their own right. Nolan Jones is probably a name you're familiar with if you were big into prospects a decade-ish ago; he was a second-rounder drafted by Cleveland in 2016 as a highly athletic two-sport athlete and attracted a lot of prospect attention as he made his way up the ladder for his 6'4" frame, easy raw power from the left side, and a star turn in the Arizona Fall League and the Futures Game in 2019. Unfortunately, injuries derailed his ascent, and he was dealt to the Rockies in 2023 for Juan Brito shortly after making his big-league debut. Now 28, Jones has spent time in the bigs but never really latched on consistently (outside of one 2023 season where he seemed to put it all together for Colorado), mostly due to a monstrous K rate compounded by the length of his swing. He's been with the White Sox Triple-A team this season, blocked by the surprisingly good play at the big-league level, and will likely serve a similar role for Seattle as outfield depth at Tacoma.
Columbus Clippers OF Nolan Jones breaks up the no-hitter in the 6th inning with his 3rd HR of the season a 2-run opposite field shot 101.5 mph off the bat vs Indianapolis. #GuardsBall pic.twitter.com/S6EJAxIBBY

#dominguez #league #year #even

The Detroit Tigers have released right-handed pitcher Duque Hebbert from the organization during their weekend series against the Athletics.
The Lakeland Flying Tigers announced the transaction Saturday, ending Hebbert's three-year run in Detroit's minor-league system.
Hebbert first captured national attention while pitching for Nicaragua during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
Then 21 years old, Hebbert struck out Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Rafael Devers in the same inning against the Dominican Republic. All three were established MLB stars, making the performance one of the tournament's biggest surprise moments.
Detroit signed Hebbert to a minor-league contract weeks later, hoping that his WBC breakthrough could lead to something more.

#hebbert #detroit #three #flying

Uros Medic put on a statement performance to stop Daniel Rodriguez in just 30 seconds at the UFC's first event in Belgrade, Serbia.
Medic returned to his homeland for the first time in nine years, having moved to the United States to train, and sent a message to the rest of the welterweight division.
Rodriguez, 39, was fighting for the first time since spending eight months in a Mexican jail for possession of marijuana.
Medic, 33, dropped American Rodriguez with a left-right combination before forcing referee Jason Herzog to step in as he finished with kicks and punches on the canvas.
"It has been a really rough couple of weeks since I arrived home," Medic said.

#rodriguez #uros #daniel #belgrade

Chivas at times dominated but were only able to get a 1-1 tie against Puebla. Chivas was the better side from the start but their scoring troubles continued as they were only able to get a single goal against a Puebla side that looked to defend and counter from the start, giving away most possession. Both teams are going to the Leagues Cup before returning to Liga MX. Puebla will travel to Pachuca in their return while Chivas plays against Santos in Torreon.
The 1st half started with Chivas coming out with their best 11 including Brian Gutierrez from the start. Armando Gonzalez got into the area but his right footed shot would go wide. Roberto Alvarado got off a great left footed shot that was blocked by Puebla's goalkeeper, Ricardo Gutierrez. He would leave the ball there for Gonzalez go get a close range header but Gutierrez made a fantastic save to stop him from a sure goal. Gonzalez got into the area and his left footed shot was blocked by Gutierrez but it bounced off Juan Pablo Vargas and looked like it was going to be an own goal but it hit the post. Chivas was completely dominating the match but the score remained scoreless. Against the run of play, Emiliano Gomez got into the area and get past a defender before getting off a left footed shot that Chivas' goalkeeper Raul Rangel blocked but left there for Eduardo Mustre to get off a left footed shot in the net to score and give Puebla the surprising 1-0 lead. It was the first real chance for the home side and it was a bad mistake from Rangel to give up the lead. From outside the area, Ruben Gonzalez got off a right footed shot that went wide. Facundo Almada made a run into the area but his right footed shot went wide. Daniel Aguirre made a good move in the area and got off a left footed shot that went just wide. A cross into the area was headed by Bryan Alonso Gonzalez but it was cleared by Puebla's defense. Alonso Gonzalez got off a left footed shot inside the area that Gutierrez saved. The halftime whistle blew and although Chivas had played better, it was Puebla who had the lead at the break.
The 2nd half started with neither team making a substitution as it started to rain heavily in Puebla. Kevin Velasco got off a left footed shot from outside the area that Rangel saved. Alvarado would get the ball in the area and get off a right footed shot that hit the post. Chivas subbed out Fernando Gonzalez and Jordan Carrillo for Omar Govea and Efrain Alvarez. Alvarado got off a right footed shot from outside the area that Gutierrez made a great save on it. Off the ensuing corner kick, Chivas surprised by taking it quickly and Roberto Alvarado got off a great left footed shot inside the area that went past Gutierrez to score and tie the match at 1-1. A cross from Alvarado almost would turn into a shot that almost went in. Govea got off a right footed shot that would go well wide. Puebla subbed out Carlos Baltazar and Eduardo Mustre for Mathias Tomas and Luifer Hernandez. Chivas subbed out Arman

After a stop in Miami for one day of practice, the Ohio State men's basketball team will conclude its exhibition trip with a six-day trip to Puerto Rico.
The Buckeyes will conclude summer workouts with two exhibition games on the island while staying in San Juan, and playing in the Arroyo Puerto Rico Classic.
Here's what you need to know about when and where Ohio State will be playing while in Puerto Rico, and here are six things to watch for when the games begin:
Ohio State will play two games while in Puerto Rico. The Buckeyes will play Aug. 2 at noon and Aug. 3 at 1:30 p.m. Both games will be played at Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez.
The Buckeyes will play two games against teams labeled Equipo 1 and Equipo 2. Here are the rosters:

#games #play #equipo #conclude

Generally speaking, when a fighter says they're in the best shape of their lives before a fight, there's an urge to take a big swig of the old giggle water, because there's scarcely been a fighter in world history who wasn't.
Yet when Daniel Rodriguez says he notices he's been working harder than usual, almost as an outside observer to himself with a new lease on reason, you tend to listen. That's because until April, Rodriguez was in a Tijuana jail cell, where he'd spent the last eight months on a marijuana possession rap, far longer than a borderline bogus charge should warrant. He was able to hit some pads and do some "roadwork" in the yard, and even had a heavy bag at his disposal, but there was nary a nutritionist on site, nor were his coaches there to guide him, or a sauna, a ring, or really any of the creature comforts of a training facility.
Since April he's been working like a madman splitting time in Las Vegas and Los Angeles to catch his body up to the task of fighting Uros Medic this Saturday at UFC Belgrade in Serbia, yet it's doubtful Rodriguez is in the best physical shape of his life at 39.
But so what? He has never felt freer than he is right now in Belgrade, walking straight into the wheelhouse of the country's free-swinging ****** assin.
"You know what?" Rodriguez says, "I think I've handled it pretty well, man. I've handled this like a true professional. From the condition that I was in when I was released to where I'm at now and all the preparation and the whole fight camp and everything in between from then till now, the ups and downs, it's been a roller-coaster.

#april #like

Max Allegri is eager to reunite with Federico Gatti, as it's reported Napoli asked Juventus to let the defender leave on loan with option to buy.
It is no secret that the Partenopei need reinforcements in defence, as Juan Jesus left at the end of his contract, while Alessandro Buongiorno will be out for at least two to three months following knee surgery.
A more expensive alternative is Benoit Badiashile of Chelsea, but the €30m asking price and reticence to let him go on loan with an option to buy make that difficult.
TURIN, ITALY – FEBRUARY 25: Federico Gatti of Juventus FC celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Juventus and Galatasaray A.S. at Juventus Stadium on February 25, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Stefano Guidi/Getty Images)
Instead, Sky Sport Italia transfer pundit Gianluca Di Marzio claims this evening that Napoli have stepped up talks with Juventus for Gatti.

#juventus #gatti #napoli #february

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Over the past several years, Missouri voters have amended the state constitution to create abortion rights, legalize marijuana and sports betting and expand Medicaid healthcare coverage for low-income adults.
None of those initiatives would have passed under a ballot measure getting decided by voters Tuesday.
Missouri's proposed Amendment 4 would make it significantly harder to amend the constitution by requiring citizen initiatives to pass in all eight of the state's diverse congressional districts instead of by a traditional, simple statewide majority. No other state has such a high standard — or has even asked voters to consider it.
"This is a first-of-its-kind," said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, a national group that backs progressive ballot initiatives like the ones Missouri's Republican lawmakers are hoping to quelch.
"It would be nearly impossible for citizens to participate meaningfully in any sort of direct democracy," said Hall, who believes other states could try to copy Missouri's proposal.

#voters #initiatives #constitution #medicaid

Where are they now?
Exiled, without a contract, or without playing time... we've listed a few names who have fallen off the radar in recent months.
After a first episode, where we mentioned Benjamin Bourigeaud, Juan Bernat, and Renato Sanches.
We followed up with a second installment, where we checked in on Hakim Ziyech, Donny van de Beek, and Layvin Kurzawa.
Here is our final top 10, with of course players struggling at their clubs, like Euro 2021 champion Federico Chiesa.

#benjamin

It's time for the first look at the 2026-27 Ohio State men's basketball team.
The Buckeyes cap off summer workouts with two exhibition games in Puerto Rico. They are part of an eight-day trip that also features a stopover in Miami for one day of practice. The level of competition Ohio State will face when it plays against teams labeled Equipo 1 and Equipo 2 on August 2 and 3 in San Juan remains to be seen, but these games will provide the first glimpse at how third-year coach Jake Diebler's team is coming together before fall practice.
Diebler is expected to liberally rotate through his 14-man roster during the two games, giving everyone from the team's leading returning scorer in John Mobley Jr. to work-in-progress freshman center Vuk Lazarevic opportunities to show what they can do.
As The Dispatch prepares to head to Puerto Rico, here are six things to keep an eye out for.
Bruce Thornton's contributions won't be easily replaced, but his heir apparent in the backcourt is University of California transfer Justin Pippen. The Buckeyes brought him in via the transfer portal with hopes of pairing him with junior John Mobley Jr., who averaged 15.7 points per game and went through the NBA draft process before opting to return.

#state #puerto

In the cold chain world, every box of frozen food that lands on a doorstep carries a cost decision made days earlier. One example: five pounds of dry ice, or 15? Undershoot and the product arrives thawed. Overshoot and the brand pays to move weight it never needed.
That calculation, repeated across millions of orders, is the business Grip built. The Miami-based cold chain fulfillment company is now handing its national operation to a 40-year veteran of frozen and refrigerated distribution.
Grip said Tuesday that John Hummel will join as president of Grip Fulfillment, leading the company's national fulfillment operations. For the e-commerce brands that rely on Grip to move pet food, prepared meals and grocery orders, the hire brings proven experience. It's a high-stakes industry: a shipping decision that misses by either too few pounds of refrigerant or a single day in transit eats margin or may even destroy the product.
Hummel served as president of Burris Logistics' Custom Distribution division, where he oversaw five frozen and refrigerated distribution centers and eight direct-to-consumer fulfillment facilities. Earlier he was president of United Natural Foods Inc.'s Central/Southeast Region, running eight distribution centers with more than $6 billion in annual sales. Before that he led operations for 31 distribution centers at Reinhart Foodservice as the company grew from $2 billion to $7 billion.
"I've known Juan since his ButcherBox days, and I've followed Grip's journey ever since," Hummel said. "Joining the team to lead its fulfillment operation is an incredible opportunity."

#centers

Kawhi Leonard's NBA future hangs in the balance, and the latest update on the Aspiration scandal investigation is not quite positive.
One of the biggest announcements of the offseason was Kawhi Leonard being traded to the Toronto Raptors, where he won his second NBA championship.
However, quite soon after the deal was announced, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Raptors announced that the deal would be on hold until the investigation into the Aspiration scandal was concluded.
The Clippers are suspected of circumventing the league's salary cap to pay Leonard. And while they have denied it, the investigation still continues. And it seems like it might not be resolved anytime soon.
Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images

#kawhi #soon