Bo Nickal OK with slow approach to top, wants first UFC title fight ‘to look like a masterclass’

Bo Nickal wants to be an undeniable UFC champion.

[autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag] wants to be an undeniable UFC champion.

Nickal (6-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) takes on Paul Craig (17-8-1 MMA, 9-8-1 UFC) in a middleweight bout Nov. 16 on the UFC 309 main card at Madison Square Garden. Despite his dominance in the octagon, Nickal has opted to take an adequate amount of time between each fight. He continues to get criticized for his lack of activity, but the standout wrestler explains how his situation is different.

“For me, the most important thing is developing, and I don’t want to skip steps on development,” Nickal said on the “MightyCast” podcast. “You mentioned Diego Lopes. … These guys have 20-plus pro fights. He feels he’s ready to go. I fought six times in a little over two years. So, is that infrequent? I wouldn’t say it’s infrequent. I think people maybe forget that I’ve only been fighting since the summer of 2022 professionally. But with that being said, I think it’s really a good thing because people want to see me fight. They want to see me compete, and personally I want to compete as much as I can, but at the end of the day, it’s like, let’s say I fight a ranked guy next, then I fight a top five guy, and then I’m fighting for the title. It’s not like this long path that I have to get to where I want to go.

“So for me, the development and the improvement, a lot of it has to happen in training. I feel like I can compete with and beat the best guys in the world right now, but I don’t want it to be competitive when it happens. So, when I go out there and I’m competing for the belt, I want it to look like a masterclass where this guy’s not even on my level. I think right now there’s a lot of improvements that I need to make to get to that point. I think that it’s not all 100 percent up to me with the timing of how things work out, but I’m going to do my best to be prepared. And I feel like I’ve been put in a position where I have to make those improvements in training, and I don’t have the luxury of being able to get 15-20 fights before I’m there. Like I’m realistically probably going to be there at 10-11 fights.”

With his experience and notable wins over former UFC light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill and top contender Magomed Ankalaev, Craig presents Nickal’s toughest test to date on paper.

However, oddsmakers still have Nickal as a heavy favorite. According to DraftKings, Nickal is a -1000 favorite over Craig, who is a +600 underdog.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Record-breaker Jeanty stakes claim to Heisman Trophy

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty cemented his place in the history books on Friday night, becoming the first Broncos player to record over 100 rushing yards in eight consecutive appearances. The 20-year-old surpassed the 1,500-yard mark for …

Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty cemented his place in the history books on Friday night, becoming the first Broncos player to record over 100 rushing yards in eight consecutive appearances.

 

The 20-year-old surpassed the 1,500-yard mark for the season in a 149-yard effort against San Diego State. His two touchdowns took him to 20 for the campaign.

 

Jeanty, who also had an outstanding 2023, hopes to beat Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record of 2,628 yards in 1988, but he is 166 yards off the pace through eight games, largely because head coach Spencer Danielson has benched him towards the end of several one-sided encounters.

 

More time on the field would have increased Jeanty’s chances of surpassing Sanders and therefore having an even better case to win the Heisman Trophy. Instead, most online sportsbooks that allow users to bet on college football have the Jacksonville-born star installed as the fourth favourite behind Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cameron Ward, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter, and Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel.

 

No running back has won the Heisman since 2015 when Derrick Henry scooped the award. It is an accolade typically dominated by quarterbacks, and it will require a remarkable end to the season from Jeanty if he is to come out on top. He can be backed at +500 to receive the most votes – a significant drift from the +150 quotes from mid-October.

 

Ward is now the man to beat at the top after a 400-yard, five-touchdown effort saw Miami defeat the Duke Blue Devils 53-31. The former Washington State Cougar has 29 passing and three rushing touchdowns this year, which is an outstanding return and he is only getting better.

 

Hunter, who plays on both sides of the ball, is a close second favorite and put his case forward when appearing on Big Noon Kickoff on Saturday. “Nobody has ever done what I’ve been doing,” he said. “It’s pretty much that simple for me. 

 

“I steal the game on defense. I steal the game on offense. Nobody has ever done that before, and it’s just pretty much easy for me. You see the game, it speaks for itself. For me, I just go out there and play and work hard every day.”

 

Gabriel was widely tipped for Heisman success during preseason. Having led the Ducks to a 9-0 start, the senior transfer from the Oklahoma Sooners remains in the mix for the most prestigious individual accolade in college football. Despite climbing to second place on the all-time NCAA passing leaders list, Gabriel is deemed to be behind Ward and Hunter in the race to be named the nation’s most outstanding player.

 

Jeanty is projected to be a mid-first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is the only running back currently expected to be selected in round one, and a strong end to the season may see him climb further up the mock draft boards.

 

Boise State are odds-on to win the Mountain West Conference Tournament and to make the playoffs. Even Jeanty’s playmaking abilities are unlikely to be enough for them to win the National Championship, though. For that, they are huge underdogs at +10000.

Watch: Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s biggest plays from Week 9

Watch: Seahawks WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s biggest plays from Week 9

The Seattle Seahawks’ 26-20 overtime loss to the Rams in Week 9 was as demoralizing as it gets. However, the best bright spot from the debacle was the official emergence of second-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba as a game-changing force.

The former Ohio State standout was unstoppable against Los Angeles. JSN hauled in seven receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Shockingly, it could have been even greater, as 78 additional yards were called back due to holding calls.

After a year and a half, the first round receiver finally had his breakout game and proved he can be a legitimate weapon down the field for Seattle’s offense. This is made even more impactful in the absence of DK Metcalf, who missed the last two games. Without Metcalf against the Bills, it was evident the Seahawks could not stretch the field. It was not until Week 9 when JSN showed he can be the one to help fill this role.

It’s with this success we should take the time to watch some of his biggest highlights from the biggest games of his career.

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30 Carolina Panthers players who are free agents in 2025

With the trade deadline now behind us, let’s take a look at the Panthers who are set to become free agents following the 2024 season:

The 2024 NFL trade deadline has come and gone, and it didn’t go without a few moves from the Carolina Panthers.

Last week, the team shipped off wideout Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens in a trade involving a late-round pick swap for the 2025 draft. And yesterday, in a much more favorable return, they sent fellow receiver Jonathan Mingo over to the Dallas Cowboys.

So now that those departures are official, we could start looking ahead towards free agency for quite a few more.

Here are 30 Panthers whose contracts are set to expire following the season:

  • QB Andy Dalton
  • RB Chuba Hubbard
  • RB Raheem Blackshear (RFA)
  • WR David Moore
  • WR Jalen Coker (ERFA)
  • TE Tommy Tremble
  • TE Ian Thomas
  • TE Feleipe Franks (RFA)
  • OL Brady Christensen
  • OL Cade Mays
  • C Austin Corbett
  • DL LaBryan Ray
  • DL DeShawn Williams
  • DL Jonathan Harris
  • DL Raequan Williams (ERFA)
  • OLB Charles Harris
  • OLB Thomas Incoom
  • OLB Cam Gill
  • ILB Shaq Thompson
  • CB Mike Jackson
  • CB Lonnie Johnson Jr.
  • CB Anthony Brown
  • S Xavier Woods
  • S Jordan Fuller
  • S Sam Franklin Jr.
  • S Nick Scott
  • S Demani Richardson (ERFA)
  • K Eddy Piñeiro
  • P Johnny Hekker
  • LS JJ Jansen

*RFA = Restricted free agent
*ERFA = Exclusive rights free agent

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Quarterback Dylan Raiola named semifinalist for postseason award

Dylan Raiola was a semifinalist for a freshman accolade on Wednesday.

Nebraska football quarterback Dylan Raiola was named a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of The Year Award on Wednesday. Raiola has recorded 1,921 passing yards, ten touchdowns, and eight interceptions.

He has struggled in recent weeks, however, throwing two touchdowns and five interceptions in his last five games. Nevertheless, he still has the potential to be one of the most dynamic freshman quarterbacks in college football.

He was impressive for the month of September, throwing for 986 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions. In the process, he helped propel the Huskers to a 5-1 start to the season.

It will be interesting to see how his season finishes. Raiola has the talents to help get the Huskers back on the right track and will be a building block for the future of the program.

Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.

Several Trojans rank among top NFL players in latest statistical overview

Analyzing the best Trojans in the NFL reveals several standouts who are making a big impact on Sundays.

USC football has a lot of notable former players who have moved on to the NFL. From the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, Caleb Williams, to the 112th pick in the 2021 NFL draft, Amon-Ra St. Brown, former Trojans are making noise at the next level, specifically on the offensive side of the ball.

Through nine weeks of the NFL season, former USC quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Sam Darnold have the 5th-most passing yards and 4th-most passing touchdowns.

Similarly, former USC wide receivers are showing out at the next level. Former Trojans wide receivers have the 4th-most receiving yards with 2,091, behind 3rd-place Alabama with 2,404 and far ahead of 5th-place Ole Miss with 1,408. That list of former USC wideouts in the NFL includes Amon-Ra St. Brown, Michael Pittman Jr., and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

While this season may not be going the way Trojans fans hoped on Saturdays, the USC alumni are certainly some of the highest performers at the next level on Sundays.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, Ducks Wire, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Patrick Mahomes, Kareem Hunt listed on Chiefs’ Wednesday injury report

#Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and RB Kareem Hunt were listed on Kansas City’s Week 10 injury report on Wednesday.

The Kansas City Chiefs have dealt with injuries all season but have avoided any truly catastrophic losses to this point.

Though the absence of wide receivers Marquise ‘Hollywood’ Brown and Rashee Rice and running back Isiah Pacheco have hampered Kansas City’s offense, the defending Super Bowl champions are still undefeated through nine weeks of the regular season.

However, star quarterback Patrick Mahomes and running back Kareem Hunt were listed on the Chiefs’ initial injury report for Week 10 on Wednesday, which could be a major issue for Kansas City heading into a matchup against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, November 10.

Check out the Chiefs’ full injury report below:

 

Mahomes participated fully in Wednesday’s workouts, but Hunt was limited. Despite their participation, it remains unclear if they will be available to play in Kansas City’s AFC West showdown against the Broncos.

Stay tuned to see how the Chiefs starters progress through the rest of the week as Kansas City prepares for its next game.

Colorado MBB freshman Andrew Crawford to take redshirt

A talented Colorado freshman is electing redshirt this season

The Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball team added a plethora of pieces to its 2024-25 roster, so it’s fair to assume that certain newcomers could get lost in the shuffle.

That assumption became a reality for freshman guard Andrew Crawford, who is now planning to redshirt this season, according to multiple reports. Head coach Tad Boyle noted that Crawford could become available down the line if injuries arise.

A native of Littleton, Colorado, Crawford was a four-star recruit at ThunderRidge High School in Highlands Ranch and the highest-ranked 2024 prospect in the state of Colorado. The 6-foot-6 combo guard was held in high regard throughout his recruiting process and adds in-state flair to a Colorado unit with seven new players.

Crawford saw the floor for seven minutes during CU’s preseason exhibition against Pomona-Pitzer and did not play in Monday’s season opener against Eastern Washington. The freshman will watch from the sidelines and preserve this year of eligibility.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

USC Trojans to start quarterback Jayden Maiava against Nebraska

Nebraska football will face a different quarterback when they take on USC next week.

The USC Trojans will start quarterback Jayden Maiava when they take on Nebraska on Nov. 16. This was reported by USCFootball.com’s Connor Morissette.

Maiava transferred from UNLV to USC in the spring. He has appeared in 11 games so far for the Trojans, going eight-of-11 for 66 yards. He also has shown an ability to run the ball, carrying the ball three times for 27 yards and a touchdown.

The quarterback replaces starter Miller Moss, who has thrown for 2,555 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and nine interceptions on the season. The Trojans come into next week’s contest averaging 291.5 yards per game through the air.

This could be a bit of a break for the Huskers as they look to rectify their passing defense. They come into the game allowing 308.1 passing yards defensively. Nebraska has allowed 219 yards through the air last weekend against UCLA. This quarterback change could give them the perfect opportunity to right the ship.

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Michigan State safety gifted $40,000, trip to Disney, and car from Good Morning America

Good Morning America hooked up Armorion Smith and his family in a big way

At this point, I would think most people reading this know the story of Armorion Smith, the Michigan State football safety who has taken custody of his siblings after his family lost their mom this year. This week, Armorion was on Good Morning America, and they did some pretty awesome stuff for him and his family.

Host Michael Strahan showed Smith and his brother Armon a number of generous gifts, which included $40,000, a fully covered trip to Disney Land, and a brand new SUV. It was a great moment for someone who really deserved it.

You can watch the full video here.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.