Month: August 2021

Rams rookies Robert Rochell and Bobby Brown III both to undergo surgery

The Rams’ two fourth-round rookies, Robert Rochell and Bobby Brown III, will both undergo surgery for injuries suffered Saturday.

After a clean first few days of camp, the injury bug bit the Rams on Saturday afternoon. Rookie cornerback Robert Rochell and rookie defensive lineman Bobby Brown III both suffered injuries in practice Saturday that will require surgery.

Sean McVay said Rochell injured his wrist trying to punch the ball out and Brown injured his UCL in his thumb. Fortunately for Brown, he’ll be able to cast his hand and be back on the field the week he has surgery, but Rochell’s timetable is much less clear.

“With Rochell, it was kind of a freak little accident. He was going in to punch the ball. He’s going to have wrist surgery on Monday,” McVay said. “Same thing, Bobby Brown III, he got his UCL on his thumb, he’ll have a quick little fix and he’ll be able to come back with Robert. We’ll see what that looks like after the surgery. Once they get in there, we’ll have a better idea of exactly what his timetable for return – talking about Rochell.  Bobby, expect him to be back the week of surgery just based on being able to cast it and we’ll see how he progresses accordingly.”

Rochell was a fourth-round pick this year out of Central Arkansas and was expected to be the Rams’ third or fourth cornerback. This is a brutal setback for the athletic rookie as he was just getting started in camp.

He shared the following message on Twitter after suffering his injury.

Brown was also a fourth-rounder, selected 13 picks ahead of Rochell at No. 117 overall. He should be a rotational player up front, showing the ability to play any defensive line position. Hopefully the cast doesn’t stunt his development early on because like Rochell, his ceiling is high for a mid-round rookie.

2023 Virginia cornerback getting a ‘good feel’ for Clemson, Reed

This Class of 2023 prospect recently spoke on the phone with Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed. Colonial Heights (Va.) Life Christian Academy 2023 CB Antonio Cotman, Jr. is really starting to come on. His recruitment has begun to heat up and Reed …

This Class of 2023 prospect recently spoke on the phone with Clemson cornerbacks coach Mike Reed.

Colonial Heights (Va.) Life Christian Academy 2023 CB Antonio Cotman, Jr. is really starting to come on. His recruitment has begun to heat up and Reed has definitely taken notice.

Cotman is a physical cornerback, who thrives in man-to-man coverage. He also plays wide receiver for his high school, but his primary focus is on the defensive side of the ball.

He recently caught up with The Clemson Insider regarding his current recruitment and what he’s been hearing from the Tigers lately.

“I got great feedback,” Cotman said regarding his conversation with Reed. “He was talking to my grandma and my father. I was just vibing with him, just catching up with him. It was a great conversation.”

Reed was glad that Cotman called him. 

“I really got a feel for him,” he said. “I like Coach Reed, he really treats me like family. That’s all I can say.”

Cotman has been talking with Reed for some time now, ever since he camped at Clemson this summer. 

“It was a good experience, he was teaching me some techniques at the camps,” Cotman added, regarding his time at Dabo Swinney Camp. “He helped me out.”

According to Cotman, Reed really likes his size, his stature and the way he moves his feet. The one thing he prompted the Virginia prospect to work on was his eyes. 

“When I called him, I told him that I bought a new set of eyes,” Cotman said.

It means a lot to Cotman that Reed wants to get to know him better before that potential offer comes in. He told Cotman that he plans on coming up to Life Christian Academy for a game sometime this upcoming season.

“That’s gonna motivate me to go even harder,” Cotman said on the prospect of Reed coming to see him play.

Clemson is putting corners into the NFL consistently, while also getting high-level cornerbacks to commit to Tiger Town. Being recruited by the Tigers and Reed clearly means something to Cotman.

“It means a lot, it really does, that they’re coming out and showing love to me,” Cotman said. “It’s really big because a few years back, I didn’t think I was going to be in the position. It’s a shock.”

During his conversation with TCI, Cotman was on the road to Boston College. After his visit to Chestnut Hill, he left with another offer in hand as his recruitment continues to heat up.

Prior to the pandemic, Cotman didn’t have any offers. In addition to BC, he also holds offers from Liberty, Maryland and Virginia Tech.

“It’s been a great experience,” he said. “Me and my father are traveling the world. We get to see new places, it’s amazing.”

With that being said, what is Cotman looking for in a school at the next level?

“The most important thing is building relationships for me,” Cotman said,” Like really get to know me, get to know my family. If you know my mom, you get in a good relationship with my mom, that really does real big for me.”

Time to get the latest Clemson apparel to show your Tiger pride. Order your officially licensed Clemson gear right here!

 

UFC books Julian Marquez vs. Jordan Wright for Oct. 16 event

Middleweight finishers Julian Marquez and Jordan Wright will square off in the fall.

Middleweight finishers [autotag]Julian Marquez[/autotag] and [autotag]Jordan Wright[/autotag] will square off in the fall.

Marquez (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) faces Wright (12-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night on Oct. 16 at an event that does not have a location or venue announced.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Since returning from a layoff of two-and-a-half years due to injury, Marquez has notched back-to-back bonus-winning finishes of Maki Pitolo and Sam Alvey in the span of two months. The Glory MMA fighter, who’s finished all his pro wins, will look to continue riding that momentum when he meets California’s Wright.

Wright, who also boasts a 100 percent finish rate, rebounded from a loss to Joaquin Buckley, which was the first setback of his career, with a quick TKO of Jamie Pickett at UFC 262 in May. The win over Pickett marked the 29-year-old’s 11th first round finish in 12 pro fights.

The latest UFC Fight Night on Oct. 16 lineup now includes:
  • Ludovit Klein vs. Nate Landwehr
  • Luana Carolina vs. Maryna Moroz
  • Andrei Arlovski vs. Carlos Felipe
  • Norma Dumont vs. Holly Holm
  • Julian Marquez vs. Jordan Wright

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Grady Jarrett: Falcons ‘not going to be about slogans’ under Smith

Dan Quinn was known as a player’s coach, but the team definitely seems to be responding to Smith’s more blunt approach.

When things were going well for the Atlanta Falcons under former head coach Dan Quinn, nobody seemed to mind his college-style leadership mentality and affinity for slogans. As the losses began to pile up over the years, though, Quinn’s lack of disciplinarian tendencies became a focal point leading up to his eventual firing in 2020..

Certainly, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and while Quinn’s approach worked in the past, Falcons fans were happy to see the team go in a different direction by hiring offensive wiz Arthur Smith away from the Tennessee Titans.

Quinn was known as a player’s coach, but the team definitely seems to be responding to Smith’s more blunt approach. Take this quote from Falcons defensive lineman Grady Jarrett talking about the difference in tone under Smith, per The Athletic’s Tori McElhaney.

“It’s deeper than the message,” said Jarrett. “It’s about putting the product in on the field, putting the work in. (Arthur Smith) made it clear that we’re not going to be about slogans, and all this, whatever it may be. The toughest dude is going to play. There ain’t no fluff”

There’s a lot to be excited about as training camp picks up. At the same time, there’s no guarantee whatsoever that a more disciplined approach will turn the Falcons into a better team. The only thing fans really are about is winning, and Smith understands that as well as anyone.

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Real Madrid has more players than any other team at the Olympic basketball tournament

Real Madrid, the storied Spanish club with 10 Euroleague titles leads the way with eight players taking part in the Olympics.

While this year’s Olympic basketball tournament features more NBA players than ever before, it’s still mostly FIBA clubs who are the most represented at the Games.

And there’s actually a runaway No. 1 as far as the club with the most male basketball players participating: Real Madrid, the team that produced a certain Luka Doncic, who just tied the record for second-most points ever scored in an Olympic basketball contest.

The storied Spanish club leads the way with eight players taking part in the Olympic Games this summer, followed by Fenerbahce out of the Turkish League, Australia’s Melbourne United, the Miami Heat (the NBA team with most male basketball representatives in Tokyo), Olimpia Milano (Italy) and Union Olimpija (Slovenia), all of whom have four players at the Games.

Below, check out the teams with the most players at the Olympic male basketball tournament. There’s a few other NBA teams on the list.

22 years in the making, champion A.J. McKee challenges any featherweight on earth at Bellator 263

Bellator, UFC, PFL, One Championship – it doesn’t matter, A.J. McKee wants the best of the best.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] dreamt of the moment for 22 years before it became a reality at Bellator 263.

After a six-year build with the promotion, McKee (18-0 MMA, 18-0 BMMA) finished champion, Patricio Freire, in rapid fashion with a head kick followed by a guillotine choke Saturday at The Forum.

“Man, to do it the way I did it, I said I was going to do it in stylistic fashion,” McKee told MMA Junkie at a post-fight news conference. “Done in one. When I rocked him, I was just like, ‘That’s it.’ I just knew it. After the head kick, I hit him with that uppercut and I just saw him quit. He didn’t need anymore. But like the ref said, ‘Don’t stop punching until I tell you to.'”

McKee, 26, said the fight wasn’t what he was expecting. He always imagined doing something flashy and captivating, but the strike-to-submission method he used wasn’t it.

“Honestly, I dreamt the fight,” McKee said. “I knew I won the fight. I prayed about it and the same night I had a vision. So I knew I had a victory but it wasn’t the dream that I had which was peculiar. Now, maybe that’s the 155-pound title that I saw. I don’t know. I’m just enjoying this moment, man. I knew it was going to come.”

With the victory, McKee’s star shined through – and potentially reached new heights. He was the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter in the United States on Saturday.

In his estimation, the skills back up the hype, though, because he thinks no 145-pounder in the world can top him inside the cage. That’s regardless of promotion: Bellator, UFC, PFL, you name it. If it’s not claiming the promotion’s lightweight title in a rematch against “Pitbull,” McKee wants to fight the best of the best – so much so, that he’s even willing to make a bet on it.

“Being at 145 pounds isn’t the easiest,” McKee said. “Maybe we get some superfights going but I’m pretty much done with the division at 145 pounds, so hop up to 155 pounds. He’s the best 145-pounder – was the best. I’ve pretty much been saying it. Now people are seeing it and believing it. I am the best 145-pounder in the world whether it’s UFC, ONE FC, PFL, I don’t care who it is.

“I’ve got $1 million cash in my bank and I’d put it up against anybody else. I’m sure Showtime and Bellator, they’ll match it. Let’s do some superfights. Let’s get some big stuff going. Let’s change this sport, like I’ve been saying. Let’s do it. Let’s unify these belts.”

Bellator 263 took place Saturday at The Forum. The main card aired on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

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Jonathan Rice dominates, stops Michael Coffie in Round 5

Jonathan Rice dominated and then stopped Michael Coffie in Round 5 of their heavyweight fight Saturday in Newark, N.J.

Jonathan Rice took full advantage of his opportunity on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.

The late replacement as Michael Coffie’s opponent outboxed, outworked and finally knocked out the previously unbeaten Coffie in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight fight.

Rice, who replaced Gerald Washington, was an afterthought going into the fight. The South Carolinian had lost his previous two fights, including a wide decision against heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba last September.

And while Coffie was a latecomer to boxing – he turned pro at 31 – he was coming off a string of dominating performances, which is why he was favored to win on Saturday.

Rice didn’t follow the script. Instead, he played the part of a sharpshooter, firing off quick, hard shots at the flatfooted Coffie at a high rate from the opening bell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETP8LB4ADs

Coffie, a powerful puncher, absorbed Rice’s blows for a while and threw some big punches of his own. However, he couldn’t begin to keep pace with Rice.

By Round 5, Coffie had begun to break down. About halfway through the round Rice unleashed a vicious flurry of shots that found the mark and hurt Coffie, who suddenly had difficulty defending himself.

At that point, referee Eric Dali stepped in to save Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs) from further punishment. The official time of the stoppage was 2:19 of the fifth round.

Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) has quite a way to go before he can be considered a title challenger but he took a big step on Saturday.

“I wasn’t a late replacement,” said Rice, 34. “I was waiting for an opportunity. We replaced someone, but we weren’t late. We were right on time. I was training every day. I was training with Michael Hunter. I did 20 rounds, 10 and 10 last Friday before I got the call. So when I got the call, I was ready. …

“I want it all. I want what every boxer wants. I want to be world champion. I understand that my record doesn’t say that, but I want the world to watch my progress. I’m not in the right mind to be calling people out. I’m just going to be ready for the opportunity and when it comes I’m going to answer the call.

“I’m going to get as much money for it as I can. And you know one thing, I’m going to put on a show.”

Rice stepped in as Coffie’s opponent after Washington tested positive for COVID-19.

Jonathan Rice dominates, stops Michael Coffie in Round 5

Jonathan Rice dominated and then stopped Michael Coffie in Round 5 of their heavyweight fight Saturday in Newark, N.J.

Jonathan Rice took full advantage of his opportunity on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.

The late replacement as Michael Coffie’s opponent outboxed, outworked and finally knocked out the previously unbeaten Coffie in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-round heavyweight fight.

Rice, who replaced Gerald Washington, was an afterthought going into the fight. The South Carolinian had lost his previous two fights, including a wide decision against heavyweight contender Efe Ajagba last September.

And while Coffie was a latecomer to boxing – he turned pro at 31 – he was coming off a string of dominating performances, which is why he was favored to win on Saturday.

Rice didn’t follow the script. Instead, he played the part of a sharpshooter, firing off quick, hard shots at the flatfooted Coffie at a high rate from the opening bell.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KETP8LB4ADs

Coffie, a powerful puncher, absorbed Rice’s blows for a while and threw some big punches of his own. However, he couldn’t begin to keep pace with Rice.

By Round 5, Coffie had begun to break down. About halfway through the round Rice unleashed a vicious flurry of shots that found the mark and hurt Coffie, who suddenly had difficulty defending himself.

At that point, referee Eric Dali stepped in to save Coffie (12-1, 9 KOs) from further punishment. The official time of the stoppage was 2:19 of the fifth round.

Rice (14-6-1, 10 KOs) has quite a way to go before he can be considered a title challenger but he took a big step on Saturday.

“I wasn’t a late replacement,” said Rice, 34. “I was waiting for an opportunity. We replaced someone, but we weren’t late. We were right on time. I was training every day. I was training with Michael Hunter. I did 20 rounds, 10 and 10 last Friday before I got the call. So when I got the call, I was ready. …

“I want it all. I want what every boxer wants. I want to be world champion. I understand that my record doesn’t say that, but I want the world to watch my progress. I’m not in the right mind to be calling people out. I’m just going to be ready for the opportunity and when it comes I’m going to answer the call.

“I’m going to get as much money for it as I can. And you know one thing, I’m going to put on a show.”

Rice stepped in as Coffie’s opponent after Washington tested positive for COVID-19.