Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Nov.4-Nov. 10)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Nov. 4-Nov. 10.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels for news to break through, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Nov. 4–Nov. 10:

UFC on ESPN+ 22: Nov. 16, Sao Paulo

Women’s flyweight: With Priscila Cachoeira out, Veronica Macedo (6-3-1 MMA, 1-3 UFC) steps in to fight Ariane Lipski (11-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC) (MMA Fighting)

UFC on ESPN 7: Dec. 7, Washington, D.C.

Heavyweight: With Walt Harris out, Jairzinho Rozenstruik (9-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) steps in to fight Alistair Overeem (45-17 MMA, 11-6 UFC) (ESPN)

Middleweight: With Alonzo Menifield out, Makhmud Muradov (23-6 MMA, 1-0 UFC) steps in to fight Trevor Smith (15-9 MMA, 5-6 UFC)

Bellator Salute: Dec. 20, Honolulu

Heavyweight: Josh Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) vs. Ronny Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA)

Bantamweight: Erik Perez (19-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) vs. Toby Misech (11-7 MMA, 1-1 BMMA)(KHON2)

More matchups on next page:

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Georgia football’s top plays of NFL week 10

Georgia Bulldogs made some great plays in the NFL once again this week. With several NFL teams having bye weeks, there were fewer chances for Dawgs to make plays. Matthew Stafford was out for the first time in years, so one of the biggest …

Georgia Bulldogs made some great plays in the NFL once again this week. With several NFL teams having bye weeks, there were fewer chances for Dawgs to make plays. Matthew Stafford was out for the first time in years, so one of the biggest play-makers from UGA didn’t suit up. Still, Jordan Jenkins, Nick Chubb, and Mecole Hardman had game-changing plays for their teams.

The New York Jets won against the Giants in a battle of New York teams. Former UGA linebacker Jordan Jenkins was a standout with two sacks:

Georgia’s Nick Chubb played excellent for the Browns. Many were concerned about the return of Kareem Hunt impacting Chubb’s role in the Cleveland offense, but Chubb managed to power his way to over one hundred yards rushing. Chubb carried Buffalo Bills defenders with him on his best run of the afternoon:

The best play of the week has to go to Mecole Hardman. Although it was in losing effort for the Chiefs, Hardman showed off his 4.3 speed on this insane touchdown:

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Colts defense stepping up when needed most

Don’t blame the struggles on the defense.

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It’s hard to look at positives after a loss like the Indianapolis Colts just had on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins, but that’s where this article comes in to save the day.

Yes, the offense has played poorly the past three weeks, but how have the Colts stayed in every game? It’s because of their defense, a unit that has really stepped up their play since Week 4.

The first four weeks of the season the Colts allowed over 350 total yards of offense in three games, while also allowing over 24 points in each of those games. Another factor to their bad play to start the season was that they weren’t getting off the field on third down, giving up over 20 first downs in all but one game the first four weeks.

Credit the success to the return of some of their more important players returning—Jabaal Sheard, Darius Leonard, Malik Hooker—this defense has turned back into their form they had at the end of the 2018 season when they became a top-10 unit and allowed the Colts to go on a nine-game winning streak late in the season.

One player to highlight is Jabaal Sheard. He isn’t the flashiest player on the Colts and doesn’t always get the recognition, but he will here. First four weeks of the season the Colts allowed an average of 132.5 rushing yards per game. The last five? 81.8 yards per game.

Sheard returning to the right side allowed Justin Houston to return to his natural position at left defensive end, and the results have been positive. Since Week 5 Justin Houston has won Defensive Player of the Week (Week 5), has recorded a sack in every game, forced a fumble resulting in a safety and has provided the consistent pass rush the Colts need.

What is more impressive about this defense since Week 5 has been the offenses they’ve faced. Yes, the last three weeks it has been less impressive  (Denver, Pittsburgh and Miami) but they played well versus two of the better offenses in the AFC in Houston and Kansas City.

The Colts were the first team to hold the Chiefs to under 300 totals yards of offense and 30 points since Patrick Mahomes has taken over at quarterback for the Chiefs.

Indianapolis was able to back up that performance by holding one of the best red-zone offenses in the NFL, Houston, to 2-for-5 scoring touchdowns in the red zone. Plus, they forced two fourth-quarter interceptions on Deshaun Watson, including the one that sealed the game.

One final point to make, this defense has really stepped up in the situational downs. In the first four weeks, the Colts defense was allowing a 48% conversion rate on third down (21/43). Whereas the last five games, they’re down to just 32% conversion rate, (21/65).

The red zone has made just as big of a difference. The first four games the Colts were allowing touchdowns on 75% of drives that got into the red zone, (9/12). While teams have gotten into the red zone more against the Colts recently, some due to turnovers by the offense, the defense is only allowing touchdowns on 35%, (6/17).

While fans can point blame many different ways each Sunday, they shouldn’t point to the defense as the reason the Colts have been sputtering recently. If anything, fans should applaud the defense for keeping the Colts in all these games recently.

Steelers-Browns odds: Cleveland favored in TNF battle with Pittsburgh

Previewing Thursday Night Football’s Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns sports betting odds and lines, with NFL Week 11 picks and tips.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) and Cleveland Browns (3-6) clash in an AFC North battle in Week 11’s Thursday Night Football matchup at First Energy Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET. We analyze the Steelers-Browns odds and sports betting lines within, while providing sports betting tips and advice on this matchup.

Steelers at Browns: Week 11 preview, betting trends and notes

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  • The Steelers enter Week 11 as winners of four straight games, including a 17-12 upset of the Los Angeles Rams on home field in Week 10.
  • The Browns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 19-16 home win over the Buffalo Bills.
  • Cleveland ranks 26th in the NFL with 19.0 points per game. Pittsburgh is 19th with an average of 21.4 points per game.
  • The Browns are 19th with 348.4 total yards of offense per game. The Steelers are 28th with 288.8 total yards. Cleveland averages 40 more rushing yards per game.
  • The Browns allow 24.6 points per game while the Steelers hold the opposition to just 20.1. Pittsburgh allows an average of 332.2 yards of offense to Cleveland’s 356.0.
  • The Steelers defense has not allowed a rushing touchdown on 84 carries since Week 6.
  • Pittsburgh ranks second in the NFL with a plus-13 turnover differential. Cleveland is minus-8.
  • The Steelers rank second with 33.0 sacks this season.

Steelers at Browns: Key injuries

Steelers RB James Conner (shoulder) sat out Week 10.

Browns DL Olivier Vernon (knee) missed Sunday’s game.

Steelers at Browns: Odds, betting lines and prediction

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 10:45 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Browns 24, Steelers 20

Moneyline (?)

The Browns got their first home win of the season in Week 10 and are 1-3 at First Energy Stadium. Pittsburgh is 1-2 on the road. Back CLEVELAND (-149) as a conservative home favorite on the short week with no travel.

Against the Spread (?)

The BROWNS (-2.5, -120) are just 2-6-1 overall against the spread. They’ve lost by an average of 5.6 points per game and fall 4.9 points shy of the cover. Pittsburgh (+2.5, +100) is 6-3-0 and covers by an average of 1.6 points.

With the projection of a field goal, however, take the home side as they’ll need to win by just three points for a $10 bet to return a profit of $8.33. The same wager on the moneyline nets a $6.71 return.

Over/Under (?)

Both teams are coming off low-scoring games in Week 10, as Cleveland and Pittsburgh played to point totals of 35 and 29 points, respectively. It followed the season trend for both sides of playing below the projected total.

Thursday’s number of 40.5 seems like an over-correction for a divisional clash. Take the OVER (-120).

Want action on this game? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.

Esten’s NFL betting record: 23-29

Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire on Twitter.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Alex Trebek choked up over ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant’s sweet Final Jeopardy answer

“We love you Alex.” 

Alex Trebek got emotional during Monday night’s episode of Jeopardy! thanks to a contestant’s very sweet answer during Final Jeopardy.

Dhruv Gaur, who is a student at Brown University competing in the Tournament of Champions, didn’t know the answer for the Final Jeopardy question so he wrote “We love (with a heart) you Alex.”

Trebek is battling cancer and was noticeably moved by Gaur’s gesture as it caught him by surprise. It cost Gaur $1,995 but it will go down as one of the greatest moments in the legendary game show’s history.

This is a moment Trabek and Jeopardy fans will never forget:

According to Reddit this episode was filmed a day before Trabek was going to be undergoing another round of chemotherapy.

 

Fans got emotional over the sweet moment:

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3 49ers questionable to return with injuries

The 49ers in the second quarter announced a trio of players were questionable to return to Monday’s game vs. Seattle.

The 49ers announced a trio of injuries in the second quarter Monday night.

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders was announced as questionable to return with a rib injury shortly after he was seen walking to the locker room without a helmet. He had two catches for 24 yards.

Center Weston Richburg left the game with a hand injury, and defensive tackle DJ Jones went down with a groin injury.

San Francisco is already without starting tight end George Kittle, so losing another blocker and another pass catching option is a tough draw for the 49ers offense. Ben Garland stepped in for Richburg at center.

We’ll provide updates as soon as they become available.

WATCH: Fred Warner notches 1st-career sack

Fred Warner picked up his first sack of the season to end a Seahawks drive.

The 49ers rarely send extra pass rushers. Defensive coordinator Robert Saleh dialed up a blitz on a Seahawks third-and-4 in 49ers territory. It worked.

Linebacker Fred Warner blew through a hole in the offensive line and dragged down quarterback Russell Wilson before he could get outside the pocket. Seattle punted for the third time in as many possessions.

The 49ers have done a nice job with Wilson in the early going.

49ers vs. Seahawks: 3 things that stood out in the 1st quarter

The 49ers dominated the opening 15 minutes opening up with a 10-0 lead. 

The 49ers dominated the first 15 minutes Monday night, opening up a 10-0 lead. The offense held the ball for 10:55 in the first quarter and held Seattle’s offense to just six plays.

Everything looked good to start. Here’s what stood out in the first quarter:

Too close of a call

The first drive appeared to end abruptly when Jimmy Garoppolo was intercepted by Shaquill Griffin, but Jamar Taylor was called for holding while Garoppolo still had the ball to wipe out the pick. The call was huge for the 49ers offense to allow them to hold on to the ball and continue the drive. Garoppolo was shaky on the opening series, completing three-of-seven passes.

Another bail out from Seattle

Three plays after the near interception, Garoppolo and the offense faced  a third-and-6 at the Seattle 45-yard-line when Garoppolo hit Emmanuel Sanders short of the first down marker. It would have given the 49ers an interesting fourth-and-short situation but Trey Flowers was called for pass interference to prolong the drive. The drive resulted in a 43-yard field goal from Chase McLaughlin to give the 49ers an early 3-0.

First defensive drive couldn’t have gone better

The 49ers defense spared little time making an impact against MVP candidate Russell Wilson, forcing Seattle to go three-and-out on their opening drive. The series was shut down on a third-and-2 when DJ Jones blew through center Joey Hunt to get to Wilson before the quarterback had a chance to even think.

The 49ers offense followed Seattle’s opening drive with a seven-play, 83-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown.

Mfiondu Kabengele had his first first double-double in the G League

The game marked the second of the season for Kabengele in the G League after scoring 10 points on Saturday night.

Los Angeles Clippers first-round pick Mfiondu Kabengele recorded a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds on a G League assignment with the Agua Caliente Clippers on Monday afternoon.

The game marked his second of the season in the G League after scoring 10 points against the Northern Arizona Suns on Saturday night. Kabengele struggled to shoot on Monday, though, finishing just 3-of-14 from the field in the contest.

While Kabengele didn’t shoot well, the former Seminoles center helped maintain the glass on both ends of the floor after hauling in four offensive rebounds. On one sequence, Kabengele blocked the shot by Abdul Gaddy, ran the floor on the break and finished an alley-oop dunk.

With playing time expected to be limited this season for Kabengele, the Clippers will likely continue to use him in the G League to get more reps in — he has logged just six minutes in the NBA.

After the game, the Clippers recalled Kabengele from the G League ahead of their showdown against the Toronto Raptors as he’ll be on the bench Monday night.

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Vikings get biggest win in the Kirk Cousins era

Cousins didn’t have the best game of his career, but he did what he had to do to get the win. 

The Minnesota Vikings are coming off an impressive 28-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. In a pretty close to must-win game, the Vikings won on the road against a team with a winning record. 

The narrative of Kirk Cousins not being able to win in the spotlight came with him from Washington to Minnesota, but on Sunday night it didn’t seem to matter. Cousins didn’t have the best game of his career, but he did what he had to do to get the win. 

Cousins completed 23 of 32 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns to Kyle Rudolph. Despite not having his number one receiver in Adam Thielen, Cousins was able to have another solid performance. The stat line falls right in the middle of the pack in terms of games in his career, but the most important stat was not what Cousins did, it was what he didn’t do. 

In spotlight games in his last two years with the Vikings, Cousins has gotten a lot of heat for the amount of times he has turned the ball over and held onto the ball too long while taking sacks. On Sunday night, Cousins was not only productive, but he also avoided a costly fumble by continuing his throwing motion while getting his arm swatted. 

Last season, Vikings fans would have expected a costly turnover on that play. This time it turned out in the Vikings favor, with Cousins being able to hold on to the ball just long enough to complete his throwing motion. 

There will be games down the road where Cousins will carry the Vikings to a victory with his arm. But this win proved that the Vikings are balanced enough to get away with an above average, mistake-free game from their quarterback.