The 10 best UFC knockouts in 2019 – Jorge Masvidal had a few

2019 had some incredible knockouts.

There were some incredible knockouts in the UFC in 2019, including a few memorable ones by Jorge Masvidal, who had a monster year that concluded for him by winning the BMF belt in his fight against Nate Diaz at UFC 244 (though hopefully they run that one back).

We saw big knockouts in title fights, big-name fights, early prelim fights – just about everywhere.

Will there be anymore at UFC 245 this weekend, a monster event that has three title fights on its main card?

While we get ready for that huge night of fights, let’s look back at the 10 best KOs from the past year.

10. Makhmud Muradov vs. Trevor Smith, UFC Washington.

This one happened just a few days ago as Muradov kicked off UFC Washington by sending Smith’s mouthguard flying to the moon.

9. Johnny Walker vs. Misha Cirkunov, UFC 235.

Walker’s flying knee just 30 seconds into this fight was a thing of beauty. His celebration afterward wasn’t, however, as he dislocated his shoulder while doing the worm.

8. Josh Emmett vs. Michael Johnson, UFC Philadelphia.

Emmett started slow in this fight but he finished pretty strong with that right hand that put Johnson out on his feet. My goodness.

7. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jessica Eye, UFC 238.

Shevchenko is one of the most dangerous fighters in the fight game and she proved that during her flyweight title defense in June.

6. Jessica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas, UFC 237.

Andrade put an end to Namajunas’ run as strawweight champ with that stunning slam in the second round of their fight back in May.

5. Justin Gaethje vs Edson Barboza. UFC Philadelphia.

Gaethje picked up yet another Fight of the Night bonus thanks to that overhand right that put an end to the main event at UFC Philadelphia in March.

4. Jorge Masvidal vs. Darren Till, UFC Fight Night 147.

Masvidal had an incredible 2019, which began with this brutal KO of Darren Till in enemy territory in London. Not sure that last punch while Till was out was super necessary, but the BMF does as he pleases. We’ll get to another one of his awesome KO’s in a few.

3. Kevin Lee vs. Gregor Gillespie, UFC 244.

Kevin Lee put Gregor Gillespie to sleep midway through the first round of their fight at MSG with that BRUTAL left head kick.

2. Anthony Pettis vs. Stephen Thompson, UFC Fight Night 148.

Pettis’ superman punch with five seconds left in the second round of his fight against Wonderboy Thompson was a beautiful piece of controlled violence.

1. Jorge Masvidal vs. Ben Askren, UFC 239.

This fight had so much hype behind it and then… it was over in five seconds thanks to a flying knee that will never be forgotten. Five seconds! It led to this great reaction from Paul Felder, Joe Rogan, and Jon Anik:

 

Discipline is key for Seahawks in moving forward after tough loss

Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll believes discipline is the key to the team moving forward after suffering a tough loss to the Rams.

The Seattle Seahawks suffered their most devastating loss of the season Sunday night, falling to a division rival for their first road defeat of the year.

The road to the postseason is hardly over, however, as the Seahawks can still clinch a playoff berth Week 15 with a win in Carolina. The NFC West is still up for grabs as well, as Seattle continues to chase San Francisco for first place.

At 10-3 on the year, winning had become the norm and it’s how the team recovers from the loss that will tell the tale of the Seahawks this season.

“I think it’s the discipline of the approach,” coach Pete Carroll said Monday. “We like to stay with it. This has been enormously valuable to us over the years that we’re able to do this. These guys are prepared to put something behind us one way or the other, win or lose. We have to be disciplined about that and not get dragged through it and taken back to whatever just happened.”

Seattle has been a successful road team throughout 2019, losing just one away matchup all year. Slated to face the Panthers on Sunday morning, the Seahawks have the chance to win their final road game of the schedule and continue their hunt for a postseason appearance.

“We need to take the lessons that we learn, move forward and be better off,” Carroll said. “We have to get turned into what’s going on down the road here this next week. It’s my discipline. It’s the player’s and the coaches’ discipline to just do it. We know it’s important and it’s crucial. It’s the ability to command your own focus and put it in the right spot. Hopefully, we’ll do a good job of that.”

The Seahawks and Panthers are set to kick off Sunday at 10:00 a.m. PT – Seattle’s last early start this season.

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Mark De La Rosa booked for UFC Rio Rancho, set to make history alongside wife Montana

Mark and Montana De La Rosa are on the verge of making UFC history.

Mark and [autotag]Montana De La Rosa[/autotag] are on the verge of history

If all goes according to plan, husband and wife will compete on the same card at UFC Rio Rancho, something that has never been done in the promotion’s history.

[autotag]Mark De La Rosa[/autotag]’s addition to the card surfaced late Tuesday night, when opponent Raulian Paiva (18-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC) posted a photo of himself signing what appeared to be his next bout agreement.

MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a person close to the situation late Tuesday evening. The person asked to remain anonymous as the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

As for Montana, a bout against Mara Romero Borella was reported by MMA Junkie on Nov. 22 and later confirmed by the UFC.

Photo via KO Reps

Upon Montana’s promotional debut in 2017, the married couple made history as the first husband and wife combination in UFC history.

Both Mark and Montana will look to turn around their recent misfortunes. Mark has dropped his last two appearances inside the cage against Alex Perez and Kai-Kara France, respectively. Meanwhile, Montana had a three-fight winning streak snapped by Andrea Lee at UFC on ESPN+ 12 in June.

UFC Rio Rancho takes place Feb. 15 at Santa Ana Star Center in New Mexico. The card is expected to air on ESPN or stream on ESPN+.

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The latest UFC Rio Rancho lineup includes:

  • Corey Anderson vs. Jan Blachowicz
  • Montana De La Rosa vs. Mara Romero Borella
  • Rogerio Bontorin vs. Ray Borg
  • Macy Chiasson vs. Nicco Montano
  • Gadzhimurad Antigulov vs. Devin Clark
  • Michel Pereira vs. Diego Sanchez
  • Mark De La Rosa vs. Raulian Paiva

D’Angelo Russell doesn’t worry about Warriors potentially trading him

Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell isn’t worrying about possibly being moved as trade season looms.

Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell is playing his fifth NBA season, and by now he’s hip to how teams handle their business.

That’s why with trade season looming, Russell isn’t fretting over the Warriors possibly moving him. Dec. 15 is when players who signed deals as free agents over the offseason are eligible to be traded. A restricted free agent over the offseason, Russell joined the Warriors via the sign-and-trade that sent Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets.

In a story written by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Russell talked about how he isn’t worrying about the possibility of being traded.

“I just don’t care (about the buzz),” Russell said. “Simple as that. I just don’t care. “When you say max contract to come in and learn from these guys as much as you can as quick as you can — because you don’t know when you’ll be gone, shipped out — that’s what I’m doing. I can’t control that. I can’t control if Bob Myers is like, yo, let’s go get such and such for this and make this pick. That’s his job. I can’t control it or say anything about it, especially if I’m a part of it. So I don’t waste energy worrying about it.”

With Russell’s max contract, he is signed for four years and $117 million. The Warriors could potentially trade him to not have a salary cap logjam. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are both on max deals for five years, and Draymond Green is on one for four years.

A first-time All-Star last season, Russell has proven to be a solid guard in a league filled with talent at the position. Last season, he averaged 21.1 points per game, a career-high at the time. He also shot 36.9% from the 3-point line and tallied 7.0 assists — both numbers remain career-highs.

This season his scoring has gone up slightly, as he’s scoring 22.0 points per game in 13 games. He has missed some time because of ankle and thumb injuries.

For Russell, it’s just going to be about continuing to show his skills. Whether the Warriors are interested in keeping him or not, his skill set could be useful in multiple places. He’s one of the best pick-and-roll guards in the league. According to NBA.com stats, Russell is scoring 8.8 points a game on plays where he’s the ball handler in the pick-and-roll.

Presidents Cup: Day 1 schedule and how to watch

See the lineup of matches on Day 1 of the Presidents Cup.

The 2019 Presidents Cup gets underway on Thursday in Australia at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, and for golf fans in the United States, that means watching Team USA take on the world in prime time. Captain and player Tiger Woods will lead the American team in four-ball action that begins Wednesday night in the USA, and there are a total of five matches on the schedule for Day 1.

If you’re unfamiliar with the different formats used in golf’s team events, four-ball is a two-on-two competition where each player plays their own ball on every hole, and the team takes the lowest score either of its respective players can score.

Televised coverage of the Presidents Cup will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. You can stream the Golf Channel online via NBC Sports Live, or via fuboTV.

Four-ball match 1

Tiger Woods and Justin Thomas vs. Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann

Tee time: 5:32 p.m. ET

Four-ball match 2

Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay vs. Adam Hadwin and Sungjae Im

Tee time: 5:47 p.m. ET

Four-ball match 3

Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau vs. Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An

Tee time: 6:02 p.m. ET

Four-ball match 4

Webb Simpson and Patrick Reed vs. Hideki Matsuyama and C.T. Pan

Tee time: 6:17 p.m. ET

Four-ball match 5

Dustin Johnson and Gary Woodland vs. Abraham Ancer and Louis Oosthuizen

Tee time: 6:32 p.m. ET

Unused players: Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, Haotong Li, Cameron Smith

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Tyrann Mathieu tells David Johnson to go to Kansas City on Twitter

Are there problems in the Cardinals locker room that make Johnson want to leave?

It has been a tough season for Arizona Cardinal running back David Johnson. He began the season having a bit of a down year, especially as a runner. Then he got hurt. Then he lost his starting job and playing time.

Now he is a backup to Kenyan Drake and his role in the future seems in question, even though he has a long-term deal with the team.

A common theme for Johnson on social media this year has been proving people wrong or staying strong despite having a number of doubters.

He had another such post Tuesday.

What makes this post interesting is not the post itself but one of the replies.

Kansas City Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu, a former Cardinals teammate, replies, telling him to go to Kansas City, presumably telling him to join him on the Chiefs.

Johnson is still under contract with the team after this season so the only way for him to join the Chiefs would be via trade or if the Cardinals cut him in the offseason and then he signed with them. However, cutting him would create more than $16 million in dead money.

Mathieu left the Cardinals after the team cut him. He has hard feelings because of how things went down.

Many have speculated that Johnson’s post is related to what is happening within the Cardinals organization and how there are those perhaps among the coaches or in the front office that no longer believe in him. Others believe it is in reference to the fans who have turned on him since his production declined.

If it is something related to the team, it should raise concerns. But as much as Mathieu might want Johnson on the Chiefs, it isn’t likely to happen. Of course, if the Cardinals managed to trade Johnson and get something in exchange, it is something they probably should consider, especially if Kliff Kingsbury doesn’t believe he is good enough to be a featured back in his offense.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

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