Tag: TV Start

Jiri Prochazka vacates after injury; UFC 282 headlined by Magomed Ankalaev vs. Jan Blachowicz title fight

UFC 282 and the light heavyweight division as a whole saw major shakeups after Jiri Prochazka suffered a serious shoulder injury.

[autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag] isn’t UFC light heavyweight champion anymore, and the man expected to challenge for the title no longer will.

The UFC 282 main event between Prochazka (29-3-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and former champ [autotag]Glover Teixiera[/autotag] (33-8 MMA, 16-6 UFC) has been canceled. Prochazka suffered a “serious” shoulder injury and has vacated his title, Yahoo Sports! first reported Wednesday.

With Prochazka out, the promotion has elevated [autotag]Magomed Ankalaev[/autotag] (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (29-9 MMA, 12-6 UFC) to the UFC 282 main event for the 205-pound championship.

“UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka has suffered a shoulder injury that will require a significant rehabilitation period,” the UFC said in a statement. “Out of respect to the athletes and the division, Prochazka has elected to vacate his title and will compete for the belt as soon as he is medically cleared.”

UFC president Dana White later shed light on the severity of Prochazka’s injured right shoulder.

“This is the worst shoulder injury the doctors have seen in UFC history,” White told Yahoo Sports!. “It’s really f*cking bad. His shoulder is very, very bad. He’s going to have serious surgery that will require extensive rehab.”

Yahoo! Sports initially reported that Teixeira “turned down the title fight.” A person with knowledge of the situation later told MMA Junkie that the UFC offered Teixeira to fight Ankalaev for the title at UFC 282, but Teixeira declined because he felt like he needed more time to prepare for a new opponent. Teixeira requested to fight Ankalaev in January at UFC 283 in Brazil, but the UFC said no. Teixeira also asked to fight Blachowicz, whom he defeated for the belt in October 2021, instead of Ankalaev at UFC 282, but the UFC said no.

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UFC 282 takes place Dec. 10 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with the main card on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.

Prochazka and Teixeira were set to rematch after a wild UFC 275 headliner many viewers deemed a “Fight of the Year” candidate. To cap off a back-and-forth affair, Prochakza submitted Teixeira in the final minutes of the bout to win the title.

Following its conclusion, both Prochazka and Teixeira advocated for a rematch. The UFC obliged and set Ankalaev vs. Blachowicz as a likely title eliminator on the same card.

Blachowicz has won six of his most recent seven outings with his only loss his championship defeat to Teixeira. Meanwhile, Ankalaev has won nine in a row.

With the change, the UFC 282 lineup includes:

  • Jan Blachowicz vs. Magomed Ankalaev – for vacant light heavyweight title
  • Robbie Lawler vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio
  • Jared Gordon vs. Paddy Pimblett
  • Bryce Mitchell vs. Ilia Topuria
  • Philipe Lins vs. Ovince Saint Preux
  • Dalcha Lungiambula vs. Edmen Shahbazyan
  • Dricus Du Plessis vs. Darren Till
  • Chris Daukaus vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Billy Quarantillo
  • TJ Brown vs. Erik Silva
  • Joaquin Buckley vs. Chris Curtis
  • Ronnie Lawrence vs. Cameron Saaiman
  • Daniel da Silva vs. Vinicius Salvador

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 282.

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UFC books Jamahal Hill vs. Anthony Smith for March 11 headliner

Light heavyweight contenders Jamahal Hill and Anthony Smith are expected to fight March 11, per sources close to the situation.

A big time light heavyweight contender bout is set for a March headliner.

At a UFC Fight Night event March 11, [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and [autotag]Anthony Smith[/autotag] (36-17 MMA, 13-9 UFC) will clash in a five-round main event. The promotion has yet to finalize a venue or location.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Island was first to report the pairing. MMA Fighting first reported the date.

Hill (11-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) rides a three-fight winning streak into the matchup, which includes TKO stoppages of Jimmy Crute, Johnny Walker, and most recently former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Thiago Santos.

Smith (36-17 MMA, 11-7 UFC) looks to rebound from a TKO loss against Magomed Ankalaev in July. Prior to that defeat, Smith was on a three-fight winning streak with victories over Devin Clark, Jimmy Crute, and Ryan Spann.

The are no other known bouts set or targeted for that event at this time.

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Judge rules Cain Velasquez can partake in upcoming Arizona pro wrestling event

Former UFC champion Cain Velasquez will compete at a pro wrestling event in Arizona while out on bail on attempted murder and other charges.

Out on bail, former UFC heavyweight champion [autotag]Cain Velasquez[/autotag] is once again an active professional athlete.

On Tuesday, a Santa Clara County (Calif.) judge ruled that Velasquez is allowed to travel to Tempe, Ariz., by plane to partake in an upcoming pro wrestling event for promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide.

Velasquez is out on $1 million bail on charges including attempted murder. His house confinement restriction will be temporarily waved.

After hearing from defense attorney Ed Sousa and district attorney representative Leigh Frazier on Monday and Tuesday, Judge Arthur Bocanegra ruled that Velasquez will be allowed to partake in the event without GPS monitoring – despite the district attorney’s office’s objection.

He will leave Dec. 1 and return Dec. 4. As a result of his monitoring device being removed for the duration of his trip, Judge Bocanegra ruled that Velasquez must hire a police officer for work detail and absorb the cost.

According to the wrestling promotion’s website, the event takes place at Mullett Arena in Tempe, where Velasquez attended Arizona State University and wrestled for the college.

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Velasquez, 40, currently faces seven charges, including attempted murder, after he allegedly chased and shot at Harry Goularte, a man accused of molestation of Velasquez’s then 4-year-old son.

Goularte also is out on bail. He faces one felony charge of lewd acts with a child. In October, Goularte was permitted by the court to return to work as a construction worker. He also has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting a pre-trial hearing in January.

Velasquez competed for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide following the conclusion of his MMA career in 2019. It preceded a stint in WWE, which featured a feud with former UFC opponent Brock Lesnar. He departed WWE in 2020. In late 2021, Velasquez returned to Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide.

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UFC Fight Night 215 discussion thread

UFC Fight Night 215 takes place Saturday in Las Vegas, and you can discuss the event here.

LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reported from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 215 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. You can discuss the card here.

Be sure to follow along with the card updates in our UFC Fight Night 215 results post, and then discuss the event in the comments section below.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

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Derrick Lewis reportedly hospitalized, UFC Fight Night 215 headliner vs. Serghei Spivac canceled mid-event

The UFC Fight Night 215 main event between Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac was called off in the middle of Saturday’s card.

LAS VEGAS – The UFC Fight Night 215 main event between [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] was canceled as Saturday’s card unfolded.

Lewis (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) reportedly was hospitalized on the day of the event, forcing the promotion to scratch the heavyweight headliner with Spivac (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) at the UFC Apex. Word of Lewis going to the hospital first surfaced on Twitter.

According to cageside announcer Brendan Fitzgerald on the UFC Fight Night 215 broadcast, Lewis was forced out because of a “non-COVID, non-weight cutting illness.”

As a result of the change, the originally scheduled co-main event between Kennedy Nzechukwu and Ion Cutelaba was elevated to the final fight on the card.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

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UFC Fight Night 215 video: Derrick Lewis crowds Serghei Spivac at final faceoff

Derrick Lewis and Serghei Spivac had their first and final pre-fight encounter on Friday ahead of the UFC Fight Night 215 main event.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag] and [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag] had their first and final pre-fight encounter on Friday ahead of the UFC Fight Night 215 main event.

After both men came in under the heavyweight limit at official weigh-ins, Lewis (26-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) and Spivac (15-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) came face-to-face for a standard staredown prior to Saturday’s headliner, which takes place at the UFC Apex and streams on ESPN+.

Lewis was his standard intense self at the faceoff, while Spivac remained unfazed.

Check out the video above to see the Lewis vs. Spivac staredown ahead of UFC Fight Night 215.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 215.

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Yoel Romero gets title shot at Bellator 290 against Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson winner

Yoel Romero will challenge for the light heavyweight title in the Bellator 290 co-main event.

[autotag]Yoel Romero[/autotag] will challenge for the light heavyweight title in the Bellator 290 co-main event.

Promotion officials verified to MMA Junkie following an initial report from CBSSports.com that Romero will face the winner of Friday’s Bellator 288 light heavyweight title fight headliner between champion Vadim Nemkov (15-2 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) and Corey Anderson (16-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), which takes place at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Bellator 290 takes place Feb. 4 at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif. The event airs on CBS and is headlined by a heavyweight title rematch between champion Ryan Bader and Fedor Emelianenko.

Romero (15-6 MMA, 2-1 BMMA), a four-time UFC title challenger, has won two of three fights since signing with Bellator. After dropping a split decision to Phil Davis in his promotional debut, the 45-year-old snapped a four-fight losing skid by scoring consecutive third-round knockouts of Alex Polizzi and Melvin Manhoef.

The latest Bellator 290 lineup includes:

  • Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for heavyweight title
  • Vadim Nemkov/Corey Anderson winner vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title

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Fedor Emelianenko gets retirement fight wish, rematches Ryan Bader for title at Bellator 290

In his final fight, Fedor Emelianenko will get his long-desired rematch.

In his final fight, [autotag]Fedor Emelianenko[/autotag] will get his long-desired rematch.

Emelianenko (40-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) is set to rematch heavyweight champion [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (30-7 MMA, 8-2 BMMA) in the Bellator 290 main event on Feb. 4 at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif., promotion officials verified to MMA Junkie following an initial report from CBSSports.com.

The event is scheduled to air on CBS, a first for the Bellator brand.

“We have been working tirelessly on growing this brand into the global powerhouse it is today and a primetime slot on CBS has always been one of our key objectives,” said Bellator president Scott Coker in a press release. “With a healthy roster full of many of the world’s very best fighters, along with elite up-and-coming prospects and legends of the game, I’m very excited to showcase this event on the most watched network in America.”

Heavyweight champion Bader needed just 35 seconds to knock Emelianenko out when they first fought in the grand prix final in January 2019. However, the legendary former PRIDE champion has since rebounded with back-to-back first-round knockouts of Quinton Jackson and Timothy Johnson.

Beating Emelianenko helped Bader reach dual-champion status. Although Bader would go onto lose his light heavyweight title to Vadim Nemkov at Bellator 244, he managed to defend his heavyweight title twice against Valentin Moldavsky and Cheick Kongo.

Now Emelianenko will attempt to close his legendary career with gold around his waist while avenging an important career loss.

The latest Bellator 290 lineup includes:

  • Ryan Bader vs. Fedor Emelianenko – for heavyweight title
  • Vadim Nemkov/Corey Anderson winner vs. Yoel Romero – for light heavyweight title

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There’s no way Aaron Rodgers and the Packers can get this done, right?

Tonight is a huge game for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers.

This is the online version of our daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

The Green Bay Packers had their biggest win of the season last week when they stormed back from 14 points down in the fourth quarter and beat the Dallas Cowboys, 31-28, in overtime.

Lambeau was alive again. Aaron Rodgers was fired up and playing like the Aaron Rodgers we’ve known ever since he became a starter in the NFL. Things were good in Green Bay.

Tonight they’ll head back out on that legendary field and take on the 6-3 Tennessee Titans in what is another must-win game for the Packers. Heck, every game the rest of the way for the Packers is a must win game if they want to avoid missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

But can they really get it done? Not just tonight, when they’ll face a banged up Titans team. But overall – can Rodgers and the Packers realistically make a run to the postseason?

If we want to deal in reality, the answer is clearly no. They are 4-6 and would need a miracle to catch the NFC North-leading Vikings, who are 8-1 after beating Buffalo last week.

The 49ers currently hold the final spot in the NFC playoffs at 5-4 and you have to think their explosive offense is set up to get a bunch more wins down the stretch. Well, at least more wins than the Packers, who still have to face the Titans, Dolphins, Vikings and the Bears in Chicago (I know the Bears stink but Justin Fields is special and will cause them problems).

So in reality the Packers are toast. Especially if they lose tonight. Stick a fork in them if they take an L tonight at home.

But in dreamland, it’s always hard to bet against all-world QBs who have done it all before. Tom Brady seems to have the Bucs back on the right track after looking so bad and it’s not crazy to think Rodgers could put the Packers on his back for an epic journey down the stretch.

Tonight is the biggest game of the Packers’ season and we’ll all get to sit back and see if Rodgers can continue this long climb back up to an unlikely trip to the playoffs or if things will completely fall apart in Green Bay.

Get your popcorn ready.

Quick hits: Vikings announcer rules… College football blizzard game… NFL Week 11 picks… And more. 

Vikings announcer Paul Allen reacting during big win over Bills, 2022
Credit: Vikings on TikTok

This video of Minnesota Vikings radio play-by-play announcer Paul Allen going through all the emotions during the end of last week’s win over the Bills is too good.

– Western Michigan and Central Michigan played a football game in a blizzard last night and the scenes were amazing.

– Here are our NFL Week 11 straight-up picks.

– Everybody needs to apologize to Tua Tagovailoa.

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