Alex Pereira Defeats Magomed Ankalaev in Rematch to Reclaim UFC Light Heavyweight Title

Posted on October 5, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Alex Pereira has reclaimed his UFC light heavyweight title….

In his immediate rematch with Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 on Saturday, the 38-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former professional kickboxer (14-3) reclaimed the 205-pound championship in dominant fashion, finishing his opponent (21-2-1) with strikes on the ground just 80 seconds into the opening round.

It was a stunning reversal from what happened seven months aearlier, when Pereira appeared hesitant in what was his first loss at light heavyweight.

On Saturday, he burst out of his corner at the start of the fight and put away Ankalaev while hardly absorbing any strikes.

It was the quickest finish of Pereira’s MMA career and the second-quickest title fight in UFC light heavyweight history, behind Vitor Belfort‘s 49-second win over Randy Couture in 2004.

It was the first knockout loss of Ankalaev’s career and snapped a 14-fight unbeaten streak.

“Vengeance is never a good thing; it’s kind of a poison sometimes,” Pereira said through an interpreter. “I told everyone I was not in a good condition last time. Everyone saw that tonight.”

During UFC 320 fight week, Pereira’s team told ESPN that he fought Ankalaev at UFC 313 in March with a fractured tibia. He was also sick and had been placed on antibiotics in the weeks leading up to the event. Because of those circumstances, Pereira estimated he was only at 40% of his capacity that night.

He looked very much at 100% Saturday. Pereira asserted himself in the center of the Octagon and walked Ankalaev down with strikes. Pereira hurt him early with a right hand to the chin and eventually finished the bout with elbow strikes from top position. Pereira had a 28-4 edge over Ankalaev in total strikes.

Immediately after the bout, Pereira stood over Ankalaev and made the same taunting gesture he used after knocking out Jamahal Hill at UFC 300 in April 2024. There had been some animosity in the buildup to UFC 320, as Pereira accused Ankalaev of hiding from him during fight week and lying about Pereira not wanting a rematch.

Pereira picked up the 12th knockout of his MMA career, and he became the third two-time light heavyweight champion in UFC history. He shares that distinction with Couture and Jon Jones.

Chelsea ThisClose to Deal for Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro Garnacho may be switching sides soon…

Chelsea is closing in on a deal for the 21-year-old Argentinean-Spanish professional footballer after stepping up talks with Manchester United over a £40 million ($54m) transfer for the Argentina forward, sources have told ESPN.

Garnacho, who has been told he can leave Manchester United this summer, has not featured in Ruben Amorim‘s team since the end of last season and was omitted from the preseason tour to the United States in order to train with fellow unwanted teammates Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Tyrell Malacia and Antony.

While Rashford completed a season-long loan move to Barcelona last month, United have been unable to offload any of their other outcasts and Garnacho rejected a move to Bayern Munich earlier this month after making it clear that he only wanted to leave Old Trafford for Chelsea.

The Stamford Bridge club had expressed an interest in signing Garnacho during the January transfer window, but a deal failed to materialize.

Chelsea had been keen to sign Garnacho earlier this summer, but sources have said that Enzo Maresca‘s team were only prepared to pay £30 million ($40m) for Garnacho while United valued the player at £50 million ($67m).

Chelsea’s interest had stalled of late due to their attempts to advance outgoings in order to help comply with a UEFA sanction which has forced the club to balance books by offloading a number of players from last season’s Conference League-winning squad, most notably Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson.

Talks have now resumed between United and Chelsea over a deal worth between £35 million and £40 million, however, and while sources have said that no agreement has yet been reached, negotiations are progressing and that a transfer could be finalized before next Monday’s 7 p.m. BST transfer deadline.

Sergio Pérez Forms Part of Cadillac’s Driver Lineup for Formula 1 Debut Season in 2026

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Sergio Pérez is ready to be iconic…

Cadillac has confirmed the 35-year-old Mexican racing driver, who most recently competed in Formula 1 from 2011 to 2024, and Valtteri Bottas will form its driver lineup for its Formula 1 debut season in 2026.

Cadillac has opted for the two best free agents available, with a combined 527 race starts and 16 race wins between them.

Tuesday’s announcement video included a voice-over from actor Keanu Reeves and in an accompanying statement, Cadillac said Pérez and Bottas bring “an unmatched blend of experience, leadership and technical acumen.”

It added that “the pair will play a central role in shaping the team’s competitive foundation from day one.”

Pérez had been a free agent after being dropped by Red Bull at the end of a difficult 2024 season.

He said his ambition is to immediately help establish the new team as a competitive force.

“Joining the Cadillac Formula 1 Team is an incredibly exciting new chapter in my career. From our first conversations, I could sense the passion and determination behind this project,” Pérez said in Tuesday’s announcement.

“It’s an honor to be part of a building a team that can develop together so that, in time, we will fight at the very front. Cadillac is a legendary name in American motorsport, and to help bring such a fantastic company to Formula 1 is a huge responsibility, one I’m confident of taking on.”

Bottas has also been without a race seat this year. The Finn returned to former team Mercedes, where he raced between 2017 and 2021, as reserve driver this season, following three years with Sauber.

“From the moment I began speaking with the Cadillac Formula 1 Team, I felt something different — something ambitious but also grounded,” Bottas said. “This isn’t just a racing project; it’s a long-term vision. It’s not every day that you get a chance to be part of something being built from the ground up and helping shape it into something that truly belongs on the F1 grid.”

Pérez and Bottas were on opposite sides of the legendary 2021 championship battle between their then-teammates, Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, widely regarded as one of the best title fights in the sport’s history.

Cadillac, a brand of General Motors, will become F1‘s 11th team next season.

The American team will race with Ferrari engines in the short term, although GM has already committed to building its own engines out of a U.S. headquarters by the end of the decade.

Early in the process, which led to Cadillac being granted a process on the grid, it was clear the team wanted to join Formula 1 with an American driver in one of the two available seats.

However, that never came to pass — despite IndyCar‘s Colton Herta, seen as the most likely candidate for that role, hedging his interest in switching to F1 earlier this year.

Realistically, there were limited options for a team which expects to face a steep learning curve next season as the first new arrival on the grid since another American outfit, Haas, joined in 2016.

Cadillac’s team is run by former Manor team boss Graeme Lowden and features American racing legend Mario Andretti, the 1978 F1 champion, on its board of directors.

Speaking of the new lineup, Lowden said: “Signing two very experienced racers like Bottas and Checo is a bold signal of intent.

“They’ve seen it all and they know what it takes to succeed in Formula 1. But more importantly, they understand what it means to help build a team. Their leadership, feedback, race-hardened instincts and of course their speed will be invaluable as we bring this team to life. A big thank you to the team at Mercedes for their co-operation and understanding.”

Cadillac still has an opportunity for a reserve driver to serve as backup to Pérez and Bottas, with Mick Schumacher reportedly a strong candidate, while American Formula 2 driver Jak Crawford is also known to be pushing for that role.

The operation will be based primarily out of a UK factory near the Silverstone race circuit, but also has U.S. bases is Fishers, Indiana, and Warren, Michigan. Plans are in place for GM to open a specific Formula 1 engine factory in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2026.

Renata Zarazua Upsets Madison Keys in Historic Fashion in US Open First Round

Posted on August 26, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Renata Zarazua has taken down a Grand Slam champion in historic fashion.

The 27-year-old Mexican tennis player, playing with fiery intensity and undeniable determination in the first round of the US Open, logged the biggest victory of her career by an astounding 6-7 (10), 7-6 (3), 7-5 score over reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys.

Last year was the first time in Zarazua’s career that she played in all four Grand Slam singles main draws.

The two titles on her resume are both WTA 125s, a year ago in Charleston and, in 2023, Montevideo. Her career-high ranking is No. 51.

Before Monday, the feisty 5-foot-3 player had never, ever beaten a WTA Rankings Top 10 player.

Zarazua, who trailed by a set and 3-0, is the first Mexican woman to defeat a Top 10 seed at a Grand Slam since Angelica Gavaldon took down Jana Novotna at the 1995 Australian Open.

The match required a draining 3 hours and 10 minutes with these final point totals: Zarazua 131, Keys 125.

“I was really nervous coming in,” Zarazua told reporters. “I think the few minutes right before you go on court, it’s probably the worst moments. But in a way, I feel like the experiences of playing in the other stadiums at the other Slams kind of helped me a lot today.

“I didn’t want the nerves to be what let me down in the match. I thought I was playing really well the past few days and practicing well, so I was like, ‘I’ve just got to find a way to use that to my advantage. The fear, the nerves, all of that, [I] just tried to leave them on the side and just focus on my game and what I had to do.”

For context, consider that this was only her ninth major main-draw and she has never advanced past the second round. She’ll have that chance when she meets Diane Parry, a 6-1, 6-0 winner over retiring Petra Kvitova.

Zarazua was previously 0-6 against Top 10 players, losing most recently to No. 10 Elena Rybakina in Cincinnati earlier this month.

That she did it against Keys made the accomplishment even more impressive.

Coming in, Keys led all women with 15 three-set victories and 10 comeback wins.

Zarazua was able to practice on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court a few days ago for the first time.

“First few rallies, it was like, ‘Oh, my gosh, this court is really super big,'” she explained. “I really like how it plays, a little bit slower than some of the outside courts. So I liked that, because I knew it was going to help me a bit, like, having one or two extra seconds when Madison was hitting as hard as she hits.”

Keys was her own worst enemy, hitting 89 unforced errors against 46 winners. Zarazua was a more modest 34 and eight.

Zarazua evened their career series at 1-all. After winning 13 straight first-round matches in majors, Keys lost for only the sixth time in 49 first-round matches.

The first set was a match in itself, running some 72 minutes and featuring nine set points — five of them belonging to Zarazua, a Mexican ranked No. 82.

In the end, Keys saved them all. With the tiebreak score 10-all, with points at 51 each, Keys smashed a forehand winner and Zarazua’s tired forehand found the net. Keys responded with a fist pump and, sitting in the stands, actor Jeff Goldblum’s face wore a look of disbelief.

Keys ran out to a 3-0 lead in the second set, but Zarazua countered by going on a five-game streak. But serving for the set, she was broken by Keys (with another massive forehand winner) to level the frame at 5-all.

Naturally, it went to another tiebreak.

This time, Zarazua got off to a big lead; her forehand passing shot put her up 5-2. A Keys double fault brought her a set point, which she converted with a backhand winner.

The third set progressed on serve — until Zarazua broke Keys following a double fault and a backhand that soared long.

Serving for the match at 5-3, Zarazua was two points from the match, but two groundstroke errors gave the game to Keys and it was back on serve. Keys, again two points from defeat at deuce, escaped again for 5-all.

Zarazua broke Keys for the sixth time in the definitive game, when two Keys’ forehands found the net.

Jon Rahm & Legion XIII Outlast Bryson DeChambeau & Crushers to Claim LIV Golf League Team Final

Posted on August 25, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Jon Rahm is celebrating a team victory…

The 30-year-old Spanish professional golfer and Legion XIII outlasted Bryson DeChambeau and the Crushers in a playoff on Sunday in the LIV Golf League team final.

Legion XIII rallied to match the Crushers at 20 under at The Cardinal at Saint John’s, with the Stinger squad from South Africa well back at 12 under in the three-team final.

Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton each birdied the final two holes of regulation, then ended the playoff with a pair of birdies on the second extra hole against DeChambeau and Paul Casey. Rahm made a 6-footer and Hatton had a short putt for the deciding birdies.

“Tyrrell and I got it going a little late, but better late than never,” Rahm said. “When it came to the playoff, I felt fairly confident we’re both really good wedge players, and if we just put it in the fairway, I was fairly confident we were going to give ourselves a lot of chances.”

Former Tennessee player Caleb Surratt led Legion XIII with a 64.

“It’s been a wild ride,” Surratt said. “I’m thankful to Jon trusting me enough to have me on his team last year, and I’m very proud of the player I’ve started to become.”

Rahm and Tom McKibbin each shot 65, and Hatton had a 66.

“Neither Tyrrell or I were having a great day today, and even during the whole week, I don’t think we played our best,” Rahm said. “But the young guys kind of were a beacon of strength playing good and out there today as well. They carried us all the way to the end.”

DeChambeau shot 62.

“He played incredible golf,” Rahm said about DeChambeau. “He played unbelievable. His driver was on an absolute roll, and he had the putter going.”

Casey and Anirban Lahiri had 65s, and Charles Howell III closed with a 68. Howell birdied five of the first seven, then dropped three strokes.

Rahm helped Legion III take the team event a week after successfully defending his LIV season points title in Indiana, a tournament where he closed with a 60 before losing a playoff to Sebastián Muñoz.

Brian Ortega to Fight Aljamain Sterling in Different Weight Class at This Weekend’s UFC Fight Night

Posted on August 22, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Brian Ortega is changing weight classes for his next battle.

The 34-tear-old Mexican American American professional mixed martial artist, a former Resurrection Fighting Alliance featherweight champion who now fights for UFC, will now fight Aljamain Sterling in a different weight class at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Shanghai.

Originally scheduled to in the featherweight division, Ortega (16-4) and Sterling (24-5) will now fight at the 155-pound catchweight limit, after both fighters weighed in at 153 pounds on Friday.

The UFC did not provide a reason for the switch, although it’s well known that Ortega struggles to make the featherweight limit of 145 pounds and has been contemplating a permanent move up.

The nontitle contest is scheduled for five rounds in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night at Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Sterling is a former 135-pound champion who moved to featherweight after his title loss to Sean O’Malley in August 2019. The 36-year-old is working his way to a second UFC belt and is 1-1 in his new weight class. The loss came against No. 1-ranked contender Movsar Evloev in December.

Ortega is 1-3 in his past four appearances, although two of the losses came against undisputed or interim champions in Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez.

Vergil Ortiz Jr. to Fight Erickson Lubin in Defense of His WBC Interim Junior Middleweight Title

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Vergil Ortiz Jr. is going on the defensive…

The 27-year-old Mexican American boxer (23-0, 21 KOs) will return to the ring on November 8 when he faces Erickson Lubin in defense of his WBC interim junior middleweight title at Dickies Center in Fort Worth, TX, Golden Boy Promotions announced Thursday.

The fight will be broadcast live worldwide on DAZN.

It’ll be a home game for the hard-hitting Ortiz, who is coming off of an impressive decision win over in February.

“I’m always happy to be a part of the fights that fans want to see,” said Ortiz in a statement.

However, it may not have been the fight Ortiz originally wanted.

Ortiz had been targeting a fight with WBO champion Xander Zayas and the two exchanged barbs over social media. An offer was made to Zayas promoter, Top Rank, with a deadline of last Friday to accept. The two sides were unable to come to an agreement and Ortiz’s management quickly moved to secure a fight with Lubin.

There were also rumors that a fight between Ortiz and Jaron “Boots” Ennis would take place in 2026. ESPN reached out to Ortiz’s representation, who denied that any agreement was in place for that fight to happen.

“Golden Boy literally tried every single major opponent out there for us and no one would fight Vergil,” said Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigan, to ESPN. “Even His Excellency (Turki Alalshikh) tried by offering ‘Boots’ life changing money and he said no for a tune up fight. Vergil Ortiz is the most feared man in boxing. Credit to Lubin for doing what no one else would.”

Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) is currently the IBF No. 1 ranked fighter at junior middleweight. He has won three consecutive fights after losing a barnburner against current WBC champion Sebastian Fundora in April 2022. Lubin, 29, has wins over Jeison Rosario and Jesus Ramos, with his only other loss coming against Jermell Charlo in a WBC junior middleweight title fight in 2017, which resulted in a devastating first-round knockout.

Lubin will look to pull off the upset and earn the biggest win of his career as he continues his pursuit to become a world champion.

“This is the moment I’ve been waiting for, said Lubin. “This fight is about redemption; I’m back for everything.”

Anthony Hernandez to Fight Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night in October

Posted on August 20, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Anthony Hernandez has lined up his next opponent…

The 31-year-old Latino American mixed martial artist will face off against Reinier de Ridder in UFC‘s middleweight division on October 18 as they pair headline UFC Fight Night in Vancouver.

UFC CEO Dana White announced the matchup, just three days after Khamzat Chimaev claimed the middleweight belt over Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 in Chicago.

De Ridder (21-2), of the Netherlands, has already had a spectacular 2025. He is 3-0 this year, defeating fan favorite Kevin Holland, super prospect Bo Nickal and former champion Robert Whittaker.

Going back to July 2024, de Ridder, 34, is 5-0 with four finishes.

Hernandez (15-2) has been equally as impressive, with an eight-fight winning streak. Hernandez, nicknamed “Fluffy,” is coming off a performance bonus-worthy showing against Roman Dolidze on Aug. 9.

De Ridder and Hernandez are the Nos. 5 and 6-ranked middleweights, respectively.

The middleweight division will be on full display in the coming months, as No. 2-ranked Nassourdine Imavov will face No. 7-ranked Caio Borralho on September 6.

In addition to the main event, White announced a bantamweight fight between Marlon Vera and Aiemann Zahabi, a middleweight matchup between Holland and Mike Mallott and a women’s flyweight bout.

Miguel Cairo & Carlos Mendoza Make MLB History as First Venezuelans to Manage Against Each Other

Posted on August 19, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Cairo and Carlos Mendoza have made Major League Baseball history.

The 51-year-old Venezuelan former professional baseball infielder and current interim manager for the Washington Nationals and the 45-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball manager for the New York Mets became the first Venezuelans in MLB history to manage against each other.

“It’s two countrymen, friends, and now to be exchanging the lineup at home plate, we’re excited about it. We’re proud to represent the Latinos in the United States, represent our country in the United States, and of course represent our organizations,” Cairo said before his club’s 8-1 loss. “To me, it’s a dream come true.”

Mendoza was hired by the Mets after the 2023 season, becoming the third Venezuelan manager in major league history. Cairo became the fourth when Washington promoted him to interim manager in July after firing Dave Martinez.

“It’s just an honor for both of us,” Mendoza said. “I’m humbled by it. You know, this is a big deal back home. I didn’t recognize that until it was brought up to me.

Before the game, Cairo and Mendoza posed for photos behind the plate with their arms around each other’s shoulders, then embraced before returning to their respective dugouts. After the first pitch, the game ball was taken out of play, bound for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Cairo and Mendoza both have ties to the New York Yankees organization. The Yankees were one of nine teams Cairo played for during a 17-year career, and Mendoza was a longtime coach with the organization before the Mets hired him. The two overlapped when Cairo worked as a Yankees minor league infield coordinator.

Ozzie Guillén was the first Venezuelan to manage in the majors. He led the Chicago White Sox from 2004-11 and won a World Series title in 2005, then managed the Miami Marlins in 2012. Al Pedrique was Arizona’s manager for half of the 2024 season, but the Diamondbacks and White Sox did not play each other that year.

Asked if he was surprised the milestone had not come sooner, Cairo said the path to becoming a big league manager was difficult for everyone.

“You have to through the minor leagues, you have work your way up. You have to really work,” he said. “Nothing is easy and you’ve got to earn it. And, you know, he earned it. I think I earned it.”

Carlos Alcaraz Claims Cincinnati Open Title After Jannik Sinner Retires in First Set

Posted on August 18, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Alcaraz didn’t have to break much of a sweat to claim the Cincinnati Open title.

The 22-year-old Spanish tennis star claimed the title in just over 20 minutes on Monday after top-ranked Jannik Sinner was forced to retire due to illness during the first set.

Meeting in the final for the fourth time this year and first since Wimbledon, Sinner fell behind 5-0 in the first set with nine unforced errors. He was seen with an icepack on his head during a break and retired after playing only 22 minutes.

“Didn’t feel great from yesterday,” Sinner said. “Also, during the night, I thought I would recover a bit better, but it was not the case. I just tried to go out for the fans, trying to give a match. But it was not meant to be for me today.”

It was only the third time the Cincinnati Open men’s final ended in a retirement, and the first since 2011 when Novak Djokovic stopped playing in the second set because of a shoulder injury.

“Wanted to wish Jannik a speedy recovery and in a few days, hopefully he’s going to be OK,” Alcaraz said. “For myself, I am really, really happy to lift the trophy. I lost the final here in 2023. I wanted really badly this trophy.”

Sinner, who turned 24 on Saturday, was on a 12-match winning streak and had won 26 straight matches on hard courts. He was bidding to become the first player to win back-to-back men’s Cincinnati Open titles since Roger Federer in 2014 and ’15.

Alcaraz, who is ranked No. 2, now holds a 9-5 advantage in his matchups with Sinner.

This year, Sinner won in four sets at Wimbledon, and Alcaraz won a five-set thriller at the French Open and in straight sets at the Rome Masters in May.

Another classic matchup wasn’t to be Monday. Sinner received medical attention after having his serve broken for the third time and retired moments later.

“After the third game, I just noticed that he wasn’t feeling good,” Alcaraz said. “I know him. I’ve been battling against him, having great matches, great battles. I noticed he was missing more often. It’s pretty weird from him.”

It was only the third time the top two men’s players have met in the Cincinnati Open final, the previous times were No. 2 Djokovic and No. 1 Alcaraz in 2022 and No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 2 Djokovic in 2012.

The Cincinnati Open is considered a tuneup for the U.S. Open, which begins Sunday in New York. The past two years, both the men’s and women’s Cincinnati Open champions went on to win the final Grand Slam tournament of the year.

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