Patricio “Pitbull” Freire to Fight Sergio Pettis at Bellator 297 for Chance to Become Three-Division Champion

Posted on March 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Patricio “Pitbull” Freire is hoping to make history…

The 35-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, who reigns at featherweight and vacated the lightweight title in 2021, will go for a third belt when he takes on bantamweight champ Sergio Pettis at Bellator 297 on June 16 in Chicago.

If he wins, Freire will become the first three-division champ in a major fight promotion.

The bout at Wintrust Arena will serve as the co-main event of another newly announced title fight, in which light heavyweight champ Vadim Nemkov will defend against Yoel Romero. Those two originally were slated to meet in February, but Nemkov withdrew for an undisclosed reason.

The bantamweight title bout will be Pettis’ second defense of a championship he won in 2021. He has won five fights in a row, a run extending back to his time with the UFC, but has not competed since December 2021 because of injury.

Freire, who already is arguably the most accomplished fighter in Bellator MMA history, has won three in a row and 10 of his past 11.

The Pettis-Freire winner is expected to face the winner of the ongoing Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix. Interim champ Raufeon Stots and Patchy Mix will meet in the tournament final April 22.

Nemkov is unbeaten in his past 11 fights, most recently winning a decision over Corey Anderson in November for his third successful title defense.

Romero, a 2000 Olympic silver medalist in wrestling who in 2020 challenged for the UFC middleweight belt, has won two in row, both by knockout. He will be 46 years old on fight night.

UFC Finalizes Fight Between Henry Cejudo and Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s official: Henry Cejudo is heading back to the Octagon soon.

After some starts and stops, the UFC 288 main event is now official with the 36-year-old Mexican American mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler among those set to participate.

Aljamain Sterling will defend his UFC bantamweight title against the former champion on May 6 in Newark, New Jersey, the promotion officially announced Friday.

Cejudo is making his return from retirement after three years away.

While both men had verbally agreed to the matchup weeks ago, there was some consternation this week. The UFC sent out a press release for UFC 288 on Tuesday without mentioning the main event, a rarity. Sterling posted on social media that Cejudo was holding things up and he teased a fight with popular up-and-comer Sean O’Malley instead. Ultimately, things were hammered out leading to the announcement Friday.

ESPN has Sterling tied for eighth in its pound-for-pound MMA rankings. Cejudo is a former UFC bantamweight and flyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist in wrestling.

Sterling (22-3) has won eight straight fights and is coming off a second-round TKO win over former champ TJ Dillashaw in October at UFC 280. The Long Island, New York native has two successful title defenses. Sterling, 33, won the belt in a disqualification (illegal knee) against Petr Yan at UFC 259 in March 2021 and then beat Yan via split decision in a rematch.

Cejudo (16-2) has not fought since he successfully defended the title via second-round TKO over former champion Dominick Cruz at UFC 249 in May 2020. The Arizona resident announced his retirement after that bout, but he officially returned by re-entering the USADA drug-testing pool in early 2022. Cejudo has won six straight, including stopping Demetrious Johnson‘s UFC record title-defense streak at 11 by winning the UFC flyweight title in 2018.

Henry Cejudo Finalizing UFC Bantamweight Title Fight with Aljamain Sterling

Posted on February 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Henry Cejudo is thisclose to locking in his next opponent…

The UFC is finalizing a bantamweight title fight between the 36-year-old Mexican American mixed martial artist and freestyle wrestler and Aljamain Sterling, both fighters announced on social media.

Contracts haven’t been signed, but the 135-pound title fight is being targeted for May 6.

The UFC has not officially announced an event on that date, but it is expected to be a UFC 288 pay-per-view at a location to be determined.

“I’m fighting May 6 against Henry Cejudo and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” Sterling said on his “Weekly Scrap” podcast.

The UFC has been interested in this matchup for months, since Sterling (22-3) defended his title for the first time against former champion TJ Dillashaw in October. The fight likely would have happened sooner, potentially next month, but Sterling has been rehabbing a lingering injury to his bicep.

Fighting out of Cortland, New York, Sterling is on an eight-fight winning streak. One of those victories came under some controversy, when he won the title over Petr Yan by disqualification in 2021. Since then, Sterling has legitimized his title reign, defeating Yan in a rematch before submitting Dillashaw.

Cejudo (16-2) is one of the most accomplished fighters in combat sports history. He is an Olympic gold-medal wrestler and two-weight UFC champion. He became the UFC’s flyweight champion in 2018 and its bantamweight champ in 2019. He defended the bantamweight title once before retiring from the sport in 2020.

Even during his absence, many expected Cejudo would eventually return. He has expressed a desire to eventually move up again in weight in an attempt to become the UFC’s first three-weight champ.

Pau Gasol Among the Finalists for 2023 Class of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Pau Gasol is joining the class…

The 42-year-old Spanish former professional basketball player is among the list of finalists for the 2023 class of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, it was revealed on Friday as part of NBA All-Star weekend.

Gasol, a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, appears on a roster of finalists that includes Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and Gregg Popovich.

“I love the class,” Jerry Colangelo, chairman for the Hall of Fame, said in a news conference. “I think this is a loaded class. … I think this is unique in that we have a lot of first time people and it’s unusual when somebody makes it on the first ballot. But this is going to be that unique of class. Because there could be four or five first timers. So, I’m very excited about it.”

Gasol won two championships with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant and was a two-time Olympic silver medalist for Spain.

Other player finalists include former San Antonio Spurs point guard and 2007 Finals MVP Tony Parker; Becky Hammon, a six-time All-Star in her WNBA career; and Jennifer Azzi, a collegiate national champion at Stanford, an Olympic gold medalist for USA Basketball in 1996 and a five-year WNBA veteran.

Other coaching finalists included Purdue men’s basketball all-time wins leader Gene Keady; Marian Washington, who amassed 560 wins in 31 years coaching the University of Kansas women’s team; Gary Blair, who led Texas A&M to the women’s championship in 2011; Gene Bess, who won 1,300 games and two national championships with Three Rivers Community College; and David Hixon, who won 826 games in 42 years at Amherst College.

The inductees for the August ceremony in Springfield, Massachusetts, will be announced as part of the NCAA Final Four festivities in Houston in April.

Induction is determined through voting conducted by an honors committee comprised of 24 members. A finalist must receive a minimum of 18 votes from the committee to earn entrance to the Hall.

Gasol was present for the news conference and sat in the front row next to Wade while NBA TV‘s Matt Winer hosted the event.

“As Kobe said at one point, ‘It’s really about the journey,'” Gasol said. “These types of recognitions, which are an amazing honor, they come along when you do things very, very well for a long time. And when you love what you do.”

Robeisy Ramirez to Fight Isaac Dogboe in April in Featherweight Bout

Posted on January 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

No April Fools’ joke… Robeisy Ramirez is heading back to the ring in April.

The 29-year-old Cuban professional boxer will face Isaac Dogboe in a featherweight bout with title implications on April 1 in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to ESPN.

The Top Rank Boxing on ESPN+ main event is expected to be contested for either the vacant WBO featherweight title or the interim belt.

Emanuel Navarrete, the WBO champion at 126 pounds, meets Liam Wilson on February 3 for the WBO’s vacant title at 130 pounds. Navarrete is expected to fight Oscar Valdez in a rescheduled 130-pound bout afterward but could always elect to return to 126.

Ramirez (11-1, 7 KOs) is a two-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba who broke out in 2022 with three victories, most notably a highlight-reel KO of Abraham Nova in June. He closed the campaign with a ninth-round TKO of Jose Matias Romero in October.

Dogboe (24-2, 15 KOs) is a former 122-pound champion who lost his title to Navarrete via decision in 2018. Navarrete scored a 12th-round TKO in the rematch the following year. Dogboe, 28, from Ghana, moved up to 126 pounds afterward and has won all four of his featherweight fights.

Those wins came over some recognizable names, including Adam Lopez, Christopher Diaz and most recently, Joet Gonzalez.

Dogboe is rated No. 10 by ESPN at featherweight. Ramirez and Dogboe are the top two available contenders in the WBO’s 126-pound ratings.

Peacock Releases Trailer for “The Traitors” Competition Series Featuring Ryan Lochte

Posted on January 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Is Ryan Lochte a traitor or a faithful?

Peacock has released the trailer for the inaugural season of The Traitors, featuring the 37-year-old half-Cuban American swimmer and former Olympian.

The Traitors is based on a Dutch format and the U.S. version comes on the heels of the success of the BBC version, which concluded in December 2022.

Set in a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands, the show brings celebrities and civilians together to complete a series of challenges with the objective of earning a cash prize of up to $250,000.

The catch? Three of the contestants coined “the traitors” will devise a plan to steal the prize from the other contestants coined “the faithful.”

Peacock will drop all 10 episodes of the series on January 12.

The Traitors will feature reality stars and celebrity contestants including:

Arie Luyendyk Jr. (Bachelor/Bachelorette)
Brandi Glanville (The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills)
Cirie Fields (Survivor)
Cody Calafiore (Big Brother)
Kate Chastain (Below Deck)
Kyle Cooke (Summer House)
Rachel Reilly (Big Brother)
Reza Farahan (Shahs of Sunset)
Ryan Lochte (Olympian)
Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick (Survivor)

Civilians who will join the celebrities in alliances, deception, and even “murder” include:

Christian De La Torre (Veteran & Van Life Influencer) — Los Angeles, CA
Michael Davidson (DMV Office Manager) — Oneida, KY
Andie Thurmond (Director of Music Services) — Reno, NV
Quentin Jiles (Political Analyst) — Houston, TX
Shelbe Rodriguez (Public Affairs Manager) — Beaumont, TX
Geraldine Moreno (Actress) — North Hollywood, CA
Robert “Bam” Nieves (Tech Sales Executive) — Rye, NY
Anjelica Conti (Hair Stylist) — Staten Island, NY
Azra Valani (Yoga Instructor) — Los Angeles, CA
Amanda Clark (Emergency Room Nurse) — Carlisle, PA

Larissa Pacheco Upsets Kayla Harrison to Claim PFL Women’s Lightweight Championship Belt

Posted on November 26, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

The third time proved to be the charm for Larissa Pacheco…

The 28-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, who twice before had faced two-time defending PFL women’s lightweight champion Kayla Harrison and had lost both times times, has finally logged a victory.

Pacheco defeated Harrison, considered the PFL’s most dominant fighter, on Friday night in New York.

The fight was one of six weight division Professional Fighters League season championship finals contested inside Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Harrison (15-1), a two-time Olympic gold medalist in judo, came in as an 8-1 betting favorite. She and the PFL were already making plans for next year, removing her from regular-season competition in order to book her in “superfights,” presumably with a step up in competition. Pacheco might have spoiled those plans.

The fight started well for Harrison, who scored an early takedown and threatened a submission for much of the first round. But Pacheco (19-4) withstood those difficult five minutes and fought back in the second round, using her powerful stand-up skills to land heavy strikes and utilizing strong takedown defense to turn the tide.

The fight appeared to be tied going into the fifth round, and Pacheco was the fresher fighter at that point. She landed some hard punches on Harrison, who eventually landed a takedown but could not capitalize.

All three judges scored the bout 48-47 in favor of Pacheco. Before this bout, Harrison had not lost even a single round in her career. Harrison is No. 8 in the ESPN pound-for-pound women’s top 10, the only PFL fighter in either those rankings or the divisional ones.

When Pacheco was awarded the championship belt and an oversized replica of a $1 million check, she credited her opponent for playing a role in getting her to where she now stands in her career.

“Just like Kayla said before: I’ve always made her a better competitor,” Pacheco said through an interpreter. “Well, she’s always made me a better competitor. She drove me to this moment.”

Joseph Baena to Compete on New Season “Dancing with the Stars”

Posted on August 26, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Joseph Baena is preparing for a different competition…

The 24-year-old half-Guatemalan American bodybuilder and realtor, the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger, is expected to compete on the 31st season of Dancing with the Stars on Disney+.

TMZ posted pictures of Baena attending rehearsal, wearing the same outfit he posed in for his Instagram account.

Like his pop, Baena is an Olympic lifter. He also works as a real estate agent and would like to act, apparently.

Earlier this year, he told Men’s Health that he and his famous dad found common ground over fitness, and that Schwarzenegger gave him The Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding (which he coauthored) to help with his training.

“Even though I could call him anytime, I was too proud,” Baena told the magazine. His mom is Schwarzenegger’s former housekeeper, Mildred Baena. “My dad is old school, he doesn’t believe in handouts. He believes hard work pays off, and so do I. I love the word honor, and I’m very prideful in the sense that if I use my dad’s contacts or ask him for favors, I wonder what honor is that gonna bring me?”

An ABC spokesperson declined comment.

DWTS will stream on Disney+ beginning September 19.

Carmelo Anthony & His USA Basketball Teammates to Be Featured in “The Redeem Team” Olympic Documentary

Posted on August 20, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a redemption story for Carmelo Anthony and his fellow USA Basketball teammates…

Netflix has partnered with the International Olympic Committee for The Redeem Team—a new documentary looking at the U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball team’s iconic victory of 2008, featuring the 38-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player and his teammates.

The Redeem Team will be released globally on the streamer on October 7th.

Using unprecedented Olympic footage and behind-the-scenes material, The Redeem Team tells the story of the U.S Olympic Men’s Basketball Team’s quest for gold at the 2008 Beijing Games following the previous team’s shocking, low-point performance four years earlier in Athens.

The documentary offers a portrait of team building and features interviews with athletes and coaches from Dwyane Wade and LeBron James to Mike “Coach K” Krzyzewski, who reflect on how The Redeem Team set a new standard for American basketball.

The Redeem Team is an Olympic Channel, Kennedy/Marshall Company & Mandalay Sports Media production in association with 59th and Prairie Entertainment, Uninterrupted, NBA Entertainment & USA Basketball.

The project marks Netflix’s first collaboration with the Olympic Channel—the media studio owned and operated by the IOC—and also marks the Olympic Channel’s first time producing a film exclusively for a global streaming service.

Skydance Sports’ Jon Weinbach directed the doc, with Greg Groggel and Diego Hurtado De Mendoza producing.

“The Redeem Team represents the very best of what the Olympics are all about,” said Olympic Channel Services GM, Mark Parkman. “This film will bring viewers directly inside that team and the Olympic Games Beijing 2008 by showcasing the personality and dynamics of a special group of superstars who came together as one to reclaim basketball supremacy on the biggest stage in sports.”

“In 2008, I played with heroes of mine, all stars, friends and future teammates. Outside of winning and showing the world that we were still the most dominant, our other big challenge was changing the perception of what everyone thought about the NBA and USA Basketball!” added Wade. “I’m excited for everyone to get an opportunity to go behind the scenes and see all the work that went into this iconic team — The Redeem Team!”

In addition to Anthony, the 2008 USA Basketball team included Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Tayshaun Prince, Michael Redd, Dwyane Wade and Deron Williams.

Carmelo Anthony’s ‘Creative 7’ to Produce Four-Part Docuseries “Seven” About the NBA All-Star

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony’s life is headed to the small screen…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player has teamed up with Westbrook Studios and Falkon Entertainment on Seven, a four-part docuseries, which Anthony’s company Creative 7 will also produce.

Named after Anthony’s signature jersey, Seven will chronicle the life and career of the 10-time NBA All-Star and entrepreneur, starting with his childhood, diving into the good, the bad, and sometimes ugly experiences and learnings that shaped him into the man and the athlete that he is today.

Seven promises to reveal the truth behind notable moments throughout Anthony’s career, many of which he has never spoken about publicly before. The series will also take an introspective look at his life and who he is today — at practice, after games, with his family — through the lens of what it means to be an athlete, a celebrity, and most importantly, a human being.

Anthony and his long-time business partner Asani Swann will executive produce the project via their Creative 7 production company alongside Terence Carter and Sahara Bushue for Westbrook Studios, and Dexton Deboree and Wondwossen Dikran on behalf of Falkon Entertainment.

“The biggest question everyone is probably thinking is – why now? Why choose this moment to tell my story? The short of it is I’ve spent enough time letting other people speak for me. It’s time for my truth,” said Anthony. “I look forward to viewers finally having the opportunity to hear about my journey in my own words. Westbrook Studios, Falkon Entertainment and my team at Creative 7 have been immensely supportive of my vision for this project and I am proud that we have been able to make this series a reality.”

Anthony’s career highlights to date include him being a three-time Olympic gold medalist, ninth on the NBA all-time scorer list and one of the NBA’s top 75 players in history. He has played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Nicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and, most recently the Los Angeles Lakers.

Off the court, Anthony has been focused on his other brands, business ventures, and philanthropic efforts and he also has been a leading voice in the ongoing fight for social justice.

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