LAS VEGAS – Grant Dawson is the biggest betting favorite at UFC Fight Night 244 on Saturday.

And while that typically might be a badge of honor heading into a fight for a fighter, Dawson (12-2-1 MMA, 9-1-1 UFC) wishes the MMA collective would pump the brakes a bit on his roughly 4-1 favorite status against Rafa Garcia (16-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at the UFC Apex.

“I think he’s a very, very tough opponent, and not to put myself down or anything like that – I think the betting line is absolutely insane,” Dawson said at Wednesday’s media day. “I think he’s a lot better than the betting line is showing, which kind of sucks. If I go out there and dominate him, it doesn’t look good for me. And if I go out there and have a close fight, I just beat a really, really good guy – and I don’t even get the credit for beating a really good guy that way (because of the odds).”

And while Dawson surmised Garcia’s 18-month layoff, which included a knee surgery, is playing a part in making him the card’s biggest underdog, he also knows his own major success is a big factor.

“I think people know how good I am. I think people are underestimating how good he is,” he said.

Dawson is fighting just a year past what stands as his only UFC loss – a 33-second knockout against Bobby Green. It was one of 2023’s biggest stunners and his first loss in more than seven years.

The lightweight thinks that put a big crimp in his plans to become a UFC champion, but he’s left with no choice but to work his way back to contention, where he was knocking on the door when Green stunned him.

“I want to be a world champion, and I totally get that exciting guys get to skip that line,” Dawson said. “But there’s a lot of really exciting guys that never got the belt because they lose fights they shouldn’t. It’s a game of inches in this sport. It is a game of inches, and if you make one mistake … We saw it against Bobby Green. I made one mistake and he made me pay for it. It set my career back probably two, three years, and I’ve got to fight my way back now.”

After his loss to Green, he bounced back in June this year with a decision win over Joe Solecki. He thought the next name might be someone he could use to make his claim for spot in the rankings, but he hopes he might find himself in the top 15 next week, anyway.

“I was thinking that my next fight was going to be in the top 15, but I definitely think that this is a segue into the top 15,” Dawson said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if on Monday I was ranked after beating Garcia. I think he’s top-15 worthy.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

Northern Ireland winger Caragh Hamilton will miss October’s Euro 2025 play-off with Croatia because of a “significant” hamstring injury.

Nottingham Forest manager Carly Davies said that Hamilton, 27, will be on the sidelines “for a prolonged period of time”.

Davies said:, external “She’ll be working closely with the medical team with the support of the Northern Ireland national team as well.

“We’ll just be hoping to get her back on the pitch as soon as possible.”

Hamilton joined Forest, who are unbeaten in eight matches in the FA Women’s National League Premier Division North – in the third tier of English women’s football – from Lewes in the summer.

She has won 46 Northern Ireland caps and scored six goals.

Tanya Oxtoby’s side travel to Croatia on Friday, 25 October before the return fixture at Windsor Park on Tuesday, 29 October.

Northern Ireland qualified for the play-off by finishing second in Group B3, with three wins from six matches.

Croatia were third in Group B4, behind Wales and Ukrainez, and if Northern Ireland progress they will face Norway or Albania for a place at the Euro 2025 finals.

TEMPLEGATE tackles Friday’s top-class action confident of building the bank for another monster weekend of racing.

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TABITI (3.35 Newmarket, nap)

This unbeaten filly can keep trainer Ralph Beckett’s golden big-race run going. He sent out another brilliant filly in Bluestocking to take the Arc under today’s pilot Rossa Ryan and this daughter of Kingman looks ready to tackle a longer distance.

She caught the eye when cruising to victory on her July Course debut before taking her form to the next level when winning the Dick Poole Stakes at Salisbury last month. Her best work came at the finish of that Group 3 contest and she wasn’t stopping over seven furlongs two starts back. This mile should be ideal.

KILDARE LEGEND (4.10 Newmarket, nb)

He was impressive in scoring on handicap debut at Doncaster’s St Leger meeting. He relished the step up to this distance and the bit of cut in the ground on Town Moor. Trainer James Ferguson is ending the season strongly and a 6lb rise in the weights looks more than fair.

NAXOS (1.30 York, treble)

George Boughey’s four-year-old showed a real liking for testing ground when beaten just a length at Goodwood 16 days ago. He should get his ideal conditions again and the handicapper has left his mark alone. He likes to get out in front and he could take plenty of pegging back up the Knavesmire in what should be sticky conditions.

Templegate’s tips

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Anderson Silva was proud of his “friend” Alex Pereira and “little brother” Khalil Rountree after UFC 307.

“The Spider” saw himself involved in the light heavyweight title bout after a 2015 clip went viral of Silva predicting his teammate Rountree, 2-0 in the sport at the time, would one day become middleweight champion. His title shot came this past weekend in Salt Lake City as a light heavyweight, facing another former training partner of Silva in “Poatan”, and the Brazilian ultimately won by fourth-round knockout.

Silva, who reigned as UFC’s best 185-pounder for years — and even had Pereira in his corner for his clash with Israel Adesanya —, used his social media to give props to both fighters after the “Fight of the Night” war in Utah.

“I could say countless things about this incredible battle between these two giants,” Silva wrote. “In my opinion, the perfect world would be not seeing my brother and my friend fighting. But on the other hand, that’s how the sport is. Alex, you were impeccable, on an incredible rise. Congratulations, my friend.

“As for my little brother Khalil, I am so proud of you, my brother. Thank you so much for being part of my life. Those who know your story know who you truly are: you are a giant. You walk away from this battle as a winner because you showed that fighting at a high level is not for just anyone. Congratulations to both of you. May God bless you both.

“Khalil, don’t forget that only a few like us have the courage to fight the good fight. Strength and honor today and always!”

England started with a false nine experiment, ended it with the most classic of English formations – and lost – on a damaging night for Lee Carsley’s job prospects.

Some England fans had called for previous boss Gareth Southgate to pick more attacking players – and even drop striker Harry Kane – at Euro 2024.

Even further back, England rued their inability to effectively combine the likes of Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard in the same side.

Those supporters who wanted sweeping changes in this new post-Southgate era got their wishes at Wembley on Thursday against Greece, with Kane ruled out by a slight knock.

Carsley did not name a recognised striker from the start – for what is thought to be a first for the Three Lions – with Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden false nines, Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon on the wings – and Cole Palmer starting in midfield.

“It goes one of two ways, doesn’t it?” said former England keeper Paul Robinson on BBC Radio 5 Live beforehand.

“We’re either calling him a genius or we’re calling for [strikers] Ollie Watkins or Dominic Solanke to come on. He’s doing it his way.”

Nobody is calling Carsley a genius after that defeat.

Greece, at 48th, became the lowest-ranked side to beat England in a competitive away game since the Fifa world rankings were developed in 1992.

Watkins did come on after 60 minutes – and Solanke followed 12 minutes later – as England ended up playing 4-4-2.

But they fell to a shock 2-1 defeat with Vangelis Pavlidis netting a double. Bellingham looked like he had rescued a point with three minutes to go before Greece’s injury-time winner.

“We tried something different and tried to overload the midfield,” said Carsley. “We tried it for 20 minutes yesterday, we experimented, and disappointed it didn’t come off.

“It’s unrealistic to expect too much and we will have to try again. All the goals were from mistakes, which is disappointing.”

Ex-England defender Lee Dixon, on ITV, said: “We were looking forward to a new dawn here but it has come back to bite them.

“Trying something in this game was definitely the right thing, but trying something because everyone is saying you should do it is not the right thing.”

LAS VEGAS – It’s been a minute since the UFC has been to Japan, but Tatsuro Taira would like to have something to say about that.

Taira (16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) on Saturday fights in a UFC main event for the second time when he headlines UFC fight Night 244 against recent flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval (16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC). And he’s got a lot going for him when it comes to being a rising star.

At just 24, he’s still young by MMA standards. But he’s proven to be well-rounded with five knockouts and seven submissions in his 16 wins. He has back-to-back finishes, stoppages in four of his past five, and bonuses in three of those fights.

In a wild coincidence, the last time the UFC was in Japan was the night after Taira’s final amateur fight. The night before, he won an amateur Shooto tournament a couple hours down the road from UFC Fight Night 117.

Taira thinks a big win against Royval in Saturday’s main event, could be just the thing that helps make the push to get back to his home country. And who knows – maybe there, he could get a shot against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. Or one step better, maybe he could headline a Japan return as champion.

“I definitely want to show a big impact. I definitely want to show my strength. That’s something I want to show in this fight,” Taira said at Wednesday’s media day at the UFC Apex. “I’m definitely focused on this one, but thinking of title fights, I’ve always dreamed and thought about the title fights. It’s something that I always have in mind.

“I’d love to have UFC back in Japan, and if I’m the star, I want to be that star to bring that back to Japan.”

Check out Taira’s full interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.