FANS spotted a funny mistake by the FA following the release of the FA Cup first-round fixtures.

The first round proper will take place between November 1-4.

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It will feature some big teams like Birmingham, Huddersfield and Wrexham, as well as non-league minnows.

A total of 44 names were pulled out of the hat for the first round – but one appeared as something else on the FA‘s website.

In the list of fixtures they listed a tie between Hartlepool/Brackley vs Aintree.

A correction was later made so the correct team, Braintree Town, was put in place of Aintree.

But not before eagle-eyed fans spotted the mistake, with some joking the game would be held on a racecourse, referencing Aintree’s famous horse racing venue.

One fan reacted saying: “Wonder how long it will take for the FA to realise that they’ve currently got the winner of the Hartlepool-Brackley replay hosting a race course…”

Another added: “To be a fair, a team of players on horses is something I’d pay good money to see.”

Elsewhere there are some notable ties including AFC Wimbledon‘s visit to MK Dons.

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While League One leaders Birmingham face a trip to non league side Sutton United.

Huddersfield also take on non league Tamworth.

Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira will battle for a brand new championship belt this Saturday.

The massive heavyweights headline this weekend’s PFL pay-per-view event, and battle for the PFL Superfight heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia. The bout will be Ngannou’s first for the promotion since vacating the UFC heavyweight title to sign with PFL.

On Monday, PFL revealed the new Superfight titles that Ngannou and Ferreira — along with Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco — will be fighting for. Check out the new belts below.

Ngannou competes in an MMA fight for the first time since defeating Ciryl Gane in a UFC heavyweight title defense at UFC 270 in January 2022. Since then, “The Predator” has competed in the boxing ring, losing a pair of bouts to top-ranked heavyweights Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Ferreira has stopped his past four opponents, including Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in 21 seconds at PFL vs. Bellator in February.

Cyborg makes her promotional debut, and first MMA appearance in over a year. The Bellator women’s featherweight champ picked up two boxing knockouts in her two combat appearances in 2024.

Pacheco enters the matchup coming off of back-to-back $1 million PFL championships, including a victory over now-UFC fighter Kayla Harrison at the PFL World Championships 2022 event.

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‘He could set a season on fire’

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We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 245 event in Las Vegas.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those reader consensus picks will be part of the main card staff predictions we release ahead of UFC Fight Night 245 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex.

Make your picks below.

Robelis Despaigne vs. Austen Lane

Records: Despaigne (5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC), Lane (12-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC)
Past five: Despaigne 4-1, Lane 3-2
Division: Heavyweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Despaigne -450, Lane +325

Alice Ardelean vs. Melissa Martinez

Records: Ardelean (9-6 MMA, 0-1 UFC), Martinez (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC)
Past five: Ardelean 4-1, Martinez 4-1
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Ardelean +125, Martinez -150

Jessica Penne vs. Elise Reed

Records: Penne (14-8 MMA, 3-5 UFC), Reed (7-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC)
Past five: Penne 2-3, Reed 2-3
Division: Women’s strawweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Penne +130, Reed -155

Joselyne Edwards vs. Tamires Vidal

Records: Edwards (13-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC), Vidal (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Past five: Edwards 3-2, Vidal 3-2
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Edwards -235, Vidal +190

Brad Katona vs. Jean Matsumoto

Records: Katona (16-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC), Matsumoto (15-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC)
Past five: Katona 4-1, Matsumoto 5-0
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Katona +220, Matsumoto -270

Asu Almabayev vs. Matheus Nicolau

Records: Almabayev (20-2 MMA, 3-0 UFC), Nicolau (19-5-1 MMA, 7-3 UFC)
Past five: Almabayev 5-0, Nicolau 5-0
Division: Flyweight
Rankings: Almabayev honorable mention
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Almabayev -170, Nicolau +140

Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda

Records: Elkins (28-11 MMA, 18-10 UFC), Pineda (28-16 MMA, 5-7 UFC)
Past five: Elkins 3-2, Pineda 1-2-2
Division: Featherweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Elkins +105, Pineda -125

Jake Hadley vs. Brady Hiestand

Records: Hadley (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC), Hiestand (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Past five: Hadley 3-2, Hiestand 4-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: None
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Hadley +125, Hiestand -150

Charles Johnson vs. Su Mudaerji

Records: Johnson (16-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC), Mudaerji (16-6 MMA, 3-3 UFC)
Past five: Johnson 3-2, Mudaerji 3-2
Division: Flyweight
Rankings: Johnson honorable mention
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Johnson -235, Mudaerji +190

Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips

Records: Font (20-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC), Kyler (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC)
Past five: Font 1-4, Phillips 4-1
Division: Bantamweight
Rankings: Phillips honorable mention
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Font +300, Phillips -400

Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira

Records: Hernandez (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC), Pereira (31-11 MMA, 9-2 UFC)
Past five: Hernandez 5-0, Pereira 5-0
Division: Middleweight
Rankings: Hernandez honorable mention
Odds (as of 10.14.24): Hernandez -150, Pereira +125

UFC Fight Night 245 fight card (as of Oct. 14, 3 p.m. ET)

MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

• Anthony Hernandez vs. Michel Pereira
• Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips
• Charles Johnson vs. Su Mudaerji
• Jake Hadley vs. Brady Hiestand
• Darren Elkins vs. Daniel Pineda

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)

• Asu Almabayev vs. Matheus Nicolau
• Brad Katona vs. Jean Matsumoto
• Joselyne Edwards vs. Tamires Vidal
• Jessica Penne vs. Elise Reed
• Alice Ardelean vs. Melissa Martinez
• Robelis Despaigne vs. Austen Lane

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.

Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy says he was lent money by his then team-mates Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez when the club stopped paying him after he was charged with rape and sexual assault, an employment tribunal has heard.

The France defender is claiming £11.5m in unpaid wages from when he was charged in August 2021 and suspended without pay by City.

Mendy, 30, was cleared in 2023 of a series of rape and attempted rape charges made against him.

The club continued paying Mendy after his first arrest in November 2020, but argued they did not have to after he was charged as his bail conditions – one of which prevented him from going near the club’s stadium or training ground – and a Football Association suspension meant he was not able to perform his contractual duties.

Court documents said Mendy “very quickly ran out of money” and had to sell his Cheshire mansion to cover legal fees, bills and child support payments after his wages were withheld.

“Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all lent me money to help me try and pay my legal fees and support my family,” Mendy said in his witness statement.

In November 2022, Mendy sent a Whatsapp message to Omar Berrada, who was City’s Chief Football Operations’ Officer from September 2020 to July 2024, to ask when he would receive his outstanding salaries but received no reply.

Mendy’s agent Meissa N’Diaye, who also spoke at the hearing, said on 20 September 2021 he spoke to Berrada and was told “once the trial was over Benjamin would be paid back all the salary that had been suspended”.

Berrada, who is now Manchester United’s chief executive, denied giving assurances when asked about this at the hearing.

The hearing also addressed how on 15 separate occasions Mendy either held or attended parties in breach of Covid-19 or bail conditions, or both.

Under questioning from City’s counsel Sean Jones, Mendy admitted his behaviour in continuing to hold parties represented “a risk”.

When Jones said to Mendy: “The truth is you couldn’t care less it exposed you to risk,” the full-back replied via videolink: “At the time, yes.”

In statements submitted to the court, Mendy said he felt he had been singled out by City as “several first-team players, including the club captain, had attended the parties I had attended and hosted” without repercussions.

Mendy said he rejected an offer to cancel his contract because he “wanted to go back and train with his team”.

In his witness statement, he added: “I believe that it is fair and just for me to be paid the wages that I would have earned but for being falsely arrested for crimes that I did not commit.”

Mendy joined City from Monaco in a £52m deal in 2017 and won Premier League titles in 2018, 2019 and 2021.

His final appearance for the club was in the Premier League on 15 August 2021.

Mendy left City when his contract expired in June 2023 and currently plays for French side Lorient.

Mendy was remanded in custody for five months before he was released on bail in January 2022. The case went to trial for the first time in August 2022.

In January 2023 he was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

He was then cleared of raping a woman and attempting to rape another in July 2023 at a retrial.

The tribunal hearing is expected to last two days.

Bob Pockrass

FOX NASCAR Insider

Hailie Deegan will make the move from stock cars to open-wheel cars in 2025 as she will compete in a full 14-race season in Indy NXT, a development series for IndyCar.

The 23-year-old Deegan, the daughter of action sports star Brian Deegan, competed in three seasons in NASCAR’s truck series and drove the first half of 2024 in the Xfinity Series. After having success as a rookie in ARCA in 2020 in finishing third in the standings, she struggled the last four years with five top-10s in 85 starts in NASCAR national series events.

“I am excited about the opportunity and look forward to working with a proven program in HMD Motorsports,” Deegan said in a news release. “I have much to learn, but I am ready to go.

“The team brings a wealth of knowledge for me to pull from, and I look forward to soaking up as much of that as possible before my race debut next March in St. Petersburg.”

Deegan has had various test sessions with the team and her first open-wheel race will be later this month in the Formula Regional Americas race at Circuit of the Americas.

“Hailie, and especially the Deegan name, are huge in motorsports, and we welcome them to the HMD Motorsports family,” HMD Motorsports President Mike Maurini said. “Hailie has already been out to the shop and is taking the move to open-wheel racing seriously.”

Starting in 2025, the entire Indy NXT season will be televised by FOX Sports, with most of the races on FS1 and the remaining races on FS2.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.

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