RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – PFL: Battle of the Giants ceremonial fighter weigh-ins take place Friday, and you can catch a live video stream of the proceedings here on MMA Junkie at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).
The weigh-ins take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where PFL: Battle of the Giants (DAZN pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at The Mayadeen.
Francis Ngannou (17-3) is back in MMA for the first time since January 2022, and for the first time in the PFL, when he meets Renan Ferreira (12-3) for the heavyweight superfight title. And Cris Cyborg (27-2) and her Bellator title take on Larissa Pacheco (23-4), the reigning PFL women’s featherweight winner, for the women’s featherweight superfight title.
NEW YORK — Friday evening at Citi Field began with The Temptations singing their 1965 hit single “My Girl” in an ode to Francisco Lindor’s walk-up song. Lindor, while warming up on the field, smiled and sang along to the lyrics. Pete Alonso, stretching before what could be his final home game as a Met, joined in, too, and pretty soon the crowd — understandably tense before an elimination game — relaxed a little. Watching the jovial scene unfold in Queens, it was hard to tell that the Mets were backed into a corner.
If they seemed loose and carefree mere minutes before southpaw David Peterson threw the first pitch of the game, it was because that’s how they showed up to Citi Field ahead of Game 5 of the National League Championship Series. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza walked into the hitters’ meeting and everyone was smiling. Hours before their most important game of the year — yes, another one of those — New York’s happy-go-lucky attitude foreshadowed the pain they would inflict on the Dodgers.
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“That’s who we are,” Mendoza said. “There’s no tomorrow for us. But we’ve been in this situation before. So, nothing new.”
After Peterson stranded Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani on second and third base in the first inning — lifting the crowd’s energy from unease to optimism — Alonso followed by lifting a three-run blast off Jack Flaherty in the bottom of the frame. The Polar Bear’s fourth home run of October was a harbinger of the offensive outburst that was to come. The Mets tallied 14 hits, the second-most in postseason franchise history, in their 12-6 win over the Dodgers in Game 5.
The onslaught was a product of sticking to the plan, capitalizing on Flaherty’s drop in velocity and refusing to chase outside the zone. The Mets wound up tagging Flaherty for eight runs in just three innings. Besides Alonso’s long ball, they drew key walks, enjoyed timely hitting, and played small ball to overwhelm Los Angeles’ pitching staff. Starling Marte went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, Lindor collected a stand-up RBI triple, Jesse Winker reached base in four of his five plate appearances and catcher Francisco Alvarez went 3-for-4, too. On top of all the runs produced, the Mets didn’t strike out once.
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It was the kind of complete effort the Mets needed to remind themselves of their ceiling.
“The quality of at-bats that we had, the intensity that we needed every inning, we understood that,” Lindor said. “And we had to give everything that we had, and that’s what we did.”
As the Dodgers threatened to put an end to this improbable run, the Mets leaned on the experience and the results that got them to this point. Their slugging first baseman, throughout these past few victorious weeks, has been right in the middle of it. Of Alonso’s five career postseason homers, four have given the Mets the lead — including three in the past two weeks alone. Not bad for one of baseball’s most powerful hitters just weeks away from entering free agency.
Like Mookie Betts said on Wednesday, the Mets didn’t become one of the final four teams standing because of luck. They also didn’t reach this point because of a McDonald’s mascot or a hit Latin pop song. On Friday, the Mets reminded everyone why they’re only two wins away from advancing to the World Series: When they’re at their best, they can beat anyone.
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“We’ll be ready. We love opportunities,” Alonso said. “This is what we want to continue to play for. Today was all about, figure it out, get to Game 6. And we have that opportunity, and it’s going to be the same mentality: figure it out, get to 7. That’s what it is. Survive the day. And we did. And we’re really, really excited for the opportunity coming up.”
In a season overloaded with surprises, the Mets have the opportunity to pull off their greatest upset yet. They forced a flight back to Los Angeles for Game 6, which will take place on Sunday night at Chavez Ravine, by focusing only on the 27 outs that could save their season rather than getting overwhelmed by the big picture. All baseball teams like to say they don’t look too far ahead, and instead prefer to take things day-to-day, but Mendoza’s Mets have executed that mindset better than most this season.
The Mets are attempting to become the ninth team in LCS history (AL or NL) to come back from a 3-1 hole. For motivation, they’ll be reminding themselves that they’re 2-0 in elimination games this year.
“We’ve had success focusing on the process for 4-5 months now, and it’s not the time to change it,” Brandon Nimmo said. “We’re just trying to beat on that dam until it finally breaks, and it broke tonight.”
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On The Temptations’ official website, the Motown legends bill their story as “an epic journey of courage, struggle, triumphs, setbacks, and ultimately, international superstardom.”
Sounds a lot like the 2024 Mets.
Deesha Thosar is an MLB reporter for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. The daughter of Indian immigrants, Deesha grew up on Long Island and now lives in Queens. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.
MMA Fighting has PFL Battle of the Giants results for the Ngannou vs. Ferreira fight card, live blogs of the top three fights, and more from The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday afternoon.
In the main event, former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira will sqaure off the PFL Superfight heavyweight championship. Ngannou will make his PFL debut at the event after he suffered two losses in a row in boxing.
Larissa Pacheco and Cris Cyborg will compete for the PFL Superfight bantamweight championship in the co-main event.
Bellator middleweight champion Johnny Eblen will defend his title against Fabian Edwards also on the main card.
An Ipswich Town footballer could become the first from her club to win a cap for a senior national team.
Striker Natasha Thomas has been selected to join the Jamaican women’s senior squad, nicknamed the “Reggae Girlz”.
The 28-year-old forward was eligible for the team due to her Jamaican grandparents.
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Thomas, who has a portrait of her grandparents on her shin pads, said: “They would be proud looking down on me.”
Town keeper Nina Meollo, currently on loan at AFC Sudbury, has previously been called up to the Philippines squad, but has yet to play a game for them.
Despite several Town players representing national youth teams, Thomas is the only outfield player to be selected at a senior level while wearing an Ipswich Town shirt.
“It hasn’t quite sunk in,” she said.
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“I’m sure it will when I’m on the flight to go and play and go into the camp.
“I always dreamt it when I was younger. People always say if you don’t dream these things, then they can’t come true.
“So make sure you are making those dreams.
“It has all just come at the right time for me and myself and my family.”
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She added: “Of course I’m nervous, but at the same time, it is a massive opportunity for me and I can’t wait to grab it with both hands.”
Jamaica travel to international giants France for a friendly on 25 October, with Thomas flying out after the Tractor Girls league cup game against Hashtag United on Sunday.
In an unconventional route into professional football, Thomas came through grassroots level at Waveney from the age of nine before joining Lowestoft Town.
The striker has recently been named the club’s all time record appearance maker.
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After signing with Town from Lowestoft in November 2015, she marked 217 appearances following a 0-0 draw against Watford.
The club recently marked the occasion by presenting her with an anniversary kit.
She picked out FA Cup runs against WSL sides West Ham and Manchester City, as well as scoring at Portman Road amongst the highlights.
Thomas has since boosted her appearances to 218 following Sunday’s game against Plymouth.
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Ipswich Town boss for the men’s side, Kieran McKenna, told BBC Radio Suffolk Sport the whole team was “proud” of Thomas for her achievements.
“Any interactions I’ve had with her around the club or the work she does with the foundation, she’s a fantastic role model on and off the pitch,” he said.
Thomas said she had seen huge growth in the women’s set up at the club since joining.
She added: “I’ve been here for quite a while now and seen the development within the players, coaches and behind the scenes. Even the amount of fans we are getting now.
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“One of my goals is to inspire the next generation in Suffolk, in Ipswich and help push the women’s game forward.
“I’m trying to push myself and still trying to develop as a player. So I just hope I can carry that on here at Ipswich Town and see where that takes me further.”
Bennett — dressed in his signature suit-minus-tie look — told those gathered at his exit news conference that name, image and likeness money and the transfer portal have brought elements to the job that he’s “not great at.”
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“I looked at myself and I realized, I’m no longer the best coach to lead this program,” Bennett said with athletic director Carla Williams seated next to him. “If you’re going to do it, you’ve got to be all in. You’ve got to have everything. And if you do it half-hearted, it’s not fair to the university and those young men. That’s what made me step down.”
He is the latest — and, at 55 years old, the youngest — high-profile coach to walk away citing a measure of burnout with the modern realities of the profession. That list includes former Villanova coach Jay Wright, who retired two years ago at 60.
“The game and college athletics is not in a healthy spot,” Bennett said. “And there needs to be change. I think I was equipped to do the job here the old way. That’s who I am and that’s how it was. My staff has buoyed me along to get to this point, but there needs to be change.”
Former assistant Ron Sanchez, who rejoined the program last season, will take over as interim coach. Williams said a national search for Bennett’s replacement will begin shortly, but Bennett is hopeful Sanchez will perform well enough to land the full-time post.
Williams said Bennett told her of his decision on Wednesday morning, though she noted that the two had discussed the possibility at times over the past three years.
“I believe he is equipped to do the job, but as he said to all of you, he has to have his whole heart in it,” Williams said, her cheeks still stained with tears shed during Bennett’s remarks. “He is the embodiment of humility, because he could keep doing this and not have his heart in it, but it takes more courage to say, ‘I’m not the person for it.’”
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As for the stunning timing of his retirement, less than three weeks before the team’s Nov. 6 opener against Campbell, Bennett said he thought seriously about stepping away immediately after the past season concluded with a First Four loss to Colorado State in Dayton, Ohio.
The Cavaliers struggled offensively in that game and haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since the 2019 title matchup.
But, because the current recruiting calendar required him to immediately go to work evaluating potential transfers, Bennett said he never fully took the time to consider his situation.
He said he was excited about the players the program signed, about the new offense he was installing and about the prospects for the upcoming season. He felt, then, sufficiently energized to sign a long-term extension with Virginia, though he acknowledged it was never likely he would’ve lasted the full term of the deal, which ran out in six years.
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Then, finally, there was a break in his hectic schedule. He and his wife, Laurel, took a trip during U-Va.’s fall break, giving the couple the chance to process and contemplate the future.
“That’s where I kind of came to the realization that I can’t do this,” Bennett said, becoming overcome by emotion. “It’s not fair to these guys, and to this institution that I love so much, to continue on when you know you’re not the right guy for the job.”
Bennett’s current players and staff stood toward the back of the room Friday, listening as he spoke.
“I’m happy for him,” said former player Isaiah Wilkins, now an assistant coach. “I see he’s at peace. I think he knows himself well and obviously it’s a family decision.”
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With the person who hired Bennett, former Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage, looking on, Bennett talked about his pride in the way he and his staff built the Cavaliers into one of the nation’s most successful programs. Littlepage hired Bennett in 2009 following three strong seasons at Washington State.
After a 15-16 record in his first season at Virginia, Bennett went on to post 14 straight winning seasons.
He posted a 364-136 mark at the school, leading the program to two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament titles, six ACC regular-season championships and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. Bennett was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2014, 2015, 2018 and 2019.
“I didn’t envision, in 15 years, what it would be like,” Littlepage said. “I was thinking more in the short term. ‘We’ve gotta get this thing going and knew that would take a couple of years.’ … He had the pedigree. He had the understanding of the college game. He came to understand the University of Virginia in short order. There was no question he was going to have success.”
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Long derided by many in the national media for his unusually slow tempo of play and defense-first — and second and third — mentality, Bennett’s first-round NCAA Tournament loss to UMBC in 2018 gave ample fuel to his critics, creating a chorus questioning whether his pack-line defense was built to win championships.
Bennett, in his signature way, handled the loss with grace and promised his heartbroken players that it would be “a ticket to someplace they couldn’t go without it.”
The following season, after a dramatic run through the NCAA Tournament, Bennett and the Cavaliers cut down the nets in Minneapolis, having topped Texas Tech and claimed the school’s first national title.
“I’ve been here for 15 years as the head coach, and I thought it would be a little longer, to be honest, but that’s been on loan,” Bennett said. “It wasn’t mine to keep. This position has been on loan, and it’s time for me to give it back.”
That’s what the man voicing over the PFL: Battle of the Giants cold open says of the highly anticipated showdown between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira.
Hyperbole aside, it could be the biggest MMA fight of the year as it marks Ngannou’s highly anticipated return to the sport. The former UFC heavyweight champion hasn’t competed in the cage in nearly 1,000 days. One year after his last UFC fight, he decided to leave as the promotion’s heavyweight champion to sign with the PFL.
Now, after two high-profile boxing matches with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Ngannou will be welcomed back by Ferreira, the 2023 PFL season winner who’s emerged as a force to be reckoned with.
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The magnitude and scope of Ngannou vs. Ferreira is underscored in the cold open, which you can watch in the video above.
PFL: Battle of the Giants takes place Saturday at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The event’s main card streams on ESPN+ and DAZN pay-per-view, with prelims available during MMA Junkie’s watch-along.
LAS VEGAS – The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
Ahead of UFC Fight Night 245 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex, middleweight contenders Anthony Hernandez (12-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC) and Michel Pereira (31-11 MMA, 9-2 UFC) stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.
Check out the video from their trips to the scale above.
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