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Morning Report: Israel Adesanya calls Francis Ngannou ‘the greatest heavyweight of all time’ after successful PFL debut

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Morning Report: Israel Adesanya calls Francis Ngannou ‘the greatest heavyweight of all time’ after successful PFL debut

Israel Adesanya has seen enough to assure him that Francis Ngannou is still the true king of the heavyweight division.

Ngannou made a spectacular PFL debut at Saturday’s Battle of the Giants event, needing less than a round to ground Renan Ferreira and knock him out with a series of devastating punches. It was the first MMA fight for Ngannou since he defeated Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022.

Though UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is scheduled to take on former titleholder Stipe Miocic in a long-awaited fight at UFC 309 on Nov. 16, Adesanya doesn’t agree that the winner of that bout should automatically be granted GOAT status.

“Hell no [the debate isn’t done],” Adesanya said in a Battle of the Giants reaction video. “Stipe is the last one I can remember people saying. Well, it was Cain [Velasquez] first and then Stipe, and then right now people still hold Stipe as the greatest of all time in the heavyweight division. But I think he’s one of the greatest and he has beaten Francis, but Francis beat him in the worst way. Again, it’s all subjective, it’s all art, it’s all who you like.

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“I think Francis is the greatest heavyweight of all time, but again, now Jon is in there, he’s the heavyweight champion. He’s only fought once at heavyweight, but he’s also one of, if not the greatest fighter of all time. Tom Aspinall’s even in the f*cking mix and he’s only just kind of getting his ball rolling. It’s exciting as a fan, but right now in this moment I am just so happy for [Ngannou] and what he has accomplished and to see him go through it with the adversity he had to go through with the death of Kobe.”

Ngannou entered Saturday’s main event with the heaviest of hearts, having lost his infant son Kobe this past April. He dedicated the fight to Kobe in a tearful post-fight interview, stating that he was only fighting again to honor him.

Following his departure from the UFC in 2023—having never lost the heavyweight title in the octagon—Ngannou signed with PFL and then booked a pair of high-profile boxing bouts. He narrowly lost a thrilling split decision against Tyson Fury and then suffered a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in his next fight.

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When it came time to compete under MMA rules, however, Ngannou went right back to his winning ways.

“Flawless,” Adesanya said of Ngannou’s win. “That was a beautiful performance. He took one leg and dodged a flurry and eventually timed his right hand, shot for a double, kept him there and knocked him out. Proud, inspired, and just happy to watch him do his thing because he’s gone through so much in his career even still. After the whole boxing thing, people were doubting him and then he lost to A.J., people went, ‘Oh, we knew it.’ It’s like people are prisoners of the moment.

“They forget. They forget who this man is or who people are, they’re just prisoners of the moment right now. So I’m glad he reminded everybody why he’s the best, why he’s the one, why he’s Francis Ngannou.”


Prayers. Bellator fighter Daiane Silva remains hospitalized after a weight cut gone wrong.

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For Kobe. Francis Ngannou had a lot to prove not just to the world, but to himself.

DMF. Max Holloway questions whether Ilia Topuria understands what it means to be a “BMF.”

Troll. Conor McGregor wasn’t impressed with what he saw at PFL Battle of the Giants.

Props. Jon Jones only had praise for Ngannou’s MMA comeback.

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Statement. Anthony Hernandez proved he was on another level with a drubbing of Michel Pereira in the UFC Vegas 99 main event.


Battle of the Giants post-show.

Relive Saturday’s PFL event with MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Jed Meshew.

Max Holloway.

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PFL fighters break down one of the biggest events in league history.

Big Tom breaks down the UFC 308 main event.

Countdown.

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UFC marathon.


On to the Next One. The Best Friends Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee guess what’s next for PFL star Francis Ngannou and the big winners from UFC Vegas 99.

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Love.

Respect, always.

Roasted.

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Didn’t have Nicksick rubbing shoulders with Ronaldo on my 2024 bingo card.

Wild.

Yes, this is still happening.


Rinat Fakhretdinov (22-1-1) vs. Carlos Leal (21-5); UFC 308, Oct. 26

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Francis Ngannou back in MMA? Just feels right, man.

No one would have blamed Ngannou for taking 2024 off given the awful tragedy he and his family are going through, so seeing him come back and look like his old self, even if for just one night, it was emotional. As excited as we all are to see what’s next for him, let’s not forget to appreciate the moment for what it is.

Take care of yourselves and each other out there.


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If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.

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Tatiana Suarez injured, out of fight vs. Virna Jandiroba

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Tatiana Suarez injured, out of fight vs. Virna Jandiroba

The UFC’s year-end pay-per-view event has taken its first significant hit just one week after the lineup was officially announced as Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba is no longer happening.

X user MMA Melotto reported Monday that Suarez suffered an injury that has forced her out of the UFC 310 matchup on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the news to MMA Junkie. It’s unclear if Jandiroba will remain on the card against a replacement opponent.

The fight between Suarez and Jandiroba, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the strawweight division, respectively, was widely viewed as a title eliminator to determine the next challenger for champion Zhang Weili.

Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who hasn’t lost as a professional, most recently competed in August 2023 when she submitted former champion Jessica Andrade. Her other notable UFC wins include former champions Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso. Suarez’s career has been riddled with injuries, which kept her out of action for three-and-a-half years before she returned in February 2023.

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Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), a former Invicta FC champ, is on a four-fight winning streak after consecutive victories over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, Loopy Godinez, and a Submission of the Year candidate armbar against Amanda Lemos in July.

With the change, the UFC 310 lineup includes:

  • Belal Muhammad vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov – for welterweight title
  • Alexandre Pantoja vs. Kai Asakura – for flyweight title
  • Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
  • Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
  • Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling
  • Dominick Reyes vs. Anthony Smith
  • Virna Jandiroba vs. opponent TBD
  • Clay Guida vs. Chase Hooper
  • Michael Chiesa vs. Max Griffin
  • Cody Durden vs. Joshua Van

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Tatiana Suarez out of UFC 310 fight against Virna Jandiroba

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Tatiana Suarez out of UFC 310 fight against Virna Jandiroba

Top ranked strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez will have to wait until 2025 to make her return after she was forced out of her upcoming fight against Virna Jandiroba, which was scheduled for UFC 310 on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas.

Sources told MMA Fighting on Monday that Suarez is dealing with a health issue that will prevent her from competing in December in what was expected to be a No. 1 contender’s bout at 115 pounds. MMA Melotto first reported the news.

It’s an unfortunate setback for Suarez, who has long been considered a popular pick as a future champion in the UFC but health problems have continued to plague her career. After she dispatched Nina Nunes back in 2019, Suarez appeared on the cusp of title contention but injuries kept her sidelined for more than three years.

When she finally returned to action, Suarez jumped right back into the deep end of the waters with a submission win over Montana De La Rosa at flyweight and then finishing former UFC champion Jessica Andrade to earn a Performance of the Night bonus back in August 2023.

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Suarez was then scheduled to face Amanda Lemos in February but an injury knocked her out of that matchup before she was then set to clash with Jandiroba in December.

Sadly now that fight has also been cancelled.

There’s no word yet on how long Suarez is expected to be sidelined after falling out of her upcoming fight in December. It’s unclear if Jandiroba plans to remain on the UFC 310 card against a new opponent or potentially wait for a future date to compete again.

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Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. will be at Lakers’ opener to see LeBron and Bronny James

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Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr. will be at Lakers' opener to see LeBron and Bronny James


If LeBron James Sr. and his son, Bronny, make NBA history Tuesday night by playing in the same game for the Los Angeles Lakers, Ken Griffey Sr. and Ken Griffey Jr. will be there to witness it.

The first father-son duo to play together in Major League Baseball plans to be in attendance at the Lakers’ season opener in their downtown arena, where the entire crowd will be hoping the James family accomplishes the same rare sporting feat for the NBA.

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“First father and son to play baseball, (and) now the first father and son to play basketball,” the younger Griffey told MLB Network Radio. “It’s a big deal for my dad and I to be there. We made history. Now we get to watch history, so that’s what’s going to be cool about it.”

Bronny James is already excited to make his official NBA debut, but the Griffeys’ presence adds an extra layer of anticipation for the Lakers’ second-round pick.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be insane,” the 20-year-old Bronny said after practice Monday at the Lakers’ training complex. “I mean, only two families to do it, so it’s going to be a crazy experience, especially (with) what they’ve done.”

Bronny made it clear that he doesn’t know if he’ll actually get to play against the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Lakers coach JJ Redick said “nothing has been finalized or anything” about Los Angeles’ playing rotation.

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Yet it seems unlikely the Lakers will wait to make the moment of history they’ve been planning ever since the franchise chose Bronny with the 55th overall pick this summer to play with LeBron, the 39-year-old top scorer in NBA history. The father and son already played together in the preseason, first taking the court together outside Palm Springs earlier this month.

A father and son play together roughly once in a generation in North American professional sports. The Griffeys accomplished the feat in 1990 and 1991, playing in 51 games for the Seattle Mariners — and even homering in the same game on Sept. 14, 1990.

Tim Raines and his namesake son also played four games together for the Baltimore Orioles at the end of the 2001 season. Before that, Gordie Howe suited up with his sons Mark and Marty in the WHA and the NHL and for Team Canada in the 1970s.

LeBron and Bronny share court for 1st time in preseason | The Facility

Bronny grew up in his father’s locker rooms and arenas in Cleveland, Miami and Los Angeles, so he’s more than ready to get beyond the historic moment and into the day-to-day grind of becoming a contributing NBA player. The Lakers begin the season with three home games in five days.

“I think it will be different,” Bronny said of the opener. “No different than me getting ready for any other game, but just a feeling of being in our home arena for the first time and playing a game will be a special experience. … I’m just trying to come in and get better every day, learn from the guys that have been here before me. Just take it all in and enjoy the experience.”

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Bronny played in all six of the Lakers’ preseason games, but his 4.2 points per game average was boosted greatly by his 17-point performance in last week’s preseason finale in which the Lakers and Warriors both rested most of their key players.

Bronny hit 29.7% of his shots in the preseason while averaging 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists, playing 16.2 minutes per game. His defensive work was praised by Redick, who sees the 6-foot-2 guard becoming a solid perimeter player in the future.

“Had some bad games, some rough starts, so (I’ve been) just continuing to play my game and play hard,” Bronny said.

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Bronny isn’t expected to be an immediate rotation player for the Lakers, who already have D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent and 2023 first-round pick Jalen Hood-Schifino ahead of him at point guard. There’s a good chance Bronny will begin the season with the Lakers before heading to the G League to get the consistent playing time he probably needs to improve.

But he’s still thrilled to reach this milestone moment — and he’s even pretty sure what he’ll call his father on the court after LeBron prohibited him from using “Dad.”

“Probably Bron,” Bronny said with a smile. “That will probably be the easiest one.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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UFC champ Belal Muhammad aims to clear division before 185-pound move

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UFC champ Belal Muhammad aims to clear division before 185-pound move

Belal Muhammad isn’t opposed to chasing a second UFC title, but wants to ensure there’s no work left in his division first.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) became the new UFC welterweight champion in July by defeating Leon Edwards at UFC 304. He already has his first title defense lined up against the undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in December.

It’s a fast turnaround for a new champion. If Muhammad is able to get past the “boogeyman” of the division in Rakhmonov and keep up a similar pace, he would run out of worthy title challengers pretty quickly. But the champ isn’t exactly planning on a speed run, and knows the names in wait will have to challenge one another to be the next man up.

“In general, with any fighter, you have to cement yourself as the leader in the division and the guy that there’s nobody that can beat,” Muhammad said. “I think after Shavkat, you’ve got a couple of guys that are there. You got Ian Garry, you got JDM (Jack Della Maddalena) and you got Kamaru Usman. But some of those guys are going to have to fight each other now.

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“There’s no just waiting on the sidelines saying, ‘I’m next. I got next, I earned it.’ I don’t think nobody’s really earned that next spot left, so there’s going to be guys that are going to be taking losses. The cream has to rise to the top.”

Becoming a UFC champion is one thing. It’s a career-long goal that Muhammad successfully achieved. But becoming a champ-champ is a whole different game that Muhammad doesn’t want to think about until he’s done clearing out welterweight challengers.

However, that time may be closer than many realize, considering Muhammad had to run the gauntlet before getting his first title shot against Edwards earlier this year.

“Maybe one or two more fights, I think then I could start talking about middleweight and could start talking about double champ status,” Muhammad said. “When you look at the guys I’ve fought – what do I have? Six or seven wins in the top 10, top 15 of my division right now, so I’ve already fought all these guys even before getting to the title.

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“So now that I’m at the champion status, it’s like, well OK, now I probably only got a couple more left before I can start talking about the bums at 185.”

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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UFC 309 poster revealed featuring Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic

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UFC 309 poster revealed featuring Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic

Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic have accomplished a lot in their UFC careers, which is a pivotal feature of the UFC 309 poster.

The UFC dropped the new poster on Monday, which features headliners Jones, the heavyweight champion, and former titleholder and challenger Stipe Miocic. The event takes place Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Check out the poster below.

The matchup was initially set for UFC 295 this past November, but Jones withdrew due to injury. “Bones” makes his first appearance in 20 months since capturing the heavyweight strap with a first-round submission of Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 285 in March 2023.

The layoff is even longer for Miocic, who returns to the octagon for the first time since losing the heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou at UFC 260 in March 2021. Miocic seeks his first win in over four years.

In the co-main event, Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler meet for the second time in a five-round lightweight contest.

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Check out the current UFC 309 lineup below.

Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic – heavyweight title fight

Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler

Viviane Araujo vs. Karine Silva

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Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig

Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders

Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov

Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee

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Jim Miller vs. Damon Jackson

Mickey Gall vs. Ramiz Brahimaj

Bassil Hafez vs. Oban Elliott

Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura

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Charlie Campbell vs. Mauricio Ruffy

Lucas Almeida vs. David Onama

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Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner: Nottingham Forest loss frustrating

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Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner: Nottingham Forest loss frustrating


Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner says his side’s Premier League loss at Nottingham Forest – which leaves the Eagles winless after eight games – was “very frustrating and very disappointing”.

READ MORE: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Crystal Palace

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