ABU DHABI – Lerone Murphy admits he felt “superhuman” coming out of his most recent performance, a five-round unanimous decision win over Edson Barboza.

On UFC 308 fight week, Murphy’s vibes remain high as he looks to carry that momentum into his main card bout Saturday vs. Dan Ige at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

“(My last fight was) massive, massive for confidence and experience,” Murphy told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday. “I feel like that’s leveled me up going into the trenches. The last two rounds are different.”

Murphy (14-0-1 MMA, 6-0-1 UFC) recognizes the challenge Ige (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) brings and sees the opportunity as the perfect next step. Should he defeat Ige as he expects, Murphy believes top 10-ranked opposition will be next.

“He’s a solid opponent,” Murphy said. “He’s been in the top 15 for like four or five years now. You’ve got to be good to keep your position there. It’s a big test for me , and I believe after a win over Dan Ige, it’s top 10 straight from there. … That’s disrespectful (to call him a gatekeeper). I don’t think there’s any such thing as a gatekeeper. If you’re in the top 15, you’re in the elite of the world. It’s as simple as that.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and the Los Angeles Dodgers will face off against Aaron Judge, Juan Soto and the New York Yankees in the 2024 World Series. One could argue that this matchup, which marks the 12th time that the Dodgers and Yankees meet in the World Series, couldn’t be more epic for MLB.

For starters, it’s a matchup between two of the largest sports markets and cities on the planet, involving two teams that both used to play in New York City, as the Los Angeles Dodgers were the Brooklyn Dodgers until moving West ahead of the 1958 season. Meanwhile, there are stars galore on both teams, with MVPs and other MVP- and Cy Young-caliber players.

Here’s the 2024 World Series by the numbers, from both present and historical lenses.

1: After becoming the sixth player in MLB history to post a 40-40 season (40 home runs, 40 stolen bases) in August, Ohtani became the first player to post a 50-50 season in September in what was his debut season with the Dodgers.

2: When Game 1 of the 2024 Fall Classic begins on Friday night (8:08 p.m. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app), both Soto and Betts will have appeared in the World Series for multiple teams; Soto won the World Series with the Washington Nationals in 2019, while Betts won the World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2018 and again with the Dodgers in 2020.

3: Judge hit 58 home runs this season, marking the third time in the 2022 AL MVP’s nine-year MLB career that he surpassed 50 long balls in a single season.

3.3: In their nine postseason games this year, the Yankees have surrendered just 3.3 runs per game.

6.4: In their 11 postseason games this year, the Dodgers have scored 6.4 runs per game.

10: A combined 10 players from both rosters were put on their respective league’s All-Star Game roster this season, the Dodgers having seven and the Yankees having three.

11: The Yankees and Dodgers have previously faced off in the Fall Classic 11 times, seven times with the Dodgers in Brooklyn and four times with them in Los Angeles. New York went 6-1 when the Dodgers were in Brooklyn, and the teams have split since the move to Los Angeles (2-2).

[Related: A look back at 11 previous Yankees-Dodgers World Series matchups]

12: This is the 12th time that the Yankees and Dodgers have met in the World Series, but their two cities also combine for a population of roughly 12 million this year.

15: While the Yankees have a professional-record 27 championships, this is the first time that they’ve appeared in the World Series in 15 years (2009). Staying on the 15 front, Hall of Fame manager Joe Torre managed both teams, as he won four World Series across his 12-year stint with the Yankees (1996-2007) and then managed the Dodgers from 2008-10.

16: Managers Dave Roberts (Dodgers) and Aaron Boone (Yankees) are among the most tenured coaches in the sport, combining for 16 consecutive seasons managing their respective clubs.

18: A roughly 18-mile drive separated Ebbets Field, the former home of the Dodgers in Flatbush, from Yankee Stadium, the home of the Yankees. Furthermore, there were three MLB teams in New York prior to the Dodgers’ departure, as the New York Giants (now the San Francisco Giants) played in the Polo Grounds on the Upper East Side of Manhattan — which was a mere 15-minute walk from Yankee Stadium over the Harlem River, prior to moving to San Francisco in 1958. 

22: While Roberts and Boone are now each primarily viewed as skippers, they played a combined 22 seasons in the big leagues and each produced some of the most exciting moments in MLB postseason history. 

With the Red Sox down 3-0 to the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS, Roberts pinch ran in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 4 with the team trailing 4-3 and stole second base. He later scored, and the Red Sox went on to win in the 12th inning. Boston later became the first team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit and went on to win the World Series for the first time in 86 years. On the other hand, Boone, a midseason acquisition, hit a walk-off home run for the Yankees to lead off the bottom of the 11th inning in Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS against the Red Sox, which sent New York to the World Series.

2024 World Series: Yankees vs. Dodgers Preview

23: Los Angeles and New York are Nos. 1 and 2 in America in number of professional teams, combining for 23.

27: The Yankees have won a professional sporting-record 27 championships. Moreover, their general manager, Brian Cashman, has held his current position for 27 years.

34: The two teams combine for 34 World Series, with the Yankees having 27, compared to the Dodgers’ seven.

41: If one chooses to drive cross-country without somehow not having to stop for gas, a Big Gulp or sleep, it’s a roughly 41-hour drive from Yankee Stadium or the former site of Ebbets Field to Dodger Stadium.

43: While the Yankees and Dodgers have crossed passed in the World Series 11 times, they haven’t done so in 43 years, with the Dodgers winning the 1981 World Series in six games.

66: The Yankees and Dodgers combine for 66 league pennants, with the former boasting 41 and the latter boasting 25.

67: The Dodgers’ last season in Brooklyn was 1957, marking 67 years since they called New York City home.

100: The two clubs combine for a whopping 100 Hall of Famers, with the Dodgers boasting 53 and the Yankees boasting 47.

112: Potentially poised to win their respective league MVP awards, Judge and Ohtani hit a combined 112 home runs this season (Judge had 58, and Ohtani had 54).

.500: Since the turn of the 21st century, the Yankees and Dodgers are 11-11 (.500) against each other in the regular season.

$1,300: Interested in buying a ticket to the 2024 World Series to witness history? If so, that’s great! Interested in forking over in excess of $1,300 to see a game in Dodger Stadium or Yankee Stadium? Well, that’s what it currently costs to get a seat in either house from several ticket vendors.

21,800: The Dodgers and Yankees combine for 21,800 wins, with the former having 11,022 and the latter having 10,778.

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That “Shara Bullet” has competed with an eye injury for years is no secret, and he’s found himself drawing inspiration from a former UFC champion to work through it.

Bullet—a.k.a. Shara Magomedov—opens this Saturday’s UFC 308 main card in Abu Dhabi with a middleweight duel against Armen Petrosyan. At Wednesday’s media day for the event, Magomedov was asked about what he’s learned from studying the career of former UFC champion and Hall of Fame inductee Michael Bisping, in regards to dealing with the injury he’s had since 2016.

Bisping suffered an eye injury after taking a head kick from Vitor Belfort in 2013 and competed with a handicap until his retirement four years later. The condition didn’t stop him from winning the UFC middleweight title, even though it eventually progressed to the point that Bisping now lives with a prosthetic right eye.

So is Magomedov concerned about opponents knowing about this potential limitation?

“I think it’s a little different because I have 19 fights in my career and every opponent has tried to take advantage of that and it didn’t go their way,” Magomedov said via a Russian translator.

“When it comes to Bisping, yes, he is a motivation because he’s somebody who has went down this path already. He’s laid down the path and he set an example for me, so it’s much easier to follow somebody’s path as opposed to wander around in the dark. I think the way he is a motivator for me and for other people is he said that everything is possible. The most important thing is not to let your hands down and keep on going forward and keep on chasing your dream and then it’s possible.”

Magomedov joined the UFC in 2023 with plenty of buzz, having competed in both MMA and kickboxing, and entered the octagon with an 11-0 record before defeating his first three opponents for the promotion. Following a decision win over Michal Oleksiejczuk this past August, Magomedov made a curious callout of Nick Diaz, a 41-year-old fan favorite currently scheduled to fight Vicente Luque at UFC 310.

He explained his reasoning behind the matchup suggestion and also addressed the possibility of fighting two-division fighter Kevin Holland.

“When it comes to Nick Diaz, that was kind of a shot in the air,” Magomedov said. “He’s not on a level, he’s not ready to compete for title fights and things like that, so he’s not where it needs to be.

“When it comes to Kevin Holland, I think I’ll get to him one day. I think that I will do whatever I have to do to get to his level and to fight him, and I think we’ll see who’s tougher. I think we’ll do a lot of damage for each other and whoever’s bones are stronger, he’s going to be the one standing last.”

If Magomedov is to continue his climb up the middleweight charts, he has to get past Petrosyan, a clever kickboxer that has proven to be a tough out in the division. Magomedov has trained with Petrosyan in the past so he knows him well, but that doesn’t mean he knows what to expect on fight night.

“To be honest, it’s not like I’m preparing some things inside my head that I’m going to come out with and I’m going to show and I’m going to do,” Magomedov said. “I don’t even know what’s going to happen. I think any spark that happens, any kind of flash that happens inside the octagon is very exciting. I don’t even know really what to expect from myself, so I think that’s the interesting part is that anything can happen on the night of.”

ABU DHABI – Shara Magomedov sees a path to a UFC title thanks to Michael Bisping.

Magomedov (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC), a rising UFC middleweight, has taken a lot of inspiration from Bisping, who won a UFC title while fighting with basically one eye. Magomedov, who also lives with vision impairment, has proof that such a thing can be done thanks to Bisping and hopes to follow his footsteps.

“When it comes to Bisping, yeah, he’s a motivation because he’s somebody who went down this path already,” Magomedov said at the UFC 308 media day on Wednesday. “He laid down the path, and he set an example for me. It’s much easier to follow somebody’s path as opposed to wander around in the dark. He’s a motivation for me and other people. He said anything is possible, not to let your hands down, and keep on going forward and keep on chasing your dream.”

Magomedov returns to the cage this Saturday in the opening bout of the UFC 308 pay-per-view – which goes down at Etihad Arena. Magomedov has trained and sparred with Petrosyan (9-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in the past.

He feels comfortable fighting with one eye and in no way is concerned that Petrosyan, or any of his future opponents, will try to take advantage of his limited vision.

“I think it’s a little different because I have 19 fights in my career, and every opponent has tried to take advantage of that, and it didn’t go their way,”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

While Dana White may not be in support of Donald Cerrone returning to the UFC octagon Paige VanZant is the complete opposite.

Cerrone recently announced he’s ending his MMA retirement and hopes to get two more bouts in the UFC — to get his UFC/WEC total to 50 promotional appearances. VanZant has known Cerrone for well over a decade, and looking at the landscape, and options for potential opponents, VanZant says she’ll be tuning in for any fight “Cowboy” is involved in.”

“Oh, absolutely, he’s ‘Cowboy,’” VanZant told MMA Fighting. “One, he will forever be a draw, be a trailblazer, one of the greatest of all-time. I think there’s some incredible matchups for him in the UFC. As a fan of his, and knowing him as a person, it’s extremely exciting.”

VanZant is preparing to make her second appearance for Power Slap Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi during UFC 308 fight week. “12 Gauge” faces Chelsea Dodson at the event as she looks to improve her Slap record to 2-0 following a unanimous decision win in her debut in June.

If the last name Dodson seems familiar, that’s because it is, as she is the wife of multi-time UFC title challenger, and current BKFC flyweight champion John Dodson. Coincidentally enough, VanZant was always a fan of Dodson in the cage and ring, and their paths have crossed in a friendly way many times — including when they first met visiting Cerrone.

While VanZant has had many great interactions with Dodson, she isn’t sure if she’s met his wife prior to their Power Slap bout.

“No, I don’t think so,” VanZant said. “I was such a fan of John’s in the UFC. I went and trained at Donald Cerrone’s house, on his ranch, when I was 18 years old, and I was fortunate enough to train at [Jackson-Wink], and [John] was there. He couldn’t have been more friendly and nice. I think I just talked to him in passing.

“Of course, being in the UFC world, and now the BKFC world, it’s just a cool experience to see these worlds colliding.”