Max Holloway has created a significant legacy for himself in the featherweight division, but it appears the final visual of him in the weight class he helped build will be a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria.

In the aftermath of his first stoppage loss due to strikes in the UFC 308 headliner this month, Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) teased he was going to move up to the lightweight division permanently. He’s competed there twice under the UFC banner in the past, losing a thrilling decision to Dustin Poirier in 2019 then scoring an all-time knockout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 in April.

After taking time to reflect on the loss to Topuria and where it puts him in his career, Holloway has made the decision to say farewell to featherweight and focus all his efforts on making a run at 155 pounds.

“This is like my phoenix moment, from the ashes we’re reborn,” Holloway said Saturday on his YouTube channel. “We’re on to bigger, better stuff and walking through a new door and starting a new chapter. I’m a big believer in never say never, and the big question now is, ‘Was that your last fight at 145?’ You guys saw me touch upon it in the press conference, and I can honestly say I think I’m done with 145. Your boy is only getting older. I turn 33. This cut – no excuses. This cut was easy, bro. Shout out to my wife. They helped make this cut really easy, but it takes a tole cutting weight, period. No matter what weight you are.

“I had to give up ramen for my ’45 camps. So I’m done with that. I don’t ever want to give up ramen again. 155, here we come and 155 is where I want to stay. This is a new chapter. This is where we start. This is where we begin. I cannot wait. Like I said, never say never. But I can honestly look you guys in the eye and tell you guys I’m probably not ever going back to ’45. I love what I did. I did what I did. I did what I had to do there. I worked my way back, I clawed my back to the championship fight multiple times there. I was a champion. I defended at that weight. Now it’s time to move on to the next chapter, and 155 there’s a bunch of fun fights that I cannot wait to take.”

Holloway expressed excitement to dive into a physical transformation of moving up. He admitted he never was able to fully commit to it in his previous divisional appearances because he knew there were still featherweight fights in his future, but that’s no longer the case.

“When I do make the return it’s going to be at 155 and we’re there to stay,” Holloway said. “Even the version of myself you saw at 155 against Gaethje is not the full version. We had the idea of going back to ’45 because I wanted that world title. I can’t wait for the future. If you thought that version of myself against Gaethje at 300 was good – I can’t wait to get in the lab with my coaches and put some size on.”

Holloway said he is targeting a summer 2025 return to competition, and is open to all options. He could defend the BMF title, take marquee contender fight or go another direction. It’s too soon for Holloway to start naming opponents given his plans for time off, but he knows there will be plenty of solid possibilities on the table for his return.

“If I got to choose a timeline, International Fight Week,” Holloway said. “I would love to be back on the Ninth Island in Las Vegas. Huge card is International Fight Week. I don’t know who is going to be available at that time. With me being ranked at ’55 is great. Hopefully I can fight somebody in front of me, get a big win and who knows? Might be knocking on the door of a title fight at 155.”

Mike Malott and Trevin Giles meet Saturday in the main card opener of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 1-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 90-85-3

Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 preview

Malott (10-2-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) returns for his second fight of 2024, looking to erase the sting of a frustrating loss to Neil Magny in January. The result was the Dana White’s Contender Series veteran’s first loss in the UFC. Malott won his first three fights in the promotion. … Giles (16-6 MMA, 7-6 UFC) has never lost three in a row, and enters his second fight of the year on a two-fight skid. Prior to being finished by Gabriel Bonfim and Carlos Prates, Giles picked up a pair of decisions over Louis Cosce and Preston Parsons.

Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction

Despite having guaranteed, high-level action fights like Victor Henry vs. Charles Jourdain on the prelims, the UFC matchmakers decided to kick off the main card with a welterweight matchup between Malott and Giles.

In the matchmakers’ defense, whenever they disrespectfully go against Joe Silva’s tried and true method of booking lighter-weight men’s divisions to set proper entertainment tones, they at least pick welterweight or middleweight fights that have a high potential for finishes.

From a stylistic perspective, there are potential finishing points across the board in this fight between Malott and Giles.

Giles is the more experienced of the two, but he is also the type of fighter who can surprise you with how good he looks until spontaneously combusting at the hands of an opponent.

Whereas Malott, who can find finishes out of nowhere, is also not beyond going from cruise control to internal combustion in the blink of an eye.

Still, even though you can argue either party is untrustworthy, I can’t help but pick Malott to rise to the occasion in this spot.

The pick is Malott to score a club-and-sub in Round 2.

Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 odds

The oddsmakers and the public favor the Canadian fighter, listing Malott -310 and Giles +240 via FanDuel.

Mike Malott vs. Trevin Giles UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch

As the main card opening bout, Malott and Giles are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:05 p.m. ET (5:05 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.

Marc-Andre Barriault and Dustin Stoltzfus meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 1-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 90-85-3

Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 246 preview

Barriault (16-8 MMA, 5-7 UFC) will look to get back on the winning track after dropping his last two outings. Prior to a split decision loss against Chris Curtis and a first-round finish by Joe Pyfer, Barriault won back-to-back fights against Julian Marquez and Eryk Anders. … Stoltzfus (15-6 MMA, 2-5 UFC) will also look to return to the win column in Edmonton. The Pennsylvania native struggled to gain momentum since joining the UFC in 2020, only recording two wins in seven appearances.

Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction

God forbid we have a main card without a middleweight fight on it, as Barriault vs. Stoltzfus appears to be the bout to scratch the UFC matchmaker’s itch this week.

Barriault, to his credit, is a fairly dependable action fighter whose durability and output tend to bring out the dog in his opposition. Stoltzfus, on the other hand, is a hit-or-miss overachiever who continues to make efforts to improve each time out.

I believe Stoltzfus will have an edge if this hits the floor, but I’m not sure his wrestling is reliable enough to get in there.

Add in the fact that Stoltzfus is making a fast turnaround on what was a vicious knockout loss last June, and I can’t help but side with Barriault in this spot.

This fight probably goes to a decision more often than not, but I’ll take Barriault to force a stoppage via strikes by Round 3.

Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 246 odds

The oddsmakers and public favor the Canadian fighter, listing Barriault -198 and Stoltzfus +166 via FanDuel.

Marc-Andre Barriault vs. Dustin Stoltzfus UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch

Barriault and Stoltzfus are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:35 p.m. ET (5:35 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.

Gerrit Cole exercised his opt out from his New York Yankees contract, giving the team two days to void the opt out by adding a $36 million salary for 2029, a person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press.

Three days after the Yankees lost the World Series, New York said Saturday it declined first baseman Anthony Rizzo‘s $17 million option in favor of a $6 million buyout, making the first baseman a free agent.

Cole’s decision, which was expected, was conveyed by a person who spoke on condition of anonymity because it was not publicly announced. Cole would give up $144 million in the four remaining seasons of his $324 million, nine-year contract.

A 34-year-old right-hander, Cole won the 2023 AL Cy Young Award. His 2024 season didn’t start until June 19 because of nerve irritation and edema in his right elbow. The six-time All-Star went 8-5 with a 3.41 ERA in 17 starts, then was 1-0 with a 2.17 ERA in five postseason starts.

A three-time All-Star, the 35-year-old Rizzo hit .228 with eight homers and 35 RBIs over 92 games in an injury-interrupted season.

Rizzo missed 62 games with a fractured right forearm after colliding with Boston reliever Brennan Bernardino on June 16. He batted .380 (8 for 21) after returning from the injured list on Sept. 1, then fractured the fourth and fifth fingers when hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh’s Ryan Borucki on Sept. 28.

He returned for the AL Championship Series and World Series and batted .267 with no RBIs.

A 2016 World Series champion with the Chicago Cubs, Rizzo has a .261 career average with 303 homers and 965 RBIs in 14 major league seasons. He was traded from Chicago to the Yankees in July 2021.

He stayed with the Yankees for a $32 million, two-year deal, then agreed in November 2022 to a $40 million, two-year contract.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Pedro Munhoz has shared the octagon with former and future champions, Hall of Famers and rising prospects, and he isn’t bothered by a potential role as the bantamweight’s gatekeeper just weeks away from his 38th birthday.

“The Young Punisher” will make his 22nd walk to the UFC cage this weekend to face Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Edmonton, looking to snap the Canadian’s four-fight winning streak in enemy territory, and said that being put in a position as the one to separate unranked from the elite “does not bother me because this is my work and I love doing this.”

“I know my last five fights had the no-contest with Sean O’Malley, one win and three losses, but this is the UFC,” Munhoz said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “The UFC isn’t an organization where an athlete… I won’t say [protect], but some athletes and even their managers try to promote and find the right fights, and that’s something that’s never happened with me. I always went there inside the shark tank. The UFC likes the way I perform. I still feel the fire to continue competing, and this is something I think about every single day as I felt for my first fight.”

Munhoz entered the UFC in 2014, facing top-ranked Raphael Assuncao in his debut, and has beaten the likes of Cody Garbrandt, Rob Font, Bryan Caraway and Jimmie Rivera throughout his career, and six of his nine UFC losses came against men that have held or competed for UFC titles across three divisions. Munhoz signed a new UFC deal after losing to Marlon Vera, and looks to rebound from a recent decision defeat to Kyler Phillips.

“The goal is always to finish the fight, especially the way I fight, but knowing how experienced I am, I’m always ready for a three-round war,” Munhoz said. “I fought Chris Gutierrez when he was on an eight-fight [unbeaten] streak, a knockout over Frankie Edgar, and I beat him. The fact that my opponent is on a roll doesn’t bother me because I have the experience. I know I’m on the final run of my career but I was never one to pick and choose fights.”

Munhoz admitted, however, he would much rather face big-name opponents than athletes like Zahabi, who would present higher risk with low reward.

“I wanted to rematch with Dominick [Cruz],” Munhoz said. “I almost knocked him out twice in the first round — he said himself he had no recollection of the fight for days —, so I think we could do that rematch. Or even Henry Cejudo, a fellow veteran of the UFC, but the UFC offered me this fight [against Zahabi]. I was training every day in the gym and I love showing I can compete at the highest level against up-and-comers or legends, so I have no problem fighting anyone. I’m game.”

Ciao Machado and Brendson Ribeiro meet Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. 

Last event: 1-4
UFC main cards, 2024: 90-85-3

Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 preview

Machado (8-3-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) makes a move to light heavyweight after losing his first two fights in the UFC at heavyweight. The Dana White’s Contender Series veteran dropped unanimous decisions to Mick Parkin and Don’Tale Mayes, and will now hunt for his first UFC win in a new weight class. … Ribeiro (15-7 MMA, 0-2 UFC) is also in search of his first win in the promotion. Another DWCS veteran, Ribeiro was finished by Mingyang Zhang in his debut, followed by a majority decision loss against Magomed Gadzhiyasulov.

Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 expert pick, prediction

Filling out the main card in Edmonton is a battle between two light heavyweights on losing skids, Machado and Ribeiro.

Despite having a trio of exciting bantamweight fights featuring local talent on the prelims to pick from, the UFC matchmakers are back to drowning us with lower-level big guys on the main cards.

Although Machado received a harsh grade from me in his Contender Series contest, the Brazil-born Canadian showed some quiet improvements in what were two competitive losses on the scorecards.

Whereas Ribeiro, who received a solid grade due to the nature of having a fast finish, has since shown a lack of depth and suspect staying power in his game.

This fight could go several ways, but I sadly see it as a slower, drawn-out affair that favors the southpaw Machado.

The official pick is Machado by decision.

Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 odds

The oddsmakers and public are favoring the older fighter, listing Machado -148 and Ribeiro +126 via FanDuel.

Ciao Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro UFC Fight Night 246 start time, how to watch

Machado and Ribeiro are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 9:35 p.m. ET (6:35 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.