Michael Chandler has left fans buzzing throughout his UFC career, and he doesn’t expect that to change at UFC 309.

Even if it means stealing the thunder from the Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic main event.

Chandler co-headlines the Nov. 16 show opposite rival Charles Oliveira, who defeated Chandler for a vacant lightweight title at UFC 262 in May 2021. Not only is Chandler looking for a measure of revenge, he’s also hoping to break the Madison Square Garden curse that goes back to his Bellator days.

“It’s OK, you can say it,” Chandler told New York Post Sports. “I’m 0-3 at Madison Square Garden, that’s OK, let’s just get that out of the way right now. Don’t be afraid to beat around the bush, I have never won inside of Madison Square Garden, so I’m deciding to change that this time.”

In his first fight at “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” Chandler lost his lightweight championship to Brent Primus after suffering a leg injury in the opening round. He defeated Primus in their rematch at Bellator 212 to regain the title.

Chandler then fought two more times at Madison Square Garden, going five brutal and bloody rounds with Justin Gaethje at UFC 268 and clashing with Dustin Poirier in another memorable brawl at UFC 281. He’s hoping to be part of another memorable performance, and he told Jones that he plans to overshadow Jones’ long-awaited heavyweight title defense against Miocic.

“I saw Jon Jones at UFC 306 at the Sphere, he said, ‘Hi,’ we took a picture together, the main and co-main, and he’s like, ‘Hey man, make sure you save some excitement for me because I’m the main event?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, probably not, man. I’m coming to steal the show.’

“I definitely thought about [my lack of success at Madison Square Garden), and it couldn’t have been scripted any better. To fight a guy, to beat a guy, who has now beaten me for the world title. I had one goal when I got into this sport, to be the No. 1 guy in the world. To be, widely regarded, unanimously, as the No. 1 guy in the world. Charles Oliveira stole that from me, beat me fair and square, but he stole that dream from me. Now I get the opportunity to right that wrong in my mind, show up a better fighter, get my hand raised, and then when I beat Charles Oliveira I am the highest ranked guy in the lightweight division not named Arman Tsarukyan or Islam Makhachev, who are fighting in most likely January people are talking about. So I’ll be cageside watching that fight, to watch who my next fight is, who I’m going to fight for the title.”

As for how he plans to beat Oliveira this time, he referred to a previous win he had over a former UFC champion at Bellator 165. On that November 2016 card, Chandler won a split decision over Benson Henderson, utilizing a strategy that might seem alien to fans who have only followed his UFC career.

Chandler has five rounds to work with at UFC 309, and he doubts Oliveira can keep up with him.

“With that same mindset, if I just put on a slow, steady pace, stay in his face, make him feel my presence, pick my shots, I can fight 25 minutes all day long,” Chandler said. “I can red line for 25 minutes, I’ve proven that numerous times, he’s never done that.

“I’m not going to ever say that Charles Oliveira is a quitter, like other people have. He’s shown that in the past, he’s quit here and there, but Charles Oliveira is a seasoned veteran. He’s a champion. He was a champion for years for a reason. He’s got a heart of gold and a heart of a champion, so I’m excited to go out there and fight 25 minutes. I hope I don’t. I I hope I don’t have to fight him for 25 minutes. I hope I get my hand raised within the first couple of rounds, but I’m prepared for it and I don’t know if he is.”

Earn This. Nate Diaz had a playful scrap with a fan after being asked to autograph a pair of gloves.

Free. Alexandr Romanov was victorious at UFC Edmonton, but now finds himself looking for a new contract.

Wanted. Former UFC fighter Bryan Caraway is a top target of the authorities for insurance fraud.

Magic. PFL’s Tom Breese indulged in some… unique supplements ahead of a fight with Rob Wilkinson.

RIP. One-time WEC title challenger Hiromitsu Miura died on Oct. 26.

T-Wrecks ranks ‘em.

Bryan Battle does the JAXXON podcast.

Biggest betting upsets in the UFC.

Free Stipe fight.

Fighter vs. Writer. MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin and UFC veteran Matt Brown discuss the what to make of Belal Muhammad’s injury, whether Shavkat Rakhmonov could face Kamaru Usman, whether Jon Jones has to fight Tom Aspinall after UFC 309, and more.

Believe You Me. Michael Bisping talks how to save UFC 310, plus Dustin Poirier’s BMF hopes, and praise for Brandon Moreno and Erin Blanchfield’s big UFC Edmonton wins.

Soon?

What a waste of cake.

High praise.

JoJo retrospective.

Sorry, eh.

Marathon man.

Elizeu Zaleski (24-8-1) vs. Zach Scroggin (7-0); UFC Vegas 100, Nov. 9

Jacqueline Cavalcanti (8-1) vs. Julia Avila (9-3); UFC Fight Night, Feb. 15

Ketlen Vieira (14-4) vs. Macy Chiasson (10-3); UFC Fight Night, Feb. 22

No matter how you feel about the election, please be kind to each other out there.

We’re all in this together.

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.

Given the call by Sevilla in the wake of their sacking of Argentine Jorge Sampaoli, Mendilibar answered and then some.

Within days, the Spaniard’s side had knocked Manchester Utd out of the Europa League quarter-finals, scoring two dramatic late goals to salvage a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford before winning the return in Andalusia 3-0.

They then squeezed past Juventus in the semis after extra time before going the distance in the final, beating Roma on penalties. It was an outcome that the then Roma manager, Jose Mourinho, insisted he would not recognise such was his frustration that Mendilibar had got his hands on the trophy and his belief that the outcome was unjust.

The honeymoon did not last long, though, and he was relieved of his duties just four months later after a poor start to the season.

Incredibly, 12 months on, he received another call, this time from Greece. Olympiakos needed a manager and Mendilibar accepted the challenge.

Within days, he was back in continental competition and guiding the Greek giants to their first European final.

He had to outfox continental specialist and countryman Unai Emery en route, beating his Aston Villa side in the Conference League semi-finals before creating more history as they overcame Fiorentina in the final in Athens.

This meant that Mendilibar followed Rafa Benitez in winning back-to-back European trophies with two different clubs.

However, perhaps more importantly, it meant a Greek club had won a European honour for the first time and ended a 13-year stranglehold by the big four leagues in an era when those competitions and teams are getting more and more powerful.

Only clubs from Spain, England, Italy and Germany had got their hands on the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League since Porto’s victory over Braga in the secondary tournament in Dublin in 2011. Until Olympiakos of course.

That success tempered the club’s domestic disappointment as they finished third in the Greek Super League behind champions PAOK, who won the title for just a fourth time, and neighbours AEK Athens.

RJ Young

FOX Sports National College Football Analyst

The first College Football Playoff rankings for the 2024 season were released Tuesday, and it’s the Oregon Ducks who were named the No. 1 team in the initial set of rankings.

This is the first time in program history that Oregon has been ranked No. 1 in any edition of the CFP rankings since its conception back in 2014. The Ducks’ highest ranking in a CFP reveal was back in 2014 when they were ranked No. 2 for five consecutive weeks.

Ohio State is ranked No. 2 in the first set of CFP rankings. Ryan Day’s team is 7-1 on the season, with its lone loss coming against top-ranked Oregon back in Week 7. The Buckeyes are coming off an impressive top-five win over Penn State this past weekend on the road. Georgia, also sitting at 7-1 with wins over Clemson and Texas, is ranked No. 3 in the CFP rankings, while undefeated Miami and its Heisman Trophy hopeful QB Cam Ward sit at No. 4 in the rankings.

So, while it’s Oregon, Georgia, Miami and BYU that will receive first-round byes in the projected bracket, my top takeaways from the committee’s initial reveal center around the following programs: Colorado, Indiana and Ohio State.

With that, here are my top takeaways from the first set of CFP rankings:

1. Colorado’s path to the CFP has emerged after seeing its name among the selection committee’s top 25 for the first time since 2016

The Buffs were ranked No. 20 in Tuesday’s CFP reveal, one spot behind Kansas State (19) and three spots behind Iowa State (17).

With Iowa State and Kansas State taking losses to Texas Tech and Houston, respectively, Colorado (6-2) moved into a tie for second place in the Big 12 standings with the Cyclones. That means Deion Sanders’ Buffs are not just bowl-eligible with a Heisman candidate leading the offense and defense in Travis Hunter, but they also find themselves on a path to the 12-team CFP.

With just one game left against a team with a winning record in Texas Tech (6-3) — Utah (4-4), Kansas (2-6) and Oklahoma State (3-6) — a win over the Red Raiders would be massive for the Buffs, who need Iowa State to lose to Kansas State on Nov. 30 and to win out in order to earn entry into the Big 12 title game.

If Colorado wins out, that would mark the first 10-win season the Buffs have secured since 2016 when they finished No. 10 in the Selection Sunday rankings — high enough to earn selection into a 12-team CFP in the four-team era.

2. Indiana is the most (un)likely CFP team, and it’s not close

BYU has won a national title. BYU has enjoyed a Heisman Trophy winner. BYU won 11 games just four years ago.

Indiana has never won any of those things, and, in November, this program has a chance to win 10 games for the first time in school history and earn a chance to play for the national title for the first time in history.

The Hoosiers are 9-0 for the first time and have achieved their highest ranking in the CFP era at No. 8 after having previously peaked at No. 11 in the Selection Sunday 2020 rankings. 

This Indiana team has won every game by 14 or more. In Big Ten play, they’ve won games by 29, 37 and 49 points. Two of those three wins have come on the road.

While both the AP and the College Football Playoff committee ranked the Hoosiers No. 8, I ranked this team at No. 6 in my latest College Football Playoff predictions because they have demonstrated they can play at the level Oregon and Ohio State have. Just look at a common opponent: Ohio State beat Michigan State 38-7. Oregon beat Michigan State 31-10. Indiana stomped a mud hole in Michigan State and walked it dry, 47-10.

Barring a disastrous loss for Indiana or Ohio State, that Nov. 23 matchup will define which of those programs is guaranteed selection come Dec. 4 when the CFP bracket is set.

3. Ohio State has the best seat at the CFP table

This is an opinion I’ve consistently voiced since the 12-team format was finalized. Think of it as the pinned comment on a YouTube channel or X page: The No. 5 seed is the best position in the CFP, and it’s not close. And right now, that team sitting in the No. 5 spot in the bracket is the Buckeyes.

As the No. 5 seed, you’re likely a conference title win away from the No. 1 or No. 2 seed, as we believe that team is likely to come out of the Big Ten or SEC. But even the conference champion would like to have the fifth seed, because that team gets to host the first home game in postseason history against the weakest team in the CFP field. With a win, the No. 5 seed then gets to play the weakest of the four highest-ranked conference champions.

That means, in this scenario, Ohio State would host Boise State at the Shoe. Then, the Buckeyes would play BYU at a neutral site. While the Cougars would have a bye, most believe Ohio State is the better team as the runner-up in one of the two super conferences. With a win, the Buckeyes would finally fight in their weight class, potentially setting up a matchup against Big Ten foe and No. 1-ranked Oregon. That game would also be played at a neutral site, without the Ducks getting the benefit of a week’s rest.

Play for the No. 5 seed.

Here is a look at the first set of CFP rankings for the 2024 college football season:

1. Oregon
2. Ohio State
3. Georgia 
4. Miami (Fla.) 
5. Texas  
6. Penn State 
7. Tennessee 
8. Indiana 
9. BYU
10. Notre Dame 
11. Alabama
12. Boise State
13. SMU
14. Texas A&M 
15. LSU
16. Ole Miss 
17. Iowa State
18. Pitt
19. Kansas State
20. Colorado
21. Washington State
22. Louisville
23. Clemson 
24. Missouri
25. Army

Now that the first set of CFP rankings are live, here is a look at what the projected bracket would look like:

1. Oregon: Bye (would then play the winner of 8. Tennessee vs. 9. Indiana)

2. Georgia: Bye (would then play the winner of 7. Penn State vs. 10. Notre Dame)

3. Miami: Bye (would then play the winner of 6. Texas vs. 11. Alabama)

4. BYU: Bye (would then play the winner of 5. Ohio State vs. 12. Boise State) 

5. Ohio State (Big Ten championship runner-up) vs. 12. Boise State (highest-ranked Group of 5 champion)

6. Texas (SEC championship runner-up) vs. 11. Alabama (one of the top-12 teams)

7. Penn State (one of the top-12 teams) vs. 10. Notre Dame (one of the top-12 teams)

8. Tennessee (one of the top-12 teams) vs. 9. Indiana (one of the top-12 teams)

First two teams out: 
13. SMU
14. Texas A&M 

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.

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“It’s gonna be a blockbuster! I don’t think Roy’s gonna come out too well in this film to be honest.”

Jason McAteer is looking forward to seeing Saipan at the cinema. After all, the former Liverpool midfielder is set to be portrayed in it.

However, the tale of the infamous bust-up between Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy at the 2002 World Cup is not a great memory for him.

Steve Coogan has been cast as Republic of Ireland manager McCarthy, with Éanna Hardwicke taking on the Keane role as they depict the fallout, which took place on the small Japanese island of Saipan and resulted in the captain leaving the camp.

McAteer, 53, first got wind of the project via a text from an actor friend in Ireland.

“It was a picture of this kid and he asked ‘do you think this guy can play you in a movie?” he told the BBC podcast, Sacked in the Morning. “Obviously it was Brad Pitt – I’m joking.

“He said they’re making a film about Saipan and I was like ‘shut up’. I asked was it a documentary and he went ‘no, it’s a big movie’.”

Manchester United midfielder Keane had angered the FA of Ireland by giving a newspaper interview in which he criticised training facilities, including a “rock hard” pitch and missing equipment.

McCarthy’s decision to send Keane home triggered a media frenzy and divided supporters.

“There was always tension between Roy and Mick,” McAteer remembered. “It went back from when they played together.

“When Mick was (Republic of Ireland) captain and Roy was a young kid, they clashed a number of times.

“Then Mick got the manager’s job and Roy became one of the best midfielders in the world, so it was always a difficult relationship.”

Week 9 is in the books, which means that the halfway point of the 2024 NFL season has arrived. 

To mark the occasion, “The Facility” and the “NFL on FOX Podcast” each handed out awards and superlatives for the first nine weeks of the season. Let’s take a look at who they picked as the winners for each of the major awards!

MVP

LeSean McCoy: Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Chase Daniel: Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
James Jones: Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Emmanuel Acho: Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff
NFL on FOX pod: Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson

McCoy: “This was a tough one because Pat is undefeated and Josh Allen’s playing elite. I’m going with Lamar Jackson. Winning those two MVPs was really hard to do, but [he’s] playing better than them MVP [seasons].”

Daniel: “This guy [Mahomes], he’s had his best two games the last two games. The Chiefs are heating up.”

Jones: “[Lamar] is the best player on the planet right now playing in the National Football League. The vote’s been in weeks ago.”

Acho: “This one, for me, was difficult. Jared Goff leads the league in completion percentage. Jared Goff has the best offense in football. Jared Goff has the best team in the NFC, one of the best teams in the NFL.”

David Helman: “Lamar Jackson, absolutely incredible start to this season. It’s easy for me to believe he repeats as MVP if he keeps this up.” 

Coach of the Year

LeSean McCoy: Kansas City Chiefs HC Andy Reid
Chase Daniel: Washington Commanders HC Dan Quinn
James Jones: Minnesota Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell
Emmanuel Acho: Washington Commanders HC Dan Quinn

McCoy: “Every year [Reid] wins over and over again, and we give him no acknowledgment because he’s a good coach? Well, that’s what the award’s for. He’s on pace for a three-peat.”

Daniel: “[Quinn] has given them hope. He’s the leader of that franchise. In just nine games, you have turned in the complete opposite direction of where your franchise was headed. It helps when you have Jayden Daniels.”

Jones: “Nobody in the world thought the Minnesota Vikings would look like the way the Minnesota Vikings look, especially with Sam Darnold. And kudos to Sam Darnold, because you are playing really good football. But that has a lot to do with the coach and the game he is calling for you.”

Acho: “For me, it’s simple. I trust this person to lead — not just a country, but an organization. I trust this person to galvanize troops. I trust this person, though they lagged as a head coach before … now they’re showing me they’re ready to take over: Dan Quinn.” 

Midseason surprise team

LeSean McCoy: Washington Commanders
Chase Daniel: Minnesota Vikings
James Jones: Arizona Cardinals
Emmanuel Acho: Washington Commanders

McCoy: “I didn’t expect a rookie quarterback to do all of this. You trade all these players last year and you still have a good season.”

Daniel: “I like the Vikings. Sam Darnold, Kevin O’Connell, the most important hire Kevin O’Connell made was Brian Flores. And that defense, that’s the reason why they only have two losses right now.”

Jones: “Where did we expect [the Cardinals] to be right now? Not first! They’re not really good on defense. Kyler Murray’s just making plays at the end of the games to win football games. They are 5-4 right now, No. 1 in the West. Put respect on the little man, Kyler Murray.”

Acho: “The Washington Commanders, they are the oldest team in football. How are they 7-2? Their division was supposed to be the toughest and they were supposed to be at the bottom of it.”

Patrick Mahomes, Jayden Daniels & Bears headline NFL midseason awards

Offensive Rookie of the Year

LeSean McCoy: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Chase Daniel: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
James Jones: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
Emmanuel Acho: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels
NFL on FOX Pod: Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels

Acho: “Jayden Daniels is the only thing that can bring us all four together.”

Helman: “It really feels like it’s what can Jayden do from here because it feels like Offensive Rookie of the Year is in the bag.” 

Biggest disappointment

LeSean McCoy: San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys
Chase Daniel: Chicago Bears
James Jones: New York Jets
Emmanuel Acho: Las Vegas Raiders HC Antonio Pierce

Daniel: “C’mon Bears, what are we doing? Even though they’re 4-4, the coaching has not been up to par. We need to get better. Everything they’ve done to build up this team and to surround Caleb Williams with stuff has been a disappointment.”

Acho: “Nobody has broken more hearts, nobody has made more incompetent decisions on a week-in and week-out basis: Antonio Pierce.”

Other awards

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Los Angeles Rams EDGE Jared Verse

Helman: “It feels like the obvious winner of this award so far is Jared Verse.”

Comeback Player of the Year: Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins

Helman: “If the Jets pull it together, not saying they will, but Aaron Rodgers is not playing poorly considering that he’s coming off the same injury.”

Defensive Player of the Year: New York Giants DL Dexter Lawrence

Helman: “If you’re asking me to predict the winner, that’s not the point of this. Lawrence is a deserving midseason Defensive Player of the Year. If he keeps this up, he is a deserving winner and I hope people can look past that Giants’ record to recognize that.”

Offensive Player of the Year: Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry

Helman: “I think Derrick Henry is one of the defining stories in the NFL this year. I’d be really surprised if he tapers off. Passing game production can be finicky. Handing the ball off to Derrick Henry isn’t finicky.”

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