Paddy Pimblett sees two potential options for his UFC return date.
Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) entered the UFC’s top 15 lightweight rankings with a first-round submission of King Green at UFC 304 in July. He earned a $200,000 Performance of the Night bonus for his finish.
“The Baddy” has his eyes on Renato Moicano (19-5-1 MMA, 11-5 UFC), who meets Benoit Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 243 (ESPN+) headliner at Accor Arena in Paris.
Pimblett and Moicano have gone back-and-forth on multiple occasions, and men have expressed interest in fighting each other. Speaking while in attendance for Cage Warriors 178 this past Saturday to support his Next Generation MMA teammates, Pimblett provided an update on what’s next.
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“I have no idea at the minute,” Pimblett said in an interview with Cage Warriors. “I think the only card that I could possibly fight on is December again in Vegas, but nothing’s been said at the minute. I know Moicano’s fighting (this) week, can’t see him coming back soon enough for December, so could end up being next year, early next year.”
After competing three times in 2022, Pimblett has only fought twice since then – a lopsided decision win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 in December 2023, and the finish of Green in July.
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Anyone plugged into the Motherwell social media algorithm might be accustomed to the odd bit of Martinez content appearing on their feed.
During the festive period in 2018, he was pictured with one of the chefs at the Moorings Hotel. In 2021, an image circulated of him watching local boys club Motherwell Phoenix train.
“It’s not everyday Roberto Martinez turns up and watches your training session and takes a genuine interest,” they tweeted, external at the time.
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The Spaniard was in the midst of a six-year tenure as Belgium boss at that point.
Under Martinez, Belgium celebrated three straight years as Fifa’s top-ranked nation, but he was unable to guide a star-studded team to a major honour.
He did, however, lead them to a World Cup semi-final in 2018 and the last eight of Euro 2020. He lost to the eventual tournament winners on both occasions – France and Italy.
Those six years with Belgium came after guiding Swansea back to the second tier of English football, winning the FA Cup with Wigan and securing a fifth-placed finish at Everton.
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But it was nine months in Motherwell that shaped Martinez. It was where he met his future wife, with whom he has raised two children.
There was no romance on the pitch, though. The former midfielder failed to live up to the hype after arriving from Wigan in 2001.
Sixteen appearances, just eight of which were starts, then redundancy – along with 18 other players – when the Fir Park club went into administration.
“Motherwell was a very good experience because it wasn’t a good experience,” he recalled.
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“As a manager it has helped me immensely. Being able to understand a dressing room undergoing administration was at the time very hurtful, but it has made me the manager I am now.
“As a whole I really enjoyed Scottish football. It wasn’t a success from a personal point of view at the time, but it has become one of the biggest footballing lessons in my development as a manager.”
Point spread: Broncos -1 (Broncos favored to win by more than 1 point, otherwise Saints cover) Moneyline: Broncos -110 favorites to win(bet $10 to win $19.09 total); Saints -110 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $19.09 total) Total scoring Over/Under: 37 points scored by both teams combined
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Point spread: Bills -8 (Bills favored to win by more than 8 points, otherwise Titans cover) Moneyline: Bills -470 favorites to win(bet $10 to win $12.13 total); Titans +360 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $46 total) Total scoring Over/Under: 43 points scored by both teams combined
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Point spread: Steelers -1 (Steelers favored to win by more than 1 point, otherwise Jets cover) Moneyline: Steelers -120 favorites to win(bet $10 to win $18.33 total); Jets +100 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $20 total) Total scoring Over/Under: 36.5 points scored by both teams combined
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Point spread: Chargers -2.5 (Chargers favored to win by more than 2.5 points, otherwise Cardinals cover) Moneyline: Chargers -135 favorites to win(bet $10 to win $17.41 total); Cardinals +114 underdogs to win (bet $10 to win $21.40e total) Total scoring Over/Under: 43 points scored by both teams combined
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Bellamy, who was appointed in July, has said he would have selected Allen for his first squad in September had he been fit – but the need for the midfielder has been emphasised by the absence of Ampadu, James and Ramsey.
This is a long-standing issue for Wales, who have lacked depth in central midfield for years, particularly since Euro 2016 squad members such as Joe Ledley, Andy King and Dave Edwards retired.
Ampadu and James are now the first-choice pairing but, with those two unavailable due to injury and suspension respectively, Bellamy’s only recognised central midfielders available to face Montenegro are Allen, his Swansea team-mate Ollie Cooper and Josh Sheehan, who plays for Bolton Wanderers in League One.
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“We are light in the number six area, and that’s through all the age groups,” said Bellamy.
“If you gave me a look at squad planning when I first came into this, that’s why attacking I could double up. In one or two areas we don’t quite have [that depth].
“We are a nation that sometimes we have to be creative in what we do and sometimes that adds to your strengths. We’ve seen bigger nations than ours really struggle in that area [midfield].
“It’s a really important area for how we play. We just have to get on with it. I’m looking forward to seeing how one or two others get on in that position. They deserve it.”
Lamine Yamal will miss Spain’s Nations League game with Serbia on Tuesday to prevent any further injury after suffering a muscle strain.
Barcelona’s Yamal hobbled off in injury time during Spain’s 1-0 win over Denmark on Saturday.
The 17-year-old had an MRI scan on Sunday and will return to his club after withdrawing from Spain’s camp.
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“The tests did not reveal any structural injury, and the medical staff of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed it is a case of muscle strain,” said Spain in a statement on Sunday.
“Prioritising the player’s health and to avoid any risk of injury ahead of the upcoming match against Serbia, it has been decided to withdraw him from the squad.”
Yamal was on the receiving end of several tough tackles in the victory over Denmark and, following the game, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said the teenager cannot expect a “bed of roses” playing at the highest level.
“The referee has to protect these talented players, but Lamine has to get used to it,” said De la Fuente.
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“Lamine displayed an exceptional attitude and generated a lot for us from the right flank. He has a special talent. I had a teammate who used to say: ‘What do you want, kisses [from the opponents]?’
“Teams will use the weapons they can within the rules.”
Yamal has been replaced in the squad by Atletico Madrid’s Rodrigo Riquelme.
When asked by FOX NFL Sunday studio analyst Howie Long after the game if the Lions are the best among the eight teams he has seen in person this season, Brady did not hesitate.
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“Absolutely,” Brady said. “I just think their ability to play on offense — there’s so many styles to play. They’ve got this two-headed monster [David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs] at [running] back, creative play-calling. Everybody’s involved. They got [wide receiver Kalif] Raymond involved.
“Gibbs played, he played pretty well today, but at the same time, it wasn’t this electric performance that we’ve seen from him. They got [Amon-Ra] St Brown, [Sam] LaPorta. They just have weapons, and obviously it all starts with that offensive line. The way they dominate the line of scrimmage, you can get any pass rush, Goff is back there surveying the field. They just seem like they got everything rolling. And on defense, they’re up there challenging people. They’re playing man coverage, challenging every single play. And it’s frustrating when you’re a quarterback and there’s no easy throws out there.
“They’re going to be tough to stop. I think they’ve got a lot of humility in that locker room. They got a lot of guys that are playing for one another. … Man, the Lions are a tough team to beat.”
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Brady also holds a special affinity for Goff. The two have much in common beyond just their shared history at quarterback, as they both grew up in Northern California and spent impactful parts of their careers in Michigan — Brady in college with the Wolverines and Goff currently with the Lions after an up-and-down stint with the Los Angeles Rams to start his career.
Tom Brady says Lions are the best team he’s seen this year after dominant win vs. Cowboys
“I went through a very similar experience — I was a California kid, I went to the Midwest, to Michigan,” Brady told Kevin Burkhardt during the game broadcast. “And that fan base, in Michigan, they love football. And they’re supporting Goff in the same way that I felt supported when I was at Michigan. It toughened me up, made me a better player. And when I see Goff out there, I love the chip on his shoulder. I hope he never loses that because that resilience, determination, is so critical to long-term success.”
Things are very different for football fans in Dallas, however. Brady has been on the call for all three of the Cowboys’ home games, and in each one, Dallas has fallen behind by more than 20 points and ultimately failed to come away with the victory. Two of those losses, including on Sunday, have come in blowout fashion.
“I think that the number one issue is their ability to run the football,” Brady said. “And I said early in the [broadcast] that maybe the best way to do it is throw the ball early and then open the run game up, because you’ve done a good job spreading the field, and now they’ve got to play pass defense.
“And I think they’ve tried to start these games trying to be balanced, but the problem is, when they’re not producing in the run game, a quarter-and-a-half into the game, they’re down 14. They’re down 17. Now they are one-dimensional, and the other team has made them one-dimensional. I would like to see them start the game a little more pass-happy, a little more pass-oriented, try to get a lead. They actually had a decent drive here to start the game, settled for a field goal, then they turn the ball over on their next red-area possession. But that was more of the right idea.”
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