EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Brendson Ribeiro beat Caio Machado with a split decision Saturday on the main card at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Take a look inside the fight with Ribeiro, who snapped a two-fight skid and won by decision for the first time in his career.

Brendson Ribeiro def. Caio Machado

Brendson Ribeiro

Result: Brendson Ribeiro def. Caio Machado via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Updated records: Ribeiro (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC), Machado (8-4-1 MMA, 0-3 UFC)
Key stats: Machado outstruck Ribeiro 79-49 in a fight contested entirely on the feet and at distance.

Ribeiro on the fight’s key moment

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Brendson Ribeiro (blue gloves) fights Caio Machado (red gloves) in a light heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

“I knew it was going to be a tough fight and it was going to be a war. We knew it was going to happen. We talked about this – there’s going to be a tough fight, but it doesn’t matter. We’re frustrated sometimes because we don’t get the knockout, but it doesn’t matter how we get the win. I knew that my arm was the one to be raised.”

Ribeiro on his 0-2 UFC start

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Brendson Ribeiro (blue gloves) fights Caio Machado (red gloves) in a light heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

“(I had) no terror whatsoever. I didn’t feel any (pressure). I knew we were going to make it happen. I work so hard, but in my other fights in the UFC, they were just minor adjustments that prevented me from a win. I just needed to make these adjustments. We put a lot of work, even on on the on the mental side. There’s no pressure. I knew that all those adjustments, all we needed to do is just make those minor adjustments to come out with the win.”

Ribeiro on what he wants next

“I’m a fighter. I want to fight as soon as possible. I have another challenge coming – no, no, not a challenge. I’m getting married on the 4th of January to my future wife. Love you – I love you. So it is a beautiful moment in my life, very important step in my life.”

To hear more from Ribeiro, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw has declined his $10 million player option with the Los Angeles Dodgers, electing to become a free agent.

The MLB Players Association listed Kershaw as a free agent in a statement released on Monday. The left-hander is still expected to re-sign with the Dodgers, his only big league team during his 17-year career.

 [Related: Check out our rankings of the top 2025 MLB free agents]

The 36-year-old was hurt for much of last season, finishing with a 2-2 record and a 4.50 ERA over seven starts.

The Dodgers did exercise a $5 million option for infielder Miguel Rojas and a $3.5 million option for catcher Austin Barnes. Barnes is the second-longest tenured Dodgers player behind Kershaw, playing 10 seasons.

The 35-year-old Rojas just finished one of the best seasons of his 11-year career, batting .283 with six homers and 36 RBIs. Barnes hit .264 with one homer and 11 RBIs.

Dodgers win World Series, Is Los Angeles a dynasty? | First Things First

Los Angeles also extended a $21.05 million qualifying offer to slugger Teoscar Hernández, who hit a career-high 33 homers. Players have until 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 19 to accept.

If Hernández does, he will be under contract with the Dodgers for another season. If he declines and signs elsewhere, his new team must forfeit at least one draft pick and Los Angeles will receive at least one draft pick as compensation.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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Two days later, Erin Blanchfield is wearing the biggest fight of her career.

Despite the bumps and bruises and ballooning foot, Blanchfield (13-2 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is overall content with her UFC Fight Night 246 unanimous decision victory over Rose Namajunas (13-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC) that she thinks moved her one step away from a title shot.

“I was happy I stuck to the game plan me and my coaches had,” Blanchfield told MMA Junkie on Monday. “I was trying to be more patient and find my strikes and find my takedowns. The last round, we just tried to come out harder and really push the pace on her. She was maybe used to that little slower rhythm that I was showing that I haven’t really done before. I was really happy with how I executed that.”

Blanchfield admittedly got off to a slow start, but she’s proud of how she successfully adjusted to win the final three rounds and ultimately the fight.

“I think she was super sharp the first two rounds,” Blanchfield said. “I really needed to find my rhythm. I guess I was struggling to find my rhythm a little bit. I was trying to play a little bit of a different game than maybe what I’m used to. But I didn’t want to run into anything. Like, with my previous fight, I feel like I ran into a lot of strikes, and my takedowns were pretty obvious. I really wanted to change that. I think I was finding my rhythm better in the third round and then was able to get that takedown. It’s kind of a balance of being patient but then knowing when to go. I think I kind of found that in the third round.”

After the fight, Blanchfield had a name ready to call out for her next UFC appearance. She respectfully proposed a fight vs. former champion Alexa Grasso (16-4-1 MMA, 8-4-1 UFC), who is not currently booked.

Grasso held gold for a significant portion of Blanchfield’s rise up the divisional ladder. Because of that, Blanchfield has kept a close eye on the Mexican fighter. From a stylistic standpoint, Blanchfield selfishly likes what she sees.

“I really like that matchup because she’s another former champ,” Blanchfield said. “I just have two former champs on my record now that I’ve won (against). She doesn’t have a fight lined up right now. I just won my fight. I know beating her puts me right in line for a title shot next. I think there would be no argument that, after whoever the winner of Manon and Valentina is, I should get the next shot at after beating someone like Alexa. That’s ultimately why I called her out.”

“… With Alexa, I obviously feel like my ground game is significantly better, and I feel like I can really find a finish there. It’s another opportunity to test my striking, as well. She’s a great boxer, too, just like Rose is. I feel like it’d be a good challenge everywhere. I feel like I can find my finish.”

While champion Valentina Shevchenko’s next move is not known (though top contender Manon Fiorot is waiting in the wings), Blanchfield firmly hypothesized the Grasso fight will be for a title shot should it take place.

“One thousand percent,” Blanchfield said. “I think the winner of me and Alexa gets the next title shot.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Inter Milan and Barcelona eye move for Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez, Arsenal target Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Manchester United face battle to sign Sporting’s Geovany Quenda.

Inter Milan and Barcelona are plotting a swoop for Chelsea and Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez, 23, whose future at Stamford Bridge looks increasingly unclear. (Sun), external

Arsenal have identified Newcastle forward Alexander Isak, 25, as their top transfer target, although the Magpies would demand a fee of about £100m for the Sweden international. (Teamtalk), external

Manchester United are keen on Sporting winger Geovany Quenda, 17, with the Portugal Under-21 international also interesting Manchester City, Liverpool and Juventus. (Teamtalk), external

Sacked Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag did not want to buy Netherlands forward Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna in the summer and was furious when the £36.5m signing arrived for training a stone overweight. (Sun), external

Tottenham are interested in Netherlands midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, 26, but do not think they will be able to prise him away from AC Milan in January. (Football Insider), external

Chelsea will not consider selling defender Benoit Badiashile, 23, with the France defender considered part of their long-term plans. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Nottingham Forest would like to take Bayern Munich winger Mathys Tel, 19, on loan but the France Under-21 international has no plans of leaving Bavaria this winter. (Sky Germany), external

Former Chelsea and Everton boss Frank Lampard has emerged as a surprise candidate to take over from under-pressure manager Ivan Juric if Roma decide to part ways with the Croat. (Gazzetta dello Sport – in Italian), external

Tottenham are to trigger a one-year option on the contract of 32-year-old South Korea forward Son Heung-min. (Telegraph – subscription required), external

Manchester United will give new head coach Ruben Amorim a say before making contract decisions on players approaching the end of their deals. (ESPN), external

Aston Villa are close to agreeing a bumper new contract with English forward Morgan Rogers, 22. (Football Insider), external

Edu is set to take up a role with the network of clubs controlled by the Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis after resigning as Arsenal’s sporting director. (Times – subscription required), external

Justin Herbert has knocked Jim Harbaugh down a peg, at least in terms of toughness. 

The Los Angeles Chargers head coach, who played in the league for 14 seasons, used to believe he was the toughest quarterback in NFL history. After spending roughly half a season around Herbert, though, Harbaugh has a new answer.

“There’s nobody tougher,” Harbaugh said of Herbert on Monday’s “The Herd.” 

“There’s my own personal ranking, and it’s my right to have my own personal ranking. So I’m going to preface this with that: It’s not anybody else’s, it’s mine,” Harbaugh explained. “But I’ve always considered myself the toughest quarterback in the history of the National Football League. Being around Justin Herbert, I have moved to No. 2 in the rankings. Justin Herbert is the toughest quarterback in the history of the National Football League.”

Herbert’s displayed toughness for much of his five-year NFL career. The Chargers quarterback has played through numerous ailments, such as a broken finger in 2023 and fractured rib cartilage in 2022. He also played while dealing with an ankle sprain earlier in the 2024 season. 

Jim Harbaugh: Justin Herbert is the ‘toughest QB in the history of the NFL’

Harbaugh measured Herbert’s toughness in another way. 

“It’s become, like, Hack-a-Shaq. Remember, remember the old Shaq days and they just hacked him? [Herbert is] so big and he’s so tough to get on the ground. The ball’s thrown and it could be the ball’s 10 yards downfield and there’s still somebody trying to wrestle and grapple him to the ground. He gets hit when he goes out of bounds. He gets hit in the head. He gets facemasked during the play. It’s incredible.”

For much of his career, Herbert has been among the best quarterbacks at avoiding sacks when pressured. His pressure-to-sack rate was below 16% in each of his first four seasons, per Pro Football Focus, which ranked near the top of the league’s starters. This year, his pressure-to-sack-rate has increased to 22.8%, which is more in the middle of the pack among regular starting quarterbacks. 

Harbaugh thinks Herbert’s grit goes beyond the field. 

“I just don’t have enough adjectives to describe what being around this young man is like and just how fortunate we are as an organization to have him as our quarterback,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve all heard of people that make a lot of money, and money makes people complacent. Not Justin Herbert. He was right back in here. I know where to find him. 6:30, 7:30 in the morning on an off day, he’s right down there in the weight room, or getting extra film work. Never comes in disheveled, never sleepy. 

“He’s like a jackhammer, just always attacking.”

That “jackhammer” mentality has helped the Chargers get off to a good start. They improved to 5-3 following their 27-10 win over the Cleveland Browns as they hope to make the postseason.

But Los Angeles is winning in a way that it hasn’t throughout much of Herbert’s career. The Chargers haven’t had to rely on their quarterback to throw a few dozen times to win games, with Herbert throwing fewer than 35 passes in each of their five wins. As a result, Herbert’s volume stats have taken a hit this season. He’s 21st in the NFL in passing yards (1,725) and tied for 15th in passing touchdowns (10) through Week 9. 

Still, there are some other metrics where he’s among the best in the league. He’s 10th in the league in passer rating (101.6), eighth in yards per attempt (7.7) and first in touchdown-to-interceptions ratio (10:1). 

Harbaugh believes Herbert’s name belongs with the best of the best at the position. 

“There’s nobody better, there’s nobody,” Harbaugh said. “Lamar [Jackson] is playing really good, and I think those two are playing at a really high level right now, and some others. But I don’t think anybody’s playing better than Justin Herbert is. 

“It’s a love and an admiration that we have for Justin. He’s incredible in everything that he does. We could spend the whole show talking about him, but it just hits me like this: Every day when we go out there to practice, we’re around greatness. This is, this is what greatness looks like.” 

Even though Harbaugh is only eight games into his partnership with Herbert, he already knows that there’s no one else he wants under center. 

“God willing and the creek don’t rise, this will be the only quarterback I ever coach again.”

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