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Colby Covington targets Jack Della Maddalena fight, future matchups with Shavkat Rakhmonov, Paddy Pimblett

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Colby Covington targets Jack Della Maddalena fight, future matchups with Shavkat Rakhmonov, Paddy Pimblett

Colby Covington sees plenty of big fights ahead when he returns to action.

December will mark a year since Covington’s most recent fight, a loss to then-welterweight champion Leon Edwards in the main event of UFC 296. Since then, Covington has been relatively quiet, though he has spent much of 2024 campaigning for President Donald Trump. With Trump once again having been elected to office, Covington is free to focus on his own career.

And he already has a few names in mind, including top welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena.

“We’ve been talking about this fight with Jack Della Maddalena,” Covington told Submission Radio (transcription via Denis Shkuratov). “I think it makes a lot of sense. He got a big win in my hometown in Miami last time he was out here so he has a little bit of a name out here. He’s undefeated. He’s hungry. He’s fearless. He’s an exciting fighter.

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“I think that’s a fight that the fans would be intrigued with. I think it’s a high-level fight. It’s a top contender fight that establishes who’s the next contender for the belt.”

Della Maddalena is one of the hottest names at 170 pounds, with seven straight wins to kick off his UFC career. Overall, he has won 17 straight fights after beginning his pro career 0-2. This past March, the Australian slugger defeated one-time UFC title challenger defeated one-time UFC title challenger Gilbert Burns by third-round knockout and he currently stands at No. 4 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.

While Covington is eager to climb back up the charts, he’s also entertaining grudge matches. One fighter who Covington has gone back and forth with in the media is lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett. If Pimblett wants to jump up in weight, Covington is eager to slap him back down.

“He’d never fight again,” Covington said. “It’d be the last fight that he’d ever have in the Octagon. I would beat him silly from pillar to post. I’d beat him so bad it’d be one of the worst beatings in UFC history. I don’t think the athletic commission would be able to sanction a fight for him ever again after the damage I would do to Paddy f*cking Pimblett. The guy’s an absolute joke and it’s just hilarious because last time I saw him on Fight Week, he’s walking down, literally walked by me, like, three times. Every time he puts his head straight down, doesn’t make any eye contact, but now he wants to talk a big game. So Paddy, if you’re really about that life, come see me. Come see the ‘King of Miami.’

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“Call [UFC executive] Hunter [Campbell]. You know what? You probably don’t even have the boss’s number. You probably have to go through, like, the matchmakers or something. Don’t worry, I’ll put in a call to the boss. We can get this fight going if you’re really about that. And you know what? More importantly, you don’t got to cut weight. I know you’re a big guy. You’re bigger than me anyways. So come up to welterweight, eat as much food as you want, and bring your A-game and pack a lunch because it’s going to be the last time you ever fight again.”

Long term, Covington still believes he can fight for UFC gold. Though Covington’s performance against Edwards was forgettable, he was previously part of two entertaining title fights with Kamaru Usman, and the urge to prove himself against the best remains.

He’s eager to fight undefeated welterweight Shavkat Rakhmonov, who is looking for a dance partner now after UFC champion Belal Muhammad was forced to withdraw from their UFC 310 main event meeting due to a toe infection. If Rakhmonov finds a new opponent for the Dec. 7 card, regardless of the result, Covington wants a piece of him.

“I think I can walk him down and pressure him and he’s not going to like my pressure,” Covington said of the Rakhmonov matchup. “He doesn’t do very well with southpaws. We saw how he did with the busboy, Geoff Neal, that was a very competitive fight. He hasn’t really fought a top, top contender yet. He’s fought some gatekeepers in the division, some some guys right on the cusp of the top 10, but he’s never fought a champion like me and a guy who’s just going to come at him for for five straight rounds and just walk him down.

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“So I think I match up well with him. He stands very tall. I don’t know, I don’t see anything special with him. You know, he has some good submissions, he’s slick, but that’s when he can control the wrestling. He’s not going to control the wrestling on me. I think I can beat him pretty easily and I think it’s a favorable fight. It’s a fight that I want in the future whether he wins or loses in December.”

Watch Covington’s interview with Submission Radio below.

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Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson broadcast team revealed for special Netflix boxing event

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Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson broadcast team revealed for special Netflix boxing event

The broadcast team calling the fights for the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson card has finally been revealed ahead of the event airing on Netflix on Nov. 15 from AT&T Stadium just outside Dallas.

Leading the commentary and handling play-by-play duties is veteran broadcaster Mauro Ranallo, who has called dozens of championship fights during his career dating back to his days working with PRIDE Fighting Championships.

Ranallo is joined in the broadcast booth by former multi-division boxing champion and former Tyson opponent Roy Jones Jr. The third person in the broadcast booth is actually actress Rosie Perez, who has often talked about her passion for boxing and now she’ll get to call one of the most talked about fights of the year.

Kate Scott, a veteran broadcaster from CBS, is set to host the event during the broadcast with retired boxing champion Andre Ward providing analysis from the booth before and after fights.

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Sean Wheelock joins the broadcast as the rules and scoring expert with Sibley Scoles and Ariel Helwani reporting from inside the arena. Tyson’s son Amir Tyson is actually serving as the in-arena reporter alongside Scoles during the preliminary fights on the card.

Kody Mommaerts, who currently serves as the announcer for BOXXER and BYB Extreme Fighting, is handling the in-ring announcer duties for the card.

The broadcast team lineup was first revealed by Variety.

The main card airs exclusively on Netflix for no additional cost to subscribers with the broadcast starting at 8 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 15. The preliminary card kicks off at 5:30 p.m. ET

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Here’s the full card for Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson

MAIN CARD

MAIN EVENT: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson

Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor

Mario Barrios vs. Abel Ramos

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Neeraj Goyat vs. Whindersson Nunes

PRELIMS

Shadasia Green vs. Melinda Watpool

Lucas Bahdi vs. Armando Casamonica

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Bruce Carrington Jr. vs. Dana Coolwell

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Republic of Ireland: Heimir Hallgrimsson hopes Shane Duffy will bring ‘leadership and steel’

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Republic of Ireland: Heimir Hallgrimsson hopes Shane Duffy will bring 'leadership and steel'


Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson hopes experienced defender Shane Duffy will bring “steel and leadership” after being recalled to the squad for the forthcoming Nations League matches against Finland and England.

The 32-year-old central defender has been included in a 23-man group for the Group B2 fixtures against the Finns at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 14 November and the trip to Wembley three days later.

The Norwich City player’s only appearance for the Republic in the past 12 months came in a 2-1 friendly victory over Hungary in June under then interim head coach John O’Shea.

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His impressive club form in the Championship has seen him regain a place in the squad and his international boss believes the 61-times capped defender can bring some qualities that the Irish side was missing in their win over Finland and defeat in Greece in the last international window in October.

“I wanted to see the upcoming exciting younger centre-backs so in the beginning we went for younger players but I felt – especially last camp and before – there were some areas we can improve,” said Hallgrimsson.

“For example, we lost a lot of duels, especially against Greece in the first half, and his leadership, his character will probably help us in that area.

“It’s good to see what he brings in and I hope they will be the attributes he will come in with, with leadership, a little bit more steel and winning duels, especially set-pieces, etc.

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If the dollars make sense, Jones vs. Ngannou could happen

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If the dollars make sense, Jones vs. Ngannou could happen

Daniel Cormier doesn’t rule out the possibility of Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou happening.

If you ask UFC CEO Dana White, he’ll tell you there’s zero chance of that becoming a reality. White recently went off Ngannou, and their relationship appears to be as soured as ever.

Heavyweight champion Jones (27-1 MMA, 21-1 UFC) makes his first title defense against Stipe Miocic in the UFC 309 headliner Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden. Both him and his coaches have hinted at retirement after the fight.

But Jones’ coach Greg Jackson said a big paycheck could make Jones stick around. A matchup with PFL heavyweight superfights champ Ngannou (17-3) could definitely deliver that, and if there’s one man that could make it happen, Cormier says it’s Turki Alalshikh.

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“If Turki and Francis and Jon can make these dollars make sense, why wouldn’t they do it?” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “I’m not sitting up here saying it’s going to happen because Dana does not like Francis. That is a massive problem – massive problem.

“But hell, when in the world do you put that above business? I don’t know that he will. He’s one of the smartest, sharpest businessman you’ve ever met. If the dollars make sense, the fight could potentially happen.”

Ngannou and his team seem to think a fight with Jones could happen. Despite the UFC being heavily against cross promotion, Cormier says sharing the same broadcast partner definitely makes things easier.

“If Francis is to be believed, and Francis has had these conversations, we’re now entering a world where multiple partnerships already are established in this realm,” Cormier continued. “ESPN UFC, ESPN PFL, Riyadh Season UFC – ladies and gentleman, maybe, just maybe, we get that fight.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 309.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Between the Links: Max Holloway to 155, Shavkat Rakhmonov shoots shot, Brandon Moreno shines

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Between the Links: Max Holloway to 155, Shavkat Rakhmonov shoots shot, Brandon Moreno shines

After getting knocked out for the first time in his career in the main event of UFC 308 by Ilia Topuria, Max Holloway’s featherweight career appears to be over for good, as he recently confirmed he’ll be making the move to the UFC lightweight division. Is it the right move for the current “BMF” champion?

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, the panel reacts to Holloway’s full-time lightweight jump, discuss who he could face next at 155, and if a third meeting with Dustin Poirier is the fight to make. Additionally, topics include Brandon Moreno’s sensational performance at UFC Edmonton and what’s next for the former two-time champ, other standout moments from this past Saturday’s card, Rakhmonov wanting a fight with Kamaru Usman for the interim welterweight title at UFC 310, if the UFC should just wait for Belal Muhammad to heal up, UFC Vegas 100 this Saturday headlined by Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates, and much more.

Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee and Eurosport’s Marcel Dorff.

Watch the show live at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT in the video above.

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If you missed the show live, you can still watch above, or listen to the podcast version, which can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods.

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2024 NFL odds: Joe Burrow best bet for Offensive Player of the Year

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2024 NFL odds: Joe Burrow best bet for Offensive Player of the Year


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As the calendar flips to November, we come down the stretch for the back nine of the NFL season. 

Last week, we only saw one underdog win outright, as the Panthers beat the Saints. The chalk prevailed, after an early-season flurry of upsets. 

The signature performance of Week 9 was the Lions’ statement win in Green Bay. Detroit led the Packers 24-3 late in the game before a couple of late scores made it a 24-14 final — a score that did not reflect just how in control the Lions were from start to finish. 

With only one loss — a fluky, early-season defeat at home to the Bucs — the Lions not only look like the best team in the NFC but perhaps the best team in all the NFL. 

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In the AFC, the Chiefs remained unbeaten, while the Ravens steamrolled a solid Broncos defense, as a rematch of last year’s AFC title game seems more and more possible every week. 

Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff all entered last week with single-digit odds to win the MVP. All four players led their teams to wins, leaving the odds fairly static, aside from a small tick up for Jackson (+250) and Goff (+600). 

While I don’t see a great bet in that market, there is another award bet that got my attention.

Joe Burrow To Win Offensive Player of the Year 100-1 (FanDuel)

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Joe Burrow is quietly having an outstanding season, perhaps flying under the radar because of the team’s lackluster start to the year. 

But the team has played better as of late and is still around even money to make the playoffs. 

The MVP is typically reserved for quarterbacks who lead their team to 12 wins or more and capture a top-two seed. Burrow won’t fit that criteria in all likelihood, but is it possible he gets Offensive Player Of the Year? 

Does Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson need a win more in Week 10?

This award has not gone to a quarterback in several years but did get handed out to a QB three times in a four-year stretch from 2105 to 2018. Burrow is heading into Thursday night’s game against the Ravens having already thrown 20 touchdowns and only four interceptions, giving him a realistic chance to throw for 40 touchdowns or more. 

To put that in perspective, Jackson won MVP last year with 24 TDs the entire season, Mahomes won it the year prior with 41, while Rodgers threw 37 TDs in his 2021 MVP season. 

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Burrow might not have enough team success to win the MVP, but at 100-1, with his gaudy statistics, a long shot bet on him to win Offensive Player of the Year is an interesting and perhaps lucrative bet to make. 

Will Hill, a contributor on the Bears Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.

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Colby Covington reveals he offered to fight Rakhamonov at UFC 310

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Colby Covington reveals he offered to fight Rakhamonov at UFC 310

Colby Covington says he threw his name in the hat to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310.

Rakhmonov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) was scheduled to challenge welterweight champion Belal Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) in the Dec. 7 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but Muhammad withdrew due to a bone infection in his foot.

Former multiple-time title challenger Covington (17-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) revealed that he offered to step in vs. Rakhmonov, but the UFC was working on something else.

“I offered. I told the UFC that I was willing to step up to the plate,” Covington told Submission Radio. “I would love to save the show and put on a good show for the fans. They pay their hard-earned money for big, megafights. They need a megafight. That’s not a mega fight. They need someone who is going to put asses in seats and entertain people, so I was excited. I wanted the fight, and I asked for it but I think they have other plans.”

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Covington is confident he’d be a bad matchup for unbeaten Rakhmonov, who boasts a 100 percent finish rate.

“I can walk him down and pressure him, and he’s not going to like my pressure,” Covington said. “He doesn’t do very well with southpaws. We saw how he did with the busboy, Geoff Neal. That was a very competitive fight. He hasn’t fought a top, top contender yet. He’s fought some gatekeepers of the division, some guys on the cusp of the top 10, but he’s never fought a champion like me – a guy who’s going to come at him for five straight rounds and just walk him down.

“I match up well. He stands very tall. I don’t see anything special with him. He has some good submissions. He’s slick, but that’s when he can control the wrestling. He’s not going to control the wrestling on me, so I think I can beat him pretty easily, and I think it’s a favorable fight, and it’s a fight that I want in the future whether he wins or loses in December.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

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Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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