Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers says he doubts “there’s anyone better in world football” at pressing defenders than Daizen Maeda.

The 26-year-old Japan forward was picked out for praise on Champions League Match of the Day by former team-mate Joe Hart for “setting the tone” during Wednesday’s 5-1 demolition of Slovan Bratislava.

And Rodgers knows his front players deserve a slice of credit for the concession of only two goals in seven matches – all victories – this season.

“That’s where the game starts,” he said. “I’ve seen reports in terms of the team doing very well, keeping clean sheets and the goalkeeper and the back four.

“It starts at the front. And I would doubt there’s anyone better in world football than Daizen Maeda in that context.”

By his own admission, UFC CEO Dana White has been talking about getting into the boxing game for a while.

Apart from dipping the UFC’s proverbial toes in the water with things like Zuffa Boxing and the backing of the sport and boxers like Callum Walsh on UFC Fight Pass, it’s been much ado about little.

But that may be changing.

At a Thursday pre-fight Q&A for Friday’s Walsh fight against Przemyslaw Runowski on Fight Pass, White said news is coming soon that will include, in some fashion, White and the UFC in the boxing world in an official capacity.

“There will be some big announcements soon,” White said. “If you know anything about me and you go back and look at anything that I’ve ever said, I never say anything that I don’t do – ever. I’ve never said (something I don’t do), and we’ve been kicking the whole boxing thing around for a long time. You’ve never heard me commit and say ‘I’m in.’ I’m in.”

In the past few years, White has pushed Power Slap alongside the UFC, and now a third official venture may soon enter the fray.

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner says their fine form at the end of last season meant “expectations were wrong” going into this campaign.

Palace won six of their last seven games of 2023-24, scoring 21 goals in that run. They ended up on 49 points, their best 38-game Premier League season.

But their only two wins this season have come in the Carabao Cup – against Championship sides Norwich and QPR – and they sit on two points from four games.

This is Glasner’s first full season in charge, having taken over in February.

Speaking before Saturday’s home game with Manchester United, the Austrian said: “The last seven games were great but the first 31 weren’t great – it doesn’t mean it continues like the last seven.

“The expectations were wrong because when you win two it doesn’t mean you win the next one, and when you lost two it doesn’t mean you lose the next one.

“After 31 rounds we were five points away from relegation. That is fact.

“We didn’t expect we win every game and play Champions League. When your highest number is 49 [points] you can’t expect 78.”

At the Joshua vs. Dubois weigh-ins, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois will step on the scale Friday in London, England.

Joshua and Dubois will compete in the heavyweight division, and they just have to weigh in over 200 pounds.

The Joshua vs. Dubois weigh-ins are expected to begin at 1 p.m. ET.

Get Joshua vs. Dubois weigh-in results below.

Fight Card (PPV.com at 11 a.m. ET)

Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois — IBF heavyweight title fight

Tyler Denny vs. Hamza Sheeraz — EBU European middleweight title fight

Anthony Cacace vs. Josh Warrington — IBF and IBO super featherweight title fight

Ishmael Davis vs. Josh Kelly — 12-round middleweight fight

Joshua Buatsi vs. Willy Hutchinson — WBO interim light heavyweight title fight

Mark Chamberlain vs. Josh Padley — 10-round lightweight fight

Mike Perry is nearing his return to bare-knuckle fighting.

Following a brief crossover to boxing for a showdown against Jake Paul back in July, Perry is being targeted for his next fight in BKFC at the promotion’s first event in Philadelphia in December. Pennsylvania just recently sanctioned bare-knuckle fighting and BKFC president David Feldman is wasting no time bring an event to his home state.

“It was like a kid in a candy store,” Feldman told MMA Fighting after getting word that Pennsylvania was sanctioning bare-knuckle fighting. “It was like I get to do this in my home state. We’re targeting a mid-December date for our first show. Huge show in a huge arena.

“It’s going to be great. Mike [Perry] and we’re talking to Eddie [Alvarez] about coming back for another fight. It’ll be a super, super stacked card. We actually have some current really good professional boxers that have been hitting us up. It’s going to be stacked. There’s no doubt in my mind we’ll sell every single seat in the biggest arena in Philly. No doubt in my mind.”

Perry last appeared in BKFC back in April when he dispatched UFC veteran Thiago Alves in just 60 seconds to move his bare-knuckle record to 5-0. He didn’t have as much luck going against Paul in the boxing ring with Perry suffering a sixth-round TKO loss but now he’s returning to BKFC where he’s arguably become the face of the entire promotion.

Feldman says he couldn’t imagine a better fit than bringing Perry to Philadelphia while teasing another big-named opponent for the upcoming fight.

“I’m working on Mike’s opponent right now,” Feldman said. “If I tie that up, I think everybody’s going to be like ‘oh shit, really? How did you do that?’ It’s going to be amazing. I’m targeting to be the biggest card we’ve ever done as the homecoming. Everybody’s excited about it.”

“Philly is a working-class city. Mike Perry is a working-class guy. He’ll fit in very well with the fans there. He’s that kind of guy. We’ll get Conor McGregor to come to the event and just take it over the top. It’s literally going to be unbelievable.”

Of course, McGregor became a part-owner in BKFC back in April and he’s made several appearances at recent events while drawing interest to the bare-knuckle fights.

The date for the Philadelphia card is currently targeted for either Dec. 13 or Dec. 14, and Feldman has another surprise in mind with a big football game taking place that same weekend.

“We’re targeting the weekend where the Eagles are playing the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Feldman said. “So we’re going to do some Pittsburgh versus Philly guys on the card, too, so that’s going to be great.

“That show’s going to be sick. It’s going to be unbelievable. It’s going to be the biggest moment of my professional career absolutely, that will be unbelievable.”

Team members are also expected to wear their black away kit, which pays tribute to the disaster.

Parkinson added: “Today we showed the lads, and it’s more for the new players, a short video to make sure everyone’s got a clear understanding of the poignancy of the weekend.”

The club remains determined to show their respects to those involved in the tragedy on September 22, 1934.

Co-owner Rob McElhenney has visited the mining wheel in Gresford and the Miners Rescue Station.

Both of Wrexham’s kits for the 2024-25 campaign include a pit wheel graphic and “266” on the nape in tribute to those who died in the disaster.

The game with Crawley comes just five days after Wrexham suffered their first loss of the League One campaign.

Parkinson’s side were beaten 3-1 by Birmingham City on Monday night, but remain at the summit of the third tier table after their opening six league fixtures.

“We’re not going to get too downbeat about the defeat, we’re going to learn from it and look forward to the weekend’s game,” added Parkinson.

“Crawley have had quite a lot of change in personnel, but they’ve recruited well and they look outside the box.

“It’s going to be one of those games like we’ve played before, we’ve got to make sure we give them the utmost respect, but be ready to impose ourselves on them as a team.”