Francis Ngannou, as has been the case since he left the UFC, has options.

“The Predator” made a successful return to MMA and a successful PFL debut with a first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira this past Saturday at the Battle of the Giants event in Saudi Arabia. That performance came in the wake of two massive boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, making Ngannou one of the most intriguing names in all of combat sports.

What’s next for Ngannou is anyone’s guess, but one name throwing his hat into the ring is Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven.

“I’ve been thinking about a crossover for quite some time now, so I love the idea,” Verhoeven said when Ngannou was suggested to him on The Ariel Helwani Show. “It’s a new challenge. Not that I’m done with challenges within Glory, but I’ve got an amazing win streak and title defense streak and earlier this year we won an amazing tournament but I’m open to new challenges. When we’re talking about the baddest on the planet, let’s find out who it is.”

Verhoeven has been one of the most dominant kickboxers of the past decade, having won 20 straight fights dating back to 2015, including 11 defenses of his Glory title. The 35-year-old Dutchman is currently scheduled for a championship rematch against Levi Rigters on Dec. 7.

Should Verhoeven be successful, he’ll be on the hunt for another marquee matchup and Ngannou more than fits the bill. They could meet under kickboxing or MMA rules, but Verhoeven has another suggestion in mind.

“There’s so many different flavors,” Verhoeven said. “It could be a home and away fight, a kickboxing and an MMA fight, which most likely ends up maybe 1-1. But a boxing match, that’s interesting, because that’s a way for both of us even though he’s been doing two boxing fights in the last year, but still it’s different and I’ve been boxing for quite some years as well. Not on a professional level, not in a ring, but been training with [Tyson Fury’s uncle] Peter Fury for years and years and he says, ‘You’re ready for it. Let any top-level boxer challenge you and let’s show what we got.’”

Verhoeven and Ngannou are familiar with each other, having spent time training together in the U.S., but both appear to be open to the potential matchup. In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ngannou smiled when the fight was suggested and said, “Send me the deal.”

A crossover fight built around mutual respect might not seem like box office gold at first glance, but Verhoeven thinks it’s a fight fans need to see.

“What I would like to say to [PFL] is just, hey, when we’re talking about baddest on the planet and we’re talking about crossover fights: This thing must happen,” Verhoeven said. “This must happen. It has to happen because we’ve been seeing throughout the last few years the most crazy fights and I think this is one of them that needs to be added to the list. So let’s make it happen.”

Challenge. Max Holloway wants Ilia Topuria to earn his “BMF” point-down moment.

Undefeated. Does Khamzat Chimaev’s invincible mindset give him the edge over Robert Whittaker?

Boast. Ilia Topuria doesn’t just think he can beat Islam Makhachev: He wants to make him submit.

Poetry. Conor McGregor didn’t mince words with his description of PFL champion Johnny Eblen’s latest title defense.

Apology. BKFC star Mike Perry comments on his recent DUI arrest and confrontation with police.

Rematch. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury brought the antics to the faceoff ahead of their December rematch.

UFC 308 Timeline.

UFC 308 media day brought to you by MMA Fighting’s José Youngs.

PFL boss Donn Davis addresses the people.

All love.

Catch up on the latest and greatest Invicta FC prospects.

Usyk vs. Fury 2 press conference.

No Bets Barred. Jed Meshew brings you the best bets for UFC 308.

Francis Ngannou.

BMF at work.

Fingers crossed.

Why, indeed.

BKFC video game?

Patchy Mix in grappling action this Saturday!

Tom Lawlor looking out for fighters.

Jake Hadley.

Ngannou vs. Verhoeven? That’s not bad, right?

While I think we’d all agree that seeing Ngannou stick with MMA would be great, especially if Donn Davis is able to work out deals with other promoters to set up something like, Ngannou vs. Malykhin or Ngannou vs. Reug Reug or (let me dream) Ngannou vs. Pudzianowski, we can also get a little more creative. Ngannou adding a kickboxing champion to his résumé. I’m down for it.

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.

What’s better than watching baseball? Watching baseball and winning money!

You can partake in the best of both worlds while watching the MLB World Series this weekend with our free-to-play FOX Super 6 game.

How do you play? Enter the MLB Playoff Super 6 contest by predicting the correct answers to six questions before the games start for your chance at weekly cash prizes. 

All you have to do is finish in the top six to win a prize.

It really is that simple, and again, it’s free.

And if you need a little help before heading to the app to make your picks, we have you covered this week.

Read below for our thoughts on the playoffs, which can be seen on FOX and the FOX Sports app. 

Let’s dive into the questions and predictions below.

1. Which player will hit the MOST HOME RUNS in the World Series?

Shohei Ohtani, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts

No player has hit more home runs in the postseason than Stanton with five. What’s even more impressive is that he’s hit those five in just nine games, compared to Betts who hit four and Ohtani who hit three— both playing 11 games each. Judge led all players in the regular season with 58, but has managed just two in the playoffs. This could be the series where he gets it going, but for now we like Stanton to continue his stellar play.

Prediction: Giancarlo Stanton

2. Which pitcher will have the MOST STRIKEOUTS in the World Series?

Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rondon, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Jack Flaherty

Rondon leads the postseason with 22 strikeouts, but he’s yet to face a lineup that has the offensive firepower of the Dodgers. Los Angeles is batting .251 as a team in the playoffs and launched 20 homers— the latter being seven more than the team with the next-most. For that reason, Flaherty seems like the appropriate pick here. He only has eight strikeouts this postseason, but averaged 6.93 strikeouts per game in the regular season— the ninth most of all pitchers with at least 20 games pitched this year.

Prediction: Jack Flaherty

3. Order these players by TOTAL BASES in GAME 4 of the World Series (highest to lowest):

Mookie Betts, Giancarlo Stanton, Juan Soto, Tommy Edman

Betts is second in the postseason in total bases at 29, and can get it done in so many different ways. He’s batting .295 in the playoffs and is one of five players with four home runs, and is also tied for the most doubles hit with four. Game 4 will take place in New York, so Stanton or Soto are smart picks here too, but it’s tough to pick against the 2018 AL MVP and two-time World Series champion.

Prediction: Mookie Betts

4. Which trio of players includes the 2024 World Series MVP?

Betts/T. Hernandez/Edman OR Judge/Soto/Stanton OR Ohtani/Freeman/Muncy OR None (another Dodger or Yankee wins MVP)

One of the three stars for the Yankees will surely win MVP, so long as the Yankees win it all. It’s going to be a close series, but New York has the offensive firepower to match Los Angeles along with a slightly better pitching staff.  

Prediction: Judge/Soto/Stanton

5. Which player will have the MOST RBI in the World Series?

Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, Aaron Judge

Ohtani has 10 RBI this postseason and recorded over 100 RBI in the regular season for the first time since 2021. He also leads the playoffs with six hits with runners in scoring position. The Dodgers will need him to continue this pace throughout the series.

Prediction: Shohei Ohtani

6. Who will win GAME 4 of the World Series?

Dodgers OR Yankees

This is the first time in a full season since 2013 that the two teams with the best records in each league will meet in the World Series. Additionally, there will be five former MVPs playing in this series (Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, Judge, Stanton) with another on the IL (Kershaw) for the first time in World Series history. This is truly anyone’s matchup to win, but with the first two games taking place in Los Angeles— the Yankees will have to take advantage of playing in New York in Games 3 and 4. 

Prediction: Yankees

Tiebreaker: What will be the final score?

Prediction: Yankees 3, Dodgers 2

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Threave manager Danny Dunglinson cannot hide his admiration for his player.

“It’s horrific what him and his family are going through,” Dunglinson said of the midfielder. “He’s only 19, so trying to get your head round what he’s going through is very hard.

“Seeing him on the pitch, you can’t quite believe he is experiencing what he’s experiencing. I don’t think he’s missed a training session.

“During games, he’s never once looked out of place or looked like he’s struggling. If anything, he looks like he’s getting better, which is staggering.”

Watson considers himself “lucky” to have scored in the first-round win, having promised Dunglinson that he would.

“The reaction when he scored was brilliant,” Dunglinson said. “The cheer was that extra bit louder, even though it was the last goal in a 6-1 win in the last minute.

“I think it meant a lot to his team-mates as well.”

Watson’s mother Amanda Woods said “there’s just no words” for the ordeal her son and their family are enduring.

“He’s an amazing human being and he copes with it all very well,” she said. “Which means I’ll cope with it well too.

“He is still playing his football. He’s a very driven and strong-minded young man and always has been.

“I would swap places in a heartbeat. There’s no question about it. We’ve got to keep each other going.

“Charlie’s never failed to make us proud of him. We’re so proud of him for everything and Friday’s just yet another.”

If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, visit BBC Action Line

ABU DHABI – The UFC 308 pre-fight press conference takes place Thursday, and you can watch a live stream of the event in the video above.

The press conference takes place at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, which also hosts Saturday’s fight card, which airs on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN+.

UFC 308 is built around a highly anticipated featherweight championship contest. Ilia Topuria puts gold on the line for the first time vs. former titleholder Max Holloway in the main event. And in the co-headliner, former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker clashes with undefeated Khamzat Chimaev (11-5 MMA, 7-3 UFC).

Here’s what you need to know about the UFC 308 press conference.

What time does the UFC 308 press conference start?

The UFC 307 press conference starts at 8:30 a.m. ET/5:30 a.m. PT, which is 4:30 p.m. local time in Abu Dhabi.

Who’s taking part in the UFC 308 press conference?

The 10 fighters scheduled for the main card bouts are slated to participate in the UFC 307 press conference: Topuria, Holloway, Whittaker, Chimaev, Lerone Murphy, Dan Ige, Magomed Ankalaev, Aleksandar Rakic, Shara Magomedov and Armen Petrosyan.

It’s unclear if UFC CEO Dana White will oversee the UFC 308 pre-fight press conference.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

John Fanta

College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter

Dan Hurley rolled into Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, fresh off the “Good Morning America” set in Times Square, as his car wash of media responsibilities continued throughout the day.

That’s life on college basketball’s mountaintop when you’re the king of the sport, having won 12 consecutive NCAA Tournament games by a combined 260 points and back-to-back national championships. 

But Hurley, donning a sharp gray suit with a fresh haircut, black leather shoes, and a pair of socks that read “Certified Pain in the Ass,” wasn’t shying away from what a media scrum of dozens and dozens of reporters desired to know: 

What about a three-peat? 

“It’s the elephant in the room,” Hurley said of the feat, which only John Wooden and his legendary UCLA teams accomplished when winning seven in a row from 1967-73. “You can’t hide from this opportunity. If we don’t win three in a row, what are people going to say? That you suck as a coach because you could only win two in a row? But we realize the magnitude of this. You have to be a champion at UConn to be remembered and celebrated.” 

Hurley is far from satisfied with the success his program has had over the past two seasons. In fact, when listening to Hurley and his players talk, it becomes abundantly clear that his approach heading into a new season has only intensified.

“If he has changed, he’s gotten a little crazier,” Huskies point guard Hassan Diarra said of Hurley.

Fellow starter and preseason All-Big East selection Alex Karaban pointed to Hurley’s intensity and desire to win reaching a new peak this offseason.

“Hurley wants another championship so badly, but he’s coaching us the same as he always has,” Karaban said. “The intensity has always been there. Now, it’s just leveling up.” 

At this time last season, the Huskies were picked to finish third in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, behind both Marquette and Creighton. The program responded by coasting to the conference regular-season and tournament crowns. Big East coaches were not going to make the same mistake two years in a row, as UConn was a unanimous pick to finish first in this year’s poll, receiving all possible 10 first-place votes and 100 points from the league’s head coaches, who were not permitted to vote for their own teams.

It could be easy for Hurley to get caught up in all the preseason hype. But instead, he was looking out for his players on Wednesday, as he was fired up about Karaban not being recognized as an Associated Press Preseason First-Team All-American.

“Alex does a s—ty job of drawing attention to himself,” Hurley said of his junior star, who has played a key role in the Huskies’ 68-11 record the last two seasons and will be looked at as the team’s leader heading into this year. “Maybe if he did more TikToks, he’d have solidified his All-American status. We value the wrong things in sports. We don’t value champions, but maybe that’s a societal issue.” 

Karaban plans to use his exclusion from the first-team All-America team as a source of motivation.

“My entire career, I’ve been snubbed throughout everything,” said Karaban, who averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last year. “But at the same time, I want to continue to prove everybody wrong, and that’s what’s gonna happen this year.”

It plays right into what Hurley refers to as a “pathological, sick and obsessive” hunger to win a third consecutive crown. 

But Hurley isn’t going to find much motivational material from other Big East programs this season, as the mutual respect among fellow coaches for UConn’s program couldn’t be higher. And how could it be after the Huskies’ 75-60 win over Purdue last April capped a run of six tournament victories by an average of over 23 points per game? 

“I think they’re so far above us right now, that’s not a goal of ours,” St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino said of UConn. “Comparing programs is not what gets you to where you want to be.” 

While those comparisons from the outside world in the rivalry-rich Big East aren’t going to go away, one thing was for certain on Wednesday: UConn is on top of the Big East, and the college basketball world.

Just as his socks said, Hurley enjoys running a program that’s been a total “pain in the ass” to every one of the Huskies’ opponents over the past two seasons.

That’s why Hurley is back in Storrs, Conneticut for another year – to embark on golden history.

John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him at @John_Fanta.

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UConn Huskies

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Robert Sanchez, Chelsea, keeper, £4.7m – home to Newcastle

Newcastle’s goals have really dried up, with just one in their past three games and star striker Alexander Isak is out of form.

Sanchez, meanwhile, has two double-digit hauls this season and can be relied on for a save point or two – he is averaging 4.5 saves per game.

Josko Gvardiol, Manchester City, defender, £6.1m – home to Southampton

City have just one clean in eight games this season, which is baffling when you consider they kept 13 in 2023-24.

Surely one comes against Saints, who only have six goals so far.

Gvardiol scored a cracker at Wolves last time out and he’s one of the best goalscoring options in defence if you can afford him.

Rico Lewis, Manchester City, defender, £4.8m – home to Southampton

Going all in on City’s defence this week. Lewis has started seven of City’s eight games this week so, famous last words, it seems as though he is a first-choice player for Pep Guardiola.

Lewis’ underlying stats are still strong. Against Wolves he had seven entries into the final third and five touches in the box – the third most among defenders behind Gvardiol (6) and Leicester’s James Justin (7).

Nathan Collins, Brentford, defender, £4.5m – home to Ipswich

Like Southampton, Ipswich have also scored just six this season and Brentford will fancy their first clean sheet of the season.

Collins has had four goal involvements this season, which is decent for a £4.5m defender.