Cody Stamann sees UFC Fight Night 247 as a potential do-or-die situation.

Stamann (21-7-1 MMA, 7-6-1 UFC) will look to snap a two-fight losing skid when he takes on Da’Mon Blackshear (14-7-1 MMA, 2-3-1 UFC) Nov. 9 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Heading into the final fight of his UFC contract, 34-year-old Stamann aims to make a big impression against Blackshear.

“Every fight is the most important fight of your life,” Stamann told MMA Junkie Radio. “I approach every fight the same way, but this one has a lot of extra, I guess, pressure connected to it. (It’s the) last fight on my UFC contract. I’m in a situation where I need to win – I’m not going to sugarcoat it. I have to go out and win. My career depends on it, and I know that. I think that motivates me and scares the living crap out of me because I know if I don’t perform on that night, who knows?

“I may need to look for a job, and I like my job, and I want to keep it. So I’m 100 percent mentally and physically preparing myself to get into a war, and just having that willingness, ability and gas tank to no matter where this fight ends up, just get the job done. I don’t care about my body, I don’t care about my health, I’m going in there with no plans of anything in the future. It’s come back with your shield or on it type of situation for me.”

This isn’t the first time Stamann has had his back against the wall. He was on a three-fight losing skid a few years ago, but says his willingness to fight anyone at anytime is what has contributed to his longevity in the UFC.

“I’ve been in this situation before,” Stamann said. “And I think my saving grace in this situation is the fact that the UFC knows very well – I mean, look at the guys I’ve fought. It’s like killer after killer after killer. They know for a fact that when they ring my line, it doesn’t matter if it’s six weeks, two weeks, one week, four days – it doesn’t matter. The answer is yes, and I just want to know how much I have to weigh.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 247.

THE FA CUP is rolling on at pace with the first round proper fixtures currently underway.

And that means we won’t have long until the second round draw!

2

Sides from League One and League Two are entering the competition in the first round proper as the road to Wembley begins.

Northampton Town are hosting Kettering Town in a huge derby.

While MK Dons are taking on AFC Wimbledon.

The lowest ranked team in the first round is Hednesford Town, who are currently 14th in the Northern Premier League Division One West.

The Pitmen take on Gainsborough Trinity and will be number 12 in the second round draw should they pull off the shock.

The second round proper ties will be played between Friday 29 November and Monday 2 December.

FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALS

When is the FA Cup second round draw?

The FA Cup second round draw is taking place on Sunday, November 3.

The draw will be broadcast during BBC’s first round highlights show on BBC Two, and is expected at 7.45pm.

Kelly Somers will be hosting, with Emile Heskey and Leon Osman conducting the draw.

How can I watch the FA Cup second round draw?

The FA Cup second round draw will be televised on BBC Two during the BBC’s first round highlights show.

It will also be available to be live streamed for FREE on the FA Cup’s YouTube page and across the FA Cup’s social channels.

2

Advertisement

What are the ball numbers?

1. Rotherham United or Cheltenham Town
2. Barrow or Doncaster Rovers
3. Worthing or Morecambe
4. Boreham Wood or Leyton Orient
5. Exeter City or Barnet
6. Carlisle United or Wigan Athletic
7. Tamworth or Huddersfield Town
8. Brackley Town or Braintree Town
9. Curzon Ashton or Mansfield Town
10. Wycombe Wanderers or York City
11. Bradford City or Aldershot Town
12. Hednesford Town or Gainsborough Trinity
13. Burton Albion or Scarborough Athletic
14. Tranmere Rovers or Oldham Athletic
15. Rochdale or Bromley
16. Walsall or Bolton Wanderers
17. Grimsby Town or Wealdstone
18. Bristol Rovers or Weston Super Mare
19. Milton Keynes Dons or AFC Wimbledon
20. Solihull Moors or Maidstone United
21. Stockport County or Forest Green Rovers
22. Reading or Fleetwood Town
23. Stevenage or Guiseley
24. Northampton Town or Kettering Town
25. Rushall Olympic or Accrington Stanley
26. Swindon Town or Colchester United
27. Salford City or Shrewsbury Town
28. Crewe Alexandra or Dagenham & Redbridge
29. Port Vale or Barnsley
30. Chesham United or Lincoln City
31. Chesterfield or Horsham
32. Southend United or Charlton Athletic
33. Notts County or Alfreton Town
34. Maidenhead United or Crawley Town
35. Harrogate Town or Wrexham
36. Woking or Cambridge United
37. Gillingham or Blackpool
38. Tonbridge Angels or Harborough Town
39. Sutton United or Birmingham City
40. Newport County or Peterborough United

Fresh on the heels of UFC 308, UFC Edmonton takes place this Saturday with a double-header of 125-pound action. In the co-main event, Erin Blanchfield takes on Rose Namajunas in a five-round women’s flyweight contest, while in the main event former men’s flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns to action against Amir Albazi.

On top of those matchups, there are 12 more fights on Saturday night, so let’s dive right into the breakdowns.

All odds are courtesy of our friends at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Single Plays

Brandon Moreno (-172)

Money has been coming in on Moreno all week and frankly, I see why. Though Moreno is currently on a two-fight losing streak, both were split decisions that many people believe he got a bad deal on. In a different universe, Moreno could easily still be the flyweight champion.

On the other side of things, Albazi has been out of action for nearly 18 months and Moreno is by far the best opponent he’s ever faced. Moreno is going to keep a high work rate, scramble out of takedowns, and put Albazi to a test he’s never seen. Ultimately, I think Albazi is a good but not great fighter, and so I like a bet on Moreno.

Erin Blanchfield (-140)

It’s no secret that I’ve been extremely high on Blanchfield since she joined the UFC, and even after suffering her first UFC defeat earlier this year, I’m still high on her.

Simply put, Blanchfield is very young and very raw, but she’s climbed as high as she has do to sheer physicality. Against a hoss like Manon Fiorot, Blanchfield finally found the limits of that physicality, but Namajunas is another kettle of fish. The former strawweight champion is obviously extremely skilled, but she’s undersized in this weight class and has never been a strong wrestler. I expect Blanchfield to have an easy time of things.

Pedro Munhoz (-102)

There are bets I like and then there are bets I like. This is the latter.

Munhoz takes on Aiemann Zahabi on the prelims this weekend and I think this is a y’all must’ve forgot moment. Sure Munhoz has only won two of his past nine fights, but look at the level of competition? Almost everyone Munhoz lost to is an elite fighter who either held a belt or fought for one. And while Munhoz lost, he was very competitive in those losses.

Now Munhoz gets Zahabi who is a big step back in competition, and who, frankly, I’ve never been sold on. Munhoz is going to outwork Zahabi in every phase on Saturday and so I love this action.

Jack Shore (+215)

Speaking of y’all must’ve forgot, where did the Jack Shore love go? Shore faces Youssef Zalal on the prelims and he’s one of the bigger underdogs on the card?

Sure, Shore lost two of his previous three fights, but the most recent one was not his fault; a cavernous gash opened up on his leg and the doctor called the fight. And Shore was competitive with Joanderson Brito before that happened.

Meanwhile, Zalal has already been cut from the UFC once and while he’s been lights out since returning, I’m still not sold on a big ceiling for the kid. His defensive wrestling is too poor and Shore can take advantage.

Prop Bets

Derrick Lewis by KO/TKO (+210)

Come on, y’all! We’re out here to have fun.

Lewis takes on former Glory kickboxer Jhonata Diniz on the main card Saturday and who really knows what to expect from this one. If it stays standing, Diniz certainly has the advantage but the UFC’s all-time leader in knockouts isn’t a pushover on the feet by any means. Moreover, Lewis also has a clear edge if he can get Diniz to the ground, where “The Black Beast” has nasty ground and pound. If this loses I won’t be surprised, but feels worth a stab given the price.

Mike Malott by KO/TKO or Submission (-140)

The last time we saw Malott he was well on his way to a UFC ranking until suffering one of the most stunning collapses I’ve ever witness. After putting the boots to Neil Magny for nearly 14 minutes, Malott simply imploded in the final minute of the bout and Magny pulled off a miracle comeback. Will Malott learn from that disaster? We’re about to find out.

Trevin Giles is a good-but-not-great fighter who is game enough to test Malott but defensively liable enough to get got. In fact, all six of his career losses have been by finish, which lines up nicely against Malott, who has only ever won via finish.

Wrap Up

We broke even at UFC 308 as our belief in the uncrackable chin of Max Holloway proved to be misguided. Hopefully we can do a little better this week as I feel really good about these bets and the lines are pretty tight. I guess we’ll see.

Until next week, enjoy the fights, good luck, and gamble responsibly!

All information in this article is provided to readers of MMA Fighting for entertainment, news, and amusement purposes only. It is the responsibility of the reader to learn and abide by online gambling laws in their region before placing any online sports betting wagers.

Formula 1 drivers have been caught up by the bumpiness of Interlagos’ new track surface, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri joking “seeing the end of the straight is the first objective” in Saturday’s sprint.

The historic Brazilian Grand Prix venue in Sao Paulo has been completely resurfaced for 2024, and while drivers agreed the new asphalt delivered more grip, they also felt it made the 4.3km loop a lot bumpier than it used to be

“I think everybody was thrown off a bit by just how bumpy the track was,” Piastri said after claiming a sprint pole ahead of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris.

“Seeing the end of the straight is the first objective. It’s bad, it’s really, really bumpy. And I think everyone’s had to change a lot of things on the car to make them somewhat comfortable.

“The grip is actually quite good, it’s just trying to keep all four wheels on the ground at once is not that easy.”

Piastri was not alone in his observations, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen also suffering aboard his Red Bull, which has been historically weaker over bumpy circuits.

“The car was a bit difficult on the bumps,” the world champion said after taking fourth on the sprint grid.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“They did the resurfacing, but they actually made it worse to drive. It’s extremely bumpy everywhere, so that’s not good for our cars.

“All the bumpy areas, the car is jumping around a lot, and it’s costing me quite a bit of lap time.”

The Mercedes drivers had a similar experience, with George Russell wondering “what happened” when they repaved it and Lewis Hamilton getting flashbacks to Mercedes’ bouncing-affected 2022 season.

“Yeah, the ride is pretty bad on the track, I think for everyone,” Hamilton said. “The track has been resurfaced, and they’ve not done a particularly great job. It’s bumpy for everyone.

“FP1 was like Baku 2022. It was a little bit better, in terms of it wasn’t hitting the deck so badly, so I wasn’t in pain or anything like that. But the thing is hopping through the corners, so it’s very hard to drive.”

It was a slow start to the game with the first meaningful chance coming in the 26th minute when Eamon Fyfe connected with Lee Chapman’s delivery into the box, but the forward was unable to keep his resulting header on target.

Just three minutes later the visitors had another good chance with Fyfe in action again when he travelled down the right flank and played the ball across for Paul McElroy, who had space but fired off-target.

Ballymena’s Josh Carson and Andrew Scott then tried their luck from range in quick succession with neither of the efforts testing Aaron McCarey.

Just after the restart Chapman travelled through midfield and to the edge of the box before firing narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

Carson then made two crucial blocks to stop Ryan Mayse’s corner before deflecting the forward’s strike away from goal moments later.

Carson was in action again when his free-kick hit the crossbar with the away side breaking the deadlock through the resulting counter-attack when Josh Ukek controlled the clearance on the left flank, travelled forward and slotted into the bottom corner.

Mayse added a quick second just three minutes later in similar fashion when Shay McCartan latched onto Lewis MacKinnon’s long pass and played the ball over the Ballymena defence for the substitute, whose powerful effort found the back of the net.

The goals weren’t done there with Mayse turning provider in the 86th minute when he charged down through midfield and crossed into the box for Fyfe, who fired past Sean O’Neill to secure Portadown’s first victory at the Ballymena Showgrounds since 2016.