Reigning MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia cut Jorge Martin’s championship lead to 17 points with two races of the season remaining thanks to victory in the Thailand Grand Prix.
Italian Bagnaia, riding for Ducati, claimed his ninth win of the season in wet conditions at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram.
Pramac Racing’s Martin finished second and fellow Spaniard Pedro Acosta third for Tech 3.
Bagnaia, who slipped from pole to third at the start, regained the lead from Martin on lap five before the race developed into a duel between Bagnaia and six-time champion Marc Marquez.
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But Gresini’s Marquez slid off on the 14th of 26 laps and Bagnaia held off Martin to win by almost three seconds. Marquez remounted to finish 12th.
Martin and Bagnaia were second and third respectively in Saturday’s sprint race, which was won by Ducati’s Enea Bastianini.
The Malaysian GP takes place from 1-3 November and the Valencia GP from 15-17 November.
Check out the official scorecards from all 11 bouts at UFC 308 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
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Rinat Fakhretdinov def. Carlos Leal, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Ismail Naurdiev def. Bruno Silva, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Farid Basharat def. Victor Hugo, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Chris Barnett, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Geoff Neal def. Rafael dos Anjos, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Ibo Aslan def. Rafael Cerqueira, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Lerone Murphy def. Dan Ige, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Khamzat Chimaev def. Robert Whittaker, UFC 308 Scorecard
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Ilia Topuria def. Max Holloway, UFC 308 Scorecard
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UFC 308 takes place Saturday, and you can join us for live round-by-round coverage and official results beginning at 10 a.m. ET (7 a.m. PT). UFC 308 (pay-per-view, ESPN+) takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
In the headliner, featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) puts his title on the line for the first time when he takes on former champ Max Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC). In the co-feature, Khamzat Chimaev (13-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets former champ Robert Whittaker (27-7 MMA, 17-5 UFC) to determine the next top contender at middleweight.
Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results beginning at approximately 10 a.m. ET for the prelims on ESPN+ and 2 p.m. ET for the main card on pay-per-view.
Enjoy the fights, everyone.
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UFC 308 lineup
MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 2 p.m. ET)
Champ Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway – for featherweight title
Khamzat Chimaev vs. Robert Whittaker
Magomed Ankalaev vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Dan Ige vs. Lerone Murphy
Shara Magomedov vs. Armen Petrosyan
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 10 a.m. ET)
Ibo Aslan vs. Rafael Cerqueira
Rafael dos Anjos vs. Geoff Neal
Myktybek Orolbai vs. Mateusz Rebecki
Brunno Ferreira vs. Abus Magomedov
Chris Barnett vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Farid Basharat vs. Victor Hugo
Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Carlos Leal
Ismail Naurdiev vs. Bruno Silva
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
F1 returns to Mexico at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit, where fans will gather to celebrate the modern heroes of the sport. But in the roar of engines and the cheers of the crowd, the legacy of two renowned Mexican drivers — Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez — will echo loudest.
Even the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez was originally named the Autódromo Magdalena-Mixiuhca. Built in 1959, it quickly became the heart of Mexican motorsport. It was on this track that Pedro and Ricardo first showcased their talent, and why it was renamed in their honor in 1972. The circuit stands today as a monument to their memory — the brothers who were on the brink of Formula 1 stardom, showcasing early brilliance that hinted at the potential they could have unleashed on the sport, had things not ended for them so prematurely.
Ricardo Rodriguez, Ferrari 156
Photo by: Sutton Images
Born in Mexico City, Pedro Rodríguez (1940) and his younger brother Ricardo (1942) began their racing careers on motorcycles, with Pedro winning Mexico’s national championship in 1952 and 1954 on a little 125cc Adler. Their talent behind the wheel of a car, though, quickly outshone their early two-wheeled exploits, and with the financial support of their wealthy father, they shifted to four-wheel racing in their teenage years.
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Both were greatly gifted, but Ricardo quickly became the standout driver, turning heads for his prodigious speed. At just 15 years old, he won his first international race, the Riverside Trophy Race in California, driving a Porsche 550 RS.
Ricardo quickly built his reputation as a motorsport prodigy. At 16, he practiced for the 24 Hours of Le Mans but couldn’t race due to his age. He officially debuted at Le Mans in 1959 and competed in events like Sebring and the Targa Florio. In 1961, the dynamic Rodriguez brother duo had a standout year together, finishing 3rd at Sebring and 2nd at the Nürburgring.
That display of skill and maturity far beyond his years earned him a ride with Ferrari at 19, becoming the youngest Formula 1 driver ever at the time, with his debut at the 1961 Italian Grand Prix. Ricardo’s incredible performance — qualifying second in his first-ever F1 race — stunned the motorsport world. The world was his oyster, with many, including motorsport insiders, predicting a future of multiple championships.
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Mexico’s first grand prix, and Ricardo’s last
For Ricardo’s 1962 season, Ferrari was tormented by mechanical problems and bad luck, leading to the team’s decision to not participate in the inaugural Mexican Grand Prix. Eager to race in front of his home crowd at the Magdalena-Mixhuca track, he made a fateful decision to drive a Lotus for the Rob Walker Racing Team in the non-championship event.
During a practice session, Ricardo lost control of the Lotus at the infamous Peraltada corner — one of the most treacherous turns on the circuit. A violent crash killed Ricardo on impact at the young age of 20.
Ricardo Rodriguez and Phil Hill
Photo by: Sutton Images
Ricardo’s friend and 1984-2001 McLaren team coordinator, Jo Ramirez, believed he could have become one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, possibly another Alain Prost or Ayrton Senna. Ricardo’s death devastated the motorsport world, especially in Mexico, where he had already become a national hero. This was someone who could have become Mexico’s first Formula 1 champion. His untimely passing also had a profound effect on his older brother Pedro, who was at that time preparing to join his brother and make his own F1 debut.
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The fearless Pedro’s rise
Ricardo was regarded as the more naturally gifted of the two, yet Pedro was no less talented. Following his brother’s death, he pulled back from full-time racing and opened a car import business in his homeland. But he couldn’t stay away from the sport for long, eventually returning to build a stellar career of his own. Pedro made his Formula 1 debut in 1963, but it wasn’t until 1967, when he signed with Cooper, that his career truly began to catch speed.
Pedro Rodriguez, BRM P153 leads Chris Amon, March 701
Photo by: Motorsport Images
He won his first Grand Prix in South Africa that year and quickly became known for his mastery of high-speed circuits and his extraordinary abilities in wet conditions. Following that race, Pedro started traveling with a Mexican flag and a recording of the national anthem, as the South African GP organizers had mistakenly played the Mexican hat dance instead of the anthem during his celebration.
In 1968, he secured victory at the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a Ford GT40. His peers recognized his skill, and his daring drives at tracks like Spa-Francorchamps, where he won the 1970 Belgian Grand Prix. At the 1970 Brands Hatch 1000km, he demonstrated his mastery in the rain with a stunning victory in a Porsche 917, only solidifying his reputation.
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Pedro’s driving style — calm, precise and fearless — earned him the respect of the racing community. Many believed that only bad luck or mechanical failures stood between him and more race victories.
Yet, Pedro’s continued building success was cut short, when in 1971, a crash while racing a sports car in Germany would end his life. He was 31 years old.
Pedro Rodriguez
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Inspiring half a century of racers
The impact of the Rodríguez brothers on Formula 1, and Mexican motorsport in general, is profound. The two talented drivers were trailblazers, paving the way for future generations of Mexican drivers, like Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez, former F1 driver Esteban Gutierrez and IndyCar veteran Adrián Fernández Mier.
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As the drivers take to the track this weekend, they do so in the shadow of two of Mexico’s racing legends, who remain, more than five decades later, Mexico’s first Formula 1 superstars.
From the editor, also read:
Organisers of Formula 1’s Mexican Grand Prix are bullish that their sold-out event will remain successful regardless of Sergio Perez‘s F1 future, and are working on a new deal.
Perez signed a two-year contract extension earlier this year, but his continued difficulties to perform at a consistently high level have Red Bull constantly monitoring the situation for 2025 and beyond, bringing in reserve driver Liam Lawson at its satellite RB team as a potential future replacement.
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Boosted by Perez’s presence, the Mexican Grand Prix made a successful return on the calendar in 2015, with the event selling out for nine straight editions thus far. It is currently in talks with F1 to extend its current deal, which runs out after next year’s race.
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And while promoter CIE is naturally Perez’s biggest supporter as he brings in local fans and ensures a pulsating atmosphere to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the grand prix’s director Alejandro Soberon has said the event is well equipped to thrive regardless of having a local driver or not.
“What I can tell you is that the Formula 1 fandom in Mexico is very strong in general, and obviously Checo is a great enhancement for this. But Mexicans are having Formula 1 very, very close in their heart,” Soberon said when asked by Motorsport.com about the event’s future whenever the 34-year-old ends up calling time on his F1 career.
“We have a much better show on the track today than what we had five years ago, so I think competition and quality of the spectacle is going to be enough to sustain the interest in the crowd. As the promoter of the race, we are very excited, trying to figure out a way to extend our contract, regardless of Checo.
“Everybody, of course, would love to have a local driver, because it’s always better to have it. But there are very few races who have a local driver, and this year F1 in general has enjoyed sold-out crowds everywhere, and that’s a reflection of the competition and the quality of the show that we’ve seen on the track.”
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Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
The race’s general director Federico Gonzalez added that the make-up of the race’s 400,000-strong crowd had changed over the years and had raised a new generation of race fans that enjoy the series in general, partly driven by Netflix series Drive to Survive.
“I think that the audience has changed a lot, it’s not the same audience as in 2015,” Gonzalez remarked. “A lot of things happened, like more competition on the track, Drive to Survive… and the work that we have been doing for these many years has changed the audience also. We have educated a new generation of race fans. Of course, we cheer for Checo, but also for the spectacle, for the race itself.”
The Mexican promoters have adhered to a conscious marketing strategy of targeting local, national and international fans, aiming for an even three-way split between them. That ensures the race connects with the Mexican capital and its citizens, while also aligning with the government’s wider tourism objectives.
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Last year the tourism ministry reported that around 232,000 people travelled to Mexico City for the event from the rest of Mexico and overseas, with an estimated economic benefit of $175 million USD.
“Part of the strategy is to try and achieve a split of 33 per cent international, 33 per cent local Mexico City and 33 per cent national Mexico ticket sales,” Gonzalez said. “That ensures a healthier grand prix in terms of attendance and that is going to give us the peace, hopefully, that even if we don’t have Checo, we can continue being sold out.”
Fans
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
Soberon added: “We have one more year, and we already started conversations with Formula 1, with the city and with government officials to form the right coalition to make this happen and get an extension. We’re fairly optimistic that we’re going to have a race for many, many years.”
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He pointed out the 2024 edition of the race sold out in just two hours, despite ticket sales opening soon after Perez’s calamitous lap 1 crash during the 2023 edition, showing how strong the local support is for the lively event itself.
“It was a major blow for everybody, there was a sensation of a funeral,” he said. “The fans couldn’t watch him even for one lap. We decided to go on sale for this race 15 days after that, and there were a lot of people questioning if we needed to give people more time to forget about what happened. And we sold out in two hours for this year’s race.
“We have seen better times for Checo, he has made the Mexican fans very, very happy for many years. But I’m an optimistic guy, I think he could still give us some more.”
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