MEDINAH, Ill. — Wyndham Clark wanted noise, and he knew how that sounded.
“These guys are going to laugh,” Clark said, motioning to Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns sitting next to him.
Clark, after all, had heard unpleasantries this year, even while winning the U.S. Open, which, by every account, should be a pleasant moment. There’d even been whispers that he was a villain, which here, in the Chicago area, is a term reserved for those who ask for a thin slice. But Thursday night, after Clark and partner Collin Morikawa won their Day 1 four-balls match at the Presidents Cup, Clark gave us the definition of irony.
“It was kind of dead out there,” he said. “I felt like the momentum could have been better, to be honest, because we weren’t really feeling the fans, I think, as much as normal.
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“There was a few shots — I mean, Collin hit a 5-wood on, what was it, 11 to like 10 feet, and we didn’t even know if it was on the green because no one clapped. It was a little surprising. We’d make some big putts — I’m saying this more as a challenge that hopefully tomorrow and the weekend the fans are out there really rooting us on, and regardless of what happens, we have the momentum.”
A few minutes later, Brandt Snedeker, Clark’s American captain, agreed with him, saying “it was a weird day.” And maybe it was at Medinah Country Club, for a variety of reasons: perhaps it was just because it was a Thursday; perhaps it was due to some of the viewing areas; perhaps it was general malaise over the injury uncertainty of the local football club’s quarterback. Fandom can at times be fickle. But there’s also a bit of Goldilocks-ness to it.
You don’t want it too church-like.
But you don’t want whatever the hell you call what went down last September at the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Long Island. In short, even Webster’s probably hadn’t heard some of the words expressed.
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So what should be said, especially now, after a Friday stunner, where the Internationals dusted the Americans, 5-0, and lead 7-3 overall? Remember that things turned their nastiness at Bethpage on Saturday afternoon.
Thing is, maybe words shouldn’t be said, though.
They should be sung.
You know the hits. There’s this one, on Rory McIlroy, sung to the Cranberries’ “Zombie”:
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He’s in your heeeeaaad He’s in your heeeeeeeaaaaaad Ro-ry, Ro-ry, Rory-y-y-y
And this one, on Team Europe, sung to “Freed from Desire,” from Gala:
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Europe’s on fire U-S-A is terrified Europe’s on fire U-S-A is terrified Europe’s on fire U-S-A is terrified Europe’s on fire Whomp Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah
“>
There is a theme, of course. All centered on Europeans or the continent they come from. Most originate from the lyrical geniuses at the Guardians of the Cup, a European fan group; their website even includes songs going back a decade. The inspiration comes from European soccer; go to any match, and there’s hymn after hymn. Josh Crutchmer knows that. He’s written several books on music and his byline appears in Rolling Stone, and soccer is his passion.
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“It’s absolutely the culture,” he texted me. “European sports generally predate our own, and the sports with collective fandom associated — golf, soccer, rugby — have been communal for centuries. Anything from a church hymn to a war cry to a sea shanty could naturally become a sports chant.
“Drop in modern pop culture on top of that history and major golf tournaments are great fodder for inventing chants like this.”
But why hasn’t that taken off in the U.S.?
Maybe it isn’t too late. Americans are creative, of course, but we also shouldn’t be afraid to sample.
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“The easiest way for American sports fans to adopt these would be to simply take a cue from their foes,” Crutchmer says. “But if that’s a point of pride, then I think we would do well to look at our college sports culture. Chants like these are a major part of softball and soccer at the college level. And if we want to look at sports viewed as on par with top-level golf, we should look at how football fans celebrate touchdowns — fight songs in college and singalongs in the pros.
“We’re not as far away from this as we think. It’s just a matter of taking ourselves one step less seriously as fans.”
Unseriousness? I can do that.
Song writing, though? Some would say I struggle with website writing. Turns out Claude, the AI assistant, wasn’t all that great, either. My question was this: Hi, Claude. Could you please write five refrains from songs that include Presidents Cup American team names? The catchier the better! Wyndham Clark wants noise. Here’s a few of the responses:
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Sung to the tune of “Sweet Caroline”:
Where it began I can’t begin to knowin’ But Scottie’s swing Man, it just keeps on flowin’! Burns and Cantlay Steady down the fairway So good, so good, so good
Sung to the tune of “Seven Nation Army”:
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh Scottie’s comin’, better know it Burns is swingin’, watch him show it Red and white, we ain’t gonna fold — Medinah’s ours, the story’s told!
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To the tune of “Livin’ on a Prayer”:
Whoa, we’re halfway there Whoa-oh, Schauffele’s puttin’ in the air! Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear, Whoa-oh, livin’ at Medinah!
Hmm. OK then. Let’s sample instead.
On Friday, talented GOLF.com videographer Will Moriarty and I talked to a few willing folks at Medinah about Clark’s comments — and my humble proposal. Most agreed with Clark. Most believed more noise would come over the Cup’s remaining days. Most thought that songs were a European thing.
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But friends Gage and Leebo gave the Tommy Fleetwood song a try — using Scottie Scheffler’s name as per my suggestion.
Not bad! But the Americans may need something more. Bigger. Bolder.
Friday was an International incident. A Medinah mauling. Five alternate shot matches. Five International wins. Afterward, Snedeker said the support was better on Friday, but heading into Saturday, the red, white and blue are down bad.
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They need Keenan Fitzpatrick.
He’s one of Clark’s childhood friends. He had heard about his friend’s comments.
Fitzpatrick said he then flew in from Colorado. He dressed up in a jumpsuit that had more than a few onlookers thinking he was Evil Knievel. He brought a second one in case someone else wanted to join him. He said that “this sport goes back ages and we’re going to learn to get loud.”
I asked him if he wanted to sing.
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He did. He said doing so would make him bounce around. Which he did. And we got this.
Nigeria made a winning start to their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign after coming from behind to defeat Madagascar 2-1 at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday.
Madagascar took the lead in the 16th minute when Clément Couturier headed Ryan Ponti’s cross past the Nigerian defence to give the visitors a surprise advantage.
The Super Eagles responded with pressure as George Ilenikhena came close on several occasions. The young forward had an effort saved by goalkeeper Geordan Dupire before heading another chance over the bar.
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Nigeria eventually found the equaliser in first-half stoppage time.
Alex Iwobi picked out Ilenikhena inside the box, and the striker calmly placed his effort into the bottom-left corner to make it 1-1.
The Super Eagles returned for the second half looking for the winning goal, with Ademola Lookman and Calvin Bassey both coming close.
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Head coach Éric Chelle then made changes, bringing on Moses Usor for Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon for Akor Adams.
The substitutions quickly paid off.
In the 65th minute, Usor collected the ball from Semi Ajayi inside Nigeria’s half and embarked on a powerful run forward. The LASK winger beat two Madagascar players before cutting inside and firing a left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner.
The goal completed Nigeria’s comeback and marked an impressive competitive debut for Usor.
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Madagascar pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages, forcing Nigeria to defend their advantage. Hakim Abdallah had an effort blocked as the visitors continued to search for a way back into the match.
Chelle later brought on Tolu Arokodare and Taiwo Awoniyi for Lookman and Ilenikhena as Nigeria held on for all three points.
The victory gives the Super Eagles a positive start in Group L of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers.
Nigeria will play their next qualifier against Guinea-Bissau on September 29.
The last time Clemson played in the Bay Area of California, Trevor Lawrence led the Tigers to a national championship on Jan. 7, 2019 to cap off a perfect season.
In 2026, Clemson returned when things are drastically much different − but it again left the Golden State a late-night winner.
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Dabo Swinney and company made the 2,200 mile trip out West for a game that kicked off at 10:30 p.m. ET back at home, and while it again wasn’t pretty, the Tigers held on in another defensive slugfest with a 24-10 victory over Cal on Friday, Sept. 25.
Now after the embarrassing season-opening loss to LSU, Clemson has won three straight games to be 3-1, and more importantly, 2-0 to start its ACC schedule. That’s now 16 straight seasons with at least a three-game win streak for the Tigers.
“We’re just finding a way to keep winning some games,” Swinney said on the ESPN broadcast.
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While it’s the bounce back you’d want following a rough start, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic and pessimistic if Clemson is actually turning things around to be a legit contender. Those reasons were fully on display all the way through 2 a.m. ET at California Memorial Stadium.
So, are Clemson and Swinney back?
Clemson Tigers running back Gideon Davidson (8) celebrates his one-yard touchdown run with teammate Olsen Patt-Henry (11) during the second quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium.
The Good: Defense
Another win in the Golden State was all thanks to the Clemson defense.
It was facing a prolific offense, with Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele leading a Golden Bear passing attack that was averaging 32.7 yards in the air this season, 14th-best in FBS. Against the Tigers, there was no sight of that.
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Sagapolutele was rudely introduced to the defense with an interception on his second throw of the game. From that moment, it was a struggle bus as the left-handed gunslinger was kept in check all night. He was pressured immensely, but even when he did get time, he wasn’t making great decision or getting the ball where it needed to.
It forced Cal to try and generate offense on the ground, and it had some moments with Adam Mohammed. However, he hurt his leg on a tackle and the rest of the rushing group couldn’t pick it up in his absence.
And to cap it off, Sagapolutele’s last throw of the game was picked off to seal the win. He finished the night 16-for-29 for a career-low 119 yards and two interceptions.
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Cal’s lone touchdown came off a fumble recovery, meaning the Clemson defense has gone seven straight quarters without giving up a touchdown. The unit is starting to flex its muscle and make quarterback have nightmares.
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Make no mistake, the offense in this game wasn’t pretty. The Clemson defense has gotten better, but the offense has yet to figure it out.
It all starts with freshman quarterback Tait Reynolds, who clearly still has a long ways to go to live up to the high potential he came into Clemson with. He had a real rough start by throwing an interception on the opening drive on bad decision from a trick play, and later in the first quarter, he coughed up the ball and Cal linebacker Kamar Mothudi ran it back 33 yards for the touchdown.
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He finished with just 108 passing yards, the fewest of the three games he’s played the majority of for Clemson. That’s not going to help a passing offense that entered the night 112th in the country with 172.3 yards per game.
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The Tigers did get three touchdowns, but one of them was thanks to a blazing punt return for a score from Bryant Wesco Jr. The first touchdown of the night was thanks to several Cal penalties keeping the Tigers offense on the drive, and with just under three minutes left, Clemson running back Gideon Davidson broke free for a 75-yard touchdown run for the dagger.
Plus, the red zone opportunities need to be converted. Clemson has been inside the opponent’s 20-yard line 11 times this season, and while its scored on 10 of those chances, only four have been touchdowns.
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Clemson about to get tested again
Whether you believe the Swinney’s team has actually bounced back or not, we’re all surely about to find out.
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One could very well argue Clemson has benefitted from a softer schedule, playing Georgia Southern, North Carolina and Cal, all teams not on the same talent level or still in the middle of building up their programs. Even then, none of the wins were impressive and had you thinking you the dominant Tigers of years past were back.
Next up for Clemson is No. 5 Miami, where that defense will get another reality check against Darian Mensah, Malachi Toney and all of the star-studded Hurricanes.
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In what is easily the biggest home game of the season, Clemson will have to put up a much better fight than it did against LSU to rid itself of the fraud allegations. Another crushing defeat and the calls for Swinney to move on will only get louder. Win, or even play it close, and the old dog shows maybe it does have some fight left him.
Because unlike the late night trip on Friday, Clemson fans and a whole lot more people are going to be wide awake waiting to find out.
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“We’re just happy to get the win, and hopefully somebody stayed up back home to watch it,” Swinney said.
Raul Rosas Jr. keeps making history. Already the youngest UFC signee and youngest ranked UFC fighter, Rosas becomes the youngest fighter to headline a UFC card on Saturday. Raoni Barcelos, his opponent, knows a thing about beating young studs.
Rosas Jr. (13-1) is a phenom. Rosas signed his UFC contract at 17 and cracked the bantamweight rankings before his 22nd birthday. There was an early setback against Christian Rodriguez between those two milestones, but he got back on track by stacking wins and forcing his way into contention. Saturday’s main event is another first, and the moment isn’t lost on him.
“I’m ready to die in that cage on Saturday night,” Rosas told CBS Sports’ Brian Campbell. “No matter what happens, I’m ready to die. I’m pretty sure I could say the same thing about him. I feel I have a lot to lose, but I have a lot to win, and I feel the same thing about him. If he loses to me, where does he go? And if I lose to him, my dreams of becoming a UFC champion could fade away, so I can’t let it fade away that easily.”
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Barcelos (22-5) has taught many young fighters important lessons. The 39-year-old enters Saturday on a five-fight win streak with each victory over a younger opponent. That includes Payton Talbott, who entered their fight as a massive betting favorite and now co-headlines UFC 332 next week. When most fighters experience decline, Barcelos seems to get better.
“I compare to wine,” Barcelos said. “I think I age like fine wine.”
Rosas, 21, has lofty plans to become UFC champion and retire by 25. It reeks of the stubborn confidence of a fighter who has been competing since his teens. Rosas has largely succeeded, but Barcelos believes some lessons can’t be skipped no matter how talented the prodigy.
“He hasn’t walked through the same path that I have had, and I think he is still going to have some roadblocks in the way during his career,” Barcelos said. “I have seen a lot, and I have fought five rounds three times in my career [on the regional scene] and can tell you. I think I am the problem for him; I don’t think he is a problem for me.”
Saturday’s co-main event has women’s bantamweight title implications. Top five contenders Norma Dumont and Ailin Perez scrap, six weeks before Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes fight for the UFC title.
Japanese sensation Rinya Nakamura closes out the preliminary card. The Wrestling World Cup medalist fights Brady Hiestand, whom he was first scheduled to fight two years ago.
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Let’s take a look at the rest of the fight card with the latest odds from DraftKings before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Saturday, Sept. 26 | Start time: 8 p.m. ET (Main card), 5 p.m. ET (Prelims) Location: Meta APEX — Las Vegas TV Channel: Paramount+ (subscribe now for as low as $8.99 per month)
Prediction
Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Raoni Barcelos: At 39, you have to wonder when the bottom falls out for Barcelos. It hasn’t yet. He’s thrived as an underdog against younger opponents. Rosas gives Barcelos another matchup where his strengths are overlooked. Rosas’ striking output is pitiful, putting enormous pressure on his wrestling to win rounds. Barcelos has an 87% takedown defense and spent entire camps preparing for elite grapplers like Umar Nurmagomedov and Ricky Simon. Rosas’ takedown success will dictate the scorecards. If he gets Barcelos down, he should bank those rounds. But Barcelos should have a clear advantage whenever he keeps the fight standing. Rosas’ cardio failed him against Rodriguez. He’s improved since, but five rounds against a stubborn, seasoned veteran is a different test. Barcelos’ age makes him difficult to trust, particularly over 25 minutes, but Rosas doesn’t have the striking to punish him for slowing down. Expect a close fight with Barcelos stealing enough rounds on the feet. Pick: Barcelos via split decision
Asuka is currently away from WWE programming. Amid her absence from the squared circle, she has a significant reason to celebrate today.
The Empress of Tomorrow and Kairi Sane, collectively known as The Kabuki Warriors, were embroiled in a feud with IYO SKY on the Road to WrestleMania 42. Asuka and SKY were rumored to lock horns on The Show of Shows. Despite being insanely popular among fans, the duo was left off the mega event’s match card. After ‘Mania, WWE shockingly released Sane, impacting the storyline.
Thanks for the submission!
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At Backlash 2026, the 45-year-old legend and The Genius of the Sky finally got the chance to settle their differences in the ring. SKY bested Asuka in an 18-plus minute back-and-forth showdown in Tampa. Following the show, the duo mended fences, and The Empress of Tomorrow seemingly walked away from WWE.
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Asuka is celebrating her 45th birthday today. On the joyous occasion, the WWE icon shared a personal update on X. The Empress of Tomorrow revealed the gift she received from Bubblun Japan. The former Women’s Champion also visited Taito for a celebration.
“I received a birthday present 🎁 from Bubblun @bubblun_jp and Bobblun. Still, Bubblun and Bobblun were just too adorable, I swear 😍 And at @TAITO’s entrance, there was a super huge KING FOSSIL 😳💦 I’ll show you this scene later, so stay tuned,” she wrote.
You can view her post on X below.
We at Sportskeeda send our best wishes to the Japanese legend on the occasion of her 45th birthday.
Nattie Commented on Asuka’s Decision to Take a Break From WWE
In recent months, there have been contrary reports about Asuka’s future in WWE. The Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that the legend was “semi-retired.” Meanwhile, WrestleVotes suggested that the company would love to have the legend back on the active roster.
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In May, The Empress of Tomorrow revealed that she was still part of the sports entertainment juggernaut. On the Busted Open podcast, Nattie addressed the former Women’s Champion’s decision to take a break from TV. The Low-Key Legend seemed concerned about the veteran’s well-being.
“I felt like she also just had something weighing heavily on her heart. I don’t know exactly what it is. I’m a big believer, and I will say this now and I will stand by this, breaks are very healthy for people. Mental health and taking breaks, and I’m not saying it’s Asuka’s mental health; we don’t know exactly what’s going on, it could be a personal situation. I know Asuka’s very close to her family,” Nattie said.
It will be interesting to see what lies ahead for The Empress of Tomorrow in the world of pro wrestling.
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There is no shortage of individual attacking quality at Real Madrid. The problem is making it work consistently as a unit.
Against Atletico, Madrid struggled to create clear chances. Kylian Mbappe was largely ineffective and hardly touched the ball, while Vinicius Jr was substituted shortly after Dean Huijsen’s red card early in the second half.
Mourinho has three players, in Vinicius, Mbappe and Bellingham, capable of deciding matches on their own.
Bellingham’s ability to carry the ball forward, arrive late in the box and link midfield with attack is another important part of Madrid’s attacking threat, but Mourinho needs to ensure the trio complement rather than crowd each other.
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Vinicius needs to rediscover the explosiveness and directness that makes him so difficult to defend, while Mbappe needs a greater supply of chances rather than being asked to create opportunities for himself.
There is another attacking option Mourinho could turn to more often.
The 21-year-old has therefore shown he can make an impact when given game time.
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With Madrid still working out how best to balance Vinicius, Mbappe and Bellingham, Espi offers Mourinho another option – particularly when Madrid need a focal point in the final stages of matches.
His early impact suggests he deserves more opportunities to show what he can do.
Implementing a new style takes time, particularly when players are being asked to use space and accept risk in ways they are not accustomed to.
A common problem for coaches with an ambitious game model is becoming too attached to the final version of it and ignoring what the current squad needs.
Olid does not appear to be falling into that trap.
“The focus [against Arsenal] was the defensive shape,” she said. “It’s trying to get them more confidence.”
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Attacking football in this more fluid manner may be the final goal but Olid appears willing to build towards it in steps.
Early on in her managerial role at Hearts, she showed similar flexibility, which won her points, the trust of her players, and a platform from which to create exciting football.
“The [attack] will come,” Olid has said. “But we need to keep this [defensive structure], then from there, little by little, be an attacking team, create chances, score more goals.”
And the League Cup victory did give some indication it has, although Sheffield United are bottom of WSL 2 in the early weeks of the season.
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What will be key is to see how they build on that momentum for this weekend’s WSL match against West Ham on Sunday.
Sep 6, 2025; Paris, FRANCE; Robert Bryczek (blue gloves) fights Brad Tavares (red gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images
UFC Vegas 121 takes place Saturday at the Meta APEX, where Raul Rosas Jr. meets Raoni Barcelos in a five-round bantamweight main event. Importantly, Rodolfo Vieira versus Robert Bryczek is not the co-main event on the latest fight-week lineup; Norma Dumont versus Ailin Perez occupies that slot, while Vieira-Bryczek appears on the preliminary card.
From a betting perspective, Vieira-Bryczek remains the card’s most dramatic market reversal. The Ultimate Fighter strawweight final between Tina Black and Melissa Amaya has also flipped decisively, while bettors have pushed back against several initially expensive favorites, including Rosas, Ailin Perez and Rinya Nakamura.
Vieira-Bryczek Flips Completely
No UFC Vegas 121 matchup has produced a more eye-catching reversal than Rodolfo Vieira versus Robert Bryczek. One of the earliest available markets installed Bryczek as a substantial -210 favorite and Vieira as a +177 underdog. Vieira is now approximately -145 to -164 across major books, with Bryczek returning around +122 to +136.
That is a complete change in market opinion. It must be noted that not every sportsbook opened the fight that wide, several initially posted Vieira between -110 and -133, but the overall direction has been unmistakable. The decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist is now the consensus favorite.
Why did bettors back Vieira? The simplest explanation is that his clearest strength attacks Bryczek’s biggest unanswered question. Vieira owns an elite submission game and has finished three of his last four victories by choke, giving him an obvious path if he can consistently force clinches and takedowns. Bryczek is the more dangerous conventional puncher, but backing him requires confidence that he can keep the fight standing or punish Vieira before the Brazilian establishes control.
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There are reasons to resist the steam. Vieira is 36, has lost two consecutive fights and has dropped three of his last four, creating legitimate questions about his durability and conditioning. The market movement does not erase those concerns, it says bettors believe his grappling advantage outweighs them at this level of opposition.
Black Takes Over TUF Final
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Channel debug: betting
The second major reversal comes in the Ultimate Fighter 34 strawweight final. Melissa Amaya opened as a narrow -115 favorite over Tina Black at -101, effectively making the matchup a pick’em with a slight lean toward Amaya. Black has since surged to approximately -210 to -230, leaving Amaya around +176 to +182.
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This movement is especially meaningful because it developed steadily rather than following a publicly reported withdrawal or injury. The market appears to have re-evaluated the matchup after weighing the fighters’ experience and the stylistic evidence available from the season. Black brings a considerably deeper professional résumé into the final, while Amaya’s undefeated record may have attracted too much respect in the opening number. The current price implies bettors see Black as the more reliable fighter over three rounds rather than merely a small favorite.
Still, laying more than -200 is different from betting Black near even money. Much of the perceived value has already disappeared. Anyone joining the movement now is paying for the market’s correction rather than anticipating it.
Veterans Attract Underdog Money
The main event has moved toward Raoni Barcelos despite the promotional attention surrounding 21-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. Rosas opened around -205 to -210 but has traded between approximately -155 and -190 during fight week; Barcelos shortened from roughly +173 or +177 into the +130 to +150 range.
Rosas is 17 years younger and enters his first UFC headliner on a five-fight winning streak, but Barcelos is also riding a five-fight streak and represents the younger fighter’s most seasoned test. The movement suggests bettors are questioning whether Rosas can consistently impose his wrestling across five rounds against an experienced opponent with strong defensive fundamentals. This is less a rejection of Rosas’ potential than a declaration that his opening price undervalued Barcelos’ composure and all-around competence.
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A similar correction has occurred in the actual co-main event. Perez opened around -200 against Dumont but has dropped to approximately -135 to -145, while Dumont has shortened from +169 to roughly +114 to +120. That is substantial support for Dumont in a potential title eliminator layered with genuine hostility: the fighters have traded personal accusations, and Perez described a previous confrontation at the UFC Performance Institute that required others to intervene.
The bad blood could encourage reckless exchanges, but the market appears to favor Dumont’s experience and measured approach over Perez’s wrestling pressure. Bettors may also believe the opening line overvalued Perez’s recent momentum and promotional visibility.
Big Favorites Come Down
Rinya Nakamura has fallen from an opening -500 against Brady Hiestand to approximately -350 or -360. Mehemmedeli Osmanli has similarly dropped from -400 to around -290, while Rodolfo Bellato has moved from -250 to approximately -180.
Those moves do not necessarily predict upsets. Instead, they suggest the opening prices demanded too much confidence in favorites who still carry meaningful unknowns. The market’s loudest UFC Vegas 121 message is not simply “bet underdogs”; it is that early numbers overrated several prospects while underrating proven skills—Vieira’s submissions, Black’s experience, Barcelos’ veteran craft and Dumont’s steadiness.
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The best prices on those corrections are already gone. By Friday, bettors are no longer deciding whether the opening lines were wrong, they are deciding whether the market has corrected them far enough.
For a moment, before everything went very wrong, the U.S. Presidents Cup team jumped out to a 1-up lead in Friday’s first match. That flash of red was hardly a surprise, given the firepower involved on the U.S. side. But a favorite’s early lead can feel like a foregone conclusion — even when it’s not.
That first match was a massive mismatch, after all. It pitted arguably the two best golfers in the world (Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns, who are 1-2 in DataGolf’s rankings) against arguably the two best golfers in Canada (Nick Taylor and Corey Conners), putting in sharp relief the imbalance between the respective sides.
More evidence of that imbalance? Consider that the U.S. team’s top eight players are ranked higher than the Internationals’ No. 1 (World No. 14 Si Woo Kim). Consider the U.S. team left a player home (No. 12 J.J. Spaun) who’s ranked higher than the Internationals’ No. 1. Consider the U.S. team has two assistant captains (World No. 43 Gary Woodland and No. 50 Keegan Bradley) ranked higher in the world than both Conners (No. 55) and Taylor (No. 85).
And then consider that the U.S. team did not win a single point in Friday’s five foursomes matches. A dream session for the International team was a nightmare for the U.S. side, which now faces a jarring 7-3 deficit heading to the weekend.
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So how’d it spin out of control? Slowly, then quickly, and then, at the miserable (or glorious, depending on your perspective) end, all at once.
The ending to each match told the story of what came before. Here’s a snippet from all five:
Match I: Sam’s spinout
Nick Taylor picked an unfortunate time to hit a wayward tee shot — on the final hole, with a 1-up lead over the Scheffler-Burns behemoth, into jail down the right side — but it felt like a fitting result that the two sides would walk off with a tie, given they’d played to a near stalemate all day.
That seemed likely as Conners pitched out sideways with his second, leaving Taylor to hit their third before the Americans had played their approach.
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But then Taylor did something heroic, something special, something that added an exclamation point to the first match of his Presidents Cup career: he stuffed his approach from 151 yards to kick-in range, providing redemption and then some.
Still, it seemed like it might not matter. Burns — left staring down a birdie putt from just inside 20 feet — nearly matched those heroics. His putt, line matched with speed, did everything but fall and instead spun out, turning what would have been a match-tying birdie 3 into a match-losing par 4 and leaving both him and Scheffler open-mouthed.
Match II: Sungjae’s session
As they reached the 16th green, a match that had felt in the International side’s control for several hours suddenly felt in doubt.
The high-powered duo of Sungjae Im and Hideki Matsuyama had won four holes in a row — 3-4-5-6 — to flip the match from 1 down to 3 up. But the U.S. side of Jacob Bridgeman and Russell Henley had held steady, and they’d reached the 16th hole just 2 down, and after each side had played two shots they looked like they soon might be 1 down; Matsuyama had 19 feet for par and Bridgeman had just 7.
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But then came a classic reversal: Matsuyama’s par try found the bottom of the cup while Bridgeman’s caught the edge and slipped past, bringing the match to a jarring 3-and-2 conclusion.
If these results hold, the U.S. team will have gone 6-24 in alternate shot play in team events since 2023.
The most competitive session was Saturday in the ‘24 PCup in Montreal, when the U.S. went 3-1 after a 5-0 sweep by the Internationals on Friday.
As the day’s action moved to the back nine, the lone red flag on the board belonged to Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark, who took a 1-up lead with a birdie at No. 12 and looked determined to break up the International bloc.
But some match-play tropes are true, and one is this: the first ball in usually wins the hole. That proved to be the case at No. 15, when Ryan Fox walked in a 14-footer for birdie and then watched as Morikawa missed from 13 feet. It was also the case at No. 16, when Fox walked in a 19-footer for birdie and Morikawa missed from 10. Clark nearly holed his approach at No. 17, but Morikawa missed the ensuing 5-footer for birdie. When the sides tied the 18th, that match officially went yellow.
Match IV: Great Scott
It was particularly cruel that the only recorded birdie for the high-wattage U.S. twosome of Cameron Young and Justin Thomas came after the whistle.
After Christiaan Bezuidenhout had made things official with a shocking 30-footer for birdie from the right edge of the 16th green — they shook hands, cementing the 3-and-2 result — Young rapped his birdie putt anyway, for practice or frustration, and it found the bottom of the cup. (Some U.S. fans cheered, either as general encouragement or just confusion, hard to say which.)
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Snedeker was asked post-round about the pairing and said he’d wanted to keep both players in the lineup after what he’d seen from them Thursday.
“That’s one of the things as captain you look back on, maybe when this thing is all over, with it might not have been the right decision, but it seemed like the right decision at the time,” he said. “But love those guys. They battled their ass off today. Just didn’t quite get the right momentum we wanted.”
Match V: Let’s get out of here
Mere moments separated these last three layers of heartbreak: Fox finished the third match with a short putt at 18, then Bezuidenhout’s putt finding the bottom at No. 16, and then, as if to say, to hell with this whole day, Xander Schauffele horseshoed a 3-foot putt at No. 15, putting a quick if undignified end to the 4-and-3 drubbing he and partner Patrick Cantlay suffered at the hands of Si Woo Kim and Tom Kim.
“Luckily the session is over,” Schauffele said post-round. “And we’ve got 70 percent of the points in front of us.”
The Croatian became his nation’s first world heavyweight champion last month, causing a major upset by stopping Moses Itauma in round nine.
Not only was Itauma an almighty pre-fight favourite but, for the first eight rounds, he had built a sizable lead and was dominating their contest.
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Then came a moment of pure drama when, despite seeming in full control – and having scored a second-round knockdown – the 21-year-old ran desperately short of gas and was suddenly there for the taking.
By claiming the IBF title, the 34-year-old has also positioned himself for a mandatory defence against Frank Sanchez, even if he would rather a unification match against Dubois or Kabayel.
Equally, Hrgovic has told talkSPORT that the respective WBC and IBF champions are unlikely to offer a greater test than Itauma.
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“The only option on my mind now is to unify [the] division, because I think I beat the hardest guy in the division [Itauma].
I beat the most talented guy, the fastest guy – and, honestly, without any disrespect, I think fights against Kabayel and Dubois will be easier.
“They’re not so fast, they’re not southpaws … they’re maybe more experienced [than Itauma], and both will be tough fights, but I think I’ll handle them much easier than this kid [Itauma].”
Nick Wright’s quarterback mountain has a new occupant at the top.
Trevor Lawrence’s stay at No. 1 lasted exactly one week, and after a Sunday that included a bad half from Lamar Jackson, a big statistical outing that still wasn’t enough for Patrick Mahomes to take the top spot.
The injury list keeps growing, too. Sam Darnold, Jayden Daniels and Jaxson Dart are all off the mountain due to injuries.
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So who does that leave at the top? Here’s how Wright sees the league’s quarterbacks entering Week 3:
Off The Mountain:
Wright: “Sadly, we must start with off the mountain, and the growing list of quarterback injuries. Take a moment, pour one out for 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers. I don’t know if he gets back on the mountain. I don’t know how interested he is in climbing the mountain, and I’m sure it’s all Mike McCarthy’s fault.”
“Jameis Winston is going to be pressed into service. Cam Ward almost got the best win of his career. Malik Willis is in a tough spot.”
On the injury list, Wright said: “Jayden Daniels evidently might not want to have surgery. Jaxson Dart, we’re still awaiting the news on. Darnold could be back soon, but he’s been out, so he’s off the mountain.” Caleb Williams stays eligible: “Caleb hasn’t missed a game yet and might play, so he’s still mountain eligible.”
7th Row:
Wright: “Bake show, It hurts my heart, man. That was rough…I’m glad he got his money.”
“It’s been a rough going of it, Justin Herbert. It’s not your fault, man. What’s not your fault is that you are this polarizing figure in the NFL, that the sycophantic nerds have decided you’re the one $55 million-a-year quarterback in the league that has no accountability to the team’s offensive success whatsoever. It’s Trey Harris’s fault. It’s Jim Harbaugh’s fault. It’s the left guard’s fault.”
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“Daniel Jones, Geno stay where they are. Penix makes the mountain just because I believe in him. Deep sleeper, Mariota — I thought he played well, and as far as limited time goes, that’s why he wasn’t on the mountain before now. Deshaun Watson makes the mountain for the first time all year. Couldn’t happen to a better guy.”
6th Row:
Wright: “Sixth row. Jordan Love stays where he is. Drew Lock’s playing well, man.”
“Bo Nix, again, the sliding-door stuff. The Broncos were one quarter away from full-blown panic. They have that. Trevor throws a pick, they have the fourth-quarter comeback, and now maybe they’re feeling like it’s last year all over again. Didn’t play well for three quarters, got it together in the fourth, defense stiffened. You’re not playing the juggernaut Kansas City Chiefs, but Bo Nix got his mojo back. He moves up.”
“Kyler moves up from off the mountain…He’s back. He’s going to be fine. He’s on the same row that he was going into the season.”
“Jacoby Brissett, again, was really good week one, tough week two. That’s going to be Jacoby Brissett. It’s fine.”
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5th Row:
Wright: “Fifth row, which happens to be young quarterbacks in different states of transition. Caleb moved down because of his performance before he got injured. We’re not penalizing him for being injured, he just hasn’t missed time yet.”
“Drake Maye had a really, really poor start to this season. I don’t know what we want to attribute it to. I do know that thus far the Patriots’ defense has been better than I thought it would be, and I am more pessimistic about their team than I was going into the year. It’s almost entirely because I don’t know what version of Drake Maye we’re going to get. If you were to ask me what would surprise me more this week, an awesome Drake Maye game or another game like the first two weeks, the awesome game would be more surprising for me. That’s concerning.”
“C.J. (Stroud), I know they only scored six points, but I didn’t think he played terribly against Cincinnati. I thought he played pretty well, saved the final fumble against the Bills in Week One. I think C.J.’s been fine, which the Texans would probably sign up for.”
4th Row:
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Wright: “Joe Burrow, who again has been fine, but he usually struggles early in the year. He’ll get better.”
“Jalen Hurts, very interesting game, where they dared him to pass. He did, and it didn’t go well at all until he beat them by passing.”
“Jared Goff, they’ve scored 30-plus in each of their games. That game against the Bills, his numbers were awesome. Now the game got out of hand pretty early, but Goff solidly deserved to move back up.”
3rd Row:
Wright: “The prince’s reign atop the mountain, sadly, was short-lived.”
“Lamar (Jackson) drops just a bit. Disappointing second half, took a couple bad sacks. The pick at the end, I’m not going to kill him for, but it obviously wasn’t great. So he moves down.”
Wright: “Now I know what everyone’s expecting — fresh off 400 yards, three touchdowns, a perfect pass rate, Patrick Mahomes to be atop the mountain. He is not. Row two of the mountain, along with Matthew Stafford. Patrick is going to climb his way up to the top. I am confident in that.”
“Stafford is obviously getting some last-year benefit of the doubt. He’s the reigning MVP. He had a bad game in Australia. He was great last night.”
1st Row:
Wright: “Josh Allen, who is arguably as good as any — not arguably. There is no player, maybe in the history of the NFL, certainly in the league right now, you would rather have quarterbacking your team when it’s pumpkin spice latte season. That is Josh Allen. He is atop the mountain.”
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