Gervonta Davis’ return date remains unknown but he may have an opponent in mind for when he does after recently calling out Jesse Rodriguez, and now ‘Bam’s response has been shared.

Davis has not won a contest since June 2024, drawing against Lamont Roach Jr in his solitary outing since then back in March 2025, and being stripped of his WBA lightweight world title due to inactivity that has been brought on by external legal issues.

In October, Davis’ old belt will be up for grabs as Floyd Schofield and Lucas Bahdi compete for world honours after being on standby throughout the year, with the undefeated duo each poised to step through the ropes with over a year’s worth of ring rust to contend with.

Now that he is without a belt, it is unclear which weight ‘Tank’ will return at, with the three-division world champion having been linked to a super-lightweight rematch with Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz, but having also bizarrely called out reigning WBA bantamweight champion, ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.

In an interview with Sean Zittel, Rodriguez’s trainer Robert Garcia revealed that Rodriguez has agreed to the fight, which would presumably be at a maximum of 135lbs, 17lbs and four weight classes higher than where ‘Bam’ currently competes.

“Tank Davis sent him a private message challenging him and Bam was like, ‘yeah, let’s do it’. Bam is not afraid of nobody, Bam knows that he can compete against anybody.”

Still, despite accepting the proposal, it seems as though Naoya Inoue is Rodriguez’s target, with the pair looking likely to collide in an iconic battle in Japan in either February or March of 2027.

September brings a busy period on the sporting calendar for Irish fans.

From international football fixtures and the return of club rugby to major horse racing events and Formula 1 action, the month features several competitions worth following. This practical guide highlights the key fixtures, dates, and events to track throughout September 2026.

Football Highlights

September is an important month for international football and European club competitions. The Republic of Ireland begins its UEFA Nations League campaign late in the month, while the Champions League and Europa League return earlier in September. Irish fans can therefore follow both national-team fixtures and major club competitions throughout the month.

International Football

The Republic of Ireland returns to competitive action in the UEFA Nations League league phase with two away fixtures. Ireland faces Kosovo vs. Republic of Ireland on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at Stadiumi Fadil Vokrri in Pristina, before playing Israel vs. Republic of Ireland on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at Nagyerdei Stadion in Debrecen, Hungary. These opening matches will begin to shape the group standings and provide an early test for Ireland during the autumn international schedule.

Club Football

The English Premier League continues its 2026–27 season throughout September following the summer transfer window. Irish players competing in England will also continue their domestic campaigns.

European competitions return during the month as well. The Champions League league phase Matchday 1 takes place from 8–10 September 2026, while the Europa League league phase Matchday 1 is scheduled for 16–17 September 2026.

Rugby Fixtures to Watch

Rugby union returns to the spotlight in late September with the start of the 2026–27 United Rugby Championship (URC) season. The competition officially begins on Friday, September 25, 2026, bringing Leinster, Munster, Ulster, and Connacht back into league action.

The opening weekend runs across September 25–26, with the Irish provinces beginning their campaigns and early interprovincial fixtures adding important points before European competitions start later in the autumn. These first rounds also offer an early indication of how each province is shaping up for the new season.

Sports schedules are not the only thing fans may check online between fixtures. Some also follow online casino promotions during their downtime. Those interested in no-deposit offers can view information about 40 free spins, including how no-deposit free spins work and the conditions that may apply. For some fans, this can be a simple way to relax between fixtures before turning their attention to the next major sporting event.

Horse Racing Events

September hosts some of the leading Flat racing fixtures in Ireland, with the country taking centre stage during the middle of the month.

Irish Champions Festival

The Irish Champions Festival is one of the biggest events in the Irish autumn Flat racing calendar, taking place across two days at two major racecourses. The festival begins on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at Leopardstown Racecourse, where the programme includes the Group 1 Royal Bahrain Irish Champion Stakes.

Racing continues on Sunday, September 13, 2026 at The Curragh, with the Group 1 Comer Group (International) Irish St. Leger among the headline races. Across the two days, the festival brings together leading thoroughbreds, jockeys, and trainers, with the dates and main races confirmed by the Irish Champions Festival.

Listowel Harvest Festival

Later in the month, the historic Listowel Harvest Festival in County Kerry runs from September 20 to September 26, 2026, featuring Flat and National Hunt racing alongside its long-running festival programme.

Other Major Sporting Events

Beyond football, rugby, and racing, September 2026 also features major international motorsport events and Gaelic Games competitions.

Formula 1 & Gaelic Games

For motorsport fans, September brings three Formula 1 races. Irish supporters can follow the action from home or attend events abroad during a busy part of the season.

Formula 1 Grand Prix Racing: September features the Italian Grand Prix at Monza from 4–6 September, the Spanish Grand Prix at Madrid from 11–13 September, and the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku from 24–26 September. These dates match the current official Formula 1 calendar.

Gaelic Games (Club Championships): The GAA club championship season also continues across different counties during September, with teams competing through their respective county and provincial competitions before the later All-Ireland stages.

With the inter-county season completed, attention shifts back to club competition as local teams compete for county and provincial honours and places in the later stages of the All-Ireland club championships.

Practical September 2026 Sports Calendar

To help you quickly scan the month ahead, here is a chronological snapshot of the top sporting fixtures for Irish supporters:

The current official F1 calendar confirms the September dates for Monza, Madrid and Baku.

How to Keep Track of the September Sports Calendar

Keeping up with broadcast schedules, fixture changes, and team announcements is simple with official digital channels:

• Official Governing Bodies: Follow updates directly from the FAI, Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU), and Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) websites.
• Broadcast Schedules: Check local television listings on RTÉ Sport, Virgin Media Sport, Premier Sports, and Sky Sports for live coverage and kickoff details.
• Live Score Apps: Use sports tracking apps to receive notifications, last-minute venue updates, and team news.

Official sources are usually the best place to confirm any late changes to match times, broadcast details, or competition schedules. September 2026 offers Irish fans a busy mix of international football, club rugby, horse racing, motorsport, and Gaelic Games. From Ireland’s UEFA Nations League fixtures and the return of the URC season to the Irish Champions Festival and Formula 1 races across Europe, the month provides plenty of major sporting dates to follow. Checking official schedules before each event is recommended, as kickoff times, race schedules, and broadcasting details can change closer to the date.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Hello football friends, and welcome to the Thursday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

The second week of the preseason is kicking off tonight with two games and one of those games will take place in Los Angeles with the Chargers hosting the 49ers. Based on how training camp has gone for the 49ers from a healthy standpoint so far, they’ll be lucky if they even have enough players to suit up for this game. I’m not blaming the electrical substation for the injuries, but if I ran the 49ers, I would just have the team fly to Australia now so they can get as far away from that electrical substation as possible. 

The 49ers have an aging roster and some of their best players — like Christian McCaffrey, Mike Evans and Trent Williams — are in the 30-and-over club, which I’m only mentioning, because we’re going to rank the 30 best players 30 and over today. We’re also going to go around the NFL and name one person from each team who’s on the hot seat. If I don’t turn this newsletter in on time, I’m going to be on the hot seat, so let’s get to it. 

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let’s get to the rundown. 

1. NFL hot seat for all 32 teams: Head coaches aren’t the only ones facing pressure this year

There are plenty of NFL head coaches on the hot seat right now, but they’re not the only ones. There are plenty of players and assistant coaches who are also under a lot of pressure heading into the upcoming season. As a matter of fact, there are so many people on the hot seat this year that Zach Pereles was able to make a list of 32 different people — one from each team — who are on the hot seat. 

Let’s check out four names from his list: 

• Eagles: Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Mannion’s philosophies are a big change for QB Jalen Hurts, specifically when it comes to playing from under center and targeting the middle of the field. History says offensive coordinators in Philadelphia either take huge leaps or get run off by season’s end.
• Panthers: QB Bryce Young. This is a make-or-break year for the former Alabama star. After a disastrous rookie season, Young took a step forward near the end of his second year and another step last year, but he still ranked just 29th in net yards per attempt, 26th in EPA per play and 25th in interception rate. The Panthers won the NFC South last year and expect to take another step, but Young could be the limiting factor — and a significant one at that.
• Chiefs: WR Rashee Rice. Rashee Rice spent 30 days in jail this offseason for violating his probation stemming from his 2024 high-speed car crash. The jail time not only caused him to miss Chiefs OTAs and mandatory minicamp, but also forced him to rehab from knee surgery in a clearly less-than-desirable setting. Rice has looked predictably stiff and slow in training camp as a result, and the ramp-up process seems likely to bleed into the regular season. Simply put, Rice’s inability to be reliable off the field is now impacting his considerable on-field abilities. 
• Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Harrison has failed to live up to the lofty expectations that come with being the No. 4 overall pick. Last year, he got passed in the pecking order not only by TE Trey McBride, but also WR Michael Wilson. A big year for Harrison gets him back on track … and could get him paid. Another inconsistent year raises even more questions.

There are 28 other names on our hot seat list and you can check out all of them here. 

2. Top 30 NFL players who are 30 and over

If you are in the 30-and-over club, NFL stands for “Not For Long,” because there’s a good chance that your career won’t be lasting much longer. Unless you’re a quarterback or kicker, most players are out of the league or they see their production fall off a cliff after turning 30. Basically, football is a young man’s game, but there are some old guys who have managed to stay relevant into their 30s and Tyler Sullivan is here to tell us who. 

Sullivan recently ranked the top 30 NFL players 30 and over and we’re going to check out the top five names on his list: 

1. Bills QB Josh Allen (30). Even though Stafford has the most recent MVP, Josh Allen currently holds the belt as the NFL’s top quarterback. The Bills quarterback is a force both through the air and as a runner, totaling 39 touchdowns (25 passing and 14 rushing) during the 2025 regular season. He’s entering his ninth season in the NFL and already has the most total touchdowns (301) in a player’s first nine seasons in NFL history. 

2. Rams EDGE Myles Garrett (30). Without question, the best defensive player in the NFL. Garrett will only move further to the center of the national stage after the Rams pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire him this offseason. 

3. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (30). His numbers were down in 2025 across the board, even pre-injury, but that may speak more to the situation around him (lack of weapons and a depleted offensive line) than any sort of slippage on his end. Mahomes has 111 wins since 2018, which is the second-most by any quarterback in an eight-season span all time. 

4. Rams QB Matthew Stafford (38). The defending NFL MVP can go no lower than this. Stafford’s 2025 season was extraordinary. He spearheaded a Rams offense that was No. 1 in the NFL in points per game (30.5), total yards per game (394.6), and passing yards per game (268.1). For his part, Stafford led the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns. That helped him become the third-oldest player to win the MVP award all time, and the oldest first-time MVP winner. 

5. 49ers LT Trent Williams (38). Despite getting long in the tooth, he continues to be arguably the best left tackle in the NFL. He had the third-best PFF grade among offensive tackles last season. 

The good news with Sullivan’s list is that you don’t have to be over the age of 30 to read this full story here. 

3. Who will be the NFL’s final undefeated team this year? 

If there’s one thing I think that we can all agree on heading into the 2026 season, it’s that no one is going to go undefeated, and if no one is going to go undefeated, that means every team is going to lose at least one game. 

With that in mind, I took upon myself this week to predict who will end up being the final undefeated team in the NFL. I did this prediction last year and actually got it right, so this year, we’re going to find out if I just got lucky or if I’m actually smart (I’m assuming it’s the second one). 

Based on my prediction, here are the four teams that will stay undefeated the longest: 

• Seahawks (First loss: at Broncos in Week 6):  If the Seahawks are going to slip up early in the season, this feels like the most likely spot. After facing the 49ers in Week 5, they have to turn around and play on a Thursday night at Denver in Week 6. The Seahawks, who will have to fly halfway across the country on a short week, will have just three days’ rest to prepare to face a Broncos team that should be one of the best in the AFC. 
• Packers (First loss: vs. Cowboys in Week 6): All eyes will be on Micah Parsons in this game. The Packers’ defensive star, who’s coming off a torn ACL that he suffered in 2025, is hoping to be back on the field in time for this game, but there’s no guarantee that’s going to happen. If he’s not back, the Cowboys’ offense might end up shredding Green Bay’s defense. If he is back, he’ll likely be a little rusty and that could open the door for the Dallas offense to have a big night. 
• Chiefs (First loss: at Seahawks in Week 7): After missing the playoffs last year, we have the Chiefs getting off to a hot start in 2026, only to run into a buzzsaw. The game is being played on a Sunday night in Seattle and it’s hard to pick against the Seahawks in a situation like that. 
• Ravens (First loss: at Bills in Week 8): The Ravens open the season by playing seven straight games against teams that finished under .500 last year and that’s why I have them as the NFL’s final undefeated team. 

So there you have it, the Ravens will be the final undefeated team

Now, this is the part where I tell you that being the final undefeated team isn’t necessarily a good thing and that’s because the final undefeated team has gone 20 STRAIGHT seasons without winning the Lombardi Trophy. The last time the final unbeaten team won the Super Bowl came in 2006 when Peyton Manning’s Colts started the season 9-0 on their way to winning the Lombardi Trophy. 

There are 32 NFL teams and I predicted when EACH one of them will suffer their first loss. If you want to see my full list of predictions, we have you covered here. 

4. NFL All-Overpaid Team: Deshaun Watson headlines the list

In the NFL, it can be pretty easy to see when a guy is being overpaid, it happens when a player’s production isn’t living up to his contract. Apparently, there are quite a few overpaid guys in the NFL and I know that because Garrett Podell went through and made an ENTIRE TEAM out of overpaid players. This is not a team you want to be on. 

You want to be an All-Pro, you want to be a Pro Bowler, but you definitely don’t want to be on Garrett’s All-Overpaid Team. 

Let’s check out three players who made the the roster: 

• QB: Deshaun Watson (Contract: Five years, $230 million fully guaranteed). Watson’s deal is the worst contract in NFL history. When he’s played in his limited 19-start tenure as the Browns‘ starting quarterback, he’s been one of the NFL’s worst, ranking in the bottom five in the NFL in multiple efficiency metrics among the 50 quarterbacks who have thrown 500-plus passes since 2022.  
• WR: Chris Godwin (Contract: Three years, $66 million with $44 million guaranteed). Godwin’s extension is aging like spoiled milk. He has missed a combined 18 games over the last two seasons, eight of which came in 2025, when he registered career lows in catches (33) and receiving yards (360) while producing the second-fewest receiving touchdowns of his career (two).
• CB: Marlon Humphrey (Contract: Five years, $97.5 million with $39.957 million guaranteed). Humphrey is now on the wrong side of 30, fresh off a struggle-filled 2025 season. He registered a 50.1 PFF defensive grade, which ranked 103rd out of 112 qualified cornerbacks in 2025.

If you want to see who else made the cut on the All-Overpaid Team, Garrett has the full roster here.  

5. Four NFL players might be headed back to college football and one has even entered the transfer portal

College football has officially been turned upside down. A court in Louisiana issued a temporary restraining order on Wednesday that will grant a fifth year of eligibility to 16 football players who were hoping to play one more year of college football. 

Back in June, the NCAA changed its eligibility rules to allow players to play five seasons of college football in a five-year period. Under the previous rule, you would only get four years of eligibility in a five-year span. The new rule wasn’t supposed to apply to outgoing seniors and that’s why the lawsuit was filed. Sixteen players want their eligibility restored and this TRO makes them eligible to play this year. 

The crazy part here is that four NFL rookies are now eligible to return to college football this year. Here’s the full list of players along with their current team. 

According to ESPN, Wright, Williams and Hankerson are all interested in returning to college if they get cut by their NFL team. Another rookie showed exactly how this situation could end up working. Former UCLA running back T.J. Harden was cut by the Seahawks on Monday and he has now entered the college transfer portal, according to On3. That’s right, there is an NFL PLAYER in the transfer portal. 

The players have until Sept. 1 to decide if they want to return to college football, which is a timeline that works out perfectly for them, because the NFL will be holding its annual cut day on Aug. 30. If any of the four players get released, they can quickly find a college team to play for if returning to school is what they want to do. 

And since this is now all happening, I guess I might as well go check to see if I have any eligibility left. I’ll keep you guys posted.  

6. Extra points: Vita Vea finally gets a new deal

It’s been a busy few days around the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything, I put together a quick roundup for you.

• Buccaneers won’t be trading Vita Vea. It took just over three weeks, but the drama between Vita Vea and the Buccaneers is finally over. Vea requested a trade back on July 28, but that request is off the table after the Bucs rewarded him with one-year, $30 million extension. Vea will get a $6 million bump in his 2026 pay to bring it to $24 million and then he’ll get another $24 million in 2027. The two-time Pro Bowler is a key part of the Bucs’ defensive front and Tampa Bay just couldn’t really afford to lose him. 
• Texans 2025 receiving TD leader out for season. As a rookie last season, Jayden Higgins caught six TD passes, which was tied for the most on the team, but he won’t get a chance to add to that total this year. The receiver tore his ACL during a joint practice with the Raiders and is now out for the season. We’ve got more details on the injury here. 
• Seahawks sign former All-Pro corner. The Seahawks have been kicking the tires on several corners around the NFL over the past few weeks and they finally added one on Wednesday by signing Trevon Diggs to a one-year deal. The former All-Pro was once one of the top corners in the NFL, but he hasn’t been the same since tearing his ACL in 2023. The Seahawks had initially agreed to a deal with Terrion Arnold earlier this week, but that still hasn’t been finalized and with Arnold headed for the commissioner’s exempt list, he might not end up in Seattle at all. According to ESPN, Arnold will be placed on the commissioner’s list once he signs with any team. If he’s on that list, he can’t play until his legal situation is resolved. The former Lions cornerback is currently facing eight felony charges stemming from a kidnapping and robbery in Florida back in February. 

Charlton Athletic have signed goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo on a season-long loan from Wrexham.

Okonkwo has kept 46 clean sheets in 121 games for Wrexham, having joined the team initially in 2023 on loan before making the move permanent a year later.

The 24-year-old played 39 Championship games for the club last season but did not feature in the match-day squad for their opening league game against Cardiff City.

The Nigerian international becomes Charlton’s eighth signing of the summer so far.

“Arthur is a further reflection of the calibre of player we’re attracting during our second season back in the Championship,” Charlton managing director James Rodwell told the club website, external.

“He’s an outstanding goalkeeper with proven ability, and we’re excited to see the impact he can make for the club over the course of the campaign.”

Ryan Garcia will make a first career world title defence when he takes on Conor Benn next month, and after watching the Californian train, three-division world champion James Toney has made his prediction for the contest.

‘King Ry’ dominated Mario Barrios to get his hands on the WBC world title back in February, comprehensively outboxing ‘El Azteca’ and showcasing his power, composure and skill as much as his world-renowned speed.

Since then, Benn has been installed as Garcia’s mandatory challenger, despite the fact that he has not competed as a welterweight since April 2022, with that mandated contest scheduled to take place on Saturday, September 12.

Should he be successful, it seems as though unifications will be next on Garcia’s mind, with the victor of Rolly Romero vs Teofimo Lopez deemed the most likely next fight, whilst a grudge match rematch with WBO titleholder Devin Haney is one that fans will always be keen to see.

Speaking to FightHype whilst watching Garcia train, ‘Lights Out’ Toney said that he expects ‘King Ry’ to get the job done inside of five rounds and thus hand Benn the first knockout defeat of his career.

“Definitely [he is looking vicious]. [He is going to win inside] five rounds.”

Including his eventual no-contest against Haney, Garcia has gone the distance in his last three bouts and has not scored a win inside of the distance since 2023.

Although, with Benn understood to be struggling to make the 147lb weight limit, Garcia could be able to capitalise and score a statement win.

Australian rider Maeve Plouffe says she narrowly avoided being hit by a car in Cumbria during the first stage of the Tour Of Britain Women.

The Netherlands’ Lorena Wiebes retained the leader’s green jersey with victory on stage two in Lancashire.

Plouffe, 27, who rides for British continental team O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes, said the incident happened on a roundabout as she was chasing back to the peloton, following a puncture on Wednesday.

She was taking part in the opening stage, which began and ended in Cockermouth.

Posting on Instagram, she wrote: “While the race convoy was still in sight, and I was less than two minutes down, there were cars from the general public coming at me from all directions, including one that nearly hit me on a roundabout.

“Later on, the moto escort was wonderful and I felt much safer. But considering the recent devastating events in our cycling community, it’s scary to see situations like this, when we know that this can have horrific consequences, especially so soon after suffering such a tragedy.”

Plouffe was referring to the death of 19-year-old British rider Fin Tarling, who was killed last week in a high-speed collision with a van, which had strayed on to the road during the eighth stage of the Volta a Portugal.

Before the Tour of Britain Women began, there was a tribute to Tarling with a photograph of him projected on to a large screen and a minute’s applause which all 114 riders and spectators took part in.

Tarling was the younger brother of Netcompany Inoes rider Josh Tarling, who was announced on Thursday in the team’s line-up for the Vuelta a Espana three-week Grand Tour, which begins on Saturday.

Reacting to Plouffe’s social media post, Jonathan Day, the events director of British Cycling Ventures – a commercial entity of British Cycling, which organises the Tour of Britain Women – issued a statement to the BBC.

In it, Day said: “We note Maeve Plouffe’s comments about her experience during yesterday’s race, and we’re taking these extremely seriously.

“Rider safety is paramount and will always be treated as a priority in our planning and how we operate any race.

“We’re reviewing what happened with Maeve and her team O’Shea Red Chilli Bikes with the seriousness and empathy these comments demand.

“We recognise this comes at an especially difficult time for the cycling community, so we want to reassure all riders, teams and fans of the sport at this time of how serious we are treating these comments.”

GMHBA Stadium will play host to Saturday’s
Round 24 AFL game between Geelong Cats and
Richmond Tigers. The game kicks off at 7:45 pm with Geelong Cats heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Geelong Cats vs.
Richmond Tigers
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday August 22, 2026 at 7:45 pm

Where: GMHBA Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Geelong Cats vs Richmond Tigers Odds

Geelong Cats vs Richmond Tigers Preview

Geelong recovered from a seven-goal-to-one opening quarter to defeat North Melbourne 125-110, responding with nine majors in the second term. Mark Blicavs kicked three goals, Bailey Smith amassed 34 disposals and Ollie Dempsey added 24 touches, nine marks and a goal. The Cats sit sixth and a victory should protect a valuable top-six finish. Richmond’s 94-45 loss to St Kilda continued a difficult run against leading opponents, although Dion Prestia fought hard with 27 disposals in his final home appearance. Geelong won the corresponding late-season fixture 103-64 last year and has been consistently strong at GMHBA Stadium. Richmond can threaten if it brings early pressure, as North demonstrated, but the Cats’ depth and ability to alter the game after quarter-time should prove decisive.

Adelaide Oval will play host to Saturday’s
Round 24 AFL game between Adelaide Crows and
GWS GIANTS. The game kicks off at 8:10 pm with Adelaide Crows heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Adelaide Crows vs.
GWS GIANTS
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Saturday August 22, 2026 at 8:10 pm

Where: Adelaide Oval

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Adelaide Crows vs GWS GIANTS Odds

Adelaide Crows vs GWS GIANTS Preview

Adelaide returns home needing victory and favourable results to reach the top six after Fremantle ended its charge with a 112-88 defeat. Izak Rankine was outstanding despite the loss, gathering 39 disposals, creating 13 score involvements and kicking a goal. Greater support around the contest will be essential against a GWS side that beat West Coast 111-57 last week, even though Carlton’s draw closed the Giants’ Wildcard path. Adelaide has won eight of its past nine home matches and defeated GWS 52-34 in their 2025 meeting, while the past four clashes between these clubs have all been decided by 19 points or fewer. The Giants’ talent should keep the pressure on deep into the night, but the Crows’ home record and stronger finals incentive provide a narrow edge.