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Three Fighters Who Stole the Show at UFC 331

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UFC 331 delivered a potential fight of the year, a brutal elbow knockout and one of the biggest upsets of the year. Here’s a full review.

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Five Fights to Make After UFC 331

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Sep 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Joshua Van looks on before his flyweight title bout against Alexandre Pantoja (not pictured) during UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn ImagesSep 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Joshua Van looks on before his flyweight title bout against Alexandre Pantoja (not pictured) during UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images

UFC 331 gave us some of the biggest upsets and KOs of the year.

Sean Sharaf needed just 12 seconds to flatten Gable Steveson. Arman Tsarukyan put Mauricio Ruffy away with a nasty elbow. Patricio Pitbull finally looked like the guy UFC fans expected to see when he signed with the promotion. And Joshua Van continued his run as one of the UFC’s fastest-rising stars.

Now comes the fun part: figuring out what’s next.

Here are five fights I’d make after UFC 33:.

1. Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape

At this point, Manel Kape feels like the fight to make.

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Joshua Van just beat Alexandre Pantoja again, and this time there wasn’t much left to argue about. Van controlled the striking, defended Pantoja’s wrestling and even dropped the former champion late in the fight.

The kid is legit.

Kape is one of the few guys near the top of the division who feels like a fresh matchup for Van. He’s riding a four-fight winning streak and is coming off a knockout win over Kyoji Horiguchi.

More importantly, Kape brings a completely different problem. Pantoja wanted to wrestle. Kape is going to want to stand and bang.

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Van has already proven he can beat one of the best grapplers at 125 pounds. Now let’s see what happens when he gets locked in there with one of the division’s most dangerous strikers.

2. Arman Tsarukyan vs. Justin Gaethje

Jun 14, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Justin Gaethje (blue gloves) celebrates with his team after winning the UFC Freedom 250 fight against Ilia Topuria (not pictured) at the White House South Lawn. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn ImagesJun 14, 2026; Washington, D.C., USA; Justin Gaethje (blue gloves) celebrates with his team after winning the UFC Freedom 250 fight against Ilia Topuria (not pictured) at the White House South Lawn. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Arman Tsarukyan needed a statement win–and he got one.

Tsarukyan knocked out Mauricio Ruffy with a brutal elbow in the first round, putting together his sixth straight win and reminding everyone why he has been hovering around the top of the lightweight division for so long.

Now he needs to stop waiting.

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Justin Gaethje is the UFC lightweight champion, and if the title picture lines up, Tsarukyan should be right there. The matchup is also just too good to pass up.

Tsarukyan’s wrestling against Gaethje’s ability to turn a fight into complete chaos? Yeah, sign me up.

Arman has spent enough time waiting for his next big opportunity. Give him the biggest one available as soon as possible.

3. Patricio Pitbull vs. Arnold Allen

Okay, this is the fun one.

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Patricio Pitbull finally looked like the Patricio Pitbull we’ve all been expecting for years in the UFC.

After a rough start to his UFC run, Pitbull absolutely smoked Doo Ho Choi in the first round and reminded everyone why he spent years being one of the biggest names in MMA outside of the UFC.

Now he needs a bigger test, and Arnold Allen just makes sense.

Allen has been around the top of the featherweight division for years and has the experience to give Pitbull a completely different kind of fight.

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Pitbull doesn’t need another lower-ranked opponent. He needs someone who can tell us whether the UFC version of Pitbull is actually back.

4. Sean Sharaf vs. Shamil Gaziev

Sep 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sean Sharaf (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Gable Steveson (not pictured) during UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn ImagesSep 19, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Sean Sharaf (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Gable Steveson (not pictured) during UFC 331 at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images

Twelve seconds.

That’s all Sean Sharaf needed to completely kill the Gable Steveson hype train.

Sharaf caught the Olympic gold medalist with a massive left hand and turned what was supposed to be Steveson’s big UFC debut into one of the most shocking KOs of the year. But let’s pump the brakes a little.

Sharaf had lost his previous two fights, so giving him a top-10 heavyweight immediately would be a little ridiculous.

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Shamil Gaziev feels like a much better next step.

Gaziev is coming off a knockout win over Kennedy Nzechukwu and is still trying to find his footing in the heavyweight division.

Sharaf gets a chance to prove the Steveson KO wasn’t a fluke, while Gaziev gets another dangerous heavyweight in front of him. And let’s be honest, this is heavyweight MMA.

Someone is probably getting knocked out.

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5. Alonzo Menifield vs. Robert Whittaker

Before anything else, somebody needs to make sure Alonzo Menifield’s thumb is okay. That thing looked rough.

Menifield somehow fought through the injury and still picked up a split decision over Iwo Baraniewski, giving him two straight wins and four victories in his last five fights.

So what’s next?

Let’s give him a name.

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Robert Whittaker recently moved up to light heavyweight and picked up a win over Nikita Krylov. Menifield is trying to establish himself in the same division, so this feels like a pretty clean matchup.

Whittaker has the résumé. Menifield has the momentum.

And if Menifield’s thumb survives another training camp, I’m all for it.

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Jaxson Dart injury update: Giants QB hurts knee in loss to Rams, will undergo MRI

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The opening drive of the New York Giants‘ 28-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams ended in concerning fashion. Quarterback Jaxson Dart sustained a knee injury on the final play of the possession, which the team fears is a sprained MCL, according to ESPN/NFL Media.

The expectation is that Dart will miss time, but he appears to have avoided a long-term injury. X-rays performed at SoFi Stadium came back negative, and Dart will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

Dart took a hit from Rams defenders Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young mid-throw on a third-down deep ball, and on the collision, his left knee bent awkwardly in the air. He fell to the ground and grabbed at his knee in pain while trainers rushed to assess his injury. He then walked to the sideline without assistance.

New York’s medical staff evaluated Dart in the sideline medical tent before escorting him into the locker room. If there is any source of optimism for the Giants in the immediate wake of this injury, it is that Dart was able to walk into the locker room under his own power. The team had a cart ready to transport him from the tent, but he walked slowly down the sideline instead.

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Giants general manager Joe Schoen said to ESPN’s Laura Rutledge that Dart is “going to be OK.”

The Giants punted following the failed third-down conversion. Dart went 3-for-5 on the possession for 20 passing yards.

Jameis Winston entered the game in relief of Dart.

Dart’s second season in the NFL was off to a roaring start prior to the injury. He opened the campaign with a 23-for-29 performance in a Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys and amassed 230 passing yards and three touchdowns in the divisional victory. It was the best game of his young career by passer rating and suggested that he might be leveling up in real time following a promising rookie year.

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If Dart misses time, the Giants could be fairly well-positioned to stay afloat in his absence. Not only is Winston a capable backup with immense starting experience, but the schedule over the coming weeks is quite favorable. The Giants face the Tennessee Titans, Arizona Cardinals and Washington Commanders in Weeks 3-6.

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Guest House primed for 2026 Golden Rose bid

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Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr are optimistic that Guest House is in prime condition for the Golden Rose, despite a preparation that hasn’t been entirely straightforward.

A few hours after jockey Zac Lloyd exercised the Golden Slipper winner at Rosehill trackwork on Tuesday, the colt drew barrier five for this Saturday’s $1 million Group 1 race, which has attracted a field of 13 runners.

The Golden Rose will be Guest House’s second start this campaign, following a track record victory in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on August 29.

The son of Home Affairs required some recovery time after that run, leading Price and Kent to bypass their planned second-up appearance in the Group 2 Run To The Rose (1200m). They are now pleased with his strong recovery in the lead-up to the Golden Rose.

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Kent is drawing confidence from the stable’s 2022 success with Jacquinot, as Guest House targets the feature race this weekend.

“I think it was a very wise decision to skip the Run To The Rose,” Kent commented.

“The horse was clearly quite forward in condition and the fact that he could run a track record first up showed that.

“We won with a similar training pattern with Jacquinot in the Golden Rose; he won the McNeil on the same weekend (as the San Domenico) and went four weeks in.

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“If he runs to his best and he gets the 1400 metres, he’s the one to beat for sure.”

The betting market seems to concur, with Guest House installed as the short-priced favourite. He is followed by Run To The Rose winner Warwoven, who drew the inside alley, and St Gotthard, who was relegated to second favourite after drawing gate nine.

Guest House is aiming to create history in the Golden Rose, a race that has held Group 1 status since 2009. No Golden Slipper winner has managed to win the Golden Rose in that time, despite its rise to become one of Australia’s most lucrative three-year-old races. Fireburn’s fifth placing behind Jacquinot represents the best result for the four Slipper winners who have contested the Golden Rose since 2009.

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5 best dining experiences at GOLF’s Top 100 Resorts | Travel

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Time was, golf club grub meant a hot dog at the turn and a burger in the clubhouse. Maybe a Cobb salad, or a soup so thick your spoon stood up in it. Nothing wrong with that. But nothing worth a detour, either.

That’s changed. At the finest golf destinations, kitchens now strive for the same standard as the courses: creative, considered, built on ingredients grown or caught close by. Scan the culinary offerings at GOLF’s Top 100 Resorts and you’ll find chefs trained at the world’s best tables, serving everything from multi-course tasting menus to trattoria classics, each with its own personality and sense of place. From that global spread, here are 5 dining experiences that stand out.

South Cape Owners Club
Namhae Island, South Korea

Feel free to keep score when you peg it at this stunning coastal resort. Just don’t bother counting calories. Two teahouses operate on the course — one after the 5th, another after the 15th — and hitting both is practically tradition. (At the latter, the frozen persimmon is non-negotiable.) At the turn, tea and artisan chocolates await in a music room overlooking the coast, unless a savory Korean pancake is more to your taste. Dinner unfolds at the clubhouse restaurant, windows framed by dramatic sea cliffs, the menu anchored by Namhae beef, Korea’s answer to Kobe.

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Terre Blanche Resort
Provence, France

Provence. The word alone is a palate-teaser, and Terre Blanche takes its location to heart. The property’s three restaurants lean into what the region does best: produce harvested that morning, herbs grown steps from the kitchen, seafood pulled from the nearby Mediterranean. Meals move from casual, sun-splashed lunches to more polished evening affairs, but sustainability and hyper-locality run through all of them. However you choose to eat, plan to linger — in proper local fashion — over a bottle of something Provençal.

Costa Navarino
Messenia, Greece

Golf is still finding its footing in Greece, but the dining has long been worthy of the gods. Spread across Costa Navarino’s resorts is a divine array of options: Flame for classic steakhouse fare, Da Luigi for Italian, Onuki for spot-on Japanese. Craving Greek, go to Armyra or Barbouni, the Ionian Sea as backdrop, the latter practically at water’s edge. Just beyond the property line, farm stands and olive groves stretch to the horizon, fitting backdrops for a property where golf and grazing go hand in hand.

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Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco
Val d’Orcia, Tuscany

It’s in Tuscany. Need we say more? Fine, we will. The estate’s Ristorante Campo del Drago now boasts two Michelin stars, earned under chef Matteo Temperini, whose menu pairs produce from the resort’s own organic gardens with the estate’s Brunello di Montalcino. For a lower-key night, Osteria La Canonica is a classic trattoria, turning out wood-fired pizza, Chianina steaks, and pasta as simple as it is sublime. Between the two, guests get the full range of Tuscan cooking without ever leaving the 12th-century borgo.

Adare Manor
County Limerick, Ireland

Like its championship course, which will host the 2027 Ryder Cup, the cuisine at Adare Manor gives guests a world of options. How to decide? At The Oak Room, the resort’s Michelin-starred anchor, chef Michael Tweedie distills Ireland’s best artisan ingredients into candlelit tasting menus, paired with a deep wine list. The Carriage House keeps things crisp but casual, and Oku deals in sharp Japanese cooking. Add afternoon tea in the Gallery, whiskey flights in the Tack Room and cocktails in the Drawing Room overlooking the gardens, and this multicultural spread still somehow feels as Irish as it gets.

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Malik Nabers to have X-rays on shoulder

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New York Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers (shoulder) suffered a shoulder injury in the Week 2 game against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday, Sept. 21.

Nabers left the game briefly, getting worked on by a member of the training staff while he was on the ground. He said the shoulder popped out, and he popped it back in. He added that he will have X-rays to see what’s going in with the injury.

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Nabers returned to the game, and he finished the 28-6 with just one reception for one yard on four targets.

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SOURCE: SNYtv – Connor Hughes

Why it Matters: Nabers will have further tests when the team gets back to New Jersey. He did nothing in the game, and clearly wasn’t 100 percent. It didn’t help that starting quarterback Jaxson Dart went down early in the game, and the erratic Jameis Winston took over the rest of the way. We’ll have more information on the status for Nabers for Week 3 once he has his tests back home.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Malik Nabers to have X-rays on shoulder

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Jaxson Dart injury: Everything we know as Giants’ QB leaves game vs. Rams

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New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart went down with a left knee injury on the team’s first drive Monday night against the Los Angeles Rams. Initial reports are that the injury is believed to be a sprained MCL. Dart will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” head coach John harbaugh said after the game. “That’s [MCL sprain] in the neighborhood of it, I would say.”

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Dart was sandwiched between Rams defenders Byron Young and Josaiah Stewer on a third-and-8 incompletion to Theo Johnson from the Rams’ 41-yard line.

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Dart did walk slowly off the field under his own power. Dart has been ruled out. GM Joe Schoen told ESPN that the quarterback is “going to be OK.” ESPN’s Jordan Ranaan reported that Dart wanted to return to the game.

Jameis Winston took over at quarterback for the Giants on their second offensive series.

Dart protecting himself from big hits and concussions has been a constant story. This, though, was a hit from the pocket after which his left knee appeared to bend in an awkward manner.

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Dart limped slowly to the locker room after being checked in the medical tent.

John Harbaugh had this to say about Dart’s injury during a brief halftime interview:

“We’re just focused on the second half, trying to find a way to win the game. We’re not thinking about that right now.”

Dr. David Chao, a former NFL team doctor who goes by @ProFootballDoc on X, offered a quick take on the injury.

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Halo expands its Respite Programme delivering exercise, stress management and nutrition advice for carers

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Social enterprise Halo Leisure is extending the reach of its Carers Respite Programme, which
supports unpaid carers through physical activity and wellbeing support, alongside replacement
care
for the people they look after.

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4 Mistakes WWE made on RAW from San Antonio (September 21, 2026)

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After last week’s RAW in Mexico City, WWE stayed close by for this week’s show in San Antonio, Texas. Roxanne Perez and Penta qualified for their respective Money in the Bank Ladder Matches.

The Prodigy bested IYO SKY and AAA’s La Catalina. She’ll challenge La Catalina for the AAA Reina de Reinas Title at this weekend’s Worlds Collide event. Penta replaced Solo Sikoa after Royce Keys and OTM abducted him from the arena.

The former AEW star defeated Dominik Mysterio and Dragon Lee to advance to New Orleans. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria squared off again, while Oba Femi returned for vengeance on the Vision.

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The women’s triple threat qualifier was one of the better matches of 2026, but WWE still made the next four mistakes on RAW from San Antonio.


#4. IYO SKY is pinned in first match in some time

Roxanne Perez, IYO SKY, and AAA’s La Catalina battled for RAW’s final spot in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. When the dust settled, The Prodigy moved on after pinning SKY.

Instead of pinning La Catalina, whom Perez faces this weekend, WWE opted to sacrifice one of its top stars. SKY hasn’t been used much since SummerSlam. She lost to Liv Morgan after winning Queen of the Ring.

Her last match was a tag team victory with Sol Ruca against Perez and Raquel Rodriguez on August 10th. Catalina may be a champion, but she’s competing tomorrow on NXT.

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She isn’t the top priority when it comes to protecting someone in a pinfall. She could have been pinned and rebounded by beating Perez this weekend.


#3. Time for another week off!

Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett kept mentioning how everyone was still talking about last week’s World Heavyweight Title match between Roman Reigns and Penta. Some RAW stars and fans may be, but everyone else isn’t still gushing over the usual result.

There’s also been an episode of SmackDown and another edition of RAW. In keeping with his schedule since after Night of Champions, The Tribal Chief didn’t show up this week.

He’ll likely appear one more time before Money in the Bank. LA Knight had to cut a promo where half of his comments praised his enemy. It all felt like forced adulation for the champion who shows up every other week and doesn’t defend the title as much as other champions.

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#2. WWE makes the Vision look weak twice

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WWE made it seem like Je’Von Evans was far more formidable than the five-person Vision faction. Having Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed isn’t hard enough to deal with, but Evans routinely evaded interference to hang with Breakker all match.

He took out Austin Theory and Reed at various points until the match ended due to Theory’s interference. He fought the group off briefly but fell victim to the numbers game.

The Vision didn’t stand tall for long as Oba Femi returned to plow through the group. The Vision is supposed to be a top faction in WWE, but this booking paints them as fodder akin to Retribution or the Social Outcasts.


#1. The Judgment Day has four segments

Instead of featuring other WWE stars like Sol Ruca or giving Joe Hendry or Ethan Page longer segments, the Judgment Day was all over RAW from San Antonio. Roxanne Perez and Dominik Mysterio had matches.

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Perez confronted Lola Vice after she “signed” her RAW contract. The entire faction had a promo segment halfway through the episode. Stephanie Vaquer and Becky Lynch were also used in that segment.

This show felt like it was all about Morgan and her faction since Roman Reigns was absent. Breakker had a few spots as well, but the other members of the Vision did not compete.