Manchester City will say goodbye to Rodri in the coming days after agreeing a deal with Barcelona that they are happy with

Rodri will complete a move to Barcelona after the Catalan giants agreed a fee with Manchester City. Having rejected two bids, the Blues have accepted a total package that will reach £65.4m for their star midfielder.

City had hoped that Rodri would sign a new contract at the Etihad but with his deal entering the final year it became clear that the Ballon d’Or winner would not commit. With Barcelona looking to sign him in the last two weeks, City set a benchmark of over £60m and that has been met.

It brings to an end seven glorious years for Rodri with City, where he established himself as the best player in world football before a serious knee issue in September 2024 cost him the best part of two years to injury. He returned in May 2025 and played a substantial part in City winning two trophies last season, but did not rediscover his best form until he captained Spain to World Cup glory in the summer.

The 30-year-old returned to the City Football Academy on Friday with no agreement between Barcelona and the Blues. However, he was absent from the squad that travelled down to the Community Shield for Sunday’s 3-0 defeat to Arsenal; while he is not fully fit, last year the Spaniard was present for matches while injured in order to support the team.

City are intent on replacing Rodri and a substantial fee will help them, and a deal for Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi is advancing, but that is understood to be separate from another deal for Rodri; interest in Chelsea’s Enzo Fernandez persists despite the deadline imposed by the West London club that was not met. However, boss Enzo Maresca highlighted that time is against the club with just a few weeks of the window left.

“Any new signing, the sooner they arrive the better because we are starting the Premier League in one week and if they start to work with us as soon as possible it’s better that they can also understand the way we want to play,” said Maresca.

“We knew already before the game of the things that we need to do. It’s not because we lost the game or even if we had won the game to think differently. We are quite clear in what we need to do and for sure we are going to do something before the window closes.”

Islam Makhachev reacts after defeating Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight title fight at the UFC 330 mixed martial arts event Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton)

PHILADELPHIA — The bridge of Islam Makhachev’s nose, right cheek and forehead were scraped or sliced open and his left cheek sported a baseball-sized bruise after taking a few too many brutal blows to the face.

He may not have looked the part, yet Makhachev was again a winner — all while toppling one of UFC’s most enduring records.

Makhachev set the UFC record with his 17th straight victory, reaching the milestone with a unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry to successfully defend his 170-pound championship in the main event of UFC 330 on Saturday night.

READ: Islam Makhachev ties UFC record with 16th straight win

TITLE DEFENDED 😤@MAKHACHEVMMA takes the Unanimous Decision over Ian Machado Garry at #UFC330! pic.twitter.com/8CR80dYuAM

— UFC (@ufc) August 16, 2026

Makhachev won 49-46 on two scorecards and 48-47 on the third in a competitive five-round fight that never rose to the level of greatness.

“He gave me a hard time,” Makhachev said, “but I still prove it every fight.”

Makhachev (29-1) was tied with UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva with 16 straight victories and has not lost since UFC 192 in 2015. Makhachev won the welterweight crown in his first attempt when he beat Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025.

He took his share of head kicks in his first title defense, notably in the third round that did most of the cosmetic damage, yet bested a record set by Silva that had stood for 13 years.

“If he keeps going like he says he’s going to keep going, it might never be beaten,” UFC CEO Dana White said.

The 34-year-old Makhachev nearly ended the fight in the second when he threw his left foot and caught Machado Garry flush with a headkick that dropped the challenger to his rear end. Makhachev pounced with a series of punches that had the sellout crowd of 19,238 fans roaring in anticipation of a quick finish, only for Machado Garry — serenaded throughout with obscenity-laced chants — to hold on and finish the round.

Machado Garry (17-2) won the third round on all three scorecards and rallied in the fifth round with seven significant strikes landed to none for Makhachev.

Yet it wasn’t enough to topple one of UFC’s great fighters.

READ: Islam Makhachev submits replacement Renato Moicano at UFC 311

“I believed in my heart and soul I was better than him tonight, and he won,” Machado Garry said. “No complaints, no excuses. I’m 28, I have a decade of domination already. This man won tonight.”

Makhachev — who held the lightweight championship and has seven total wins in title fights — continues to dominate no matter the weight class.

Dern defends 115-pound title on first try

Mackenzie Dern successfully defended the 115-pound championship in her first title defense with a unanimous decision victory over Gillian Robertson that could set her up for a fight with division great Zhang Weili.

Dern (17-5) won the vacant strawweight belt in her last fight at UFC 321 and won a lopsided and lackluster first defense against Robertson.

Dern won 49-46 on two scorecards and 48-47 on the third in the five-round fight.

“I wanted to get the submission with Gillian,” Dern said. “I definitely wanted to submit her. That was the goal.”

Dern nearly made Robertson (17-9) tap in the first round with a choke hold that about turned the challenger’s face as pinkish-red as her braided hair. Dern might have won the bout had it stretched even another 30 seconds, but Robertson was saved by the bell.

Too bad the fight didn’t end there.

The next four rounds were relatively uneventful, and the title match slowed to a near complete stop as they mostly locked up on the canvas with barely a strike thrown.

Dern’s 7-year-old daughter peered her head over the barricade from her front row seat and shouted encouragement each time mom got close to her side of the cage. The little girl could be heard well over a rowdy crowd that had about been lulled into passiveness — and eventually, boos in the fifth round — in the humdrum title fight.

Barboza calls it a career after loss at UFC 330

Edson Barboza left his fight gloves on the mat and choked back tears as he retired following a lightweight loss on the main card to Esteben Ribovics.

The 40-year-old Barboza received a standing ovation and was flanked by his family as he officially called it quits after an MMA career that began in 2009. He made his UFC debut a year later and won multiple Fight of the Night honors. He lost the last four fights of his career.

“Every single fight, I promise I did my best,” Barboza said from inside the cage.

Barboza dropped to his knees and bowed his head as he lay down his gloves and was consoled by UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer as he made the final walk back to the locker room.

Different kind of Broad Street Bullies usher in UFC return to Philly

UFC held only its third numbered card in Philadelphia and first fight event overall in the city since 2019.

UFC 101 was held in August 2009, and UFC 133 was in August 2011.

Philly fight fans were in the mood to make up for lost time and about packed the arena and were wild for the punishing action the preliminary fights delivered hours before the main card was set to start.

It’s a perfect fit for a city that loves their bullies.

The fans got an early reward when 39-year-old Philly fighter Jeremiah Wells — who was booed on his walkout — won via submission on the card’s opening night and won over the inhospitable fans.

Tresean Gore won his middleweight fight, but lost his teeth in a unanimous decision victory over Vicente Luque.

Gore took a knee to his mouth and lost most of his bottom front teeth. They littered the cage and the fight official picked at least one up with his gloved hand. Gore pulled down his lower lip to show the bloody results as he talked to fight announcer Joe Rogan.

Charles Johnson celebrated his submission victory by leading the crowd in an off-key rendition of “Fly, Eagles, Fly.” It helps to pander. He walked out of the cage to a big ovation.

Right now, Kyler Murray is chewing up $1.3 million on the Vikings’ salary cap. That’s going to be a single-season arrangement no matter how he plays in 2026. Getting him back for anywhere close to that number isn’t going to happen, especially if he shines.

A recent piece on Over the Cap underscored the issue. Jason Fitzgerald offers up a matter-of-fact title: “$50M QBs in the NFL.” Consider some good background to help readers understand the cap context: “$50 million represents about 16.6% of the salary cap. Players to earn more than 16.6% at signing include Kirk Cousins, Derek Carr, Carson Wentz, Jared Goff, Daniel Jones, Tua Tagovaiola, and Kyler Murray among others. If you look at what many other teams have done there is a pretty logical reason for him to hold firm on that number.”

What follows is some good insight about the cost of a well-paid QB1 that’s reasonably sobering.

The Kyler Murray Cost Beyond 2026

Oftentimes, teams don’t get great return on investment when hitting that key percentage that Fitzgerald highlights.

A thought: “The numbers aren’t great here considering how much money is being spent. The win numbers basically work out to around 9 wins a year, but that assumes the player is healthy. That number drops to about 7.5 when you factor in injuries and the need for a backup QB to get you those extra few wins needed to qualify for the playoffs.”

Elsewhere, the cap expert writes, “I think it is fair for teams to start looking at the performances of many of these high priced QBs and ask if the return is really worth the big investment.”

Part of the answer, Fitzgerald suggests, is to put incentives into the deals. Doing so beefs up the number while keeping the heat on the quarterback to toss wins on the board.

“If there is a happy medium,” Fitzgerald argues, “it probably is to make the QB contract more incentive based based on wins and performance to where a player like Mayfield can reach that $50M a year average if he delivers on the field year after year. That certainly is different than what we see now, but that may be an area that teams and players should look at in the future.”

Obviously, the Vikings want Kyler Murray to shine as the starter. However, doing so will come at a cost.

Minnesota got a steal of a deal by getting Murray to agree to a contract for just $1.3 million. Critically, Murray ensured there was a no-tag clause at the end of things. Doing so ensures that he maintains leverage going into March of 2027.

In all likelihood, Minnesota would need to get close to that magic number considered in the OTC piece. Dropping down a contract that averages $50 million isn’t impossible to digest but there would be consequences to such a deal.

Murray’s task involves proving so formidable that allowing him to walk would be deemed foolish. Proving to be the long-awaited franchise passer would mean that the Vikings are compelled to ensure Kyler Murray finishes his career with a horn on his helmet.

Kyler Murray is 29.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Devdutt Padikkal said his maiden Test century against Sri Lanka was the result of two years of hard work and preparation, after the left-hander scored a career-best 167 in the first Test at Galle.

Resuming from an overnight score of 131, Padikkal batted for 230 balls and hit 15 fours and a six to help India reach 460/9 on a rain-hit second day. The Karnataka batter said he had long prepared himself to make the most of an opportunity at the international level.

“Definitely. I’ve dreamt of this moment. For the last two years, I’ve been working really hard to try and make sure that when I get that opportunity, I can do something special like this, and I’m really happy to do that,” Padikkal said.

How Padikkal Took on Sri Lanka’s Spinners

Padikkal played with positive intent against spin, using confident footwork and attacking shots to put pressure back on the bowlers.

“I think we have discussed that at length, especially when you’re playing spin, it’s important that you have certain plans in your head.

“You cannot go out there and expect to react all the time. It’s important that we have a couple of shots in your head that you want to play as soon as you go out there, so that you can put some pressure on the bowler as well. So, I think over the last year or so, we have really worked on trying to find ways in our own strengths that you can really implement to make sure that you put pressure back.”

He said clarity and complete commitment to every shot had improved his footwork and confidence.

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The Hunger to Keep Scoring

Padikkal did not stop after reaching his century and converted it into 167. He said staying focused immediately after reaching a milestone was crucial.

“I think honestly, it’s just the hunger to score more runs. I just enjoy batting out there, and the moment you get to 100, it’s easy to relax and feel that relief. But it’s important that for me, the next 20-30 balls are the really important phase that I try and make sure that I’m completely focused, completely there.

“I think when I get past those first 10 balls after 100, I think it makes my job a whole lot easier and over the years, I’ve seen so many cricketers get big runs, get big hundreds, especially back in Karnataka. So just watching them bat makes me want to do the same.”

Padikkal expects the Galle pitch to become more challenging over the next few days. After his long innings in humid conditions, however, his celebration plans were simple: “Not really. I think I’m tired, so I’m just going to go back to bed now,” he concluded.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – It was a true homecoming for Joseph Sawyer on Saturday night.

The former WWE star, then known as Joe Gacy, made his return to Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) as the company held Homecoming Night 1 at the Showboat Resort Atlantic City in New Jersey. Sawyer survived a bloody affair to capture the GCW World Championship in a victory over Atticus Cogar.

COMPLETE PRO WRESTLING COVERAGE ON FOX NEWS DIGITAL

Joseph Sawyer defeated Atticus Cogar for the GCW World Championship at GCW Homecoming at Showboat Atlantic City on Aug. 15, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

“What a f—ing Homecoming,” he told the crowd after winning the title.

Indeed it was.

It was Sawyer’s first match in GCW since 2020 when he went by Psycho Joe. The Franklin, New Jersey, native went to war with Cogar. The match featured brutal chair shots and multiple attempts at putting Cogar through a door set up in the corner of the ring.

It was also a night that featured tributes to the late Bray Wyatt. Cogar’s entrance music was a nod to the former WWE star who died unexpectedly in August 2023. Cogar also wore a jacket and a mask in tribute.

Sawyer hit a Sister Abigail DDT to finish off Cogar. The GCW crowd that packed the event space at the Showboat went wild. Fans started to bang on the apron of the ring as Sawyer celebrated.

Atticus Cogar hoped to defend the GCW World Championship at GCW Homecoming at Showboat Atlantic City on Aug. 15, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

The violence portrayed in the ring only scratched the surface of what occurred throughout the night. Light tubes, chains, scaffolds, chairs and a barbed wire table all made an appearance.

Otis Cogar retained the GCW Ultraviolent Championship against Anakin Murphy, who played into the New Jersey crowd coming out in gear inspired by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way.

Otis Cogar defeated Anakin Murphy to retain the GCW Ultraviolent Championship at GCW Homecoming at Showboat Atlantic City on Aug. 15, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

Cogar pulled out all the stops to finish off a resilient Murphy, who told Cogar to “f—ing end it” before the champion hit him with a brutal chair shot. Murphy tried to get Cogar down the best he could, even taking a fan’s Buffalo Bills helmet to use it as a weapon. Regardless, it was Cogar’s night but he learned later he would have a new challenger for his championship.

Vipress and Christian Napier battled in a brutal Chola Chain Match. The competitors were connected to each other by a chain tied to their wrists. Once Napier threw Vipress into a chair that was placed in between turnbuckles, she was busted wide open.

With blood dripping down her face, Vipress was able to power through. She took back control of the match when Napier got tied up in the ropes. She found some light tubes and smashed them over Napier’s head.

Vipress and Christian Napier went to war in a Chola Chain Match at GCW Homecoming at Showboat Atlantic City on Aug. 15, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

Vipress was able to wrap the chain around Napier’s face to make him tap out and secure the win.

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She took the mic after the match and called out Cogar to challenge for the GCW Ultraviolent Championship.

In one of the scarier moments of the night, Nick Gage, Nino Extremo and Sicko The Clown defeated Conor Claxton, Dr. Redacted and Jimmy Lloyd in a six-man deathmatch.

Claxton was attempting to end the match when he followed Sicko The Clown to the top of a scaffold that was set up on the side of the ring. Claxton had already prepared to do some damage, setting up a bundle of light tubes on the match. Extremo followed them both to the top of the scaffold and it allowed Sicko The Clown to regain control.

Sicko The Clown hit a Spanish fly on Claxton through the light tubes. Sicko The Clown pinned Claxton, who appeared to be bleeding profusely from his arm. Claxton was taken to the hospital and appeared to be OK.

KJ Orso, left, and Sam Stackhouse defeated Bustah and the Brain to win the GCW Tag Team Championship at GCW Homecoming at Showboat Atlantic City on Aug. 15, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

Joey Janela defeated Marko Stunt with the help of Ryan O’Neill at GCW Homecoming at Showboat Atlantic City on Aug. 15, 2026. (Fox News Digital)

Elsewhere, KJ Orso and Sam Stackhouse defeated Alec Price and Jordan Oliver to become the new GCW tag team champions. Bobby Flaco, Hunter Drake, Jay Lucas and Terry Yaki defeated Leedz Lewis, Ryan O’Neill, Sal Mistretta and Tarzan Duran in an eight-man tag match.

Joey Janela staved off the possibility of retirement when he defeated Marko Stunt with the help of O’Neill. Bear Bronson and Gabby Forza defeated Charles Mason and Slade.

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GCW Homecoming Night 2 is set for Sunday at the Showboat once again. Pro wrestling fans can watch the event on Triller TV+.

Several Nigerian players in Europe have started the 2026/27 season in impressive form, with Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Boniface, Moses Usor, Rafiu Durosinmi and Akor Adams among those who caught the eye at the weekend.

Chukwueze stars for AC Milan

Samuel Chukwueze produced an excellent performance as AC Milan beat Manchester United 4-2 in a pre-season friendly.

The Nigerian winger played the full match, scoring once and providing two assists.

Chukwueze cancelled out Harry Maguire’s early goal with a calm finish after a pass from Goncalo Ramos.

He then set up Alphadjo Cisse for Milan’s equaliser after Patrick Dorgu had restored United’s lead. Chukwueze later assisted Ramos again as Milan moved ahead before Ruben Loftus-Cheek completed the scoring.

The performance will give Chukwueze confidence as he looks to build on his successful loan spell at Fulham last season.

Boniface scores late winner

Victor Boniface was also on target as Bayer Leverkusen defeated Newcastle United 2-1 at St James’ Park.

Ibrahim Maza gave Leverkusen an early lead before Malick Thiaw equalised for Newcastle.

Boniface then scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute with a fine finish.

The striker is hoping to return to his best after two difficult seasons. His loan spell at Werder Bremen was badly affected by a serious knee injury that required surgery in January.

Leverkusen coach Carles Martinez believes Boniface is improving.

“He knows what he has to do. I’m pushing him as well. It’s getting better. His quality is obvious,” Martinez said.

Boniface also thanked the fans for supporting him during his difficult period.

Okoye returns with clean sheet

Maduka Okoye made a positive return for Udinese, keeping a clean sheet as they beat Padova 1-0 in the Coppa Italia.

The goalkeeper had been out with a shoulder injury picked up during pre-season but returned to full training before the match.

His return is a boost for both Udinese and Nigeria.

Usor continues strong form

Moses Usor was another Nigerian who impressed, helping LASK beat Austria Wien 4-1 in the Austrian Bundesliga.

The winger provided an assist before scoring to put LASK ahead. He then helped Samuel Adeniran score again before providing another assist for Christoph Lang.

Usor has now scored two goals and provided two assists in three competitive matches this season.

His strong start could increase his chances of earning a place in the Super Eagles squad for the next international window.

Durosinmi keeps scoring

Rafiu Durosinmi also continued his good start to the season by scoring a penalty for Genk.

The striker now has two goals in two matches and is hoping to challenge for the Belgian league’s top-scorer award this season.

Adams scores twice on Venezia debut

Akor Adams enjoyed an excellent competitive debut for Venezia, scoring twice and providing an assist as the newly promoted Serie A club beat Modena 3-2 in the Coppa Italia.

Adams scored his first goal in the 26th minute to bring Venezia level after Modena had taken an early lead.

He later assisted Venezia’s second goal before scoring again two minutes later to complete the comeback.

The strong performances from several Nigerian players provide an encouraging start to the new European season and will give Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle plenty to consider ahead of Nigeria’s next international matches.

At no point have the Minnesota Vikings been good at running the ball with Kevin O’Connell as the head coach. Someday, that needs to change if the team is going to arrive at meaningful success.

Coach O’Connell (and the team more broadly) has enough talent to successfully push his squad through the regular season. Think double-digit wins and a ticket into the playoffs. Once there, though, O’Connell hasn’t yet been able to break through. At least part of the reason why has been due to losing the line of scrimmage, in no small part due to being so one dimensional.

A Stubborn Minnesota Vikings Fact

Check out the Vikings’ ranking for total rushing yardage since 2022 when O’Connell took over:

• 2022: 1,661 Yards (t-27th)
• 2023: 1,533 Yards (29th)
• 2024: 1,855 Yards (t-19th)
• 2025: 1,841 Yards (23rd)

In those seasons, the Minnesota Vikings have leaned on Dalvin Cook, Alexander Mattison, and Aaron Jones as the top runners (alongside a smattering of Cam Akers, Ty Chandler, Jordan Mason, and some others). Good players but nobody who could be said to be elite even if Cook and Jones had been terrific talents earlier in their careers. A talent deficit at running back — if we can even call it that — can only explain so much.

Obviously, the modern NFL is a passing league. Employing a former NFL quarterback who came over from the Los Angeles Rams always meant pivoting toward the pass, especially since the Vikings were coming off a Mike Zimmer approach that many had deemed stale.

Oh, and then there’s that Justin Jefferson guy. Feeding the historic WR1 makes a pile of sense.

What’s nevertheless true is that all of that passing should make it easier to find running lanes. Gone are the days of eight-man boxes in an effort to hang with Adrian Peterson. Instead, teams are commonly found hanging out with a pair of deep safeties trying to keep a roof on things.

There’s a case to be made, then, that what’s needed out of the Vikings is some commitment to gaining ground on the ground. All of the ingredients are there. Minnesota boasts an athletic, versatile fullback to fit within a three-deep cluster of runners in Jones, Mason, and Demond Claiborne.

So, too, is the offensive line formidable. Now healthy, the front five — LT Christian Darrisaw, LG Donovan Jackson, C Blake Brandel, RG Will Fries, and RT Brian O’Neill — can be a ton to corral. Let those guys fire off the ball rather than needing to always be back on their heels in pass pro. The large lads like that sort of thing.

Moreover, the quarterback is going to benefit from a potent rushing attack.

Kyler Murray has battled injury in his career. So has QB2 J.J. McCarthy and QB3 Carson Wentz. Putting the ball in a runner’s hands means less high-speed collisions on the passers.

Even better, getting into situations like a 3rd & 3 means ensuring the defense can’t pin their ears back in the same way as when it’s 3rd & 9. Can running the ball create those uncertain moments for the defense?

The early moments in the Vikings at Giants game featured some really nice work when leaning on Jones and Mason. The Minnesota Vikings would be wise to continue leaning on that approach.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

Arsenal have started the 2026/27 season in style after beating Manchester City 3-0 to win the Community Shield in Cardiff.

Riccardo Calafiori gave Arsenal the perfect start when he scored just 24 seconds into the game at the Principality Stadium.

Kai Havertz doubled the lead in the 28th minute before captain Martin Odegaard added a third two minutes after the restart.

The victory gave Arsenal their 18th Community Shield title and provided a strong boost ahead of the new Premier League season.

Arsenal came out strongly from the opening whistle and quickly put City under pressure. Ben White found Myles Lewis-Skelly, who created space before playing Calafiori through. The Italian calmly finished past new City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

City tried to respond, with Phil Foden forcing David Raya into an early save. However, Arsenal remained the more dangerous side and soon extended their lead.

Noni Madueke played the ball back to Odegaard, who sent a cross towards Christos Tzolis. The Greek winger headed it across the box for Havertz, who directed his header into the net.

City had chances before the break. Erling Haaland was denied by Raya, while White produced an important block to stop Jeremy Doku from scoring.

Arsenal almost added a third before half-time, but City survived after Odegaard’s effort went under Donnarumma before being cleared off the line.

The third goal finally arrived just two minutes into the second half.

Lewis-Skelly found Tzolis on the left, and the winger picked out Odegaard’s run. The Arsenal captain moved past Josko Gvardiol before rounding Donnarumma and rolling the ball into an empty net.

It was Odegaard’s first goal since December after an injury-hit 2025/26 season.

Bukayo Saka also came close to scoring after coming on, while Raya made another excellent save to deny Antoine Semenyo and preserve Arsenal’s clean sheet.

The win gives Arsenal confidence ahead of their Premier League title defence, which begins on Friday against newly promoted Coventry City.

They will then travel to Aston Villa on August 31 before facing Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on September 6.