The road to flyweight stability has been a rockier one than anyone could have expected.
When it became clear last year that Henry Cejudo was more interested in chasing a second title than defending the 125-pound belt, the next step was clear: Match up top contenders Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez for the title and move on.
If only it were that simple. Ahead of their first crack at the vacant title in February, Figueiredo missed weight, meaning only Benavidez was eligible to win it. Then Figueiredo beat Benavidez, meaning the title would remain vacant, and to further muddy up matters, there was evidence that an accidental headbutt contributed to Figueiredo finishing Benavidez.
No problem, just book the rematch, right? Done and done, UFC Fight Island 2 here we come. Except it was revealed the weekend before Saturday’s bout that Figueiredo had tested positive for COVID-19. We know now that he tested positive for antibodies and not the active virus, but there was still the matter of flying to Abu Dhabi, getting more tests, and somehow making weight through all that.
The good news is that Figueiredo made weight, as did Benavidez, so we have ourselves a title fight – and at last a new champion come Sunday morning. Unless of course, someone lands a cup-shattering kick at some point, and then we start this whole cycle over again.
When: Saturday, July 18. The entire event will air on ESPN+, with the seven-fight preliminaries starting at 5 p.m. ET, and the five-fight main card starting at 8 p.m. ET.
The second meeting between Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez shouldn’t look all that different from the first as far as their approach. Figueiredo proved in the first fight that he’s a finisher without parallel at 125 pounds, while Benavidez played his part of crafty and resilient vet to a tee.
Conventional wisdom states that the longer the fight goes, it should benefit Benavidez if only because of how gifted he is at adapting to his opponents. Until that fateful collision of skulls, Benavidez looked to be finding his rhythm against Figueiredo. He had the greatest respect for Figueiredo’s power and made sure to stick and move rather than brawl. Keeping Figueiredo off of him will be paramount to his success.
On the other hand, Benavidez has always had exceptional punching power for his size, which is why he’d probably be willing to bang it out if the fight goes in that direction. That’s exactly what Figueiredo would want, though, because he’ll be hunting for nothing less than a finish, especially if he can become the first fighter to submit Benavidez.
If you expect the rematch to end before the final bell, then Figueiredo is the smart choice. But I’m leaning toward a decision this time around, and in that scenario, I see Benavidez finally wrapping UFC gold around his waist.
On paper, Jack Hermansson is a nightmarish matchup for Kelvin Gastelum, isn’t he? The rangy Swede is going to keep Gastelum at bay with that sharp jab, and he’s a strong enough grappler to counter Gastelum’s wrestling. If all goes well for Hermansson, he could become just the second fighter to finish Gastelum.
But here comes the classic “A.K. Swerve,” where I finish explaining why one fighter will win only to pick their opponent for no discernible reason.
In this case, it’s not difficult to explain how Gastelum can get the nod here. Yes, he’s at a perpetual size disadvantage, but his endless gas tank keeps him in every fight, and he has a way of drawing his opponents into straightforward striking battles. It’s a formula that hasn’t paid dividends for him in his past two outings, but there’s no shame in falling short in the standup against Israel Adesanya and Darren Till. In both those fights, Gastelum was one or two moments away from changing the narrative.
In a five-round fight, I’d favor Gastelum even more. As it is, I still like him to pressure Hermansson early and stay in his face for 15 minutes en route to a decision and a possible “Fight of the Night” award for both men.
The most dangerous addition to Marc Diakiese’s game in the past two years might be patience. A fundamentally solid striker to begin with, Diakiese has learned a lot in his seven UFC fights thus far and appears to have turned a corner as far as consistently putting together winning three-round performances.
In Fiziev, Diakiese faces an aggressive prospect with fast hands. As soon as Fiziev gets in range he’s going to throw haymakers, and Diakiese will have to show that his defensive improvements are legitimate. The opening for a counter will be there for Diakiese if he can figure Fiziev out. Until he does, though, the threat of a Fiziev knockout blow looms.
The best strategy for Diakiese will be to slow Fiziev with leg kicks and mix in takedown attempts to throw Fiziev off of his game. Fiziev is one to watch at 155 pounds, he’s just not well-rounded enough yet to outpoint Diakiese.
There’s a lot to like about the relatively raw Luana Carolina. The 27-year-old doesn’t always look the most coordinated, but she’s got a good motor and a creative mind when it comes to experimenting with techniques in the middle of a fight. She’s a good pairing for Lipski, herself an active fighter on the feet.
In her most recent outing, “The Violence Queen” finally flashed the hands that earned her that moniker, and she’ll have ample opportunity to do so against Carolina as well. Lipski can get a little wild, but she’s still far more experienced against quality competition than Carolina, and that’s going to pay off here. These two are going to tee off, and when the dust clears, it’s Lipski who will emerge victorious.
Up until Friday morning, Alexandre Pantoja thought there was a chance he’d be fighting for the flyweight title should Figueiredo or Benavidez fail to make weight. Now he has to mentally shift gears back to Askar Askarov, a dangerous prospect who can match Pantoja’s finishing ability.
Pantoja is the definition of explosive. There’s no wasted motion when he’s feeling out his opponents, which can lead to some moments of inactivity, but also excitement once he uncoils his hands. He has a killer instinct that can’t be taught.
Askarov hasn’t been able to find his finishing touch in the UFC so far, but you get the sense that he’s a highlight waiting to happen. His fast hands robbed Tim Elliott of his senses in his previous fight, and were it not for Elliott’s toughness, Askarov likely would have put him away. Askarov is also incredibly strong, and if he chooses to turn this into a wrestling contest, that could be a major problem for Pantoja.
This will be a back-and-forth battle that could go either way, but I’m leaning toward Pantoja to be slightly better on the feet and get the job done.
TORONTO – The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced cookie brand Oreo as the team’s helmet sponsor for the upcoming NHL season.
The new helmet will debut Sunday when Toronto opens its 2024-25 pre-season against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
The Oreo logo replaces Canadian restaurant chain Pizza Pizza, which was the Leafs’ helmet sponsor last season.
Previously, social media platform TikTok sponsored Toronto starting in the 2021-22 regular season when the league began allowing teams to sell advertising space on helmets.
The Oreo cookie consists of two chocolate biscuits around a white icing filling and is often dipped in milk.
Fittingly, the Leafs wear the Dairy Farmers of Ontario’s “Milk” logo on their jerseys.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
MacKenzie Weegar wasn’t bitter or upset as he watched friends live out their dreams.
The Calgary Flames defenceman just hopes to experience the same feeling one day. He also knows the road leading to that moment, if it does arrive, will likely be long and winding — much like his own path.
A seventh-round pick by the Florida Panthers at the 2013 NHL draft, Weegar climbed the ranks to become an important piece of a roster that captured the Presidents’ Trophy as the league’s top regular-season club in 2021-22.
Two months later following a second-round playoff exit, he was traded to the Flames along with Jonathan Huberdeau for Matthew Tkachuk. And less than two years after that, the Panthers were hoisting the Stanley Cup.
“Happy for the city and for the team,” Weegar said of Florida’s June victory over the Edmonton Oilers. “There was no bad taste in my mouth.”
His sole focus, he insists, is squarely on eventually getting the Flames to the same spot. The landscape, however, has changed drastically since Weegar committed to Calgary on an eight-year, US$50-million contract extension in October 2022.
Weegar has watched a list that includes goaltender Jacob Markstrom, defencemen Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin and Nikita Zadorov and forwards Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane shipped out of town since the start of last season — largely for picks, prospects and young players as part of a rebuild.
Despite that exodus, he remains committed to the Calgary project steered by general manager Craig Conroy.
“It’s easy to get out of all whack when you see guys trying to leave or wanting new contracts,” the 30-year-old from Ottawa said at last week’s NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas. “I just focus on where I am and where I want to be, and that’s Calgary.
“I believe in this team. The city has taken me in right away. I feel like I owe it to them to stick around and grind through these years and get a Stanley Cup.”
The hard-nosed blueliner certainly knows what it is to grind.
After winning the Memorial Cup alongside Nathan MacKinnon with the Halifax Mooseheads in 2013, Weegar toiled in the ECHL and American Hockey League for three seasons before making his NHL debut late in the 2016-17 campaign with the Panthers.
He would spend the next five years in South Florida as one of the players tasked with shifting an organizational culture that had experienced little success over the previous two decades.
“There’s always going to be a piece of my heart and loyalty to that team,” Weegar said. “But now I’m in a different situation … I compete against all 32 teams, not just Florida. There’s always a chip on my shoulder every single year.”
Weegar set career highs with 20 goals — eight was the most he had ever previously registered — and 52 points in 2023-24 as part of a breakout offensive performance.
“I think my buddies cared a lot more than I did,” he said with a smile. “All I hear is, ‘fantasy, fantasy, fantasy.'”
Weegar was actually more proud of his 200 blocked shots and 194 hits as he looks to help set a new Flames’ standard alongside Huberdeau, captain Mikael Backlund, Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman and Rasmus Andersson for a franchise expected to have its new arena in time for the 2027-28 season.
“You have to build that culture and that belief in the locker room,” said Weegar, who pointed to 22-year-old centre Connor Zary as a player set to pop. “Those young guys are going to have to come into their own and be consistent every night … they’re the next generation.”
Weegar, however, isn’t punting on 2024-25. He pointed to the NHL’s parity and the fact a couple of teams surprise every season.
It’s the same approach that took him from the ECHL a decade ago to hockey’s premier pre-season event inside a swanky hotel on Sin City’s famed strip, where he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the game’s best.
“From the outside — media and even friends and family — the expectations are probably a bit lower,” Weegar said of Calgary’s outlook. “But there’s no reason to think that we can’t make playoffs and we can’t be a good team (with) that underdog mentality.
“You never know.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept 17, 2024.
Jose Maria Celestino da Costa was named vice-president and head of soccer operations while Marianne Brooks was appointed vice-president of partnerships, Kelly Shouldice as vice-president of brand and content and Joyce Sou as vice-president of finance and business operations.
The new six-team women’s pro league is set to kick off in April.
“Their unique expertise and leadership are crucial as we lay the foundation for not just a successful league in Canada, but one that stands among the top sports leagues in the world,” NSL president Christina Litz said in a statement. “By investing in top-tier talent and infrastructure, the Northern Super League is committed to creating a league that will elevate the game and set new standards for women’s professional soccer globally.”
Da Costa will oversee all on-field matters, including officiating. His resume includes stints with Estoril Praia, a men’s first-division team in Portugal, and the Portuguese Soccer Federation, where he helped develop the Portuguese women’s league.
Brooks spent a decade with Canucks Sports & Entertainment, working in “partnership sales and retention efforts” for the Vancouver Canucks, Vancouver Warriors, and Rogers Arena. Most recently, she served as senior director of account management at StellarAlgo, a software company that helps pro sports teams connect with their fans
Shouldice has worked for Corus Entertainment, the Canadian Football League, and most recently as vice-president of Content and Communications at True North Sports & Entertainment, where she managed original content as well as business and hockey communications.
Sou, who was involved in the league’s initial launch, will oversee financial planning, analysis and the league’s expansion strategy in her new role.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
