New co-main event announced for UFC 319 event
Pico was expected to meet Movar Evloev this past weekend when the UFC went over to Abu Dhabi, but Evloev withdrew from the fight. Instead of trying to keep Pico on that card, officials moved him to the August 16 event in Chicago, Illinois from the United Center.
MORE: Reinier de Ridder with a big win over former UFC champion Robert Whittaker
A former Bellator fighter, Pico signed with the UFC after Bellator was acquired by the PFL. He owns a record of 13-4 as a pro, which includes a 9-1 run. The lone loss during that stretch was when he suffered a shoulder injury vs. Jeremy Kennedy.
Murphy is 16-0-1, with the draw coming back in 2019 in his UFC debut vs. Zubaira Tukhugov. Since, he is 8-0, including an April decision over Josh Emmett to follow up a win over Dan Ige.
UFC 319 features Dricus du Plessis defending his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev along with previously announced fights between Geoff Neal and Carlos Prates, Jared Cannonier and Michael Page, and Tim Elliott and Kai Asakura.
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New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Phillies notes: A close encounter with a potential trade target, plus OF, bullpen thoughts
CHICAGO — The Boeing 757 jet that was supposed to carry the Phillies from New York to Chicago in plenty of time for a fine Sunday night dinner was stuck in Atlanta because of bad weather. So, for six hours, the Phillies were stranded at Yankee Stadium. They played cards. They tried to distract the many children along for the ride on the annual family trip. All they had was time. Advertisement It's unusual for the club to send its top two executives on the same trip, but Dave Dombrowski and Preston Mattingly are with the team. So they had more time Sunday afternoon to solicit opinions about the upcoming trade deadline. Then, they had time Monday night to watch a potential target, the enigmatic but talented outfielder Luis Robert Jr. He homered and made a diving catch in center during a 6-2 Chicago White Sox win. There is less time now to make decisions before Thursday's deadline. The Phillies, according to major-league sources, continue to prioritize a higher-end bullpen addition. They have expressed interest in various hitters, including Robert. But, while there's been increased trade activity across the league, the Phillies might not find a match until closer to the deadline. Is there a way to upgrade by Thursday? 'I would think so,' Rob Thomson said. The Phillies manager has shared his opinions in meetings with the executives. 'I trust other people on that type of stuff,' Thomson said. 'They're the evaluators. I think we're all on the same page.' It's easy to identify the flaws — a missing swing-and-miss reliever for the end of games and a righty power bat. Securing those will require certain sacrifices. There is more demand than supply. The Phillies have held firm on not wanting to surrender one of their better prospects for a rental player; that stance might have to be altered. Mick Abel has drawn interest from teams, but not as the main piece for a controllable player. He could land the Phillies a good rental, although Abel would qualify as the best prospect Dombrowski has traded for a rental in five years as the Phillies' president of baseball operations. It is a seller's market, and everyone knows Dombrowski wants to deal. He might rather spend the prospect capital on a reliever, but even that would require wading into uncomfortable territory. Shortstop Aidan Miller, a consensus top 50 prospect, has drawn interest. He could be the centerpiece of a major deal. Advertisement Robert, 27, has played in only 13 games this month. He's had nagging injuries. He has underperformed for two seasons. Contending clubs have viewed him as a buy-low candidate, although the White Sox have larger aspirations. He has improved his performance in July, perhaps with the hopes of landing in a better situation. His homer, a rare one to come off a Cristopher Sánchez changeup, was the decisive hit Monday night. He hit a hard lineout, then struck out twice. He made the nice grab in center but also allowed Bryce Harper to take an extra base. Atta way, Harp! — Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 29, 2025 He would probably be an upgrade for the Phillies, who scouted the White Sox over the weekend. 'He's strong,' Thomson said. 'He made a heck of a play in the outfield. He's a strong guy who can really run.' 'He's a good player,' Sánchez said. As the market starts to take shape, the lack of righty-hitting outfielders is jarring. The Los Angeles Angels have put a huge price on Taylor Ward, who bashed his 25th homer Monday night. Even if the Phillies liked someone such as the free-swinging but powerful Adolis García, the Texas Rangers now appear to be buyers after a recent hot streak. It is why Eugenio Suárez, the slugging third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks, has drawn so much interest. He is the best available bat. He is an inelegant fit for the Phillies, and it's unclear how much interest they have shown. Other contenders have corner infield vacancies Suárez could fill. The Phillies would have to move Kyle Schwarber to left field full-time or have Suárez play third with Alec Bohm at first and Harper in left field. Harper has said he's willing to return to the outfield if needed. Schwarber played left field in Sunday's game at Yankee Stadium. There has not been a conversation about doing it more. Advertisement 'I'm open to it,' Schwarber said last week. 'I haven't been asked.' Thomson said he would be comfortable with a scenario that had Schwarber in left field during the season's final two months. 'Oh, very,' Thomson said. 'I mean, we did that in '22. It worked out pretty well, and I think he's moving better now than he did back then.' Desperation could lead to unconventional solutions. In the last 30 years, three teams have carried three outfielders (minimum 250 plate appearances) with a negative WAR, according to Baseball Reference. They were the 2014 Chicago Cubs, 2012 Houston Astros and 2006 Florida Marlins. The current Phillies would join them. Though the offense has clicked in July, it's not because of the outfield. Phillies outfielders have a .566 OPS this month. That ranks 29th in baseball. It's a .645 OPS since June 1, 28th in baseball. The outfield is 27th in baseball since May 1 with a .666 OPS. They had a chance to make noise in the sixth inning Monday, down two runs, when Chicago summoned a righty reliever who has a career .932 OPS against lefty hitters to face Max Kepler as the potential tying run. Jordan Leasure needed six pitches, but he coaxed a weak flyout from Kepler. The Phillies again asked Max Lazar to inherit a sticky situation. He delivered by stranding runners on the corners in the seventh inning. Lazar has inherited 13 runners this season, and none of them has scored. (He permitted a placed runner to score in extra innings last week, but it's not an earned run.) Lazar has a 2.96 ERA in 21 appearances. His fastball is sitting 94-95 mph in recent outings. He touched 97 mph last week. It's become clear there is a role for Lazar in the post-deadline bullpen, although he'd bump down the depth chart. The Phillies are carrying three other rookies — Daniel Robert, Seth Johnson and Alan Rangel — who have pitched in lopsided or losing situations. The bullpen construction is flexible, even when factoring in the eventual August additions of David Robertson and José Alvarado. Advertisement Robertson, who pitched over the weekend at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, is still on track to join the Phillies on Aug. 5. His fastball was 91-92 mph in that initial outing, a tick better than what the Phillies saw during his showcase for scouts. He averaged 93 mph last season while throwing a career-high 72 innings for Texas. (Photo of Luis Robert Jr. making a catch in the fourth inning: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cubs trade rumors: MacKenzie Gore, Merrill Kelly among 7 best options for Chicago at 2025 deadline
One year ago, the Cubs openly said they were approaching the trade deadline with an eye toward 2025. Well, 2025 is here, and the time to strike is now. Chicago is looking to build a sustainable winner, but with Kyle Tucker set to hit free agency in the winter and the NL potentially more wide open than expected, Cubs fans are anticipating some aggressiveness ahead of the trade deadline. Pitching will be front of mind for Jed Hoyer. The Cubs' offense is in excellent shape, particularly with rookie Matt Shaw on a torrid pace since the All-Star break. With Justin Steele out for the season plus a need for veterans in the bullpen, it's likely the pitching staff will see at least an addition or two before the July 31 deadline. Here's a look at the Cubs' top trade targets, from MacKenzie Gore to Griffin Jax. Cubs trade deadline targets MacKenzie Gore, SP, Nationals It would still be a bit of a surprise to see the Nationals trade Gore, who is under contract through 2027, but Washington appears to at least be listening to offers — and the Cubs are reportedly showing serious interest. Chicago has the prospects to match up with the Nationals, with Owen Caissie likely headlining any package. Gore has been prone to blowups during his time with the Nationals, but when he's on, he's on. An All-Star for the first time this season, Gore has a 3.27 FIP and averages 11 strikeouts per nine innings. Acquiring Gore would be a signal that the Cubs are all in on contending both this season and long-term. Merrill Kelly, SP, Diamondbacks Kelly is a rental who doesn't offer nearly the same excitement as Gore would, but the results are tough to argue. The 36-year-old has a 3.22 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 22 starts this season and has kept his ERA in the low 3s in each of his past three full seasons. Kelly also has postseason experience after posting a 2.25 ERA over four starts during Arizona's run to the World Series in 2023. If the Cubs are looking for a stable arm to serve out the rest of the season, Kelly could be the best option. Mitch Keller, SP, Pirates Whether the Pirates could be enticed to make a Keller trade within the division, let alone any Keller deal at all, is unknown, but the Cubs' interest in Gore signals that Hoyer is willing to make strong offers for controllable starters. Keller doesn't miss many bats, but he has impressive control and carries a 3.53 ERA and 3.42 FIP this season. One red flag for the Cubs might be that Keller has finished seasons much more slowly than he's started them, which might not bode well for October. Sandy Alcantara, SP, Marlins The Cubs have been tied to Alcantara throughout the season, even as the former Cy Young Award winner has struggled mightily. After a promising seven-inning outing against the Padres got him back on track, could Alcantara be an option for a Cubs team likely to add a starter? If the Cubs can fix him, Alcantara can be a fairly cheap rotation option for 2026 and even 2027 due to a team option on his deal. The Marlins won't feel any pressure to trade him, but the Cubs have a strong enough prospect pool to pique Miami's interest. Raisel Iglesias, CL, Braves The Cubs are looking for late-inning relievers, but they don't necessarily need someone who can step into the closer's role immediately with Daniel Palencia getting the job done to this point. That could make Raisel Iglesias an interesting reclamation project. With 235 saves under his belt, Iglesias has enough experience in high-pressure situations to be trusted in postseason games, but he has an ERA of 5.09 on the season. In 10 seasons as a full-time reliever, however, Iglesias has posted an ERA north of 3.00 only one other time. The Braves are safely out of contention and could be willing to deal Iglesias at a mild discount after his struggles. Jhoan Duran, CL, Twins The Twins are not likely to trade both Duran and Griffin Jax, but the Cubs might just have enough in the tank to get Minnesota listening on Duran. The 27-year-old has bounced back from a rocky 2024 to post a 1.86 ERA and 2.38 FIP through 48 appearances this season, and the flamethrower is one of the top available relief arms, due partly to his contract running all the way through 2027. It would take a steep offer for the Twins to part with Duran, but the Cubs went all-in on a closer in 2016 and could very well do the same in 2025. Griffin Jax, RP, Twins Coming slightly cheaper than Duran — but still expensive — would be Griffin Jax, who posted a sparkling 2.03 ERA last season but has run into some tough luck in 2025 with an ERA of 4.00. The underlying numbers make Jax a top relief arm on the market, as he is averaging 14 strikeouts per nine innings and carries a 2.07 FIP that is nearly half of his ERA. Jax has very limited experience as a closer, but the Cubs could pair him with Palencia at the back of the bullpen and enter October with a formidable tandem.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
White Sox meet the Phillies with 1-0 series lead
Philadelphia Phillies (60-46, second in the NL East) vs. Chicago White Sox (39-68, fifth in the AL Central) Chicago; Tuesday, 7:40 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Phillies: Jesus Luzardo (8-5, 4.58 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 136 strikeouts); White Sox: Jonathan Cannon (4-7, 4.48 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 72 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Phillies -205, White Sox +170; over/under is 8 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago White Sox play the Philadelphia Phillies with a 1-0 series lead. Chicago is 39-68 overall and 23-31 in home games. The White Sox have a 17-8 record in games when they hit two or more home runs. Philadelphia has a 60-46 record overall and a 27-27 record on the road. The Phillies have the third-ranked team batting average in the NL at .254. The teams square off Tuesday for the second time this season. TOP PERFORMERS: Andrew Benintendi has 12 doubles, two triples, 13 home runs and 42 RBIs while hitting .236 for the White Sox. Chase Meidroth is 14 for 45 with five doubles and a home run over the past 10 games. Bryce Harper has 23 doubles, 15 home runs and 45 RBIs for the Phillies. Kyle Schwarber is 12 for 39 with two doubles and six home runs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: White Sox: 7-3, .290 batting average, 3.44 ERA, outscored opponents by 31 runs Phillies: 5-5, .246 batting average, 4.65 ERA, outscored opponents by seven runs INJURIES: White Sox: Prelander Berroa: 60-Day IL (elbow), Shane Smith: 15-Day IL (ankle), Tim Elko: 10-Day IL (knee), Ryan Noda: 10-Day IL (quadricep), Jared Shuster: 15-Day IL (hand), Ky Bush: 60-Day IL (elbow), Miguel Castro: 60-Day IL (knee), Martin Perez: 60-Day IL (forearm), Drew Thorpe: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jesse Scholtens: 60-Day IL (elbow) Phillies: Joe Ross: 15-Day IL (back), Alec Bohm: 10-Day IL (ribcage), Aaron Nola: 60-Day IL (ankle) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar. The Associated Press
