Latest news with #HallofFamer
The National
4 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Manny Pacquiao falls short in comeback bid as Mario Barrios retains title with majority draw
Manny Pacquiao defied age and expectation on Saturday night, but even a heroic performance from the 46-year-old was not enough to unseat Mario Barrios, who clung to his WBC welterweight title via a controversial majority draw. Two judges scored the bout even, while the third handed Barrios a narrow 115-113 win, allowing the American to retain his belt, though the verdict was met with resounding boos from a crowd largely rooting for the Filipino legend. Back in the ring for the first time in nearly four years, Pacquiao showed glimpses of the speed, grit and ring IQ that earned him 12 world titles across eight divisions. But in his attempt to become the oldest welterweight champion in history – breaking his own record set in 2019 – the judges saw it a step too far. It was an impressive outing regardless. Pacquiao's last fight had come in 2021, a unanimous-decision loss to Yordenis Ugas. Against Barrios, the newly inducted Hall of Famer was active and aggressive, forcing the champion onto the back foot through much of the contest. 'I thought I won the fight,' Pacquiao said in an in-ring interview. 'It was a close fight. My opponent was very tough. It was a wonderful fight.' When asked how he carried the stamina of a much younger man, Pacquiao's said: 'We worked hard. Hard work and discipline, everything like that. I had to keep my body in shape as always.' 'Thank you to everyone who believed in me,' Pacquiao added. 'Maybe this is not the end.' Will he fight again? 'I think so. I think so. God willing," Pacquiao said. "I only have two months training. What I need to do is, like, continue my training, like in a championship fight like this, I should train four months, three months and a half, so that the fight would be good. But because of the election in the Philippines, I start late for my training, but it's OK. You know, I love the Filipino people, and I love to give honour to my country.' Barrios, 30, entered as a solid favourite and extended his record to 29-2-2, but the nature of his second consecutive draw, after a split decision against Abel Ramos in November, raised fresh questions about his claim to the division's throne. 'I thought I still pulled it out,' Barrios says. 'But, you know, I still tip my hat to Manny.' For the WBC welterweight champion, the draw is less about the result and more about the company he kept. 'It was an absolute honor, you know, to share the ring with [Pacquiao],' he says. 'To share the ring with somebody with so much experience, who has accomplished so much in this sport. 'Man, and shout out to all the Mexican fans here. Shout out to all the Filipinos, you know, for supporting this event. This is huge, by far the biggest event I've had to date. 'And you know, we still came in here. We left everything in the ring. Like I said, I tip my hat to Manny. Nothing but love and respect.'
New York Times
5 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
UFC 318 odds, predictions: Holloway vs. Poirier 3, last bout for ‘The Diamond'
Another PPV is on the schedule this weekend, and it's a special one, as Dustin Poirier will take on Max Holloway for the third time in what is Poirier's final fight in the UFC. I will break down this main event and two others below on a heavy 14-fight card. If there are any additional matchups you'd like to chat about, please let me know in the comment section below. Advertisement Let's dive in! The UFC will bid farewell to legend and future Hall-of-Famer Poirier on Saturday, as he will step into the Octagon one last time for an epic trilogy matchup against familiar foe Holloway for the BMF belt. Holloway may hold the belt, but Poirier has raised his hand both times when he and Holloway have squared up inside the cage. The pair first fought in 2012, which was Holloway's UFC debut, and Poirier was able to land an early takedown and submit Holloway in the first round. But that fight occurred over 10 years ago and isn't relevant. What's far more pertinent is the pair's most recent matchup, which took place six years ago in 2019. In that instance, Holloway, the reigning champion of the featherweight division, stepped up and challenged Poirier for the interim lightweight belt. It was a competitive scrap, but Poirier won it unanimously. I thought Poirier separated from Holloway in that victory by landing the harder shots. Holloway fought competitively, as many rounds were closely contested, and Holloway still landed 181 significant strikes to Poirier's 178, though Poirier won the head strike battle 153 to 141. Holloway is one of the best, if not the best, volume strikers in the sport's history. Poirier kept up with him to reach a career high in significant strikes landed in a lightweight bout, and as the better-framed lightweight fighter, he was more physical. And as far as the trilogy fight — yes, this is a retirement bout for Poirier, which is usually a bearish signal, but it's not as if he's washed. He's still churning along in the lightweight division. Holloway is once again coming up a weight class after challenging for the featherweight belt, and the general dynamic remains the same. I expect we'll again see a very competitive scrap with similar dynamics. What throws a wrench into the analysis is that, unlike last time, both fighters are a bit worn down. Obviously, Poirier is leaving the sport, but Holloway is coming off a knockout loss, the first knockout loss of his career. Advertisement Poirier has also suffered a recent knockout, though less recently than Holloway. Gaethje (who Holloway obliterated a year later) knocked Poirier out with a head kick in 2023. But both fighters can be hurt and also still dish out damage. From a projection standpoint, the most likely outcome is a tight fight that goes the distance. If forced to choose, I lean toward Holloway because I have more faith in his offensive production. He landed 181 sig. strikes the first time the two met, but we've also seen Holloway land 230, 290 and 445 significant strikes over the course of five rounds. Poirier is less likely to reach those ceilings and will rely more on power. Plus, most fighters do not win in their retirement fights. I'm not excited to bet on this fight for reasons explained above, but I think the most likely outcome is a Holloway decision, which you can find at +165 on some books. Poirier is +275 to win by decision, which I also don't mind. Let's hope these two come together and put on a show one last time, for Poirier's sake. Thanks for the memories! This matchup also offers little betting value, though Marvin Vettori could be much more competitive than the odds have it. I think the Vettori line has value. However, you can find him at +180 elsewhere, which I'd prefer. Brendan Allen is a very strong submission grappler with a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and he excels in matchups where he has a grappling advantage on paper. He also lands 1.53 takedowns per 15 minutes and attempts 1.3 subs per fight. But in striking-based matchups, I have much less faith in him. He's improved over the years, training with Henri Hooft, but he's not a volume machine or very defensively sound. Allen lands 3.55 sig. strikes per minute while absorbing 3.67 per minute with a 45 percent defensive rate, which is bad. Advertisement Now he takes on Marvin Vettori, a former title challenger who's looked poor over the past several years. After sitting on the shelf for two years, Vettori has lost three of his past four fights and recently dropped a five-round decision against Roman Dolidze. But Vettori is still a competitive fighter. He's well-rounded and very tough. His boxing is fine, and he lands 4.54 sig. strikes per minute, while absorbing 4.37 per minute with a 56 percent defensive rate. He can also grapple well, holding a brown belt in jiu-jitsu and landing 1.51 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 69 percent defensive rate. What's most notable from my point of view is that Vettori doesn't get dominated on the mat. He can give up a takedown, but his takedown defense is fine, and he's never been submitted. Allen has more grappling upside of the two on paper, but he isn't a phenomenal wrestler and doesn't even average two takedowns per fight. If he can immediately secure the back, he will have a shot to control and threaten Vettori. Otherwise, Vettori probably defends outright or scrambles back to his feet on the few occasions Allen takes him down. If this is a boxing fight, I'm expecting it to be highly competitive. Allen might be the fresher party of the two, but Vettori is a bit more defensively sound and durable and has landed strikes at a higher rate historically. I think he has a real path to victory, though that path is narrow. Ultimately, I won't be shocked if Allen raises his hand. But I think the value lies in Vettori at +180, and I think Vettori, by decision, holds value at +235 or better. I may be overexposed to Jimmy Crute this week with some questionable fighting talents on the slate. Not only has Crute failed to win each of his past five fights, but he also announced both his retirement and un-retirement during that four-year span. Plus, he's sitting at the cheap price of -300. Oof. But despite the scary aspects of Crute's game, of which there are many, I think he's performed well, at times, during his recent five-fight skid. And to be fair, only three of those five fights were losses, with the other two resulting in a draw. Crute has only fought once since his return to the sport, and in that bout against Rodolfo Bellato, Crute hurt Bellato badly early and nearly secured the stoppage. Advertisement Now he'll take on Marcin Prachnio, who was brutally knocked out in his first three UFC matchups. That was seven years ago, though, and since then, Prachnio has successfully earned four wins in seven matchups, which is a far more impressive run than I ever thought possible. I was surprised he was able to hold a roster spot early on. He's a black belt in karate and relies on an outside kicking game, where he lands 5.57 sig. strikes per minute, while absorbing 3.24 per minute with a 54 percent defensive rate. If you allow Prachnio to strike at distance for 15 minutes, he can rack up kicks and win on volume. He even defeated Khalil Rountree Jr. by decision in 2021, outlanding him 102 to 41. He also landed 101 sig. strikes against Devin Clark in 2024. However, Prachnio has lost two of his last three fights on the mat, where I think he's looked awful. He has now been taken down 10 times in his previous three losses, and he defends takedowns at a poor 53 percent. What is worse is that he doesn't have skills from the bottom. He's been submitted with an arm-triangle choke in back-to-back losses, and in his most recent defeat, he tapped out of position. Crute is levels ahead of Prachnio on the floor, and it would be a horrible game plan to avoid pursuing takedowns. Crute lands 3.86 takedowns per 15 minutes, holding a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and we've seen him have ground-based success on a few occasions. I worry a little about Crute's stamina if it goes the distance, but he should be able to land takedowns, and I think it's likely he finishes the fight on the mat. However, he can still make mistakes. He has fought with poor game plans before, been knocked out, and his cardio is questionable, leaving the door open for Prachnio to kick his way to a decision or find a variance-related knockout. I'm putting my faith behind Crute; this is his best matchup in the past five years. I think he's fairly safe to win, given his well-rounded skill set and clear advantage on the ground, and I don't mind taking chances on his finishing props at -130 to win ITD, or +170 to win by submission. (Photo of Holloway vs. Poirier 2: Logan Riely / Getty Images)
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"In my 20 years, he was probably the best offensive player or best player I've seen" - Dirk Nowitzki on why Kobe Bryant was undeniably the greatest player he ever faced in his career
"In my 20 years, he was probably the best offensive player or best player I've seen" - Dirk Nowitzki on why Kobe Bryant was undeniably the greatest player he ever faced in his career originally appeared on Basketball Network. It was somewhere in the middle of a losing battle that Dirk Nowitzki realized he was dealing with something altogether different. Advertisement Not just a rival or another Hall of Famer, but a force so precise and relentless, it bordered on cruel. Through two decades playing in the NBA, Nowitzki saw it all — dominant scorers, elite defenders and once-in-a-generation athletes. But only one player left him truly grasping for answers. That was Kobe Bryant. Kobe's edge For years, the debates have circled around LeBron James or Kobe Bryant — which player stood taller in the spotlight and who defined greatness on the court. James' size, vision and longevity have carved a resume that feels extraterrestrial. But for Nowitzki, the answer was never a numbers game. Advertisement It was personal, shaped by nights of chasing shadows in purple and gold. 'His skill level was unbelievable, it was not one shot he didn't have in his repertoire,' Nowitzki said of Bryant. 'In my 20 years, he was probably the best offensive player or best player I've seen.' Maybe that wasn't nostalgia speaking, it was an eyewitness account. The kind only a fellow all-timer could give. Nowitzki, the 2011 NBA champion and sixth on the league's all-time scoring list, saw his share of offensive brilliance. But it was Bryant who broke the film, twisted game plans into knots and made even the most polished defenders look ill-prepared. Bryant was never merely about scoring totals or highlights, though he delivered those in heaps. What made him devastating was his commitment to the granular. Every pump fake, pivot and foot placement came from hours of replication, study and surgical obsession with the tiniest edge. Advertisement He wasn't blessed with James physical gifts. Bryant stood 6-foot-6, not 6-foot-9. He didn't have the freight-train strength or supernatural passing lanes. What he had was skill, layered and viciously honed. Nowitzki, who revolutionized the power forward position with his high-arching fadeaway, recognized that same devotion in his ex-rival he battled countless wars with throughout the nostalgic 2000s. A different breed From 2000 to 2013, Bryant averaged 28.3 points per game, made 15 NBA All-NBA teams and dropped 40 or more points in over 100 regular-season games. He once scored 62 in three quarters against Nowitzki's Dallas Mavericks and sat out the fourth quarter. In 2006, he torched the Toronto Raptors for 81. In all those games, he was unstoppable in all the moments he was on the floor. Advertisement 'Kobe, we tried everything,' Nowitzki said. 'He was just, you couldn't stop him, he was full-on unguardable.' Defenders could take away the drive, he'd pivot into a jumper. Double-teams only triggered faster decisions. He'd post smaller guards and fade over bigger ones. When his legs were tired, his footwork kept him in the game. And when pressure rose, his confidence scaled with it. No stage was too big and no moment too late. From 1999 through 2013, the Mavericks and Lakers met over 50 times, including three playoff series. In those meetings, Bryant averaged 27.2 points per game. He hit game-winners, dagger 3s and silenced Dallas crowds with impunity. Advertisement Just ask Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban. But beyond the stats was the psychological edge. Opponents didn't just lose to Bryant, they were dismantled by his preparation and consumed by his urgency. And even in decline, when his body began to betray him, Bryant summoned the echoes. His final NBA game saw him drop 60 points, an emotional avalanche that reminded everyone how little had changed in his competitive fire. James, for all his genius, is a system unto himself. He warps defenses with size and tempo. He plays the game like chess. But Bryant was poetry and made the hard way look easy. Related: 'I was always a huge fan of Kob, they are never out of a game' - Dirk Nowitzki on why he respected Kobe Bryant's role on the Lakers This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
What is Dominik Mysterio's Net Worth in 2025? Is it Bigger than Rey Mysterio's?
Dominik and Rey Mysterio (Image via WWE) The Mysterio family has produced some of the most remarkable names in wrestling history. The stalwarts representing the clan in WWE are Rey Mysterio and his Dominik Mysterio. Although Dirty Dom is no longer on good terms with his 'deadbeat dad', the duo continued to carve out their individual legacies. Rey Mysterio proved himself to be, arguably, the greatest luchador of all time. On the hand, Dominik Mysterio broke away from his father's shadow and made his own name in WWE. So, it is interesting to see which Mysterio has attained financial supremacy over the other. Is Dominik Mysterio's Net Worth more than his father Rey Mysterio in 2025? According to sources like Celebrity Net Worth and Sportskeeda, Dominik Mysterio's WWE career has made him a staggering fortune for someone who is still on the rise in the global juggernaut. As of 2025, his net worth stands close to $2 million majorly coming from his WWE contract, merchandise royalties and other. On the other hand, his father, Rey Mysterio has been a part of the wrestling business for close to three decades and is a WWE Hall of Famer. As of now, his net worth is estimated to be $10 million. So that would mean that his estranged son is far behind his father's wealth. However, Dirty Dom is only five years in WWE and achieving a $2 million feat is also very much impressive. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brain tumor has left my son feeling miserable; please help! Donate For Health Donate Now Undo Both Rey Mysterio & Dominik Mysterio are a part of the active WWE roster Rey Mysterio was close to retiring from in-ring competition until Dominik Mysterio decided to follow in his footsteps. The duo teamed up during the start of Dominik's career, however, later severed ties and joined The Judgment Day faction. That move led to his rise as one of the most hated heels of all time. Moreover, he has even collided against his father in a singles match at WrestleMania 39. Both superstars are currently a part of Monday Night RAW. While The Master of the 619 has only a few years left, Dominik Mysterio experienced major success this year. He won the WWE Intercontinental title at WrestleMania 41 and is still one of the top superstars on the roster. With Dominik Mysterio becoming one of the fastest rising stars, it could be years, but he does has the potential to surpass his father's financial status one day. Also read: WWE Teases Massive Return of Former Divas Champion and Cornerstone of the Women's Revolution For real-time updates, scores, and highlights, follow our live coverage of the India vs England Test match here. Catch Manika Batra's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 3. Watch Here!
USA Today
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Colby Covington only wants legacy fights, interested in 'weight bully' Paddy Pimblett
Colby Covington has his sights set on one of the biggest stars in the UFC. Covington (17-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) hasn't competed since a stoppage loss to Joaquin Buckley in the UFC on ESPN 63 headliner last December. The former interim welterweight champion is no longer looking to face rising contenders and wants established names only. "I'm not done with the UFC. I still have some unfinished business, but I want big fights – high-level, first-ballot Hall of Famer type fights ... legacy fights.," Covington said in an interview with Matan Even. After coaching opposite side Covington as assistants on Season 33 of "The Ultimate Fighter," Michael Chiesa was hoping to draw Covington next. However, "Chaos" has turned his attention to Paddy Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who he had an altercation with during UFC 314. "I think the Paddy Pimblett fight is interesting," Covington said. "He's got a little bit of a name right now, but only because he's got an English accent and a bowl cut. He's actually bigger than me. He's a weight bully. He cuts a lot of weight." However, Pimblett appears to have bigger attention to attend to after facing off with newly crowned lightweight champion Ilia Topuria after Saturday's UFC 317 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
