Latest news with #McGhee
News18
3 days ago
- Sport
- News18
UFC Fight Night, Abu Dhabi: De Ridder, Yan, Magomedov Shine
Last Updated: Reinier de Ridder, Petr Yan and Shara Magomedov shine at UFC Abu Dhabi with thrilling wins, setting up pivotal future matchups. As the Octagon lights illuminated Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena on July 26, fans were treated to three electrifying contests: Reinier de Ridder's grappling prowess over former champion Robert Whittaker, Petr Yan's surgical dismantling of Marcus McGhee and Shara 'Bullet" Magomedov's bloody rebound against gritty Marc-André Barriault. Razor-thin For de Ridder Robert Whittaker (27-9), former middleweight king revered for pinpoint southpaw boxing, faced undefeated (in UFC) prospect Reinier de Ridder (21-2), a powerhouse grappler with burgeoning striking chops. Rounds 1–2: de Ridder wasted no time showcasing his world-class wrestling. In Round 1, he landed 42 strikes—jabs, knees and low kicks—to back Whittaker against the fence and tally early control time. Whittaker answered with a late head kick but ate punishing body knees in Round 2, surrendering nearly four minutes of top control that sapped his legs. Round 3: Whittaker flipped the script, timing de Ridder's entry and unloading a textbook overhand right that sent the Dutch-Surinamese grappler flailing to the canvas. Despite follow-up ground strikes, de Ridder weathered the storm, locked in two takedowns and secured the round's edge with suffocating half-guard work. Vintage Petr Yan Former bantamweight champ, Petr Yan (19-5), returned from an eight-month layoff to face Marcus McGhee (10-2), a UFC veteran riding a four-fight winning streak with eight knockouts to his name. Round 1: McGhee's volume leg kicks found their mark early, but Yan countered with a stiff jab and straight left that cut McGhee and opened a small eye gash. Yan's head movement and distance control edged the round. Round 2: Yan settled into textbook pressure boxing—checking kicks, snapping jabs and punishing McGhee's entrance attempts. He stifled all three takedowns, landing crisp body-shot combinations that visibly slowed McGhee. Round 3: Confident, Yan mixed in clinch wrestling—securing a body-lock takedown attempt thwarted by McGhee but cemented by multiple knees to the ribs and a scramble trip in the final minute. His unanswered strikes in the closing frame sealed a unanimous 29–28 decision on all official cards. As good as advertised 🫡 @PetrYanUFC gets the Unanimous Decision![ #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] — UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025 Shara 'Bullet": Blood-Soaked Redemption Rising Russian phenom Shara Magomedov (16-1), rebounding from his first pro defeat to Michael 'Venom" Page in February, squared off with Canadian veteran Marc-André Barriault (17-10), known for a granite chin and patient combos. Round 1: 'Bullet" peppered Barriault's lead leg with calf kicks and swept in side kicks, dictating distance. Barriault's takedown soaked a crisp elbow but netted limited offence. Round 2: Chaos erupted mid-round. Barriault rocked Magomedov with a crushing right hook in the clinch, snapping his nose and unleashing follow-up uppercuts. Yet Magomedov's warrior spirit ignited: he countered with heavy knees to the body and elbows, staggering 'Power Bar" late and reclaiming round control. Round 3: Shaken but undeterred, Magomedov mixed jump knees and spins, then seized a slip-induced takedown. From mount and half-guard, he rained elbows and short strikes until the horn. Judges rewarded his grit and striking variety with a clean 30–27 sweep on all scorecards. He's back in it 🤯 @Shara_Bullet77 closes out Round 2 with momentum![ #UFCAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi ] — UFC (@ufc) July 26, 2025 Future Trajectories: Robert Whittaker (34): A former 185-lb king, Whittaker must rebuild. A confidence-boosting clash against a durable top-10 gatekeeper—such as Hermansson—can restore his trademark boxing and pave a path back to elite status. Reinier de Ridder (34): UFC's grappling juggernaut, de Ridder should chase a marquee middleweight bout—possibly against Adesanya or Strickland—to cement a title-eliminator spot and propel him toward the belt. Petr Yan (32): Yan's combination of surgical striking and lockdown defence secures him as bantamweight royalty. Targeting the Merab vs. Sandhagen winner—or sealing a rematch with O'Malley—will likely earn him a 2025 title tilt. Shara Magomedov (31): 'Bullet's" flair and fortitude demand elevated competition. Squaring off with a seasoned top-10 foe—Marvin Vettori, perhaps—will test his arsenal under fire and fast-track his divisional ascent. UFC Fight Night Abu Dhabi truly delivered—de Ridder's grinding grappling, Yan's clinical boxing, and Magomedov's unbreakable spirit. Each victor now sits at a pivotal crossroads, primed for marquee matchups and championship gold. News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! tags : ufc UFC Fight Night UFC News view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: July 27, 2025, 10:27 IST News sports UFC Fight Night, Abu Dhabi: De Ridder, Yan, Magomedov Shine Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. 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USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 9 results: Petr Yan shuts down Marcus McGhee, calls for title shot
ABU DHABI – Petr Yan proved to be too much for Marcus McGhee at UFC on ABC 9. Yan (19-5 MMA, 11-4 UFC) showed off his diverse striking en route to a unanimous decision win (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) over McGhee (10-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) in Saturday's co-main event at Etihad Arena. Yan immediately put the pressure on McGhee, who kept circling out of danger. McGhee landed a hard leg kick, and Yan barely missed on the counter. Yan briefly dropped McGhee with a leg kick and tagged him with a big left hook. Yan continued to attack McGhee's legs. McGhee landed a nice combination, as Yan continued to stalk him. The pair exchanged in the pocket, with Yan clipping McGhee. Yan then landed a couple of beautiful uppercuts in the clinch, but McGhee fired back with his best shot of the round, a right hook. In Round 2, Yan continued to pressure McGhee who ducked under for a takedown. Yan defended well and broke free. Yan clipped McGhee with a straight right, but McGhee fired back with an uppercut, and a hard leg kick. Yan stumbled McGhee back with a hard right, followed by a leaping hook. McGhee started to draw blood from his left eye. Yan landed a blistering right, followed by a left hook. Yan mixed up his attack with a jumping knee, but McGhee hung tough and kept throwing back. Yan then ripped to the body. McGhee attempted a spinning wheel kick which briefly tagged Yan, but it was Yan landing the much more significant strikes. McGhee started Round 3 by landing a short combination, but Yan fired back with a left hook. McGhee shot for another takedown, but was easily shucked off. Yan backed McGhee to the fence, closing out his combination with a big body shot. Now Yan shot for a takedown, and eventually got McGhee down, but McGhee popped right back up. Yan continued holding onto him, landing knees to his thighs. As soon as McGhee broke free, Yan tripped him and tried to latch onto a kimura as the horn sounded. Yan made it three-straight wins, and wants the winner of the bantamweight title fight between champion Merab Dvalishvili and Cory Sandhagen at UFC 320 on Oct. 4. Meanwhile, McGhee suffered his first loss in the octagon. Up-to-the-minute UFC on ABC 9 results
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC on ABC 9: Petr Yan vs. Marcus McGhee odds, picks and predictions
In a 3-round bantamweight bout on the main card, Petr Yan and Marcus McGhee meet Saturday at UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The prelims begin at noon ET (ESPN / ESPN+), and the main card at 3 p.m. (ABC / ESPN+). Their fight is expected to start at approximately 4:45 p.m. ET. Let's analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's UFC odds around the UFC on ABC 9: Yan vs. McGhee odds, and make our expert UFC picks and predictions. Records: Yan (18-5-0) | McGhee (10-1-0) Yan halted a 3-bout losing skid with a pair of unanimous-decision wins against Song Yadong (May 9, 2024) and Deiveson Figueiredo (Nov. 23, 2024). Since successfully defending his championship belt at UFC 267 (Oct. 30, 2021) against Cory Sandhagen, he suffered a split-decision loss to Aljamain Sterling at UFC 273 (April 9, 2022) that sent him into the 3-bout tailspin -- which included decision losses to Sean O'Malley (Oct. 22, 2022) and to Merab Dvalishvili (March 11, 2023) The 35-year-old McGhee has won all 4 of his fights since making his UFC debut against Journey Newson in April 2023. He has KO/TKO victories against JP Buys (Aug. 12, 2023) and Gaston Bolanos (Jan. 13, 2024), but he hasn't exactly fought the cream of the crop in the division. Facing the former division champ Yan is a major step up in competition. McGhee enters with a 2-inch reach advantage, while posting a 6.06-to-5.11 advantage in significant strikes landed per minute. Yan is much more accurate on those strikes at 60.30%, while McGhee checks in at just 49.41%, per Yan has a 1.61 takedown average, to just 0.46 for McGhee. Yan is accurate on those takedowns, too, posting a 49.06% mark. Watch this card with ESPN+ by signing up here. UFC on ABC 9: Yan vs. McGhee odds Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 7:51 p.m. ET. UFC on ABC 9: Yan vs. McGhee picks and predictions Fight result (2-way line or moneyline) Yan (-350) will cost 3½ times the potential return, which is too much risk for not enough reward. There is never a reason to justify spending so much for such a little return. Let's get a little more specific. Yan has had a penchant for dragging fights out, and doing the technical aspects well, wowing the judges into awarding points and winning rounds. In fact, Yan's past 6 fights have gone the distance, albeit against much, much stronger competition. McGhee could be in above his head against the former champ as he faces a major step up in competition. However, he went the distance in a unanimous decision victory vs. Jonathan Martinez last time out at UFC 309 (Nov. 16, 2024), so, he knows how to hang around. As such, let's roll with YAN BY DECISION/TECHNICAL DECISION (-185) for a much better value, although still slightly on the pricey side. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! Over/Under Yes (-300): "Fight will go the distance" will cost 3 times the potential return. There is no value there, risking so much for such a small return. If you were to toss this into a multi-leg parlay, that would be the only way to justify playing such a heavy favorite line. Again, Yan is good at wowing the judges and scoring points based on certain technical aspects. He is impressive on takedowns, too, and betting YAN: OVER 1.5 TOTAL TAKEDOWNS (-145) is a particularly attractive prop to target. Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis. For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Follow Daniel Dobish on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Amid budget squeeze, a Miami-Dade commissioner wants to cancel World Cup subsidy
In the face of looming cuts to charity grants in the county budget, a Miami-Dade commissioner wants to claw back the $46 million the county plans to spend subsidizing a global sports event: the 2026 World Cup games. Commissioner Kionne McGhee, who represents a suburban district in South Miami-Dade that has some of the county's highest concentrations of poverty, said Friday he'll ask for a special meeting to undo past funding votes to cover local expenses for the seven soccer matches scheduled for Hard Rock Stadium next summer. 'Until they find us the money to fully fund the nonprofits that provide services to the community, I think we are obligated as elected officials to get this money back and give it to the nonprofits,' McGhee said in an interview Friday. His demand highlights the bad timing for Miami-Dade's elected officials as the approved $46 million in free police and paramedic overtime and cash payouts for World Cup overlap with what's likely to be the leanest budget year for the county since the aftermath of the 2008 housing crash. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has proposed a 2026 budget that slashes about $40 million in funding for county charity grants. The budget also has cuts for the Parks Department, including less money for athletic fields and lifeguards. The mayor recommended spending legislation earlier this year that doubled the commission's prior approval of a $10.5 million cash subsidy for World Cup. The legislation boosted the county's planned cash payments for the games to $21 million. Add in an estimated $25 million worth of free police, paramedic services and other county staff that Miami-Dade would pay for, and the subsidy total would hit $46 million. In a May 6 memo, Levine Cava said contributing the sports funding may result in reductions in county services — weeks before her budget proposal revealed proposed cuts to the charity grants, the loss of some lifeguards at county parks and scattered rollbacks of spending on senior services. Nevertheless, commissioners approved the legislation with the planned $21 million World Cup subsidies on May 6 — legislation that was seconded by McGhee. Three commissioners voted against the budget adjustment: Marleine Bastien, Juan Carlos Bermudez and Roberto Gonzalez. In her memo, Levine Cava recommended commissioners adopt the extra $10.5 million for World Cup as part of a larger midyear spending package. She said the request for extra World Cup dollars came from the spending legislation's sponsor, Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, whose district includes Hard Rock Stadium. On Friday, her office released a statement expressing concerns about World Cup funding. 'The Mayor expressed concerns when this funding request was first brought to the administration,' the statement read. 'Those concerns remain as we balance critical needs in our community.' In a press release, McGhee noted that he was a past supporter of the plan to bring soccer's premiere event to Miami and offer financial support from the county. But he said Levine Cava's budget proposal 'changes everything.' To secure a special meeting revisiting a politically fraught issue that's already gone through a commission vote, McGhee needs a signed request from at least six other commissioners on the 13-member board. County funding for World Cup goes to the nonprofit host committee, which is independent of FIFA. Rodney Barreto, the chair of the local World Cup host committee, has been spearheading the push for government funding for the games at Hard Rock Stadium. On Friday, he pointed out that Miami-Dade had competed to be a World Cup host city for the 2026 games and that such a position comes with expenses. 'I know it's a tough time,' said Barreto, a partner in a lobbying firm that represents the Miami Dolphins, owner of Hard Rock. 'I know tough decisions have to be made. I think the county can make them and still fully support FIFA World Cup 2026 in Miami-Dade.'
Fox News
5 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Student suspended for saying 'illegal aliens' in class gets cash, apology from school
A school district in North Carolina has been ordered to admit their mistake, issue an apology, fork over $20,000, and more after they were sued for suspending a 16-year-old student who used the term "illegal aliens." The settlement was approved on Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, following a year-long legal battle after a 16-year-old student and his parents sued Davidson County Schools for the mischaracterization of racial bias and violation of the student's First Amendment rights. "Although the parties initially moved to seal the revised settlement agreement, they have since withdrawn any request to seal any version of their settlement," Judge Thomas Schroeder stated in his Tuesday order. The 16-year-old student was suspended in April of last year after using the term "illegal aliens" during an English class discussion. "Do you mean space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards?" the student asked. The student was later suspended for three days and marks denoting "racially insensitive behavior" were added to his permanent record. The story of Christian McGhee caught the eyes of Donald Trump, who wrote the student a personal recommendation letter as he seeks an athletic scholarship in the years ahead, according to the Liberty Justice Center, which helped with the litigation. In addition to the public apology required in the settlement, McGhee's school must correct his permanent record so it no longer denotes racial insensitivity and acknowledge "the inappropriate response to this matter by a former member." However, per Schroeder's order, the settlement does not amount to an admission of liability or wrongdoing. "As the Supreme Court has often reminded us in its First Amendment jurisprudence, students do not shed their free speech rights at the schoolhouse gate. That it took a federal lawsuit and ultimately a court-approved settlement (including an apology to Christian, and a payment of $20,000) is indicative of how far lost many educators have become in the wake of the previous administration's identity politics obsession," Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and legal fellow at conservative nonprofit Defending Education, told Fox News Digital. "No more," Perry continued. "The mission of American education is rooted in the viewpoint diversity of a pluralistic society. Our hope is that after Christian's ordeal, schools will think twice about venturing into unconstitutional waters and trampling on the free speech rights of their students." According to the Liberty Justice Center, McGhee's mother spoke up in defense of her son after the incident happened, including at school board meetings, which led to an alleged attempt to smear her. The center claimed that two board members sent messages to county leaders and residents with the mother's arrest record and encouraged people to post it on social media. Neither Davidson County Schools, nor the district's board, responded to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
