Welcome to The Weekly Takedown, Sports Illustrated’s in-depth look at MMA. Every week, this column offers insight and information on the most noteworthy stories in the fight world.
Calvin Kattar has sat and watched as the featherweight has taken shape since undisputed champ Alexander Volkanovski temporarily left his post to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title. Nearly every detail unfolded just as Kattar anticipated, with one monumental difference: he is entirely removed from it.
Author: Michael
Tennessee basketball is set to face Florida Atlantic in the Sweet Sixteen at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Senior guard Josiah-Jordan James had to make sure that the playing surface is up to standard!
The Mecca pic.twitter.com/v7LMZFlF5j
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 22, 2023
Earlier in the season, back in December, James committed a very embarrassing blunder during the Jimmy V Classic as the No. 13-ranked Volunteers played the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tennessee was down one with just under four minutes left.
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) provided incredible theatre for the world. But some players returned to their MLB clubs with more than just experience. Adam Wainwright is the latest to be placed on the IL due to an injury sustained during the tournament.
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve suffered a broken hand during the tournament and will miss at least two months. New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz is out for the season after suffering an injury while celebrating a WBC victory.
Now, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright will miss several weeks.
The St. Louis projected opening day starter is headed to the injured list after a groin strain during the World Baseball Classic.
Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright will miss his Opening Day start for St. Louis after suffering a groin strain with Team USA during the World Baseball Classic.
The 41-year-old longtime Cardinals pitcher, who said that this will be his final season before retiring, will be placed on the injured list and will miss “the next several weeks,” manager Oliver Marmol told reporters in Jupiter.
Pittsburgh Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds appears to be former Pittsburgh Steelers safety. Edmunds wrote a heartfelt post on Instagram that indicates he is moving on.
But the question is still … to where?
Usually, someone like Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport would report that Edmunds has signed somewhere else, and then the goodbye post on social media. However, Edmunds has passed over that step.
Will the New York Jets make a run at Odell Beckham Jr. going into next season?
It certainly appears to be a very real possibility.
The Jets are currently attempting to hammer out a deal to land Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers, but nothing has been reached yet.
So far, the team has signed receivers Allen Lazard and Mecole Hardman. If the Jets do trade for Rodgers, he won’t be short on weapons, and the former Giants star could be another addition.
Will Odell Beckham Jr.
Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images
The rookie guard is making considerable strides.
The Detroit Pistons’ 2022-23 NBA season was supposed to be a year that saw their trio of presumptive franchise cornerstones harmonize together. Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren were lottery picks selected in last summer’s Draft and expected to join 2021 No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham as a rising Big Three. Instead, Cunningham has missed all but 12 games due to a stress fracture in his left shin and subsequent season-ending surgery to address it.
Ja Morant returned to the floor for the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night for the first time since being suspended after flashing a gun on Instagram Live. While the game was unique given the circumstance – which included Morant coming off the bench for the first time in his career – there was one thing very familiar with the game.
As he always does, Tee Morant, Ja’s father, sat courtside to watch his son.
Tee Morant is here. Check out his hoodie. pic.twitter.
UFC sensation Jorge Masvidal thinks you’d have to be a moron to defund the police.
For reasons that don’t make sense to rational people, there’s been a huge movement on the left to defund the police. Amid major crime issues and violent riots across the country in 2020, people want to know somebody has their back. Instead of doing more to keep communities safe, some politicians and activists have argued for the exact opposite:
Take money away from the police.
Jorge Masvidal doesn’t support defunding the police.
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Why Carolina is trying to make the NFL believe they’ll be unpredictable at No. 1
The Carolina Panthers’ brass are on a multi-stop quarterback tour, like a happy family band piling into a tour bus. On Tuesday no fewer than 11 different coaches, scouts, and advisors from the team were in attendance to see CJ Stroud at Ohio State’s pro day, including team owner David Tepper and his wife Nicole.