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.
Score the first round 10–8 in Dana White’s favor.
But Francis Ngannou is far from being finished in this fight.
A sleepy week in May turned into a potpourri of announcements. The excitement began Tuesday morning, when the PFL sent out a press release at the crack of dawn announcing that Ngannou had signed with the promotion as part of its new Super Fight pay-per-view division.
Author: Michael
Today at his eponymous academy on the Spanish island of Mallorca, Rafael Nadal made official what the tennis world has suspected for weeks. He will not be playing in the French Open, the major he has won 14 times, the site of his personal clay canvas where he compiled a risible record of 112–3.
At January’s Australian Open, he suffered an injury to his upper hip. He has not played since, missing the entire clay court lead-up for the first time in his career.
Rafael Nadal announced Thursday that he is pulling out of the French Open because of a lingering hip injury and that he expects 2024 to be the final season of his career.
Jimbo Fisher likes to shoot things, he guesses. His words.
Fortunately, Texas A&M players are not the target of the 57-year-old’s aim. That isn’t an option, because guns aren’t allowed at practice. He is glad for that rule.
Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher likes to shoot things. (Photo by: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports)
Fisher, entering his sixth season with the Aggies, has had a lot of reasons to be frustrated over the course of the last five years.
The routine bunt became a real ball-buster.
What should have been a routine bunt by Luke Raley went atrociously, horribly, ball-bustingly bad on Wednesday.
Oh no! No it didn’t! #Rays #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/CWUhOhMRfF
— Pat Donovan (@PatDonovanRadio) May 18, 2023
Raley was facing down Adam Ottavino of the Mets in a close game when he tried to bunt.
After a surprise-filled Week 5, we’re back to make bets on all four games this weekend.
It has not been an easy season for the New York Mets so far.
The Mets have the MLB’s highest payroll of $364 million, and owner Steve Cohen and Mets fans have not been pleased about the team’s dismal 21-23 record so far. Sure, it’s still early, but they don’t want to hear it.
So when the Mets finally did something good Thursday night, you can understand why even the players themselves were relieved.
With the National Arena League’s Albany Empire struggling to fill seats during games, the team may need to get creative. Former NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown told WNYT’s Rodger Wyland that he may suit up for the team to help ticket sales and said he has also spoken with Cam Newton about joining the franchise in some capacity.
Brown told Wyland he’d play in a game with the Empire either May 27 or June 17 with both being home games. As for Newton, it’s unclear where the former NFL MVP stands.
The discussion surrounding league executives isn’t the only hot topic, as the strategies of the five teams searching for head coaches becomes just a little bit clearer.
Size matters, especially in the National Football League.
If you’re small, you’re often overlooked or doubted. We all know the story of Rudy, when Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger dreamt of (and accomplished) his goal of playing college football at Notre Dame despite his rather diminutive size.