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Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 252

Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 252

USA Today22-02-2025

Rob Font and Jean Matsumoto meet Saturday on the UFC Fight Night 252 main card at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
Last event: 2-2-1
UFC main cards, 2025: 10-10-1
Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto UFC Seattle preview
Font (21-8 MMA, 11-7 UFC) has experienced mixed results of late, snapping two-fight skids twice while losing four of his past six. Font is coming off a unanimous decision over Kyle Phillips last October. A victory would give Font his first winning streak since 2021. … Matsumoto (16-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is a 2023 Dana White's Contender Series alum who's won his first two UFC bouts, most recently a unanimous decision against Brad Katona last October.
Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto UFC Seattle expert pick, prediction
Despite having Dominick Cruz drop out of the main event, the UFC matchmakers were able to salvage the Font side of the equation by booking Matsumoto on short notice.
Matsumoto was originally slated to fight in two weeks, so the 25-year-old won't exactly be coming off the couch. The UFC was nice enough to book this at a catchweight of 140 pounds due to the one-week's notice nature of it all, but that could ultimately benefit Font, who is big for the division.
I was admittedly surprised to see Matsumoto favored, but I'm guessing that the oddsmakers like the age gap, accompanied by the fact that Matsumoto can be an aggressive grappler in spots. Couple that with Font's porous takedown defense percentage, and the potential pathway for the Brazilian becomes a bit more clear.
However, when you actually go back and watch the tape, you'll see that Font has quietly improved his defense along the fence (a place where Matsumoto makes a majority of his attempts). In addition, Font has also sharpened his transitional grappling and getup game, utilizing underhooks in conjunction with wall walks or using butterflies to create space and invert.
The important thing to note about the options listed above is that none of them involve serious front-headlock exposure, which is the area where Matsumoto makes his money.
Matsumoto also has power on the feet, but his lack of head movement and angles could feed him right into the collar ties of Font.
I suppose Font crapping the bed isn't out of the equation, but I really like the chances of the New England native in this spot. A club and sub for the American is quietly on the table, but I'll officially pick Font to take this one on the scorecards.
Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto UFC Seattle odds
The oddsmakers and the public are slightly favoring the Brazilian fighter, listing Matsumoto (-168) and Font (+136) via FanDuel.
Rob Font vs. Jean Matsumoto UFC Seattle start time, how to watch
Font and Matsumoto are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:10 p.m. ET. The fight will stream on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie's event hub for UFC Fight Night 252.

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NFL, Genius Sports Extend and Expand Betting Data Partnership

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2025 NHL Staff Mock Draft 2.0: Schaefer goes No. 1, but where do Misa, Desnoyers and Hagens land?
2025 NHL Staff Mock Draft 2.0: Schaefer goes No. 1, but where do Misa, Desnoyers and Hagens land?

New York Times

time31 minutes ago

  • New York Times

2025 NHL Staff Mock Draft 2.0: Schaefer goes No. 1, but where do Misa, Desnoyers and Hagens land?

The 2025 NHL Draft is just over two weeks away, so after doing a mock draft following the lottery, we reconvened our staff of NHL reporters to make selections for the entire first round. This is their best attempt to predict what will happen on draft day based on their knowledge of the teams they cover and what those teams covet in players. Trades were allowed in this exercise, and there was one agreed upon that sent Vancouver's No. 15 pick to Boston. The Islanders finally have a GM, and Mathieu Darche likely isn't looking to rock the boat in his first act in charge. Schaefer is still the consensus pick here, so why mess with that? The pool of top-tier players has just one defenseman and he's the one most scouts think should go first. Makes sense to me. — Arthur Staple Lately, there have been some rumblings of Porter Martone going here, and Team Canada adding him to its world championship roster looked good on the young power forward. 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Welcome to America, the ATM of world soccer
Welcome to America, the ATM of world soccer

New York Times

time31 minutes ago

  • New York Times

Welcome to America, the ATM of world soccer

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On top of all the global events mentioned above, there is also a continuously steady stream of high-profile summer friendlies in between, as has been the case for well over a decade. No one is pretending soccer has the same foothold and history in the U.S. as it has in Europe or South America, but what it does have is a potential audience that is accustomed to paying top dollar for its entertainment interests. Advertisement As FIFA tries to fill more seats for its Club World Cup opener between Inter Miami and Al-Ahly on Saturday, it was revealed Tuesday that Miami Dade College students could acquire five tickets for $20, a phenomenal deal aimed at avoiding the embarrassment of having banks of empty seats for the kickoff game. However, without your college ID card, it should be noted that regular seats still start at $69, and that figure was more than $300 when they first went on sale. Add in parking, food and other expenses, and the total cost for a family of four could easily exceed $1,000, especially for a highly sought-after match, with the dynamic pricing model used to set costs. 'Football has been industrialized,' professor Simon Chadwick, who teaches geopolitics of sport at Emlyon Business School in Lyon, France, told The Athletic. 'Very often people talk about commercializing, but the sport has been industrialized with the objective to extract as much financial value from customers as is possible. 'Clubs and governing bodies are developing products that take advantage of the latest developments in markets, and this means that the football product now, instead of just being a game that you go and watch, or you go and buy a ticket to watch, the product is now an experience.' Alas, soccer has become a very expensive experience in the U.S. When you break down the costs of attending events like Copa América or marquee summer friendlies, the numbers add up fast. 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FIFA and many other soccer governing bodies are curating entertainment experiences that go well beyond the game. From Coldplay's Chris Martin choosing halftime music to seamless one-touch engagement with teams and tournaments through an app, it's all very much in line with the kind of immersive, branded experiences 'you'd expect from Disney,' Chadwick said. Advertisement 'These immersive, high-touch offerings cost money to build, but FIFA knows fans are willing to pay for them. There's a clear alignment between what FIFA is offering and what consumers want. The proof? Stadiums sell out, sponsors keep lining up, and broadcast deals are still climbing. The takeaway for FIFA is simple: This model works.' But not perfectly, it seems. Earlier this week, tens of thousands of seats remained unsold for the opening Club World Cup match at Hard Rock Stadium, which holds 65,326 fans. The exclusivity of the Club World Cup and other FIFA events, though, goes beyond ticket prices, all the way to concession stands. FIFA Club World Cup matches will be held in 12 NFL and MLS stadiums, including Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Miami's Hard Rock Stadium, New Jersey's MetLife Stadium (where the final of CWC and the World Cup will take place), Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field, Seattle's Lumen Field and Washington's Audi Field, where DC United and Washington Spirit plays their home games. The cost of the average classic American combo — a beer and a hot dog — is approximately $15.02 across NFL stadiums, with some venues like Lumen Field charging up to $19.98, according to Food and Wine's 2024 research. However, recent personal experience shows prices are vastly higher than that. Last week at the USWNT's match against Jamaica at Energizer Park in St. Louis, a Reuben sandwich was priced at $18.99, a bottle of water was $8 and a large beer was going for $20, with tax and tip on top. The truth is that the beautiful game is increasingly catering most directly to those who can afford to pay more. 'Let's be brutally honest about this, people who are economically disadvantaged, they are no longer anywhere near the top of football's agenda,' Chadwick said. 'In simple terms, the yield per fan from richer members of society is going to be much higher than the yield per fan from poorer members of society. And so I guess you could say we are going through a kind of period of the gentrification of football.' Unlike the iconic song from 'West Side Story,' nothing in America comes for free. Buying on credit sure feels like a sweet deal, just don't check your credit card statement after the game.

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