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USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ian Machado Garry relishes potential Islam Makhachev fight if he becomes UFC champ
Ian Machado Garry relishes potential Islam Makhachev fight if he becomes UFC champ Ian Machado Garry sees a big storyline in a potential UFC title fight against Islam Makhachev. Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) vacated his UFC lightweight title to challenge newly crowned welterweight champ Jack Della Maddalena – a fight which is expected to take place later in the year. On his own road to gold, Machado Garry (16-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) envisions a perfect scenario of facing Makhachev if he can get past Della Maddalena. He sees a potential matchup with Makhachev reigniting an infamous rivalry from the past, as well as the opportunity to separate himself from the rest of the roster. "If people want to market it as Dagestan vs. Ireland if me and Islam Makhachev ever cross paths then they can," Machado Garry said in an interview with "But I feel like that's bringing in two people like Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, who have had their rivalry and have done and said the things they've said. The truth is, this is Dagestan vs. Ireland, but it would be Islam vs. Ian. "We can bring up the past, or we can focus on the present. Islam right now is the pound-for-pound No. 1. He's trying to move up and fight for the welterweight world title, and if he wins there is absolutely every scenario that I'm going to call for that fight because there is nothing more I want to do than go out there and beat the No. 1 pound for pound, get the belt and prove that I'm one of the best in the world." Machado Garry, who's coming off a unanimous decision win over Carlos Prates last month, weighed in as the official backup for the welterweight title fight between Della Maddalena and Belal Muhammad at UFC 315.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
UFC star makes confident Paddy Pimblett vs Ilia Topuria admission
Pimblett and Topuria have been on a collision course ever since they clashed at the fighter hotel during UFC London in 2022, and the fight could soon be on the horizon UFC welterweight sensation Ian Machado Garry has predicted a fight between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett would go down as one of the "biggest fights" ever. The bad blood between 'The Baddy' and Topuria dates back to an infamous altercation three years ago during a UFC London event. After a heated exchange in the fighter hotel, Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitiser at Topuria, sparking chaotic scenes. The clash in London seemed to ignite the bitter feud, and there have been teases about them facing off in the octagon despite previously competing in different divisions. However, that all changed earlier this year when Topuria vacated his featherweight title in favour of a move up to 155lbs. 'El Matador' has jumped straight into a title fight against Charles Oliveira for the newly vacated 155lb championship belt at next month's UFC 317, following Islam Makhachev's decision to step up to welterweight. Providing Topuria comes away with the win and unscathed, it could set up eagerly anticipated clash with the Liverpudlian. 'The Baddy' recently secured the most significant victory of his career against Michael Chandler, and despite many believing the Brit needs another win before competing for the title, he could be thrust into a title bout with Topuria due to their mutual animosity. While 'El Matador' is set to fight Oliveira, a close friend of Machado Garry, the Irishman is still keen to see a showdown between Topuria and Pimblett. In an interview with he said: "Paddy's been phenomenal. You can't give nothing but praise to what he's done and how he's done it. He's gone out there. He's backed up everything he said. He's beaten and is beating everyone that's been put in front of him and he's looked great and has that popularity inside and outside the Octagon, he's doing what he needs to do, and he's doing a very good job at it. Paddy and Ilia is a massive, massive fight if that happens down the line. It's going to be so big, so big. I reckon that's a stadium [fight]. That'll be one of the biggest fights we've ever seen." Pimblett is indeed keen on facing Topuria in Abu Dhabi in October, but he admits that his likely opponent will be Justin Gaethje. "I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage," Pimblett told BBC Sport. "I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins [against Oliveira]. I'd love to beat him if he gets the belt. I'd love to fight him anyway but he's booked, so I think it's more than likely Justin Gaethje." The Brit was asked about his interest in dangerous contender Arman Tsarukyan - to which he replied: "No one [cares] about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight. People know it'll be an exciting fight, me versus Gaethje," said Pimblett. "Tsarukyan, he's just an absolute tool, and then it's me and Gaethje. One win away and I'll be fighting for the belt. Yeah, that's always been the aim. It's the only aim that we have."
The Hill
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hill
One Kentucky Derby post position has never seen a winner. Chunk of Gold hopes to change that
(NEXSTAR) – In its storied 151-year history, there is an infamous starting gate number that has never produced a Kentucky Derby winner. The gate numbers, known as post positions, are decided by a random drawing. Betting odds shift based on where horses start and how they respond to certain posts, according to with the biggest swings often for No. 1 – which hasn't seen a winner since 1986 – and the outermost positions. While post position 5 has had the best record with 10 winners, the most recent being Always Dreaming in 2017, post position 17 is the only one that hasn't produced a single first-place finish. But could this be the year the curse ends? Sandman, ridden by highly-regarded jockey Jose L. Ortiz, was initially assigned post position 17 with enviable 5-1 odds, according to That changed, however, when two horses, Grande and Rodriguez were scratched late in the week, moving Chunk of Gold, at 30-1, into the 17th position, according to Covers. The 3-year-old gray/roan colt finished second consecutively in the Risen Star and the Louisiana Derby, according to the Derby's profile. 'With his closing running style, proven stamina, and improving form, Chunk of Gold profiles as an interesting longshot candidate for the Kentucky Derby.' The odds-on favorite to win the Derby, Journalism, has 3-1 odds as of Friday afternoon. Journalism will be running from post 7, which has seen eight winners, including Mandaloun in 2021. See the complete number of wins by post position below: Post Record (entries-win-place-show) Win % Avg. Finish Last Winner Last Top 5 1 95-8-5-5 8.4% 8.20 Ferdinand (1986) Hit Show (5th, 2023) 2 95-7-6-13 7.4% 8.13 Affirmed (1978) Sierra Leone (2nd, 2024) 3 95-6-8-8 6.3% 8.19 Mystik Dan (2024) Mystik Dan (1st , 2024) 4 95-5-6-4 5.3% 8.72 Super Saver (2010 Catching Freedom (4th, 2024) 5 95-10-8-4 10.5% 7.45 Always Dreaming (2017) Improbable (4 th, 2019) 6 95-2-8-3 2.1% 9.55 Sea Hero (1993) O Besos (4th, 2021) 7 94-8-6-6 8.5% 7.87 Mandaloun (2021) Mandaloun (1st, 2021) 8 94-9-5-5 9.6% 8.57 Mage (2023) Mage (1 st, 2023) 9 91-4-6-8 4.4% 8.63 Riva Ridge (1972) Disarm (4th, 2023) 10 88-9-6-11 10.2% 7.72 Giacomo (2005) T O Password (JPN) (5th, 2024) 11 84-2-6-4 2.4% 9.06 Winning Colors (1988) Forever Young (JPN) (3rd, 2024) 12 80-3-3-4 3.8% 9.60 Canonero II (1971) Angel of Empire (3rd, 2023) 13 78-5-5-7 6.4% 8.24 Nyquist (2016) Simplification (4 th, 2022) 14 68-2-6-6 2.9% 9.21 Carry Back (1961) Essential Quality (3rd, 2021) 15 63-6-2-1 9.5% 10.22 Authentic (2020) Authentic (1st, 2020) 16 52-4-3-3 7.7% 10.27 Animal Kingdom (2011) Honor A. P. (4th, 2020) 17 45-0-1-2 0.0% 11.24 Don't Get Mad (4th, 2005) 18 37-2-4-0 5.4% 9.43 Country House (2019) Country House (1 st, 2019) 19 31-1-1-0 3.2% 12.32 I'll Have Another (2012) Wicked Strong (4th, 2014) 20 19-2-0-1 10.5% 11.05 Rich Strike (2022) Rich Strike (1st, 2022) While gamblers might tend to shy away from certain posts, not everyone is convinced that 17 is the burden its underwhelming record suggests. Horse racing handicapper Michael Dempsey told NBC that he would actually prefer the 17th post to some of the inner positions, and suspects the miserable win-loss record is just a statistical anomaly. 'I don't really think the outside posts are a disadvantage, even though the statistics tell us otherwise,' Dempsey said. 'If I liked a horse to win a race and then he drew that 17, 18, or 19 post, that wouldn't sway me.'
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
March Madness picks: Expert predictions, odds, betting lines, schedule for NCAA tournament Elite Eight
No. 1 vs. No. 3. And three No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchups. Those are the seeds for the Elite 8, as one of the chalkiest NCAA tournaments ever moves on. There were some nervous moments from the top teams in the Sweet 16, but Texas Tech had a wild comeback, Michigan State and Auburn rallied after showing some signs of being in trouble and Houston got a last-second shot to advance. The only seed outside of the top two lines that made it to the Elite 8 is Texas Tech, which was all the way down as a No. 3 seed. St. John's is the only top-two seed that lost before the Elite 8. There are many brackets that still are in pretty good shape late in the tournament. Advertisement Let's see if the favorites keep rolling as we find out the Final Four. Here are the picks for the Elite 8, with all odds from BetMGM: All times Eastern. Florida (-7.5) over Texas Tech, 6:09 p.m. Saturday Texas Tech's comeback against Arkansas in the Sweet 16 was amazing. They had a 16-3 run late in the second half to force overtime, then a Darrion Williams shot late in overtime clinched the win. It reinforced that the Red Raiders are a tough, well-coached and talented team. But Florida is a lot different than Arkansas. Since early February the Gators are 13-3 against the spread, via which shows that a good team is still easily outperforming the market expectations. The Gators had a scare against UConn in the second round, but bounced right back with a 16-point win over a good Maryland team in the Sweet 16. Depth is a bit overrated in the NCAA tournament, but it can't hurt that the Gators keep coming at opponents with waves of talented players. Texas Tech is very good, and the Red Raiders were tested all year in a very good league. But Florida is on another level. The tournament has been defined by favorites winning, so maybe the best move is just leaning into taking the chalk. Which four teams will move on to the Final Four in San Antonio? (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) (Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) Duke (-7.5) over Alabama, 8:49 p.m. Saturday If Alabama shoots like it did Thursday, the Crimson Tide will go to the Final Four. They hit 25-of-51 from the 3-point line. The 25 made 3s was an NCAA tournament record. Anyone who didn't know of coach Nate Oats' philosophy of shooting almost only 3s or layups knows about it now. The problem is, the Crimson Tide might need 20 or more 3s again to advance. Duke looks like 2023 and 2024 UConn, cruising to a championship. They're rolling behind Cooper Flagg, who is three wins from being a college basketball legend. Duke didn't cover against Arizona, so they won't replicate the Huskies' run of all double-digit wins, but the Blue Devils are still the team to beat. And they're a much, much better defensive team than BYU. The Crimson Tide won't be able to rain 3s as easily on Saturday. Alabama is excellent on offense and this season they've already beat Houston and Auburn, a couple of No. 1 seeds, so it's not like they can't explode on offense and pull the upset. But it's not fun going against this Duke team. There are many other good teams still alive, but if Duke doesn't win it all it will be a disappointment for the Blue Devils. Tennessee (+3.5) over Houston, 2:20 p.m. Sunday We have to get one team outside of the No. 1 seeds in the Final Four, right? In some other seasons Tennessee would have been a good choice as a No. 1 seed. It's just that there was no room for them on the top line in this bracket. But it's an elite team, with the 17th most efficient offense and third most efficient defense in the sport according to Houston is a great team as well, perfectly capable of winning it all. But at very least, the Volunteers can keep it to a one-possession game. They were very impressive in the Sweet 16. Auburn (-5.5) over Michigan State, 5:05 p.m. Sunday Auburn had been underwhelming since late in the regular season and then found itself trailing Michigan by nine in the second half. Suddenly the Tigers from earlier in the season reemerged. Auburn played its best basketball in a while to cruise past Michigan, looking like the team that spent most of the season as the co-favorite with Duke to win the title. It could be foolish to believe that half of a half of basketball means Auburn is back, but the Tigers still have that top gear and it was good to see it. Michigan State will be ready, as it always is, but if that Auburn team shows up again and does it for 40 minutes? Then we'll see the favorite cover fairly easily and Auburn get itself back in the conversation as a team that can cut down the nets in San Antonio.
USA Today
26-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Michael Chandler doubts Ilia Topuria walks around at 190 pounds: 'I've stood next to the man'
Michael Chandler isn't buying that Ilia Topuria walks around that heavy. Topuria's (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) manager claimed that Topuria used to cut almost 50 pounds to make the 145-pound featherweight limit, which is what prompted him to vacate his title for a move up to lightweight. Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) thinks the claim by Topuria's manager is an over embellishment. 'I think he's lying about the weight a little bit,' Chandler said in an interview with 'I don't think he weighs 190 pounds. I've seen the man. I've stood next to the man. We've had conversations. 'With that being said, yeah, I think it would be cool for him to come in and fight somebody inside the top five to get the title shot. But then, again, the UFC does what they want to do, and they put on the biggest fights that make sense, and Topuria vs. Islam (Makhachev) makes a lot of sense.' Topuria fought once at lightweight when he knocked out Jai Herbert to earn his first UFC bonus in March 2022. He then moved back down to featherweight, where he went on a run which included dethroning Alexander Volkanovski to become champion, then defending his belt against Max Holloway with another knockout at UFC 308. UFC lightweight champion Makhachev and his team think Topuria should have to beat a top contender before fighting for the title. Chandler, who meets Paddy Pimblett in the UFC 314 co-main event April 12 in Miami, agrees – and warns Topuria that lightweight will be a different experience. 'Conventional wisdom would say yes, (he should not jump straight in with Makhachev),' Chandler said. 'His (fourth) fight in the UFC was at lightweight. He got dropped by a head kick. Now, I'm not going to say that is going to happen, or us lightweights are so much bigger and badder than the little featherweights. That's just hyperbole. But I will say, these are some big dudes. We hit a lot harder than the 145'ers. It's going to be a very interesting jump up.'
