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Articles by Mitch Sanderson
Harris looks to continue family tradition with Blue Jays
David Harris, a Blue Jays infield prospect, at the Bobby Mattick complex in Tampa (photo credit Mitch Sanderson). TAMPA – David Harris is far from the first in his family to play pro ball, and that’s given him the boost to make a name in this game. The Toronto Blue Jays infield prospect is the grandson of a former Negro league player and the son of a former player, coach, and scout within the minor leagues of the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox.
Swimming in Canada: A new pool and a bright future
With the 2015 Pan American Games in the past, the pool at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre in Scarborough has turned its focus to the future of swimming in Canada. Coming off the most successful summer muti-sport event in the country’s history, the goal is to continue to grow the sport not only for the 2016 Olympics, but for the next few cycles. Enlarge National team coach Ben Titley (left) goes over a practice plan with his swimmers before a training session at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.
Football without research: What does the QB market really look like?
The narrative that teams will do anything to get a potential franchise quarterback (or at least a competent starter) stays with us every offseason. It’s often true. It’s the reason Brock Osweiler got $37 million guaranteed, the reason Kirk Cousins was treated like a future Hall-of-Famer last year, the reason we’ve seen Brandon Weeden, Johnny Manziel, Tim Tebow, EJ Manuel, and Paxton Lynch drafted in the first round, and the reason I was convinced Brett Hundley would have the same fate in 2015.
Gronk 'fist pumps' Trump during White House visit
Rob Gronkowski just couldn't help but do Rob Gronkowski things when visiting the White House on Wednesday. After briefly interrupting Sean Spicer's press briefing to offer the press secretary "some help," he made a pit stop in the oval office to "fist pump" Donald Trump. Gronkowski was one of just 34 Patriots team members who chose not to skip the visit.
Report: Rodgers, Donald, Brown get 99 ratings in Madden 19
According to EA Sports, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Donald, and Antonio Brown are the best players in the NFL. The latest edition of Madden NFL video games will drop on Aug. 10, but details about the game and its player ratings have already begun to leak with Rodgers, Donald, and Brown receiving the only 99 ratings among players, according to Steve Noah of Operations Sports and Miguel Lozada of Elgato Gaming. The full set of ratings for the game's top players was released by Madden School on Sunday.
Whittaker defeats Romero by split decision in Fight of the Year candidate
Middleweight champion Robert Whittaker defeated Yoel Romero in a fast-paced rematch by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 48-47) in a non-title main event at UFC 225 on Saturday. More to come.
Holm dominates Anderson for impressive unanimous decision win
Holly Holm finally got a win at featherweight Saturday night, overpowering UFC newcomer Megan Anderson for three rounds to earn a unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) win at UFC 225 in Chicago. More to come.
Ronda Rousey to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame
Former bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame during on July 5 in Las Vegas during International Fight Week, the promotion announced during Saturday night's UFC 225 card. More to come.
Watch: Blaydes finishes domination of Overeem with elbows on ground
GOOD LORD! CURTIS BLAYDES LANDED SOME VICIOUS ELBOWS AND BUSTED OPEN OVEREEM! WOW! #UFC225 pic.twitter.com/oQ9Q7KeJqA— '03 Kliff Kingsbury (@fearthe_beard11) June 10, 2018 Curtis Blaydes continued his climb up the UFC heavyweight ranks with a dominating performance against veteran contender Alistair Overeem on Saturday, capping off two rounds of success with a brutal TKO via elbows on the ground in the third.More to come.
White says Whittaker-Romero staying on card as non-title fight
After MMA fans spent most of the day trying to guess who headline UFC 225 and what will be on the line, Dana White told the FOX Sports broadcast that Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero will fight in the main event Saturday as a five-round, non-title fight. "The fight's on, that's all that matters," said White, according to MMAjunkie's Mike Bohn.
Romero misses weight by 0.2 lbs, puts UFC 225 main event in limbo
Yoel Romero missed championship weight by 0.2 lbs Friday before his middleweight title fight against Robert Whittaker, which was scheduled to be the main event of UFC 225 on Saturday night in Chicago. The promotion did not immediately announce whether the fight is still on. The UFC is working with both camps to keep the fight together, reports ESPN's Brett Okamoto, but by rule, Romero is ineligible to win the title.
Stack 'em up: Ranking the 10 most anticipated fights at UFC 225
If the UFC's cards in 2018 haven't been quite exciting enough for you to pay attention to an entire six-hour show, this is the place to start. UFC 225 in Chicago next Saturday is the deepest card the promotion has put on this year with top-ranked talent gracing the card from start to finish. With two belts on the line and a slew of up-and-comers ready to build their names, we count down the night's 10 most anticipated bouts.
Ex-HBO exec planning team-based MMA league
Former HBO Sports executive Mark Taffet is launching a new MMA promotion that will attempt to draw from traditional pro sports, placing fighters on teams to compete as groups representing different cities. The MMA Pro League will start with its first non-broadcast event on July 20 at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, N.J. The league will hold four more cards at the location in 2018 before moving to an eight-team system in 2019.
Nick Diaz's next court appearance to face battery charges set for June 6
Nick Diaz will appear in Las Vegas Justice Court next on June 6 at 8:30 a.m. local time before judge Amy Chelini regarding his recent domestic battery charges, a court rep confirmed to MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi on Tuesday. The UFC fighter - currently on hiatus from the Octagon - was arrested on Friday for two charges of domestic battery, including one felony charge for domestic battery by strangulation.
Watch: Bisping raises glass to all who supported him through career
Having announced his retirement rather candidly on his own podcast Monday, Michael Bisping took a moment Tuesday to salute the many people who supported the United Kingdom's first UFC superstar over the years. The 39-year-old former middleweight champ also thanked his fans for the outpouring of support on Twitter early Tuesday morning, and after continuing to receive love all day, he downed a shot to celebrate his career. Utterly blown away by all the beautiful messages regarding my retirement.
Neil Magny ends Craig White's UFC debut with 1st-round TKO
Neil Magny halted Craig White's hype train, winning with a first-round TKO in the main event of UFC Liverpool on Sunday. White (14-8), the England native who was making his promotion debut, took the fight on less than two weeks' notice after coming over from Cage Warriors riding a four-bout winning streak. Magny (21-6) has now won two straight fights and said he'll donate $15,000 of his purse from Sunday to 1-year-old Presley Mae, who has been diagnosed with a rare genetic disease.
MMA community disagrees with judges' decision to give Till win
Darren Till and the Liverpool crowd may have been the only ones happy with the result of Sunday's main event as he was awarded a unanimous decision win over Stephen Thompson in a bout void of much action. Fighters, fans, and members of the MMA media did not wait long after the result to blast the judges and Till for the decision with the FOX Sports panel labeling the win a robbery immediately after the card.
White raves about ESPN deal, admits 'TUF' could be on last season
While full details of the UFC's new exclusive broadcast deal with ESPN are still slipping out to the public, Dana White knows enough to be ecstatic. The UFC president is bothered by media and fans trying to gauge if the deal is favorable for the promotion, broadcaster, and/or fanbase. In his mind, the money is all you need to know to make a judgment. "That's what the idiots are always going to do. 'Is it good, is it bad?'" White told MMAjunkie on Saturday.
Report: Nick Diaz arrested for domestic battery in Vegas
Nick Diaz was charged with felony domestic battery by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic battery for an alleged domestic violence incident Thursday evening, MMAjunkie's Simon Samano and Steven Marrocco reports. A man in police custody was identified as Nickolas R. Diaz, and a person within the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that the 34-year-old male was indeed the UFC fighter. Diaz has been out of competition since January 2015.
Bellator 200 results: 'Geordie Shore' star Chalmers' debut doesn't last long
Spoiler alert: Bellator 200 takes place at The SSE Arena in London, England on Friday, May 25, but will be televised in North America via tape delay starting at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount Network. If you do not wish to know the results of the event before it airs, do not scroll any further. Aaron Chalmers is more than just a reality TV personality.
Bellator 200 preview: Coker falls short with marquee event
You can't help but wonder why Bellator would bother to count its events if it isn't going to make the big numbers count. For the Scott Coker-led promotion, the 200th event won't feel much different from all those before it. Maybe the oddest decision surrounding Bellator 200 is that the card won't be a live show for the North American audience.
Rockhold injured in training, move to LHW pushed back
Luke Rockhold's move up to light heavyweight doesn't look like it will be taking place anytime soon as the former UFC middleweight champ injured his leg in training last week and needed some surgery to patch things up. Dana White has said a light heavyweight fight between Rockhold and Alexander Gustaffson was being targeted for the UFC 227 card on Aug. 4 in Los Angeles. Rockhold says he hopes to return in October as a best-case scenario.
Liddell's coach disagrees with decision to return, but open to cornering
John Hackleman, the longtime head coach of Chuck Liddell, was as shocked as the rest of the MMA world when he heard his pupil wanted to return to the cage after an eight-year layoff. Hackleman told Ariel Helwani on "The MMA Hour" that Liddell didn't tell him ahead of time before announcing his intention to come back because "The Iceman" knew he wouldn't be in favor of it. "He's been throwing it out there, but he knows how I feel about it so we don't talk about it.
Cyborg wants winner of Holm-Anderson, then Nunes, then boxing
Cris Cyborg just has it all figured out right now. The women's featherweight champion has been on a tear in her UFC career since winning the 145-lb belt and dominating the division that was essentially created for her. After waiting in MMA limbo from 2013-16 to see if the UFC would have a place for her, the 32-year-old now has a pretty clear plan for her immediate future.
Nate Diaz open to return soon, but 'nobody interests me right now'
Nate Diaz might be the most coveted opponent in the UFC right now who doesn't have a belt or isn't named Conor McGregor, but the Stockton southpaw isn't going to return to the Octagon for just anyone. Diaz has recently been called out by top lightweights Kevin Lee and Eddie Alvarez after teasing a bout with Tyron Woodley late last year. The UFC is reportedly targeting a Diaz return in August in Los Angeles, but he doesn't seem ready to settle.
Pennington agrees with coach's call to remain in Nunes fight
Many believed Raquel Pennington's coaches made the wrong decision by sending her out for the fifth round of a main event fight against Amanda Nunes on Saturday after she said "I'm done." Pennington, however, was not among those people. "I'm proud of my coaches ... You never know what's happening in that moment," Pennington said on "The MMA Hour" on Monday. "I agreed with my coaches as soon as the fight was done.
Dern blames brutal weight miss on bad dieting
Mackenzie Dern couldn't have been surprised about being asked why she missed weight for UFC 224 after going over by seven pounds. Weighing in almost at the next weight class up, Dern's second win in the UFC wasn't nearly as impressive as it could have been, finishing Amanda Cooper at 2:27 of the first round. Dern has now missed weight in three of her seven MMA bouts and blamed her latest flub on a bad diet.
Belfort announces retirement after loss to Machida in Rio
Brazilian MMA legend Vitor Belfort called it a career in front of fans and left his gloves in the Octagon in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night following a loss to countryman Lyoto Machida via first-round knockout at UFC 224.Belfort, 41, is a former UFC light heavyweight champion and middleweight contender who retires with a 26-14 (1 no contest) record. From all of the UFC and all of our fans, thank you @VitorBelfort for a lifetime of memories.
Brazilian fighters go 5-3 in Rio on UFC 224 prelims
The UFC's return to Rio de Janeiro on Saturday night opened with eight preliminary bouts, each featuring a Brazilian fighter on one side of the cage and a fighter not from the card's host country standing across the Octagon.
Nick Diaz claims he was 'poisoned' before GSP fight
The Diaz brothers want nothing to do with Georges St-Pierre. After Nate Diaz accused the Montreal native of using steroids when he fought his brother in 2013 and shot down rumors he'd fight St-Pierre, the elder Diaz, Nick, also questioned the circumstances surrounding UFC 158. Related - Nate Diaz shuts down talk of fight with GSP: UFC selling 'wolf tickets' "They poisoned my IV with some kinda weird-ass drug that put me to sleep," Diaz told TMZ Sports. "I've had 37 fights, fighter for 17 years.
Nate Diaz shuts down talk of fight with GSP: UFC selling 'wolf tickets'
Nate Diaz disagreeing with Dana White is nothing new, and the Stockton southpaw was back at it again Friday in response to the UFC president saying a fight between Diaz and Georges St-Pierre has been targeted for August. Diaz took to social media to dismiss the rumored fight and accuse St-Pierre of using steroids when taking on his brother Nick in March 2013 at UFC 158 in Montreal.
GSP opens as favorite to beat Nate Diaz in potential bout
Unsurprisingly, the Hall of Famer who has held belts in both the welterweight and middleweight division is a heavy favorite to beat the natural lightweight, who is 0-1 in career title shots. Georges St-Pierre and Nate Diaz sounds like an intriguing matchup, but the oddsmakers are not counting on a close fight. St-Pierre opened as a 2-1 favorite (-200) over Diaz - an 8-5 underdog (+160) - on online sportsbook Bovada, which stipulates the fight would have to happen before the end of 2018.
Dana White: Leslie Smith's labor complaint 'not my problem'
Dana White says he's far beyond handling legal affairs like Leslie Smith's recent complaint to the National Labor Relations Board. The UFC president acknowledged that recently bought-out bantamweight Leslie Smith has filed a complaint, but that appears to be all he knows about the potential company-altering case. "Apparently, she did (file a complaint)," White said on the "UFC Unfiltered" podcast earlier this week. "I don't know that much about this to talk about it.
Finding fits for 7 top free agents who waited out the draft
Though the draft is over, teams are still looking to improve their rosters. For the free agents who haven't signed yet, the list of landing spots has shrunk from what it was in March, but situations across the league have also become much clearer. Here are the top seven free agents still out there and the clubs that should give them a ring now that the draft has concluded.
Bellator trying to book Wanderlei Silva vs. 'Rampage' Jackson 4
With the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament already underway, president Scott Coker isn't nearly finished booking MMA legends against one another. Coker confirmed Thursday that Bellator has been trying to book another rematch between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Wanderlei Silva, according to MMA Fighting's Marc Raimondi. "That's something that we're talking to 'Rampage' about and talking to Wanderlei about," Coker said.
Cyborg eyeing future crossover fight with boxing champ Braekhus
The combat sports world stood still last summer as MMA and boxing came together for the Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. blockbuster bout, and two of the game's female champions want to keep the trend going. During her 22nd successful title defense Saturday night, undisputed women's welterweight boxing champion Cecelia Braekhus had a special supporter in the crowd in UFC featherweight champ Cris Cyborg. Wearing a "Cyborg vs.
Wentz calls knee injury 'freak incident,' but plans to tweak aggressive style
It's hard to deny that the aggressive style of Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz played a role in his ACL and LCL tears last season. With that in mind, the third-year pro recognizes he'll need to make some better decisions on the field, but doesn't want the injury to completely alter his game. "I think there is always things I can learn from - 'OK, maybe I shouldn't have been so aggressive there,'" Wentz said Wednesday, according to ESPN's Tim McManus.
Report: Broncos not expected to pick up Shane Ray's 5th-year option
Maybe there is such a thing as having too many pass-rushers. After drafting edge rusher Bradley Chubb at No. 5 overall last week, the Denver Broncos are not expected to exercise their fifth-year option on linebacker Shane Ray, a team personnel source told Mike Klis of 9News. The option would make Ray's 2019 cap hit $9.232 million. He was selected 23rd overall in 2015, and recorded just one sack over eight games in 2017. The 24-year-old underwent his third wrist surgery in December.
Jedrzejczyk to face Torres at UFC Calgary
Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Tecia Torres will fight in a strawweight matchup when the UFC returns to Calgary on July 28, president Dana White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto. The bout will be the first non-title fight for Jedrzejczyk (14-2) since December 2014 when she defeated Claudia Gadelha by split decision. The former strawweight champ is coming off back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas, the only defeats of her career.
Report: Junior dos Santos to return from ban vs. Ivanov at UFC Boise
For the first time since losing his shot at the heavyweight title, Junior dos Santos will be back in the Octagon in July. The former titleholder, who served a reduced six-month suspension from the USADA, will face former World Series of Fighting champion Blagoy Ivanov in the main event of UFC Boise on July 14, reports ESPN's Brett Okamoto. Dos Santos (18-5) was flagged by the USADA last August for a banned substance after providing the testers with the legal supplements he had been taking.
Best of the rest: Top remaining prospects after Round 1 of NFL draft
The first round of the 2018 NFL Draft is in the books with 32 players off the board so far. With six more rounds to go and over 200 players still to be drafted, there are plenty of talented prospects available.
Jerry Jones: Cowboys don't expect to find 'pure' replacement for Bryant
Just over a week after the Dallas Cowboys released Dez Bryant, team owner Jerry Jones made it very clear that the wide receiver's time with the team is over, regardless of the contract he might be willing to accept at a reduced price. Jones told the media on Tuesday that the Cowboys "need to move on knowing that we don't have Dez," and that he doesn't expect anyone to step in and take over the veteran's former role next season.
Shaquem Griffin: I'm more than 'just a feel-good story'
One of the best stories in the lead-up to this year's draft has been the rise of UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin, who has made headlines as a congenital amputee. While Griffin is happy to inspire others with physical disabilities wanting to compete in sports, he doesn't want NFL teams viewing him as someone with just an inspiring story to tell. "I'm definitely not just a feel-good story,'' Griffin told Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. "A feel-good story doesn't make it this far.
Edgar gets back in win column with unanimous decision over Swanson
After losing via knockout on March 3, veteran featherweight Frankie Edgar got a much-needed confidence boost Saturday night, defeating Cub Swanson via unanimous decision at UFC Atlantic City. It was the second time Edgar (23-6-1) defeated Swanson (25-9) after earning a dominant submission win over him in 2014. This fight wasn't as entertaining as the first, but considering the fast turnaround, the 36-year-old's victory was impressive.
Alvarez says Nurmagomedov just wants to fight 'wounded gazelles'
Eddie Alvarez was cageside Saturday night in Atlantic City to hear another lightweight contender Kevin Lee call for his title shot against Khabib Nurmagomedov. It was the second week in a row that the winner of the card's main event called for a championship matchup in one of the UFC's best divisions.
2018 NFL Draft: Top 50 big board
The 2018 NFL Draft begins in less than a week with Round 1 kicking off Thursday night.
Simon earns controversial TKO win over Dvalishvili with late choke
Ricky Simon won his UFC debut in strange fashion Saturday night in Atlantic City. After appearing to lose the first two rounds to Merab Dvalishvili, the young bantamweight locked in a guillotine choke in the final minute of the third round. Dvalishvili appeared to lose consciousness momentarily but managed to keep his legs churning to show he was still awake and refused to tap out before the round ended.
Report: Brady, Gronk part of group still upset by Butler's Super Bowl benching
Along with potentially costing the New England Patriots the Lombardi Trophy, Bill Belichick's decision to keep cornerback Malcolm Butler off the field during Super Bowl LII seems to have created tension within the locker room. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are among a group of Patriots players still upset with Belichick over the unexplained benching of Butler, a source told Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio.
Branch, Bahadurzada headline UFC Atlantic City bonuses
Middleweight David Branch and welterweight Siyar Bahadurzada landed Performance of the Night bonuses went to for their knockout wins at UFC Atlantic City on Saturday night. On a card that saw an unusual amount of one-sided tilts, a controversial bout between Merab Dvalishvili and Ricky Simon took the Fight of the Night bonus.
Matchmaker: Finding the perfect prospect for every NFC team
Speculation is ramping up with the 2018 NFL Draft only a week away. While every team brings a different strategy to the table, the perfect scenario is to land the best player available while also plugging a conspicuous roster hole. Let's play matchmaker for the NFC with one ideal pick for each club. The Cardinals have too many areas of need and too many quarterbacks on the roster to reach for a passer in Round 1.
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