Professional Sports
UFC 316 first look
Apr 2, 2025, 04:19 PM ET Open Extended Reactions The UFC announced Tuesday that two of the most-anticipated fights of the summer will land on the same card, as men’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and former title holder Sean O’Malley will stage a rematch of their UFC 306 showdown and women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña […]

The UFC announced Tuesday that two of the most-anticipated fights of the summer will land on the same card, as men’s bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili and former title holder Sean O’Malley will stage a rematch of their UFC 306 showdown and women’s bantamweight champion Julianna Peña puts her belt on the line against former two-time PFL champ Kayla Harrison at UFC 316 on June 7 (10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV, with prelims at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+).
While there are many questions ahead of the upcoming fight card, two stand out more than the rest. ESPN MMA contributor Jeff Wagenheim breaks down O’Malley’s chances and the rematch and details which title contender faces the most pressure. And ESPN betting analyst Ian Parker provides early best bets on both fights.
Should we expect a O’Malley-Dvalishvili rematch to go any differently than the first fight?
Marlon Vera with 358 strikes, landing 232. Against Dvalishvili, he landed 49-of-91. O’Malley attempted more strikes than that in one round against “Chito” and nearly matched that output in two other rounds. Where was that guy?
Dvalishvili is the UFC’s all-time leader in takedowns with 92. But when he gets opponents to the canvas, they tend to get back up. O’Malley has to plan on that. Dvalishvili landed six takedowns against him and amassed 10 minutes, 3 seconds of control time in their first fight. But that means O’Malley was not being controlled for more than half the fight. This time, O’Malley has to take advantage of his standup time by letting his hands go.
Of course, Dvalishvili’s greatest weapon is not his takedown prowess — his success rate is a pedestrian 35% — but rather his relentless pursuit of takedowns, which saps the energy and fighting spirit out of an opponent. He made O’Malley defend 15 attempts, and that was a low output for him. Dvalishvili attempted 30 takedowns against Umar Nurmagomedov in January and 49 (not a typo) against Petr Yan two years ago. If O’Malley trains with that in mind, he can develop a strategy to conserve energy for offensive opportunities on his feet. He has to fight a “Suga Sean” fight.
Which fighter vying for a championship belt at UFC 316 has the most to prove?
proclaiming herself “the queen of women’s MMA” in 2022. Now she is in position for a UFC coronation.
Harrison will enter the cage carrying massive expectations. Not only can she become a champion, she can stake her place as the biggest star in the women’s game. The ESPN BET oddsmakers have yet to weigh in, but Harrison is likely to be a massive betting favorite over Peña, a rarity for a title challenger.
What has Harrison done to warrant such confidence? She mauled all of her PFL competition other than Larissa Pacheco, then arrived in the UFC amid much fanfare. Her Octagon debut a year ago was an impressive submission of a big-name former champion, although Holly Holm was 42 years old at the time and the fight with Harrison was her UFC swan song. Harrison then beat Ketlen Vieira by decision in October, but the Brazilian was coming off 15 months of inactivity. Those results leave more work to be done.
Harrison’s other opponent is the scale. After previously fighting mostly at 155 pounds, she came to the UFC to compete in a division that is 20 pounds lighter. She has made weight for both of her dates in the Octagon, but that’s a massive cut. Can she continue to do that and compete at her best?
Weigh-in aside, this fight will be Harrison’s truest UFC test. Peña is a two-time champ who owns a win over the greatest fighter in the history of women’s MMA, Amanda Nunes. That is a name you can expect to come out of Harrison’s mouth if she captures the belt. She has long wanted to fight her longtime training partner, and if she beats Peña impressively enough to entice Nunes out of retirement, what a big victory that would be.
Parker’s early bets for UFC 316 title fights
Dvalishvili to win by decision. After seeing what Dvalishvili just did to Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 in January, it’s hard to picture this rematch going any other way. Unless O’Malley is able to tag Dvalishvili early in the fight and prevent him from recovering, I expect the champion to do what he does best: outpace and outwrestle his opponent the entire fight.
Harrison to win inside the distance. There is only one way to bet this fight: take Harrison to win inside the distance. Or, if we get lucky, win under 4.5 rounds. As resilient as Peña is, Harrison will be too strong for her. Once Harrison is in top position, she will take over and end the fight. Although Peña already pulled off one of the biggest upsets in UFC history over Nunes, that won’t happen here. Harrision will not gas out. She is an intelligent fighter who will have no issue dominating Peña.
Professional Sports
UFC 318 staff picks include a defeat in Dustin Poirier's final fight and more predictions
Dustin Poirier bids farewell to the octagon when he battles Max Holloway in his final ever MMA fight at UFC 318. “Diamond” is hanging up his gloves after UFC 318 at the end of an incredible 16-year career in MMA. In that time, Dustin Poirier became a fan-favorite to UFC fans and even won the […]

Dustin Poirier bids farewell to the octagon when he battles Max Holloway in his final ever MMA fight at UFC 318.
“Diamond” is hanging up his gloves after UFC 318 at the end of an incredible 16-year career in MMA.
In that time, Dustin Poirier became a fan-favorite to UFC fans and even won the Interim UFC Light championship in 2019 from his upcoming opponent.
This fight will be Poirier’s third bout against Max Holloway, where he will be hoping to make it 3-0 at the top of a packed card at UFC 318.
However, Holloway is a different fighter from their earlier bouts and is now considered one of the greatest Featherweights in UFC history. He will want to finally get a win over Poirier in what will be a tense and emotional main event.
Ahead of UFC 318, the experts at Bloody Elbow have made their staff picks for the two main event fights, as well as the Performance of the Night and the Fight of the Night.

Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier 3 prediction
- Jamie Theodosi – Max Holloway
- Donagh Corby – Max Holloway
- Jordan Ellis – Max Holloway
- Ross Markey – Max Holloway
While it would be a fantastic story to see Poirier going out with a win, the Bloody Elbow experts have unanimously predicted that Holloway will leave UFC 318 with the win.
Poirier hasn’t fought since losing to Islam Makhachev in June last year, as he missed out on the chance to become the UFC Lightweight champion proper.
“Diamond” has had a mixed record in the last few years, losing three of his last five fights since winning back-to-back bouts against Conor McGregor, in what were some of Poirier’s best performances to date.
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This poor record at the end of his career hints that Holloway will win the fight against Poirier, at the third time of asking.
The Hawaiian fighter was on a three-strike win streak before being knocked out by Ilia Topuria, although it is hard to hold that loss against him, given how dominant Topuria has been since.
This should be a close fight between two icons of the UFC, but it is hard to look past Holloway when picking the winner in Poirier’s swansong.
Paulo Costa vs Roman Kopylov prediction
- Jamie Theodosi – Paulo Costa
- Donagh Corby – Paulo Costa
- Jordan Ellis – Roman Kopylov
- Ross Markey – Paulo Costa
The co-main event of UFC 318 has been moved around a lot before finding its home just before Poirier’s final fight.
Paulo Costa vs Roman Kopylov was supposed to take place at UFC 317 before being moved to UFC 319, then back to this show on July 19.
Jordan is backing Kopylov to win the bout after picking up back-to-back wins in his last fights, while Costa is still licking his wounds after his UFC 302 loss to Sean Strickland.
Despite his record of four losses in his past five fights, Jamie, Donagh, and Ross are all predicting Costa to end his poor form to beat Kopylov in the fight, turning the tables on the Russian and ending his own good form in the process.
Fight of the Night
- Jamie Theodosi – Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier
- Donagh Corby – Dan Ige vs Patricio Pitbull
- Jordan Ellis – Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier
- Ross Markey – Max Holloway vs Dustin Poirier
The main event is expected to be the best Fight of the Night at UFC 318, with Jamie, Jordan, and Ross all predicting it to win that night’s bonus.
Their previous two matches both impressed, and this being Poirier’s last fight, he will want to go all out to put on the best performance he can, even if he doesn’t walk out the winner.
However, Donagh thinks that the undercard bout between Dan Ige and Patricio Pitbull will win the Fight of the Night bonus.
Pitbull suffered defeat in his UFC debut, and time is running out to make himself a fixture in the promotion.
He will need to be at his best to take on Ige, who will hope to build on his KO win at UFC 314 to catapult himself towards a title shot, at the Brazilian’s expense.
Performance of the Night
- Jamie Theodosi -Daniel Zellhuber
- Donagh Corby – Daniel Rodriguez
- Jordan Ellis – Dan Ige
- Ross Markey – Dan Ige
The experts have three different picks for who will win the coveted Performance of the Night bonus at UFC 318.
Jamie is predicting Daniel Zellhuber to earn the Performance of the Night bonus when he takes on Michael Johnson.
The Mexican fighter is 3-2 in his UFC career so far, and he will hope to build some momentum against a fighter who handily beat his last two opponents to end a poor run of results.
Meanwhile, Donagh is backing Daniel Rodriguez to earn a $50,000 bonus at UFC 318. He is fighting the impressive Kevin Holland, who is deadly in the octagon but is susceptible when facing a top fighter, as Rodriguez hopes to be.
“D-Rod” has a history in boxing and is deadly with his hands in the UFC, so he will be aiming for a knockout win against Holland at UFC 318.
Finally, both Ellis and Ross think that Ige will have too much for Pitbull on July 19 and will put away the Bellator legend, potentially for good, in his second UFC fight.
College Sports
Kentucky recruiting update on Tay Kinney and Jordan Smith
The Kentucky basketball staff continues to lay the groundwork for its 2026 recruiting class, with 5-star guards Jordan Smith Jr. and Tay Kinney among their top targets. Smith, a dynamic scorer and elite perimeter defender, was planning to wait until next spring to commit, due to the uncertainty created by the transfer portal. However, he […]


The Kentucky basketball staff continues to lay the groundwork for its 2026 recruiting class, with 5-star guards Jordan Smith Jr. and Tay Kinney among their top targets.
Smith, a dynamic scorer and elite perimeter defender, was planning to wait until next spring to commit, due to the uncertainty created by the transfer portal.
However, he recently told Joe Tipton of On3 and Rivals his timeline is now “up in the air.” That news opens the door for Mark Pope and the Wildcats to stay aggressive in their pursuit.
Smith doesn’t have any official visits set yet, according to Tipton, but Kentucky is one of the seven schools he hopes to visit, along with Arkansas, Duke, Louisville, Syracuse, Indiana, and Georgetown.
While Tipton believes Arkansas and Duke are early favorites, Pope’s fast-paced, NBA-style offense and Kentucky’s tradition of sending guards to the league continue to resonate with top talent.
Meanwhile, Pope and his staff are also keeping a close eye on Kinney, a top-15 point guard who’s drawing serious attention across the country. Louisville is thought to be in a strong position, and while the Wildcats remain in the mix, another SEC school could be surging ahead.
Kinney recently scheduled an official visit to Arkansas, who is becoming a significant player in this recruitment, according to Tipton.
“I really think Arkansas is shaping up to be a serious contender,” Tipton wrote.
Texas, Oregon, Indiana, and Purdue are also involved.
Both Smith and Kinney would fit seamlessly into Pope’s offensive system, with their versatility and high motors. As Kentucky reshapes its identity under Pope, securing a dynamic backcourt duo in the 2026 class could be pivotal to building a future national title contender.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more Kentucky Wildcats news and views!! Go CATS!!!
College Sports
Five of the best sports documentaries of all time (and where to watch them)
Here is a collection of the most exciting, nail-biting, emotional documentaries you’ll ever see. Advertorial by Bestbettingsiteoffers The great thing about sports documentaries is that they can cover a huge, HUGE amount of events. Obviously, the stuff that immediately comes to mind are the huge sporting events from around the world, but if you think […]

Here is a collection of the most exciting, nail-biting, emotional documentaries you’ll ever see.
Advertorial by Bestbettingsiteoffers
The great thing about sports documentaries is that they can cover a huge, HUGE amount of events. Obviously, the stuff that immediately comes to mind are the huge sporting events from around the world, but if you think smaller, think more niche, there is very likely a fantastic documentary dealing with that event too.
Fascinated by deep-sea diving? A must-watch for you is The Deepest Breath. A lover of e-sports? Then you have to check out The King Of Kong. Looking for something completely left field but still super competitive? Spellbound is the one for you, set in the world of spelling bees.
Sports fans tend to follow more than just the games—news, stats, even things like betting offers often come up in the mix. These documentaries tap into that same wide interest, showing how deep the love for competition can go.
See what we mean? There is quite literally something for everyone. Whittling down that list to five of the best is tough, but these picks are tremendous, and some of the best movies ever made, not just under the banner of sports documentaries.
So on with our five picks, and where to watch them* right now:
Free Solo – Disney+
From the description alone, you would be forgiven for thinking this isn’t going to be THAT interesting a watch, as the documentary profiles rock climber Alex Honnold on his quest to perform the first-ever free solo climb of a route on El Capitan, a vertical rock formation found in Yosemite National Park in California. So you’ll have to trust us when we tell you this is one of the most edge-of-your-seat movies you’ll ever see, and it proved to be so impressive that it went on to win the Best Documentary Oscar back in 2019.
Murderball – rent on Apple TV
This documentary focuses on the intense rivalry between the American and Canadian wheelchair rugby teams in the run-up to the 2004 Paralympic Games taking place in Athens, Greece. We get to know the players and their families, who all talk openly and frankly about their injuries, personal lives, and the love of the game that has them all vying for the gold. This movie was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2006 Oscars, but lost out to March of the Penguins.
Icarus – Netflix
Some of the best documentaries are those that begin filming with something specific in mind – in this case, director Bryan Fogel wanted to expose the inadequacy of the procedures to catch athletes using performance-enhancing substances – but become something else over the course of the movie being made – here, the World Anti-Doping Agency’s investigation of doping in Russia led to the head of the Moscow Anti-Doping Laboratory to flee his country and become a whistleblower. Icarus went on to win the 2018 Best Documentary Feature Oscar.
Senna – Netflix
Arguably one of the best and most impactful documentaries not to even be nominated for an Oscar, this film tells the story of much-loved Brazilian motor-racing champion Ayrton Senna. Directed by Asif Kapadia (who went on to win an Oscar in 2016 for his Amy Winehouse documentary), it tells us about Senna’s life, death, and intimate rivalry with fellow driver Alain Prost through archival race footage and home video recorded by Senna’s friends and family.
When We Were Kings – Sky/NOW
Another Best Documentary Picture winner, focusing on the night of The Rumble in the Jungle in 1974. Betting offers on underdog Muhammad Ali were 4-1 against the then-unbeaten, heavy-hitting George Forman. It took director Leon Gast over 22 years to edit and finance before it could be released in 2006, when it was met with immediate critical acclaim, and the movie is still considered to be one of the best sports documentaries ever made.
*Information correct for readers in the UK and Ireland at the time of writing
Advertorial by Bestbettingsiteoffers
College Sports
Timmins athlete wins gold at provincials – TimminsToday.com
TIMMINS – Athlete Chris Exel is a man of his word. Ahead of the Special Olympics Provincial Summer Games, the 25-year-old said he wanted to bring gold medals back to the City with a Heart of Gold. He’s returning home with two golds and a bronze medal. SEE: ‘Gotta bring back the gold’: Timmins athlete competing […]


TIMMINS – Athlete Chris Exel is a man of his word.
Ahead of the Special Olympics Provincial Summer Games, the 25-year-old said he wanted to bring gold medals back to the City with a Heart of Gold. He’s returning home with two golds and a bronze medal.
SEE: ‘Gotta bring back the gold’: Timmins athlete competing at provincials
In soccer, the Timmins team also won the silver medal in their division.
Exel won first in the 50-metre race with a time of 7.91 seconds, and in shot put, his gold-medal winning throw was 8.53 metres. He took bronze in javelin, where he threw 16.78 metres.
This was the first time 25-year-old Exel competed at the provincial games, which were held July 10-13 in Brantford. The Special Olympics committee will let the athletes who are moving on to the 2026 nationals know later this year.
As for the next provincial games, those will be a little closer to home for Timmins athletes next time, with the event being held in North Bay.
Watch Exel’s gold-medal race below:
Professional Sports
UFC champion gives brutally honest opinion on the BMF title ahead of UFC 318 clash
Ever since the BMF title was introduced in the UFC, it has received both praise and criticism from fans and stars of the sport. This coming Saturday in the UFC 318 main event, the BMF title will be on the line for just the fourth time in UFC history when Max Holloway takes on Dustin […]

Ever since the BMF title was introduced in the UFC, it has received both praise and criticism from fans and stars of the sport.
This coming Saturday in the UFC 318 main event, the BMF title will be on the line for just the fourth time in UFC history when Max Holloway takes on Dustin Poirier.
Holloway won the controversial strap with one of the most incredible knockouts in UFC history when he face-planted Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 last year.
With a win over ‘The Diamond’, Holloway will become the first fighter to successfully defend the strap as both Justin Gaethje and Jorge Masvidal failed to defend it.

Tom Aspinall gives brutally honest opinion on the BMF title
Ever since the BMF title was introduced in the UFC in 2019 it has received its criticism from the MMA fanbase because of the fact that it isn’t truly considered a ‘real’ title.
However, it is not just the fans that are critical of the title as current UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has shared his brutally honest thoughts about the strap.
“Do you want my honest opinion (on the title)? I mean, it’s a title but it’s not a world championship so what are we doing?” Aspinall began to explain on UFC on TNT.
“These guys don’t need a title, they’re two legends of the sport, look at the name value, even look at the rankings, look at the amount of fights they’ve got, look at the shorts they’re wearing, we don’t really need a title on the line, to be honest,” Aspinall continued.
Despite his incredible career in the UFC, Poirier has never been an undisputed champion and that is one of the reasons why he is retiring now, knowing the likelihood of that is over.
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Max Holloway removed from rankings ahead of UFC 318
‘Blessed’ on the other hand had an incredible career at featherweight, prior to making his permanent move up to lightweight, and is one of the greatest in the division’s history.
And ahead of his UFC 318 BMF title defence at lightweight, Holloway found himself still ranked number one in the 145lb division which he claimed was ‘ridiculous’.
However, just days before his clash against Poirier in Louisiana, Holloway has been removed from the featherweight rankings after his pre-fight request.
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