Connect with us

Sports

UFC 324 picks: Why MMA experts are backing Gaethje against Pimblett

Published

on

UFC 324 picks: Why MMA experts are backing Gaethje against Pimblett


UFC action returns this weekend as the promotion hosts UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. A matchup between lightweight fan favorites will headline the first UFC fight card since Dec. 13, as Justin Gaethje takes on Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight championship.

Gaethje, a former title challenger, enters the fight having won three of his past four contests. He beat Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision in his last Octagon appearance. Gaethje is No. 5 in ESPN’s divisional rankings. Pimblett, ESPN’s No. 7-ranked lightweight, is undefeated in the UFC. His last win was a third-round knockout of Michael Chandler.

A panel of four former fighters, trainers and analysts offer their picks and insight for the UFC 324 main event.


Lightweight interim title fight

Expert takes

Paddy tends to keep his chin in the air, and he lacks discipline. Against a technical fighter like Gaethje, who drops his head and throws punches over the top, 25 minutes is a long time for Paddy to maintain distance and not get hit by a big shot. Paddy does have ways to win, including landing a submission, but there’s no way he’s taking Justin down. Paddy is decently fast and uses his length well, but he can’t match Gaethje’s power. I lean Gaethje. Dustin Poirier


I’ll take Gaethje, but I’m not super confident. Ultimately, Gaethje will be too hard to take down, and Paddy needs the legitimate threat of a takedown to win. When Justin doesn’t want to be taken down, he doesn’t get taken down. Paddy is really hittable, and Gaethje is not the guy you want standing across from you if you’re hittable. Gaethje has proven he rises to the occasion. He really impressed me in his last fight against Fiziev. After losing the first round, Gaethje went to his jab and his fundamentals to get the win. If this were four years ago, I’d pick Gaethje without a doubt. He’s got a lot of miles on him now, but I’m still going with Gaethje. Anthony Smith


Justin’s style is a bad matchup for Pimblett. Everybody is thinking Pimblett will submit him, but who has taken Justin down and submitted him other than Khabib Nurmagomedov? Pimblett won’t be able to take him down without taking punishment. Pimblett walks in with his head up high, and Justin is so good at punching over the top. If Justin has his way, he could make it look easy. He has turned the corner in terms of fighting smart, and his coach, Trevor Wittman, is a scientist. Those two are going to have answers for the entire fight. — Din Thomas


Which game plan will Paddy take? If he goes with his usual plan — grappling — that will favor Gaethje significantly. Gaethje is a former NCAA Division I wrestler. He’s difficult to hold down, and his scrambling ability is underrated. If Paddy tries to grapple, Gaethje will use his wrestling and scrambling to land those short, powerful uppercuts on the inside. The way he fights in the clinch is poetic. Now, if Paddy chooses to strike, use his long jab and teep kicks, he could win a five-round decision. Michael Chiesa



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

LeBron James hypes up Caitlin Clark as she gears up for third Fever season

Published

on

LeBron James hypes up Caitlin Clark as she gears up for third Fever season


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever’s opening game is only days away from tipping off and the superstar WNBA player received a message from LeBron James.

The Lakers star hyped up Clark after she posted a message on Instagram, “Year 3!!! See you all soon.”

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark stands on the court before the game against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

“LFG!!!!!!!!” James in the comments section of the post.

James appeared to be a big fan of Clark as he posted about the Fever sharpshooter before the beginning of her second season in the WNBA.

“Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!!”

Year 2 didn’t exactly work out for Clark. She started off the season hot, finishing in double figures in scoring in eight straight games before she was held to just six points in 31 minutes against the Seattle Storm.

Clark reached at least 12 points in the final three games she appeared in. On July 15, Clark suffered a hamstring injury before the All-Star break and she wouldn’t return to the floor for the rest of the year.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers during an inbounds play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers compete during an inbounds play in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

She said last month she was “100% healthy” going into the 2026 season.

“I’m a person that doesn’t want to sit out a single rep, like I want to be in there every single time,” Clark told reporters in April. “But I think just being a little bit smarter with my body…whether that’s recovery, whether that’s pre-court treatment, whatever it is.”

She proved it as much so far during the preseason.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shooting a basketball during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots the ball in the second half against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

The Fever will begin the season on Saturday against the Dallas Wings.



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

2025-26 NBA Odds: Thunder, Knicks Favored to Meet in Finals

Published

on

2025-26 NBA Odds: Thunder, Knicks Favored to Meet in Finals


NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

The most likely NBA Finals matchup this season? The defending champs and a team that hasn’t seen the Finals in nearly three decades.

Let’s check out the odds for which squads will advance to the NBA Finals as of May 5 at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

NBA Eastern Conference winner

Knicks: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Pistons: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Cavaliers: +340 (bet $10 to win $44 total)
76ers: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)

NBA Western Conference winner

Thunder: -260 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Spurs: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Wolves: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Lakers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)

Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:

Finals Favorites: The Thunder won it all last season, and the season before that, the Celtics reached the top of the mountain. So, entering the postseason, the two squads were favored to meet in a seven-game series with the title on the line, meaning one of the two franchises could have been approaching dynasty territory if the odds had rung true. However, the Celtics suffered a shocking first-round defeat at the hands of the Sixers, despite leading the series 3-1. Now, Boston is at home, while the Thunder will face the Lakers after sweeping the Suns in Round 1. The new favorite to come out the East? The New York Knicks, who haven’t been to the Finals since falling 4-1 to San Antonio at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season. N.Y. beat Atlanta in six games in the first round and is up 1-0 on Philly in the second round.

The Challengers: The Spurs are next in the mix from the West. Keep in mind, San Antonio and OKC faced off five times this season, and the Spurs won four of those matchups, including the first three. In terms of the East, after New York, things are up in the air, with the Pistons, Cavs and Sixers all in the mix. Detroit, after being one of three teams to win 60 games in the regular season and the only East team to accomplish the feat, has not been getting much respect on the oddsboards, including this one. However, it could have something to do with the Pistons trailing 3-1 to Orlando in the first round, and having to overcome a 60-38 halftime deficit in Game 6 in order to force a Game 7, which they ultimately won.



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

PCB tightens grip on PSL stakeholders | The Express Tribune

Published

on

PCB tightens grip on PSL stakeholders | The Express Tribune



KARACHI:

Clear your dues or face termination of contracts” the Pakistan Cricket Board has launched a recovery campaign against defaulters. Notices have been issued to all concerned parties, directing them to make payments within the stipulated deadline.

According to details, the 11th edition of the PSL has now concluded, and the PCB had already begun its recovery drive during the tournament. Sources revealed that billions of rupees are currently outstanding from various stakeholders. After repeated reminders failed, officials adopted a stricter stance.

Recently, notices were sent to several entities, including early PSL franchises, clearly stating that contracts would be terminated if payments were not made by April 29. Following this, several franchises cleared their full dues.

When officials were questioned about the unpaid PKR 400 million owed to each franchise, they responded that payment of franchise fees is mandatory under the agreement. They added:
“How can we pay you until we receive payments from other stakeholders?”

In the past, the practice was that after partial payment of fees, the remaining amount would be adjusted from the central revenue pool. However, a different approach has been adopted this time.

For the 10th PSL edition, each franchise was supposed to receive PKR 975 million (97.5 crore) as its share. However, a key stakeholder owes the PCB PKR 4.7 billion, a major portion of which is related to the PSL. This stakeholder has been avoiding payment, citing financial losses, preventing the finalization of accounts.

Due to this issue, the PCB did not allow two TV channels to participate in bidding for the current edition’s media rights. However, surprisingly, the new company that acquired the broadcasting rights permitted those same channels to air the matches.

Learning from past experience, the PCB has now secured a bank guarantee from the new media rights holder, which can be cashed in case of non-payment.

Meanwhile, sources stated that both new teams and the new owner of Multan Sultans had already paid their full franchise fees in advance. Since this is their first year, they are not entitled to any share from previous central revenue pools.

Owners who purchased teams at high prices had already been assured a minimum of PKR 850 million (85 crore) annually from the central pool for the first five years. However, the final amount will only be determined once the accounts are fully settled.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending