Sports
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
Sports
Terrell Owens declares he ‘couldn’t care less’ about the Cowboys years after tumultuous exit
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Former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens spent three seasons of his 16-year Hall of Fame career with the Dallas Cowboys.
Although 16 seasons have passed since Owens played in the league, his time with the franchise famously dubbed “America’s Team” remains memorable. Owens first played for the Cowboys in 2006, before abruptly exiting after the 2008 campaign.
This week, Owens briefly revisited his time wearing “The Star” on his helmet, but he made it clear the team has not been at the front of his mind for quite some time. “I don’t concern myself with the Cowboys,” Owens told the Action Network.
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Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, on Nov. 27, 2008. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Owens then suggested the less-than-harmonious feelings are mutual, saying: “The Cowboys haven’t concerned themselves with me since I left there. That’s speaking of Jerry Jones or anybody really from that organization… The way things ended there with the Cowboys, I couldn’t care less. I have nothing to say about them.”
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Owens signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys in 2006 and was rewarded with a three-year contract extension in 2008. Around the time of his March 2009 release, reports suggested he had become a source of tension inside the Cowboys’ locker room.
He was cut roughly two months after Dallas finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs. Dallas struggled offensively at times that season, though Owens still totaled 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those were considered productive numbers by any standard, but they also marked his lowest totals in three seasons with the Cowboys.
Owens’ connection with then-offensive coordinator Jason Garrett also came under scrutiny during his stint with the team.

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett talks to Terrell Owens during a game against the San Francisco 49ers at Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas, on Nov. 23, 2008. (Getty Images)
Owens joined the Buffalo Bills after he parted ways with the Cowboys. Despite snapping his streak of three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons during his lone year in Western New York, Owens praised Buffalo, describing it as a rare NFL market that still embraces him years after he left.
“The Buffalo Bills have been very gracious in inviting me out and involving me in some of their community initiatives,” Owens said. “I went there for a couple of games and for Thurman Thomas’ jersey retirement.”

Former wide receiver Terrell Owens gestures to the crowd before the game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Dec. 6, 2021. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
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Owens appeared in 14 games with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010, marking his final NFL season. He was a five-time All-Pro selection and six-time Pro Bowler during his standout career.
He skipped the Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies in Canton, Ohio, in 2018, choosing instead to hold his own ceremony at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
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Sports
Former South Carolina QB Stephen Garcia changes his approach on mental health amid cancer battle
Former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia is currently battling for his life after being diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer.
The diagnosis came after noticing certain abnormalities, but the hard-nosed former athlete thought he could figure out the issues on his own without a visit to the doctors. His wife wasn’t comfortable with that plan from the quarterback, who used to take snaps for a Steve Spurrier-led offense led offense in Columbia.
Reluctantly, Garcia went in for a colonoscopy where doctors discovered the cancer, and that it had been growing for a number of years.
Unfortunately, Stephen wasn’t fully grasping the news when first given, due to him still being somewhat groggy from sedation.
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Stephen Garcia of the South Carolina Gamecocks looks to pass against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga., on Sept. 10, 2011. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
But, when it was finally explained to him how serious this situation was, reality set in pretty quickly.
Obviously, there’s nothing simple about hearing the word ‘cancer,’ no matter which stage or form you are dealing with. It will humble you quickly, with the grim outlook overtaking the mind.
And while this process to fight the disease will be tough, filled with many obstacles, Garcia was most worried about his family.
While his older son understands the magnitude, he has yet to fully inform his youngest daughter, which led to the former Gamecock shedding a few tears while discussing the situation with OutKick on Friday morning.
Former Gamecock has changed his tune amid battle with cancer
In the past, Stephen Garcia was not one to jump aboard the mental health awareness train, looking at it as someone who was not strong enough to handle the circumstances surrounding whatever battle they were facing.
But, that’s the football side of Garcia, and he was the first to admit that his mindset had changed because of the stigma surrounding people, most importantly men, not feeling comfortable enough to discuss their struggles.
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This problem has led to many downfalls, or problems that arise by not talking to others about what they are going through in the moments of trials and tribulations.
For Stephen, that has all changed.
“In years past, I thought mental health was an absolute joke, just to be completely frank with you,” Garcia told OutKick. “I was like, if you gotta have some mental toughness, I played for Coach Spurrier so I had to have some mental toughness to deal with him. But, I was also extremely hard headed. It is huge. There’s gonna be days when you’re not gonna walk to talk with anybody, days you wanna give up, you gotta stay mentally tough. This whole process has opened my eyes to a whole different deal.
“People can change. I was against the whole mental health thing, I thought it was stupid. But, it’s changed my opinion, my outlook on life in general, and I encourage everyone to speak it up. I’ve had so many people reach out to say if you need to talk, reach out to me. Everyone said the same thing that you have to be mentally in it. If you are positive mentally, you’re going to get through it. If you’re feeling down in the dumps, figure out a way to get positive. It’s no joke, you are where your minds at.”

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia throws a pass against Kentucky in the third quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Oct. 3, 2009. South Carolina defeated Kentucky 28-26. (Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports)
Outreach has been overwhelming, with a long battle ahead
After going through his first round of chemotherapy this week, Garcia is coming to terms with the battle he faces, though he’s keeping a positive outlook for the sake of himself and his family. He will continue training athletes, when his body allows, and using his platform to encourage others to take their health seriously.
If it weren’t for his wife pushing him into getting examined, who knows how long this could’ve gone before his cancer was noticed. In the meantime, the support system has been overwhelming, as Garcia described while choking back tears.
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Stephen Garcia of the South Carolina Gamecocks drops back to pass against the East Carolina Pirates at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 3, 2011. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Whether it’s the Clemson football team, or Dabo Swinney himself, and the thousands of people who have reached out over the past few days, it’s not lost on the former quarterback how much the support has meant for his own sanity during uncertain times.
For now, Stephen Garcia is taking his battle with cancer one day at a time. But, he’s also got college football fans rooting for him to beat this terrible disease.
Sports
NBA Draft prospect says he thought he was going to die from cramping caused by creatine
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Kansas star Darryn Peterson is set to likely be a top-five pick in this summer’s NBA Draft, but there was a time a few months ago he did not think that day would come.
Peterson missed 11 games this season and had his time cut short in several others due to a series of cramping issues, but the worst one came before the season even started.
Peterson told ESPN recently that in September, he was taken to a hospital from a practice with severe cramping throughout his entire body.
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Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson controls the ball against St. John’s Red Storm guard Oziyah Sellers in the second half of a second-round men’s NCAA Tournament game at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California, on March 22, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“I made it to the training room and just started begging them to call 911. They were trying to get a vein to get me the IV, get me back hydrated. But I was cramping so hard they couldn’t get a vein,” Peterson said.
“I thought I was going to die on the training table that day.”
After months of searching for answers, Peterson said that high doses of creatine resulted in the cramping.
Creatine, used to increase muscle size, is perhaps the most studied supplement on the market and has numerous benefits. But for Peterson, it prompted a scary situation.
“I’d never taken it before [going to college]. But after the season I took two weeks off and they did tests which showed my baseline level was already high. So, they said when I dosed, it must’ve made the levels unsafe,” he said.

Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson drives with the ball against Iowa State Cyclones forward Dominykas Pleta during the second half of the Big 12 basketball game on Feb. 14, 2026, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. (Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
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“It kind of put me in a tizzy because I didn’t know what was causing it. Nothing has ever been wrong with me before. Basketball is my life. What I love to do. But something was going on and I couldn’t figure it out.”
Peterson no longer takes creatine and has not had any issues since. He even played at least 30 minutes in eight of Kansas’ last nine games this past season.
Peterson’s lack of play, of course, drew criticism, but he did all he could to play.
“They saw I was in rehab every day before practice, after practice. Get massages. Trying all types of stuff. Carb loading because they thought I didn’t have glucose or something. Electrolytes. Liquid IV, LMNT. I changed my diet. I meal-prepped. Everything I could think of,” he said.

Kansas Jayhawks guard Darryn Peterson jogs back after making a three-pointer against Houston Cougars inside Allen Fieldhouse on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Head coach Bill Self even decided that playing off-ball would keep him from overexerting himself, which could potentially lead to more cramping.
Peterson averaged 20.2 points per game and is widely expected to be one of the first names off the board next month.
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