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Lil Pump knew what he was in for with Colby Covington.
In one of the most unexpected link-ups of the year, Lil Pump has been seen training with former UFC Welterweight Champion Covington (17-4) recently with viral videos of the two going head-to-head.
Breaking Down the Best UFC Fights This Weekend
Pump vs. Covington 1
Last month inside the cage, Pump tried to submit Covington with a guillotine (the only submission Covington has been caught with in his UFC career).
"IM 1-0 MMA WHO SHOULD I FIGHT NEXT ?" Pump wrote on Instagram.
Covington Chokes Out Lil Pump
"Coming for blood in the rematch," Covington replied in the comment section.
And that he did, as "Chaos" showed no mercy to Pump in another grappling session with Covington on the back of the rapper, sinking in a super tight rear-naked choke.
Many have criticized Covington, the former interim champ and three-time title challenger, for choking out the rapper but Pump has come to his defense.
"Just to be clear… I signed a waiver and told to try his best to choke me out even if I was tapping out (watch the start of the stream)," Pump wrote on Instagram. "Colby my f****** brother. I honestly wanted to feel what it was like to be put to sleep lol… mind u I was tapping myself."
Getting his hand raised by decision on most occasions, Covington, 36, hasn't won a fight by submission since tapping out Jonathan Meunier with a rear-naked choke back in 2016. Covington last fought for the welterweight title in his last appearance, falling short to then-champ Leon Edwards over the distance.
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TODAY'S BEST
Jayson Tatum Wanted To Leave The Boston Celtics Because Of One Player
Back in 2017, the Boston Celtics made two major moves that would define their future, though not in the way anyone expected. First, they used the No. 3 overall pick to draft Jayson Tatum, a polished scorer from Duke. Then, in free agency, they signed All-Star forward Gordon Hayward to a lucrative deal. At the time, Hayward was entering his prime and coming off an All-Star season with the Utah Jazz. Tatum was the rookie with promise, while Hayward was expected to be the go-to forward. But fate intervened, and everything changed on opening night. Years later, on FanDuel TV, Hayward opened up about the dynamic between him and Tatum. He acknowledged that Tatum felt like he might have to leave the Celtics because of him. “I think, like I said, I was coming off of, I was an All-Star, felt like I was at the brim of my career. Like, we played the same position." "Coach Stevens probably would have been drawing plays for me instead of drawing plays for JT or JB or whoever else me or Kyrie. And, you know, because I got hurt, now he's getting the ball, he's getting more opportunities, and that sometimes is all it takes.” Hayward suffered a devastating leg injury just five minutes into his Celtics debut, an injury so gruesome that it instantly changed the Celtics’ hierarchy. Jayson Tatum was thrust into the spotlight as a rookie and seized the opportunity, eventually helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals that same season. In short, Hayward admitted that if he hadn’t gotten hurt, Tatum wouldn’t have had the ball in his hands as often, or as soon. The offensive pecking order would’ve prioritized Hayward, a proven star with experience under Brad Stevens from their Butler days, over the unproven rookie. From Tatum’s perspective, that likely raised serious questions about his future. If the Celtics were building around Hayward, Kyrie Irving, and later Kemba Walker, where did Tatum fit in? It wasn’t personal, it was positional. Tatum and Hayward both operated as wings who needed touches and space to create. There’s only so much oxygen in an NBA offense, and Hayward being healthy might’ve delayed Tatum’s breakout. That tension, while never explosive, was quietly real. And according to Hayward’s comments, it was enough for Tatum to contemplate leaving Boston altogether early in his career. Thankfully for the Celtics, Hayward’s injury opened the door for Tatum, and Tatum never looked back. He’s now a six-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA First Team selection, and the face of the franchise. He helped lead Boston to an NBA championship and is widely viewed as one of the league’s top five players. Though he is currently recovering from an Achilles tear suffered during the playoffs, Tatum’s place as the Celtics’ cornerstone is unquestioned. Ironically, what once seemed like a roster logjam may have been the unexpected twist that launched a superstar’s rise.
Phillies Predicted to Strike Three-Team Trade with Yankees for Outfield Upgrade
The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be active ahead of the trade deadline, and one glaring need stands out above the rest: find a new center fielder. Philadelphia’s current outfield mix of Nick Castellanos, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler, and Johan Rojas has underwhelmed, sending the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, to the trade market to find an upgrade. While a long-term solution like Boston’s Jarren Duran or even a rental like Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins would be ideal, the Phillies may pivot toward a cheaper option. One name gaining traction is New York Yankees outfielder Trent Grisham, who CBS Sports’ Mike Axisa predicts the Phillies to acquire in a three-team trade at the deadline. "The Phillies badly need an outfielder. A center fielder, preferably," wrote Axisa. "The Yankees are rumored to be open to moving one of their three non-Aaron Judge outfielders (Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Jasson Domínguez) for a badly needed third baseman.” Axisa continues by explaining how a trade between the Phillies, Yankees, and Minnesota Twins could fulfill each team’s deadline needs. “The Phillies and Yankees don't match up well for an outfielder-for-third baseman trade, which is where the Twins come in. Rental Grisham for rental (Willi) Castro makes no sense for Minnesota. If they're selling, they won't want a rental. They'll want controllable young players, so a three-team trade in which Grisham goes to Philadelphia, Phillies prospects go to Minnesota, and Castro goes to the Yankees could be in the cards." Grisham is in the middle of a career year, already tying a personal best in home runs (17) and posting a career-high .833 OPS. For Philadelphia, acquiring the left-handed hitter would almost be perfect, outside of a blockbuster deal for the aforementioned Jarren Duran. The Phillies would replace Kepler in the lineup with Grisham and shift Marsh from center to left field, adding depth to the outfield in the process. Moreover, Grisham, an impending free agent, wouldn’t disrupt the club’s long-term plan for top prospect Justin Crawford to take over center field in 2026. He wouldn’t crowd an already packed outfield full of players vying for roles, either. While the move could further agitate Kepler—who’s already criticized manager Rob Thomson over limited playing time—the Phillies must act now. With their World Series window closing, they must capitalize on every opportunity to strengthen the roster.
The 'Multiple 100-RBI MLB seasons' quiz
After much was made over where (or if) Rafael Devers would ever pick up a glove again in the Major Leagues while he was with the Boston Red Sox, Devers finally made his debut at first base for the San Francisco Giants. Devers has been used exclusively as a designated hitter in his first 102 appearances in 2025, but had a clean and error-free night in his return to the field. After the Giants 9-0 win in which Devers also had two hits and an RBI, the nine-year veteran’s words about playing first won’t make many Red Sox fans happy given his reluctance to play first base in Boston. “It keeps me active and keeps my head out of just thinking of the next at-bat,” he said. “I’m the kind of player that likes to be active and likes to be out in the field.” Which brings us to today’s quiz. Devers has struggled at the plate since being traded to the Giants, but maybe a return to regular days in the field will help him return to his 100-RBI season form as well. With that being said, can you name every active MLB player with to knock in 100 runs in multiple seasons? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Kevin O'Connell reveals potential secret weapon for the Vikings in 2025 that can take the offense to new heights
The focus for the Minnesota Vikings this season will be first-year starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy. It's all going to be about how good he's playing. One of the biggest elements about helping him perform is going to be how the players around him perform, along with how head coach Kevin O'Connell utilizes them. We know that wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are going to be major factors, but the running game will be a major impact on getting the Vikings to the next level. Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones could be key to Vikings' success What's going to be really interesting is how head coach Kevin O'Connell modifies the offense to cater to what McCarthy does best. One of the easiest things you can do to maximize a young quarterback is to have a really good running game. The Vikings added Jordan Mason and extended Aaron Jones to give them a 1-2 punch in the backfield. What we didn't necessarily expect is both of them playing together. That's something O'Connell mentioned during his press conference on Wednesday. "Yeah, I think you can look at it a lot of ways, with looking at Aaron and Jordan," said O'Connell about how he might use Jones and Mason. "But how I just said it is how I see it. It's Aaron and Jordan and, the running back position, I wouldn't go to say it's as nuanced as the quarterback position of reps. But you want guys to be able to get in a rhythm. At the same time, we've got truly a combination that will cause a lot of problems between having two great backs that are different body types, maybe different skill sets, but they're complete backs. Aaron Jones can run in between the tackles, he can catch the ball, he can block in protection. He can line up anywhere in the formation. Jordan Mason has proven already to be well ahead of new players in the system from a protection standpoint. And clearly, he's got the body type to be a physical presence. So, I really see those guys playing off of each other, where we can keep them both fresh, keep them both in attack mode when they're in there. "But how CJ [Ham] and his role in the two back groupings, maybe we activate some two back groupings where we've got Jordan and Aaron in the game at the same time. There's a lot of things schematically that we're going to try and then, as we get towards the season, what gives us advantages? What allows us to play the most multiple way that all circles back to the number one question of what makes the quarterback's job easier and more likely to be quarterback friendly to apply to our whole system." 21 personnel, or the pony package (two running backs, one tight end), isn't something that's new or revolutionary in the National Football League, but it would allow the Vikings to maximize their potential advantages by attacking the second level of the defense. Last season, the Vikings only ran 21 personnel a grand total of 129 times (12.24%) which isn't very much. However, they didn't have a second running back to take advantage of that personnel grouping. They do now. While Mason isn't a dynamic route runner, Jones is a player you can trust to do those things. Texas routes, option routes, running rail and go routes down the field. You name it, and he can do it. Plus, Mason is "good enough" as a receiver to make him a credible enough of a threat out of the backfield to keep the defense honest. The key to maximizing 21 personnel isn't just to exploit the second level defenders in the passing game. You also have to have a good running game to prevent the defense from subbing in their nickel package. The other factor is that both backs need to be able to block well. That's not an issue for either guy. As O'Connell mentioned, this isn't a guarantee, but it is really interesting that he's already discussing it, especially when it was relatively unprompted.
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