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UFC 316 has reportely taken a major hit, with news of a main card fighter withdrawing.
UFC 316 will see the return of bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili, making his second title defense in a rematch with Sean O'Malley.
While not the strongest PPV, UFC 316 plays host to Kayla Harrison's first crack at UFC gold, as well as featuring some familiar favorites, some of whom might not be showing up on June 6.
Dana White reveals highly-anticipated middleweight title fight for UFC 319
Report: Marlon Vera out of his fight with Mario Bautista at UFC 316
As reported by MagicM on X, Marlon Vera is out of his fight with Mario Bautista on the main card of UFC 316.
Vera is looking to recoup from back-to-back losses and snap Bautista's seven-fight winning streak in the process.
For Bautista, a fight with Vera was an ample opportunity to gain fanfare after a controversial victory against Jose Aldo in 2024.
Marlon Vera out of Mario Bautista fight.
— MagicM (@MagicM_MMABets) May 14, 2025
Per sources.
Details of Vera's possible withdrawal are not yet confirmed.
With the report, UFC 316 is potentially down to 11 fights if the UFC can't find a replacement.
- (c) Merab Dvalishvili vs. Sean O'Malley; Bantam title
- (c) Julianna Pena vs. Kayla Harrison; Bantam title
- Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer; Middle
- Vicente Luque vs. Kevin Holland; Welter
- Bruno Silva vs. Joshua Van; Fly
- Ariane Lipski da Silva vs. Cong Wang; Fly
- Serghei Spivac vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta; Heavy
- Joo Sang Yoo vs. Jeka Saragih; Feather
- Azamat Murzakanov vs. Brendson Ribeiro; Light heavy
- Quillian Salkilld vs. Yanal Ashmouz; Light
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Roger Federer Announces Tennis Return For Final Match
20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer will return to the tennis court to play one more match at this year’s Shanghai Masters. Federer, who celebrated his 44th birthday on Friday, played his final match on the professional scene in September 2022 at the Laver Cup. It was an emotionally intoxicating doubles match in which Federer reunited with his great rival, Rafael Nadal. Roger Federer Announces Tennis Return Three years on from his retirement, Federer plans to grace the courts in Shanghai to play a celebrity doubles match. The tournament confirmed on X that the legendary Swiss will return to China at the start of October, when this year’s edition will be up and running. “Roger Federer is coming back to Shanghai. Join us on October 10th for the @rogerfederer and Friends Celebrity Doubles Match!” The tournament relayed the news. While the full schedule of who Federer will partner or play with is unknown for now, that match will take place two days before the singles final of the 2025 Shanghai Masters. In a short video announcing his return for one more doubles match, the two-time Shanghai champion said, “Hello, this is Roger. I’m really happy to be returning to the Qizhong Stadium in Shanghai for the Rolex Shanghai Masters. Shanghai has always been a special place for me, with great fans and unforgettable memories, and a real love for the game. I look forward to seeing you there on October 10th. Shanghai, let’s meet.” Why Shanghai? Shanghai is the penultimate Masters 1000 on the calendar and has previously been voted as the best ATP tournament of the year by players. The tournament represents some of the world’s best brands, including Rolex, which is its title sponsor. The Swiss watchmaker company is one of Federer’s most valuable sponsors. Federer has endorsed Rolex since 2001, and that partnership continues to grow stronger post-retirement. Federer has visited Shanghai in each of the last two years and has toured the Qizhong Forest Sports City Arena, which serves as the main court in the tournament. In 2023, he was presented with the Icon Athlete Award by the tournament in honor of his illustrious career in front of a packed stadium. And last year, Federer watched on from the stands as Jannik Sinner defeated one of his former rivals, Novak Djokovic, in the final.
Seahawks CB Riq Woolen turning heads, but can Seattle keep him?
After a down 2023 season, Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen re-established himself last season as one of the team's more reliable defenders. In training camp, the 26-year-old seems to be picking up where he left off. “Riq’s locked in this year,” Seattle third-year cornerback Devon Witherspoon said, per Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. “He just continues to be better. Riq’s got a lot of stuff to show a lot of people.” But can Seattle keep him? Entering the final year of his rookie contract, Woolen will make $5.4 million this season (h/t: Spotrac). Per Over The Cap, the Seahawks are projected to have roughly $61M in cap space in 2026, but they also have other players to sign. Seattle soon will give a top-tier contract to Witherspoon, a two-time Pro Bowler. Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and offensive tackles Charles Cross and Anthony Lucas also may merit bigger deals soon. The Seahawks won’t have a lot of salary cap space left if they want to extend most of their top young players. In training camp, Woolen frequently defends against Smith-Njigba, who is one of the more dynamic route-runners in the league. The Seahawks are labeling him as one of the top performers in training camp. Woolen could be one of the top options by the trade deadline later in the season. He could give a team a much-needed upgrade in defending against the passing game. The Seahawks could get a good package in return if they are unable to extend to a longer contract.
Jaguars' Travis Hunter plays both sides of ball in preseason debut
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter is going to be one of the must-see stories in the NFL this season as he attempts to play both sides of the ball. It's going to be a daunting task in the NFL, but he got his first taste of it on Saturday night in the team's preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hunter lined up as both a wide receiver and cornerback — just as he did throughout his college career — and produced some mixed results. Offensively, he lined up for nine snaps on the team's opening drive and caught two passes (on two targets) for nine yards, including a six-yard catch that came up just one yard short of the first-down line on a third-down play. The Jaguars' first-team offense was going up against a lineup featuring mostly Steelers backups, and their game plan seemed to focus more on short-quick passes than anything that would allow Hunter to get downfield or make any big plays. Defensively, Hunter lined up for five snaps at cornerback and did not have any passes go in his direction, while he also missed a potential tackle on a running play. Hunter was one of the best players in college football over the previous two seasons, playing both cornerback and wide receiver at an exceptionally high level. It was not uncommon for him to play over 100 snaps in a game. That performance resulted in him being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft class (with Jacksonville trading up to get him). He has every intention of playing both sides of the ball in the NFL, and the Jaguars seem inclined to let him try. It's not going to be easy, though. There is a massive difference in speed and physicality (not to mention quality of play) between college football and the NFL, and just because he was able to excel at both positions (and have the durability to play both) in the former does not mean he will be able to do so as effectively in the latter. He may have to limit himself on one side of the ball a little as the grind of a season wears on. If he does not have to limit himself, and if he is able to pull it off, it would make him one of the most valuable players in the NFL just based on the fact that he is two premium positions in one player.
Three running backs to avoid in fantasy football drafts
Running backs are always popular in fantasy football drafts, but the wrong one can ruin your fantasy season. Think twice before adding any of these three ball-carriers to your roster. (Stats and rankings via Yahoo Sports) Breece Hall | New York Jets Despite averaging 4.6 yards per carry in three years with the Jets, Hall has yet to rush for 1,000 yards or more than five touchdowns in a single season. He also had a career-high five fumbles in 2024, something that could lead to more playing time for second-year running back Braelon Allen. Fortunately for Hall, his pass-catching ability has kept him on the field with 1,292 yards and eight receiving touchdowns in his career. Unfortunately, new quarterback Justin Fields isn’t much of a passer, but his rushing ability should be a legitimate concern for Hall owners. Fields has 2,509 yards and 19 scores on the ground in 50 games, something that could further limit the running back’s goal-line opportunities. In PPR leagues, Hall is fine as a mid-to-late-round option, but in standard leagues, Seattle’s Kenneth Walker or Chargers’ rookie Omarion Hampton could hold more value with fourth-round ADPs. RJ Harvey | Denver Broncos Harvey entered the 2025 NFL Draft with a mid-round grade before being selected 60th overall by Denver, who received only 513 yards from leading rusher Javonte Williams and 496 yards from former undrafted free agent Jaleel McLaughlin in 2024. Williams signed with the Cowboys in the offseason, which would have spelled plenty of carries for Harvey had the team not signed running back J.K. Dobbins six weeks later. A second-round pick of the Ravens in 2020, injuries limited Dobbins to just nine games from 2021-2023 but rebounded by averaging 4.6 yards per carry for 908 yards and nine touchdowns in 13 games with the Chargers last season. Harvey received the bulk of carries in the team’s first preseason game against the 49ers on Saturday, running for 25 yards on seven carries with one catch for four yards. At 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds, Harvey is shorter than the average NFL running back and at 24 years old, he’s only two years younger than Dobbins. Talented as he may be, Harvey’s fifth-round ADP is a bit high with options like Arizona’s James Conner and Carolina’s Chuba Hubbard likely on the board in most drafts. Christian McCaffrey | San Francisco 49ers McCaffrey may feel great, but no one should feel good about drafting the 29-year-old in or around the first round. A perennial darling of fantasy football, McCaffrey led the league with 1,459 yards and finished fourth among running backs with 391.30 points in 2023. Unfortunately for McCaffrey, knee and calf injuries limited him to just four games in 2024. When healthy, McCaffrey is one of the NFL’s best running backs, but as he gets closer to 30, his injury history is hard to ignore. Since joining the league in 2017, McCaffrey has played in 95 of a possible 132 regular-season games. Isaac Guerendo, the team’s fourth-round pick in last year’s draft, impressed by averaging five yards per carry for 420 yards and four scores as a rookie last year, and while he’s currently out with a shoulder injury of his own, he's only expected to miss a few weeks. Fantasy managers should expect San Francisco to lean on the second-year running back to preserve McCaffery during the regular season, making the latter just too risky for the top of drafts.
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