UFC Baku, the promotion's first-ever event in Azerbaijan, just received one of the best striking matchups on the lightweight roster.
The June 21 Fight Night, headlined by a light heavyweight clash between Khalil Rountree Jr. and Jamahal Hill, also features the return of former UFC title challenger and Bellator-Rizin champion Kyoji Horiguchi.
As promising as these fights are, the latest announcement is sure to please any hardcore fans.
As reported by Marcel Dorff on X, UFC officials have confirmed lightweight contenders Rafael Fiziev vs. Ignacio Bahamondes for a lightweight contest.
Rafael Fiziev will fight Ignacio Bahamondes at #UFCBaku on June 21st. (per UFC officials) #UFC #MMA #UFCESPN #UFC2025 pic.twitter.com/HkYXnAXpMu
— Marcel Dorff (@BigMarcel24) April 25, 2025
Fiziev last competed in a firefight with Justin Gaethje at UFC 313. 'Ataman' is on a rough three-fight losing streak, dropping two decisions to Gaethje and suffering an injury TKO against Mateusz Gamrot. He makes a quick turnaround from the Gaethje fight.
He doesn't get an easy fight in Bahamondes, who rides a three-fight winning streak. 'La Jaula' is one of the tallest lightweights on the roster, standing at 6'3". He retired Jalin Turner at UFC 313,
With this addition, UFC Baku is up to nine fights (subject to change):
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Caitlin Clark is expected to sit out for a fourth straight game on Sunday when the Indiana Fever take on the Chicago Sky in a much-awaited rivalry matchup. The 23-year-old is still dealing with a reaggravated groin strain and has no timetable to return. The rest of her Fever teammates have had to step up in her absence. There is, perhaps, no other player who has taken a bigger role on the offensive end amid Clark’s injury spell than three-time All-Star Kelsey Mitchell. Mitchell, however, struggled with her shot in Thursday’s win against the Las Vegas Aces. The 5-foot-8 guard shot the ball poorly in the first three quarters, going just 4-of-19 from the field for 12 points. Mitchell caught fire in the fourth, though. She went 4-of-5 in the final frame for nine points, finishing with a game-high 21 points on 8-of-24 shooting. This is exactly why head coach Stephanie White remains completely confident in Mitchell’s scoring ability. The veteran coach has made it clear that she has given Mitchell the green light to shoot the rock. “The biggest thing with Kelsey is just telling her, ‘Let it fly.’ It’s going to go,” White said after Thursday’s win against Las Vegas. "... Keep shooting it from outside. She made some big ones when we needed them.” Kelsey Mitchell Has Stepped up Amid Clark's Injury Mitchell has answered the call for the Fever of late. In the three games Clark has been sidelined, Mitchell has put up averages of 22.0 points on 42.9% shooting. She also knocked down 2.7 triples during that stretch on a 34.8% clip. The 29-year-old veteran will need to keep her foot on the gas on Sunday as the Fever try to take down the Sky at United Center. With Clark watching from the bench, the Fever will rely on Mitchell’s scoring against Chicago as they look to improve on their 13-12 record. The Fever and Sky meet at 3 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.
It hasn’t been the flashiest of offseasons for the New York Knicks, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been productive. After acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns last summer, the Knicks have toned it down a bit this time around, targeting key depth pieces for the second unit, which struggled mightily last season. So far, the Knicks have signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to help beef up the team’s bench. These moves have been largely acclaimed by analysts and pundits as positive additions. ESPN’s Kevin Pelton is one of those who believe the Knicks made strong signings. He graded the Knicks’ offseason up to this point a "B," citing the value they’ve gotten for such a small price. “After adding Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns last offseason, the Knicks had limited room to maneuver this summer,” wrote Pelton. “Getting Guerschon Yabusele to take ever so slightly less than the entirety of their taxpayer midlevel exception allowed New York to upgrade its second-unit frontcourt and still fill out its bench with veteran minimum contracts. One of those veterans, Jordan Clarkson — signed after reaching a buyout with the Utah Jazz — gives the Knicks more athleticism off the bench than unsigned backup guards Cameron Payne and Landry Shamet.” Clarkson has been one of the NBA’s best bench scorers during the 2020s, leading the league in total points off the bench in that timeframe. This past season with the Jazz, he averaged 16.2 points per game while shooting 36 percent from three-point range. Yabusele was originally drafted in 2016 by the Boston Celtics, he would go on to play two seasons for them in limited minutes before departing overseas, where he remained until this past season with the Philadelphia 76ers. He would go on to have a career year with the 76ers, averaging 11.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game in 70 appearances (43 starts).
Recent league rumblings suggested that the Sacramento Kings will be signing Russell Westbrook to bolster their backcourt depth. While signing the nine-time All-Star would certainly be in their interest, the Kings appear to have other priorities in mind. Sacramento has been particularly active in trade talks this offseason. From being involved in negotiations for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga to supposedly facilitating a trade for DeMar DeRozan, the Kings will be making some changes. Westbrook's arrival is imminent, as his agent, Jeff Schwarz, has been in constant communication with the Kings' front office. However, the organization is reportedly aiming to complete trades involving Malik Monk and Devin Carter before moving forward with Westbrook, per ABC10's Matt George. The trade market for Monk and Carter hasn’t been promising. Carter has been mentioned as the central figure in Sacramento's trade package for Kuminga. The Warriors haven't viewed this favorably, as they have shown an interest in Keon Ellis instead. Meanwhile, the Kings' decision to trade Monk is an intriguing one, especially in light of the season he had. Primarily acting as a bench player, the guard put up 17.2 points and 5.6 assists per night, while shooting 43.9% from the field and 32.5% from beyond the arc. At only 26 years old, Monk has proven himself a valuable contributor with his athleticism and shot-making ability. This move seems driven by roster imbalance and cap constraints. With a crowded backcourt and limited cap space, the Kings have been forced to make tough choices. Facilitating a trade for the guard has proven to be a challenge. Even though trade efforts for Monk began earlier this month, Sacramento hasn’t made much progress. While this could complicate matters under normal circumstances, it likely won’t derail Westbrook’s eventual signing. Apart from a few teams, the 36-year-old hadn't garnered much interest for his talents. When considering that the market for Westbrook was held up by Ben Simmons' pending decision to sign with a team, it is evident that Sacramento took a more proactive approach. This could have positive results in light of the season the veteran guard had. Coming off a solid season with the Denver Nuggets, Westbrook showcased that he could be perceived as a reliable floor general even at this stage in his career. For the 2024-25 season, he put up an average of 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, while shooting 44.9% from the field and 32.3% from three-point range. He also showed that he could shine in a more prominent role, drawing on the task of being a starter in Jamal Murray's absence. That stretch led to a modest boost in production, reinforcing his value on a playoff-caliber team. Sacramento hasn’t made its direction for the upcoming season entirely clear. But given the current roster construction, a top-10 finish in the West seems unlikely.
All eyes were on College Park Center for Monday night’s primetime matchup between the Dallas Wings and the New York Liberty. The stars came out to support the Wings in their home matchup against the defending champs. This included Paige Bueckers’ rumored girlfriend, Azzi Fudd, who had a special message for the Dallas rookie during the game. Rebecca Lobo's Intriguing WNBA Proposal WNBA legend Rebecca Lobo was also watching the matchup intently. What caught the attention of the Hall of Fame center was the incredible performance of Wings star Arike Ogunbowale. Ogunbowale made history on Monday after a first-half performance that was literally for the books. The four-time All-Star joined Caitlin Clark as the only two players in the last 20 years to record at least 10 points and 10 assists in a single half. Ogunbowale had 15 and 10 at the break, leading Dallas to a 63-36 lead over the Liberty. Ogunbowale’s eye-catching performance drew an immediate reaction from Lobo during the game. According to the 51-year-old, she would like to see Ogunbowale go toe-to-toe against Indiana Fever star Kelsey Mitchell. “Give us a 1-on-1 game between Arike Ogunbowale and Kelsey Mitchell during next year’s All Star Weekend,” Lobo posted on X. Ogunbowale finished the game with 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting, a rebound, 14 assists, one steal and two triples in 32 minutes of action. The Liberty mounted an impressive comeback attempt, but the Wings held on for a 92-82 victory. Kelsey Mitchell Has Been Tearing It Up for the Fever Much like Ogunbowale did on Monday night, Mitchell also led the charge for the Fever in their last game. The three-time All-Star went off in Sunday’s 93-78 victory against their biggest rivals, the Chicago Sky, at United Center. Mitchell dropped 35 points on the Sky on 12-of-19 from the field, along with two rebounds, six assists, three steals and seven triples. With Caitlin Clark missing time due to a lingering groin injury, Mitchell has stepped it up for the Fever, firmly establishing herself as one of the top guards in the WNBA today. Lobo clearly sees Mitchell as one of the best one-on-one players in the league, and she’s now demanding a showdown against Ogunbowale. To be clear, there is currently no one-on-one competition in the WNBA All-Star weekend. This could be something the league considers for next year’s festivities, though, and a Mitchell-Ogunbowale clash would not be a bad idea at all.
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