5 Takeaways from UFC Vegas 8: Rakic is Real Deal

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Now that UFC Vegas 8 is in the books, we can look back at it as quite a backwards fight card. The main event and Co-main event were fights that were mediocre excitement wise. Looking at every single other fight on the card, almost every one of them could have gotten a performance of the night award, with Llamas vs Algeo being an absolute technical beauty on the stand-up and grappling game, and Maki Pitolo vs. Impa Kasanganay being an absolute stand and bang war.

 

Let’s look at 5 takeaways from UFC Vegas 8 

 

The Real Deal 

While it may have not been the most exciting fight, Aleksander “Rocket” Rakic put down Anthony Smith with ease. He chopped at Smith’s legs until he couldn’t stand anymore and once he was on the ground, there was no getting him off the top. With Smith being a BJJ black belt, you’d expect him to threaten a few more submissions but Rakic was quick to scope out anything Smith had in mind and just kept him on his back for almost 3 full rounds. The inability for Smith to check the leg kicks is the main reason he ended up on his back and he seemed content lying there taking ground and pound. With this win, Rakic seems to be set up with a path to the title. With Thiago Santos facing off with Glover Teixeira in about two weeks, the winner will probably end up getting a title shot. The loser of that fight will most likely fight Rakic, and with that, we could be looking at our next Light Heavyweight Contender. 

What’s Left in the Tank?

This weekend we saw the breakdown of 2 of UFC’s veteran staples. Smith showed almost nothing in this entire fight, after getting pummeled in his last fight vs Texiera. That begs the question of what does he have left in him? In his postfight comments, Smith flirted with the idea of dropping back down to 185 in hopes of rejuvenating his career. While this may be a good move for him, that division is filled with killers and won’t be a cakewalk even if he does have a size advantage going in. Smith would have to work his way back up and would be a great matchup for star prospect Edmen Shahbazyan to prove that he still has the makings of a ranked fighter. 

 

No Longer Ruthless 

Robbie Lawler was the second veteran that got dominated at UFC Vegas 8. He was matched up with a lengthy Neil Magny and showed a complete inability to get past the reach into his face. Lawler was kept at bay with Magny’s jab and when Lawler got into the clinch, he did nothing offensively. Robbie didn’t seem to have the explosiveness that  we’ve come to know, nor did we see much heart. For Robbie, this seems like the end of the line for him at UFC. He’s won titles, had multiple fight of the year awards and  has become a crowd favorite. But at this point of his career, it seems he needs a step down in competition to remain relevant. Maybe at the end of his contract, a move to Bellator would be smart, unless he’s content sitting out of the rankings,while fighting up and comers until he retires. 

Fresh Blood 

With a Performance of the Night award, undefeated Sean Brady seems to have all the makings of a ranked fighter and potential contender in the Welterweight division. He showed excellent distance management, heavy hands, as shown by busting open Aguilera in the first round, excellent pace without overextending, and to top it off he finished with impressive takedowns into a guillotine choke that left Aguilera squirming for breath until he passed out. At 13-0 and an impressive victory, Brady deserves to have a ranked opponent next to propel him to the next tier of contenders. A match with submission specialist Damien Maia or maybe a big name like Robbie Lawler just to get some name value would serve well for him. 

Perserverance Shines Through 

The comeback win of the night goes to Mallory Martin. After getting knocked down in the first round and absorbing over 50 shots, most of which to the head, she was able to recompose herself and get the Performance of the night win. She was out COLD in the first round after Cifers overhand right landed on the button and the ensuing hammer fist . Her legs go totally limp and by the time the second punch ends up on her face, she seems to wake up and is able to slightly recover. After about 30 more punches to the face, mercifully, the round ends. In the second round she seemed like a completely different fighter. She goes straight into the clinch and is able to take down Cifers into half guard. From here she’s able to get effective ground and pound to the point where Cifers turtles up and gives up her back. At this point it’s all academic as Mallory takes her neck and submits her via Rear Naked Choke. Amazing comeback by Martin and this win could propel her into getting a shot at someone either in or near the rankings of the strawweight division. At only 26 years old, she has lots of room to grow and can be groomed as a future contender if she stays on this path. 

 

You can follow Johnathan Ramlakhan on Twitter @ThreePieceCombo

5 Comments from Media Session with Spoelstra, Haslem, Butler

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The Miami Heat went through their last practice on Sunday before facing the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of the second round. Udonis Haslem gave his opinion about the Heat’s chances, while Jimmy Butler spoke about the team’s current mindset. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Udonis Haslem was asked about the Heat’s chances heading into the match-up with Milwaukee. He said, “The Miami Heat is built for anything.” And if anybody knows about how this team is built, it’s UD. He continues to be not only a major voice for serious issues, but also a guy that player’s look to during games. Even veteran point guard Goran Dragic walks up to him on the sideline during games to get input, since that seems to be his role. Udonis also is a major voice with instilling a winning mentality into the guys in the locker room. He’s played a big role in the development of (Miami’s young star) Bam Adebayo, both on and off the floor. If Udonis believes in this team, everyone believes.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat’s head coach, spoke about their recent success guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo. He said, “When you think you play him well, he’s always dancing around a triple-double.” Though this is true, stopping Giannis does not mean cutting down his numbers entirely. What the Heat do with Giannis seems to be more mental. They try to frustrate him by throwing a bunch of wing defenders on him who are physical, which consequently increased the amount of turnovers for Giannis. Another way they attacked Giannis was by using Bam on offense to try and get him in foul trouble. This means that Bam’s scoring numbers may not be high in this series, but he will have one of the biggest impacts in the series.

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Jimmy Butler seemed to have a bit of an issue with his left shoulder during last game, which led to him sitting for extended minutes in the first half. But when asked about his shoulder after practice today, he said “I’m good to go.” It sounds as if Jae Crowder will be good to go as well tomorrow, since he practiced the past two days. Jimmy Butler was also seen shooting left-handed free throws during practice, which further proves how ready his shoulder is. He may need to shoot some left-handed free throws in this series, since he gets to the line so many times a game, his right arm may be tired. And although Milwaukee uses a drop scheme, Jimmy Butler will continue to do what he does best in this series, which is attacking the basket.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Erik Spoelstra reflected back to Miami acquiring their “perfect fits,” in Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder. He said, “Well, they speak our language.” Everybody knew the fit of Miami and Jimmy Butler was pretty ideal, since it’s a hard wrking organization mixed with a hard-working player. But I don’t think many realized how great of a fit Jae Crowder would be. He was clearly a physical, scrappy defensive guy which was something the Heat needed at the time, but the improvement in his shooting has put Miami over the top. Not only is he able to knock down a bunch of threes a game, but’s he’s doing it at an exceptional percentage. This propelled him into the starting lineup, and will be a key piece in the second round on both sides of the ball, since he will have the assignment of Giannis Antetokounmpo and have to sustain his high-level shooting against their drop scheme.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

After a lot of people have been predicting that Miami will take down the Bucks, Jimmy Butler was asked if he’d rather be doubted or get recognition. He said, “We don’t care if you pick us to win or you pick us to lose, we’re gonna go out their and compete.” As mentioned previously, this team doesn’t care who believes in them because they believe in themselves. This is mostly because they have a locker room that is filled with experienced veterans. Also, there’s been a lot of talk about Miami’s shooters and Bam Adebayo heading into the series against Milwaukee, but not a lot of Jimmy Butler talk. This series against the Bucks is the reason Jimmy came to Miami, so he could lead the team in the postseason. This is officially Jimmy’s time.

Miami Dolphins: Raekwon McMillan trade highlights busy Saturday

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Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick was a scratch for Saturday’s practice as his mother died on Saturday morning. Having missed last Friday’s practice for what the Dolphins described as personal reasons, it became clear that something was wrong for Fitzpatrick. As a report for ESPN notes, the team knelt in prayer in support for Fitzpatrick.

Miami Dolphins trade Raekwon McMillan

The Miami Dolphins made a move on Saturday, trading linebacker Raekwon McMillan to the Oakland Raiders for a fourth-round pick.

McMillan played in 28 games for the Dolphins over the past two seasons. Now that the Dolphins have  additional linebacker depth, McMillan is falling down the depth chart.

Perhaps even a bigger piece of this is that he is in the final year of his contract.

Miami was wise to get something for the former Ohio State linebacker instead of letting him walk. With the newfound depth at the linebacker position, that could have been a potential possibility.

Either way, the Dolphins have continued to stock up on draft picks. We saw it with the trade of Kalen Ballage. It will be interesting to see what Miami does with this draft pick.

Here are some initial reactions to the trade of McMillan, courtesy of the Five Reasons Sports Team.

 

5 Comments from Spoelstra, Iguodala, Adebayo of Miami Heat

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The Miami Heat officially returned to practice yesterday morning, but cancelled the post-practice media session. But today they got to speak with media, mostly about their current mental state due to what has been going on. Here’s what was said…

Post-Practice Comment #1:

Erik Spoelstra, coach of the Miami Heat, started off the media session saying that everyone on the team practiced today, including Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder. He also talked about the team getting back to normal, both physically and mentally. He said, “We had a couple really good days of work. Nobody was in the mood to work on Wednesday or Thursday.” But now, they are back to their focused routine, since Spo mentioned they will be watching the Bucks-Magic game this afternoon. If the Milwaukee Bucks win, Miami will be facing them in the second round starting on Monday.

Post-Practice Comment #2:

Andre Iguodala touched on the current movement that is being led by the NBA. He said, “I think it’s a simple message: We just want to stop being targeted.” Spo also applauded the player’s leadership lately, saying “The league is in a great place moving forward with our players leading the way.” Andre Iguodala has played a huge part in what the league is doing, since he is the union’s Vice President. Bam also gave his opinion on what has been going on, saying “Our people are being harmed. So it’s kind of difficult to focus on basketball because we all have families at home.” Bam also mentioned that it’s “hard to stay in a positive place” at the moment, especially being in the bubble away from his family. He also said that he’s been telling his family to “stay safe and do the things necessary.”

Post-Practice Comment #3:

Bam Adebayo talked a little about the basketball side of things, which clearly hasn’t been discussed in a while. He said, “As a team, I feel like we have a great balance.” Not only does he mean a balanced roster, but balanced personalities. He mentions that they are at a stage where “anybody can go talk to anybody,” which is great since no one will take it personal. We have seen this with Bam a few times during games in the bubble, where he would be vocal if someone like (Miami Heat rookie) Tyler Herro messed up. But that is true leadership, which is why there’s a whole lot of mutual respect in that locker room.

Post-Practice Comment #4:

Bam also mentioned that he doesn’t really have a huge voice right now on these topics since he’s so young. But mentions that for him, “It’s if we have a chance to speak our minds every single night on national TV and keep bring awareness to it.” That’s the reason it was important for many to continue the season, so they could use their platform to make people aware of what is going on. He also said he was “on the fence” about continuing the season. He said that he wanted to go back home to help people, but ultimately thought the right decision would be to bring awareness through media and TV.

Post-Practice Comment #5:

Bam Adebayo, one of the Miami Heat’s two All-Stars, finished the media session talking about the importance of using American Airlines Arena as a polling place. He mentions that it’s important “so you don’t have to go out of your way to vote.” He then related this topic to his personal life, mentioning how voter suppression has affected his family. He says it was as simple as a polling place being too far from a workplace and a boss not letting his mother vote. This is why this clearly hits home for Bam, which is why him and the team will continue to use their voices to make change.

How will the Miami Heat use their depth in next round?

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The Miami Heat had an impressive sweep over the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Miami was in control every game and Indiana failed to come up with an answer to Miami’s hard-nosed, high energy, and high-level shooting team.

Their unselfishness and will to win was impressive. Especially since the trade with Memphis, adding Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala, the Heat’s depth has been a big strength which was on full display in the Indiana series. The Heat had at least four players scoring in double digits in every game and different players came up big in different games. This is a valuable asset for Miami. Most teams look to simply “survive” when their stars are on the bench. They hope that their bench players can hold it down on the court and withstand enough to keep the game close. However, Miami’s bench looks to extend leads, not just maintain them. Miami has a deep balanced roster of veteran and young talent. Their roster is constructed in a way where there isn’t a significant dropoff of capable playoff talent until after the 10th man. Erik Spoelstra now has many bodies to throw at Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

With Bam Adebayo on the bench, Miami has at least 3 other players (Jae, Iggy, DJJ) to wall up and neutralize Giannis. In addition, Spoelstra’s starting lineup change has improved the Heat’s defense, without sacrificing the scoring of the second unit or compromising the Heat’s depth. Adding a former all star, Goran Dragic, and veteran wing Jae Crowder, to the starting five maximizes the Heat’s ability to switch on pick and rolls and spreads the court more for Miami’s slashing cuts and adept ball movement. Also, Spoelstra has created a rotation that allows the bench to operate with Butler on the court when Bam and Dragic are resting and vice versa. The productivity of the Heat bench should be a big strength in the Bucks series. Let’s take a look at the Heat’s bench and their impact thus far and what is to come. 

Tyler Herro

The 20-year-old rookie continued to show his fearless motor in round 1 of the playoffs, using the spotlight to shine rather than fade away. Herro was impressive in each game and continued to show off his playmaking and scoring abilities. He averaged 16.5 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists against Indiana. He even earned some praise from Heat legend Dwyane Wade, “Sooo Tyler Herro Is a rookie still right!???” Herro improved on the defensive end too, using his court awareness to guide him into correct defensive rotations. He is still considered a vulnerable defender but to average about 32 minutes a game in a playoff series proves that Spolestra trusts him on the court. This is a series where you can expect to see Herro’s mid range and perimeter shooting on display due to the Bucks’ length. Also look for Tyler Herro and Kelly Olynyk pick and pops next series because Milwaukee’s bigs don’t like to leave the paint. 

Andre Iguodola

Iguodola is a seasoned veteran, finals MVP, and three time national champion with championship pedigree that is valuable to Miami’s young and inexperienced players. He is not needed to fill up the stat sheet but to simply make winning plays and be a leader on and off the court. Iguodola will need to be an extension of the coach when he is in with the second unit. Next series, Iggy will be responsible for making sure his teammates are poised in uncomfortable or pressure situations. He will provide quality leadership by communicating and holding others accountable. If he knocks down 1-2 three pointers a game and plays high level defense against Giannis and Middleton, Miami has a good chance of coming out of the 2nd round. ‘

Kelly Olynyk 

Kelly has played very well within his role in the playoffs thus far. After Spolestra decided to remove center Meyers Leonard from the rotation, Olynyk comes off the bench as the “big man.” He spreads the court with his three point shooting and his creativity off of ball screens and handoffs leaves defenses guessing. He averaged around 14 minutes per game against Indiana, 6.5 rebounds, and shot 50% from the field. Look for him to be aggressive against the Bucks shooting thress as their centers are not as mobile and the Bucks rely on drop coverage against the pick and roll. 

Derrick Jones Jr

Airplane mode. Known for his high flying dunks and crazy athleticism, Jones Jr. is a plus defender and a vertical spacer for Miami. He only averaged around 10 minutes per game this series against Indiana, but still made an impact. If DJJ does any offensive damage for the Heat it is a bonus since he is mostly in to play lockdown defense. Look for DJJ to get similar minutes next series guarding Giannis and Middleton to take some burden off the starters. 

Kendrick Nunn

After an amazing regular season and rookie of the year campaign, Kendrick Nunn had disappeared from the rotation. Nunn tested positive for Covid-19 right before the Heat were scheduled to leave for the NBA bubble and it has seemed to impact his play. He was a DNP for the first three games of the Indiana series due to the coach’s decision. However, in game 4 against Indiana he reminded everyone what he can bring to the table when he is playing well. Nunn and DJJ should split minutes for the 10th spot depending on matchups.

Marlins walk off

Marlins, Mets Stage Most Important Walk Off in Franchise History

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In baseball, walk-offs are normally met with celebration. The home team has prevailed in their final opportunity to win, much to the delight of their fans in attendance. The Marlins have had their fair share of walk off wins, including in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series when the club hoisted their first of two championships.

On Thursday night, the Miami Marlins and New York Mets staged a walk off together. Considering the empty stadium, the somber moment was not met with celebration, it was met with resolve.

Marlins outfielder Lewis Brinson, a Black man, stepped to the plate after the Mets took the field. Once Brinson was announced, both dugouts emptied onto the field and observed a 42 second moment of silence.

From there, the rival teams tipped their caps to one another and walked off the field. Brinson left a “Black Lives Matter” shirt covering home plate.

“We thought collectively as two teams that it would send a powerful message for us to take the field at game time when you can see everything and the cameras are all on us, and have that 42-second moment of silence of those that have lost their lives and those that have been affected by this,” said Brinson.

“The shirt on the plate I think speaks for itself,” Brinson continued. “The words on the shirt speak for themselves. Just having it in the center of everything and just know that both teams are unified.”

The gesture came about after players from both teams discussed it. Marlins shortstop Miguel Rojas and Michael Conforto of the Mets communicated between the clubs and helped arrange the details.

“We wanted to do something special,” Rojas said. “We wanted to do something different and, at the same time, send the right message and taking advantage of tomorrow that’s going to be Jackie Robinson Day. The 42 number means a lot for this game and for everybody in the United States.”

For Major League Baseball, the celebration for Jackie Robinson, who broke MLB’s color barrier, comes at a pivotal time for our country. Social injustice, political and social unrest, has polarized the nation, not unlike what was witness during Robinson’s time with the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Robinson, who wore the No. 42 throughout his career, stood as a key figure during a difficult time. His ability to rise above and break through, ultimately earning a Hall of Fame distinction, inspired hundreds if not thousands of athletes, Black and otherwise.

“That’s the day an icon made it possible for me to sit here at talk to you guys,” Brinson said to media via Zoom. Brinson said Robinson’s sacrifice allowed him to “walk around the same locker room as Corey Dickerson, Jesus Aguilar, Matt Joyce and play the game that we love and have equal opportunities and make our dream come true. Without that man, I wouldn’t be here right now.”

Marlins manager Don Mattingly voiced his support for his Black players and the Black community as well.

“Enough is enough,” Mattingly said. “It’s been powerful. It’s tough to come back and catch the news, and seeing Dominic talking and just seeing the emotion pour out of him. And then watching Doc Rivers the other night talking about different things and just the emotion of that, and just seeing this. It’s just as human beings, it’s hard to watch some of the things we’ve had to watch and just like enough. Just say, ‘Enough.’ We’ve got to move forward. This can’t be a moment. It’s got to be a movement.”

Mattingly referred to Mets outfielder Dominic Smith’s postgame comments that came in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“I think the most difficult part is to see people still don’t care,” Smith said on Wednesday. “For this to just continuously happen, it just shows the hate in people’s heart. That just sucks, you know? Black men in America, it’s not easy.”

The idea that this gesture cannot be a moment, but a movement, was echoed throughout the evening. Mattingly credited the sentiment to Marlins bench coach James Rowson, a Black man.

“It has to continue,” Brinson said. “It can’t just be tonight; it has to be continual.”

Mattingly went on to say: “As human beings, we have to get better. We’re better than this.”

The Marlins manager admitted he’s still learning to listen while he continues to support.

“I’m learning to like really truly listen to those guys and their feelings on different things that they either suppress or don’t feel like they can talk about,” he said, “or don’t want to talk about.”

For the Marlins, Brinson is the only Black player currently on the active roster, with reliever Stephen Tarpley on the 10-day IL and Monte Harrison being in Jupiter. Diversity exists with the organization, as Rowson is a key member of the coaching staff, Michael Hill, the President of Baseball Operations is Black, and the CEO, Derek Jeter, is biracial.

Only eight percent of the Major League Baseball players are Black. But when you look across the landscape of baseball, white and Latino players stand in solidarity with their Black teammates against this widespread, pervasive injustice.

This walk off comes as perhaps the most important in Marlins history. It’s more important than any single win for the franchise ever, and that’s including Game 7 of the 1997 World Series. This nation is frayed, and those tears continue to widen. We need to stitch America back together, and that can only come from help from either side of the divide.

The Chase is Over: Smith becomes commit #22 for Canes

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Despite a majority of Miami’s current recruiting class hailing from South Florida, Canes coaches are fully aware that talent exists outside of the area, even though they didn’t have to go that far for their next commitment.

 

On Thursday afternoon, Miami received a commitment from four-star athlete Chase Smith. Smith hails from Bayside High School in Palm Bay, FL and is ranked as the 14th-best athlete in the country, 260th-overall according to the 247Sports Composite. He chose the Canes over a multitude of Power 5 schools. LBs coach Jonathan Patke and defensive coordinator Blake Baker will receive credit for his commitment.

 

 

The reason Smith is considered an “athlete” is because he plays and excels on both sides of the ball for Bayside. At 6’3”, 190 lbs., he caught 50 passes for 716 yards as a receiver in 2019 while playing a good amount on defense. He even ran track in his sophomore year. However, Smith will ultimately suit up at either linebacker or striker for defensive coordinator Blake Baker and the Canes. 

 

247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins considers Smith “one of the most versatile players in the country” and notes that “he can blitz off the edge as well as drop back in coverage…has a safety frame but a linebacker skill set.” That versatility would be a big help for the linebacker position and actually caters to the striker position for Miami so this sounds like a match made in heaven for both parties. 

 

A big pull for Smith that ultimately led to choosing Miami was his family ties. His father Willie was an All-American tight end for the Canes in the mid-80s while his mother and brother also attended Miami. 

 

Smith is commit #22 for Manny Diaz in this class and the third commit at linebacker, joining Tyler Johnson and Deshawn Troutman. Miami’s class now ranks 8th in the nation with two open spots left. 

 

Stay tuned to @5ReasonsSports and @5ReasonsCanes for the latest in Miami Hurricanes coverage.

 

Miami Dolphins trade Kalen Ballage to New York Jets

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In what is a little bit of a twist from what was originally reported, the Miami Dolphins are trading running back Kalen Ballage to the New York Jets for a conditional late-round pick. Miami had wanted to release him initially, but the Jets decided that they wanted to take a flyer on him.

Last season, Ballage rushed the ball 74 times for 135 yards and three touchdowns. He struggled in the running game at times last year, and it showed statistically.

Ballage was a fourth-round pick of the Miami Dolphins back in 2018. This move also reunites him with head coach Adam Gase. It will be interesting to see just from a production perspective how Ballage does with the Jets.

Miami Dolphins finally have depth in 2020

Miami is much better at the running back position this year than they were at this time last year. Matt Rita should be able to carry the load offensively. He was a huge part of Miami’s offseason overall. Hopefully, he will be able to provide them with the stability that they have been lacking at the position, and give the dolphins another area of production offensively.

As much as last season was underwhelming for Ballage, maybe reuniting with Gase will produce good results for the running back.

At the very least, the Miami Dolphins got a draft pick in return, that can be used to solidify future depth. It will be interesting to see what they do with the pick, or if it ever amounts to anything. This this is a trade that could work out for both sides, particularly as New York needs running back depth. This may not have been in Earth-shattering move, but it was one that both sides needed to make. There is no doubt that Ballage needs a fresh start moving forward. The Jets could be the team that helps them get on the right track.

Marlins Lose to Mets, 5-4

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The Miami Marlins have struggled versus perennial all-star Jacob deGrom throughout his career and last night was no different. deGrom struck out 14 Marlins through 7 innings of work, while only allowing 2 hits and 1 run.

The Fish rallied late in the 8th inning after deGrom’s departure, tying the game 4-4, before eventually falling to the Mets 5-4.

Elieser Hernández went 4 innings for the Marlins, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 2 home runs. The bullpen of Leibrandt, Tinoco, and Vincent combined to pitch 4 innings, giving up only 1 run. The pitching remains relatively strong, but when put head to head versus the best pitcher in the National League, giving up 5 runs may have been a little too much to overcome for the offense.

Until the 8th inning, the hitting was relatively quiet against deGrom. The Marlins put together 2 hits in his 7 innings of work, and managed a run off of Matt Joyce’s leadoff double in combo with Corey Dickerson’s RBI groundout.

Once the 8th inning hit, the Marlins’ bats thawed as they managed 4 hits, a few walks, and 3 runs to tie the game. The tie ball game was short-lived due to the Mets taking the lead in the bottom half on a WIlson Ramos RBI single, but it goes to show the Marlins 2020 mentality. The Marlins are scrappy, willing to fight to the end, and “riding the wave.”

The Marlins (14-12) go head to head with the Mets (13-16) today in the final game of the 4 game series at Citi Field. Sixto Sánchez (1-0, 5.40 ERA) gets his second big league start for the Marlins. The Mets are yet to announce their starter.

5 Top Storylines for UFC Vegas 8: Smith, Rakic, Lawler, more

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Where to watch: Saturday, August 29, 2020, UFC APEX, Las Vegas, Nevada, Available on ESPN, ESPN+

With UFC Vegas 8 just around the corner, the UFC keeps the ball rolling with another phenomenal card. Regardless of face value, almost every fight card has exceeded expectations. With up and coming talent wanting to make a name for themselves, seasoned fighters competing to keep themselves relevant, or ranked contenders looking for a path to the title, there’s an abundance of stories to look out for this weekend. Here are five storylines to pay attention to during UFC Vegas 8. 

 

Contender or Pretender? 

 

After running off 6 wins in 7 fights, finishing every one of those fights impressively, #5 Ranked light heavyweight Anthony “Lionheart” Smith has now lost 2 of his last 3. That includes coming up short in his Title shot vs Jon Jones and a brutal beatdown which had much controversy over a late stoppage vs #4 Ranked light heavyweight Glover Texiera. With Jon Jones relinquishing his title to move up to heavyweight, now is the time to see if Smith can make the climb back to the top of the mountain. If he wins here in dominating fashion, it might only take 1 more win to get himself another title shot. If he fails to secure a win, with all the fresh blood in the Light Heavyweight division, Smith will likely be put in the role of Gatekeeper, where he’s fighting guys at the bottom of the rankings just to keep a number next to his name. This weekend is make or break for Anthony Smith’s Title hopes, and we will see what he is made of. 

 

Pick: Rakic by KO

 

Hop back on the Hype train?

 

#8 Aleksander “Rocket” Rakic had won 12 straight including 9 knockouts before a tough split decision loss to Volkan Oezdemir. Most thought he won that fight so he could very well be on a 13 fight win streak at this point. Still, entering his prime age of only 28 he has a far way to grow. After breaking into the rankings with this devastating head kick knockout (which you can watch here for free: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKXBgeS-Jpk ) he was well on his way to title contention. Rakic offers an explosive fighting style with the ability to put his opponent to sleep in a split second. Combine that with good takedown ability and one of the lowest strike absorption rates, Rakic is still very much a threat in this division. He faces his toughest challenge yet in former championship contender Anthony Smith and if he’s able to put him away, hop back on the hype train because this man has all the makings of a future title challenger. His nickname isn’t rocket for no reason

 

Pick: Rakic by KO

 

Is Robbie Lawler still RUTHLESS?

 

Former Welterweight Champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler has been one of the UFC’s staples for 18 (!!) years. Since his debut in 2002, he has put on epic fights every time he steps in the ring. Now past his prime, the question becomes is Robbie still a top contender in this division?  Since his Title defense in 2016, he has now lost 4 of his last 5 including his title to Tyron Woodley. No longer are the days of Robbie getting into these wars with his opponents. Now we see him continually get taken down and held there and he doesn’t seem to have the explosiveness as before. That narrative can be put to bed with an opponent like Neil “The Haitian Sensation” Magny. While Magny does have the ability to mix it up and take it to the ground, he’s more likely to stand and bang with Robbie rather than guys like Colby Covington or Ben Askren. Will Robbie be able to give a performance of old, or will Neil Magny break him down and potentially knock him out of the rankings? We will find out on Saturday. 

 

Pick: Lawler via decision 

 

Bad Blood Rematch

 

At the beginning of their last fight, Ankalaev and Cutelaba had to get pulled apart before the match even started! ( Watch here: https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1298319731829739520 ). Unfortunately for everyone who wanted to see this fight go to the bitter end, the ref stopped the fight way too early after Cutelaba seemingly was out on his feet after some solid punches from Ankalaev. Immediately after the stoppage, Cutelaba protested repeatedly claiming he was fine. Now, half a year later, we finally get to see these two go at it. There’s no doubt these guys resent each other, and both of them will be looking to end each other. 

 

Pick: Magomed Ankalaev via decision 

 

Can Grasso reestablish herself as a contender?

 

After starting her career 9-0, #14 Ranked Strawweight Alexa Grasso was seemingly on her way as one of the best prospects in the division. After alternating wins and losses in her UFC career, she now is 1 loss away from being on the outside looking in. On the bright side, she still is young and should be able to use what she learned in her losses to help propel her career forward. She’s a good striker, and if she can put away Ji Yeon Kim, look for her to try to build some momentum and work her way up the ranks. If she loses, that number next to her name will belong to Ji Yeon and this might be the last time we hear about the boxer from Mexico. 

 

Pick: Grasso via Decision 

You can follow Johnathan Ramlakhan on Twitter at @ThreePieceCombo