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Deadspin | Jack Della Maddalena, Valentina Shevchenko defend titles at UFC 322

Deadspin | Jack Della Maddalena, Valentina Shevchenko defend titles at UFC 322

May 10, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Jack Della Maddalena (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Belal Muhammad (not pictured) for the Welterweight Title during UFC 315 at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Jack Della Maddalena makes the first defense of his welterweight title against former lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev at UFC 322 on Saturday in New York.

A pair of title fights top the pay-per-view offering, with Zhang Weili moving up from women’s strawweight to women’s flyweight to try to knock off champion Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event.

Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA) is riding an 18-fight winning streak after capturing the title at UFC 315 in May with a unanimous decision over Belal Muhammad. The 29-year-old Australian told reporters Thursday afternoon he is grateful for the opportunity to attempt to beat Makhachev (27-1 MMA), who is ranked No. 2 by the UFC in its pound-for-pound ratings.

“This is what I got into this sport for,” Della Maddalena said about the fight. “Big challenges. Big moments. I’m excited for the challenge. I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited for this fight on Saturday. It’s gonna be a good night.”

Makhachev vacated his UFC lightweight title in the spring to move up a weight class, but the former champion said he is being undervalued just for switching divisions.

“This is my dream, man,” the 34-year-old Russian said. “I’m very close to my dream. All my professional career when I was lightweight champion, it’s my dream to become double champion. Two more days.”

Someone’s winning streak will be snapped come fight night, as Makhachev enters the fight having won 15 in a row.

The co-headliner has its own stakes attached. Both women have immense respect for each other and expect the best from one another in a fight UFC CEO Dana White says will undoubtedly determine who is the greatest female fighter of this generation.

“When you talk about a true super fight, you have two champions in two different weight classes,” White said. “No. 1 vs. No. 2 pound-for-pound. It doesn’t get any better than that.”

Zhang (26-3 MMA) will be competing at Madison Square Garden for the third time. The 35-year-old China native beat Carla Esparza there in November 2022 after losing there to Rose Namajunas a year earlier.

“I think this time, I’ll (win),” Zhang said. “And the new (champion).”

Shevchenko (25-4-1 MMA) expects one of the hardest fights of her career.

“I think it’s going to be a great fight,” the 37-year-old Kyrgyzstan native said, “and I’m definitely going to put everything I have into a huge performance. All my experience, speed and power. I’m here to defend my title.”

The main-card bout order:

Main event — Jack Della Maddalena (c) vs. Islam Makhachev, UFC welterweight title

Co-main event — Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs. Zhang Weili, UFC flyweight title

Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales, welterweight

Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates, welterweight

Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint Denis, lightweight

–Field Level Media

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#NHL #mock #draft #Instant #projection #Maple #Leafs #win #lottery">NHL mock draft 2026: Instant projection after Maple Leafs win lottery  The Stanley Cup Playoffs roll on, but on Tuesday night the league conducted the 2026 NHL Draft lottery with the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the No. 1 pick, and the right to draft either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg in a class with more parity at the top than originally expected.McKenna was viewed as the grand prize for much of the 2025-26 season. The rangy left wing already has good height, great playmaking, and a knack for driving the pace from the wing — making him a low-risk top overall pick. At times he’s been compared to Connor Bedard and Macklin Celebrini, though personally, I don’t think he has quite the same ceiling as either phenom. Still, he’s a franchise cornerstone player, and it will be interesting to see whether a team chooses to keep him at his natural LW, or tries to convert him into a center.The choice at No. 1 will be between McKenna and Sweden’s Ivar Stenberg, who has been racing up the boards as scouts take a deeper look into his run in the SHL. It’s unusual for a true 18-year-old to have any modicum of success in a pro league, but Stenberg more than held his own with his hockey IQ, and a shot volume that routinely made him one of the biggest threats on the ice for Frölunda HC. That pro-readiness is appealing for a team looking for an immediate impact, and his polish could cause him to be the top overall pick.We’ll take a deeper dive into this year’s class as the draft approaches, but for now here’s a rapid-fire mock draft involving the teams in the lottery for the 2026 NHL Draft.As a reminder, these were the lottery odds for winning the first draw entering Tuesday night.Vancouver Canucks — 18.5%Chicago Blackhawks — 13.5%New York Rangers — 11.5%Calgary Flames — 9.5%Toronto Maple Leafs (Top 5 protected to Bruins) — 8.5%Seattle Kraken — 7.5%Winnipeg Jets — 6.5%Florida Panthers — 6.0%San Jose Sharks — 5.0%Nashville Predators — 3.5%St. Louis Blues — 3.0%New Jersey Devils — 2.5%New York Islanders — 2.0%Columbus Blue Jackets — 1.5%St. Louis Blues (from Red Wings) — 0.5%Washington Capitals — 0.5%  #NHL #mock #draft #Instant #projection #Maple #Leafs #win #lottery

The NBA has fined Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown $50,000 for public criticism of game officials following Boston’s first-round exit from the playoffs.

The fine was announced by NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones on Tuesday night, two days after Brown said in a livestream he hosts that game officials “clearly had an agenda” to call fouls against him for “pushing off” when he drove toward the basket while handling the ball.

“There are some referees that need to be investigated,” Brown said on the livestream on Sunday, a day after the Celtics’ 109-100 loss to Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.

“Every good basketball player does this. What are y’all talking about? They clearly had an agenda,” Brown said.

Brown was previously fined $35,000 in January after a two-minute postgame rant about the officiating following Boston’s loss to San Antonio.

Published on May 06, 2026

#Boston #Celtics #Jaylen #Brown #fined #NBA #public #criticism #playoffs #officiating">Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown fined ,000 by NBA for public criticism of playoffs officiating  The NBA has fined Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown ,000 for public criticism of game officials following Boston’s first-round exit from the playoffs.The fine was announced by NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations James Jones on Tuesday night, two days after Brown said in a livestream he hosts that game officials “clearly had an agenda” to call fouls against him for “pushing off” when he drove toward the basket while handling the ball.“There are some referees that need to be investigated,” Brown said on the livestream on Sunday, a day after the Celtics’ 109-100 loss to Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series.“Every good basketball player does this. What are y’all talking about? They clearly had an agenda,” Brown said.Brown was previously fined ,000 in January after a two-minute postgame rant about the officiating following Boston’s loss to San Antonio.Published on May 06, 2026  #Boston #Celtics #Jaylen #Brown #fined #NBA #public #criticism #playoffs #officiating

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