×
Deadspin | Jose Soriano still dealing as Angels defeat Reds Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano (59) delivers a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. Jose Soriano continued his hot start with 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings and Oswald Peraza homered to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 9-6 victory over the host Cincinnati Reds in the rubber-game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. It was the second consecutive start that Soriano (4-0), who allowed two singles and walked three, struck out 10 batters. He left after throwing 106 pitches, 69 for strikes, while lowering his ERA to 0.33, tops in the majors. Soriano has allowed just nine hits and just one run – a homer by Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin – in 27 innings this season. He has walked nine and while striking out a major league-leading 31 batters. Mike Trout went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, three runs and an RBI and Nolan Schanuel had two hits, two walks and three RBIs for Los Angeles, which won a series in Cincinnati for the first time since 2007. Logan O’Hoppe and Jo Adell each added two hits and an RBI, and Zach Neto walked three times and scored a run for the Angels. Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer and had two hits for Cincinnati, which lost for the fourth time in the last five games. Andrew Abbott (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings. He walked two and struck out one. Los Angeles parlayed five singles into three runs in the top of the first inning. Schanuel made it 2-0 with a bases-loaded single to left-center, and O’Hoppe followed with another RBI single. The Angels extended the lead to 5-0 in the second inning when Neto walked and scored on a double into the left field corner by Trout, who advanced to third on single by Adell. Jorge Soler then drove in Trout with a sacrifice fly. Peraza led off the fourth with a line-drive homer to left, and Adell added a bases-loaded fielder’s choice to drive in another run to make it 7-0. Peraza drove in another run in the seventh with a groundout, and Schanuel made it 9-0 in the eighth with a bases-loaded walk. The Reds made things interesting at the end, scoring three runs in the eighth, including two on a bases-loaded wild pitch, and De La Cruz’s two-out, three-run homer to center in the bottom of the ninth. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Jose #Soriano #dealing #Angels #defeat #Reds

Deadspin | Jose Soriano still dealing as Angels defeat Reds
Deadspin | Jose Soriano still dealing as Angels defeat Reds Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano (59) delivers a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati. Jose Soriano continued his hot start with 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings and Oswald Peraza homered to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 9-6 victory over the host Cincinnati Reds in the rubber-game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon. It was the second consecutive start that Soriano (4-0), who allowed two singles and walked three, struck out 10 batters. He left after throwing 106 pitches, 69 for strikes, while lowering his ERA to 0.33, tops in the majors. Soriano has allowed just nine hits and just one run – a homer by Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin – in 27 innings this season. He has walked nine and while striking out a major league-leading 31 batters. Mike Trout went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, three runs and an RBI and Nolan Schanuel had two hits, two walks and three RBIs for Los Angeles, which won a series in Cincinnati for the first time since 2007. Logan O’Hoppe and Jo Adell each added two hits and an RBI, and Zach Neto walked three times and scored a run for the Angels. Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer and had two hits for Cincinnati, which lost for the fourth time in the last five games. Andrew Abbott (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings. He walked two and struck out one. Los Angeles parlayed five singles into three runs in the top of the first inning. Schanuel made it 2-0 with a bases-loaded single to left-center, and O’Hoppe followed with another RBI single. The Angels extended the lead to 5-0 in the second inning when Neto walked and scored on a double into the left field corner by Trout, who advanced to third on single by Adell. Jorge Soler then drove in Trout with a sacrifice fly. Peraza led off the fourth with a line-drive homer to left, and Adell added a bases-loaded fielder’s choice to drive in another run to make it 7-0. Peraza drove in another run in the seventh with a groundout, and Schanuel made it 9-0 in the eighth with a bases-loaded walk. The Reds made things interesting at the end, scoring three runs in the eighth, including two on a bases-loaded wild pitch, and De La Cruz’s two-out, three-run homer to center in the bottom of the ninth. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Jose #Soriano #dealing #Angels #defeat #RedsLos Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano (59) delivers a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati.

Jose Soriano continued his hot start with 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings and Oswald Peraza homered to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 9-6 victory over the host Cincinnati Reds in the rubber-game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon.

It was the second consecutive start that Soriano (4-0), who allowed two singles and walked three, struck out 10 batters. He left after throwing 106 pitches, 69 for strikes, while lowering his ERA to 0.33, tops in the majors.

Soriano has allowed just nine hits and just one run – a homer by Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin – in 27 innings this season. He has walked nine and while striking out a major league-leading 31 batters.

Mike Trout went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, three runs and an RBI and Nolan Schanuel had two hits, two walks and three RBIs for Los Angeles, which won a series in Cincinnati for the first time since 2007. Logan O’Hoppe and Jo Adell each added two hits and an RBI, and Zach Neto walked three times and scored a run for the Angels.


Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer and had two hits for Cincinnati, which lost for the fourth time in the last five games. Andrew Abbott (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings. He walked two and struck out one.

Los Angeles parlayed five singles into three runs in the top of the first inning. Schanuel made it 2-0 with a bases-loaded single to left-center, and O’Hoppe followed with another RBI single.

The Angels extended the lead to 5-0 in the second inning when Neto walked and scored on a double into the left field corner by Trout, who advanced to third on single by Adell. Jorge Soler then drove in Trout with a sacrifice fly.

Peraza led off the fourth with a line-drive homer to left, and Adell added a bases-loaded fielder’s choice to drive in another run to make it 7-0. Peraza drove in another run in the seventh with a groundout, and Schanuel made it 9-0 in the eighth with a bases-loaded walk.

The Reds made things interesting at the end, scoring three runs in the eighth, including two on a bases-loaded wild pitch, and De La Cruz’s two-out, three-run homer to center in the bottom of the ninth.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Jose #Soriano #dealing #Angels #defeat #Reds

Sports news

Los Angeles Angels pitcher José Soriano (59) delivers a pitch in the first inning of a MLB game between the Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, April 12, 2026, at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati.

Jose Soriano continued his hot start with 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings and Oswald Peraza homered to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 9-6 victory over the host Cincinnati Reds in the rubber-game of their three-game series on Sunday afternoon.

It was the second consecutive start that Soriano (4-0), who allowed two singles and walked three, struck out 10 batters. He left after throwing 106 pitches, 69 for strikes, while lowering his ERA to 0.33, tops in the majors.

Soriano has allowed just nine hits and just one run – a homer by Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin – in 27 innings this season. He has walked nine and while striking out a major league-leading 31 batters.

Mike Trout went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, three runs and an RBI and Nolan Schanuel had two hits, two walks and three RBIs for Los Angeles, which won a series in Cincinnati for the first time since 2007. Logan O’Hoppe and Jo Adell each added two hits and an RBI, and Zach Neto walked three times and scored a run for the Angels.

Elly De La Cruz hit a three-run homer and had two hits for Cincinnati, which lost for the fourth time in the last five games. Andrew Abbott (0-2) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs on eight hits in three-plus innings. He walked two and struck out one.

Los Angeles parlayed five singles into three runs in the top of the first inning. Schanuel made it 2-0 with a bases-loaded single to left-center, and O’Hoppe followed with another RBI single.

The Angels extended the lead to 5-0 in the second inning when Neto walked and scored on a double into the left field corner by Trout, who advanced to third on single by Adell. Jorge Soler then drove in Trout with a sacrifice fly.

Peraza led off the fourth with a line-drive homer to left, and Adell added a bases-loaded fielder’s choice to drive in another run to make it 7-0. Peraza drove in another run in the seventh with a groundout, and Schanuel made it 9-0 in the eighth with a bases-loaded walk.

The Reds made things interesting at the end, scoring three runs in the eighth, including two on a bases-loaded wild pitch, and De La Cruz’s two-out, three-run homer to center in the bottom of the ninth.

–Field Level Media

Source link
#Deadspin #Jose #Soriano #dealing #Angels #defeat #Reds

Previous post

Phone in IPL dugout controversy — RR manager Bhinder under scrutiny from Anti-Corruption Unit <div id="content-body-70854796" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Rajasthan Royals’ long-time team manager Romi Bhinder has found himself in the middle of a controversy after television cameras caught him using a mobile phone in the team dugout during an Indian Premier League fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Guwahati earlier this week.</p><p>While the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has swung into action and initiated a probe, Board secretary Devajit Saikia said the “veracity of the incident” would be established before any conclusion is drawn.</p><p>“Managers using a mobile phone is permissible, but we need to find out whether there was any violation of rules. That fact-finding exercise is now on. Once it is complete, we will take necessary steps depending on the outcome,” Saikia told  <i>Sportstar</i>.</p><p>Footage of the incident, showing Bhinder on his phone with Vaibhav Suryavanshi seated beside him, quickly went viral on social media, prompting the ACU to take cognisance.</p><p>However, Saikia reiterated that due process would be followed. “We will conduct an internal examination before reaching a logical conclusion. We need to review the video footage and gather evidence,” he added.</p><p>According to the IPL’s official guidelines under the PMOA (Players and Match Officials Area) protocol (2026), “The Team Manager may use a phone in the dressing room but NOT in the dugout.”</p><p>Ahead of every season, the IPL conducts mandatory briefings for team captains and managers, taking them through the PMOA framework and anti-corruption protocols.</p><p>Bhinder, a long-serving figure with Rajasthan Royals, has been part of that system for years. During the franchise’s suspension between 2016 and 2018, he also worked with Rising Pune Supergiant as team manager, before returning to his old franchise in 2018.</p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 12, 2026</p></div> #Phone #IPL #dugout #controversy #manager #Bhinder #scrutiny #AntiCorruption #Unit

Next post

Premier League 2025-26: Tottenham Hotspur remains in relegation zone after defeat at Sunderland <div id="content-body-70854837" itemprop="articleBody"><p>Tottenham Hotspur’s relegation fears ​deepened as manager Roberto de ‌Zerbi’s first game in ​charge ended in ⁠a 1-0 defeat by Sunderland that left the London club ‌third from bottom of the Premier League ‌on Sunday.</p><p>It was a ‌familiar ⁠tale of woe for ⁠Tottenham as Nordi Mukiele’s deflected shot just past the hour ​mark sealed the ‌points for Sunderland who boosted its own European hopes.</p><p>Tottenham showed plenty of ‌battling spirit but not ​a great deal of attacking quality as its ⁠winless run in the Premier League stretched to ‌14 games.</p><p>Spurs have 30 points from 32 games, two points behind West Ham United, which is one place above the ‌drop zone. Sunderland’s first Premier ​League win against Tottenham since 2010 left them ⁠in 10th with 46 points, ⁠two points behind sixth-placed Chelsea who are ‌in action later at home to Manchester City. </p><p class="publish-time" id="end-of-article">Published on Apr 12, 2026</p></div> #Premier #League #Tottenham #Hotspur #remains #relegation #zone #defeat #Sunderland

Related Posts

Expectations were not high for the heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit at UFC 327. There were multiple reasons for that. No one can deny, however, that the two put on a 15-minute performance that blew people away.

Blaydes vs. Hokit was not the matchup a lot of people were excited about entering UFC 327. 

It felt like a fight that was solely designed for Hokit to get another victory and move him, lightning fast, up the ranks of a lackluster heavyweight scene in the UFC.

Josh Hokit

Hokit’s MMA career is still fairly young. He was a standout wrestler at Fresno State; in 2018, he became the college’s first All-American in the sport since 2003. But Hokit chose the football life, having also served as a tight end and fullback at Fresno State. Hokit went undrafted in 2020 but signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. Unfortunately for Hokit, he spent 2020-22 solely on the practice squad or futures contracts with the 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.

But then Hokit made his way to MMA. He scored a pair of finishes with Bellator in 2023 and 2024 before three straight first-round finishes with the LFA in 2025. That set him up for a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he scored a second-round stoppage over Guilherme Uriel. Hokit then fought at UFC Vegas 111 and UFC 324, scoring first-round finishes over Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman, respectively.

Hokit, however, has been a very big magnet of controversy. He delivers cringe-style promos and characters in a way that makes you think he belongs in WWE more than UFC. He dropped the N-word at UFC 324. He has called Britney Griner and former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama men. The UFC 324 promo, in particular, was lambasted by several outlets, and even UFC CEO and President Dana White couldn’t defend it.

But White also knows eye-drawing attention when he sees it, and it seems he sees that with Hokit.

Curtis Blaydes

Blaydes, however, has also been subjected to a lot of criticism. A lot of it has been centered around feelings that Blaydes hasn’t been the most exciting fighter to watch. Blaydes was an NJCAA national wrestling champion, and he uses that wrestling as his base in MMA. The result is one of those fighting styles that focuses on takedowns and control on the ground that you don’t mind if you appreciate wrestling and grappling, or that you absolutely hate if you want to see heavyweights stand and bang.

White has also been a previous critic of Bladyes’ fight style and attitude.

Blaydes has also not performed in some of his bigger opportunities, from his KO loss to Derrick Lewis in 2021, to getting stopped by Sergei Pavlovich in 2023, and getting quickly finished by Tom Aspinall in their interim title fight in 2024. It’s given him a lot of “low Fight IQ” and “glass jaw” tags.

The Fight

The majority opinion was Hokit vs. Blaydes would go one of two ways: Hokit would finish Blaydes quickly or Blaydes would out-wrestle Hokit in a 15-minute snoozefest.

Instead, for 15 minutes, these two went toe-for-toe and shot-for-shot. It got sloppy at times, it wasn’t the neatest fight, but, my goodness, was it a back-and-forth brawl that was fun to watch.

Hokit looked like he’d get Blaydes out of there quickly. Then Blaydes finally was able to wrestle, and he started to trouble Hokit against the fence. Each man wobbled the other to points where it looked like the fight would get stopped, but it kept going. Each man looked like at one point or another they’d gas out, but both kept going.

Hokit got his hand raised in the end, but it was the kind of fight heavyweight has been needing.

With a murky championship picture and a slew of boring, losing, or undeserved fighters throughout the division, even in the rankings, Hokit and Blaydes put on a performance that is to be remembered. Depending how the rest of 2026 plays out, it might even be Fight of the Year.

White still doesn’t like Hokit’s persona, but no one can deny Hokit has earned his stripes. He even got booked against Lewis for the White House card because of this night!

Hats off to Hokit and Blaydes. Thanks for reminding us what heavyweight MMA can be.

#Curtis #Blaydes #Josh #Hokit #Exceeded #Expectations #UFC #Deadspin.com">How Curtis Blaydes vs Josh Hokit Exceeded All Expectations at UFC 327 | Deadspin.com Expectations were not high for the heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit at UFC 327. There were multiple reasons for that. No one can deny, however, that the two put on a 15-minute performance that blew people away.Blaydes vs. Hokit was not the matchup a lot of people were excited about entering UFC 327. It felt like a fight that was solely designed for Hokit to get another victory and move him, lightning fast, up the ranks of a lackluster heavyweight scene in the UFC.Josh HokitHokit’s MMA career is still fairly young. He was a standout wrestler at Fresno State; in 2018, he became the college’s first All-American in the sport since 2003. But Hokit chose the football life, having also served as a tight end and fullback at Fresno State. Hokit went undrafted in 2020 but signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. Unfortunately for Hokit, he spent 2020-22 solely on the practice squad or futures contracts with the 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.But then Hokit made his way to MMA. He scored a pair of finishes with Bellator in 2023 and 2024 before three straight first-round finishes with the LFA in 2025. That set him up for a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he scored a second-round stoppage over Guilherme Uriel. Hokit then fought at UFC Vegas 111 and UFC 324, scoring first-round finishes over Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman, respectively.Hokit, however, has been a very big magnet of controversy. He delivers cringe-style promos and characters in a way that makes you think he belongs in WWE more than UFC. He dropped the N-word at UFC 324. He has called Britney Griner and former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama men. The UFC 324 promo, in particular, was lambasted by several outlets, and even UFC CEO and President Dana White couldn’t defend it.But White also knows eye-drawing attention when he sees it, and it seems he sees that with Hokit.Curtis BlaydesBlaydes, however, has also been subjected to a lot of criticism. A lot of it has been centered around feelings that Blaydes hasn’t been the most exciting fighter to watch. Blaydes was an NJCAA national wrestling champion, and he uses that wrestling as his base in MMA. The result is one of those fighting styles that focuses on takedowns and control on the ground that you don’t mind if you appreciate wrestling and grappling, or that you absolutely hate if you want to see heavyweights stand and bang.White has also been a previous critic of Bladyes’ fight style and attitude.Blaydes has also not performed in some of his bigger opportunities, from his KO loss to Derrick Lewis in 2021, to getting stopped by Sergei Pavlovich in 2023, and getting quickly finished by Tom Aspinall in their interim title fight in 2024. It’s given him a lot of “low Fight IQ” and “glass jaw” tags.The FightThe majority opinion was Hokit vs. Blaydes would go one of two ways: Hokit would finish Blaydes quickly or Blaydes would out-wrestle Hokit in a 15-minute snoozefest.Instead, for 15 minutes, these two went toe-for-toe and shot-for-shot. It got sloppy at times, it wasn’t the neatest fight, but, my goodness, was it a back-and-forth brawl that was fun to watch.Hokit looked like he’d get Blaydes out of there quickly. Then Blaydes finally was able to wrestle, and he started to trouble Hokit against the fence. Each man wobbled the other to points where it looked like the fight would get stopped, but it kept going. Each man looked like at one point or another they’d gas out, but both kept going.Hokit got his hand raised in the end, but it was the kind of fight heavyweight has been needing.With a murky championship picture and a slew of boring, losing, or undeserved fighters throughout the division, even in the rankings, Hokit and Blaydes put on a performance that is to be remembered. Depending how the rest of 2026 plays out, it might even be Fight of the Year.White still doesn’t like Hokit’s persona, but no one can deny Hokit has earned his stripes. He even got booked against Lewis for the White House card because of this night!Hats off to Hokit and Blaydes. Thanks for reminding us what heavyweight MMA can be. #Curtis #Blaydes #Josh #Hokit #Exceeded #Expectations #UFC #Deadspin.com

lackluster heavyweight scene in the UFC.

Josh Hokit

Hokit’s MMA career is still fairly young. He was a standout wrestler at Fresno State; in 2018, he became the college’s first All-American in the sport since 2003. But Hokit chose the football life, having also served as a tight end and fullback at Fresno State. Hokit went undrafted in 2020 but signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. Unfortunately for Hokit, he spent 2020-22 solely on the practice squad or futures contracts with the 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.

But then Hokit made his way to MMA. He scored a pair of finishes with Bellator in 2023 and 2024 before three straight first-round finishes with the LFA in 2025. That set him up for a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he scored a second-round stoppage over Guilherme Uriel. Hokit then fought at UFC Vegas 111 and UFC 324, scoring first-round finishes over Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman, respectively.

Hokit, however, has been a very big magnet of controversy. He delivers cringe-style promos and characters in a way that makes you think he belongs in WWE more than UFC. He dropped the N-word at UFC 324. He has called Britney Griner and former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama men. The UFC 324 promo, in particular, was lambasted by several outlets, and even UFC CEO and President Dana White couldn’t defend it.

But White also knows eye-drawing attention when he sees it, and it seems he sees that with Hokit.

Curtis Blaydes

Blaydes, however, has also been subjected to a lot of criticism. A lot of it has been centered around feelings that Blaydes hasn’t been the most exciting fighter to watch. Blaydes was an NJCAA national wrestling champion, and he uses that wrestling as his base in MMA. The result is one of those fighting styles that focuses on takedowns and control on the ground that you don’t mind if you appreciate wrestling and grappling, or that you absolutely hate if you want to see heavyweights stand and bang.

White has also been a previous critic of Bladyes’ fight style and attitude.

Blaydes has also not performed in some of his bigger opportunities, from his KO loss to Derrick Lewis in 2021, to getting stopped by Sergei Pavlovich in 2023, and getting quickly finished by Tom Aspinall in their interim title fight in 2024. It’s given him a lot of “low Fight IQ” and “glass jaw” tags.

The Fight

The majority opinion was Hokit vs. Blaydes would go one of two ways: Hokit would finish Blaydes quickly or Blaydes would out-wrestle Hokit in a 15-minute snoozefest.

Instead, for 15 minutes, these two went toe-for-toe and shot-for-shot. It got sloppy at times, it wasn’t the neatest fight, but, my goodness, was it a back-and-forth brawl that was fun to watch.

Hokit looked like he’d get Blaydes out of there quickly. Then Blaydes finally was able to wrestle, and he started to trouble Hokit against the fence. Each man wobbled the other to points where it looked like the fight would get stopped, but it kept going. Each man looked like at one point or another they’d gas out, but both kept going.

Hokit got his hand raised in the end, but it was the kind of fight heavyweight has been needing.

With a murky championship picture and a slew of boring, losing, or undeserved fighters throughout the division, even in the rankings, Hokit and Blaydes put on a performance that is to be remembered. Depending how the rest of 2026 plays out, it might even be Fight of the Year.

White still doesn’t like Hokit’s persona, but no one can deny Hokit has earned his stripes. He even got booked against Lewis for the White House card because of this night!

Hats off to Hokit and Blaydes. Thanks for reminding us what heavyweight MMA can be.

#Curtis #Blaydes #Josh #Hokit #Exceeded #Expectations #UFC #Deadspin.com">How Curtis Blaydes vs Josh Hokit Exceeded All Expectations at UFC 327 | Deadspin.com

Expectations were not high for the heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Josh Hokit at UFC 327. There were multiple reasons for that. No one can deny, however, that the two put on a 15-minute performance that blew people away.

Blaydes vs. Hokit was not the matchup a lot of people were excited about entering UFC 327. 

It felt like a fight that was solely designed for Hokit to get another victory and move him, lightning fast, up the ranks of a lackluster heavyweight scene in the UFC.

Josh Hokit

Hokit’s MMA career is still fairly young. He was a standout wrestler at Fresno State; in 2018, he became the college’s first All-American in the sport since 2003. But Hokit chose the football life, having also served as a tight end and fullback at Fresno State. Hokit went undrafted in 2020 but signed a contract with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. Unfortunately for Hokit, he spent 2020-22 solely on the practice squad or futures contracts with the 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals.

But then Hokit made his way to MMA. He scored a pair of finishes with Bellator in 2023 and 2024 before three straight first-round finishes with the LFA in 2025. That set him up for a shot on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he scored a second-round stoppage over Guilherme Uriel. Hokit then fought at UFC Vegas 111 and UFC 324, scoring first-round finishes over Max Gimenis and Denzel Freeman, respectively.

Hokit, however, has been a very big magnet of controversy. He delivers cringe-style promos and characters in a way that makes you think he belongs in WWE more than UFC. He dropped the N-word at UFC 324. He has called Britney Griner and former U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama men. The UFC 324 promo, in particular, was lambasted by several outlets, and even UFC CEO and President Dana White couldn’t defend it.

But White also knows eye-drawing attention when he sees it, and it seems he sees that with Hokit.

Curtis Blaydes

Blaydes, however, has also been subjected to a lot of criticism. A lot of it has been centered around feelings that Blaydes hasn’t been the most exciting fighter to watch. Blaydes was an NJCAA national wrestling champion, and he uses that wrestling as his base in MMA. The result is one of those fighting styles that focuses on takedowns and control on the ground that you don’t mind if you appreciate wrestling and grappling, or that you absolutely hate if you want to see heavyweights stand and bang.

White has also been a previous critic of Bladyes’ fight style and attitude.

Blaydes has also not performed in some of his bigger opportunities, from his KO loss to Derrick Lewis in 2021, to getting stopped by Sergei Pavlovich in 2023, and getting quickly finished by Tom Aspinall in their interim title fight in 2024. It’s given him a lot of “low Fight IQ” and “glass jaw” tags.

The Fight

The majority opinion was Hokit vs. Blaydes would go one of two ways: Hokit would finish Blaydes quickly or Blaydes would out-wrestle Hokit in a 15-minute snoozefest.

Instead, for 15 minutes, these two went toe-for-toe and shot-for-shot. It got sloppy at times, it wasn’t the neatest fight, but, my goodness, was it a back-and-forth brawl that was fun to watch.

Hokit looked like he’d get Blaydes out of there quickly. Then Blaydes finally was able to wrestle, and he started to trouble Hokit against the fence. Each man wobbled the other to points where it looked like the fight would get stopped, but it kept going. Each man looked like at one point or another they’d gas out, but both kept going.

Hokit got his hand raised in the end, but it was the kind of fight heavyweight has been needing.

With a murky championship picture and a slew of boring, losing, or undeserved fighters throughout the division, even in the rankings, Hokit and Blaydes put on a performance that is to be remembered. Depending how the rest of 2026 plays out, it might even be Fight of the Year.

White still doesn’t like Hokit’s persona, but no one can deny Hokit has earned his stripes. He even got booked against Lewis for the White House card because of this night!

Hats off to Hokit and Blaydes. Thanks for reminding us what heavyweight MMA can be.

#Curtis #Blaydes #Josh #Hokit #Exceeded #Expectations #UFC #Deadspin.com

Top seed Mirra Andreeva overcame ​a first-set wobble to clinch her ‌second title of the year, ​beating local favourite ⁠Anastasia Potapova 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to win the Linz Open on Sunday. ‌Russian Andreeva, who won the Adelaide International in ‌January, has now won ‌five ⁠WTA titles after breaking ⁠a claycourt title drought stretching back to 2024 ahead of next month’s ​French Open.

Andreeva ‌made 14 unforced errors in the first set, twice as many as Potapova, who broke ‌Andreeva twice to build ​a 4-1 lead and secured the set when the ⁠world number 10’s forehand hit the net.

But Andreeva, a former ‌French Open semifinalist, became more aggressive in the second set, getting two breaks in a row to go 3-2 up before sealing the ‌set with an ace.

World number 97 ​Potapova, born in Russia and looking to win ⁠the Linz Open for the second ⁠time, continued to make unforced errors and 18-year-old ‌Andreeva served accurately to close out the win.

Published on Apr 12, 2026

#Andreeva #fights #beat #Potapova #Linz #Open #final">Andreeva fights back to beat Potapova in Linz Open final Top seed Mirra Andreeva overcame ​a first-set wobble to clinch her ‌second title of the year, ​beating local favourite ⁠Anastasia Potapova 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 to win the Linz Open on Sunday. ‌Russian Andreeva, who won the Adelaide International in ‌January, has now won ‌five ⁠WTA titles after breaking ⁠a claycourt title drought stretching back to 2024 ahead of next month’s ​French Open.Andreeva ‌made 14 unforced errors in the first set, twice as many as Potapova, who broke ‌Andreeva twice to build ​a 4-1 lead and secured the set when the ⁠world number 10’s forehand hit the net.But Andreeva, a former ‌French Open semifinalist, became more aggressive in the second set, getting two breaks in a row to go 3-2 up before sealing the ‌set with an ace.World number 97 ​Potapova, born in Russia and looking to win ⁠the Linz Open for the second ⁠time, continued to make unforced errors and 18-year-old ‌Andreeva served accurately to close out the win.Published on Apr 12, 2026 #Andreeva #fights #beat #Potapova #Linz #Open #final

After a wonderful opening two days at The Masters, it felt like Rory McIlroy was going to run away with a second green jacket; however, it wouldn’t be Augusta without a little drama. Rory was far less consistent on Saturday, with two more squares on his score card than the first two days combined.

Just one day ago, McIlroy broke the record for the largest lead ever after 36 holes at Augusta, and in just 18 holes, he finds himself tied with Cam Young. Rory’s no stranger to weekend struggles at Augusta, as during the 2011 Masters, he blew a 4-shot lead heading into Sunday, throwing an 80 on his card, to finish all the way down in a tie for 15th.

I’m not here to languish in Rory’s previous struggles; I’m actually here to talk about the best golfer on the planet, Scottie Scheffler. Through Friday, Scottie sat at even par after a tough Friday round where he finished +2. But that’s the thing with Scheffler, no matter how far back he may feel, he always gives himself a chance on Sunday.

Scottie started the weekend with a bogey-free 65, flying up 17 spots, putting him in a tie for 7th. In 2024, Scottie pulled off a 4-stroke final round comeback to win the Olympics and a 5-stroke come-from-behind victory at The Players Championship. He’s no stranger to massive comebacks, and he was playing out of his mind on Saturday.

There are some great golfers ahead of Scheffler, but when you can find +1000 odds on the best player on the planet when he’s in striking distance on Sunday, I think you have to take it. If Scottie can come out fast on Sunday and immediately put pressure on the guys at the top of the leaderboard, I really think he can pull off the massive upset.

Entering Saturday, Rory was a -250 favorite, and now finds himself at a much smaller +135 favorite. On the other hand, Scottie went from 60/1 to 10/1 in a single day, so the oddsmakers are at least getting concerned about a surging Scheffler.

Before the tournament started this week, I wrote that it’s never a bad bet to take Scottie when he’s playing. I never bet on a guy who opens at 5/1 to win a tournament, but now that he’s in striking distance and 10/1, I think it’s worth taking a shot.

#Scottie #Scheffler #Play #Sunday #Masters #Deadspin.com">Why Scottie Scheffler Is the Play on Sunday at The Masters | Deadspin.com After a wonderful opening two days at The Masters, it felt like Rory McIlroy was going to run away with a second green jacket; however, it wouldn’t be Augusta without a little drama. Rory was far less consistent on Saturday, with two more squares on his score card than the first two days combined.Just one day ago, McIlroy broke the record for the largest lead ever after 36 holes at Augusta, and in just 18 holes, he finds himself tied with Cam Young. Rory’s no stranger to weekend struggles at Augusta, as during the 2011 Masters, he blew a 4-shot lead heading into Sunday, throwing an 80 on his card, to finish all the way down in a tie for 15th.I’m not here to languish in Rory’s previous struggles; I’m actually here to talk about the best golfer on the planet, Scottie Scheffler. Through Friday, Scottie sat at even par after a tough Friday round where he finished +2. But that’s the thing with Scheffler, no matter how far back he may feel, he always gives himself a chance on Sunday.Scottie started the weekend with a bogey-free 65, flying up 17 spots, putting him in a tie for 7th. In 2024, Scottie pulled off a 4-stroke final round comeback to win the Olympics and a 5-stroke come-from-behind victory at The Players Championship. He’s no stranger to massive comebacks, and he was playing out of his mind on Saturday.There are some great golfers ahead of Scheffler, but when you can find +1000 odds on the best player on the planet when he’s in striking distance on Sunday, I think you have to take it. If Scottie can come out fast on Sunday and immediately put pressure on the guys at the top of the leaderboard, I really think he can pull off the massive upset.Entering Saturday, Rory was a -250 favorite, and now finds himself at a much smaller +135 favorite. On the other hand, Scottie went from 60/1 to 10/1 in a single day, so the oddsmakers are at least getting concerned about a surging Scheffler.Before the tournament started this week, I wrote that it’s never a bad bet to take Scottie when he’s playing. I never bet on a guy who opens at 5/1 to win a tournament, but now that he’s in striking distance and 10/1, I think it’s worth taking a shot. #Scottie #Scheffler #Play #Sunday #Masters #Deadspin.com

a second green jacket; however, it wouldn’t be Augusta without a little drama. Rory was far less consistent on Saturday, with two more squares on his score card than the first two days combined.

Just one day ago, McIlroy broke the record for the largest lead ever after 36 holes at Augusta, and in just 18 holes, he finds himself tied with Cam Young. Rory’s no stranger to weekend struggles at Augusta, as during the 2011 Masters, he blew a 4-shot lead heading into Sunday, throwing an 80 on his card, to finish all the way down in a tie for 15th.

I’m not here to languish in Rory’s previous struggles; I’m actually here to talk about the best golfer on the planet, Scottie Scheffler. Through Friday, Scottie sat at even par after a tough Friday round where he finished +2. But that’s the thing with Scheffler, no matter how far back he may feel, he always gives himself a chance on Sunday.

Scottie started the weekend with a bogey-free 65, flying up 17 spots, putting him in a tie for 7th. In 2024, Scottie pulled off a 4-stroke final round comeback to win the Olympics and a 5-stroke come-from-behind victory at The Players Championship. He’s no stranger to massive comebacks, and he was playing out of his mind on Saturday.

There are some great golfers ahead of Scheffler, but when you can find +1000 odds on the best player on the planet when he’s in striking distance on Sunday, I think you have to take it. If Scottie can come out fast on Sunday and immediately put pressure on the guys at the top of the leaderboard, I really think he can pull off the massive upset.

Entering Saturday, Rory was a -250 favorite, and now finds himself at a much smaller +135 favorite. On the other hand, Scottie went from 60/1 to 10/1 in a single day, so the oddsmakers are at least getting concerned about a surging Scheffler.

Before the tournament started this week, I wrote that it’s never a bad bet to take Scottie when he’s playing. I never bet on a guy who opens at 5/1 to win a tournament, but now that he’s in striking distance and 10/1, I think it’s worth taking a shot.

#Scottie #Scheffler #Play #Sunday #Masters #Deadspin.com">Why Scottie Scheffler Is the Play on Sunday at The Masters | Deadspin.com

After a wonderful opening two days at The Masters, it felt like Rory McIlroy was going to run away with a second green jacket; however, it wouldn’t be Augusta without a little drama. Rory was far less consistent on Saturday, with two more squares on his score card than the first two days combined.

Just one day ago, McIlroy broke the record for the largest lead ever after 36 holes at Augusta, and in just 18 holes, he finds himself tied with Cam Young. Rory’s no stranger to weekend struggles at Augusta, as during the 2011 Masters, he blew a 4-shot lead heading into Sunday, throwing an 80 on his card, to finish all the way down in a tie for 15th.

I’m not here to languish in Rory’s previous struggles; I’m actually here to talk about the best golfer on the planet, Scottie Scheffler. Through Friday, Scottie sat at even par after a tough Friday round where he finished +2. But that’s the thing with Scheffler, no matter how far back he may feel, he always gives himself a chance on Sunday.

Scottie started the weekend with a bogey-free 65, flying up 17 spots, putting him in a tie for 7th. In 2024, Scottie pulled off a 4-stroke final round comeback to win the Olympics and a 5-stroke come-from-behind victory at The Players Championship. He’s no stranger to massive comebacks, and he was playing out of his mind on Saturday.

There are some great golfers ahead of Scheffler, but when you can find +1000 odds on the best player on the planet when he’s in striking distance on Sunday, I think you have to take it. If Scottie can come out fast on Sunday and immediately put pressure on the guys at the top of the leaderboard, I really think he can pull off the massive upset.

Entering Saturday, Rory was a -250 favorite, and now finds himself at a much smaller +135 favorite. On the other hand, Scottie went from 60/1 to 10/1 in a single day, so the oddsmakers are at least getting concerned about a surging Scheffler.

Before the tournament started this week, I wrote that it’s never a bad bet to take Scottie when he’s playing. I never bet on a guy who opens at 5/1 to win a tournament, but now that he’s in striking distance and 10/1, I think it’s worth taking a shot.

#Scottie #Scheffler #Play #Sunday #Masters #Deadspin.com

Post Comment