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4 years ago

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8:23 AM ET

Saturday’s UFC 263 main event in Glendale, Arizona will feature middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, defending his belt against Marvin Vettori.

It is a rematch of a non-title bout that took place in April 2018, coincidentally, in Glendale. Adesanya (20-1) defeated Vettori (17-3-1) via split decision in a three-round fight in which Adesanya had his way on the feet, but Vettori staged a late comeback behind his ground game.

Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman didn’t watch that fight live, but he remembers the feedback he received from those who did.

“There was a lot of clout behind Adesanya, everyone thought he was really good,” Weidman told ESPN. “But then I remember it getting back to me that some Italian guy who wasn’t a wrestler was outwrestling him.”

Ahead of this weekend’s championship rematch, Weidman took a closer look at that first meeting. Weidman says there is plenty to take away from it, even three years later.

“It’s really going to come down to strategy, what they bring to the table and what they learned from the first fight,” Weidman said.

Here are his keys to the fight, as told to ESPN.

No. 1: Vettori’s takedowns

If you watch Vettori in the first fight, he got to a clinch position in the first round, which is perfect. He got his hands locked. If you do that, it should be a takedown every time — but he was clueless there. He kept trying to do an inside trip, like three or four times, and it was awful. You can’t get an inside trip on anybody the way he was doing it. You really have to bring your body to one side and commit to it.

I hope he worked on his clinch offense, but that’s just not who he is. Vettori is not a wrestler, and it takes a different kind of cardio to do that for five rounds. He’s more of a striker, so he’s really going to have to change his style.

At the same time, the single leg he shot into a double in the third round — he didn’t even have his hands clasped properly and he was able to pull Adesanya down. Which … just tells me Israel is not that strong. Vettori wouldn’t be able to pull a normal guy’s leg, with poor technique, the way he did in that fight, but that’s something Vettori felt leaving that cage. The grappling exchanges in the first fight had a lot to do with strength. Adesanya is a weak guy for the weight class. He’s smaller and skinny — which is why he has great cardio and great range — but if you grab him, he’s not that strong. Vettori definitely knows Israel is not the strongest dude. He had a couple takedown attempts that were just awful, but I think that’s because it’s foreign to him. If he can just improve his technique, he’ll have an easier time this time around.

No. 2: Adesanya’s feints

Adesanya’s feints are so important. If he’s able to land some big punches in that first round, he’ll probably be able to win this fight on feints alone the rest of the way. He’ll start baiting Vettori with feints and then land the big stuff — he could really pick him apart. Honestly, his feints are probably his best weapon.

I really don’t think there’s anybody better than Adesanya at feints, distance control and creating the dance he wants. Having people overreact and underreact. In the first fight, he made Vettori overreact with feints, and then underreact when … actually throwing — just by feinting. Make him worry about what he’s doing next.

This is the fight Adesanya needs to be fighting. When he does this, he is so tough to close the distance on because there are so many weapons you have to worry about. You can see Vettori getting frustrated, stuck throwing one punch at a time.

No. 3: Adesanya’s problems off his back?

It looks like Adesanya has almost two different lines of strategy that he’s struggling with. One is that you take your time, you conserve energy, don’t rush to get back to your feet — because in that process, a lot of mistakes can be made and your opponent can capitalize. The other train of thought is nonstop moving on your back. If the other guy is better than you on the ground, you keep moving, looking for a way back to your feet.

In the first fight, Adesanya looked like he was stuck between the two strategies and never really chose one. There have been amazing strikers who will literally just hold position on the bottom. Anderson Silva had an amazing career as someone who wasn’t the biggest [and] strongest [or the] best grappler, but if you spent the energy to take him down, he would just relax, stay calm and wait for the referee to stand you up and … [be] less tired than you are, or wait for the next round.

Adesanya has either option available to him, but in this fight I think the way to get off his back is to create frames, get his back against the cage and get back to his feet. Actually put himself in harm’s way, because Vettori isn’t the guy I’m worried about taking my back and choking me out. I wouldn’t mind Adesanya getting an underhook and even giving up his back to get to his feet, because I don’t think there’s much danger there. If you’re fighting a skilled jiu-jitsu practitioner like Demian Maia, you don’t do that. So, it depends on the guy you’re fighting. In this fight, he has to do a better job of getting to his feet and creating a scramble.

No. 4: Vettori ‘bringing his feet with him’

One of the things Vettori struggled with in the first and second rounds is that he didn’t bring his feet with him after the left hand. He throws the left hand, the feet stay behind and Adesanya, being the longer guy, is able to reach him. It’s wasted movement and it puts Vettori in trouble, where he can be countered.

Now, going into the third round, his coaches must have said something to him because he’s a whole new guy. He’s walking forward with his feet underneath him the whole time. He’s throwing the left cross and the right jab comes right after. He’s dangerous with the right hook now. You can see this is making Adesanya uncomfortable. He’s backing up. He’s getting sloppy. He’s starting to throw strikes he wasn’t throwing before. This is the kind of fight Vettori can win.

Can Vettori stay relaxed while bringing that constant pressure? And even when he does, it gives him more options to win the fight, but it also makes Adesanya way more diverse and dangerous because of his counter strikes. It’s almost like Vettori has to put himself into the fire to win. And I’m going to say, Adesanya saw that Vettori didn’t always bring his feet with him, and when that happens, he doesn’t have much power. Adesanya was unfazed by Vettori’s punching power, and I think that will allow Adesanya to open up and become his best self quicker in the fight, as there will be less of a feeling out process.

Prediction: When I watch the first fight and think about this second one, I don’t think either guy has changed too much. When Adesanya is at his best on his feet, he is something to watch. I think the odds are stacked in his favor. I just don’t think Vettori has it in him to pressure and make it sloppy for five rounds without exhausting himself and eventually being put in a position he doesn’t want to be in, getting clipped and put out. He’s a tough dude, but he hasn’t been conditioned to wrestle a guy like Adesanya for five rounds, so I’m picking Adesanya.

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Tennessee, Ga. Tech set up home-and-home series

Published

56 mins ago

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April 9, 2025

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Tennessee, Ga. Tech set up home-and-home series

  • ESPN News Services

Apr 9, 2025, 04:22 PM ET

Tennessee and Georgia Tech will play a home-and-home football series in 2026 and 2027, the schools announced Wednesday.

The Volunteers will travel to Atlanta to face the Yellow Jackets on Sept. 12, 2026. Sources told ESPN’s Chris Low that that game is likely to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and not on campus, but has yet to be finalized.

Georgia Tech will go to Knoxville on Sept. 11, 2027.

The series replaces two games Tennessee had scheduled against Nebraska for 2026 and 2027. Nebraska announced in February that it had backed out of those games.

“After Nebraska canceled the series, our main focus was to secure another home-and-home matchup with an opponent from a Power Four conference, which seemed improbable at the time,” Tennessee athletic director Danny White said. “I sincerely appreciate Athletic Director J Batt’s creativity in modifying Georgia Tech’s schedule to make this series possible.”

Tennessee and Georgia Tech met all but three seasons from 1954 to 1987. Tennessee won the most recent meeting 42-41 in overtime in the 2017 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Vols lead the all-time series 25-17-2.

“As we continue to invest in and elevate Georgia Tech football, securing elite-level competition is a critical component,” Batt said. “We’re thrilled to renew our rivalry with Tennessee and look forward to the matchups in Atlanta and Knoxville. I’m confident that our passionate Tech fans will embrace this series!”

The schools are separated by 200 miles, and both were members of the SEC from 1933 until the Yellow Jackets’ departure in 1963. Georgia Tech was an independent until it joined the ACC in 1983.

Georgia Tech also has a nonconference home game with Colorado in 2026.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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Stanley Cup playoff watch: Matchups to monitor Wednesday

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10 hours ago

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April 9, 2025

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Stanley Cup playoff watch: Matchups to monitor Wednesday

Following a busy, 10-game Tuesday night in the NHL, it’s a relatively quiet five-game evening on Wednesday.

Nevertheless, there are playoff and draft lottery ramifications aplenty, so let’s hit all five matchups rapid fire:

Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning
7 p.m. (ESPN+)

While the Leafs appear destined for a top two spot in the Atlantic, they can still be caught by the Lightning for the No. 1 seed. If the Lightning are going to do it, a game like this is a prime opportunity to make up ground with a regulation win.

Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers
7:30 p.m. (TNT)

The Rangers lost their two most recent games by a combined score of 9-1, and their playoff hopes are dwindling quickly. A win over the Flyers would be a good step in potentially climbing back into the playoffs. Philly is fourth in the draft lottery order heading into this matchup — and bear in mind they also own the first-round picks of the Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers.

San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild
8 p.m. (ESPN+)

Speaking of occupying a great place in the draft lottery order, the Sharks are No. 1, and are four points clear of the Chicago Blackhawks for that spot. The Wild are holding on to the second Western wild-card spot, and enter the evening four points up on the Flames.

St. Louis Blues at Edmonton Oilers
10 p.m. (TNT)

The Blues’ 12-game winning streak came to a halt on Monday at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, and they’ll be looking to start another one here against the Oilers. St. Louis is in the first wild-card position, two points ahead of the Wild. The Oilers appear to be a lock for the No. 3 spot in the Pacific, bringing on a first-round matchup with the Los Angeles Kings for the fourth straight postseason.

Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks
10 p.m. (ESPN+)

Calgary’s chances to jump into wild-card position have faded recently, so getting two points out of this game is crucial. As noted above, they are four points back of the Wild for that final spot. The Ducks enter the contest in the No. 8 spot in the lottery order, right in a jumble of teams between 73 and 76 points, so they can move up pretty easily based on their performance in the final five games.

With the regular season ending April 17, we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Minnesota Wild
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 St. Louis Blues
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Wednesday’s games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Toronto Maple Leafs at Tampa Bay Lightning, 7 p.m.
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)
San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild, 8 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Edmonton Oilers, 10 p.m. (TNT)
Calgary Flames at Anaheim Ducks, 10 p.m.

Tuesday’s scoreboard

Buffalo Sabres 3, Carolina Hurricanes 0
Montreal Canadiens 4, Detroit Red Wings 1
Florida Panthers 3, Toronto Maple Leafs 1
Boston Bruins 7, New Jersey Devils 2
Columbus Blue Jackets 5, Ottawa Senators 2
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Chicago Blackhawks 0
Nashville Predators 7, New York Islanders 6 (OT)
Vancouver Canucks 6, Dallas Stars 5 (OT)
Utah Hockey Club 7, Seattle Kraken 1
Colorado Avalanche 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2 (SO)

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 104.4
Next game: @ TB (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: vs. TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 4
Points pace: 98.8
Next game: vs. DET (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 94.6
Next game: vs. MTL (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 29
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 91.5
Next game: @ OTT (Friday)
Playoff chances: 89.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: @ FLA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 5.5%
Tragic number: 2

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 80.9
Next game: @ CBJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: E

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 3
Points pace: 75.8
Next game: vs. CHI (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Metro Division

Points: 107
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 114.0
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 102.2
Next game: @ WSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 4
Points pace: 93.6
Next game: vs. PIT (Friday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: vs. PHI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 1.9%
Tragic number: 3

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: vs. NYR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 3%
Tragic number: 2

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 84.1
Next game: vs. BUF (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.5%
Tragic number: 2

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 22
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 3
Points pace: 78.9
Next game: @ NJ (Friday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 75.6
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Central Division

Points: 110
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 115.6
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 106
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 111.4
Next game: vs. WPG (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 100
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 3
Points pace: 103.8
Next game: vs. VAN (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 3
Points pace: 96.5
Next game: @ EDM (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 97.3%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: vs. SJ (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 92.1%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 88.3
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 1

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 67.3
Next game: @ UTA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 56.8
Next game: @ BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

Points: 103
Regulation wins: 43
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 108.3
Next game: vs. SEA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 103.3
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 99.0
Next game: vs. STL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.6%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 92.7
Next game: @ ANA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 10.9%
Tragic number: 6

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 89.4
Next game: @ COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 2

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 80.9
Next game: vs. CGY (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 3
Points pace: 76.8
Next game: @ VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 53.3
Next game: @ MIN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Note: A “y” means that the team has clinched the division title. An “x” means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.

Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19

Points: 64
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 73
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 22

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 76
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32

Points: 84
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 87
Regulation wins: 28

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Sabres’ postseason drought reaches 14 seasons

Published

10 hours ago

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April 9, 2025

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Sabres' postseason drought reaches 14 seasons

  • Associated Press

Apr 9, 2025, 12:14 AM ET

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Sabres were officially eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention for the 14th straight season Tuesday night.

The Sabres extended their playoff drought, which is the longest in NHL history and ties them with the NFL’s New York Jets for the longest current run of seasons since qualifying for the postseason.

Buffalo initially set the record after the 2021-22 season when they missed the postseason for the 11th straight time.

“We know where we’re at,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said. “I’m disappointed where we’re at and we can’t do anything with that, but we can work on our game and we’re going to continue to work on our game until it’s over.”

Ruff is in his second stint as coach of the Sabres. He was hired in May to replace Don Granato. Ruff was the last person to coach Buffalo to the playoffs in 2011 before he was fired in 2013.

The Sabres beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Tuesday night to keep a shred of hope alive, but the Montreal Canadiens‘ 4-1 win at home against the Detroit Red Wings left Buffalo 11 points behind with five games remaining.

“It’s mixed emotions, for sure,” Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin said. “I mean, (ticked) that we started to play good now. It’s too late. But also, it’s good we can see that we can play good hockey, and we can beat any team in this league.”

The Sabres were able to stave off elimination until their 77th game thanks to winning 10 of their last 13 games, including five straight. However, a staggering 13-game losing streak in November and December in which they went 0-10-3 doomed the season.

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