Author: PlayActionNews

Josh Thomson thinks a prime Alex Pereira would fall at the hands of a late, great knockout artist.Nobody has torn through the UFC quite the like the former two-division champion. Pereira started a speed run in the UFC’s middleweight division, scoring KO after KO, and then going 1-1 with Israel Adesanya before he bounced back at light heavyweight.Pereira began 5-0 at 205 lbs, with four knockouts in four title fights. Pereira eventually lost to Magomed Ankalaev in the main event of UFC 313 in March, by decision. Recently cast as a A24 movie villain, ‘Poatan’ seeks his real-life revenge against…

THE best teams in Europe are set to go head-to-head once again as the Champions League returns for another thrilling season.PSG are the current kings of the continent after thrashing Inter Milan 5-0 in the Munich final last term.1PSG head into this season’s Champions League as defending championsCredit: AFPThe French giants are among the favourites for the trophy once again, as are Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid. Six Premier League teams have earned the right to mix it with the big boys in the Champions League this season.Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle, Chelsea and Europa League winners Tottenham will…

On Opening Day, the heavy favorites for Rookie of the Year included a coveted ace from Japan, a second-overall pick with across-the-board tools, a touted third-baseman who’d just won his first big league job, and a 22-year-old kid so otherworldly he was nicknamed The Martian.Roki Sasaki, Dylan Crews, Matt Shaw and Jasson Domínguez were, at the time, the leading candidates on BetMGM to take home the hardware. Today, not one of them ranks in the top 20 in FanGraphs WAR among rookies. Among the players who were nowhere to be found among the start-of-season rookie front runners: Athletics first baseman…

Skip Bayless is joining Gilbert Arenas for a new football show, Bayless told The Athletic.“I’m not exaggerating to you,” Bayless said over the phone. “I’m telling you, the God’s truth, I’m more on fire for this than I have ever been.”The show will be produced and owned by Underdog, who host Arenas’ current basketball program, Gil’s Arena, that has gained popularity in the digital world. “The Arena: Gridiron” will feature Bayless, former NFL cornerback Aqib Talib and former NFL coach Jay Gruden.Arenas will also appear on the football program, while Gerald McCoy and Cody Kessler will be guests. Social media…

Legendary boxing commentator Al Bernstein has voiced intense criticism of the current state of live sportscasting, branding it an ‘epidemic’ that is undermining the role of commentators at ringside. Bernstein, one of the most respected analysts in the sport who also made a cameo in Rocky V, says that too many announcers are now more concerned with telling stories or analyzing side issues than chronicling the action unfolding before them. Bernstein’s “Epidemic” “This is becoming an epidemic in sportscasting. In the last three days, I’ve watched a bunch of events in several sports, and announcers are so busy storytelling or…

This article is part of the annual Fantasy Court series. Don’t forget to check out “The Case AGAINST Sam LaPorta” for the opposing view. Opening Statement Disappointment is all relative, right? That’s certainly the story for Sam LaPorta. Drafted as the second TE off the board in 2024, he carried an average ADP of 30 by the end of draft season. If you took LaPorta, you likely passed on players like James Cook, Mike Evans, or Lamar Jackson. Despite the high draft cost, LaPorta finished with 26 fewer receptions and nearly 50 fewer targets than in his rookie season. As a…

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Los Angeles Chargers running back Najee Harris returned to practice Wednesday, and coach Jim Harbaugh said there is a “possibility” Harris will be ready for the team’s Week 1 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil. Jim Harbaugh said Najee Harris will practice this week and there’s a “possibility” Harris will be ready for Week 1. — Daniel Popper (@danielrpopper) August 27, 2025Harris spent all of training camp on the non-football injury list after injuring his right eye in a July 4 fireworks accident. He came off NFI on Tuesday when the Chargers made their…

On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings completed a trade. The Panthers receive a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick.  However, the biggest news coming out of this deal is that WR Adam Thielen is heading back home. Minnesota got Thielen, a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick, and a 2027 fifth-round pick. Ahead of the 2025 season, the Vikings were struggling for WR depth. Now, Adam Thielen is back where he began his NFL career. Adam Thielen was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday Homecoming: Panthers and Vikings are finalizing a trade for WR Adam Thielen to…

LOS ANGELES — All-Star Freddie Freeman was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Wednesday because of a nerve issue in his neck.Manager Dave Roberts said Freeman had a “stinger,” which typically affects a network of nerves extending from the neck into the shoulder and arm.“It’s something that is recurring, but it’s been kind of showing itself a little bit the last couple days,” Roberts said. “I think that just giving him a couple days, with the off day tomorrow, he’ll be back on Friday.”Kiké Hernández was set to start at first base in place of Freeman against the…

Micah Parsons flew out of DFW Airport on Wednesday morning. Alas, he was not headed to Green Bay or a new home anywhere else.Jane Slater of NFL Media reports that Parsons is seeking a second opinion on his back.The Cowboys had Parsons undergo an MRI on his back Sunday, and coach Brian Schottenheimer said the results were “pretty clean.” If Parsons is going to continue to hold in until he receives a contract extension, he will need a doctor to sign off on his back “tightness” being too much to play through.He occasionally cited that for not practicing with the…