With a deep scar on his upper lip, a dark, bushy beard and only stubble on his head, Khamzat Chimaev has shown no fear while preparing to face UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.

This does not mean Chimaev is fearless. That became clear this week when the Russian-born MMA fighter explained why he is building a gym for kids near his home in the Chechen Republic.

“It’s scaring me,’’ Chimaev said. “MMA’s a scary sport…I don’t think MMA can be good for the kids because we’re punching in the face. We (break) each other.’’

For the record, Chimaev got the scar on his lip not from MMA but from falling down on concrete stairs at the age of two. Now 31, he’s inflicting the damage on men in the Octagon.

He enters the title fight against du Plessis at 14-0, including 8-0 in the UFC, with 6 KOs and six victories by submissions. Some of his victories have been bloody and brutal.

But Chimaev does not want his success to have an unintended effect on the children, especially those using his gym in the Chechen Republic.

“This is an amazing sport but not for the kids,’’ he said. “So I think it should be at least 15 years to train some different sports. Boxing or judo or wrestling, grappling. There are a lot of different sports for the young boys.

“So that’s why,’’ he added of not building a cage in his gym.

By contrast, Chimaev expressed no fear about his opponent, especially when asked about Du Plessis’ infamous trash talk.

“Whatever he says, I don’t care about,” Chimaev said. ‘So I come here to beat him up, take my money and go home.”

One of the most anticipated podcast episodes of 2025 – and maybe of all time – is here.

The ‘New Heights’ podcast featuring brothers Jason and Travis Kelce had one of its highest-profile guests in its history today: Grammy Award-winning artist Taylor Swift.

Swift and Travis Kelce have been a couple since September 2023. He attended one of Swift’s shows at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – home of his Kansas City Chiefs – that summer and the two started dating shortly afterward.

The Kelce brothers started the ‘New Heights’ podcast in September 2022 and it’s grown into one of the most popular podcasts on streaming platforms. Amazon’s streaming platform Wondery bought the distribution and ad sales rights to the show for $100 million in August 2024.

The podcast teased her appearance earlier this week with multiple clips. One in particular is of key interest for Swifties: her announcement of the release of her new album ‘The Life of a Showgirl.’

The podcast was live on YouTube and other streaming platforms. USA Today Sports provided updates of Swift’s first appearance on ‘New Heights’:

How to listen to the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift

The podcast is available on all streaming platforms. It’s currently the top show on Apple Music and can also be streamed on Spotify. The premiere will also be available on the show’s YouTube channel at 7 p.m. ET.

Where to watch the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift

You can catch the ‘New Heights’ in video format on YouTube only.

Taylor Swift’s ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment

Jason Kelce asked what Swift’s ‘welcome to the NFL’ moment was, and she mentioned the 2024 AFC championship game, the Chiefs won over the Baltimore Ravens 17-10. That was the first time she stepped onto the field.

‘We’re in the suite and he’s just won the AFC championship, we’re freaking out, everybody’s screaming,’ she recalled. ‘And his mom goes, ‘all right, let’s go down to the field.’ And I was like, ‘what are we doing, what do you mean? We’re going where?”

She asked Travis’ mother, Donna, if he was okay with that.

‘We hadn’t talked about this,’ Swift said. ‘He doesn’t jinx anything which I respect… but we hadn’t had a conversation about it.’

‘Mama knows best,’ Travis said. ‘She knew I wanted you down there.’

When she got down to the field, she was shocked by the environment Travis went through during the game.

‘It’s just like, oh my god,’ she said. ‘There’s so many lights. I’ve never seen this many cameras, I’ve never seen this much media in my life and I’ve seen a lot of media.’

Swift says she and Travis Kelce have ‘very similar’ jobs

‘On paper, we actually kind of have a very similar job,’ Swift said. ‘Our job is to entertain people for three-plus hours in NFL stadiums. When I’m there it’s called a dressing room, when Travis is there it’s called a locker room.’

Swift, Travis Kelce see the impact they have on new NFL fans

Much has been made about the increase in viewership of NFL games involving the Chiefs since Travis and Swift started dating. The two have seen that impact anecdotally as well.

‘It definitely feels like a lot of people say that to us which is really kind because there was never a thought in either of our heads that that was going to be a by-product,’ Swift said.

‘That was a pleasant surprise, seeing all the little girls in the stands at games and you can see a proud father right there standing next to them,’ Travis agreed. ‘It’s definitely been fun to see that surprise.’

Swift says her dad is friends with Chiefs coach Andy Reid

Swift said her father, Scott, is friends with the Super Bowl-winning head coach after Reid had come to some of her shows. But she admits she didn’t fully know what Reid was doing.

‘I knew that was my dad’s friend Andy Reid,’ she said. ‘I now know that he is literally the most iconic, legendary coach of all time… his leadership style, I respect it so much because I feel like it’s done without aggression or raising your voice or losing your composure.’

Reid even vouched for Travis with Scott.

‘Basically everyone who likes [Travis], which is a lot of people, started reaching out to everyone who knows me,’ Swift recalled. ‘I think it was like Andy was vouching for you, my relatives, my cousins.’

Swift compares pressure in football to performing

‘I love this new world that Travis has shown me,’ Swift said. ‘It’s so fun, it’s so exciting. There’s so much pressure on these players… I’ve only ever been in music and been like, you know, seeing that. The pressure on sports is just such a different type that I have such a respect for everyone. Everyone I meet on his team, everyone I see doing this, I’m just like ‘you’ve been focused on this since you were a kid.’ And it shows.’

What is Wondery?

Wondery is a podcast network owned by Amazon. The platform signed a deal in 2024 for $100 million to hold the distribution and ad sales rights for the ‘New Heights’ podcast for three years.

Swift, Jason Kelce agree on her improved football knowledge

Swift said she’s fallen in love with football and become obsessed with it, including the NFL Draft.

‘I became a person who was running through the halls of my house screaming, ‘We drafted Xavier Worthy,” she said, referring to the Chiefs’ first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. ‘My friends were like, ‘What? Who body snatched you? What do you mean?’

Travis said she was the first person to tell him Kansas City drafted him.

She is also learning about the side of the ball that game plans to stop Travis.

‘We’re talking about Cover 2, Cover 4, Cover 0, man coverage,’ she said. ‘I continue to learn… I’m not ready to be an analyst right now but give me 16 months.’

‘You had asked some of the best questions when we’re up in the booth,’ Jason said. ‘Your desire to learn more but your genuine excitement around it as well as your competitiveness.’

Swift recounts Travis explaining football to her on first date

Swift explained that on their first date she asked Travis what it was like to face his brother, Jason, in Super Bowl 57. Specifically, she asked what it was like to line up against him on the field, something they didn’t do during the game because both Kelce brothers played on offense in that Super Bowl.

‘He didn’t even look at me,’ Swift said. ‘I now know what an insane question that was. He was like, ‘actually, I’m on the offense and my brother’s on the offense and I’m only on the field at the same time as the defense.’ I thought everyone was on there at the same time.’

What are 92 percenters?

Jason and Travis Kelce refer to fans of the ‘New Heights’ podcast as ‘92%ers’ in reference to the success rate of a quarterback sneak. Jason, a longtime center for the Philadelphia Eagles, stated that the team’s success rate in running a quarterback sneak was 92%. The Eagles popularized a version of the quarterback sneak commonly called the ‘Tush Push.’ 

Will Taylor Swift announce her new album on the podcast?

Yes. A clip from the episode shows Swift revealing her new album. ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ is the award-winning artist’s 12th studio album following ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ released last year.

Has Taylor Swift been on Travis Kelce’s podcast before?

This is the first time Swift is appearing on the ‘New Heights’ podcast but she’s been mentioned by name before.

Travis first talked about going to one of her concerts on an episode in July 2023.

‘I was disappointed that she doesn’t talk before or after her shows because she has to save her voice for the 44 songs she sings so I was a little butthurt I didn’t get to hand her one of the bracelets I made her,’ Travis said. ‘If you’re up on Taylor Swift concerts, there are friendship bracelets and I had received a bunch of them, but I wanted to give Taylor Swift one with my number on it.’

Two months later, the two were officially dating.

What is the New Heights podcast?

Jason’s career with the Eagles and Travis’ with the Chiefs means prominent people from both franchises have appeared on the show. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, general manager Howie Roseman, coach Nick Sirianni and running back Saquon Barkley have all appeared at least once on the podcast. Same goes for Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, defensive tackle Chris Jones and coach Andy Reid.

The podcast grew in popularity enough over the following two years that Wondery, Amazon’s podcast platform, paid more than $100 million for the ad sales and distribution rights for the show.

New Heights guests history

Swift is one of the highest-profile guests the brothers have had on the show but she’s not alone. Here are some of the more notable non-football guests to appear on ‘New Heights’:

Paul Rudd
Adam Sandler
Brad Pitt
Ben Stiller
Charles Barkley
Lil Dicky
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Bill Murray
Caitlin Clark
Will Ferrell
Ben Affleck
LeBron James
Jason Sudeikis

When is the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift?

The ‘New Heights’ podcast episode featuring Taylor Swift is scheduled to be released on Wednesday, Aug. 13.

What time is the New Heights podcast with Taylor Swift?

The latest episode of the ‘New Heights’ podcast will premiere at 7 p.m. ET.

The 2025 Little League World Series is known for high-octane baseball and Day 1 did not disappoint.

The first two games of the day each gave fans a chance to witness two elite squads in Venezuela and Nevada. Each team dominated their contests, winning by a combined score of 21-1. Panama followed suit and beat Australia, 7-2. The game also included the first home run of the tournament.

Day 2 is sure to bring similar energy with four more games on tap. To start, the Europe-Africa region representative Czechia will look to topple an international favorite in Japan. That will be followed up with an American contest between the reps from Massachusetts and South Carolina. The final two games will feature showdowns between Mexico and Chinese Taipei followed by South Dakota taking on Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania certainly has a lot to live up to after its softball counterparts ended up winning the Little League Softball World Series.

Winners from each of these games will immediately advance to their respective bracket quarterfinals, just four wins away from an LLWS title. Meanwhile, the losers will need to win seven consecutive games for a Williamsport championship.

What time is the Little League World Series today?

The first game Thursday is at 1 p.m. ET with the final game starting at 7 p.m. ET, with Sioux Falls, South Dakota, taking on Upper Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania, to conclude the day.

Little League World Series 2025: TV, time and how to watch

The Little League World Series begins Wednesday with four games across the U.S. and international brackets. Games will be presented across ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+. Viewers can also watch with Fubo, which offers a free trial for new users.

Times: Coverage begins at 1 p.m. ET with the final game starting at 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN+ (international games), Fubo

Watch the Little League World Series with Fubo

LLWS 2025 scores, schedule today

This section will be updated when games begin. All times ET.

United States bracket

Thursday, August 14

Game 6: Braintree, Massachusetts (New England) v. Irmo, South Carolina (Southeast): 3 p.m. @ Lamade
Game 8: Sioux Falls, South Dakota (Midwest) v. Upper Uwchlan Township, Pennsylvania (Mid-Atlantic): 7 p.m. @ Lamade

International Bracket

Thursday, August 14

Game 5: Czechia v. Japan: 1 p.m. @ Volunteer
Game 7: Chinese Taipei v. Mexico: 5 p.m. @ Volunteer

Shohei Ohtani returned to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday.

While it was a road game for the Dodgers, Ohtani was back in a familiar setting: Angel Stadium.

Wednesday marked his first time pitching in the stadium as an opponent. Before Wednesday’s game, he was 21-8 with a 2.22 ERA in 47 career starts at Angel Stadium, according to MLB Network.

Ohtani played for the Los Angeles Angels from 2018 to 2023.

The Japanese star continues to progress on the mound and isn’t expected to pitch more than five innings per start during the regular season. He did not pitch during his first season with the Dodgers in 2024 as he continued to recover from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.

Shohei Ohtani pitching performance

Ohtani allowed five hits and four earned runs, while striking out seven in 4.1 innings pitched on Wednesday against the Angels. He threw a season-high 80 pitches and had at least two wild pitches near the end of the fourth inning.

He came out in the fifth inning after Zach Neto hit a two-run double. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts went to the bullpen and called on Anthony Banda to replace Othani with just one out recorded in the inning.

Ohtani was not expected to pitch more than five innings and had not thrown more than 55 pitches in a single game before Wednesday.

Ohtani had impacted the game before he even took the mound, recording a leadoff triple before Mookie Betts hit an RBI single to bring him in to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. The Dodgers extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the first inning.

But Ohtani the pitcher had a rough start to the second inning, with Taylor Ward hitting a solo home run 375 feet to right-center field. The Angels scored two runs in the inning.

Ohtani, the reigning National League MVP, struck out former teammate Mike Trout twice, however.

The two-way star’s performance followed up his last outing against the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 6, in which he produced a season-high eight strikeouts. He pitched four innings, allowing just one run on two hits in a 5-3 loss.

During his seventh start of the season, Ohtani left the game during the middle of an at-bat after throwing six consecutive balls against the Cincinnati Reds. While the situation appeared concerning, he was not injured and was dealing with a cramp in his right hip.

Ohtani finished 1-for-4 at the plate and drew a walk on Wednesday. He had three strikeouts.

The Angels rallied to win the game 6-5.

The 2025-26 English Premier League season begins Friday, Aug. 15.
Liverpool begins its title defense against Bournemouth.
Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester City are expected to challenge Liverpool.

The 2025-26 Premier League season kicks off Friday, Aug. 15, when the defending league winners Liverpool host Bournemouth at Anfield.

Liverpool now faces the daunting challenge of a title repeat quest and must do so after a tragic summer during which forward Diogo Jota died in a car crash on July 3.

On the pitch, Liverpool will have a number of worthy challengers. The clubs that finished in the three spots below Liverpool on last season’s table – Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City – all spent (and will continue to spend until the transfer window closes on Sept. 1) in hopes of catching the Reds. The high-priced arms race should make for a thrilling season ahead.

It should be no surprise that the reigning champions sit atop USA TODAY Sports’ first EPL power rankings. However, where do the other 19 squads stand? Here are our rankings:

1. Liverpool

The Reds will need to overcome the tragic death of Diogo Jota in their title defense.

2. Arsenal

Is Viktor Gyökeres the missing piece after three consecutive second-place finishes?

3. Manchester City

Anything short of the Premier League title will be a failure for Pep Guardiola’s squad.

4. Chelsea

Can Chelsea ride a wave of momentum from their Club World Cup win into the new season?

5. Aston Villa

After an inspired run to the Champions League quarterfinals last season, the Villans must settle for the Europa League this season.

6. Newcastle United

Will Alexander Isak still be with the team come September?

7. Tottenham Hotspur

Adding Mohammed Kudus is a big boost for new manager Thomas Frank.

8. Manchester United

Was last season’s 15th-place finish an outlier, or a sign of what’s to come at Old Trafford?

9. Brighton & Hove Albion

Barely missing out on European competition will have the Seagulls hungry for more in 2025-26.

10. Bournemouth

The Cherries have steadily improved their station in the table in each of their past three seasons in the Premier League.

11. Nottingham Forest

With its Europa League spot, Nottingham Forest enters European competition for the first time since 1996.

12. Fulham

Consistent middle-of-the-table finishers since Premier League return expected to finish mid-table again.

13. Everton

After calling Goodison Park home since the 1800s, the Toffees will break in a fancy new stadium this season.

14. Crystal Palace

The reigning FA Cup champions have to settle for the UEFA Conference League after losing an appeal.

15. West Ham United

The Hammers have been in the Premier League since the 2012-13 season, but that run could be in jeopardy.

16. Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolverhampton has been on a steady drop in the table the previous four seasons.

17. Brentford

Former Liverpool backup ‘keeper Caoimhín Kelleher finally gets his opportunity to be a No. 1.

18. Leeds United

Leeds has spent just three seasons in the Premier League since 2004.

19. Burnley

Staying in the Premier League will be a challenge, made even more daunting by the loss of goalkeeper James Trafford, who had 29 clean sheets last season.

20. Sunderland

The Black Cats are in the Premier League for the first time since 2017, climbing back up from the third division over the past four seasons.

USA TODAY Sports’ 48-page special edition commemorates 30 years of Major League Soccer, from its best players to key milestones and championship dynasties to what exciting steps are next with the World Cup ahead. Order your copy today!

Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid has, on occasion, taken credit for helping set up Travis Kelce in his relationship with Taylor Swift.

Does Reid’s story of being a legendary wingman carry much weight?

‘Whatever Andy Reid says, we’re gonna stand by,’ Swift said on the ‘New Heights’ podcast Wednesday. ‘He said it, that’s what happened.’

”Cupid,’ ‘Big Red.’ It’s all the same,’ Kelce added.

Reid’s role as a wingman came after Kelce’s plea to Swift on the ‘New Heights’ podcast, which Swift referred to as ‘the shooting your shot heard ’round the world.’

After that, Swift outlined she heard from ‘a lot of people’ who liked Kelce enough to vouch for him. That included Reid, who had a long-term friendship with Swift’s family, via her father Scott.

‘There were a lot of kind of people whispering in my ear about you,’ Swift said to Kelce on the podcast. ‘And like, actually, that’s not normal. There are people willing to just go to bat for you, and be like, ‘You don’t understand. This guy is incredible.”

Ultimately, Reid’s endorsement mattered, and Swift and Kelce eventually went on a date. They remain together nearly two years after they were first romantically linked.

As such, both believe the three-time Super Bowl winner deserves a thank you for helping them get together.

‘Thank you Andy, for everything,’ Swift said.

Things got chippy between the Chicago Sky and Connecticut Sun on Wednesday, resulting in three ejections in the Sun’s 71-62 win over the Sky.

The incident happened with 6:35 remaining in the second quarter while the Sun led 27-21. As Connecticut’s Bria Hartley and Chicago’s Rebecca Allen jockeyed for position under the basket on a rebound attempt, Allen appeared to push Hartley in the back. Hartley didn’t appreciate the contact and shoved Allen down to the ground. Allen grabbed Hartley’s jersey as she fell on the court at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

As referees attempted to separate the players involved in the skirmish, Sky guard Ariel Atkins jumped to her teammate’s defense and pushed Hartley, appearing to make contact with an official in the process.

As a result, Hartley, Allen and Atkins were all ejected. Hartley was 0-of-3 from the field and 0-of-1 from the 3-point line in 10 minutes of work before hitting the showers early. Atkins ended the night with five points in 9 minutes for the Sky, while Allen was scoreless in 6 minutes (0-of-1 FG).

It wasn’t the first incident of the night between Allen and Hartley. Earlier in the game, Allen was elbowed in the face by Hartley and a foul was not called. Sky head coach Tyler Marsh said the unchecked contact escalated to the ejections.

‘It was unfortunate. I think things like that have a tendency to happen when there’s not a control put on the game prior to. There’s usually an incident that goes overlooked that leads to something like that,’ he said in his postgame remarks. ‘(Allen) clearly got elbowed in the face right in front of the ref and it wasn’t called. Then other things ensued. It’s unfortunate for us. Two players that play high-quality, high-valuable minutes for us.’ 

Following the matchup, Sky forward Angel Reese posted, ‘ARIEL A REAL ONE. BEEN.’ Reese was ruled out of Wednesday’s matchup due to a back injury.

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