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The dark blue uniform design is inspired by LA at night and the architecture of SoFi Stadium.
The Rams have brought back a former design element requested by fans.
For the 2025 season, all teams in the AFC East and NFC West will wear ‘Rivalries’ uniforms once.

The clock will strike midnight … on Sunday afternoon for the Los Angeles Rams.

The NFC West co-leaders will become the latest team to sport their new ‘Rivalries’ uniforms when they take on the Seattle Seahawks with first place on the line at SoFi Stadium. The Rams and Nike dubbed the new alternate look ‘Midnight Mode,’ a theme meant to evoke LA at night along with Tinseltown’s civic duality − which is evidently steeped in hard work but also the perpetual limelight.

‘The Rivalries jersey embodies the intensity, grit and pride of what it means to be an Angeleno,’ said Kathryn Kai-ling Frederick, the club’s chief marketing officer, when the uniforms were first revealed in August.

‘Above all, the design was inspired by the energy and glow of the Rams House at night with a look that will both pop in the sunshine during the day and shine under the bright lights in primetime.’

What’s new about the Rams’ ‘Rivalries’ uniforms?

According to the team’s website, the ‘Midnight Mode’ look is meant to reflect ‘the team’s deep connection to Los Angeles, the city where so many work in the dark to earn the spotlight.’

The uniform predominantly sports a dark blue look deemed ‘matte Midnight’ with touches of the team’s customary royal blue, ‘which echoes the evening hue and energy at SoFi Stadium and pays homage to the hard work of so many across Los Angeles who grind around the clock to turn their dreams into a reality.’

It’s also meant to tie into their building, the ‘intricate detailing inspired by SoFi Stadium’s unique architecture and curvature, Royal & Sol accents designed to mirror the lighting system, detailing on the sleeves, pants, and number set inspired by SoFi Stadium’s monumental perforated semi-translucent roof.’

At the request of fans, a ram’s horn wrapped around the shoulder and sleeve has also been restored after the team moved away from that design element when the current uniforms debuted in 2020. ‘Rams House’ is stitched inside the collar with the ‘same font as the old Hollywood Park Racetrack which used to sit where SoFi Stadium now resides.’

The Rams, who can go crazily deep on the meaning of uniform details as well as any team, also assert, ‘Champions aren’t made under the lights − they’re forged in the dark. The midnight palette captures LA’s true spirit: the grind nobody sees, the work that earns the spotlight, the relentless pursuit that defines our city and our team.’

What are NFL ‘Rivalries’ uniforms by Nike?

Think of them as the football version of the sports apparel company’s NBA ‘City Edition’ uniforms or Major League Baseball’s ‘City Connect’ jerseys. Signaled during the NFL draft and unveiled in August, Nike has strived to create something that further strengthens NFL teams’ bonds to their unique civic environments. And, as “rivalries” would suggest, all of them will be worn in intra-divisional matchups.

‘The 2025 Rivalries uniforms will celebrate storied local traditions and unite fan communities with designs unique to select cities and teams,” Nike announced during the rollout.

‘The designs are rooted extensively in the legacies and inspirations true to each team, serving as authentic, competitive expressions of community pride while giving athletes and fans an opportunity to connect like never before.’

Which NFL teams have ‘Rivalries’ uniforms?

Eventually all of them. But for 2025, each team in the AFC East and NFC West is scheduled to wear its “Rivalries” unis one time this season. Two additional divisions will be added to the rotation in each of the next three seasons, and the “Rivalries” option then becomes part of a team’s closet for the following three years.

When will NFL teams wear ‘Rivalries’ uniforms in 2025?

 New York Jets: Dec. 7 vs. Miami Dolphins

 San Francisco 49ers: Jan. 4, 2026 vs. Seattle Seahawks

 Seattle Seahawks: Dec. 18 vs. Los Angeles Rams

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Joyce Edwards and Raven Johnson both had double-doubles as the No. 2 South Carolina women’s basketball team defeated No. 8 USC, 69-52, on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Edwards had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Johnson added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Four of the Gamecocks five starters scored in double figures. Edwards lost a shoe late in the fourth quarter, but played on, almost making a layup while slipping around the court.

The game was even throughout the first half, as South Carolina went into the locker room with a 32-30 lead over the Trojans. The Gamecocks locked down on defense in the second half and outscored USC, 37-22, to win the top-10 matchup and improve to 4-1.

South Carolina held USC to 1-14 shooting from behind the 3-point arc. The Gamecocks also outrebounded USC, 56-32.

Kennedy Smith led the Trojans (2-1) with 12 points while Kara Dunn added 10.

‘We want these games to teach us where we need to be and where we need to get to,’ USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. ‘Credit South Carolina, they did a lot of things well … I saw things from our team I really liked. Not yet where we need to be but this game will help us get there.’

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Dana White, UFC’s CEO, clearly does not think Jake Paul would fare well in a boxing match against Anthony Joshua. Representatives for boxers reportedly are finalizing a deal to fight in Miami in December.

“Um, that’s a (expletive) bad idea,’’ White said when asked about he prospective fight during a press conference after UFC 322 was held in New York Saturday, Nov. 15. “That’s a bad idea.

“But let me tell you what, a lot of people will watch that one.’’

Will you watch it, a reporter asked.

“Sure,’’ White said. “You know what everyone’s tuning in for on that one. And I think everyone’s going to get what they’ve finally been waiting for.’’

White clearly is among those waiting on Paul to get knocked out. Paul has repeatedly criticized White allegedly underpaying UFC fighters and has become a polarizing figure in boxing.

Unless the boxing match is an exhibition, the 6-foot-6 Joshua would present a massive challenge to the 6-1 Paul, who has never stepped into the ring with someone of Joshua’s caliber.

Joshua, 36, is a two-time former heavyweight champion who has weighed in at 250 pounds or more for his last five fights.

Paul, 28, typically fights as a cruiserweight, which has a 200-pound maximum at weigh-in. He has fought as a heavyweight just once, in his unanimous-decision victory over Mike Tyson when Paul weighed in at 227 pounds.

But not everyone thinks Paul will get slaughtered against the British boxer who won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced new efforts to ‘clean up’ the nation’s energy sector amid a corruption scandal and near-constant attacks from Russia.

Zelenskyy met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Sunday morning, saying he called on lawmakers to revamp the leadership at the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate and the State Energy Supervision Inspectorate, in addition to other efforts to expunge Russian influence in the sector.

‘In full coordination with law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies, ensure the renewal of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency and to promptly complete the competition for the position of Head of ARMA so that the new Head of the Agency can be selected by the end of this year,’ Zelenskyy wrote on X.

He further called on lawmakers to ‘promptly conduct an audit and prepare for sale the assets and shares in assets that belonged to Russian entities and to collaborators who fled to Russia. All such assets must operate one hundred percent in Ukraine’s interests – to support our defense and to contribute to Ukraine’s budget.’

The new energy initiative also comes after a former associate of Zelenskyy’s was accused of being the mastermind behind a $100 million embezzlement scheme involving nuclear energy.

Tymur Mindich, who was once Zelenskyy’s business partner, was identified by Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs as being the orchestrator of a scheme involving top officials and Ukraine’s state nuclear power company. Prior to the scandal, some feared Mindich’s growing influence over Ukraine’s lucrative industries that he had access to because of his ties to Zelenskyy.

Mindich allegedly exerted control over loyalists who then pressured contractors for Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear power company, demanding kickbacks to bypass bureaucratic obstacles. The requested kickbacks were reportedly as high as 15%.

Zelenskyy himself was not implicated in the investigation.

The new effort comes as Zelenskyy says that his team is ‘working to ensure another start to negotiations’ on ending the war with Russia.

‘We are also counting on the resumption of POW exchanges – many meetings, negotiations, and calls are currently taking place to ensure this. I thank everyone who is helping. Thank you to everybody who stands with Ukraine,’ Zelenskyy wrote.

Ukraine’s president further said that he is preparing for a full week of diplomacy with Greece, France and Spain, as well as renewed negotiations over prisoner of war exchanges with Russia.

Zelenskyy will meet with officials in Greece on Sunday to discuss natural gas imports, while talks with France on Monday and Spain on Tuesday will center on bolstering Ukrainian air defenses.

Fox News’ Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

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From new stealth bombers to AI-enabled drones, the U.S. and China are reshaping airpower for a Pacific showdown — each betting its technology can keep the other out of the skies.

The U.S. is charging ahead with its next-generation F-47 fighter, while China scrambles to catch up with jets designed to match the F-35 and F-22.

After a brief program pause in 2024, the Air Force awarded Boeing the contract in March for the F-47, a manned sixth-generation fighter meant to anchor America’s next air superiority fleet. The first flight is expected in 2028.

At the same time, the B-21 Raider, the stealth successor to the B-2, is deep into testing at Edwards Air Force Base. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 Raiders — each built to survive inside heavily defended Chinese airspace.

The Pentagon is also betting on Collaborative Combat Aircraft, or CCAs — drones designed to fly alongside fighters as ‘loyal wingmen.’ Prototypes from Anduril and General Atomics are already in the air. Officials say CCAs will let one pilot control several drones at once.

China outpaces the rest of the world in the commercial drone market, but that doesn’t necessarily give it the advantage from a military perspective. 

‘I’m not sure that’s really true. In terms of high-end military drones that are really important to this fight, the U.S. still has a pretty significant edge.’ said Eric Heginbotham, a research scientist at MIT’s Center for International Studies. 

He pointed to the Air Force’s stealth reconnaissance platforms — the RQ-170 and RQ-180 — and upcoming ‘loyal wingman’ drones designed to fly with fighters as proof that the U.S. still leads in advanced integration and stealth technology.

China’s leap forward

China’s airpower modernization has accelerated as the U.S. reshapes its force. Beijing has zeroed in on three priorities — stealth, engines, and carriers — the areas that long held its military back.

The Chengdu J-20, China’s flagship stealth fighter, is being fitted with the new WS-15 engine, a home-built powerplant meant to rival U.S. engines.

‘It took them a while to get out of the blocks on fifth generation, especially to get performance anywhere near where U.S. fifth gen was,’ Heginbotham said. ‘The J-20 really does not have a lot of the performance features that even the F-22 does, and we’ve had the F-22 for a long time.’

Meanwhile, China’s third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was commissioned this fall — the first with electromagnetic catapults similar to U.S. Ford-class carriers. The move signals Beijing’s ambition to launch stealth jets from sea and project power well beyond its coast.

Together, the J-20, the carrier-based J-35, and the Fujian give China a layered airpower network — stealth jets on land and at sea backed by growing missile coverage.

Chinese military writings identify airfields as critical vulnerabilities. PLA campaign manuals call for striking runways early in a conflict to paralyze enemy air operations before they can begin. Analysts believe a few days of concentrated missile fire could cripple U.S. bases across Japan, Okinawa, and Guam.

‘The U.S. bases that are forward deployed—particularly on Okinawa, but also on the Japanese mainland and on Guam—are exposed to Chinese missile attack,’ said Mark Cancian, a retired Marine colonel and senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. ‘In our war games, the Chinese would periodically sweep these air bases with missiles and destroy dozens, in some cases even hundreds, of U.S. aircraft.’

Heginbotham said that missile-heavy strategy grew directly out of China’s early airpower weakness.

‘They didn’t think that they could gain air superiority in a straight-up air-to-air fight,’ he said. ‘So you need another way to get missiles out — and that another way is by building a lot of ground launchers.’

Different strategies, same goal

The two militaries are taking different paths to the same target: air dominance over the Pacific.

The U.S. approach relies on smaller numbers of highly advanced aircraft linked by sensors and artificial intelligence. The goal: strike first, from long range, and survive in contested skies.

China’s model depends on volume — mass-producing fighters, missiles, and carrier sorties to overwhelm U.S. defenses and logistics.

‘U.S. fighter aircraft—F-35s, F-15s, F-22s—are relatively short-legged, so they have to get close to Taiwan if they’re going to be part of the fight,’ Cancian said. ‘They can’t fight from Guam, and they certainly can’t fight from further away. So if they’re going to fight, they have to be inside that Chinese defensive bubble.’

Both sides face the same challenge: surviving inside that bubble. China’s expanding missile range is pushing U.S. aircraft farther from the fight, while American bombers and drones are designed to break back in.

The fight to survive

Heginbotham said survivability — not dogfighting — will define the next decade of air competition.

‘We keep talking about aircraft as if it’s going to be like World War II — they go up, they fight each other. That’s not really our problem,’ he said. ‘Our problem is the air bases themselves and the fact that aircraft can be destroyed on the air base.’

China, he warned, is preparing for that reality while the U.S. is not.

‘They practice runway strikes in exercises, they’re modeling this stuff constantly,’ Heginbotham said. ‘Unlike the United States, China is hardening its air bases. The U.S. is criminally negligent in its refusal to harden its air bases.’

Cancian’s war-game findings echo that vulnerability. He said U.S. surface ships and aircraft would likely have to fall back under missile fire in the opening days of a conflict.

‘At the initial stages of a conflict, China would have a distinct advantage,’ Cancian said. ‘Now, over time, the U.S. would be able to reinforce its forces, and that would change.’

Looking ahead

The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026–27 budget will determine how fast the U.S. can build out its F-47s, B-21s, and CCAs — systems that will shape American airpower through the 2030s.

China’s rapid modernization is closing what was once a wide gap, but the U.S. still holds advantages in stealth integration, combat experience, and autonomous systems.

‘The ability to protect our aircraft, whatever form those aircraft take, on the ground is going to be central to our ability to fight in the Asia theater,’ Heginbotham said.

‘Survivability is going to be key … The ability to protect and disperse your firepower is going to be central to whether we can really stay in this game.’

For decades, U.S. air dominance was taken for granted. In the Pacific, that advantage is no longer guaranteed. 

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Former first lady Michelle Obama said Americans are ‘not ready’ to elect a woman to the White House, citing former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential election loss to President Donald Trump.

Obama made the comments to a crowd of women at the Brooklyn Academy of Music while promoting her new book, ‘The Look.’

‘As we saw in this past election, sadly, we ain’t ready,’ she said on Friday.

‘That’s why I’m like, don’t even look at me about running, because you all are lying. You’re not ready for a woman. You are not,’ she continued.

The former first lady went on to say that she does not believe men in America are comfortable with a woman leading them.

‘You know, we’ve got a lot of growing up to do, and there’s still, sadly, a lot of men who do not feel like they can be led by a woman, and we saw it,’ Obama said.

In her book, which was released on Nov. 4, Obama touches on her journey with fashion, hair and beauty, as well as her time in the White House as the first Black woman to serve as first lady. She wrote that women in politics are often judged based on their physical appearance instead of their ability to lead.

‘During our family’s time in the White House, the way I looked was constantly being dissected — what I wore, how my hair was styled. For a while now, I’ve been wanting to reclaim more of that story, to share it in my own way. I’m thankful to be at a stage in life where I feel comfortable expressing myself freely — wearing what I love and doing what feels true to me. And I’m excited to share some of what I’ve learned along the way,’ Obama wrote on Facebook in June while promoting her book ahead of its release.

”The Look’ is about more than fashion. It’s about confidence. It’s about identity. It’s about the power of authenticity. My hope is that this book sparks conversation and reflection about the ways we see ourselves — and the way our society defines beauty,’ she added.

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Ole Miss football took home a win in the ‘Lane Kiffin Bowl’ in Week 12 with a 34-24 come-from-behind win vs. Florida.

Just as the Rebels closed off their 10th win of the season, moving one step closer to appearing in the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history, Ole Miss fans at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium made one thing clear to the Rebels brass and Kiffin: They want Lane.

As captured by the ESPN broadcast, ‘We want Lane’ chants broke out in the Ole Miss student section after Kiffin has been linked to the Florida open head coach vacancy, on top of numerous other Power Four conference openings. It appeared not to faze him, as he remained locked in on the final 60 seconds of the game:

Given what he has done in seven seasons at Ole Miss, Kiffin has become a regular on coaching hot boards as positions become available across college football.

On top of his ties to the state of Florida, former Gators coach Steve Spurrier, who told USA TODAY Sports’ Blake Toppmeyer last month that he is a fan of Kiffin and thinks he is a ‘very good coach.’

‘I wanted to be Steve Spurrier,’ Kiffin said during a recent appearance on the ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast. ‘When I watched him and his offenses in the visor and kind of the way he’d throw jabs at other coaches and team and stuff, I was like, Steve Spurrier is the man. That’s what I want to be.’

Kiffin himself has talked at length about his name being tossed around in the coaching carousel, including saying on an appearance on ESPN’s ‘The Pat McAfee Show’ that he will never ‘make a decision based on money’ and that he hasn’t made one based on money in his coaching career.

The win over Florida moved Ole Miss’ record to 54-19 overall under Kiffin.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey stated that expanding the college football playoff to 16 teams should be a priority.
The Big Ten and SEC have not yet agreed on a format for a potential 16-team playoff.
The Big Ten has favored a model with more automatic bids, while the SEC prefers a format with more at-large selections.

ATHENS, GA – SEC commissioner Greg Sankey desires playoff expansion, but the hour grows late to strike a deal to grow the playoff by next season.

Speaking with reporters before Saturday’s Texas-Georgia game, Sankey raised a call to grow the College Football Playoff by four teams, but the SEC and Big Ten remain unable so far to agree on how those bids should be allocated.

“The move to 16 should be a priority for all of us in conference leadership,” Sankey said.

There’s a Dec. 1 deadline to expand the playoff for next season. If the SEC and Big Ten can’t agree to an expanded format,  “we’re at 12” for next season, Sankey said.

This meshes with what CFP executive director Rich Clark has said previously: If the SEC and Big Ten don’t agree on a 16-team format, then that will prolong the current format for at least another season.

Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti has pushed for a 16-team format that pre-assigns multiple automatic qualifiers to each of the Power Four conferences. Petitti also likes the idea of play-in games determining which teams receive those automatic bids.

The Big Ten, though, found itself alone on an island this summer favoring a 3+3+2+2+1+3 format, which would allocate three automatic bids apiece to the Big Ten and SEC, two each to the ACC and Big 12, one to the Group of Five, leaving three at-large bids. This format, loaded with auto bids, would achieve Petitti’s goal of reducing the selection committee’s role in determining bids.

The SEC does not share that goal.

For years, Sankey has preferred formats using at-large selection to determine bids. When the playoff expanded from four, Sankey initially wanted to keep all bids assigned by an at-large process, but the SEC compromised and accepted the current 5+7 format that’s in place for the 12-team format, with five automatic bids and seven at-large selections.

The SEC threw support behind a 5+11 playoff format last summer, a plan ACC and Big 12 officials have said they would support. The Big Ten remained a holdout on that plan, and playoff expansion cannot occur without the two main power brokers — the SEC and Big Ten — coming to terms.

Is there any format the SEC would accept other than 5+11?

“Sure, 16+0,” said Sankey, referring to a 16-team playoff in which all 16 bids would be awarded via at-large selection. “But, that’s not reality.”

“The opportunity to have a 16-team format with five conference champions with access and 11 (at-large) is something we could accept,” he added.

The question persists of whether the Big Ten can accept that 5+11 plan.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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Islam Makhachev did more than beat Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight title at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, Nov. 15.

The 34-year-old Russian also became the 11th UFC fighter to win championships in two divisions, joining the likes of Jon Jones, Amanda Nunes and Conor McGregor.

‘This is a dream,’ Makhachev said during a post-fight interview. ‘All my life for this …’

Vacating his lightweight title, Makhachev moved up 15 pounds to the welterweight division in search of a second championship belt. He got it in dominant fashion.

Della Maddalena is one of the best strikers in the UFC. But it didn’t matter because Makhachev scored repeated takedowns and control almost 20 minutes of 25-minute, five-round fight.

With the victory, Makhachev  joined other double champions such as Jon Jones, Amanda Nunez and Conor McGregor.

He also won for 16th straight time, tying Anderson Silva’s record for longest winning streak in UFC history, and improving his record to 28-1 (17-1 UFC).

Della Maddalena, who won the UFC welterweight championship with a victory over Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision May 10, 2025, was making his first title defense.

The loss to Makhachev ended Della Maddalena’s 18-matchup winning streak, which included eight UFC fights. His record dropped to 18-3 (8-1 UFC).

UFC 322 main card results

Islam Makhachev def. Jack Della Maddalena (Welterweight title): Unanimous decision
Valentina Shevchenko def. Zhang Weili (Women’s flyweight title): Unanimous decision
Michael Morales def. Sean Brady (Welterweight): TKO
Carlos Prates def. Leon Edwards (Welterweight): TKO
Benoît Saint Denis def. Beneil Dariush (Lightweight): KO

Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev results: Makhachev wins welterweight title

Round 1: Jack Della Maddalena (JDM) chases after Islam Makhachev, then relents. They’re now at the center of the right, maybe Makhachev is willing to strike. No dice. Makhachev takes down JDM and Mahachev looks like a boa constrictor. A boa that can punch. JDM showing no sign of wriggling free and Makhachev is throwing punches to the head. JDM creatively working to is feet, but Makhachev still in control. As good a scrambler as JDM has proven to be, he looks pretty helpless now, especially with the punches coming. 30 seconds left. Can JDM survive the round? He will, but connects with an illegal head kick after the round ends. Makhachev 10, JDM 9.  

Round 2: They opened with low leg kicks. Makhachev’s is crisp. Makhachev connects with a head kick. JMD flips over Makhachev into the mat and appears to be in serious trouble. Off his feet, JDM is a sitting duck. Or prone duck. Makhachev comfortably on top and now throwing punches and elbows. Crowd boos, clearly wanting the fighters on their feet. JDM squirming and making no progress as Makhachev periodically punches with his right hand. Now Makhachev pounds JDM’s head with elbows. JDM is back on his feet! Hey, that’s cause for celebration in this fight. Makhachev 20, JDM 18.

Round 3: Fighters circling. JDM throws a couple of punches but looks tentative after the takedowns. Makhachev landed a stinging leg kick, then follows up with some striking. But JDM lands body shots that look effective. Just like that, Makhachev takes down JDM yet again. Boos from the crowd, but Mahachev will pay no attention. JDM looks red and exhausted with Makhachev on top. Makhachev adding insult to injury with short punches. JDM hanging on as the round comes to a close. Makhachev 30, JDM 27. 

Round 4: JDM, on a damaged right leg, opens with right-legged kicks. Brave, but advisable? Makhachev responds with a left kick to the body. Makhachev scores yet another takedown. Makhachev almost toying with JDM, who flips in attempt to get away. But Makhachev is ready. JDM is going nowhere. Makhachev has him smothered. JDM clearly in pain as the round ends. Makhachev 40, JDM 36. 

Round 5: JDM moving forward and trying to punch. Just like that, Makhachev takes him down again. He looks physically compromised and Makhachev is looking for the submission. But now he settles for some light punches to the head. Three minutes left. Can JDM survive the round? That’s about all the suspense that is left. JDM looks in agony, but it’s over. Makhachev 50, JDM 45.

Valentina Shevchenko def. Zhang Weili by unanimous decision

Vaentina Shevchenko is not unbeatable. But she sure looked it.

Shevchenko dominated Zhang Weili in defending the women’s flyweight title. She also denied Weii’s attempt to become a two-division champion.

Weili vacated her strawweight title to challenge Shevchenko for the flyweight title that would have made Weili the 11th UFC athlete to win titles in two division.

She had no shot.

All three judges scored the five-round fight 50-45 for Shevchenko, who dominated from the outset and controlled much of the fight with takedowns. Even on her feet, Weili was overmatched by the taller and stronger Shevchenko.

Shevchenko, a 37-year-old Russian, improved to 26-4-1 (15-3-1 UFC). Weili, a 36-year-old from China, fell to 26-4 (10-3 UFC).

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili, women’s flyweight

Round 1: Zhang Weili takes a kick from Valentina Shevchenko and lands a right. Shevchenko responded with a left kick partially blocked by Weili. Shevchenko hs a clear height advantage, which will force Weili to get in close. She attempts a takedown and Shevchenko ends up on top. Shevchenko scores with a knee. Now the fighters are up Weili lands a hard shot before Shevchenko pulls Weili to the mat and gets on top. They’re exchanging body shots as Weili gets smothered as the round ends. Shevchenko 10, Weili 9.

Round 2: Weili rushed in and Shevchenko scores with a counter, then takes down Weili down again. She looks to be in total control as Weili covers her face. More than three minutes in the round and Shevchenko is draped over Weili and wearing Weili out. Shevchenko is stymying Weili at every turn. Fans express some dissatisfaction. Weili struggles to get loose and Shevchenko throws punches and then a shoulder. Weili is taking big shots in the face as the round comes to a close. Shevchenko 20, Weili 18.

Round 3: Shevchenko nearly lands a nasty leg kick. Weili tried one of her own. He falls well short and shows how well Shevchenko is using her size to maintain distance. Weili attempts another kick and ends up taking a knee. Weili lands a right but backs away. Shevchenko drills Weili with a knee to the body. Weili looks understandably apprehensive and then gets taken down with 1 ½ minutes left in the round. Total domination. Shevchenko 30, Weili 27.

Round 4: Weili unfurls a kick and get popped in the face. Shevchenko lands a couple of crisp kicks. And he lands more kicks. Weili unable to close the gap while Shevchenko is landing almost at will and then taking down again with about a minute let in the round. Weili looks absolutely helpless as Shevchenko scores with shoulder strikes. Shevchenko 40, Weili 36.

Round 5: Weili shows some aggression and Shevchenko gets her wrapped up and pinned against the fence. The break and four minutes remain. Shevchenko lands a hard leg kick. Weili pushed forward and gets wrapped up yet again. Another takedown for guess who? Shevchenko, of course. Three minutes and counting as Shevchenko controls from the top and landing punches to the head, followed by elbows. Gonna need some Excedrin. Weili on her back, Shevchenko on her feet. And it’s over. Shevchenko 50, Weili 45. 

Michael Morales def. Sean Brady by TKO

Michael Morales, a rising star from Ecuador, needed help from a translator during his post-fight interview. But once again his fists did the talking – or screaming – with a three-punch combination that knocked out Sean Brady in the first round of the welterweight bout.

It was reminiscent of his first-round knockout of Gilbert Burns one match ago and a sign that Morales could contend for the welterweight title.

The victory over Brady was decisive and convincing considering Morales was facing the No. 2 ranked contender who was expected to challenge Morales with his grappling skills. But Morales fists kept Brady on the defensive from the start.

Morales battered Brady and cut him near his left eye before the finishing blows.

Morales improved to 19-0 (7-0 UFC). 18-0 (6-0 UFC). Brady fell to 18-2 (8-2 UFC).

Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales, welterweight

Round 1: Michael Morales with a noticeable size advantage. But the stocky Sean Brady showing no fear. Morales throwing lefts without much power. Brady swinging low leg kicks without much vigor. Morales chases, Brady retreats. Brady lands two hard rights and is on the attack. Brady in trouble. He takes another uppercut, but Brady looks stable again. Brady attempts the takedown an takes punches as a result. Brady cut on the side of his left eye. Morales capitalizing on eh reach advantage and drops Brady. It’s over! It’s over! Morales by TKO!

Carlos Prates def. Leon Edwards by TKO

The Fighting Nerds are to be feared. Certainly when one of their leaders, Carlos Prates, is in the ring.

In the second round of the welterweight, Prates blasted Leon Edwards with a left hand that lifted Edwards off of his feet and sent him tumbling on his back.

Soon after the referee halted the fight, at 1:28 of the second round.

Afterward, Prates put on a set of horn-rimmed glasses with white tape down the middle and flashed a giant smile.

There were fewer smiles in the first round when Edwards pinned Prates against the fence and drilled him with a knee to the chin. Prates barely reacted.

He came out aggressive in the second round and Edwards seemed to know what was coming before the TKO punch. He raised his right fist for protection, but Prates still blasted the left hand through for the finishing punch.

Prates, the 32-year-old Brazilian, improved to 23-7 (6-1 UFC). Edwards, the 34-year-old Jamaican and former welterweight champion, fell to 22-6 (14-5 UFC).

Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates, welterweight

Round 1: Leon Edwards and Carlos Prates exchange leg kicks, then exchange punches. Edwards attempts a takedown but Prater handles it well as the fighters find themselves in a clinch on the fence. Prates jawing at Edwards and Edwards answers with a left knee to the head. Crowd booing. Ref breaks them up and crowd cheers. Prates lands knee to body and Edwards knocks him off balance with kick and he scores a takedown. Edwards riding Prates back and throwing punches into Prates’ face. Prates calmly taking it. Edwards then takes Prates down to the mat and has him in a chole as final seconds elapse. Edwards 10, Prates 9.

Round 2: They fighters exchange leg kicks and appear to be measuring. Prates lands a left, then a low leg kick. Prates landing now. Then he drops Edwards and it’s over!!! Prates by TKO!!

Benoit Saint-Denis def. Beneil Dariush by KO

Sixteen seconds. That’s how long this lightweight fight lasted, and it was memorable.

Literally seconds after it began, Beneil Dariush knocked Benoît Saint-Denis to the mat with a left leg kick.  Moments later, Saint-Denis clubbed Dariush with a left hand followed with another punch after Dariush hit the mat.

The bout, fought at 157.2-pound catchweight, had come to a stunning end.

Saint-Denis, a 29-year-oldl from France, improved to 16-3 (8-3 UFC). Dariush, a 36-year-old born in Iran, fell to 23-7-1 (17-7-1 UFC)

Beneil Dariush vs. Benoît Saint-Denis, catchweight (157.2 pounds)

Round 1: Beneil Dariush knocks Benoît Saint-Denis to the mat with a left leg kick. And, wow, what a turnaround. Saint-Denis clubs Daruish with a left and it’s ober. Knockout victory for Saint-Denis!

UFC 322: Time, PPV, streaming for Makhachev vs Della Maddalena

The highly anticipated fight between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15 and can be purchased on ESPN+ PPV.

Date: Saturday, Nov. 15
Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
Early Prelims start time: 6 p.m. ET
Early Prelims card TV: FX; Prelims stream: ESPN+, Disney+
Prelims card start time: 8 p.m. ET
Prelims card TV: ESPNEWS/FX; Prelims stream: ESPN+, Disney+
Main card start time: 10 p.m. ET
Main card stream: ESPN+ PPV

Catch UFC action with an ESPN+ subscription

Bo Nickal def. Rodolfo Vieira by KO

Bo Nickal pounded Rodolfo Veiera with lefts through the middleweight fight, but ended it with something far more devastating.

Nickal knocked out Vieira with a head kick, his left leg chopping down Vieira with 2:36 left in the fight. Then he climbed into the top of the Octagon fence and flipped off the crowd, which had booed earlier in the round when the action slowed.

‘Either love me or hate me,’ Nickal said during a postfight interview. ‘Pick one.’

It was mostly a lovefest, with Nickal prompted chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!’’ as quickly pinned Vieira on the fence and attacked with his fists.

By the second round, Vieira’s face was covered with blood. And by the third round, it was desperation time when Nickal landed the knockout head kick.

Nickal, a 29-year-old from Colorado, improved to 8-1 (5-1 UFC). Vieira, a 36-year-old from Brazil, fell to 11-4 (6-4 UFC).

Gregory Rodrigues def. Roman Kopylov by unanimous decision

Gregory Rodrigues (a.k.a Robocop) looked like a bodybuilder who stumbled into a UFC event. The muscled Brazilian mostly dominated the less fit and less dangerous Roman Kopylov while winning their middleweight fight by unanimous decision.

Rodrigues came out firing his right hand and whipping his right leg, as Kopylov looked determined, if unsuccessful, to stay out of harm’s way.

It was more of the same in the second round, as Rodrigues bloodied Kopylov.

In the third round, Kopylov cracked Rodrigues with a hard left and showed fight. But it was too late to reverse the outcome.

The judges scored it 30-27, 30-27, 29-98 in favor of Rodrigues, who at one pointed prompted cheers of “Robo-cop! Robo-cop!’’

Rodrigues, the 33-year-old Brazilian, improved his record to 18-6 (9-3 UFC). Kopylov, the 34-year-old Russian, fell to 14-5 (6-5 UFC).

Erin Blanchfield def Tracy Cortez by submission

Firing punches from the outset, Tracy Cortez proved dangerous on her feet. So Erin Blanchfield responded wisely and took the fight to the mat.

Blanchfield scored two takedowns in the second round and won by submission with a chokehold with 16 seconds left in the round of the women’s flyweight fight.

It was a rematch of their 2019, when Cortez won by split decision. She looked strong early. But Cortez was bleeding by the right eye in the second round, and as Cortez tired and Blanchfield took control.

Blanchfield, a 29-year-old from New Jersey, improved to 14-2 (8-1 UFC). Cortez, a 31-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, dropped to 12-3 (6-2 UFC)

Ethyn Ewing def. Malcolm Wellmaker by unanimous decision

Ewing took the fight on 48 hours notice after Cody Haddon withdrew with an injury and he looked like he’d been preparing for weeks. In his UFC debut, Ewing subdued the previously undefeated Malcolm Wellmaker with punches, kicks and a couple timely takedowns in their featherweight fight.

The judges scored it 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for the poised Ewing of Yorba Linda, California.

‘You know what they say, the sword is deadliest in calm hands,’ Ewing said.

In the first round, 5-foot-10 Wellmaker staggered the 5-6 Ewing with a hard right. But he failed to capitalize on the moment or on his height advantage, as Ewing fought back with his fists.

Wellmaker scored, but many of his punches were off the mark. Ewing, however, scored with more accuracy and power.

Ewing improved to 9-1 (1-0 UFC) and Wellmaker fell to 10-1 (2-1 UFC).

UFC 322 fight results: Early prelims

Kyle Daukaus def. Gerald Meerschaert (1st round — submission/D’arce choke), middleweight
Pat Sabatini def. Chepe Mariscal (unanimous decision): Featherweight
Fatima Kline def. Angela Hill(unanimous decision): Women’s Strawweight
Baisangur Susurkaev def. Eric McConico (Round 3 – KO): Middleweight
Matheus Camilo def. Viacheslav Borshchev (unanimous decision): Lightweight

UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev predictions

BetMGM: Islam Makhachev

Anatoly Pimentel writes: ‘A submission victory for Makhachev over Della Maddalena is my prediction for this fight because his wrestling skills are far superior and currently unstoppable. Furthermore, he won’t be stressing about weight cutting since he’ll move up in the welterweight division.

There’s no doubt that Della Maddalena has improved a lot in his grappling skills. With the help of Craig Jones and Alexander Volkanovski in his camp, he’ll still be able to improve them even more, but Makhachev’s wrestling and grappling are on another level.’

UFC.com: Islam Makhachev

Tim Finnegan of DraftKings writes: ‘Ultimately, Makhachev’s offensive grappling will probably be too much for Della Maddalena to handle, even with Craig Jones in his corner. Della Maddalena has been taken down 10 times in his last two fights by fighters who have inferior wrestling to Makhachev. Look for Makhachev to get this fight to the ground and cover the -5.5 point spread with a finish or a comfortable decision win.’

MMA Mania: Della Maddalena

Tim Bissell writes: ‘Della Maddalena lands 6.84 significant strikes a minute with 52% accuracy. That’s a ton of volume. More impressively, though, he has 64% defense against sig. strikes. This means he isn’t taking one to land one, like lots of guys with high volume stats. He’s landing punches in bunches and not getting countered. And he’s countering when opponents come forward to cut off their attempts to land big shots and combos.’

UFC 322 odds: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev fight

Odds via BetMGM as of Thursday.

Jack Della Maddalena (+220) vs. Islam Makhachev (-275)Welterweight title

UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev fight card

Fight card according to ESPN: Odds via BetMGM.

(Odds as of Thursday)

Main Card:

Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev: Welterweight title
Valentina Shevchenko vs. Zhang Weili: Women’s flyweight title
Sean Brady vs. Michael Morales: Welterweight
Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates: Welterweight
Beneil Dariush vs. Benoit Saint Denis: Lightweight

Prelims:

Bo Nickal vs. Rodolfo Vieira: Middleweight
Roman Kopylov  vs. Gregory Rodrigues: Middleweight
Erin Blanchfieldvs. Tracy Cortez: Women’s flyweight
Malcolm Wellmaker vs. Cody Haddon: Batamweight

Early Prelims

Kyle Daukaus vs. Gerald Meerschaert: Middleweight
Pat Sabatini vs. Chepe Mariscal: Featherweight
Angela Hillvs. Fatima Kline: Women’s Strawweight
Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric McConico: Middleweight
Viacheslav Borshchev vs. Matheus Camilo: Lightweight

UFC 322 preliminary and main card start times

Here are your start times.

Early Prelims: 6 p.m. ET (FX, ESPN+, Disney+)
Prelims: 8 p.m. ET (ESPNEWS, FX, ESPN+, Disney+)
Main card: 10 p.m. ET (PPV on ESPN+)

UFC 322: Della Maddalena vs. Makhachev full card odds

Fight card according to ESPN: Odds via BetMGM.

Main Card:

Jack Della Maddalena (+220) vs. Islam Makhachev (-275)Welterweight title
Valentina Shevchenko (-135) vs. Zhang Weili (+110)Women’s flyweight title
Sean Brady (-145) vs. Michael Morales (+120)Welterweight
Leon Edwards (+165) vs. Carlos Prates (-200)Welterweight
Beneil Dariush (+165) vs. Benoit Saint Denis (-200)Lightweight

Prelims:

Bo Nickal (-225) vs. Rodolfo Vieira (+185)Middleweight
Roman Kopylov (+140) vs. Gregory Rodrigues (-170)Middleweight
Erin Blanchfield (-250) vs. Tracy Cortez (+200)Women’s flyweight
Malcolm Wellmaker (-165) vs. Cody Haddon (+135)Batamweight

Early Prelims

Kyle Daukaus (-400) vs. Gerald Meerschaert(+310)Middleweight
Pat Sabatini (+135) vs. Chepe Mariscal (+110)Featherweight
Angela Hill (+375) vs. Fatima Kline (-500)Women’s Strawweight
Baisangur Susurkaev vs. Eric McConico: Middleweight

Ring walk time for Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena main event

The Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev fight card consists of 13 fights and will begin at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 15, 2025, with early prelim fights. The main event for the Maddalena and Makhachev fight is expected to be around 11:30 p.m. ET. However, the duration of the undercard will impact when Maddalena and Makhachev actually start. — Elizabeth Flores

Who did Islam Makhachev lose to? 

Islam Makhachev has just one loss in 28 fights. He lost to Adrian Martins by KO in an October 2015 fight in UFC 192.

Jack Della Maddelena’s last fight

Jack Della Maddalena last fought in UFC 315 back in May of this year. He beat Belal Muhammad by unanimous decision for the UFC Welterweight Championship.

Islam Makhachev walkout song

Islam Makhachev typically favors the song ‘Dreams’ by DJ Nariman Ajikalov.

Where is UFC 322: Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena?

UFC 322: Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena will be held at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025.

UFC 322 live stream

The Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena prelims and early prelims fights will be available to stream on ESPN+ and Disney+, while the main card will be streamed on ESPN Pay-Per-View.

UFC 322 price

UFC events are available to ESPN+ subscribers. The cost of the service is $10.99 a month or $109.99 for the year. The PPV is available for an additional $79.99.

Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena: Tale of the tape

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KEARNS, Utah — The scary thing is, Jordan Stolz can get better.

The American phenom won the 500 and 1,500 meters Saturday and flirted with a world record for the second time in his first three races. Stolz’s time of 1:40.48 in the 1,500 meters was just 0.31 seconds off the record set in 2019 by Kjeld Nuis of the Netherlands, who he was paired with for the race.

‘I think I can still make a lot of improvements, so that’s good,’ said Stolz, who is now 3-for-3 in this season-opening World Cup, with two more races Sunday. ‘I have a lead right now and I think that lead can get bigger. But I also expect them to get better, too. So it’s kind of a toss up.

‘But I’m happy with where it’s at.’

Erin Jackson also made the podium, finishing second in the first 500-meter race. Brittany Bowe had the lead in the 1,500 meters until the last lap before finishing sixth.

‘It’s a really good feeling going into the rest of the season. Mainly, I feel really good about the way my back feels,’ said Jackson, who has struggled with back issues since winning gold in the 500 meters at the Beijing Olympics.

‘The (time trial) last week was my first race where I didn’t have to worry about my back in three years,’ Jackson said. ‘It was an amazing feeling, so I’m really, really excited.’

That Stolz has three wins in his first three races so far isn’t a surprise. He won all three distances at the world championships in both 2023 and 2024, and was the overall winner in the 500, 1,000 and 1,500 meters last season.

He also swept all his races at five of the last seven World Cups, going back to the 2023-24 season.

Stolz will be favored to win gold at all three distances at the Milano Cortina Olympics. Should he do that, he would join Eric Heiden as the only Americans to win three or more gold medals at a single Winter Games. Heiden famously won all five of his races at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.

Stolz also would be the first male speed skater to win three or more medals at a single games since Heiden.

But while Stolz doesn’t get caught up in the expectations on him, he does recognize he is now the skater everyone wants to beat.

Stolz had thought a world record in the 1,500 might be possible. But he’s not in peak shape yet and he’d won the 500 about an hour earlier, and he found himself trailing Nuis heading into the final lap.

‘When he was a little bit ahead of me going to the last lap, it was a little bit of a worry,’ Stolz said.

Stolz closed with a fury, however. With the crowd roaring as he came down the final straightaway, Stolz shot ahead. He wound up bettering his previous best time by 0.39 seconds.

‘I’m just pushing as hard as I possibly can,’ Stolz said of his close.

And just like in the 1,000 meters, where he just missed matching his own world record, Stolz was closer to the record than his competitors were to him. Ning Zhongyan of China was second, 0.54 seconds behind Stolz, and Germany’s Finn Sonnekalb was third.

In the 500 meters, his first race Saturday, Stolz was paired with Damien Żurek of Poland, who was second to the American in the 1,000 meters Friday night. Żurek kept the race close, but Stolz edged him at the finish line.

His time of 33.88 was just 0.02 seconds ahead of Żurek. Gao Tingyu of China was third at 33.93 seconds.

‘I was training leading up to this competition, so it’s not like I was super prepared,’ Stolz said. ‘So I’m really happy with the results I did, being the condition that I’m in right now.’

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