Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz preen and trade expletives at UFC 196 weigh-in

LAS VEGAS – As per the course of this brief, yet vitriolic 10-day promotion, Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz exchanged curse words and middle fingers as both came in under the 170-pound weight limit in front of a raucous pro-McGregor crowd as the two prepare for their UFC 196 main event showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

McGregor, the current UFC featherweight champion, will make his welterweight debut against Diaz, who stepped in on short notice to replace the injured UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. With little time to prepare, both agreed to square off at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds.

The Irishman looked far different than the emaciated skeleton that stepped on the scale at UFC 194 for his featherweight title showdown against Jose Aldo. A very filled out McGregor hit the stage rubbing his belly as a sign that he is happy to not have to cut weight. Noticeably more defined than Diaz, McGregor weighed in at 168 pounds. His counterpart also made weight at 169 pounds.

With Las Vegas police officers onstage in the event things became physical, Diaz awaited McGregor to step off the scale in a fighting stance as the two fired off middle fingers and expletives in front of a roaring crowd. As the two exchanged words, Diaz flinched at McGregor and caused Dana White, who was already in position, to step in and make sure that the only place that punches and kicks are exchanged is in the Octagon on Saturday night.

“I’m here to kill or be killed,” Diaz said to Joe Rogan before firing off yet another middle finger and another round of curse words to his opponent.

McGregor seemed unfazed and expressed it to the riled up crowd filled with Irishmen.

“It’s just another day for me,” McGregor said. “One falls out and another steps in so I’m used to it.”

Of course, McGregor had to get the final verbal jab in a war of words with his opponent, taking aim at Diaz’ build.

“I was giggling at his little soft body,” he said. “How can a fat guy be so skinny at the same time? It amuses me.”

Although there has been less than two weeks to build to the fight, it certainly hasn’t been lacking in verbal fireworks as the two have traded obscenities, curse words and insults whenever they were in the same room.

At Thursday’s press conference, McGregor and Diaz had a near dust-up when they were faced off as members of both teams spilled onto the stage. Cooler heads prevailed but the tension between the two camps is very thick.

McGregor, who is as much as a 3.5 to 1 favorite, originally sought to become the first UFC fighter to actively hold world titles in two weight divisions when he was scheduled to face dos Anjos. Although he won’t have the opportunity to make history on Saturday night, the main event hasn’t lost any luster due to Diaz’s popularity and ability to engage in a war of words at the drop of a hat.

If McGregor does defeat Diaz, there is a prevailing thought that he will challenge welterweight champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 200. But he’ll have to get past Diaz first before UFC president Dana White can entertain a fight of that magnitude.

The co-main event finds Holly Holm making her first defense of the UFC women’s bantamweight title she won with a shocking knockout of Ronda Rousey as she squares off with Miesha Tate. There was far less animosity between the ladies but there are expectations of these two putting on a competitive fight. Both Tate and Holm made weight (135 and 134.5, respectively) and avoided anything that resembled the friction showcased between the two main event fighters.

“Whole new training camp, whole new nerves, whole new fight, whole new work in progress,” said Holm, who had the support of the crowd. “November’s fight was back in November and I have to be ready for March 5.”

Full UFC 196 weigh-in results

Main Card (Pay Per View)
Conor McGregor (168) vs. Nate Diaz (169) five rounds, welterweights
Holly Holm (134.5) vs. Miesha Tate (135), five rounds for the UFC women’s bantamweight title
Gian Villante (205) vs. Ilir Latifi (205), three rounds, light heavyweights
Corey Anderson (204) vs. Tom Lawlor (204.5), three rounds, light heavyweights
Amanda Nunes (136) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (134), three rounds, women’s bantamweights

Fox Sports 1
Brandon Thatch (170) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (170), three rounds, welterweights
Erick Silva (170) vs. Nordine Taleb (170), three rounds, welterweights
Vitor Miranda (185.5) vs. Marcelo Guimaraes (185.5), three rounds, middleweights
Chas Skelly (145.5) vs. Darren Elkins (145.5), three rounds, featherweights

UFC Fight Pass
Jim Miller (155.5) vs. Diego Sanchez (156), three rounds, lightweights
Justin Salas (156) vs. Jason Saggo (155.5), three rounds, lightweights
Julian Erosa (144.5) vs. Teruto Ishihara (146), three rounds, featherweights

Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal: 10-man Gunners fight back to halt Spurs

LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal played out a hugely entertaining 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane on Saturday, as an epic North London Derby played out.

Arsenal took the lead against the run of play in the first half with Aaron Ramsey‘s delicate back heel putting them 1-0 up at the break, but a pivotal five minutes in the second half saw the game turned on its head.

First, Francis Coquelin was sent off for two yellows and then Toby Alderweireld equalized and Harry Kane bent in a beauty to put Spurs 2-1 up against the 10-men.

However, with just 15 minutes to go Alexis Sanchez finished coolly to make it 2-2 and Arsenal snatched a point from the jaws of defeat to not only keep their title hopes alive but put a dent in their hopes of their biggest rivals.

With the draw Spurs stay in second and are two points behind leaders Leicester, while Arsenal stay in third and are three points behind the Foxes.

The game began at a frantic pace with Tottenham doing much of the pressing. Mousa Dembele launched into two thundering tackles with Alexis Sanchez on the halfway line and as the Chilean complained, Dembele put his finger to his lips. Feisty.

Arsenal looked dangerous on the break but Welbeck was devoid of proper service and instead it was Spurs who continued to dominate the tempo of the game. Hugo Lloris had a nervy moment inside the first 20 minutes as a back pass to him bobbled up and he eventually cleared, but the away side rarely threatened in the final third throughout a tight first half despite Welbeck’s best efforts.

DeRozan's near-record night at the line beats out Lillard's 50

Friday night's contest between the Toronto Raptors and Portland Trail Blazers stood out as a matchup of two of the NBA's best backcourt combos. Toronto's Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan and Portland's Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum have all emerged as elite scorers at their positions, with both duos leading their teams to levels above preseason projections.


All four exceeded expectations at Air Canada Centre, although two shone above the others. We'll start with DeRozan, who nearly put up a new NBA record at the free-throw line. The All-Star shooting guard went only 7-of-19 from the field, but he went to the line an astonishing 25 times to end up with TKTKTKT points. Even more remarkably, DeRozan hit the first 24 attempts, which would have broken Dominique Wilkins's 24-year-old record for the most free throws in a game without a miss.

DeRozan misfired on his 25th freebie to lose his chance at history, but even that one ended up helping the Raptors. Up two points after the first free throw with only 0.9 seconds on the clock, DeRozan missed (apparently unintentionally) to force Mason Plumlee into throwing a 91-foot heave. He did not come close, and the Raptors finished up a 117-115 win to continue a franchise-record run of 12 straight at home.

DeRozan missed out on breaking Nique's mark but does now have the Toronto record for most consecutive free throws made in a single game and set career highs for attempts and makes. He can at least partially thank a very tightly called first half that featured 34 fouls between the two teams. However, DeRozan attempted 14 of his free throws in the second half, which featured 31 fouls itself.

Yet DeRozan's night was nearly overshadowed by another huge performance from Damian Lillard, who has been incandescently hot since his All-Star Game snub. Lillard put up 22 points in the fourth quarter, including two three-pointers in the final 20 seconds to force Toronto into high-pressure free throws. He finished with 50 overall (16-of-28 FG, 6-of-13 3FG, 12-of-13 FT), falling just one point short of the career-best 51 he scored against the Golden State Warriors two weeks ago.

Lillard has now scored 30 on nine occasions since February 1, the most in the league. He also has two of the Blazers' eight 50-point games in history over his last nine appearances.

It just wasn't enough to top the Raptors on a night when their own stars were so terrific. In addition to DeRozan, Lowry scored 28 points (8-of-15 FG, 3-of-5 3FG, 9-of-15 FT) and expertly closed out the game with several big buckets. McCollum was very good, too (24 points on 8-of-17 FG and 4-of-5 3FG), but the Raptors had more role players step up and came away with the victory.

Johnny Manziel embraces out-of-control lifestyle in stripper video

Johnny Manziel didn’t bother with a cheesy disguise during his latest misadventure at a strip club.

The disgraced Browns quarterback was reportedly spotted at Miami’s King of Diamonds gentleman’s club on Monday. In a video obtained by Barstool Sports, the 23-year-old seems to be enjoying his visit at the South Florida hot spot, flashing his chains for the camera before tossing cold hard cash at the female dancers.

As Manziel boozes his way through South Beach while his legal troubles continue to mount, he doesn’t seem at all fazed by the footage surfacing documenting his late night hijinks.

In January, Manziel reportedly rocked a blond wig and phony mustache before jetting off to Sin City with friends. Under the alias of Billy Manziel, he and his pals wined and dined at a popular Vegas casino, though he asked to be comped in order to avoid using a credit card which would identify him.

With his domestic violence case now in the hands of a Dallas grand jury, Cleveland is ready to cut ties with Manziel when the new NFL year begins March 9.

“That behavior will not be tolerated as we move forward,” head coach Hue Jackson said at the NFL Combine. “Our organization is going to take a stand.”

Manziel is currently under investigation following an alleged incident with ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley, in which he threatened to kill her and himself.

MLB season preview: Are the Phillies bad enough to lose 100 games?

With the arrival of baseball season we're previewing each MLB team, from worst to best. We'll look at their key offseason moves, projected lineup, best and worst possible outcomes plus examine the team's fantasy implications. Our daily series starts with No. 30: The Philadelphia Phillies.

The Phillies lost 99 games last season, a dumbfounding number for fans who just a few years ago were celebrating NL East title after NL East title.

Here's some bad news, Phillies fans: Things aren't getting much better this season. Heck, they could get worse.


The 2016 Phillies, who are still paying Ryan Howard $25 million despite that .229 batting average a year ago, are saddled with disappointment in more ways than one. This will be a rebuilding year, there's no doubt about it. They've overhauled their front office and over the past year have traded away many of the players who were contributing to those first-place finishes. These aren't the Phillies of Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins and Cole Hamels anymore — no, it's a new era in Philly.

The Phillies are hoping to rebuild the smart way, like the Houston Astros did. It won't happen by September, but if fans watch closely enough, they might see glimmers of hope in young players such as Maikel Franco and Aaron Nola.

The Phillies are clearly in the process of rebuilding, so there was no need to make huge additions at the major-league level. The loss of Giles will hurt, as he is young, cost-controlled and talented. But having a great closer on a roster that’s going to win 65 games isn’t wise. Velasquez was one of the big names in that deal, and he should get a shot to prove himself in the majors this season. The real key additions were the prospects acquired in both the Giles and Cole Hamels trade from last July. Those players have a shot to be key contributors on the next Phillies contender. Most of the club’s actual big-league adds are nothing more than stopgaps until better talent arrives. 

Green's miracle 3 helps Warriors keep home win streak alive

The Golden State Warriors faced a serious challenge Tuesday night in welcoming the Atlanta Hawks to Oracle Arena with both Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala sidelined due to injury. Those absences showed throughout the contest, but the Warriors kept their near-record home win streak alive with a gritty performance and several big shots down the stretch.

The most important of those shots was largely a stroke of luck. Up 104-103 with 1:05 on the clock in overtime, the Warriors wisely chose to use up the bulk of their 24 seconds but looked destined for a shot clock violation as Klay Thompson made a difficult pass to Andrew Bogut towards the baseline. Bogut corralled it and passed out to Draymond Green in a desperate attempt to get a shot off, and Green obliged by somehow picking it up and shooting in one motion for this miracle three-pointer:

It was an amazing and unlikely conversion for a player who had looked tentative to fire from the perimeter mere possessions earlier. Yet incredible moments are becoming progressively more believable as this charmed Warriors season continues.

However, the game wasn't won with Green's three-pointer. Dennis Schröder made two free throws at the other end to make it 107-105, forcing Golden State into serving up another dagger to close it out. Klay Thompson, who had scored five of the Warriors' seven overtime points prior to Green's shot, worked in isolation and faked Paul Millsap into giving up this short jumper:

Schröder chose one of the worst of several bad options on the next possession in firing a Curry-esque 30-footer, and Thompson eluded foulers after a timeout to close out Golden State's 109-105 win. The Warriors have now taken 43 games in a row at Oracle Arena and will look to tie the Chicago Bulls' NBA record of 44 straight (running from March 1995 until April 1996) on Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.


Tuesday's win stands out in part because it required the Warriors to dig much deeper than usual. Green took on the vast majority of playmaking duties with both Curry and Iguodala out, which worked fine for a while as they built up a 59-48 halftime lead. That advantage stayed in double digits as late as the 3:00 mark of the third quarter, but the Warriors offense stagnated for only 38 second-half points. The Hawks responded to take several late leads and looked in superior position to win late.

Atlanta will regret not taking further advantage, because it's hard to imagine a more fortuitous set of circumstances to beat Golden State at Oracle. The Warriors shot 39.8 percent from the field and 12-of-36 from beyond the arc as both Thompson (8-of-27 FG) and Green (6-of-15 FG) failed to shoot at a high percentage. Golden State survived with a season-high 19 from Andrew Bogut, who missed just one of his nine field goals (on a rushed jumper at the regulation jumper) and contributions around the margins from Leandro Barbosa (11 points on 4-of-7 FG, including a three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer) and Marreese Speights (10 points 2-of-2 3FG).

But Golden State grinded out the win in a number of ways, including 18 offensive rebounds, 28 assists to 11 turnovers, and big plays when they mattered most. Green's all-around play was especially meaningful. Despite passing up shots and generally looking limited as a scorer, Green almost added to his league-leading triple-double total with 15 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists, and four steals. This theft and save in the fourth quarter doubled as the night's second-best highlight:

Thompson similarly saved his best moments for when they mattered most, scoring 11 of his game-high 26 in the final seven minutes.

Those performances stood in contrast to those of the Hawks, who missed several open shots that could have won them the game in regulation and overtime. Atlanta did well to drive and kick against a switching Golden State defense that clearly missed Iguodala's versatility, but they could not convert with enough consistency to pickup the win. It wasn't a bad performance — taking the Warriors to OT at Oracle is an achievement no matter who's wearing the uniform — but it lacked some key features.

Both Curry and Iguodala seem likely to return Thursday, which means that the Warriors are odds-on favorites to match the Bulls' record. The game was going to be appointment viewing regardless after Saturday's thriller, but it's now even more essential with history on the line.