The Vancouver Goldeneyes look to bounce back from the first loss in team history as they visit the New York Sirens on Saturday.
Live coverage on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ begins at noon ET / 9 a.m. PT.
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Saturday, 29 November 2025
Canadian defender Nikola Markovic making mark with North Carolina State
Canadian Nikola Markovic is hard to miss at the heart of the North Carolina State backline. At six-foot-four and 205 pounds, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year cuts a commanding figure.
The 21-year-old sophomore centre back from Gatineau, Que., will look to help the 15th-seeded Wolfpack (13-2-4) get past visiting UNC Greensboro (12-4-6) on Sunday in the NCAA men’s soccer tournament Sweet 16.
After a first-round bye, North Carolina State blanked Marshall 2-0 with Markovic’s parents making the 14-hour drive to take it in.
“My Dad, he’s a machine, man,” Markovic said approvingly. “He just drives it in one shot. And he’s thinking about coming again this weekend. So hopefully.”
UNC Greensboro dispatched Elon in a first-round penalty shootout before upsetting No. 2 Virginia 2-0.
N.C. State and UNC Greensboro played to a 1-1 draw when they met Oct. 21 in Raleigh with midfielder Drew Lovelace pulling the Wolfpack even with a 84th-minute penalty. North Carolina had to settle for the tie despite outshooting the Spartans 25-4 (12-2 in shots on target) and holding a 13-1 edge in corners.
“They’re a good team … so we’re expecting a good game. But I think the guys are ready,” said Markovic, who captains N.C. State.
N.C. State’s lone losses were to 1-0 to No. 16 Virginia on Oct. 5 and 3-0 to Syracuse on Nov. 9 in the second round of the ACC Tournament.
The Wolfpack outscored their opposition 42-7 this season with 14 shutouts. Markovic played his part with the Wolfpack highlighting a robust chase and tackle against North Carolina on Sept. 5 with a social media post proclaiming “Meet our centre back, Nikola Markovic. You can also call him Brick Wall.”
While Markovic’s brief is stopping goals, he can make an impact at the other end of the field.
Last November, his headed goal in double overtime was the Wolfpack’s winner over Charlotte in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He has two goals and an assist in 18 games this season.
Markovic, along with Wolfpack goalkeeper Logan Erb and forward Donovan Philip, made the 31-man Hermann Trophy midseason watch list — as did UNC Greensboro forward Enzo Dovlo.
The list will be cut to 15 semifinalists Dec. 9 and then three finalists, with the player of the year to be revealed Jan. 9.
Markovic, whose parents are both of Serbian descent, won gold with Quebec at the 2022 Canada Games and joined the CF Montreal academy at 18, spending a year and a half there.
“I had the chance to play with the first team a little bit and train with them, so I saw what the pro level was like,” he said. “I think it prepared me very well to come to college and be able to perform.”
Pro soccer remains his dream.
“But for now I’m just focusing on staying healthy and having a successful year with the (N.C. State) team. After that, we’ll see.”
His Wolfpack teammates include Ibrahim Conde, a sixth-year forward from Montreal. Other players come from the U.S., Australia, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Portugal, St. Lucia and South Africa.
After making the All-ACC Freshman Team last season, Markovic was named to 2025 All-ACC Team in addition to his conference defensive player honours.
“It’s just been unreal,” Markovic said of his two years in Raleigh.
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Frank Ragnow fails physical, won’t play for Lions this season after unretiring
The Detroit Lions won’t be getting the boost to their offensive line they had hoped for.
Pro Bowl centre Frank Ragnow has failed his physical after he announced he would come out of retirement, making him unable to rejoin the Lions this season, the team announced Saturday.
According to the team’s release on Saturday, it was revealed that Ragnow was dealing with a Grade 3 hamstring strain that would keep him from suiting up for the remainder of the regular season.
“Frank has always been a team-first guy and is a true warrior,” the team said in the release. “He will forever be a Lion.”
Ragnow announced on Wednesday that he would cut his retirement short after hanging up his cleats at the end of last season.
He dealt with multiple injuries throughout his career, including a fractured throat that he played through for most of the 2021 season and multiple lower-body issues.
The Lions drafted Ragnow 20th overall in 2018 out of Arkansas. Over his seven-year career, he earned four Pro Bowl nods and three second-team All-Pro selections.
He became the highest-paid centre in football in 2021 after receiving a four-year, $54 million extension.
The Lions (7-5) are on the outside of the playoff picture looking in after a loss to the NFC North division rival Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving.
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Friday, 28 November 2025
32 Thoughts: Canucks ready to reshape their future
• Will Tuesday’s loss to Dallas force Edmonton into the goalie market?
• Nashville at critical point in franchise history
• Scott Wedgewood becoming a late consideration for Team Canada
When Vancouver notified teams of its desire to discuss “veterans” — and the note said veterans, not UFAs — the message was unmistakable: we want to know what you think about our players.
Without specific names attached, the Canucks, by design, left things to everyone else’s imaginations. No limitations, talk to us, we’ll decide what we’re willing/able to do. We know Quinn Hughes is not available, for now (we’ll get to him in a minute). Even if Filip Hronek didn’t have a no-move clause, I don’t think there’s any desire to move him. We know the UFAs definitely are out there, and we know that the Canucks will listen on those with term, although several control their futures. And, as mentioned the other day, when Jim Rutherford signals he’s ready, you’d better be ready, too.
This is not a total teardown. The Canucks prefer young players in the NHL (or ready for it) over draft picks and/or greener prospects, but we’ve got to be prepared for everything.
The immediate watch is Kiefer Sherwood. Excellent start, absolute heater (28.6 shooting percentage), competes hard, playoff-style skillset, salary everyone can handle. Ultimately, the Canucks will decide how fast they move, but if anyone could go quickly, it’s the feisty winger.
Other than that, we’ll see. I’ve always liked Tyler Myers in the right scenario. Long, mean right-shot defenders with reasonable cap hits are coveted, but I’m not convinced he’d waive during the season — protection negotiated in good faith.
There’s been some discussion about Conor Garland, but I’ve heard the preference is to keep him. Another incredibly competitive guy who works. It comes down to someone making an offer they can’t say no to.
Hughes? We can guess where this is going, although several sources pushed back hard — very hard — on the idea he’s already made a decision. Rutherford’s prepared Canuck Nation for the possibility he’d leave. It’s solid strategy that he and GM Patrik Allvin try to be proactive, make the franchise cornerstone believe in the future. But Hughes has looked unhappy, although I think there was a conversation addressing that. Your captain must project properly. Eventually, there will be a discussion about his future, I thought Olympic break, might be sooner. Obviously, he’ll have a huge say over the process. But elite engines aren’t available often, and interested parties won’t screw around when/if the day comes.
Eighteen months ago, Vancouver lost a 3-2 Game 7 to Edmonton — a fierce, thrilling series pushing the Oilers to the precipice before they became two-time Western Conference champions. The core of that team was Garland, Hronek, Hughes, JT Miller and Elias Pettersson. Injured Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko did not play. Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov were strong support pieces. The future seemed so bright.
But it imploded, as much because of personalities as anything else. There’s a six-part podcast to be done, sometime.
I didn’t think we’d go from that to this. But here we are. The Canucks are ready to reshape their future.
32 THOUGHTS
1. One thing that makes me crazy is how organizations trip over themselves avoiding the word ‘rebuild’. On some level, I get it because the word can be as radioactive as gold kryptonite to Superman. But you can walk yourself into trouble using a thesaurus, and my number one rule is, “Don’t pour gasoline on your own fire.” I’m still 1.5 credits shy of my English degree, but I’ve found a solution. Say either “we’re starting over,” or, “we’re making changes but we’re not tearing it all down.” Simple.
For the rest of us, including myself, ignore the noise and watch what’s happening. If you really look at Calgary and Nashville, they have begun the process of change. The Flames are assembling a strong prospect group, and no matter what anyone says, won’t make short-term moves to save this season. If it’s a high pick, they will take it. They also believe that Dustin Wolf is too good to let them consistently hit rock bottom, and his start-of-season struggles were more of a blip than anything. (And shoutout to the NHL’s Friedrich Nietzsche, Devin Cooley, who almost lost his job but has played very well.)
2. I’d be surprised if Calgary GM Craig Conroy, in the final year of his contract, is not re-signed. For one thing, I don’t believe head coach Ryan Huska is the only person in the organization to receive a recent extension, so the Flames are taking care of business. An executive from another team told me it’s not unheard of for conversations to slow down or halt when things are rough. Doesn’t mean it changes your long-term plans, but there is an allergy to reward when on-ice results go sideways. I don’t think Don Maloney should be fired for last week’s comments. You just need to know the right time. A GM needs someone to manage up.
3. I don’t like to overreact to one game. For Edmonton, this is more than one game. After Tuesday’s 8-3 Dallas destruction, the Oilers have no choice but to ask themselves if it’s time to trade Stuart Skinner — for their benefit and his. Everyone. I understood their philosophy: don’t waste resources on a lateral move, because, with the limited chips you have, you might only get one shot at being right. Like my grandmother always said, “You plan, God laughs.”
It’s 100 per cent true the Oilers are sieve-like defensively: at even-strength, they are 25th in shots against from the slot on the cycle, 29th from the slot overall and 30th from the slot against the rush (Sportlogiq). You need prime Dominik Hasek against those numbers, and captain Connor McDavid did the right thing by saying how bad they were in front of Skinner.
Calvin Pickard basically saved his job with a strong performance in a 2-1 loss in Tampa Bay on a tough back-to-back. His teammates, who love Pickard, rallied around him in that one. Then, the Oilers won an emotional game in Florida. To go home and perform like that against the Mikko Rantanen-less Stars was ugggggggggggly.
One of the reasons the Oilers wanted it to work so badly is Skinner’s budget-friendly $2.6M AAV in a tight cap situation. They felt very strongly that they had to know they were getting a guaranteed upgrade to give up on that. Now, you have to ask yourself: are you losing by not trying to come out even? Is there a situation where you feel someone will be rejuvenated in Edmonton, like Skinner might be elsewhere? The other question you have to ask: will a change lift our team? Is this weighing on them, too?
4. Nick Kypreos stirred up a hornet’s nest in his trade board by suggesting Jordan Binnington could end up with the Oilers. I strongly suspect Edmonton can’t trade for Binnington without his permission, even if St. Louis wanted to do it.
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Real Kyper’s Trade Board
Hockey Insider Nick Kypreos shares the latest intel on players who could be on the move this season.
5. Goalie team to watch: Pittsburgh. Four guys ready to play between the NHL and AHL.
6. Someone else to keep an eye on: Laurent Brossoit. Long road back for Brossoit, who last played a game on April 28, 2024. But he’s practising and headed for a conditioning stint in the near future. There’s no room for him in Chicago, so when he does dress in the AHL, goalie-needy teams will be watching. Good luck to him, would have been easy to give up.
7. I do think Peter DeBoer will be back in the NHL, but would be stunned if it was in Edmonton.
8. Scott Oake to Jim Nill on After Hours: Can the Stars afford both Rantanen and Jason Robertson? “We’ll find a way to do it,” the GM answered. “We’ve always found ways. These are great players. It’s hard to find goal scorers. When I talked to Jason over the summer — he had a tough year the year before, he missed all of training camp, got off to a slow start — that’s what we discussed. Come in, I want you to have a good year, it’s an Olympic year, lot of things going on. He’s performing for us and it’s great to see.”
Robertson said a healthy summer made a big difference for him and the proof is right in front of your eyes.
9. Last blog, I listed a bunch of teams circling around the trade market and what they are looking at. A few people I texted left out Utah. The Mammoth stabilized themselves after a rough stretch. Definitely want to add, and a quiver full of picks/prospects.
10. Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies return Wednesday night for Toronto, and not a moment too soon for the Maple Leafs. The timelines were frustrating both internally (you could see it on Crag Berube’s face) and externally. Once again, there was debate about injury clarity and I was asked about it on a couple of my regular interview spots. It’s something I’ve been thinking about, especially with the number of gambling scandals in different sports.
First, let me just say I am sympathetic to injuries getting targeted — especially in the playoffs. It 100 per cent happens, and anyone denying that is certifiably insane. Players are fiercely protective of injury information primarily because of that, and also, as many have said, “It’s none of your business.” (That’s a different debate, which we will get to.)
11. When I’ve asked Commissioner Gary Bettman about gambling concerns, whether injury or prop-bet related, he makes a point of saying he believes NHLers wouldn’t do it. It’s good to support your players — scores points — but I remember being blown away years ago by a Diana Swain report on match-fixing in a low-level Canadian soccer league. Where money can be made, vigilance matters.
When it comes to prop bets, Bettman believes hockey’s randomness and speed make it much harder to manipulate than other sports. That mind-boggling Emmanuel Clase first-pitch accusation? Much harder to pull off in hockey. The NHL’s Chief Security Officer, Jared Maples, spoke with the managers at the recent GM meetings. A few people who were there said it was a fascinating presentation. He reminded that betting on hockey or gambling illegally will be met with severe punishment.
But the thing that really stood out was that anyone complicit in these scandals doesn’t seem to understand it’s the betting companies themselves noticing aberrations or weirdness, informing the leagues and law enforcement when something’s awry. “You really have to be dumb to not see who is policing this,” one said.
Therefore, the league feels as certain as it can that if something happens, they are going to be told about it. (In the aftermath of the Clase case, Major League Baseball announced a $200 limit on individual pitch wagering, with those specific bets removed from parlays. At this time, the NHL is not pursuing anything similar.)
12. Now, let’s go back to injury information. This is where I see the weakness. Maples stressed that managers be extremely discreet with it, and relay that message to their players. (Not a hard sell, lol.) One of the people charged in the recent NBA sweep was an assistant coach, Damon Jones, accused of providing secret LeBron James intel to bettors. This is where I’d be most concerned if I were the NHL.
Again, the players are adamant this not be shared. Even if I argue that Matthews — being the most important player on the NHL’s most newsmaking team — and the Maple Leafs have to expect the highest scrutiny, they don’t want to hear it, saying it is their business. But if it ever leads to scandal…
I never thought legal betting would lead to greater clarity on hockey injuries, but this is where we are in the year 2025.
13. All of the injuries stink, but shoutout to Tampa Bay — which has moved from last to first in the Atlantic — despite being crushed by them. Also, New Jersey and Carolina, atop the Metropolitan despite being able to put together a decent roster with the players who haven’t been in their lineups. And anyone else I didn’t credit. You have to find a way.
14. Not surprised Juuso Parssinen cleared waivers. But I think there is interest, depending on what the Rangers are willing to do. Next season at $1.25M is the challenge.
15. In Nashville, GM Barry Trotz said this week on his regular 102.5 radio appearance there will be more opportunity for the Joakim Kemell-type prospects at the NHL level. I stick to what I said last week, that the Predators are still feeling their way through things, from ownership on down. This is a critical time in franchise history, and they want to get it right. Like Vancouver, Nashville is exploring the market, well-aware there are teams lusting after Ryan O’Reilly. Remember: he’s got big say in any move. I don’t buy Filip Forsberg trade theories at this time, and am not convinced they want to retain money.
16. Some well-meaning Jets fans wondered if local boy Chris Driedger’s KHL contract termination was tied to Connor Hellebuyck’s injury, that he was returning to fill the gap. It’s unrelated, at least right now. For one thing, assuming no surprises, Hellebuyck could be back on the ice in the not-too-distant future. Winnipeg wants to see Thomas Milic, looking like he will make his NHL debut Saturday in Nashville. It’s always better to solve your problem internally, if you can. Things can always change, but the timing is a coincidence.
17. Colorado’s Scott Wedgewood joins Matthew Schaefer as late additions to Team Canada’s Olympic player pool. If you’re added now, you aren’t one of 90 — the original list. You’re one of 35, and a serious candidate. Are Canada’s goalies down to some combination of Jordan Binnington, Darcy Kuemper, Logan Thompson and Wedgewood? Even with Binnington’s struggles, what he did last February makes him feel like a lock.
18. A scouting report on 16-1-5 Colorado: “Much better defensively earlier in-season than in years past.”
19. Heard this week there’s going to be a landing spot for Robby Fabbri. One of the rumoured teams was Ottawa, but it won’t be them.
20. The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reported Tuesday that the Penguins’ sale to the Hoffmann family has “halted,” and that nothing “appears to be the least bit imminent.” What I can confirm is this process has taken longer than expected and is more difficult than current owners Fenway Sports Group hoped. The Hoffmans do remain in their exclusive negotiating window and are moving forward to close. We will see.
21. The NHL and NHLPA, although annoyed at the overall situation, are biting their tongues about the Milan rink delay until around Christmas. The IOC is saying all the right things about everything being ready when it really matters, but this is waaaaaaaay too close for anyone’s comfort. There definitely will be concerns about ice quality. Wildest rumour: the roof was too low and had to be raised. Still can’t wait to get there.
22. Joseph Woll is the latest goalie to have his mask knocked off during play, angry at the delay before a whistle. While there’s been debate about the current rule — which allows action to continue when the offensive team is in control — another way of attacking the problem is changing the masks themselves. Instead of a buckle snap, there are suggestions to bolt the strap to the outside or thread it through the shell to the inside.
Senior Director of Hockey Operations Kay Whitmore, who played 155 NHL games in goal, made a presentation to the GMs at the recent meetings, showing these examples. The active goalies obviously have a say, but this could be a solution.
23. Last Saturday, Jonathan Huberdeau fought Mikko Rantanen after the hit that cut Matt Coronato and landed Dallas’s winger a one-game suspension. Huberdeau received an instigator. Maybe I’m crazy, but I don’t think anyone should get an instigator when the guy he fights receives a game misconduct.
24. I howled when I saw Adam Foote’s quotes about using publicly available analytics: “They’re just looking at numbers from people that could be in Russia in a basement, having cigarettes and cashews.”
Three things on this: first, and foremost, Foote will protect his players. He knows anything negative he says about a Canuck will be used against them, so he bends over backwards not to do it. View everything he says through this lens. If he does criticize someone, that’s really un-good.
Second, teams do claim what is privately available to them is much more accurate than public information. This is not an atypical attitude across the NHL.
Third, I rushed to the schedule, begging we have Vancouver on Saturday. Santa considers me a good boy, because my wish came true — they are playing the Kings. I will be on-set to discuss this game with a box of cashews, and promise to smoke if Sportsnet lets me.
25. It was special watching Arber and Florian Xhekaj make their NHL double debut last Saturday. Florida loved Florian heading into that 2023 draft, meeting with him multiple times in the lead-up. That included the night before the draft, apparently targeting him anywhere between the third and sixth rounds, I believe. Montreal found out. They got him in the fourth round, 101st overall.
26. I think some organizations would like to know more about the people in Florida’s front office, but GM Bill Zito keeps them locked in his trunk.
27. Wednesday night is Game 2 of the CHL/USA Prospects Challenge, in Lethbridge. The Americans won Game 1 4-2 Tuesday night in Calgary. Anyone can have a bad day, but everyone I know there was disappointed with the CHL performance. Canada swept the two-game series last season, and coach Willie Desjardins saw how motivated the American players were. “They were more ready at the start,” he said. “I think they had a lot to prove from last year. I think we thought that maybe we could get away with it, just had to show up.” How you perform after a bad day is a true test of who you are.
28. Morgan Geekie is tied for the NHL lead in goals (17, with Nate MacKinnon). Kyle Bukauskas walked up to him a few weeks ago and opened with, “How’s life as a 30-goal scorer?” Geekie replied, “Same as it was as a nine-goal scorer.” Kyle hasn’t been rejected that badly since the Campbell River Collegiate prom.
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32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
29. Podcast thought-line question that should be shared with a wider audience: What team has allowed the most “Revenge Goals” — goals scored against by former players? The crack Sportsnet Stats team looked through all active players and discovered the answer is Chicago (64). Phillip Danault and Artemi Panarin lead with eight. Most by one player against one team: William Karlsson, clobbering the Ducks with 16. Utah has the fewest with one (Matias Maccelli), Seattle has six. Fewest with a longer history: Detroit (11). Highest Canadian team is Toronto (44). James van Riemsdyk is the most prolific ex-Leaf, with eight.
30. Duncan Keith’s induction means that every eligible defensive winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy is in the Hall of Fame: Serge Savard (1969), Bobby Orr (1970 & 72), Larry Robinson (1978), Al MacInnis (1989), Brian Leetch (1994), Scott Stevens (2000), Nicklas Lidstrom (2002), Scott Niedermayer (2007) and Keith (2015). Still to come: Victor Hedman (2020) and Cale Makar (2022). Feel confident predicting they will be enshrined, too. Bold, I know.
31. Speaking of the Hall, I’m a Curtis Joseph truther. He should be in. His book is outstanding, and last week he did an excellent interview on the St. Louis Blues YouTube page (Life As A Blue). Something he said stuck with me: his 1993 playoff breakthrough, a stunning first-round sweep of Chicago, a Stanley Cup Finalist the previous season.
“It felt amazing because my teammates gave me the response I was craving,” he said. “And the response that I was craving was, ‘Great job. Way to be there for us.’ I need to be needed. When those guys would come back to me and go, ‘Great job,’ I felt a sense of team, I felt a sense of family, which I hadn’t had in my entire life. That experience gave me all of that in a two-week period. Everything that I needed in life.”
32. Our Hockey Night in Canada Hockey Fights Cancer broadcast is Saturday. There are three people I’d like to mention.
Molly Kay Friedman (1947-82): My mother died on her 35th birthday. Our relationship was…complex. Forty-three years later, I have greater understanding of how this insidious disease affected her not only physically, but emotionally. I learned painful lessons: how life is fleeting, how nothing is guaranteed. How we all have responsibilities, but those cannot prevent you from finding time to do what you enjoy and chasing your dreams. You never know when things we take for granted will be taken from you.
I remember her funeral, feeling pleasant surprise at some of the people who showed. Even now, when I’m more remotely connected to someone who’s passed (or their family), I try to attend. If there’s one piece of advice I’d share, it’s this. So meaningful for people to see faces they don’t expect.
Charles Pollock (1964-2016): I don’t have an older brother, but always admired two older cousins, Charles and his brother, Andrew. We didn’t see a ton of each other, but loved hearing their stories when we did — both big, charismatic personalities. When I covered basketball, Charles, who became a stockbroker, would request my NCAA men’s basketball bracket to try and win the company pool. Last memory of him: at my wedding, we had these plastic tubes full of Reese’s Pieces. Charles walked out with two handfuls as I laughed my head off.
Jason Brenzel (1984-2025, seen here with son Levi): My brother-in-law’s brother (we are married to sisters).
From his wife, Natalie: One year ago, almost to the day, Jason was diagnosed with Stage Four esophageal cancer, at the age of 40. Jason was the ultimate “Master of All Trades,” excelling in everything from golf, skiing, mountain biking, carpentry and watch repair, cooking, etc. etc. He brought that determination to this challenge and spent more than eight weeks in-and-out of hospital, undergoing painful tests, chemotherapy and radiation, enduring heartbreaking conversation after heartbreaking conversation. But Jason maintained his trademark quiet courage, strength, and appreciation for the support around him.
His family was never ever far from his mind, especially Levi. One afternoon, towards the end of Jason’s final hospitalization, Levi came for a visit and Jason somehow mustered the strength to pick him up and wrap him in a huge hug. It took almost everything out of him, but “it was worth it,” he told his family. After an incredibly courageous 15-week battle, Jason passed away March 13th, surrounded by his family. He is never far from our minds, and so very missed.
There isn’t a person reading this blog who hasn’t been affected by cancer. As we approach Saturday’s show, these three are uppermost in my mind.
from Sportsnet.ca
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Thursday, 27 November 2025
Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Matchmaking UFC’s red hot welterweight division
It’s been a busy, fascinating month for UFC’s welterweight division, as most of its top-10 waged a grand prix that produced a new champion, gave rise to multiple exciting up-and-comers, and created an array of fresh matchup possibilities the company could pursue in the new year.
The divisional jockeying culminated Saturday, as Ian Machado Garry sailed to a unanimous decision victory over former champion Belal Muhammad, who’s now lost two straight. There are plenty of quality 170-pound fights remaining for Muhammad if he wants them — just not a clear path back to the title. At 37, he must decide what direction is best at this late stage of his excellent career.
Meanwhile, Garry has indicated he doesn’t feel he needs to take another non-title fight after beating top contenders each of his last two times out. We’ll see if he can truly stay sidelined and wait for his opportunity, or if UFC will ask him to win once more while the top of the division is tied up.
With so much recent activity and so many promising competitors emerging, there are several ways welterweight matchmaking could shake out in early 2026. So, let’s look at one configuration we could see — we’ll take Garry at his word and leave him out of it for now — as the UFC looks to sustain the momentum of its hottest division into the new year.
Kamaru Usman vs. Islam Makhachev
Let’s start with a statement of fact — Garry’s done far more to earn a title opportunity than Usman. Full stop. And if UFC matchmaking were a perfectly equitable, meritocratic system, is Usman the fighter you would pick for Makhachev’s first title defence? Of course not. Usman’s lost three of his last four, including a pair to Leon Edwards, who’s been getting chewed up by welterweight’s young up-and-comers since.
Usman can argue he’s coming off a win and a fight of the night bonus, but it was over Joaquin Buckley, who is young and talented, but isn’t among the division’s top contenders. And Usman didn’t make a statement in the process, winning on the strength of takedowns and top control over the first three rounds before Buckley could get going on the feet. From the third through fifth rounds, Buckley won the significant strikes battle, 41-24.
And yet, we must face reality. Besides Usman stating his own case, here’s a non-exhaustive list of significant voices who have recently indicated he’s next up for a title shot:
- Makhachev
- Ali Abelaziz, Makhachev and Usman’s shared manager
- Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makachev’s coach
- Dana White, UFC President
When that many powerful principals are saying it, we should probably listen. And you can see everyone’s motivation.
Usman’s the second-best welterweight in UFC history after Georges St-Pierre. For the legacy-minded Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, a victory over him would be a significant scalp to obtain. And over time, the fight’s context and circumstance will fade from fans’ minds, leaving only a noteworthy name on Makhachev’s Tapology page.
For the UFC, it represents one last opportunity to leverage Usman’s notoriety and recognizability among a broader audience to draw attention. Like it or not, casual fans are the majority, and Usman’s name still carries weight thanks to a dominant title run that saw him defend his belt five times, capped by memorable matchups with outsized personalities Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington.
We just saw the UFC run this playbook in the heavyweight division, where Jon Jones’ lone title defence came against Stipe Miocic, a once-great champion who was 42 and hadn’t won in over four years, while a richly deserving Tom Aspinall spun his wheels on the sidelines, despite winning and defending an interim title.
Jones closed as a -650 favourite against Miocic, yet the fight still headlined a Madison Square Garden card that did a $16.6-million gate, the fourth largest in UFC history. Despite the fight’s dubious circumstances, a massive audience still wanted to see it.
The incentives are simply too strong for those who stand to benefit most from a Usman-Makhachev booking. Unfortunately for him, Garry will have to wait his turn. He can weigh in as a back-up and watch from the front row, ready to jump into the octagon for a face-off with the winner as their next opponent.
The circumstances are equally unfortunate for the rest of the division, which is currently as talent-stacked and compelling as any in the sport. But the flip side of that is there’s plenty of space to create fascinating matchups that keep everyone busy in the meantime and help sort out who the next deserving challenger for the belt ought to be.
Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Jack Della Maddalena
For as thoroughly outclassed as Della Maddalena was in losing his belt to Makhachev at UFC 322, we must remember a few facts.
He was facing a fighter who will likely end up on MMA’s Mount Rushmore when all is said and done. He’s only 29 and firmly within his athletic prime. That was his first time processing the attention, pressure, and expectations that come with main-eventing a Madison Square Garden card as defending champion. And it was his first loss in a 19-fight span beginning in 2016.
For those reasons and more, Della Maddalena remains one of the division’s most dangerous competitors and deserves a marquee matchup against a top-level opponent in his return to the octagon.
And opposition in the weight class doesn’t get much higher level than Rakhmonov, who’s undefeated in his 19-fight professional career and was originally booked to face Muhammad for the title last December before several twists of fate led to Della Maddalena replacing him in that fight and taking the belt himself.
After Muhammad pulled out of that December fight due to a bone infection, Rakhmonov accepted a late replacement bout against Garry. And although he came out on top in a five-round grinder, he exacerbated a knee injury that ultimately required surgery, sidelining him ever since. Rakhmonov is undoubtedly still among the top fighters in the division — but after such an extended layoff, he needs one more victory over a strong opponent to re-earn his title shot.
Michael Morales vs. Carlos Prates
This fight should have been signed the night of UFC 322, when Prates took Edwards off his feet with a left straight from hell, and Morales made quick work of a surging Sean Brady. Knowing these two, they may have wanted to fight right then and there.
Both can make a convincing case as the division’s most exciting up-and-comer. Prates has finished each of his seven UFC wins with a knockout; Morales has done so in five of his eight. Prates has won a performance of the night bonus in his last six victories; Morales has done the same in his last three.
If your lone mission was to create the most surefire banger among welterweight’s top-15, these are the two fighters you’d pick. And it’s a happy coincidence that a matchup between them would carry significant stakes, as well.
With Della Maddalena and Muhammad having both recently lost title fights, Garry, Rakhmonov, and these two stand out as the most deserving of an opportunity among the welterweight top five. UFC can make a supremely entertaining fight and narrow that field by one in the process.
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Sean Brady
Bonfim doesn’t carry the same name recognition as others in this division, but it’s getting hard to ignore what he’s doing. He’s 19-1 as a professional and 6-1 in the UFC; he’s won four straight, the last two over Stephen Thompson and Randy Brown. He’s due for a stiffer challenge against someone in the top 10.
Brady, meanwhile, is keen to stay active, which can be a gift and a curse. It earns a fighter plenty of points with fans and his promoter, but it also increases the risk of running into someone like Morales, who steamrolled Brady at UFC 322. Of course, Morales is a monster and on a fast track to a title shot, so Brady’s stock should only suffer so much. He’s still among the division’s best wrestlers.
For Bonfim, Brady’s a significant step up in competition and a test of whether he’s ready to tangle with the division’s upper tier or not. For Brady, Bonfim’s an opportunity to prove the Morales fight was a blip, and he remains as capable as many believed he was after rinsing Edwards behind enemy lines in London earlier this year.
Joaquin Buckley vs. Leon Edwards or Belal Muhammad
Coming off three consecutive losses against some of the division’s top competitors — Muhammad, Brady, and Prates — Edwards needs to figure out what his next move is. Does he believe there’s a path back to the title he held and defended twice two years ago? Does he want to kick around as a welterweight gatekeeper, taking over for Gilbert Burns and Neil Magny? Does he have enough frame to fill out and try his luck up at middleweight?
You could ask similar questions about Muhammad coming off his loss to Garry. Edwards is 34; Muhammad’s 37. Presuming they want to stick around at 170 pounds, both are due for a step back in competition.
And Buckley, coming off his loss to Usman, needs a winnable fight to reestablish his upward momentum. Much of his original push up the rankings came against past-prime strikers such as Vicente Luque and Thompson. It makes sense to feed him one more in Edwards to try to get back on track.
If Edwards doesn’t want it, call Muhammad. If Muhammad doesn’t want it, you’re onto unranked welterweights such as Daniel Rodriguez, Joel Alvarez, or Uros Medic. No one wants to fight down. But if the rest of the top-10 squares off without him, the always-active Buckley may not have a choice.
from Sportsnet.ca
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