UFC 318 Cage Locks: Poirier wants BMF belt as Holloway eyes redemption

Two of the most popular and respected fighters in mixed martial arts are set to complete their trilogy and battle for the BMF Title in the main event of UFC 318 in New Orleans.

Dustin Poirier is prepared for his farewell fight as Max Holloway moves back up to the lightweight division for the first time since his epic knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 that earned him the BMF belt.

• 

• Watch UFC 318 on Sportsnet+

  Dustin Poirier will compete in his farewell fight against old rival Max Holloway for the BMF Title. Watch UFC 318 on Saturday, July 19 with prelim coverage beginning 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT, and pay-per-view main card starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.

  Purchase the event

Saturday’s card is full of compelling matchups that will look to challenge the headliner for Fight of the Night, including a middleweight matchup between strikers Paulo Costa and Roman Kopylov.

All 28 fighters scheduled to compete on the 14-bout card successfully made weight Friday. Below is the projected bout order plus full picks and predictions.

MAIN CARD

— Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier (five rounds for BMF Title)

— Paulo Costa vs. Roman Kopylov       

— Kevin Holland vs. Daniel Rodriguez

— Dan Ige vs. Patrício Pitbull

— Michael Johnson vs. Daniel Zellhuber

PRELIMINARY CARD

— Kyler Phillips vs. Vinicius Oliveira

— Marvin Vettori vs. Brendan Allen

— Francisco Prado vs. Nikolay Veretennikov          

— Ateba Abega Gautier vs. Robert Valentin

— Adam Fugitt vs. Islam Dulatov

— Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio

— Ryan Spann vs. Lukasz Brzeski

— Brunno Ferreira vs. Jackson McVey

— Carli Judice vs. Nicolle Caliari

Ahead of each UFC event in 2025, UFC reporter Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter), producer Dan Fernandes (@DanFernandes__) and writer/editor Mike Johnston (@MikeyJ_MMA) will peruse the odds and make four betting predictions using fantasy dollars: one best bet, one favourite, one underdog and one dart throw wager. REMINDER: Sportsnet is committed to promoting and educating audiences about the importance of betting responsibly. Sources for responsible gambling can be found HERE.

AARON’S PICKS

Cage Lock: Islam Dulatov -625

Favourite: Brendan Allen -200

Underdog: Patricio Putbull +180

Dart Throw: Paulo Costa by decision +400

Dulatov impressed me on the Contender Series and I believe he beats Fugitt about 80 per cent of the time. Not exactly a lock, but a very likely outcome. … I believe Allen is the superior fighter to Vettori and that he finds a way to get back into the win column. … Pitbull and Ige is a coin flip fight, so I’ll take the high value proposition with Pitbull winning what I think will be a close decision. … I was surprised that Costa was such a big underdog against Kopylov and I think that a decision win is his mostly likely path to victory over his durable opponent.

DAN’S PICKS

Cage Lock: Ateba Gautier -550

Favourite: Francisco Prado -150

Underdog: Lukasz Brzeski +185

Dart Throw: Jackson McVey +500

I don’t like my chances of going four-for-four in consecutive fight weeks and while my luck will very likely run out, I’m confident these picks will have mixed success at the very least. Ateba Gautier is the safest pick on the card in my opinion. He only has one official fight in the UFC but his opponent Robert Valentin doesn’t have a ton of UFC experience. Gautier has multiple paths to victory in this one and if he can takedown his opponent it could be a long (or short!) night for Valentin. … I think Francisco Prado is fighting to stay in the UFC. He is better than his 1-3 record and this matchup against Nikolay Veretennikov is a winnable bout. While a KO win is Prado’s likeliest path to victory I expect him to land significant volume as well which means he should just about edge it on scorecards too.

Ryan Spann vs. Lukasz Brzeski is an even fight in my opinion. Two fighters in desperate need of a win. Both with similar physical attributes and MMA skillsets that cancel each other out. For these reasons I’m leaning towards the underdog in this one, which happens to be Brzeski. I would do the same for Spann if he was the underdog. … Yes, Brunno Ferreira is a scary striker who could finish this fight with one punch against debutant Jackson McVey. But I think this matchup is much closer than the odds state and even might favour the underdog’s MMA skillset. McVey is bigger, has a longer wingspan and has never been to a decision in his young MMA career. This leads me to believe that these two competitors will slug it out in the middle of the Octagon where both fighters will have a puncher’s chance. Ferreira has been knocked out before and his cardio has come into question. If McVey can weather an early storm, there may be openings to land a bout-ending shot. If it goes to scorecards, Ferreira could tire towards the end meaning he likely loses Round 3. If McVey can steel a round, we have an alternate path to a major upset.

MIKE’S PICKS

Cage Lock: Jimmy Crute -357

Favourite: Max Holloway -130

Underdog: Kyler Phillips +140

Dart Throw: Michael Johnson +465

Poirier’s power in his hands, both of them, is the great equalizer in the main event but I believe Holloway has improved leaps and bounds since their 2019 interim lightweight title matchup. Poirier has never lost two in a row in his career and is 2-0 vs. Holloway but I’m trusting the 155-pound version of Holloway we saw beat Justin Gaethje will be the version we see in New Orleans. If Holloway’s chin holds up coming off his first knockout loss and if he fights smart I see this as his fight to lose.

Taking a fighter who’s on a five-fight winless streak as your lock is risky, yes, but I think Jimmy Crute will be able to take Marcin Prachnio down to the canvas where he should have a major advantage. … This could be a good bounce-back spot for Kyler Phillips in what should be a solid bantamweight scrap and I don’t mind taking a shot on Michael Johnson since these odds are wider than they should be. Lots of live dogs on this card in my opinion.

CAGE LOCKS PARLAY

Three legs: Dulatov + Gautier + Crute

Parlay odds: -132 (to win: $75.48)

2025 STANDINGS AFTER 23 EVENTS

CAGE LOCKS PARLAY 

2025 record: 13-10 (W2)

2025 winnings: +$254.52 (on $100 bets)

AARON’S RECORDS/TOTALS (47-44-1, +8.30 units)

Cage Lock: 19-4 (-$2.37)

Favourite: 10-13 (-$752.79)

Underdog: 13-9-1 (+$1,035.24)

Dart throw: 5-18 (+$550)

DAN’S RECORDS/TOTALS (50-39-3, -0.16 units)

Cage Lock: 20-3 (+$85.04)

Favourite: 14-8-1 (-$121.37)

Underdog: 14-8-1 (+$910.24)

Dart throw: 2-20-1 (-$890)

MIKE’S RECORDS/TOTALS (40-48-4, -15.92 units)

Cage Lock: 17-6 (-$40.24)

Favourite: 14-9 (+$12.94)

Underdog: 9-12-2 (+$535)

Dart throw: 0-21-2 (-$2,100)

Cage Lock: The pick deemed to be the wager most likely to win regardless of what the odds look like. The Cage Locks parlay will combine Aaron’s, Dan’s and Mike’s respective best bet for each event.

Favourite: A fighter with winning odds shorter than -300 but not longer than -110. On chalkier cards with a dearth of available moneyline favourites that meet those criteria, prop bets are allowed to be selected.

Underdog: Any fighter with longer odds than their opponent’s.

Dart Throw: Any prop bet or moneyline wager with odds of +400 or longer.

(Betting odds above are via BetMGM, submitted at various times throughout week, and subject to change prior to the fights)

More from Sportsnet

Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier: Who has the stronger strength of schedule?

UFC 318 storylines: Costa eyes ‘coward’ Chimaev, but needs to win first

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Pogacar crushes rivals in uphill time trial and solidifies Tour de France lead

PEYRAGUDES, France (AP) — Tadej Pogačar delivered another crushing defeat to his Tour de France rivals by dominating an uphill time trial and reinforcing his grip on the yellow jersey on Friday.

The brutal effort in the Pyrenees mountains was all about strength and stamina. It was just a painful experience offering no respite after already 12 grueling stages of racing. Riders first covered 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles) to reach the bottom of the climb to Peyragudes, a daunting 8-kilometer (5-mile) ramp with a steep gradient.

On that brutal terrain, Pogačar reigned supreme and killed any suspense. He increased his lead in the general classification to more than four minutes.

“I really wanted to go all out from start to finish, smashing the pedals as much as possible,” he said. “I almost blew out in the end but I saw the time on the finish arch and it gave me an extra push because I saw I was going to win.”

It was Pogačar’s 21st stage win at cycling’s biggest race.

Setting off last, the three-time Tour champion was faster than everyone else on the flat section, putting five seconds into time trial world champion Remco Evenepoel. Jonas Vingegard was eight seconds off the pace through the first time check.

Pogačar was even better as soon as the road started to climb and he crossed the finish line at Peyragudes with a lead of 36 seconds over Vingegaard, his closest challenger. Primoz Roglic was third, 1 minute, 20 seconds off the pace.

Pogačar said he rode “on instinct,” having decided not to use the race radio.

“I suffered a bit with three kilometers to go. I took a deep breath and recovered some power because I knew the last kick was super steep and I wanted to have somewhat good legs,” he added.

Evenepoel cracked in the climb and was overtaken by Vingegaard, who started his effort two minutes after his Belgian rival.

Pogačar, the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader, cemented his grip on the race during Thursday’s first big mountain stage on the slopes of Hautacam, where he destroyed the field to take the stage win and reclaim the yellow jersey.

Overall, Pogačar has a 4:07 lead over Vingegaard. He has been in dominant form since the start of the season and, barring an accident, his current form leaves little doubt about who will be wearing the yellow jersey when the race finishes in Paris on July 27.

“So far, so good,” Pogačar said. “We’re just a bit over halfway now and it’s still a long way to Paris but if we keep riding like this and don’t do any mistake, then we can be satisfied with this margin.”

Evenepoel salvaged his third place overall, 7:24 behind the race leader, but he was under threat from Florian Lipowitz, just six more seconds back in fourth place.

After taking a beating in Hautacam, Vingegaard conceded more time to Pogacar but reassured himself by limiting his losses in the time trial. Unlike Pogačar who used a road bike, Vingegaard opted for a time trial machine and used an aerodynamically designed helmet.

“Yesterday was one of my worst performances and today was one of my best,” Vingegaard said. “The Tour is far from over. We have to keep believing we can do something here in the race.”

Saturday’s stage

The peloton faces another day of suffering during Saturday’s Stage 14 from Pau to Luchon-Superbagnères. It features four major climbs, including the final ascent to the ski resort of Superbagnères, which is more than 12 kilometers long.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Ducks sign defenceman Drew Helleson to two-year contract

The Anaheim Ducks have signed defenceman Drew Helleson to a two-year contract.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported Friday that the deal carries an average annual value of $1.1 million.

Helleson, 24, had 13 points in 56 games with the Ducks last season, leading all rookie defencemen with a plus-six and 54:32 of shorthanded ice time.

The Farmington, Minn., native represented Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, recording one assist in three games. He also helped the U.S. win gold at the 2021 world juniors. 

The Colorado Avalanche selected Helleson in the second round of the 2019 NHL Draft and traded the defenceman to Anaheim as part of a deal for Josh Manson.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Ons Jabeur battling injuries, taking hiatus from women’s tennis

Ons Jabeur is taking a hiatus from the women’s tennis tour, with the three-time major runner-up saying Thursday she wants to “rediscover the joy of simply living.”

Once ranked No. 2 on the WTA Tour, Jabeur has battled injuries in recent years and has fallen to her current No. 71. The 30-year-old from Tunisia retired because of difficulty breathing during her first-round match at Wimbledon, where she reached the final in 2022 and 2023, and won’t be playing as the hard-court swing begins.

“For the past two years, I’ve been pushing myself so hard, fighting through injuries and facing many other challenges,” Jabeur wrote on Instagram. “But deep down, I haven’t felt truly happy on the court for some time now.

“Tennis is such a beautiful sport. But right now, I feel it’s time to take a step back and finally put myself first: to breathe, to heal, and to rediscover the joy of simply living.”

Jabeur also was the U.S. Open runner-up in 2022, becoming the first woman since Serena Williams in 2019 to reach the final at Wimbledon and Flushing Meadows in the same year. She fell short of becoming the first African or Arab woman to win a Grand Slam title in the professional era, but she climbed to No. 2 in the WTA rankings the next week.

She is 15-15 this year after her 2024 season was cut short by a shoulder injury, as she played just once after Wimbledon.

Jabeur, popular with other players and fans, thanked the fans in her post.

“Even while I’m away from the court, I’ll continue to stay close and connected in different ways, and share this journey with you all,” she wrote.

More from Sportsnet

Aryna Sabalenka withdraws from National Bank Open

Canadian Eugenie Bouchard to retire after National Bank Open

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Pogacar powers to big Pyrenees win to reclaim Tour de France yellow jersey

HAUTACAM, France — Tadej Pogačar powered to an impressive stage win on the first day in the Pyrenees to take back the Tour de France yellow jersey on Thursday.

On a day when many wondered if he would suffer any ill effects from his crash the day before, Pogačar showed none and put himself in prime position for his fourth Tour victory with a break on the stage-ending climb to Hautacam.

He finished more than two minutes ahead of main rival Jonas Vingegaard.

Hautacam is the resort overlooking Lourdes and Stage 12 must have felt like a pilgrimage for all the riders. Ben Healy, who wore the yellow jersey for two stages, finished well behind on a brutal day for the Irish rider.

In 2022, Vingegaard dominated Pogačar at Hautacam on his way to his first Tour victory. But the Danish rider is now 3 1/2 minutes behind his main rival in the general classification.

More from Sportsnet

Tour de France pays respects to 19-year-old cyclist who died after crash in Italy

Yates wins Tour de France’s first mountainous stage, Healy takes yellow jersey

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Marathon world record-holder Chepngetich suspended for positive doping test

MONACO — Women’s marathon world record-holder Ruth Chepngetich was provisionally suspended for a positive doping test on Thursday.

Track and field’s Athletics Integrity Unit said Chepngetich tested positive for a banned diuretic and masking agent in March and “opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU’s investigation was ongoing.”

The Kenyan runner set the world record by almost two minutes at the Chicago Marathon last October in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 56 seconds. It was her third win in Chicago.

She also won the marathon at the 2019 world championships in Qatar, where the women’s race started at midnight to avoid extreme daytime heat.

The AIU gave no timetable for a disciplinary case for the 30-year-old runner.

Chepngetich was interviewed in person in Kenya in April and “complied with requests regarding our investigation,” AIU official Brett Clothier said in a statement.

The substance Chepngetich tested positive for, hydrochlorothiazide or HCTZ, can be used to disguise the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet

Angel Reese misses Sky’s last game before all-star break with injury

CHICAGO — Angel Reese didn’t play Wednesday in the Chicago Sky’s final game before the all-star break because of a leg injury.

The All-Star forward sat on the bench as the Sky hosted the Atlanta Dream. She is set to make her second All-Star Game appearance this weekend in Indianapolis.

Fellow second-year All-Star Caitlin Clark’s availability for the game in her home arena could be in jeopardy as well after she sustained a groin injury Tuesday night in a victory over the Connecticut Sun in Boston.

Reese had 22 points and 10 rebounds Monday for her ninth straight double-double in Chicago’s 91-78 loss to Minnesota. She leads the WNBA with 12.6 rebounds per game.

More from Sportsnet

Caitlin Clark potentially sidelined heading into All-Star weekend

Sparks’ Hamby, Jackson and Plum each score 20-plus in win vs. Mystics

from Sportsnet.ca
via i9bet