Sports
Rafael Fiziev calls for ‘BMF’ title shot following Fight Night main event win
Mar 8, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Justin Gaethje (red gloves) fights Rafael Fiziev (blue gloves) during UFC 313 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Lightweight Rafael Fiziev needed 15 seconds into the second round to secure a brutal TKO over Manuel Torres to close out UFC Fight Night Saturday.
A spinning back kick to the head of Torres marked the beginning of the end as Torres retreated against the fence and Fiziev ended the sequence with a right hand to secure the win.
Fiziev (14-5 MMA) snapped Torres’ two-fight winning streak, as he had built a reputation of being a first-round knockout artist. Torres (17-4 MMA) had only been finished once by KO/TKO entering his fight with Fiziev, while Fiziev improved his finishing rate to 71 percent according to Tapology.
“I’m so happy, bro,” Fiziev said after the win, vocalizing his interested in a “BMF” title fight against Charles Oliveira down the line.
In the co-main event at middleweight, Sharabutdin Magomedov survived a tough, durable effort from Michel Pereira to earn a unanimous decision win, sweeping the cards 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. Pereira (32-15, 2 NCs) dropped Magomedov (17-1 MMA) in the opening round in a near-upset TKO. However, Magomedov kept his distance and overwhelmed Pereira with strikes and a plethora of takedowns to sway the decision in his favor.
Lightweights then took center stage as Matheus Camilo made short work of fan favorite Nazim Sadykhov with a first-round TKO. Camilo (11-3 MMA) found an opening with a crisp hook that sent Sadykhov (11-3-1 MMA) crashing to the Octagon canvas before a series of strikes followed. Camilo improved to 2-1 in the UFC since making his debut last year, while Sadykhov has split his last four fights.
In a fight between two surging flyweight contenders, Asu Almabayev secured a rare Suloev stretch submission (a modified leg lock) to defeat Charles Johnson in Round 3 in a back-and-forth affair. Almabayev (24-3 MMA) extended his streak to three, while Johnson (19-9 MMA) has lost three of his last five outings.
Middleweight Ikram Aliskerov earned a unanimous decision against Brunno Ferreira, taking the cards 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 in continuing main card action. Aliskerov (18-2 MMA) has won three in a row, halting Ferreira’s (15-4 MMA) momentum in suffering consecutive losses for the first time in his career.
After five of seven fights ended via stoppage during Saturday’s UFC Fight Night preliminary card from Baku, Azerbaijan, the six-fight main card brought much of the same.
The card opened with middleweight Abusupiyan Magomedov securing a first-round guillotine choke over Michal Oleksiejczuk. Magomedov (29-7-1 MMA) has won four of his last six, while Oleksiejczuk (22-10 MMA) saw a three-fight winning streak end.
Following a week off in observance of Fourth of July, the UFC returns to Las Vegas for International Fight Week Saturday, July 11, from T-Mobile Arena headlined by a five-round non-title welterweight rematch between former UFC featherweight champions Conor McGregor and Max Holloway at UFC 329.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rangers land F Pavel Dorofeyev from Golden Knights
Jun 9, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) warms up before game four of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images The New York Rangers are acquiring forward Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights for multiple draft picks, including their first-rounder in the 2026 NHL Draft that began Friday.
The Rangers forked over the No. 26 overall pick Friday night, the No. 92 overall pick in the third round and a conditional 2028 first-rounder that is top-10 protected, The Athletic and the New York Post reported.
Dorofeyev, 25, is coming off the best season of his NHL career, having played in all 82 games for Vegas and setting personal highs in goals (37), assists (27) and points (64). He also racked up 12 goals and four assists in 22 games during the Golden Knights’ playoff run.
A third-round pick in 2019 early in Vegas’ franchise history, Dorofeyev made his NHL debut with two games in the 2021-22 season. In 231 career games across parts of five seasons, he has amassed 149 points (92 goals, 57 assists).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bruins acquire Mammoth F JJ Peterka for 2 first-rounders
Apr 19, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Utah Mammoth right wing JJ Peterka (77) awaits a face off against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images The Boston Bruins boosted an already prolific offense by acquiring Mammoth forward JJ Peterka on Friday, sending their 2026 first-round pick (No. 23) in the NHL draft and a 2028 first-round selection to Utah.
The Bruins had acquired the top-10 protected 2028 draft pick from Florida when Boston dealt star forward Brad Marchand to the Panthers in 2025.
Peterka, 24, played only one season with the Mammoth after coming over in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres after the 2024-25 campaign. Utah traded forward Josh Doan and defenseman Michael Kesselring to Buffalo last June and signed Peterka to a five-year, $38.5 million deal.
Peterka saw his point total drop from 68 in 2024-25 to 47 points (25 goals, 22 assists) despite playing all 82 games last season for the Mammoth. The Germany native’s offensive downturn was partially due to receiving less ice time, from 18:11 to 15:59 per game.
A second-round pick of the Sabres in 2020, Peterka has 197 points (92 goals, 105 assists) in 320 career games with the Sabres (2021-25) and Mammoth. He joins a Bruins team that ranked 10th in goals per game (3.27) in 2025-26 and will play for Marco Sturm, the only German head coach in the league.
–Field Level Media
Sports
LA Thieves, FaZe, G2, OpTic advance to upper semis at CDL Major 4
YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year. Los Angeles Thieves, FaZe Vegas, G2 Minnesota and OpTic Texas advanced into the upper-bracket semifinals with victories during a busy first day of playoff action at the Call of Duty League Stage 4 Major on Friday in Nanterre, France.
The top-seeded Thieves, the only unbeaten team in qualifying at 5-0, swept the Carolina Royal Ravens. They’ll next face FaZe Vegas on Saturday for a spot in the upper-bracket final.
Minnesota and Texas will face off in the other semifinal after wins over the Riyadh Falcons and Boston Breach, respectively.
Riyadh, which finished as the No. 2 seed in qualifying, was stunningly eliminated later in the day when they fell 3-0 to Toronto KOI in a first-round match in the lower bracket.
Toronto then beat Boston to become the first of four teams to reach the lower-bracket quarterfinals. Those matches will be set and then contested on Saturday.
The 12 Call of Duty League teams played five qualifying matches apiece to determine seeding for the fourth major of the season, which is being held through Sunday with a $365,000 prize pool. The winning team earns $150,000 and 100 CDL points. All matches are best-of-five until Sunday’s best-of-seven grand final.
Los Angeles completed the only upper-bracket quarterfinal sweep with a 250-129 win on Den Hardpoint, a 6-4 Fringe Search and Destroy triumph and a dominant 8-0 Den overload victory.
FaZe Vegas bested Paris Gentle Mates 3-1 with wins in the final three matches. After Paris opened with a 250-172 Sake Hardpoint win, Vegas rallied with a 6-3 Fringe Search and Destroy victory followed by 5-4 Scar Overload and 250-207 Scar Hardpoint wins to advance.
G2 Minnesota sent Riyadh into the lower bracket after nearly blowing a 2-0 lead. Minnesota jumped ahead with a 250-204 Colossus Hardpoint win and a 6-1 Hacienda Search and Destroy runaway. The Falcons rallied, though, by claiming a 3-1 Scar Overload win and a 250-215 Scar Hardpoint triumph. Minnesota denied the comeback bid with a 6-4 Den Search and Destroy victory.
OpTic Texas split the first two matches, winning 250-141 on Hacienda Hardpoint before losing 6-2 on Hacienda Search and Destroy. Texas defeated Boston on the next two maps to finish the win, 5-3 on Den Overload and 250-208 on Sake Hardpoint.
In the lower-bracket elimination matches, the Miami Heretics dropped the first two matches but rallied for a 3-2 defeat of the Carolina Royal Ravens, Paris swept Cloud9New York 3-0, Toronto swept Riyadh 3-0 and Boston outlasted Vancouver Surge for a 3-2 victory.
Toronto finished off its second sweep of the day in the final match, eliminating Boston behind a 250-165 Sake Hardpoint victory, a 6-3 Fringe Search and Destroy win and a 4-2 Scar Overload clincher.
Saturday schedule
Upper-bracket semifinals
–Los Angeles Thieves vs. FaZe Vegas
–G2 Minnesota vs. OpTic Texas
Lower bracket Round 2
–Miami Heretics vs. Paris Gentle Mates
Lower-bracket quarterfinals
–Toronto KOI vs. upper-bracker semifinal loser
–Miami/Paris winner vs. upper-bracket semifinal loser
Call of Duty League Stage 4 Major prize pool (Money winnings, CDL points)
1. $150,000, 100 — TBD
2. $90,000, 75 — TBD
3. $50,000, 60 — TBD
4. $30,000, 45 — TBD
5-6. $15,000, 30 — TBD
7-8. $7,500, 15 — Boston Breach, TBD
9-12. no money, no points — Carolina Royal Ravens, Cloud9 New York, Riyadh Falcons, Vancouver Surge
–Field Level Media
Rangers land F Pavel Dorofeyev from Golden Knights
Bruins acquire Mammoth F JJ Peterka for 2 first-rounders
