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UFC Belgrade: Uros Medic enjoys perfect Serbia homecoming with TKO

Jul 31, 2026; Belgrade, Serbia;	Uros Medic during weigh ins for UFC Fight Night at Belgrade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn ImagesJul 31, 2026; Belgrade, Serbia; Uros Medic during weigh ins for UFC Fight Night at Belgrade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images

UFC Belgrade: Uros Medic has perfect Serbia homecoming at UFC Fight Night

Serbian native Uroš Medic survived an early knockdown before rallying to stop Daniel Rodriguez via TKO just 30 seconds into the opening round of Saturday’s five-round, non-title UFC Fight Night welterweight main event at Belgrade Arena, electrifying his home crowd while tying the longest active knockout streak in the UFC at four fights.

After absorbing an initial knockdown, Medic (14-3 MMA) countered with a crisp left-hook, right-hand combination, sending Rodriguez (20-6 MMA) to the canvas while connecting with a kick to the gut before closing the deal with strikes to secure a dramatic victory on home soil.

An emotional Medic, who returned to Serbia for the first time in a decade, broke down in tears post-fight as the Belgrade crowd chanted his name.

“We got it done. Now I just want to cry. I missed home so much,” Medic said. “…I have so many words, but I don’t think we have enough time tonight. I’m gonna cook the rest of this division. With you guys by my side, we’re gonna bring the belt back to Serbia.

“I love you everybody. This was an amazing night. I’m finally home.”

Following the victory, Medic called out Carlos Prates and former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards for potential future matchups.

Saturday’s event also made UFC history, breaking an all-time organization record with 10 finishes across the card, surpassing the previous record of nine.

Undefeated light heavyweight Navajo Stirling (11-0 MMA) earned the biggest victory of his career on Saturday, stepping in on short notice to stop former light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz (29-12-2 MMA) via first-round TKO in the co-main event.

Stirling-who took the fight after original opponent Bogdan Guskov stepped up to face Magomed Ankalaev last week in Abu Dhabi – connected with a crisp left hook before establishing dominant ground-and-pound on the mat to force the stoppage at the 2:56 mark of the opening frame.

Austrian former light heavyweight Aleksandar Rakic (15-6 MMA) successfully made his heavyweight debut, keeping the fight mostly on the feet and keeping Poland’s Marcin Tybura (27-12 MMA) off-balance en route to a unanimous decision. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 for Rakic, who snapped a four-fight losing streak to secure his first victory since March 2021.

Swiss middleweight Robert Valentin (13-6 MMA) weathered a wild, wrestling-heavy opening frame before locking in a guillotine choke to submit local favorite Duško Todorovic (13-7 MMA) at the 4:14 mark of the opening round.

Gilbert Urbina (8-5 MMA), an American middleweight, stunned the Belgrade Arena crowd on Saturday, overwhelming Slovakia-based Vlasto Cepo (14-4 MMA) with an explosive display of volume striking in their middleweight bout. Urbina wasted no time establishing his offense, overwhelming Cepo early and forcing a TKO stoppage due to strikes at the 1:01 mark of the opening round to secure a statement victory on foreign soil.

French promotional newcomer Noah Gugnon (10-2 MMA) made a definitive statement to kick off the main card at the Belgrade Arena, making quick work of Montenegrin lightweight Miloš Janicic (19-4 MMA) on Saturday. Gugnon immediately targeted

Janicic’s lead leg with brutal low kicks, destabilizing his opponent before seamlessly transitioning the action to the canvas. Once on the floor, Gugnon locked in a tight rear-naked choke, forcing the tap at the 1:21 mark of the opening round. The victory extends Gugnon’s professional winning streak to six fights, with all six coming by way of finish, while successfully launching his career inside the Octagon.

The UFC returns to Las Vegas for a Fight Night event next Saturday from the META Apex. It continues a stretch of events through Oct. 24 with UFC 333, including a return to Los Angeles for the first time since 2018 with UFC 331 on Sept. 19.

–Field Level Media

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Mariners place OF Luke Raley (forearm) on 10-day IL

Jul 3, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA;  Seattle Mariners right fielder Luke Raley (20) takes a swing during an at-bat against the Toronto Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn ImagesJul 3, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners right fielder Luke Raley (20) takes a swing during an at-bat against the Toronto Blue Jays at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Seattle Mariners placed outfielder Luke Raley on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a left forearm strain, while outfielder Stuart Fairchild was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma.

Raley’s move was retroactive to Friday, when he was out of the lineup with continued discomfort from a forearm flexor tendon injury.

Raley, 31, is batting .225 with 15 home runs and 39 RBIs in 95 games this season. He is a career .230 hitter with 63 home runs and 173 RBIs in 478 games for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2021), Tampa Bay Rays (2022-23) and Mariners.

Fairchild, 30, was batting .158 over 14 games with the Cleveland Guardians this season before he was designated for assignment in June. He signed a minor league deal with the Mariners on July 5.

Fairchild is a career .221 hitter with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs in 291 games for six different clubs, including three games for the Mariners in 2022.

–Field Level Media

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Sydney Taylor's trey in final second lifts Sky past Aces

Aug 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Sydney Taylor (12) celebrates with guard Natasha Cloud (9) after scoring a game winning three-pointer against the Las Vegas Aces during the second half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesAug 1, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Sydney Taylor (12) celebrates with guard Natasha Cloud (9) after scoring a game winning three-pointer against the Las Vegas Aces during the second half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Rookie Sydney Taylor drained a 3-pointer Saturday with 0.9 seconds left and the Chicago Sky rallied to nip the visiting Las Vegas Aces 84-83.

A’ja Wilson drove for a layup with 3.2 seconds remaining that gave Las Vegas (20-9) a two-point lead. After a timeout, Taylor slipped around a screen and got off a clean look from the left wing for the last three of her team-high 29 points.

Natasha Cloud added 11 points for Chicago (11-18), which improved to 6-1 in its last seven home games and won for the first time in five games decided by three or fewer points. DiJonai Carrington came off the bench for 10, including a pair of foul shots that tied the game at 81 with 43.9 seconds on the clock.

Wilson starred in defeat for the Aces with a game-high 36 points and 12 rebounds. Jackie Young added 18 points and 11 boards, while NaLyssa Smith contributed 17 points.

The Sky, who outscored Las Vegas 29-18 in the fourth quarter, won despite making only 40.3% of their field goals.

The pregame storylines centered around the beginning of a five-game road trip for Las Vegas, while Chicago was hoping to carry over some momentum from a fourth-quarter comeback in its Thursday night home win over Connecticut.

Young got the Aces off the mark early with 10 first quarter points, helping them establish an 18-11 lead after draining a 3-pointer at the 2:15 mark. They took a 20-16 edge to the second period.

The Sky fought back in the second quarter to tie the game at 24 on Cloud’s 3-pointer with 6:26 remaining. However, Las Vegas was able to restore a five-point lead before Taylor’s floater with 1.5 seconds left sliced its lead to 40-37 at halftime.

Young’s 3-point play at the 1:58 mark of the third quarter gave the Aces their largest lead at 61-48. Even after Courtney Vandersloot played beat the buzzer with a jumper, Las Vegas still owned a 65-55 margin going to the fourth period.

Chicago’s Kamilla Cardoso tied Wilson for game-high rebounding honors with a dozen.

Las Vegas’ Chelsea Gray led all players with nine assists.

–Field Level Media

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Unheralded Yealimi Noh charges into third-round lead at AIG Women's Open

Apr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Yealimi Noh prepares to putt on the 18th hole during the final round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn ImagesApr 26, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Yealimi Noh prepares to putt on the 18th hole during the final round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images

It has been a trying 2026 LPGA campaign for 25-year old Yealimi Noh.

The six-year pro entered play this week at the AIG Women’s Open in Lytham St. Annes, England, with three consecutive missed cuts, two of which were in major championships.

Noh’s fortunes have changed with a 2-under-par 69 in the third round of the Women’s Open to lead the final major of the year at 7-under 206 through three rounds at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.

Noh carded rounds of 67 and 70 to open the tournament to sit just two shots off the pace set by South Korea’s Haeryn Ryu. Her status looked bleak Saturday after taking a bogey 6 on the par-5 seventh hole to fall six shots off the pace of the fast-starting Ryu.

However, Noh made an unlikely birdie at the par-3 ninth hole, which was the start of three consecutive birdies for the one-time LPGA Tour winner. The San Francisco-area native added another birdie at 16 while charging into the lead.

Ryu cooled off and struggled to a 3-over 74 and plummeted into a five-way tie for second place at 4 under for the tournament.

“I don’t know, golf is just crazy,” Noh said about her turnaround from recent struggles. “It’s been making me realize it more and more. It only takes one round for your whole mindset and whole game to change.

“Yeah, I had a really rough couple months. Not even just missing cuts, but just not playing good golf or rounds. And Thursday, I was just really happy to shoot under par and just really set me up for the week.”

Ryu, who is seeking her third consecutive major this season, is tied in second place with Germany’s Esther Henseleit, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul, Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki and Lucy Li.

Noh, who had 26 putts in her round, appeared to salvage the day with an early break.

“I had a little bit of a rough start a couple bogeys on the front nine,” she said. “Actually a chip-in par save on the second, which was nice. Yeah, I just fell out of tempo a little bit and then got it together for the back nine, and it was really solid. Had some good par saves.”

Ryu got to 9 under with birdies at the third and fourth holes, then bogeyed six of her next 10 holes. After hitting 31-of-36 greens and converting 2-of-3 from the sand over the first 36 holes, Ryu stumbled to 11-of-18 and 0-of-2 respectively on Saturday.

She still will take a positive attitude into Sunday. Two major titles will do that.

“Before I got the major win and then always I’m doing like more pressure and want to more not good for my mindset,” Ryu said. “But these days, after got two wins, I’m still calm because this is a major. Yeah, it’s such a different (feeling than) before I got two wins.”

Henseleit posted the best round of anyone in the top-7 with a 4-under 67.

She went out in 31 and only needed 26 putts on Saturday, knocking in several of considerable length.

“I mean, you have so many long putts so your speed has to be really good,” Henseleit said. I feel like if there is a strength in my putting the speed control on the long ones is that, so I guess it kind of suits my game.”

Li carded a 2 under 69, while Thitikul shot an even-par 72 and Kuwaki shot a 1-over 73.

The day’s best round belonged to Japan’s Ayaka Furue, who carded a 6-under 65. She moved up six spots and is tied for eighth place at 2-under 211.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda shot her second 1-over 73 of the week and is at 1 over for the tournament, tied for 16th place.

–Field Level Media

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