Sports
UFC Seattle: 'Everything at stake' for Henry Cejudo
Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Henry Cejudo reacts during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images The UFC returns to Seattle for the first time in more than a decade with Saturday night’s event at Climate Pledge Arena.
UFC 313’s main card features a bantamweight fight between top-10 challengers Henry Cejudo and China’s Song Yadong that holds significant ramifications in the 135-pound weight class.
Cejudo, 38, arrives in Seattle looking to snap a two-fight losing streak, with the former champ most recently suffering defeat to current champ Merab Dvalishvili. That followed a split decision loss in a 2023 title fight against Aljamain Sterling.
It has been a difficult return to the Octagon after a three-year break for the former two-time UFC champion and Olympic gold medalist.
“I mean, nobody wants to make ‘the greatest comeback of all time’ and you’re f–ing 0-2, but it’s part of the game,” Cejudo said this week, per UFC.com.
“There is always a 50 percent chance you may lose, particularly in this sport, and it’s humbling. It’s a lot of different emotions, but it’s also motivating.”
Cejudo (16-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) now faces a critical test against Song (21-8-1, 10-3-1) as he attempts to re-establish himself as a title contender. It won’t be an easy task against the 27-year-old who has won five of his past seven fights. The two defeats have come to Cory Sandhagen and Petr Yan, preventing Song from climbing further up the ranks.
Beginning his eighth year in the promotion already, Yadong will step into the Octagon for the first time in 11 months, when he lost a decision to Yan. A hoped-for November fight in Macau didn’t materialize.
“For me, it’s hard to spend the time (not fighting),” Song told reporters this week. “My opponent got injured, it was not the right time. The UFC wanted me to fight in Macau, but no one wanted to fight me over there.
“This week is what I want: I want to fight Henry and I’m not thinking about (last year too much), but it was hard.”
Yadong is actually the -275 favorite, where he has been backed by 62 percent of the money since opening at -250. Cejudo has trended in the opposite direction, although he has drawn 78 percent of the total bets while shifting from +200 to +220.
“Everything is at stake, man,” Cejudo said. “In every single fight that you compete in, everything is always at stake because people always recognize you according to your last fight. Your last fight is what defines you, typically, so there is so much at stake …”
OTHER MAIN CARD MATCHES
BRENDAN ALLEN (24-6, 12-3) vs. ANTHONY HERNANDEZ (13-2, 7-2)
The co-main event is a middleweight fight that is a rematch of a fight Hernandez won under the LFA banner seven years ago.
That helped launch him into the second season of Dana White’s Contender Series and ultimately the UFC, where he started 1-2 before compiling his current six-fight win streak. Hernandez barely made weight on Friday, stepping on the scale in only a towel with four minutes remaining.
Allen, 29, is higher in the rankings than Hernandez at No. 9. He is coming off a decision loss to Nassourdine Imavov in Paris that snapped a seven-fight win streak.
Hernandez has been backed by 86 percent of the money at -325, while Allen has drawn 70 percent of the bets at +260.
JEAN SILVA (14-2, 3-0) vs. MELSIK BAGHDASARYAN (8-2, 3-1)
The featherweight division serves up this intriguing matchup.
Silva recorded three finishes in three victories last year, including earning Fight of the Night in beating Drew Dober in July to run his win streak to 11. Baghdasaryan began his UFC career with three wins in four fights, although it has taken the 33-year-old four years to compile that mark due to injuries and opponent withdrawals.
Silva is the heaviest favorite on the main card at -550 while being supported by 79 percent of the money. Baghdasaryan has drawn 79 percent of the total bets as the +400 underdog.
ROB FONT (21-8, 11-7) vs. JEAN MATSUMOTO (16-0, 2-0)
Matsumoto stepped in on short notice for the injured Dominick Cruz. The 25-year-old has won each of his first two UFC fights since emerging from the DWCS in 2023. He has climbed the ranks to No. 10 and can rise further with a win over the 37-year-old Font.
Font is coming off a unanimous decision win over Kyler Phillips to snap a two-fight skid, and enters Saturday ranked No. 15.
The money wagered on the fight has been split, with Font garnering 67 percent of the total bets at +135 to beat Matsumoto (-160).
ALONZO MENIFIELD (15-5-1, 8-5-1) vs. JULIUS WALKER (6-0, 0-0)
Menifield, 37, is looking to regain momentum after dropping a pair of fights to Carlos Ulberg and Azamat Murzakanov. Another former DWCS fighter, Menifield had served notice by going 4-0-1 in five fights before that.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Walker enters undefeated at 6-0. That includes finishing all four of his victories last year.
Menifield opened as the -200 favorite, but those odds have extended to -250 while drawing 62 percent of the money. Walker has been backed by 61 percent of the total bets at +200.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Another Tiger possibly on trade block, Casey Mize, faces Royals
Jul 19, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Casey Mize (12) pitches during the second inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The possibility of Tarik Skubal getting traded has loomed over the Tigers all season. But another key Detroit starter and impending free agent, Casey Mize, also could swap out uniforms if the Tigers choose to sell before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Mize could be making his last appearance with the club when the Tigers host the Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.
The 29-year-old right-hander has battled groin tightness at various times this season, but when he’s been on the mound, he has delivered quality innings. Mize (4-6, 2.79 ERA) has allowed two or fewer runs in 11 of his 15 starts.
Mize had his latest start, his first after the All-Star break, cut short when a comebacker from Los Angeles Angels’ Jo Adell struck his left wrist. He exited after 3 1/3 innings but didn’t have any lingering effects from the injury.
“I’m good,” Mize said, according to the Detroit News. “I (am) looking forward to Saturday. We’ve been checking all the boxes that we need to and I’m feeling good.”
Mize, who gave up one run and five hits and a walk with five strikeouts in Anaheim, Calif., is not dwelling on the trade speculation.
“Where we are as a team makes that more simple (to deal with),” Mize said. “There are so many unknowns. We’re in a 10-game sprint right now, and it takes tons of focus on what we’re doing here and now, day to day. That’s kind of how I’ve always played, so that makes it pretty easy to focus on that instead of the other stuff. I’m just leaning on that and really caring about what we’re doing right now.”
Mize hasn’t faced the Royals this season, but he has made more career starts against them than any other club. He is 3-2 with a 4.97 ERA in 13 starts vs. Kansas City. Royals catcher Salvador Perez has a .424 average with five extra-base hits against him in 33 at-bats.
Michael Wacha (5-7, 3.66) will start for the Royals. Wacha was sharp in his first start after his All-Star appearance, holding San Francisco to one run and three hits in six innings on Monday.
The 35-year-old right-hander had one of his best outings of the season against the Tigers on May 9, tossing seven scoreless innings. He only allowed two hits and two walks while striking out six.
In 11 career starts against Detroit, he is 3-3 with a 2.95 ERA.
Like Mize, Wacha is a potential trade candidate, as is another veteran Royals starter, Seth Lugo. Wacha is signed through next season with a club option for 2028.
“We’ll be open-minded to anything,” Royals general manager J.J. Picollo said. “But we have to be very, very pointed on what we want to get out of any one of those two. And it’s also, they made a commitment to us, and that’s big. And I think that’s important to the morale of the team.”
The Tigers have won three straight, including the first two games of the current four-game series. Skubal struck out 12 in 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball during the Tigers’ 2-1 victory on Friday.
Kansas City had won three straight prior to visiting Detroit, while the Tigers have won three in a row.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nationals All-Star Foster Griffin aims to level series vs. D-backs
Jul 19, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; Washington Nationals pitcher Foster Griffin (22) throws to an Athletics batter during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Marshall-Imagn Images Washington left-hander Foster Griffin looks to continue his stellar rookie season and help the Nationals gain in the National League wild-card race when the club hosts the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Arizona took the series opener 3-2 on Friday and has won four straight and six of seven.
Griffin (11-2, 2.69 ERA) has made eight consecutive starts without allowing more than one run, a franchise record. The 30-year-old All-Star has won three straight starts and has not taken a loss since May 14.
Washington is 16-4 in his starts this year, 10-1 in his past 11 outings. Included in that run was his lone career outing vs. the Diamondbacks. Griffin threw five innings of one-run ball for a 14-1 victory in Phoenix on June 5.
Last time out, Griffin allowed a run on eight hits over seven innings during a 5-2 win against the Athletics on Sunday.
Griffin, who spent the previous three seasons in Japan, is a free agent after this season and could be making his final start for the Nationals if they opt to trade him before the Aug. 3 deadline.
“I’ve really enjoyed my time here, enjoyed the clubhouse, the staff and front office,” he said, according to the Baltimore Banner. “The pitching staff, specifically, I feel like we’ve gotten along great, so we’ll see what happens.”
Arizona rookie left-hander Mitch Bratt (0-0, 5.06) opposes Griffin in his fourth major league start. Last time out, he gave up two runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings during a no-decision against the Athletics on Monday.
Eduardo Rodriguez pitched six strong innings on Friday and the Diamondbacks scored the go-ahead run on Gabriel Moreno’s seventh-inning sacrifice fly.
Arizona recorded its first run on a safety squeeze and its second when Ketel Marte got down the line in time to beat the potential double-play relay. Paul Sewald pitched the ninth for his 24th save.
“I thought we did a lot of little things right,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “It all added up and it was a great win. The bullpen went lights out, they executed. Paul got that big save.”
Moreno had two hits and reached base in his 40th straight start, moving into sole possession of the second-longest such streak in team history behind Corbin Carroll’s 44-game run in 2024.
Moreno has reached base two or more times in 12 of his past 15 games.
“It seems like he’s on base with every at-bat,” Lovullo said. “He spoils us with a really good approach. There’s just an ease to his game and he’s kind of in the middle of everything.”
The Nationals, who were opening a six-game homestand and had won three of four, got a two-run homer and a single from Dylan Crews. He is 6-for-21 (.286) in his past six games with two home runs, five RBIs and five runs.
CJ Abrams had two hits and is 11-for-21 (.524) in his past five games with two doubles, four home runs, eight RBIs and six runs.
Washington trails Arizona by three games for the third NL wild-card spot.
“We’re treating this like a playoff series,” Nationals manager Blake Butera said. “… Do whatever we have to do to come out of these with a win because we know how important it is against these guys.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Rookie RHP Ryan Johnson, Angels attempt to level series vs. Giants
Jul 19, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Ryan Johnson (32) pitches during the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Two teams that have struggled in close games would like nothing better than to be on the winning end of a one-sided affair Saturday afternoon when the Los Angeles Angels and the host San Francisco Giants continue their three-game interleague series.
Nine innings weren’t enough to determine a winner in the opener on Friday. The Giants emerged with a 7-6 win when Rafael Devers delivered a bases-loaded, walk-off single with one out in the bottom of the 10th.
The teams left the field with the scoreboard showing 8-6, the result of Devers’ long fly to left field having bounced over the fence. It initially was ruled a ground-rule double, with two runs scoring, even though only one was needed to end the game.
The Elias Sports Bureau, the official statisticians for Major League Baseball, reviewed the play shortly thereafter and the hit was changed to a single, producing one run. That made the official final score 7-6 and dropped Devers’ RBI total for the game from four to three.
The confusion was appropriate for teams that have struggled to record one-run wins this season. The Angels lead the majors with 19 one-run defeats, while the Giants have 16, tied with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres for second most in the National League.
Having watched his team fail far more than succeed in tight games, Giants manager Tony Vitello had an unusual reaction to watching his club blow a late 6-4 lead before recovering.
“It made for a better win to be honest with you — more exciting, more memorable for the guys,” he said. “A moment, hopefully, they can build confidence on, that we can come back if things don’t go perfect.”
Giants left-hander Robbie Ray (8-6, 3.33 ERA), who started a one-run loss against the Colorado Rockies in his most recent home outing, will take the mound on Saturday.
Ray is 3-1 with a 2.53 ERA in five career starts against the Angels, with the .750 winning percentage equaling his second best against any opponent. With a win on Saturday, Ray would match his mark against the Chicago Cubs, 4-1.
Ray got a no-decision on Sunday after yielding three runs (one earned) on seven hits in four-plus innings against the Seattle Mariners.
The Angels will send out rookie right-hander Ryan Johnson (2-4, 6.10 ERA) to oppose Ray, 34.
Johnson, 23, faced four batters in relief and retired them all in his only previous meeting with the Giants, on April 19, 2025. In his latest outing, Johnson threw five innings of one-run ball in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday.
While many Angels might be wondering where they will be after the upcoming trade deadline, Johnson, one of the franchise’s top prospects, has only pondered how he can be most effective the rest of this season and moving forward.
“I don’t know if there’s any specific goals other than just keep competing and getting a feel for being in the rotation week to week,” Johnson said following his Sunday outing. “I feel like I’ve been able to get into a good routine and figure out what I want to do in between starts that makes me feel good.”
–Field Level Media
Another Tiger possibly on trade block, Casey Mize, faces Royals
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