6:09 PM ET The UFC has released former lightweight title challenger Gilbert Melendez from his exclusive contract, multiple sources confirmed to ESPN. Melendez (22-8), who was once in consideration as the best 155-pound fighter on the planet, exits the promotion on a five-fight skid. FightBookMMA first reported his release. Melendez, 37, was not immediately available
2:16 PM ET TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama‘s playoff hopes took a hit when it suffered its first lost of the season at home to LSU on Saturday, but coach Nick Saban didn’t want to talk about the long-term ramifications of the game when he met with reporters on Monday afternoon. “Look, the No. 1 thing
2:11 PM ET Texas Tech sophomore quarterback Alan Bowman will redshirt the rest of the season, coach Matt Wells said on Monday. Bowman, who has been out of the lineup since mid-September with what Wells termed a shoulder injury, is medically cleared to play. He participated in warmups before the Red Raiders’ 38-7 win over
5:38 PM GMT Springboks captain Siya Kolisi has thanked South Africans from all walks of life for coming out in their hundreds of thousands to congratulate the team on winning the Rugby World Cup in the last week. The Springboks arrived home from Japan on Tuesday, and they have since visited Pretoria, Johannesburg, Soweto, Durban,
5:31 PM ET Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said Monday he wanted to be out there Sunday but ultimately did what he felt was best for the team in sitting against the Chicago Bears, snapping his 136-game start streak. “Ultimately, I think I made the right decision,” Stafford said. He’s once again dealing with a
8:07 AM ET SAN FRANCISCO — Eric Paschall still laughs about the way his basketball journey is unfolding. In 2014, the forward was wrapping up his season at prep powerhouse St. Thomas More in Oakdale, Connecticut. In 2018, he was helping Villanova win the NCAA championship alongside fellow St. Thomas More alum — and current
6:21 PM ET Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez capped a meteoric rise by becoming the franchise’s third-ever Rookie of the Year winner and second since the club moved to the American League. Alvarez was a unanimous selection of the award’s 30 voters. Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means finished second, with Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe
5:11 PM ET Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio — The NHL suspended Columbus forward Nick Foligno for three games for a hit that leveled Colorado Avalanche forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. The Department of Player Safety announced the penalty for the Blue Jackets’ captain on Monday. Foligno dropped Bellemare with the open-ice hit with his elbow to Bellemare’s
4:50 PM ET UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic is not that intrigued by a third fight with Daniel Cormier, who said that’s the one fight he wants before he retires. Miocic and Cormier split their first two fights with Miocic scoring a fourth-round KO on Aug. 17. Miocic said eye pokes and punches in that
4:02 PM ET TEMPE, Ariz. — Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury benched running back David Johnson for the rest of Sunday’s loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after his fumble late in the third quarter, opting to go with running back Kenyan Drake for the remainder of the game. “We just felt like with Drake,