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FEATHERWEIGHT TEST: MAIRON SANTOS AIMS TO KNOCK OUT NAIMOV AT UFC 323

Mairon Santos discusses his striking plan to frustrate Naimov and his long-term goal to emulate Max Holloway by dominating at 145 lbs before moving up. He predicts a second or third-round KO.

Featherweight Test: Mairon Santos Aims to Knock Out Naimov at UFC 323
Santos Returns to T-Mobile

Mairon Santos didn't have the best memory of his last time at the T-Mobile Arena. Now, he's heading back to the same spot in Las Vegas to face Muhammad Naimov at UFC 323 on Saturday, looking to set things right.

Santos won The Ultimate Fighter back in August 2024 and followed it up with a win at UFC 313 in Las Vegas in March 2025. That win was a close call against Francis Marshall. Santos even thought he should have lost after watching the fight again. So, returning to that arena means something to him.

“Fighting in Vegas is like fighting at home,” Santos told MMA Fighting. “I’m excited. It’ll be great because it’s at T-Mobile. The UFC is putting me on a big card again, the last pay-per-view of the year. It’s another chance to make up for my last performance at T-Mobile and put on a show.”

The Brazilian featherweight last fought at the UFC APEX in May, where he beat Sodiq Yusuff by decision. That win improved his record to 16-1, with a 3-0 record in the UFC. He says fighting in front of a big crowd doesn't bother him: “Once the cage door closes, it doesn’t matter if it’s UFC, LFA, or my backyard. I’m always focused.”

“I’m happy to be fighting him,” Santos said about Naimov. “I don’t even know if he knows this, but LFA offered me this fight before. He was also on the U.S. scene back then, but I got a different opponent later. I’ve known about him for a while now. I think he should be ranked. He’s got a 5–1 record in the UFC and only lost to Felipe Lima, which isn't bad. Getting five UFC wins is hard, and he’s beaten some good fighters. He’s the kind of guy who can get me close to the rankings.”

Naimov is riding a two-fight win streak, including a decision win over Kaan Ofli and a win against Bogdan Grad in July. Santos plans to frustrate Naimov.

“I see him as an all-around fighter, but I don’t think he’s a specialist in any one area,” Santos said. “I’m going in there to do what I’m good at, which is striking. That’s my plan. I want to frustrate him wherever the fight goes and win before the end.”

“I’m training hard to finish this fight because my last two wins went to decision, and I don’t want that,” he added. “I know what I’m capable of. I could’ve pushed for the knockout in my last fight, but I was maybe a little unsure because of my previous fight. It was good to get a clear win after the controversial one. But that’s in the past now, and I see myself knocking him out in this fight. Maybe not in the first round, but in the second or third. I don’t think he’ll hold up under the pressure, and I’ll knock him out.”

Santos' recent win over Yusuff was at lightweight, but he doesn’t see it as a true 155-pound fight since they are both featherweights. However, the 25-year-old plans to try out lightweight later on.

“I want to be like Max Holloway, who built his career at 145 and then went up to a different weight class,” Santos said. “I want to fight at 145. I think it’s interesting. I like my height and reach for the weight class. It suits my style. I feel 145 is better for me right now. … If I fought at lightweight, I know I could fight four or five times a year—like Kevin Holland. But at featherweight, I need to take better care of my body because everyone knows how to make weight. I want to make sure I make weight the right way so I can perform my best.”

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER

The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.

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Grizzlies finalise Jaren Jackson Jr. deal

The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.

And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.

All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.

There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.

Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.

KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY

The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.

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Klint Kubiak is set for the Raiders as Seahawks coach faces the New England Patriots

The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.

Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.

This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.

Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.

“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”

Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.

Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.

“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”

Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.

Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.

“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”

Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.

“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”

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