Nate Diaz helped build the first ever “BMF” title fight when he called out Jorge Masvidal back in 2019 and it appears he’s ready to return to reclaim his throne as the “baddest motherf*cker” in the sport.

On Wednesday, Diaz took to Twitter to stake his claim to the birth of the “BMF” title, which was introduced for his fight against Masvidal at UFC 244. The belt was effectively built as a symbolic gesture for the fight between Diaz and Masvidal but then the “BMF” championship took on a life of its own.

At UFC 326, current “BMF” champion Max Holloway is defending that title against Charles Oliveira in the main event but it sounds like Diaz is hoping he gets another crack at that belt sooner than later.

“Let’s not act like I didn’t start a whole division bringing value to all these guys claiming they’re it,” Diaz wrote on Twitter. “I gave opportunity and put notice on the dopest fights. I got unfinished business and I plan on going and taking what’s mine ASAP. First to ever start a division and the dopest one at that.

“You’re welcome motherf*ckers. I’ll see you soon. I’m coming.”

Diaz also posted a photo of the “BMF” title with the caption “unfinished business” on Instagram

Diaz never actually claimed the “BMF” title in that original fight after the bout was stopped following the third round due to numerous cuts he sustained in the battle against Masvidal.

But there’s no doubt that Diaz essentially created the belt while touting himself as the real “baddest motherf*cker” in the sport.

After his loss to Masvidal in 2019, Diaz stuck around the UFC for two more fights going 1-1 with a win over Tony Ferguson and a decision loss to future welterweight champion Leon Edwards. The Ferguson fight marked the end of Diaz’s contract with the UFC and he left the organization afterwards.

Since then, Diaz has competed in boxing on two occasions including a win over Masvidal in their rematch.

But even after he split with the UFC, Dana White always said that Diaz would be welcomed back if he ever wanted to compete there again.

Judging by Diaz’s latest comments, it appears he’s interested in a reunion and perhaps he’s gunning for another shot at the “BMF” title in his return to the octagon.

The James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is a step closer to adding to its esteemed roster of myriad basketball legends.

On Wednesday, three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker, Team USA’s 1996 women’s national team, Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw were among the premier names announced as finalists for the hoops hall, which will soon welcome many of the biggest names in the history of women’s basketball. Former NBA All-Stars Blake Griffin and Amar’e Stoudemire will also be finalists, with Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers also closer to the Hall.

Parker, a two-time WNBA MVP, will forever remain a pre-eminent part of influencing women’s hoops. In 2008, after an esteemed career at the University of Tennessee, she immediately broke through in the pros by becoming the first (and only) player in league history to win MVP and Rookie of the Year honors. Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld are the only NBA players to do so. Parker, whose 16-year career ended in 2023, is ranked 10th in WNBA history in total points, third in rebounds, 11th in assists, fifth in blocks and 18th in career steals. She was named WNBA Finals MVP in 2016 after leading the Los Angeles Sparks to their fourth title in team history. In 2021, she led her hometown Chicago Sky to the franchise’s only WNBA championship.

Nicknamed the Women’s Dream Team, the 1996 Team USA women’s national squad remains one of the most dominant in the game’s history. It was led by several prominent names who are already individually enshrined in the Naismith Hall of Fame: Dawn Staley, Lisa Leslie, Rebecca Lobo, Sheryl Swoopes, Teresa Edwards and Katrina McClain. The roster also included Jennifer Azzi, Ruthie Bolton, Venus Lacy, Nikki McCray, Carla McGhee and Katy Steding. Credited with aiding the launch of the WNBA, this team defeated opponents by an average of 28.6 points per game en route to gold medal honors.

Delle Donne, whose 10-year career ended in 2023, is the only player in WNBA history to win MVP honors with multiple franchises (2019 with Washington Mystics, 2015 with Chicago Sky). She steps closer to the hall thanks to her unique combination of shooting touch and basketball IQ, becoming the first player in WNBA history to join the prestigious 50-40-90 club (shooting at least 50 percent overall, 40 percent on 3-pointers and 90 percent on free throws for a full season). Her career scoring average of 19.5 points per game ranks fifth highest in WNBA history.

Holdsclaw won WNBA Rookie of the Year honors in 1999 after averaging 16.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in her first season as a pro. She finished in the top 10 of MVP voting six times over her 11 WNBA seasons, during which she averaged 16.9 points and 7.6 rebounds. She peaked in 2003, averaging 20.5 points and 10.9 rebounds for the Washington Mystics. She finished her career with three All-WNBA selections and six All-Star nods and notched the 2002 league scoring title while leading the league in rebounds twice. But those accomplishments weren’t a surprise given her elite collegiate career at Tennessee, where she won Naismith Player of the Year honors twice (1998-99) and led the Lady Volunteers to three titles.

For the men’s side of this year’s finalist bracket, Rivers is one of seven coaches in NBA history to win Coach of the Year honors in their first season with a team, doing so with the Orlando Magic in 1999-00. His 1,183 regular-season wins rank sixth in NBA history. In 2008, he led the greatest single-season turnaround in NBA history as the Boston Celtics snapped a championship drought of over 20 years. In 2022, the NBA named Rivers as one of the 15 greatest coaches in league history.

Griffin, who retired after the 2022-23 season, spent years as one of the most talented and athletic players in the NBA. He averaged 21.4 points and 9.0 rebounds over 765 career games, including a special run as the face of Lob City during arguably the most successful era in the LA Clippers’ history. For the 2013-14 season, he finished third in MVP voting after averaging 24.3 points (second-highest scoring average of his career), 9.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists. His seven triple-doubles are tied for second most in Clippers history.

Like Griffin’s, Stoudemire’s athletic prowess and unmatched skill on offense made for a unique mix over a special career. He was pivotal to the Phoenix Suns’ revival led by two-time MVP Steve Nash and then-coach Mike D’Antoni, who joins Stoudemire as a finalist for the Hall. Stoudemire notched six All-Star selections and five All-NBA nods over his 14-year career in the NBA. At his peak, the 2002-03 Rookie of the Year averaged over 25 points per game and was one of the league’s most potent dunkers. He finished his career with averages of 18.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in 846 career games.

D’Antoni’s 253 regular-season wins with Phoenix rank third in franchise history. His run as coach of the Seven Seconds or Less Suns included two runs to the Western Conference finals. During D’Antoni’s four full seasons as coach (2004-05 to 2007-08), Phoenix ranked third in the NBA in win percentage (.707) and total victories (232).

There are 21 total finalists this year. Others include Marques Johnson, Mark Few, Jerry Welsh, Dick Motta, Gary McKnight, Kelvin Sampson, Molly Bolin-Kazmer, Tal Brody, Joey Crawford and Kevin Johnson. The inductees will be announced in April. Enshrinement weekend is scheduled for later this year at Mohegan Sun Arena, beginning with a tip-off celebration and awards gala Aug. 14. The commencement ceremony will take place the next day at the Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Los Angeles Sparks, NBA, WNBA

2026 The Athletic Media Company

The San Antonio Spurs are waiving forward Jeremy Sochan, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday.

The two parties had reportedly been working towards finding a trade destination for the former lottery pick − Jared Weiss of The Athletic reported that the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns, among other teams, have all shown interest − but landed on a release instead after the deadline passed last week.

Now, the pending restricted free agent has been bought out and is free to choose his next destination.

The Spurs made the news official on social media with a graphic thanking Sochan, who they selected No. 9 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft. Sochan had represented San Antonio in the 2023 and ’24 Rising Stars games.

Thank You Jeremy pic.twitter.com/5HKRFGW60X

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) February 11, 2026

Since then, however, Sochan’s usage has declined in San Antonio. He averaged just 12.8 minutes in 28 games this season after starting 23 times the prior season, and he found himself out of the rotation completely after the emergence of rookie wing Carter Bryant.

According to Charania, Sochan “is expected to decide among multiple interested teams.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spurs release Jeremy Sochan: Why it happened, what we know

As we prepare for the 2026 MLB season, the contract of Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos is not what you would describe as a prime asset.

There is one year and $20 million left on a $100 million deal that once helped to herald a new era of Phillies baseball, yet Philadelphia has made clear that it has no plans for Castellanos to spend that year on its active roster. It was reported in October that the club planned to either trade or release Castellanos before the 2026 season.

However, with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training this week, the outfielder officially remains part of the Phillies organization. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, however, the team has already moved on.

[More Phillies news: Philadelphia team feed]

There is no locker for Castellanos at the Phillies’ spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida, and the club reportedly told him not to report to the complex this week. A resolution to the situation is expected in the next two days, be it a trade or release.

The writing has been been on the wall all offseason that Castellanos has already played his last game for the Phillies, including when the team signed new right fielder Adolis García. Castellanos earned All-Star honors as recently as 2023, but he was below replacement level in 2025, slashing 250/.294/.400 with the second-worst defense in right field by Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value.

At 33 years old, he’s hardly expected to be better this season, so the Phillies are moving on. Any trade will almost certainly see them eating the vast majority of Castellanos’ 2026 money because this is an area where they have zero leverage, barring multiple teams viewing him as an unlikely bounce-back candidate.

Meanwhile, the Phillies seem set to roll out an outfield of García in right, Brandon Marsh in left and rookie Justin Crawford in center for 2026.

As we prepare for the 2026 MLB season, the contract of Philadelphia Phillies slugger Nick Castellanos is not what you would describe as a prime asset.

There is one year and $20 million left on a $100 million deal that once helped to herald a new era of Phillies baseball, yet Philadelphia has made clear that it has no plans for Castellanos to spend that year on its active roster. It was reported in October that the club planned to either trade or release Castellanos before the 2026 season.

However, with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training this week, the outfielder officially remains part of the Phillies organization. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, however, the team has already moved on.

[More Phillies news: Philadelphia team feed]

There is no locker for Castellanos at the Phillies’ spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida, and the club reportedly told him not to report to the complex this week. A resolution to the situation is expected in the next two days, be it a trade or release.

The writing has been been on the wall all offseason that Castellanos has already played his last game for the Phillies, including when the team signed new right fielder Adolis García. Castellanos earned All-Star honors as recently as 2023, but he was below replacement level in 2025, slashing 250/.294/.400 with the second-worst defense in right field by Baseball Savant’s Fielding Run Value.

At 33 years old, he’s hardly expected to be better this season, so the Phillies are moving on. Any trade will almost certainly see them eating the vast majority of Castellanos’ 2026 money because this is an area where they have zero leverage, barring multiple teams viewing him as an unlikely bounce-back candidate.

Meanwhile, the Phillies seem set to roll out an outfield of García in right, Brandon Marsh in left and rookie Justin Crawford in center for 2026.

This is the final batch of right-handed pitchers. I’d not be surprised if one or more of these ended up in our Opening Day bullpen, and there is a non-zero chance every one we talk about here, sees some MLB action over the course of the 2026 campaign…

Jonathan Loaisiga (43)

With eight years of major-league experience, and a 120 ERA+ across almost 250 innings of MLB work, Loaisiga is a very credible option for the Arizona ‘pen. All of that time came with the Yankees – he was their longest-tenured pitcher at the end of last season – peaking in a stellar 2023 campaign where has worth 3.3 bWAR, entirely in relief. Last year was a bit of a struggle, with a mediocre 4.25 ERA across 30 appearances in pinstripes, and an ugly 5.83 FIP. It’s possible he was still recovering from elbow surgery – an internal brace, rather than traditional Tommy John – which ended his 2024 season after just three games. He also had back and flexor problems, so staying healthy is going to be key.

Alfred Morillo (78)

Not to be confused with right-handed relief pitcher Juan Morillo, who is already on the 40-man roster, Morillo is also Dominican rather than Venezuelan. He has been part of the Arizona farm system for four years, splitting 2025 between Double-A and Triple-A. Morillo does need to get the walks down – 20 over just 29 innings for Reno, and control has been an issue through his minor-league career. But he only turned 24 in November, so time is on his side. In September, Preston called him “most likely a shuttle-riding mid-inning option, but there is a small chance of greater upside.”

Taylor Rashi (54)

It was a bit of a surprise when Rashi was non-tendered in November, especially considering he was pre-arbitration, so was still set to earn league minimum this season. After all, he had looked good in his MLB debut, striking out 22 batters over 16.1 innings to give him a 1.91 FIP, while notching a pair of saves (above). Across a bigger sample size with Reno (67.1 IP), he also had a 3.48 ERA – the best of any Aces pitcher with 30+ innings last year. But a couple of weeks later, he re-signed with the Diamondbacks, so no harm done. It did take him until almost the end of August to reach the majors last year, but if he can reproduce his 2025 form, he should see Phoenix considerably sooner.

Landon Sims (87)

Our first-round pick (#34 overall) in 2022, Sims spent all of last season in Double-A Amarillo, where his 3.63 ERA was very credible given the environment. Of particular note, he allowed only two home-runs to the 233 batters he faced. It has been a process for Sims, since Tommy John surgery a couple of months before the draft, meant his pro debut was delayed until mid-2023. The initial results were short of impressive, but they have improved as Landon’s strength has returned. However, Fangraphs were unimpressed, calling him “a relief-only prospect now, and a bit of a fringy one… it’s a low-ceiling, low-leverage profile.”

Well, nobody went on the 60-Day IL today so I’d consider that a success! The night is still young so I’m definitely knocking on wood here but hopefully we’re past the bad injury luck for the time being. That clubhouse needs it and the fanbase needs it as well. Phew.

Anyways, here’s a random clip. The floor is now yours.

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson has done a good job of integrating the new additions at the deadline into the rotation. James Harden has paired well with both Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. And by the sounds of things, it won’t be long until we find out how the new core four looks together.

According to Atkinson, Mobley should be returning from his calf strain “right after the All-Star break.”

Mobley has missed the team’s last six games and is out for Wednesday’s matchup against the Washington Wizards. He injured his left calf in the team’s win over the Orlando Magic on Jan. 26. This was the same calf that he injured earlier on Dec. 12. That initial injury kept him out for two weeks.

If Mobley returns after the All-Star break in the team’s Feb. 19 matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, it would be a three and a half week absence from the court. The timeline for the recent calf strain was one to three weeks.

Fitting Mobley back into a lineup that looks vastly different could present some challenges.

“I’m not sure if James has ever played with two bigs,” Atkinson said. “It’s usually four shooters, one big, but I have no doubt he’ll figure that one out too.”

Atkinson is already planning for that eventuality.

“We’re trying to get ahead of it,” Atkinson said. “With the coaches, we’ve talked about it. I don’t want to overload James right now. … When Evan comes back, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. … We got to think about the spacing, isolation spacing, pick-and-roll spacing, what kind of sets are best when those two are together.”

The Cavs have bet on talent and overall basketball IQ winning out with the Harden trade. Through two games, it has worked out. We’ll see how that adjustment period goes when Mobley returns.