Jul 19, 2026 · 3 min listen · Last updated July 19, 2026
From storyflo. This is your daily audio brief. Brock here. July 19th. Game day. Five stories worth your eight minutes — first one's a story. Let's get into it. First, from MMA Fighting. Dricus du Plessis overwhelms Kamaru Usman in UFC Oklahoma City main event.
Listen · storyflo · sports
Daily Sports Brief · July 19th
0:00-3:14
Pick your daily storyteller
Subscribe to match with Theo, Jessica, Chloe, Mason, Brock — your voice, every brief.
Audio pre-rendered by Storyflo · cached + delivered from the edge
Dricus du Plessis overwhelms Kamaru Usman in UFC Oklahoma City main event
Dricus du Plessis dominated Kamaru Usman in the UFC Oklahoma City main event, taking home a unanimous decision victory. He showcased his full range of skills, leaving little doubt in the judges' minds as they scored the fight 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46 in his favor.
Du Plessis is now eyeing another shot at the title, specifically targeting current champion Sean Strickland, who he's already beaten twice in the past. He's confident in his abilities and is calling for another chance to bring home the belt.
Usman, on the other hand, is taking the loss in stride, vowing not to hang up his gloves just yet. He's open to competing in different weight classes, including 170 and 185 pounds, and is already looking to bounce back from this setback.
The South African fighter's impressive performance has him right back in the winner's circle, and he's making it clear that he's not done yet. With a strong message, du Plessis is sending a clear signal to the UFC: he's ready for another title shot.
RAF 11 Results: Colby Covington edges Arman Tsarukyan to claim inaugural crossover belt
Colby Covington is the inaugural RAF crossover champion.
On Saturday night in Milwaukee, Covington wrestled Arman Tsarukyan for the inaugural title, and the former Division 1 All-American wrestler showed his chops, edging out Tsarukyan in a hard-fought battle.
Tsarukyan came out pandering to the Wisconsin crowd, rocking a cheese head. Covington was definitely the bigger man in the matchup, but Tsarukyan didn’t care whatsoever about that, taking the fight right to him. Both men locked up, but neither could gain much advantage in these positions, working snap downs and arm drags.
Last Saturday, the Paul G. Allen Estate announced that the Seahawks will be sold (pending approval) to a group led by venture capitalist Vinod Khosla.
The bidding between the two finalists was extremely close.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the process eventually consisted of Khosla's group and the group led by Celtics limited partner Aditya Mittal going back and forth, like an auction.
No, the NFL wouldn't stage a World Cup-style third-place game
Saturday's 6-4 win by England over France in the third-place game of the 2026 World Cup has caused some to suggest the NFL should do the same thing.
The NFL used to stage such a game. It ended with the AFL-NFL merger, and it will never return.
It would be a worthless game, as meaningless as the Pro Bowl.
RAF 11 live blog: Arman Tsarukyan vs. Colby Covington
Arman Tsarukyan's perfect 7-0 record in RAF was put to the test against Colby Covington in the main event of RAF 11. Covington, a former Division 1 All-American wrestler, leveraged his skills to a successful MMA career in the UFC before focusing on RAF. He racked up three wins in the promotion, setting him up for this title match against Tsarukyan.
The two wrestlers faced off in the ring, with Covington looking focused and determined. Tsarukyan, known for his impressive record in RAF, was confident in his abilities despite being a non-American competitor. The match got underway, with Covington starting strong, securing a headlock and trying to control the pace.
Tsarukyan showed his skills, however, using his strength to muscle Covington down and take control of the headlock. The two wrestlers battled back and forth, with Covington using his defense to stay ahead. Tsarukyan managed to get on the shot clock, but Covington's defense held strong, and he took the point. The round ended with Tsarukyan on the attack, looking to turn the tide in his favor.
RAF 11 Results: Belal Muhammad outworks Ben Askren in Askren’s final match
Ben Askren went out with class, losing by points to Belal Muhammad at RAF 11. Askren's comeback story is nothing short of incredible, having survived serious complications from pneumonia, including flatlining several times and requiring a lung transplant. He showed a strong foundation in fundamentals, stuffing all of Muhammad's offense and hand-fighting to prevent Muhammad from gaining any purchase. Askren finally initiated offense in the second period, but Muhammad took over in the final period, scoring two takedowns and taking the lead. Askren was visibly exhausted, but he gave it his all, even taking a moment to thank the crowd and call out Colby Covington before officially retiring from competition.
Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman full fight video highlights
Watch Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman full fight video highlights from their UFC Oklahoma City main event showdown Saturday night, courtesy of multiple outlets.
DDP vs. Usman took place July 18 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Dricus du Plessis (24-3) and Kamaru Usman (21-5) squared off in the main event clash. The fight aired live on Paramount+.
Official result: Dricus du Plessis def. Kamaru Usman via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46 x2)
Catch all the video highlights below.
For more on DDP vs.
UFC Oklahoma City live blog: Dricus du Plessis vs. Kamaru Usman
Dricus du Plessis is finally back in action after nearly a year out, looking to make a statement against Kamaru Usman in the middleweight main event at UFC Oklahoma City. The former middleweight champion has been out since August, when he lost his title to Khamzat Chimaev, and now he's taking on one of the best wrestlers in welterweight history. Usman, a former welterweight champion himself, is looking to earn a title shot with a win over du Plessis, either at middleweight or welterweight.
The crowd was buzzing as du Plessis and Usman made their way to the octagon, with Usman dancing his way through the fighter checkpoint and du Plessis hitting the arena with his signature walkout song. The action got underway with du Plessis taking center of the octagon and landing a kick, followed by a counter left. Usman feints the takedown, but du Plessis doesn't bite, connecting with a leg kick and a left high kick.
Usman struggled with the range in the early going, but he finally found a home for an overhand right in the second half of the round. Both men were trading leather in the center, with du Plessis connecting with an uppercut as he continued to find his rhythm. Usman clinched up and shoved du Plessis into the fence, but an accidental low blow forced the ref to separate them. Du Plessis responded with another left high kick, and MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9 for du Plessis.
This is the live blog for Ben Askren vs. Belal Muhammad, the co-main event wrestling match at Saturday’s RAF 11 card in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
A two-time NCAA Div. 1 national champion and two-time Dan Hodge trophy winner, Askren is one of the most accomplished wrestlers to ever fight in MMA, also competing in the 2008 Olympics. Askren parlayed that wrestling ability into world championships for ONE and Bellator, before finally moving to the UFC for a short run before retiring.
PFL Austin Results: Johnny Eblen finishes Impa Kasanganay to claim interim title
Johnny Eblen is once again a champion.
On Saturday night, Eblen rematched Impa Kasanganay in the main event of PFL Austin, with the PFL interim middleweight title on the line. The last time the two fought Eblen barely scraped out a win. But this time, the former Bellator champion scored a much more definitive win, finishing Kasanganay in the third round.
Eblen came out strong with, putting pressure on Kasanganay early. But Kasanganay battled back in the second round, repeatedly landing overhand rights to stymie Eblen, who simply kept marching forward.