IN NOVEMBER, Holly Holm poleaxed Ronda Rousey in one of the great UFC upsets, winning the bantamweight belt. The obvious play: Allow Rousey to recover and then make a high-stakes rematch. Instead the UFC pitted Holm against Miesha Tate at UFC 196 last Saturday. The underdog won via a rear-naked choke (top) and now the future is considerably cloudier.
In December, Conor McGregor poleaxed Jose Aldo in one of the great UFC upsets, winning the featherweight belt. McGregor's attempt to hold two belts simultaneously at UFC 196 was scuttled when his opponent, lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos, suffered a foot injury. The obvious play: reschedule the fight. But the UFC pitted McGregor against 170-pounder Nick Diaz. The underdog won via a rear-naked choke and now the future is considerably cloudier.
Befitting an organization based in Las Vegas, the UFC operates with the caution of a whale at a blackjack table. Sometimes it cashes in. Other times it craps out. Stay tuned for the next roll....
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March 14, 2016
GOLF PLUS
INBOX
NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
After an unprecedentedly unpredictable regular season, the prospect of a mid-major (or mid-majors) reaching the NCAA tournament's final weekend is greater than ever. But four teams that spent time at the top of the polls have the strongest cases for finishing No. 1 in Houston
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
The tiny Spanish island of Gran Canaria is home to a tour operator that handles college basketball teams' off-season trips—and to an academy that DEVELOPS PROSPECTS. Is there a link between booking tours and landing recruits?
NBA
Distant and accessible to only a few, the game's most dominant defender and underrated superstar desperately cultivates greatness, if not an image. He also is giving a second wind to the Spurs' dynasty, the best bet to unseat the Warriors
Patrick Kane
On the ice, it all comes so easily for Patrick Kane. Life off it is more complicated, whether he's behaving immaturely—or worse—or navigating a hometown that bred him to be the best but can also bring out his worst
POINT AFTER
Departments
Command And Control
SI's rebuilt and relaunched digital archive is a journey through more than 60 years of sports history and a testament to the power of prose
Erin Andrews wins
UFC gambles and loses
Which minor league theme jerseys are actual promotions for 2016 and which are not?
The Timbers get technical
