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Last time out for both teams:

The big news from the Hammers camp is the return of Crysensio Summerville, who was bang in form before his injury. Mads Hermansen, Pablo, Tomas Soucek, Konstantinos Mavropanos and Summerville come in as Alphonse Areola is dropped to the bench. Finlay Herrick, we hardly knew ya. capturengo.org

We are merely a few months away from the summer of 2026, which will mark five years since Lionel Messi tragically left Barcelona.

Since then, there has been a lot of chatter internally surrounding Messi potentially returning to Camp Nou for one last dance.

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However, Barcelona sporting director Deco, who is hard at work finding new players in the transfer market, has clarified the club’s position in a recent interaction, confirming that Messi’s return was never quite on the table.

Deco’s stunning relevation about Messi

Speaking to GE (h/t Diario SPORT), Deco was asked whether or not Messi will return to Barcelona before hanging up his boots.

In response, the Barça sporting director started out by praising the Argentine, calling him the best of all time.

“This issue is complex. Much has already been said about him in the presidential campaign. His name was used all the time. Messi is the best player in Barcelona’s history; for me, the best player in the history of football or one of the best,” he said.

He vaguely implied that even though Barcelona wanted Messi to return, it was never a possibility.

“We would like football to be eternal in all aspects. There are many things that we would like to be, but they come to an end. They have a beginning, a middle and an end. Speculating about that seems a bit pointless to me,” he said.

The Portuguese then goes on to confirm that the talk of Messi’s return was never a possibility, at least since he joined as the sporting director of the club.

“This scenario of return, in reality, at least since I have been there, has never been put on the table,” he clarified.

Talk of Messi’s talk was never a topic during Deco’s tenure. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

In fact, Deco added that Messi or his entourage have never called Barcelona either, surrounding the idea of a return.

“That Leo Messi or someone around him calls and says: ‘Hey, I want to come back, I want to play’, it has not happened. All that has been a lot of rumours, many unreal things,” he added.

Deco also spoke in reference to Messi’s famous Instagram picture at Camp Nou, which took the Barcelona fandom by storm.

“He has not manifested that will; he made a post on Instagram saying that one day he would like to return, but he did not specify it. Talking about this kind of thing with a player as big as Leo makes a bit of sense if there is nothing real or concrete,” he said.

About how Messi got into the stadium, Deco revealed the version of the story he was aware of.

“I think he was with the national team and he was in the hotel, he didn’t stay at home. In the end he went out for a walk and entered Camp Nou. I think it was more or less like that, from what I understand,” he added.

Deco, who is in favour of holding a tribute match for Messi at Camp Nou, stated that it is not up to him to decide the feasibility of such an event.

“It is obvious that the day Messi has to be honoured, this is not something that depends on me,” he said.

UFC returns to the Sunshine State this Saturday for UFC 327, visiting Miami for the fourth consecutive year. Despite losing one of its two originally scheduled title fights, the main event still promises fireworks.

Jiří Procházka is back and challenging for the vacant light heavyweight crown after Alex Pereira relinquished his title to pursue heavyweight gold on the White House lawn. The shift atop the division has opened the door for the surging Kiwi, Carlos Ulberg, to get his first crack at a UFC title. Both men have been finishing machines more often than not, making this matchup a volatile one. By weekend's end, we'll have either a two-time UFC champion or a new entrant in the storied lineage of the 205-pound title.

Light heavyweight remains the focus in the co-main event as well, after flyweight champion Joshua Van suffered a minor injury that delayed his clash with Tatsuro Taira. Taking the bout's place, Azamat Murzakanov aims to extend his undefeated streak to 17 straight with a win over one-time middleweight title challenger Paulo Costa.

UFC 327 is nowhere near being on par with UFC 300 in 2024, regardless of any propagandistic claims to the contrary. Saying it's the best since then is more reasonable, but still a sad indicator of the times. There's name value galore throughout this weekend's card, but stakes are simply far more absent than in days past for some of UFC's current veteran crop.

👑 UFC 327’s lineup Crown grade: B-. 👑

Betting odds via BetMGM.

Jeff Bottari via Getty Images

205 pounds: Jiří Procházka (-120) vs. Carlos Ulberg (+100)

If memory serves, I can't say I've ever bet against Procházka — outside of maybe his Pereira rematch.

And I don't plan to start now.

The collective MMA world certainly appreciates the glorious madness that Procházka brings, but somehow he still feels underappreciated. When conversations turn to the most entertaining fighters of all time, Procházka is a name that demands inclusion. He's only gone the distance once in 38 appearances. Think about how absurd that is.

Procházka embodies innovation, uniqueness and awkwardness all at once. Few fighters throughout MMA history, especially at 205 pounds, have moved with the aggressively deceptive patterns of Procházka. But against much sharper technical strikers like Pereira, Procházka's awkwardness hasn't paid off. It could also be problematic against a cannon like Ulberg.

The rubber will meet the road early in this matchup — Procházka isn't necessarily a slow starter, but we've seen him walk through the fire and fall behind on the judges' scorecards many times. His most recent war with Khalil Rountree Jr. is a prime example — Procházka needed a finish and channeled his inner samurai spirit to march forward like a man possessed in Round 3. Ultimately, he delivered with a relentless flurry of forceful punches that no one has been able to withstand.

Ulberg will need to force the action early, which would be unlike his typical performances, despite some quick finishes on his record. As the level of competition has increased, so has Ulberg's fight IQ, leading him to more methodical approaches. But against Procházka, he'll want to launch heat-seeking missiles to close the show as quickly as he can. Otherwise, he'll be on his way to suffering the same late fate as many of Procházka's past victims.

In terms of experience, this fight favors Procházka too. His offense has always been lethal. Defensively, he's tightened previous holes and continually woven in new elements into his movement. As long as the former champion avoids a thumping Ulberg blow in the early rounds, expect to hear "and new" again for the Czech dynamo.

Pick: Procházka

205 pounds: Azamat Murzakanov (-200) vs. Paulo Costa (+165)

After arguably his best overall career performance against Roman Koylov last year, Costa has decided to move up in weight to challenge an undefeated contender.

The Costa saga is an odd one, folks.

Costa's last appearance in the light heavyweight division was rough and controversial — he was a shell of himself in a 2021 decision loss to Marvin Vettori, especially compared to the force he was in his latest victory over Koylov. The circumstances were bizarre for that fight, as Costa and Vettori were originally booked to fight at 185 pounds — until Costa decided he didn't want to. With proper preparation this time, he should carry over his impressive form from the Koylov win. And he's going to need it.

Murzakanov had been touted as a questionable prospect with clear talent, but he was unproven due to the level of competition. It wasn't until he stopped perennial contender Aleksandar Rakic in October that the masses realized: Yeah, this dude can crack and he's no joke at light heavyweight.

Costa has only tasted defeat via strikes once, against Israel Adesanya in his lone UFC title fight. Tactically, Costa has all the tools to out-strike Murzakanov. As powerful as he's always been, Costa has stunningly failed to score a finish since 2018. His durability will be key to keeping him in this fight, but every time he gets touched, he'll be damaged, as Murzakanov consistently seeks the knockout blow. It should be a volume vs. damage affair, leaning in the Russian's favor as he ascends up the division.

Pick: Murzakanov

265 pounds: Curtis Blaydes (-135) vs. Josh Hokit (+110)

The UFC seems to have had enough of Josh Hokit's unbelievable cringe. With character after character, he has drawn attention for all the wrong reasons, yet managed to vault into a contender bout after just two wins over heavyweight taxi drivers.

Right when we thought the division couldn't get any more embarrassing, Hokit rose to say, "Hold my beer." And he meant it.

If his latest fight against Rizvan Kuniev is anything to go by, Curtis Blaydes may no longer be the top contender he's long been at heavyweight. Perhaps it was just a rough night and a difficult matchup, but he secured the win nonetheless, and the gulf dividing the quality of competition between these two is otherworldly. There is no comparison. Blaydes very well might be able to beat all eight of Hokit's previous opponents in a single night, especially on his best day.

Blaydes has been the wrestler at heavyweight since he emerged in the Octagon a decade ago. Once he inevitably gets Hokit to the mat, that's a wrap. Vintage, filthy "Razor" Blaydes ground-and-pound.

Pick: Blaydes

Jeff Bottari via Getty Images

205 pounds: Dominick Reyes (-140) vs. Johnny Walker (+115)

Once upon a time, Dominick Reyes was the guy who arguably beat Jon Jones. Now? He’s just trying to prove he still belongs anywhere near that conversation.

The talent hasn’t disappeared. Reyes is still a sharp, straight-line striker with real power and some of the cleanest boxing at light heavyweight. But the durability questions surrounding him aren’t going anywhere, and every exchange feels like it comes with a bit of built-in anxiety.

Then there’s Johnny Walker, the division’s human coin flip, who inherits similar concerns. At his best, Walker is chaos weaponized. He's kind of like Procházka in that sense, just far too disorganized. He's long, explosive and capable of ending a fight with something you didn’t even see coming. At his worst, he’s still that same chaos. It's just a matter of which direction it's pointed. His recent shift toward a more measured approach has helped, but it also feels like it sands down the very edge that made him dangerous in the first place.

This is one of those matchups where you think you know what’s going to happen until you remember who’s involved. Reyes should be the cleaner, more reliable minute-winner. Walker is a guy who only needs one. If this turns into a technical kickboxing match, Reyes probably picks him apart. If it gets weird — and with Walker, it usually does — all bets are off.

It’s a trust exercise, and frankly, neither guy makes that easy. But Walker’s unpredictability and finishing upside feel like the safer gamble in a fight where safety doesn’t really exist.

Pick: Walker

145 pounds: Cub Swanson (-110) vs. Nate Landwehr (-110)

Cub Swanson is somehow still here, still swinging, still making fights way more fun than they probably should be at this stage of his career. The durability has dipped a bit, sure, but the instincts haven’t. Swanson’s boxing remains slick, his timing is sharp, and if you give him space, he’ll make you pay like it’s 2016 all over again.

Unfortunately for him, space is not something Nate Landwehr believes in. Landwehr fights like every second is his last. All pressure, all chaos and absolutely no regard for comfort. It’s messy, it’s exhausting, and more often than not, it drags opponents into a kind of fight they didn’t sign up for. He’s not the cleaner striker here, but he might be the one dictating terms simply by refusing to slow down. You know. As a train would.

That’s the whole story. They each welcome war, it just depends on how clean it is. If Swanson can keep this at range, pick his shots, and avoid getting sucked into extended exchanges, he’s more than capable of outclassing Landwehr over three rounds and delivering the perfect swan song. But if this turns into the kind of back-and-forth brawl Landwehr thrived in prior to his latest skid, it’s hard to trust Swanson to hold up under that kind of pressure anymore.

And let’s be honest: Landwehr almost always gets the fight he wants. But considering the deep dip in performance from Landwehr his last two times out, this matchup feels tailor-made to be just what Swanson ordered.

Pick: Swanson

Preliminary Notes

The final batch of prelims at UFC 327 is a good time. It's still impossible to wrap the mind around the fact that we're about to see two of Bellator's all-time great homegrown talents, Patricio Pitbull and Aaron Pico, fight each other in the UFC.

Somehow, both Bellator and PFL dropped the ball on this seemingly inevitable matchup. And now UFC reaps the benefits, going full WWE-WCW treatment and putting it on the prelims, even though it would have headlined any previous event outside the promotion. How the tables have turned, with Pico now favored after the years appear to have passed the legendary Brazilian by.

Top lightweight and strawweight contenders Mateusz Gamrot and Tatiana Suarez also occupy notable spots on UFC 327. Each is fighting down their respective divisions, making leapfrog potential possible for strong talents like Esteban Ribovics and Luptia "Loopy" Godinez.

UFC 327 is one of the rare MMA events in 2026 that should have you seated from the opening bell all the way until the curtain call.

Quick picks:

• Aaron Pico (-350) def. Patrício Pitbull (+275)

• Mateusz Gamrot (-190) def. Esteban Ribovics (+155)

• Randy Brown (-120) def. Kevin Holland (+100)

• Tatiana Suarez (-170) def. Lupita Godinez (+140)

• Chris Padilla (-160) def. MarQuel Mederos (+130)

• Kelvin Gastelum (-275) def. Vicente Luque (+220)

• Charles Radtke (-190) def. Francisco Prado (+155)

Wyndham Clark nearly birdied the 6th hole but his putt drifted right at the cup, leaving him at -3 for the tournament. Im Sungjae birdied 7 and 8 to move into positive territory at +3 overall, while Freddie Couples birdied 2 to return to +5.

Par 3 Contest winner Aaron Rai started his second round confidently with a birdie at the first hole, remaining at -1 after his opening 71. Clark's streak of consecutive birdies ended at 5, though he positioned well for another birdie opportunity at 6.

The Charlotte Hornets are enjoying their best season since the 2015-16 campaign, the last year that the franchise made the playoffs.

With two regular season games remaining, the Hornets have totaled 43 wins, tying their second-best mark in the last 10 seasons.

Former Duke Blue Devil Kon Knueppel has played a large role in Charlotte's success, as the franchise works tirelessly to establish a new culture.

Knueppel spoke to the Charlotte Observer recently about his mindset and desire to win, despite the Hornets' slow start to begin the season.

"I remember talking to [Jeff Peterson] when we were 4-14," he said. "It's like, losing is never okay. As a player, most players feel that way. Some teams would have just packed it up and been like, 'All right, we're tanking the rest of the year.' And we didn't."

Since then, Charlotte went on a tremendous run before the All-Star break and has now won 11 of their last 15 games as they eye a postseason berth. The final two games of the regular season will determine if Charlotte gets in as a top-six seed or a Play-In Tournament team.

Knueppel and the Hornets will return to action Friday against the Pistons before finishing the regular season Sunday against the Knicks.

This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Former Duke star Kon Knueppel on tanking: 'Losing is never okay'