To open a regular training blog, AW’s Euan Crumley asks which lasting memory has been left on you by covering 26.2 miles

A baggy cotton t-shirt, football shorts and a look of barely disguised terror. That was the ‘race’ outfit I wore the first time I took on the marathon. 

Thinking about it makes me cringe a little. I’ve covered many miles and completed many races since and would like to think I’m a completely different runner compared to that newbie who had followed a ‘get you round’ plan closely, read just about all he could on the process of covering 26.2 miles and yet still clearly knew little of exactly what he had let himself in for when lining up in London with tens of thousands of other runners back in 2001. 

However, although my now 42-year-old self would leave that younger model trailing in his wake, part of me envies him. After all, you only get one first marathon and this may sound a little dramatic but it’s true to say that that man in his mid-twenties was about to embark on a journey which would change many aspects of his life. 

He had so much to learn about – and through – running and has been trying his best to do so ever since. 

That spring morning of almost 19 years ago has been coming to mind rather often recently, largely due to the fact that I’m back in marathon training again. In a little under 15 weeks I’ll be lining up at the London Marathon start line for a fifth time and harbouring a feeling of unfinished business – that there is still much to learn.

This will be my ninth marathon in total but I’ve found that, even with a reasonable amount of experience, beginning a training plan always brings with it a healthy dose of apprehension to go alongside the excitement. 

Part of the event’s charm is that, for everything to go well, you need so many things to line up in your favour – from getting the right race day weather to avoiding any sort of illness or injury. Most important, of course, is managing to produce a consistent block of training which is suited to what you want to achieve. 

Even getting that balance right is, in itself, a difficult skill to perfect. Push too hard in one respect and you could burn out or break down, don’t push hard enough and you could miss that target you want to hit.

Marathon running can be such a frustrating activity but so incredibly rewarding and fulfilling all at the same time. I’m hoping that this attempt at London, an event being staged for the 40th time, will fall into the latter category but there’s no way of knowing the ending to the story until some point on April 26. 

Regardless of the outcome, it will be a road worth travelling and I’d like to invite you along. Via this blog, I will provide regular updates on my training progress – good or bad – and touch on topics that will hopefully resonate with those of you who are currently on your own marathon journeys or just know what it’s like to pits your wits against a distance which is always to be respected. 

I’d love to involve and hear from as many of you as possible – about your experiences, your training tips or running advice – so for this opening blog it seems apt to raise this question to you… Do you remember your first time? 

What is your abiding memory of that debut marathon? Mine is of seeing my then girlfriend’s (now wife) face in the crowd as I passed the Cutty Sark in a state of near disbelief that I was actually taking part in the London Marathon. Oh, and not being able to walk downstairs properly the following day is also something that I’ll never forget.

Let me know the lasting mark that was left on you by this most classic of endurance distances.

My training plan for 2020, which I’ve just begun, will be based largely around the schedule outlined by Steve Smythe’s excellent article published on this very website and I’m really looking forward to what is about to unfold as the miles pass by. Just don’t expect cotton t-shirts or football shorts to be mentioned very heavily from this point onwards!

Good luck in your training and happy running.

England head coach Eddie Jones has filled the vacancies in his backroom team for the Six Nations with England Sevens boss Simon Amor and former South African coach Matt Proudfoot.

Proudfoot, who helped mastermind South Africa's World Cup final victory over England, joins as forwards coach.

Sevens specialist Amor replaces Scott Wisemantel as attack coach.

Steve Borthwick, who is set to join Leicester after the Six Nations, has had his role changed to skills coach.

South African-born Proudfoot, a former Scotland international, has been involved with the Springboks since 2016 and joins England following the end of his contract with South Africa.

Jones said Proudfoot brings "great technical expertise and knowledge" and says he can "take the forwards to another level."

Amor was head coach of the England Men's Sevens and the Great Britain Sevens which won silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016. He also contributed to England's World Cup training camps.

The former World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year will return to the Sevens set-up for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, before joining Jones' staff full-time after the Games.

"We have had our eyes on Simon for a while," said Jones. "I have been very impressed with his dynamism, his rugby intellect and he will bring a fresh view on how we build our attack."

England open their Six Nations campaign against France in Paris on 2 February.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – General Tire has extended its exclusive tire supplier agreement with the ARCA Menards Series in a multi-year agreement that will also see the company become the official tire supplier of the ARCA Menards Series East and West.

ARCA’s relationship with General Tire was announced at the season finale at Kansas in 2015, and as it has over its initial four seasons, will include race entitlements, at-track activation and billboards, broadcast activation, and at-track service for teams at each of the races in the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East and West through 2024.

“General Tire has been a fantastic partner over the last four seasons,” said ARCA President Ron Drager. “They have supported the series by sponsoring races at some of the biggest venues in America, supported our live broadcasts, and created a lot of really great activities and content for our fans at the track. And most importantly they have brought a consistent race tire that our teams can count on from the high-speed tracks like Daytona and Talladega to the dirt tracks at Springfield and DuQuoin and to the road courses like Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen. We’re extremely pleased to have General Tire on board with the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East and West for 2020 and beyond.”

“We’re pleased to announce the extension of our partnership with the ARCA Menards Series and look forward to expanding our presence by adding the ARCA Menards Series East and West,” said Travis Roffler, Director of Marketing, General Tire. “Our team works hard to provide competitive, action-packed racing each week for the fans and we’re proud to continue that tradition and to build on the relationship we established in 2016.”

General Tire’s agreement includes official tire and sole supplier status for the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East and West and will run through the conclusion of the 2024 season.

TULSA, Okla. – Last year at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, Cannon McIntosh set the world on fire as a 16-year-old by finishing inside the top five on his preliminary night.

Now, with a year under his belt, as well as the wisdom and experience of a season on the road, McIntosh returns to the River Spirit Expo Center this week aiming for far more than just a strong opening act.

McIntosh is seeking his first Chili Bowl Golden Driller, fresh off a near-winning performance during the Tulsa Shootout, where he was leading Outlaw Non-Wing before an engine failure near halfway.

As hard as that result was, however, it has only served to fuel McIntosh’s fire going into this week’s Chili Bowl – his second attempt at the Super Bowl of Midget Racing.

“Man, that was a heartbreaker,” said McIntosh of his Tulsa Shootout run. “Any time you’re in this building and come that close to taking a (Golden) Driller home, it stings you when you can’t seal the deal. We couldn’t control the motor issue, though. That’s just one of those things that’s out of your hands that just happens in racing sometimes. All you can do is take the lumps and push forward.

“We’re ready to go. I want it even more now than I did last year, just because I know we’re capable, I’m capable and we have everything we need to be successful,” he added. “This is home, and you want to win at home, so we’re ready to give it all we’ve got in the tank and see how it all shakes out.”

Considering McIntosh is with the preeminent power team in the building – Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports – his confidence seems to be well placed.

Add to that that McIntosh has a pair of second-place finishes to Kyle Larson over the last two months, one at the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ventura (Calif.) Raceway and another during a Gateway Dirt Nationals preliminary night, and the now 17-year-old knows he’s got the speed to contend.

This week, it’s all about putting all the pieces together.

“Looking in from the outside, yeah, I’m not in my family car this year … but when I look at a writeup or look online and see that Kyle Larson said, you know, that I’m the guy to beat when he’s in my race … that says a lot and makes me believe in what we can do,” McIntosh noted. “It’s definitely a confidence booster, especially going into the Chili Bowl. Right now he’s definitely got everyone beat, but we’re aiming for him. We know we’ve got to find a way to beat him if we’re going to win this thing.

“It’s definitely exciting coming into Chili Bowl racing for Keith,” he added. “Obviously his cars have won the last five and I know that he’ll give us just as good a shot to get a sixth one for him this time around. I just have to go and do my job, and if I can do that, I think we’ll have plenty to smile about this week.”

McIntosh has proven his adaptability in recent months, shining on tracks that are technical and challenge both rookies and veterans alike. He knows that skillset will be necessary all week in Tulsa, given how much the fifth-mile temporary dirt oval evolves from session to session and day to day.

“I think I’ve kind of shown that we can race well on a track where it’s different and not everyone’s used to the conditions,” McIntosh said. “It’s good when you can come out and beat a lot of those good guys when it comes to a track with those transitions. I think if we get close to what we had last year out there, we’ll have just the same amount of speed, and I have needed that confidence all year. It’s what I’ve been looking for and I feel good about it now.

“We had a really good car at Gateway and had lots of speed and showed it, but just didn’t get the results we wanted on Saturday,” he continued. “We let them know that we weren’t there to play and we’re ready to start winning some races.”

Winning races is, of course, the expectation when a driver steps into a KKM-prepared race car, but McIntosh isn’t letting any of that pressure get to him.

Instead, he’s embracing the opportunity that’s in front of him as he makes his debut under Keith Kunz and Pete Willoughby.

“I’m ready for it. I’m excited,” McIntosh said, a big smile gracing his features. “It’s definitely not easy to win, but when Kyle Larson is the only guy who has really been stopping you from winning some races and he’s definitely the top pick to win the Chili Bowl … I think it’s definitely realistic to think that I can have a shot to win it. I just need a little luck, and I have to be smart all week and take advantage of everything I can get.”

And as far as who will be more nervous during Monday night’s preliminary – Cannon or his father, Dave – the younger McIntosh had a snappy comeback for that too.

“I think he probably will be, for sure,” the teenager chuckled. “I’m just ready to go. You can’t have too many nerves at this place; you just have to go out there and get after it.”

How to Watch the Chili Bowl:

Mobil 1 Road To The Golden Driller – Story Index Page
News, analysis, interviews, behind-the-scenes and more – updated throughout each day.

LIVE PPV Streaming Broadcast – Racinboys.com
Monday – Saturday coverage

LIVE Television Broadcast – MAVTV.com
Saturday, Jan. 18th at 8:30pm EST

LIVE Timing and Scoring – MyRacePass
www.myracepass.com/app

Toyota Racing Development has won five consecutive Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals features. Thanks to Mobil 1, SPEED SPORT is providing exclusive coverage of the multi-car organization, led by three-time winner and current champ Christopher Bell and two-time Chili Bowl winner Rico Abreu, and other Toyota-equipped organizations and drivers as they prepare for and compete in the Chili Bowl. The Mobil 1 Road To The Driller program is in addition to SPEED SPORT and Sprint Car & Midget’s traditional “Live from the Chili Bowl presented by MyRacePass” coverage that surrounds the event.

Here's a look at what's happening in professional golf this week, and how you can watch it:

PGA Tour

The American Express

Thursday-Sunday, PGA West (Stadium/Nicklaus Tournament) and La Quinta CC, La Quinta, Calif.

Course specs: PGA West (Stadium) – par 72, 7,113 yards, designed by Pete Dye (1986); PGA West (Nicklaus Tournament) – par 72, 7,159 yards, designed by Jack Nicklaus (1987); La Quinta – par 72, 7,060 yards, designed by Frank Hughes and Lawrence Hughes (1959)

Purse: $6.7 million

Defending champion: Adam Long

Notables in the field: Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Sungjae Im, Tony Finau, Paul Casey, Abraham Ancer, Matt Wolff, Rory Sabbatini

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday-Sunday, 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

PGA Tour Live: Thursday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET

European Tour

Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship

Thursday-Sunday, Abu Dhabi GC, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Course specs: Par 72, 7,642 yards, designed by Peter Harradine (2000)

Purse: $7 million

Defending champion: Shane Lowry

Notables in the field: Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood, Louis Oosthuizen, Sergio Garcia, Viktor Hovland, a-Yuxin Lin, Bernd Wiesberger

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday, midnight-3:30 a.m. ET and 6-8 a.m. ET (Golf Channel); Friday, 3-8 a.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 3:30-8 a.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Streaming schedule: Wednesday, 10:30 p.m.-midnight ET; Friday, 2-3 a.m. ET; Saturday, 3-3:30 a.m. ET; Sunday, 2-3:30 a.m. ET

LPGA

Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions

Thursday-Sunday, Tranquilo Golf Club at Four Seasons Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

Course specs: Par 71, 6,645 yards, designed by Tom Fazio (2014)

Purse: $1.2 million

Defending champion: Eun-Hee Ji

Notables in the field: Sei Young Kim, Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda, Lexi Thompson, Inbee Park, Brooke Henderson, Ariya Jutanugarn

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday-Friday, noon-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 2-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel) and 3-5 p.m. ET (NBC)

PGA Tour Champions

Mitsubishi Electric Championship

Thursday-Saturday, Hualalai GC, Ka'upulehu-Kona, Hawaii

Course specs: Par 72, 7,107 yards, designed by Jack Nicklaus (1996)

Purse: $1.8 million

Defending champion: Tom Lehman

Notables in the field: Scott McCarron, Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els, Fred Couples, Retief Goosen, Davis Love III, Vijay Singh, Tom Watson, John Daly, Colin Montgomerie, Ken Tanigawa

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Thursday-Saturday, 7-10 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Korn Ferry Tour

Bahamas Great Abaco Classic

Jan. 19-22 (Sunday-Wednesday), Royal Blue GC, Nassau, Bahamas

Course specs: Par 72, designed by Jack Nicklaus (2017)

Purse: $600,000

Defending champion: Rafa Campos

Tee times: TBD

TV schedule: Sunday, noon-2 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Monday-Tuesday, 2-5 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Wednesday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. ET (Golf Channel)

Other notable events

Asian Tour/Japan Tour: Singapore Open, Thursday-Sunday, Sentosa GC, Sentosa Island, Singapore

Masters/R&A/USGA: Latin America Amateur, El Camaleon GC, Mayakoba, Mexico

Golf Channel celebrates a milestone birthday this week, and in doing so is showcasing its 25 most impactful moments over the last 25 years.

Golf Channel's Brandel Chamblee and Jaime Diaz discussed and debated the list on their podcast (click here to listen). And relive Jan. 17, 1995, the first day on-air at Golf Channel, in a Golf Central Podcast told by those who were there (click here to listen).

Here's the complete list, 1-25, of Golf Channel's most impactful moments over the last quarter-century.

Mark Wood would appear to have given himself an excellent chance of playing in the third Test with a blistering bowling performance in the nets on Monday.

Wood, who has not played a match since the World Cup final on July 14, bowled with outstanding pace as he attempted to prove his fitness for selection. Required to demonstrate that he could back up Sunday's equally impressive display for a second successive day, Wood bowled a long, hostile spell without any obvious difficulty. He could hardly have done more to convince the England team management of his readiness to return.

His performance came in contrast to that of Jofra Archer. Also required to bowl at full speed as he recovers from an elbow injury, Archer looked considerably slower than Wood in the nets. As a result, Archer looks unlikely to be considered ready for selection in the third Test starting on Thursday.

ALSO READ: 'It's not just potential now' - Wood

Ahead of the session, it appeared England may opt for Chris Woakes to replace James Anderson in the side. For while the team management are understandably keen to include a bowler of Wood or Archer's pace, they are even more keen not to recall them too quickly and risk further lay-offs. They seem particularly cautious over the recall of Wood, who has not played a first-class game since February, when he bowled England to victory over West Indies in St Lucia.

Woakes remains very much in contention. A final decision will not be made until Wednesday, or perhaps even Thursday morning. The squad are not due to train on Tuesday - they have been given a rest day - and will have a light session ahead of the Test on Wednesday at which it will be clear if Wood has suffered any reaction to his recent exertions. Archer now looks the least likely of the three to play.

With the Port Elizabeth pitch expected to be fairly slow and dry, England are keen to include a point-of-difference bowler within their line-up. And as Wood showed in St Lucia - or at various times during the World Cup, when he delivered the fastest ball of the tournament - he can generate the sort of pace that can unlock even international quality batting line-ups on decent batting surfaces. Woakes, for all his all-round qualities, cannot necessarily do the same thing.

Selecting a man with no recent match action is not ideal. The England management had attempted to find some sort of competitive game for Wood to play over the last week or two, but nothing appropriate was available. Certainly unleashing Wood in Monday's form on club batsmen may have proved unwise.

"I've got no qualms he could come in this week and be successful because of what he's done in the past and what he can draw upon," Paul Collingwood, one of England's assistance coaches, said. "He's got the skills to go out there and make an impact.

"Here at Port Elizabeth it's generally a slower pitch so sometimes having that kind of X-factor bowler would be great. We have enough bowlers in and around the county circuit who can bowl at 82 to 85 mph and try to nip it around. You want the likes of Wood and Archer to give you that X-factor.

"Ideally we would have loved Woody to go out and get some competitive games in. We had a look around but it's not as easy as it sounds. So we've tried to replicate the amount of hours on his feet with running and walking. All you can do is get the overs under their belt and make sure they can come back for second and third spells and get the miles in the legs."

England also received encouraging news in a swift return from sickness for Joe Root. The England captain missed training on Sunday due to illness, but took a full part on Monday. The team management insist his absence on Sunday was mainly precautionary with a view to preventing further contamination.

While a first look at the pitch on Monday may have seduced England into thinking they could field an all-seam attack, they seem intent of retaining Dom Bess, who made a favourable impression in Cape Town. The last Test on the ground, in January, lasted three days with Sri Lankan off-spinner Dhananjaya de Silva claiming five wickets in the match.

"If you look at the data, spin tends to play a bit more of a part here than the other grounds," Collingwood said. "But we'll gauge it. There's no point looking today. These pitches change so quickly over 24 hours. We'll have a good look on Wednesday and see which combination is best to take 20 wickets."

On the evidence of the last two days, it's hard to leave Wood out of that combination.

Baylor leapfrogged Kansas and Duke into the second spot in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll on Monday after notching road victories last week at Texas Tech and then at Allen Fieldhouse against the Jayhawks.

The Bears finished with 1,567 points in voting by 65 media members who regularly cover the game, just seven back of top-ranked Gonzaga -- even though Baylor had 31 first-place votes and the Bulldogs had 30.

"I think to have a special team, you first need to have that work ethic, you need to have that character, but most of all you have to have guys that buy in to roles and celebrate each other's success," Bears coach Scott Drew explained. "As the year has gone on, we've done better and better at that. We call it 'playing with joy.' If you do that, good things happen."

Baylor (13-1, 3-0 Big 12) hasn't lost since playing Washington in Alaska in its second game of the season. Along the way, the team from Waco, Texas, has notched nonconference wins over ranked teams Villanova, Arizona and Butler along with league wins over the Red Raiders, Jayhawks and Longhorns.

The win over Kansas was the first for Baylor in 18 tries at Allen Fieldhouse and the first over a top-five team on the road.

"We came with the expectation to win, the expectation to do great things in the Big 12," Baylor guard Jared Butler said, "and it shows when you expect to win versus just trying to survive."

The Blue Devils fell to third in the AP poll, followed by unbeaten Auburn and Butler. The Jayhawks were next with another unbeaten, San Diego State, staying at No. 7. Oregon, Florida State and Kentucky rounded out the top 10.

The Wildcats climbed four spots by squeezing out tougher-than-expected wins over Georgia and Alabama.

"I'm telling you, I believe in every one of these kids. I wouldn't have recruited them here. But I'll tell you, it's really hard here," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "Every game we play is someone's Super Bowl."

The biggest climb came from Wichita State, which jumped seven spots to No. 16 after soundly beating No. 22 Memphis and turning back Connecticut in double overtime. The Shockers' only loss came against No. 12 West Virginia in the championship game of the Cancun Classic in late November.

"We're are at 15 wins now, and I don't even know when we got that last year, so the jump has been crazy," said Shockers guard Erik Stevenson, who leads the team in scoring. "National recognition is cool and all, but we feel like we've been slept on for a while now. We feel like we could beat anybody in the country."

The biggest drop by a team that remains in the poll came from Ohio State, which lost two more games to Maryland and Indiana to make it four consecutive losses. The Buckeyes were once in the top five but are now No. 21.

"We have to find a way to figure some things out here quickly," Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said. "You know, I think it's a work in progress right now. I think we definitely have some offensive issues that we have to work out."

Here are some other takeaways from the latest edition of the college basketball poll:

Rising

West Virginia climbed five spots to No. 12 by following a tough road loss to Kansas with wins over Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Colorado also jumped five spots to No. 20 after the Buffaloes throttled Utah 91-52 in their only game of the week.

Falling

Ohio State wasn't the only Big Ten team to take a tumble. Michigan State dropped seven spots to No. 15 after the Spartans were pounded 71-42 at Purdue, and Penn State fell from No. 20 all the way out of the poll after the Nittany Lions lost consecutive games to unranked teams in Wisconsin and Rutgers.

In/Out

Seton Hall returned to the poll at No. 18 thanks to back-to-back wins over Xavier and Marquette that ran the Pirates' record to 4-0 in the Big East. A pair of newcomers in Illinois and Creighton rounded out the Top 25, and Virginia and Arizona joined the Nittany Lions in falling out. The Cavaliers lost to Boston College, and the Wildcats fell to Oregon State last week.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ariel Helwani's MMA Show on Monday features a preview of UFC 246, including a taped interview with the biggest name in MMA: Conor McGregor. The former two-division UFC champion will make his first appearance in the Octagon since October 2018 in the main event against Donald Cerrone on Saturday night.

Two of McGregor's coaches are scheduled to join the Show: head coach John Kavanagh and striking coach Owen Roddy.

Also set to appear are former UFC champions Dominick Cruz, Eddie Alvarez and Anthony Pettis, and Roxanne Modafferi, who will face the unbeaten Maycee Barber on Saturday.

Watch the show:

Conor McGregor focused, ready for UFC 246

Conor McGregor sat down with Ariel Helwani for a wide-ranging interview.

Here are some of the key topics with answers edited for length and clarity. A full transcript will follow after the show.

Getting back on track

"I find I'm at my best when I must do something, and I know I must do it, and I do it. I execute it. And that's what I'm doing right now. That's what I have done. The training has been phenomenal. My coaches, my team, everyone's been in sync together. And we've had a great camp and we're very, very happy here. And obviously, it's good to be back in Las Vegas. I hadn't been in Vegas in a while. Am very excited. Very happy."

Why he still fights

"For me, it's not about money. I'm in a position where it's forever money. This is not for money for me. No amount of money will stop my hunger for this and my hunger to compete and entertain and just live my life the way I want to live it and the way I enjoy to live it. Too much money without an awareness of it in the past can be dangerous. There's no limits. There's no boundaries. You can do anything. You can go anywhere. I know what I want to do and what I enjoy doing. And this is what I enjoy doing. And so I'm going to keep doing it. Now I'm doing it full steam ahead and I'm in the best shape of my life. Mental and physical."

What he'll take away from a turbulent 2019

"A learning year, a year of figuring out myself and my situation. 2020, the year of perfect vision. I've actually got better vision than 2020. I was in the eye exam and they said I have 20-15. The last one they said 20-10, then the lady was like 2015. 2010 is like a bionic eye. So I think I've got good eyesight. Let's just say that."

His kids saved him and his career

"My heart is full with my kids. They are here with me now in Las Vegas. We have a Vegas residence, and it's great to be back in the Vegas home with the family. Dee's here, my sisters are here helping out. I am absolutely amazed and I'm very, very blessed. What a time for it to happen for me. Right on the money for me. I needed my kids to help me. And they have helped me. And I'm very, very happy and very, very proud."

Dominick Cruz: The first round is key for Donald Cerrone

Dominick Cruz has been watching a lot of film in preparation for Saturday's UFC 246 main event between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone, for his ESPN show Unlocking Victory. He'll be breaking down each fighter's approach in great detail later in the week, but Cruz offered his vision for how Cerrone could push this fight into a more favorable direction for himself.

"Cerrone has to stay tall and he needs to make sure that he's throwing combinations, ending his combinations with a kick. The fight that I like to look back at with Cerrone -- if he shows up like this I think he'll do really well -- it's against Rick Story [in 2016].

"Rick Story was a big 170-pounder and Cerrone was coming over and he did really well in that fight. Now, Rick Story's standup is not Conor McGregor's standup, we all know that. However, it's a southpaw that's very powerful and it's more the habits that Cerrone uses in that fight, if you want to go back and watch, that I think would really work against a guy like Conor... It's long combinations -- slowing, finishing with kicks, either high or low.

"He's going to want to attack the body of Conor early. And he's going to want to attack the legs of Conor early. But more than anything, I think the key for Cerrone is to come out already having a first round of fighting in the back, so that when he shows up to that Octagon, he's in his second round already, because Conor McGregor comes out on fire in the first round and leaves almost nothing in the tank in that first round.

"Cerrone, if you look, habitually doesn't show up like that in the first... If you just watch any of [Cerrone's] fights, after the first round, when he comes out in the second round, he looks different. He looks awake. He looks like a different fighter. His punches are faster. His reactions are different. His defense is improved. Everything looks better.

"He takes a lot of damage, and he almost takes getting punched a little bit before he shows up in the second, third, fourth, fifth round. And he really usually wins those last four rounds, but that first round, rarely have I seen Cerrone come out awake. And never have I seen him come out as awake as Conor does in the first round.

"If he can make that adjustment, we'll have a very good first round, and if this fight comes out of the second round into three, four and five, I see it getting closer and closer, edging towards Cerrone with a good chance of getting this win.

Helwani Show lineup

On now: Conor McGregor discusses a wide range of topics.

2:55 p.m.: Celebrity predictions, including picks from Action Bronson, Steve-O and Mick Foley.

3 p.m.: Owen Roddy, McGregor's striking coach, discusses that aspect of his game.

3:20 p.m.: Roxanne Modafferi talks about facing up-and-coming star Maycee Barber on Saturday.

3:35 p.m.: John Kavanagh, McGregor's head coach, previews Saturday's comeback fight for McGregor.

Houston Astros GM Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch have been suspended for one season after an MLB investigation found the team used technology to cheat during its World Series-winning 2017 season, it was announced Monday.

Additionally, MLB will fine the Astros $5 million and take away their first- and second-round draft picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts.

MLB said in its statement that if Luhnow or Hinch "engage in any future material violations" of MLB rules, they will be placed on the league's permanently ineligible list.

No players were disciplined by MLB in the investigation. While Mets manager Carlos Beltran was part of the investigation, he was a player at the time and thus was not suspended.

Discipline for Red Sox manager Alex Cora is coming and is going to be harsh, sources told ESPN. Cora was the Astros' bench coach during the 2017 season.

Cora is identified throughout MLB's report as the ringleader along with Beltran. Commissioner Rob Manfred said that discipline for Cora will be announced at the completion of its investigation into the Red Sox's alleged use of the video replay room to steal signs during the 2018 season.

MLB's investigation found that Astros owner Jim Crane was unaware of the sign-stealing activities by his team.