New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman opted for a contract extension instead of free agency, agreeing Saturday to a deal that will keep him with the Yankees through the 2022 season, sources told ESPN.

Chapman, 31, could have opted out of the final two years of his contract with the Yankees and become a free agent this winter. Instead, the Yankees agreed to add another year for $18 million to the end of the next two years, which were due to pay him $30 million.

Between the questionable market for closers and his comfort with the Yankees, Chapman made it clear that staying in New York was his preference. After beginning his career with the Cincinnati Reds, he debuted with the Yankees in 2016 following a suspension for a domestic incident, was traded to the Chicago Cubs that summer, won a World Series and returned to New York on a five-year, $86 million deal that included the opt-out.

Since reaching the major leagues with Cincinnati in 2010, Chapman has turned in one of the great 10-year stretches by a closer. Nobody in baseball history has a higher strikeout rate than Chapman's 14.8 batters per nine innings, and his numbers nearly match those of his two finest contemporaries, Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel and Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.

What happened to Kimbrel over the winter certainly informed Chapman's decision. Originally seeking a six-year deal, Kimbrel remained a free agent until he signed a three-year, $43 million deal with the Cubs in early June. Jansen, who had an opt-out clause this winter, declined it and will receive $38 million over the next two seasons.

Chapman was better than both of them this season, striking out 85 in 57 innings, recording 37 saves and posting a 2.21 ERA. Although he allowed only three home runs during the regular season and posted the sixth-lowest home run rate among pitchers with at least 50 innings, the last pitch he threw in 2019 was Jose Altuve's walk-off homer that clinched the American League pennant for the Houston Astros.

The Yankees will return one of the deepest bullpens in baseball by keeping Chapman, along with Zack Britton, Adam Ottavino, Tommy Kahnle and Chad Green. New York hopes to add a frontline starter and is expected to be among the teams chasing Gerrit Cole, the top free agent in the 2019-20 class.

With Chapman off the market, a thin relief class gets even thinner. Among the top relievers this winter: left-handers Will Smith and Drew Pomeranz and right-handers Will Harris, Daniel Hudson, Dellin Betances, Joe Smith, Chris Martin and Steve Cishek.

SOUTH BOSTON, Va. – Josh Berry did everything he needed to do Saturday at South Boston Speedway to win the CARS Late Model Stock Tour championship, but it wasn’t enough.

Berry drove to a dominant victory Saturday afternoon after starting from the pole, putting the pressure on defending series champion Bobby McCarty. McCarty entered the race with a nine-point advantage over Berry, who added several bonus points during the race to close the gap even more on McCarty.

McCarty started the race from 12th and had to work his way through the field while Berry led comfortably. It took him most of the race, but McCarty was able to get to second and fend off Corey Heim for the position late in the race.

While Berry crossed the finish line to take the win, McCarty finished second to earn his second-straight series championship by a single point.

Heim finished third, with Layne Riggs and Timothy Peters completing the top-five.

In the companion CARS Super Late Model Tour feature, Matt Craig needed only to start the 125-lap race to lock up the series championship.

Craig went out and did event better, taking the lead on the opening lap of the race from polesitter Tate Fogleman and powering to his second victory of the season in his family-owned No. 54 super late model.

Carson Kvapil, son of NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil, was second. Fogleman, Nolan Pope and Jared Fryar finished third through fifth, respectively.

The finishes:

Late Model Stocks: Josh Berry, Bobby McCarty, Corey Heim, Layne Riggs, Timothy Peters, Justin Carroll, Taylor Gray, Mini Tyrrell, Tyler Matthews, Camden Gullie, Ronald Hill, Connor Mosack, Trevor Ward, Jared Fryar, Jessica Cann, Brandon Pierce, Brody Pope, Jonathan Findley, Drew Dollar, Terry Dease, Craig Moore, Stuart Crews, Deac McCaskill.

Super Late Models: Matt Craig, Carson Kvapil, Tate Fogleman, Nolan Pope, Jared Fryar, Corey Heim, Bronson Butcher, Colin Garrett, Toby Grynewicz, Molly Helmuth, Justin Crider, Jeff Batten, Kodie Conner.

LAS VEGAS – A day after setting the track speed record, Funny Car championship hopeful Jack Beckman made the quickest run in The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway history on Saturday.

His record-breaking run was enough to earn Beckman the No. 1 qualifying spot at the 19th annual Dodge NHRA Nationals Presented by Pennzoil.

Leah Pritchett (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories.

Beckman powered to a record-breaking run of 3.835 seconds at 331.94 mph during Saturday’s final qualifying session, sending him to the top spot for the third time this year and 27th overall in his Infinite Hero Foundation Dodge SRT Hellcat.

Beckman will meet Terry Haddock to open race day on Sunday. After going a Vegas-best 335.90 mph on Friday, Beckman and his team saved their best for last on Saturday, giving Beckman, who is second in points, valuable bonus points as he tries to track down leader Robert Hight.

“I just want the trophy now. That will make it a perfect weekend,” said Beckman, who had previously held both ends of the track record at Vegas coming into the weekend. “It just gives us a lot more confidence. The car is doing what it’s supposed to be doing. We’re not looking over our shoulder because there’s a lot of hungry competitors; we’re looking at Robert Hight. All we can control is our own destiny and you can’t look past anybody.”

Tommy Johnson Jr. qualified second, while John Force, who is third in points, qualified third. Points leader Robert Hight qualified eighth.

Pritchett came alive in the final Top Fuel qualifying session on Saturday, making the quickest run in track history with a remarkable 3.654-second pass at 329.83 mph in her MOPAR dragster. By setting the track record, Pritchett eclipsed Brittany Force’s top run on Friday, qualifying No. 1 for the first time this season and 12th time overall, also giving Don Schumacher Racing a clean sweep in nitro qualifying.

She will meet Cameron Ferre in the first round of eliminations.

“It was a phenomenal pass and we made three consistent runs out of the four,” Pritchett said. “When I hit 330-feet, I knew we were going to be on a run, and to be No. 1 at the Dodge Nationals Presented by Pennzoil is phenomenal. We’ve got all the energy, it’s our first No. 1 of the season and we just hope to continue to carry this momentum. We’re just trying to stay in our zone and keep our intensity, and I’m not overthinking in the car. That’s what I’m planning to do tomorrow.”

Force was bumped to the second position with her 3.659-second pass at a national record speed of 338.17 mph, while Billy Torrence is third. Points leader Steve Torrence qualified fifth.

Fresh off a win at the most recent race in Dallas, Anderson stayed strong on Saturday in Vegas, securing the No. 1 spot for the second time this season with a run of 6.584 seconds at 207.91 mph in his Summit Racing Equipment Chevrolet Camaro. It is also the 104th No. 1 qualifier for Anderson, who will meet Cristian Cuadra to open race day.

The four-time world champ remains in striking distance of points leader Erica Enders, who qualified No. 1 on Friday before finishing second with her 6.587-second pass at 208.46 mph. Bo Butner finished in the third spot.

“It’s always been a great racetrack for me,” said Anderson, who has a class-best eight wins in Vegas. “I love coming here and racing in front of (team owner Ken Black) and his family. It’s a special weekend so far and we’ve had a lot of magic here. It makes you feel good and gives you confidence, and we’ll take it. It just takes so much to win a race in Pro Stock anymore. You couldn’t possibly bet on who’s the favorite. It just comes down to who makes zero mistakes and who puts it all together tomorrow. We’re executing perfectly so far and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Defending Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Smith was even better Saturday, lowering the track record he set the previous day to 6.840 seconds at 196.93 mph on his Denso Auto Parts/Stockseth/MSR EBR. Smith grabbed the No. 1 spot for the sixth time this season 37th time in his career, and he will face Katie Sullivan in the first round of eliminations.

“We’ve got a lot of confidence going into tomorrow,” said Smith, who also qualified No. 1 at the Vegas spring race. “All in all, I’ve think we’ve got a pretty fast hotrod for tomorrow. This motorcycle is running pretty mean right now. After the helmet goes on, it’s all serious and it’s all business, and we’re having a good time.”

Steve Johnson stayed second with a 6.848-second pass at 194.18 mph, while Eddie Krawiec qualified third. Points leader Andrew Hines is right behind in fourth.

Stevie Jackson, who has already clinched his first championship, qualified in the top spot during action in the E3 Spark Plugs NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by J&A Service.

Jackson’s pass of 5.735 seconds at 250.37 mph in his blown Bahrain1 Racing Camaro gave him the fourth No. 1 qualifier of the season.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jessica Bean capped off her third consecutive USAC Speed2 Eastern Midget Ass’n championship in grand style Saturday at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville.

Bean set the fastest time in qualifying and then led the final eight laps en route to her third-straight series victory and the 13th of her career.

From Farmland, Ind., Bean trailed early leaders Daytona Spicola and all-time series winner Chris Lamb before making the winning move on the 28th circuit to score the victory.

Spicola led laps one through three and Lamb took over on the fourth round, holding serve out front until Bean made her winning move.

Bean was followed to the line by Lamb, Sam Mazzo, Hunter Wise and Braeden Allum.

The finish:

1. Jessica Bean, 2. Chris Lamb, 3. Sam Mazzo, 4. Hunter Wise, 5. Braeden Allum, 6. Mason Hoskins, 7. Daytona Spicola.

FORT WORTH, Texas – A year ago, Christopher Bell needed some last-gasp heroics to lock himself into the Championship 4 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but this time around there was only domination.

Bell steamrolled through Saturday night’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway, sweeping all three stages and leading a race-high 101 of 200 laps for his eighth win of the season.

More importantly, the victory locked Bell into the quartet of drivers guaranteed to race for a series title in two weeks at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

It was a night where Bell dominated the box score, but it wasn’t until a restart with 30 laps to go that he regained control of the race from Ross Chastain, who stayed out under caution at lap 142 in an effort to stretch his fuel to the finish and steal a victory from the full-time series competitors at the front.

A final caution for a crash involving Tyler Reddick on the backstretch with 40 laps left gave Bell a chance to strike back, however, and when the green flag waved for the final time at lap 171 Bell was there for the taking.

He roared around the outside, left Chastain in the dust and drove away to a commanding 5.561-second victory in the end, a statement run ahead of the Homestead finale as Bell chases his first series title.

Perhaps even more impressive was the fact that Bell battled brake problems through the second half of the event, leading to questions and concerns at times as to whether he would be able to get back to the sharp end of the field.

“I knew we were really competitive; our car and the (No.) 2 (Reddick) were really, really similar early on,” noted Bell. “And then I started having brake problems and whenever I got those brake problems, I just wasn’t as good. I couldn’t keep the car underneath me and I got really loose, so I had to work a little bit harder. But then that red flag (at lap 153) helped me and my brakes came back.

“From there, Jason (Ratcliffe, crew chief) got this thing tuned up and we were able to drive away.”

Saturday night’s victory was also Bell’s first at the facility he calls his “NASCAR home track,” considering that none of the sanctioning body’s top three series race in Bell’s native Oklahoma.

“God, that was pretty special to get one here in Texas,” Bell said. “I’ve got a lot of family over there in the background and I’ve been given these (checkered flags) out, but this one right here is going to my nephew (Trip). I promised him years ago that if I ever had one I’d be able to get him the flag in Texas.

“So this one is, like I said, really special to win it at home.”

Chastain finished second despite his gamble to stay on-track, with playoff hopeful Austin Cindric completing the podium but now among those needing a win next week during the Round of 8 finale to move into the championship race.

Brandon Jones and John Hunter Nemechek crossed fourth and fifth, respectively, followed by Justin Allgaier, Harrison Burton, Cole Custer, Jeb Burton and Ryan Sieg.

The semifinal round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs concludes Nov. 9 at ISM Raceway in Arizona, where Bell is the defending race winner.

Australia won the toss and decided to bowl against Pakistan

With the threat of rain in Sydney, Aaron Finch opted to bowl first in the first T20I against Pakistan. By the time of the toss the clouds had started to build up and rain started to fall before the scheduled start with storms also forecast.

Australia named an unchanged side from the one that played the final match against Sri Lanka which meant no place for Sean Abbott, Billy Stanlake or D'Arcy Short.

Pakistan have named the same XI that played the warm-up match against the Cricket Australia XI in Bankstown as left-arm quick Mohammad Irfan plays his first T20I in three and a half years.

Australia 1 Aaron Finch (capt), 2 David Warner, 3 Steve Smith, 4 Ben McDermott, 5 Ashton Turner, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Ashton Agar, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Mitch Starc, 10 Kane Richardson, 11 Adam Zampa

Pakistan 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam, 3 Haris Sohail, 4 Mohammad Rizwan, 5 Asif Ali, 6 Iftikhar Ahmed, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Shadab Khan, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Amir, 11 Mohammad Irfan

Mongolian Groom was euthanized after running in the $6 million Classic at the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, the 37th horse to die at the California track since December.

The marquee race was the last of the two-day world championships, in which 13 other Cup races ran without injury. Mongolian Groom was part of the early pace in the 1¼-mile race, but jockey Abel Cedillo pulled up the 4-year-old gelding near the eighth pole as the rest of the field charged toward the finish line.

A green screen was rushed onto the track to block Mongolian Groom from the view of 67,811 fans and a prime-time television audience. He was loaded onto an equine ambulance and taken to a hospital on the backstretch.

Cup officials said in a statement about two hours after the race that Mongolian Groom had been euthanized after suffering a serious fracture to his left hind leg.

Four veterinarians were consulted before the decision was recommended to euthanize. Cup officials said they have hired Dr. Larry Bramlage to conduct an independent evaluation with the results to be made public when completed.

"The death of Mongolian Groom is a loss to the entire horse racing community," a statement from Breeders' Cup Ltd. said. "Our equine and human athletes' safety is the Breeders' Cup's top priority. We have worked closely with Santa Anita leading up to the World Championships to promote enhanced equine safety. Santa Anita has implemented numerous industry-leading reforms to enhance the existing health and safety measures with the intent of providing a safe racing environment."

Mongolian Groom had three wins in 16 career starts and earnings of $579,141. He was coming off a victory over Classic favorite McKinzie in the Awesome Again Stakes on the same track in September.

Bred in Kentucky by Calumet Farm, Mongolian Groom was trained by Ganbat Enebish and owned by Mongolian Stable, the name of Ganbaatar Dagvadorj's racing operation. Dagvadorj's best horse was 2015 Turf Sprint winner Mongolian Saturday, who, like Mongolian Groom, was a 15-1 shot in the Breeders' Cup.

The horses' deaths have led Santa Anita owner The Stronach Group to rush to implement changes to rules involving medication and training. The Breeders' Cup also beefed up its own prerace exams and observations of Cup runners.

"Everything had been going so great," trainer Bob Baffert said before the death of Mongolian Groom was announced. "You just don't know when it is going to happen. We try to keep them as safe as we can."

Four horses were scratched Saturday from Cup races after prerace exams by vets found issues concerning enough to keep them in their barns.

Earlier in the day, protesters angered by the previous 36 deaths stood outside Santa Anita toting signs urging the end of the sport in California. A short distance away, industry workers feeling pressured by the prospect of losing their jobs rallied to promote racing.

It's not the first time death has haunted the Breeders' Cup. In 1990 at Belmont Park, Go For Wand was leading the Distaff when she sustained a fatal injury and fell in front of a horrified grandstand crowd and live TV audience. Jockey Randy Romero was thrown to the ground, and Go For Wand got up and limped on three legs. She was euthanized on the track.

In the 2007 Classic at New Jersey's Monmouth Park, George Washington dislocated his ankle during the Classic and was euthanized.

Vino Rosso won the $6 million Classic at the Breeders' Cup by 4¼ lengths, upsetting McKinzie, the 5-2 favorite.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

"Street cred" is how Dana White kept describing the essence of UFC 244's main event.

Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal aren't fighting for an official title or belt Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. They're fighting because after Diaz beat Anthony Pettis on Aug. 17 and called out Masvidal, the momentum it generated demanded the fight take place. And as the momentum built, the idea of having the fight headline the card -- which is a rarity for a non-title fight -- kept making more and more sense.

"The reality was for me to think about, how do we do a main event that isn't a title fight?" White said. "Once I got past that, I started thinking about the things that Diaz said and the fight itself.

"We were in a matchmaking meeting, I kicked around to the guys, 'What do you think about me doing a BMF belt for this thing?' I was getting ready for them to say, 'Are you nuts?' And they loved it. They loved it and we went with it, and here we are."

The BMF belt will be strapped around the winner's waist by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, enhancing the vibe of this being a special event.

White has said this BMF fight will be a one-off, but there's already rumblings about a challenger down the road.

"[Conor] McGregor already said 'I want the next shot. I designed that belt, I should be able to fight for it,'" White said. "But I love it, I love the fact people care."

The main event is just one of several fights with championship implications and interesting subplots. It's possible the winner of the co-main event between Kelvin Gastelum and Darren Till will be the next to face welterweight champ Israel Adesanya.

Keep it here as Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim provide analysis on each of the 12 bouts.

Results

Middleweight: Darren Till (18-2-1) def. Kelvin Gastelum (16-5)

Recap to come.

Welterweight: Stephen Thompson (15-4-1) defeats Vicente Luque (17-7-1) by unanimous decision

When the final horn sounded, Thompson embraced Luque with a broad smile, the fisticuffs behind them. That in itself was not unusual, as fighters often hug it out after throwing down. But in this case, Thompson truly did owe a debt of gratitude.

"It feels amazing to get back into the win column," said Thompson. "My last two fights were obviously losses, so I wanted to come back in here and show the UFC and the fans that I can still compete against a tough opponent and come out victorious.

"I felt great to be honest with you, he hits hard, I think he has a harder head than I do, but it was awesome," continued Thompson. "I knew he would be a tough guy to put away, so I was ready for a three round war."

Luque had just brought out the best in "Wonderboy." Thompson earned a unanimous decision by scores of 30-26, 30-26 and 29-27 to end a two-fight skid. Luque (17-7-1) saw his six-fight win streak come to an end.

Luque did not go away easily. Beaten to the punch right from the start, he toughed it out to the final horn and even threatened Thompson on occasion, often taking three, four or five punches and kicks in order to get close enough to land one.

His power kept Thompson cautious throughout the fight, but "Wonderboy" was in all his glory. He flashed every creative move he had, landing punches and kicks from all angles. When he connected with a front kick to the body that sent Luque tumbling backward onto the canvas, head over heels, Thompson stood back and admired his work. He then gave Luque a high-five once he stood up.

"Wonderboy" seemed to appreciate that his opponent had no quit in him. "Hey, he was a tough guy, man," said Thompson. "I hit him in the head as hard as I could, and he just kept on coming forward."

-- Wagenheim

Heavyweight: Derrick Lewis (22-7) vs. Blagoy Ivanov (18-3) by split decision.

Lewis is the ultimate feast-or-famine fighter. He has gone to a decision just once since 2012. It's usually a finish or get finished for the Texas brawler.

But Saturday night, Lewis showed up slimmer and put forth a pretty well-rounded effort in a split-decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28) win over the ultra-tough Ivanov. Lewis landed huge punches in each round, all of which Ivanov ate and kept coming.

Perhaps most impressive was Lewis' ability to get out of bad situations. Ivanov was on top working on a key lock submission in the second round when Lewis exploded to his feet and landed a flurry of punches.

Lewis was able to get up from an Ivanov takedown in the first and avoid a front headlock position in the third. Ivanov is a combat sambo master with very good grappling, and this version of Lewis was able to mostly stymie those types of attacks.

Lewis (22-7, 1 NC) lost in the main event of the Madison Square Garden card last year, getting beat by heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier. Lewis followed that up by falling to Junior Dos Santos by second-round TKO in March. Lewis, 34, looks leaner now, and his cardio held up here. He is now tied for the fourth-most wins in UFC history with 13, per ESPN Stats & Information data. He came in ranked No. 6 among heavyweights by ESPN.

Ivanov (18-3, 1 NC) had a two-fight winning streak snapped. The Bulgaria native has never been knocked out in his 12-year pro career. Ivanov, 33, had only lost once since 2014 coming in.

"Feels real good to get back in the win column because that was a battle right there, that guy was tough," Lewis said. "I thought for sure he was going to be rocked after a couple of them and I could finish them, but he's tough as hell. I was real shocked, anybody else they would have been out.

"I think this keeps me where I'm at in the division, because I should have finished him. I guess I was being too patient, but it is what it is."

-- Raimondi

Lightweight: Kevin Lee (18-5) defeats Gregor Gillespie (13-1) by first-round KO

Welcome back to lightweight, Mr. Lee.

After a one-fight detour to welterweight, Lee returned to 155 pounds to face one of the division's rising stars, and he knocked his opponent cold with a left kick to the head at 2:47 of the first round.

Gillespie (13-1) came in unbeaten and with the wrestling credentials that made him a threat to go all the way to the top. But Lee (18-5) has wrestling in his arsenal too, and on this night he used it defensively, setting up in a low stance to keep Gillespie away from his legs.

That stance also packed power into Lee's punches, and while Gillespie was clipping him with jab after jab, Lee was connecting with bigger punches. Nothing Lee delivered early on seemed to faze Gillespie, though, until Lee landed a straight right hand followed immediately by a left kick that landed square on the jaw, stiffening Gillespie as he collapsed backward. Gillespie was out before he fell against the cage and to the canvas. As the referee lunged in to save Gillespie, Lee calmly walked away.

Lee was back, he knew it and he had just let the rest of the lightweight division know.

"Coming off two losses, it eats at you some days, so it's been a lot," Lee said. " It's been a lot to get to this point, years and years just to get to that kick. I think that's the cleanest knockout of my career. I think it's something that he wasn't expecting and that a lot of guys down at 155 weren't expecting. I'm coming with a whole different type of power that these guys ain't seen me throw before."

-- Wagenheim

Light heavyweight: Corey Anderson (14-4) def. Johnny Walker (17-4) by TKO in the first round

Anderson has been trying hard to make the UFC interested in a fight between him and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. He even confronted Jones at an autograph signing over the summer in New Jersey.

On Saturday night, Anderson might have put forth his best pitch yet.

"Overtime" stopped hot prospect Johnny Walker by TKO at 2:07 of the first round in the featured fight of the UFC 244 prelims. Anderson blasted Walker on the feet and put him down for good with a huge right hand -- a big development for someone who usually wins via his great wrestling.

Anderson (13-4) has won four in a row, and he came in ranked No. 6 among light heavyweights by ESPN. The Illinois native had not finished a fight since 2016. Anderson, 30, has 10 wins since 2014, tied for the most in the UFC light heavyweight division with Ovince Saint Preux.

So much for the early Christmas present. This is exactly why I just let them light heavyweight do all the talking.

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) November 3, 2019

Walker (17-4) had won four in a row to start his UFC career, the past three via highlight-reel KO/TKO. The Brazil native was in the light heavyweight title discussion, and he might have been tabbed as a top contender with an impressive win here. Despite the loss, Walker, 27, remains one to watch in the future at 205 pounds.

-- Raimondi

Featherweight: Shane Burgos (13-1) def. Makwan Amirkhani (15-4) by TKO in the third round

Burgos took a while to get going, but once he did, he did not stop coming until he had worn down Amirkhani to the point where the fighter from Finland could barely stand up, much yet fight.

It was Round 3 by that point, and the fight had turned around dramatically -- and was all Burgos. He punished a helpless Amirkhani for much of that final round before finally crumbling him with a body kick for a TKO finish at 4:32.

"The first time I competed in MSG, it was quick, like two minutes or something, so I didn't have a chance to embrace it. This time, I soaked it in; walking out, being in there, walking back, I soaked it all in," Burgoes said. "My pace and my power made the difference; he felt those body shots. I expected him to stand a little longer. He shot right off the bat, and it caught me a little off guard, but it went well. I'm happy with it.

"A ranked opponent would only make sense for me now, but whatever the UFC wants. That was the last fight on my contract, so hopefully, I made a statement. I want a big deal next."

Amirkhani (15-4) had started out well, clipping Burgos (13-1) with a hard right hand that bloodied him and set up a takedown. Amirkhani stayed on top of Burgos for much of the round, riding him back to the mat every time the fighter from the New York attempted to get up. But that took energy, and by round's end, Amirkhani looked wilted.

Burgos took over from there, and it wasn't far into Round 2 before it seemed to be a matter of time before he would get a stoppage. But Amirkhani kept coming and kept fighting; he was giving everything he had, but he had little to give. So Amirkhani absorbed punishment, more and more, doing just enough for the referee to not jump in. His cornermen just stood there and watched until Burgos finally, mercifully, finished the job with a body kick that dropped Amirkhani in a heap.

-- Wagenheim

Middleweight: Edmen Shahbazyan (11-0) defeats Brad Tavares (17-7) by first-round KO

Glendale Fighting Club, the longtime home gym of Ronda Rousey, might have its next superstar.

The undefeated Shahbazyan flattened Tavares with a left head kick knockout at 2:27 of the first round. The gorgeous kick, which he hid expertly behind a jab, came after Shahbazyan had already dropped the veteran Tavares with a right hand.

Somehow, Shahbazyan is so polished at just 21 years old.

"I'm the new breed of MMA, man," Shahbazyan said. "I'm coming for that belt."

Shahbazyan (11-0) has won four straight in the UFC, which is tied for the third longest active streak in the middleweight division. Only Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa have longer streaks. The California native has 10 first-round finishes in 11 career fights. Shahbazyan trains under Rousey's coach Edmond Tarverdyan and is represented by Rousey's management company. He is ranked third in ESPN's top 25 MMA fighters under 25.

"I believe this puts me in the top 10 of the division, or at least fighting those guys," said Shahbazyan. "I like fighting every three to four months and staying active, so something early next year sounds perfect, we'll see what happens."

Tavares (17-6) has lost two in a row following a four-fight winning streak. The Hawaii native has only lost to Adesanya, former champion Robert Whittaker and now Shahbazyan going back to 2014. Tavares, 31, filled in for Krzysztof Jotko, who withdrew from the scheduled bout with Shahbazyan four weeks ago.

-- Raimondi

Heavyweight: Jairzinho Rozenstruik (9-0) defeats Andrei Arlovski (28-19) by first-round KO.

Rozenstruik put in an early bid to steal some thunder from those fighting later in the night. Jorge Masvidal might be coming off a five-second KO, but Rozenstruik came in having put away his last foe in nine seconds. Then he showed up at Madison Square Garden and face-planted Arlovski, a onetime UFC heavyweight champion, in just 29 seconds.

This native of Suriname, now 9-0 with KOs in all three of his UFC fights, is one bad man. He sent Arlovski backward with one of his first punches -- a jab. And when Arlovski came toward him to try to engage again, Rozenstruik stepped back and clipped him with a left hook, crumbling the 40-year-old to the canvas.

"It was my biggest fight and definitely the biggest win of my career," Rozenstruik said. "It means a lot to me, of course, if you have a win over Arlovski, who is a legend. It's huge."

-- Wagenheim

Flyweight: Katlyn Chookagian (13-2) defeats Jennifer Maia (17-6-1) by unanimous decision.

No one has a better case for a women's flyweight title shot than Chookagian, especially after this victory.

Chookagian beat Maia to further solidify her place high up in the UFC's 125-pound women's rankings. A fight with champion Valentina Shevchenko should now be close. Chookagian came in ranked No. 3 in the division by ESPN, while Maia was No. 7.

"Valentina is the fight that I've been wanting since she got the title," said Chookagian. "I'm not just in the UFC to be another fighter. I want the title."

Chookagian was able to outpoint Maia throughout with her long combinations, leg kicks and side kicks. Chookagian nicely finished her combinations with right hands that gave Maia fits. Maia took Chookagian down with about a minute left in the third round and landed some solid right hands, but Chookagian was never in trouble and won the standup battle throughout.

Chookagian (13-2) has won two straight and five of her past six. The only woman she has lost to in that stretch, Jessica Eye, got a flyweight title shot.

Chookagian, 30, now has four UFC flyweight wins, tying her with Shevchenko, Joanne Calderwood and Gillian Robertson for the most. Maia (17-6-1), the 31-year-old former Invicta FC champion, had her two-fight winning streak snapped.

-- Raimondi

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Welterweight: Lyman Good (21-5) defeats Chance Rencountre (14-4) by TKO in the third round.

Good led the dance from start to bloody finish. However, this welterweight prelim wasn't bloody or even particularly violent for much of the way. For the first two rounds, Good showed off his IQ by maintaining distance and not allowing Rencountre to move inside, where he fights best. Rencountre instead was forced to eat a steady diet of jabs and straight right hands as he continued to advance, fruitlessly. For his trouble, Rencountre ended up with a cut over his left eye.

It got worse for him in a hurry in Round 3, when Good sent Rencountre into retreat with a straight right hand, which also bloodied his nose. Good maintained his poise but went into pursuit, catching his opponent against the cage and dropping him with punches and kicks and finishing the job at 2:03.

"I do want to get a crack at a top-10 opponent eventually, but I know it all depends on my performance, and I'm very pleased with mine tonight."

-- Wagenheim

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Featherweight: Hakeem Dawodu (11-1-1) defeats Julio Arce (16-4) by split decision.

Dawodu squeeked by with a win, but he was not at all happy with how he fought.

"S---ty performance, sorry for everyone that supported me," Dawodu said. "I'm gonna come back 10 times better than that. My bad."

Dawodu started strong with hard leg kicks in the first round that clearly affected Arce. Arce was able to find a home for his left hand at times, but it was Dawodu's fight early on. In the second, Arce briefly had Dawodu's back, but Dawodu quickly reversed. Arce finished strong, landing three straight hard left hands at one point. In all, it was a very close fight.

Dawodu (11-1-1) has won four straight and seems to be ready for a higher level of competition at featherweight. The 28-year-old Canada native is now tied for the fifth-longest winning streak in the 145-pound division. Arce (16-4), a 30-year-old from nearby Bayside, Queens, has dropped two of three -- both losses at Madison Square Garden. Arce's only prior UFC loss was also by split decision vs. Sheymon Moraes at UFC 230 on Nov. 3, 2018, according to ESPN Stats & Information data.

"Maybe he was just better than I thought. Could be the big stage; it was my first time in such a big venue, so that could have gotten to me," Dawodu said.

-- Raimondi

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Portland Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins will have surgery to repair his injured left shoulder, the team announced Saturday.

A date for the procedure is yet to be determined, and a timeline for his return will be set after the procedure.

Collins injured the shoulder during Sunday's win over the Dallas Mavericks and has not played since.

The third-year player out of Gonzaga started the first three games of the season for Portland, averaging a career-high 9.0 points per game on 47.4% shooting and 42.9% on 3s.

DETROIT -- Though Bruce Brown had career highs in points and assists on Saturday night, his coach was just as interested with a stat he didn't pile up.

No turnovers.

Dwane Casey praised his second-year player after a 113-109 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, in which Brown had 22 points and seven assists in his first career start as a point guard.

"That was the key to the game was not letting them get out in transition," Casey said of the turnovers. "He did an excellent job. Him being a point guard, that's why the summer league was beneficial for him, to make sure that he learned to run pick-and-roll, to run the team. He did a good job."

Andre Drummond had 25 points and 20 rebounds, and Luke Kennard finished with 24 points and helped seal the win with a driving basket and two free throws in the final 30 seconds of both teams' second game in two nights.

Drummond had at least 20 points and 20 rebounds for the third straight game and fourth time in seven games this season. He added six assists, five blocks and three steals.

"He's a big guy, and he's skilled under there in terms of rebounding," Nets center Jarrett Allen said. "He knows where to put his body and he knows where to put himself. At the end of the day, he has every skill set needed for it."

Kyrie Irving had his first triple-double with Brooklyn with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. He played well late but scored six points in the first three quarters, in part because of Brown's defense.

The game swung wildly in the middle quarters. The Nets outscored Detroit by 15 points in the second quarter, and the Pistons turned it around for a 14-point advantage in the third.

"We were down 14 in the third quarter, but it was nothing but grit and grind to come back the way the guys did," Casey said. "We've got to be that way every night."

The Pistons, who averaged 19.8 turnovers in the first six games, committed eight in the first half, but none after halftime.

Spencer Dinwiddie split a pair of free throws with 7.4 seconds remaining, and Drummond did the same with 6.7 seconds left to put the Pistons up 111-108.

Prince then split a pair, missing the second on purpose, and Drummond grabbed the rebound and made a pair with 3.6 seconds left to seal the win.

"For some reason we ran out of gas in the second half, and I'm not sure why," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said.

Drummond had 11 rebounds in the first quarter and assisted the first three baskets. His playmaking was a boost for a team short on ball-handlers.

Playing without injured point guards Reggie Jackson (back), Derrick Rose (hamstring) and Tim Frazier (shoulder), the Pistons played Brown and Kennard at the position, with Drummond facilitating from the high post.

"It was a game of opportunity for some guys," Kennard said. "Bruce, the way he stepped up tonight, he was kind of one of our leaders on the court. So credit to the kid. He played his heart out offensively and he was guarding their best player throughout the entire game."

Taurean Prince added 20 points and Joe Harris had 18 for the Nets.

TIP-INS

Brooklyn: Caris LeVert said Friday night's 25-point performance against Houston was in honor of his grandmother, who died this week. LeVert had 14 points on Saturday. ... DeAndre Jordan returned to the starting lineup for the third game this season. Atkinson said before the game that Allen has struggled against Drummond, which could force a change. In three games against Brooklyn last season, Drummond averaged 9.3 offensive rebounds per game.

Detroit: This was Detroit's third different starting lineup in seven games this season. ... The Rev. Jesse Jackson was in attendance.

MONTH OFF

Jackson is out at least four weeks with a back injury, the team announced earlier Saturday.

Jackson, who played the season's first two games but has missed the last four, has a stress reaction in his lower back. The team announced treatment and rehabilitation has started and he will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

All-Star Blake Griffin has missed all seven games with lingering soreness in his left knee and hamstring. It was announced before the season that Griffin would be re-evaluated in early November.

MAKING HISTORY

Drummond became the third player in the last 25 years to have three straight 20-point, 20-rebound games, joining Kevin Love and DeMarcus Cousins.

There has been only one other 20-20 game this season, by Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.

TRIP DUB

Irving now has three career triple-doubles. He's now had one with each of his three career teams, Cleveland, Boston and Brooklyn.

UP NEXT

Brooklyn: Host New Orleans on Monday.

Detroit: The Pistons will close their second stretch of three games in four days this season Monday at Washington.

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