Kansas
Kansas native freshmen Sides, Walker help 'Cats to top-four ranking

MAHNATTAN, Kan. (KWCH) – Now up to 13 consecutive wins, a 19-1 record and a top four ranking in the country — it’s safe to say the Kansas State Wildcats are having some fun.
Two names playing key minutes on that all-successful team are names that basketball fans in central and western Kansas have grown accustomed to: Freshmen Zyanna Walker of Wichita Heights and Phillipsburg’s Tayrn Sides.
“I mean it’s great knowing we’re both from Kansas,” Walker said. “We’re both young. We’re just doing what we can to help the team. It’s crazy, I just feel like the sky is the limit for us.”
“I love playing with Zy,” Sides said. “She just brings that energy every day. She’s a competitor, she’s going to give her all.”
Just how good have the two freshmen been for the ‘Cats? Sides leads not just the team, but the entire country in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.50 as a true freshman.
For Walker, she’s been Kansas State’s number one scoring option off the bench, averaging over eight points per game, including some clutch play at the end of games such as in Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown.
“I’m really finding my part pretty early here,” Walker said. “It definitely pushes me and inspires me to keep going and keep putting in the work because it definitely pays off for sure.”
Now as fans across the nation are realizing just how good this K-State team is as the postseason approaches, the two Kansas high school graduates are happy to be living their dream in their home state.
“Here I found happiness,” Walker said. “At my last school I can’t say I was happy but here it’s been nothing but so much love and support and it really feels like I’m a part of a family.”
“It’s kind of crazy when I sit back and think about it,” Sides said. “Like ‘Wow I used to dream of this and it’s for real now.’”
Copyright 2024 Catch it Kansas. All rights reserved.

Kansas
World renowned Kansas pianist brings back musical treat to Topeka
TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – “My whole objective today is to paint pictures using music,” Pianist Dr. Kristi Baker-Lampe said.
Dr. Kristi Baker-Lampe has spent years traveling to share her piano delights with the world.
On April 27, she made a pit stop in her hometown to play music for a Sunday afternoon at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library.
“Its really neat to come back home and share,” Dr. Baker-Lampe said. “I’ve got a lot a friends that are here and a lot of people that I don’t know as well that I’m glad came.”
Without any sheet music, Dr. Baker-Lampe preformed some of Beethoven’s classics along with some never heard before music from across the world.
“They’re from South America and one from Argentina that was written by a dear friend of mine and another that was written in Columbia,” Dr. Baker-Lampe said. “One of my colleagues who teaches at a university down there found a whole box of like 300 pieces that were all handwritten back in the 20s.”
Through those soothing tunes, she completed the picture for those who listened in the way she knew and did best.
“Music is something that no matter what are others believe, no matter what we feel about different things, music is something that can bring us all together that we can all relate to and that’s really the main objective in sharing music on a Sunday afternoon and I’m so grateful that I got to be a part of that.”
The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library will host the next music for a Sunday afternoon event on May 18 at 3:00 p.m..
Copyright 2025 WIBW. All rights reserved.
Kansas
UFC Kansas City results: Biggest winners, loser from ‘Garry vs. Prates’ last night

UFC Kansas City went down last night (Sat., April 26, 2025) inside T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO., featuring a Welterweight fight that saw Ian Machado Garry defeat Carlos Prates via unanimous decision after five rounds of action (full recap here). In the co-main event, Zhang Mingyang sent Anthony Smith off into retirement a bloody mess, stopping him in the very first round (see it again here).
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Biggest Winner: Ian Garry
There were some tense moments in the fifth and final round for Garry, who was seemingly on the ropes, but “The Future” pulled through and survived Carlos Prates’ late surge to pull off the unanimous decision win. Other than the final round, Garry dominated and controlled the fight rather handily, and ended the Brazilian’s five-year, 11-fight unbeaten streak. He also revealed after the fight that his victory secured his backup role for the upcoming title fight between division king, Belal Muhammad, and Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315.
Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Runner (s) Up: Randy Brown and Zhang Mingyang
“Rude Boy” delivered one of the best knockout (KO) wins of the year last night, violently ending Nicolas Dalby’s evening with a vicious one-hitter quitter. Indeed, Brown and Dalby went toe-to-toe in the second round of their Welterweight bout, which ultimately favored “Rude Boy,” who slept Dalby with a nasty left hook in walk-off fashion. With the win, Brown gets back into the win column after losing to Bryan Battle via split-decision in his previous bout. He also goes home $50,000 richer. As for Mingyang, he secures his twelfth straight win — fourth inside the Octagon — by absolutely destroying former Light Heavyweight contender, Anthony Smith, in bloody fashion in the very first round. The win should put him in the Top 15 since “Lionheart” was holding on to the final spot, and he will no longer be occupying it since he is retiring.
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Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
Biggest Losers: Cameron Saaiman and Polyana Viana
We are going to go with simple wins and losses for this section this week, which makes Saaiman and Viana two of the biggest losers. Saaiman suffered a knockout loss at the hands of Malcolm Wellmaker, giving him his second straight defeat in that manner, three straight overall. A for Viana, she is on the same boat because as a result of her submission loss to Jaqueline Amorim, she has now been finished in three straight fights, which makes her a top potential target to get her walking papers sooner, rather than later.
For complete UFC Kansas City results and play-by-play, click here.
Kansas
UFC on ESPN 66 predictions: Garry or Prates –\u00a0who will keep rising in mighty K.C.?

Get MMA Junkie staff member predictions for all 14 fights at UFC on ESPN 66
The UFC is back in one of America’s great Midwestern cities with welterweight rising stars at the top of the card.
UFC on ESPN 66 (ESPN2, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
Get pick results from our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers, as well as additional analysis, below.
Ikram Aliskerov vs. Andre Muniz
- Records: Aliskerov (15-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), Muniz (24-6 MMA, 6-2 UFC)
- Past five: Aliskerov 4-1, Muniz 3-2
- Division: Middleweight
- Rankings: None
- Odds (as of 04.26.25): Aliskerov -455, Muniz +350
- Junkie pick results: Aliskerov 9, Muniz 2
Randy Brown vs. Nicolas Dalby
- Records: Brown (19-6 MMA, 13-6 UFC), Dalby (23-5-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC)
- Past five: Brown 3-2, Dalby 4-1
- Division: Welterweight
- Rankings: None
- Odds (as of 04.26.25): Brown -300, Dalby +240
- Junkie pick results: Brown 9, Dalby 2
Abus Magomedov vs. Michel Pereira
- Records: Magomedov (27-6-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC), Pereira (31-12 MMA, 9-3 UFC)
- Past five: Magomedov 3-2, Pereira 4-1
- Division: Middleweight
- Rankings: None
- Odds (as of 04.26.25): Magomedov +125, Pereira -150
- Junkie pick results: Pereira 6, Magomedov 5
Giga Chikadze vs. David Onama
- Records: Chikadze (15-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC), Onama (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC)
- Past five: Chikadze 3-2, Onama 4-1
- Division: Featherweight
- Rankings: None
- Odds (as of 04.26.25): Chikadze +165, Onama -200
- Junkie pick results: Chikadze 8, Onama 3
Zhang Mingyang vs. Anthony Smith
- Records: Mingyang (18-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC), Smith (38-21 MMA, 13-11 UFC)
- Past five: Mingyang 5-0, Smith 2-3
- Division: Light heavyweight
- Rankings: Smith honorable mention
- Odds (as of 04.26.25): Mingyang -410, Smith +320
- Junkie pick results: Mingyang 10, Smith 1
Ian Machado Garry vs. Carlos Prates
- Records: Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC), Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
- Past five: Garry 4-1, Prates 5-0
- Division: Welterweight
- Rankings: Garry No. 9, Prates honorable mention
- Odds (as of 04.26.25): Garry -160, Prates +135
- Junkie pick results: Prates 6, Garry 5
Preliminary card picks
Although they don’t count toward the standings, MMA Junkie staff members still pick the fights on the prelims. Here are the results:
- Jimmy Flick vs. Matt Schnell: Schnell 6, Flick 5
- Evan Elder vs. Gauge Young: Elder 9, Young 2
- John Castaneda vs. Chris Gutierrez: Gutierrez 11, Castaneda 0
- Heili Alateng vs. Da’Mon Blackshear: Blackshear 9, Alateng 2
- Cameron Saaiman vs. Malcolm Wellmaker: Wellmaker 9, Saaiman 2
- Jaqueline Amorim vs. Polyana Viana: Amorim 11, Viana 0
- Timmy Cuamba vs. Roberto Romero: Romero 7, Cuamba 4
- Chelsea Chandler vs. Joselyne Edwards: Edwards 7, Chandler 4
Check out all the main card picks below.
Garry
vs. Prates |
Mingyang
vs. Smith |
Chikadze
vs. Onama |
Magomedov vs. Pereira |
Brown
vs. Dalby |
Aliskerov
vs. Muniz |
|
MMA Junkie readers’
consensus picks 49-32 |
Prates (57%) |
Mingyang (78%) |
Chikadze (57%) |
Pereira (73%) |
Brown (63%) |
Aliskerov (82%) |
Farah Hannoun
52-29 2024 Champion |
Garry |
Mingyang |
Chikadze |
Magomedov |
Brown |
Aliskerov |
Ken Hathaway
50-31 2017, 2022, 2024 Champion |
Prates |
Mingyang |
Chikadze |
Pereira |
Brown |
Aliskerov |
Nolan King
50-31 2023 Champion |
Garry |
Mingyang |
Chikadze |
Magomedov |
Brown |
Aliskerov |
Matt Erickson
@MattE 49-32 |
Prates |
Mingyang |
Chikadze |
Pereira |
Dalby |
Aliskerov |
Brian Garcia
49-32 2017 Champion |
Garry |
Mingyang |
Chikadze |
Pereira |
Dalby |
Muniz |
Mike Bohn
48-33 2014 Champion |
Garry |
Mingyang |
Onama |
Pereira |
Brown |
Aliskerov |
Abbey Subhan
48-33 |
Garry |
Mingyang |
Chikadze |
Magomedov |
Brown |
Aliskerov |
George Garcia
45-36 |
Prates |
Smith |
Chikadze |
Pereira |
Brown |
Muniz |
Simon Samano
44-37 |
Prates |
Mingyang |
Onama |
Magomedov |
Brown |
Aliskerov |
Danny Segura 43-38 |
Prates |
Mingyang |
Onama |
Pereira |
Brown |
Aliskerov |
Matthew Wells
41-41 |
Prates |
Mingyang |
Chikadze |
Magomedov |
Brown |
Aliskerov |
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