Oklahoma
OU Basketball: Former Oklahoma Guard and 4-star Recruit Kaden Cooper Finds New Home
On Sunday afternoon, former Oklahoma guard Kaden Cooper announced his commitment to Louisiana Tech.
Cooper was a member of the Sooners’ 2023 recruiting class, spending one year in Norman before announcing his entry into the transfer portal. As a true freshman, the Ada, OK, product played in just 15 games, logging 4.5 minutes per contest.
In his limited time on the floor, Cooper averaged 1.5 points and 0.9 rebounds per game while shooting 46.7% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. The former 4-star prospect made seven of his 15 field goal attempts and three of his six attempts from beyond the arc.
Cooper tallied 22 points and 13 rebounds in his 67 minutes of action as a true freshman. Many OU basketball observers often wondered why Cooper didn’t recieve more playing time, especially later in the season when Porter Moser and company were dealing with multiple injuries in the backcourt and on the wing.
Coming out of The Skill Factory, a development program in Atlanta, GA, Cooper was a 4-star recruit, rated the No. 58 overall prospect and No. 11 small forward in the 2023 recruiting class. Despite being a coveted recruit, the athletic wing still was unable to crack the Sooners’ rotation in 2023-24.
Now heading to Louisiana Tech, Cooper should be able to find a role as a solid contributor. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, the former OU wing has good size and should give the Bulldogs a chance to make the NCAA Tournament in 2025 after a 22-10 season in 2023-24.
The UFC handed out four bonuses after Saturday’s card in Oklahoma City, including a pair to the main event fighters.
After UFC Fight Night 281, four fighters picked up an extra $100,000 for their performances at Paycom Center. Additionally, two fighters got $25,000 extra checks for finishes that weren’t bonus-winners.
Check out the list of winners below.
Dricus Du Plessis (24-3 MMA, 10-1 UFC) put on a masterful performance with a unanimous decision over former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (21-5 MMA, 16-4 UFC), whose return to middleweight ended in failure – and him saying he didn’t want to be a sore loser, then listing about six reasons why he was being precisely that. Du Plessis frequently made Usman look slow, though the broadcast team starting in the third round lauded him for his grit. DDP’s scorecards included a 50-45, which Usman took particular exception with as part of his “I’m not a sore loser” sore loser time on the microphone with Daniel Cormier, who seemed unsure if he should feel sorry for him or be embarrassed for his assertion that he somehow was in a competitive fight.
Performance of the Night: Felipe Franco ($100,000)
Felipe Franco (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) turned in a performance to remember for his first win in the UFC when he took out Levi Rodrigues (5-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) with a second-round TKO. Back at 205 pounds after a loss in his UFC debut at heavyweight, Franco mounted Rodrigues and pounded him out in the second frame.
Performance of the Night: Tommy McMillen ($100,000)
Tommy McMillen (11-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) looked like a star has been born when he set a new promotional record for significant strikes in a three-round featherweight fight. And thought he took a few licks himself from Alberto Montes (11-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC), he put him away with about 90 seconds left in the fight after a torrid of standup punishment.
Finish bonus: R.J. Harris ($25,000)
R.J. Harris (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) had a stellar debut in the UFC at heavyweight when he drilled Alvin Hines (7-2 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with an uppercut in the first round that took him off his feet. Harris was on him in the bat of an eye and a few punches later had a stoppage in 100 seconds.
Finish bonus: Dione Barbosa ($25,000)
Dione Barbosa (10-4 MMA, 4-2 UFC) made things look easy against Alice Melisano (6-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Knowing her easiest path to victory was on the canvas, she took the UFC newcomer and “TUF” grad down right away, then worked her way to an eventual rear-naked choke finish in the opening round. Barbosa was the second biggest betting favorite on the card at 7-1.
The Oklahoma Sooners surprised the college football world with their breakthrough 2025 season. The Sooners made the College Football Playoff after a 6-7 season in 2024.
The Sooners navigated one of the toughest schedules in college football and still finished the regular season with a 10-2 record. With another offseason of development and the return of several key contributors, expectations are high around Norman heading into 2026. However, that optimism has not carried over to the national conversation.
ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) projects the Sooners will finish with a 7-5 record this season. Despite that projection, FPI still ranks Oklahoma as the No. 12 team in the country. That disrespect likely comes from the up-and-down tenure under head coach Brent Venables. So far, he’s had two double-digit-win seasons, while also having two losing seasons. Oklahoma hadn’t had a losing season since 1998 until Venables took over before the 2022 season.
On3’s Ari Wasserman said that Oklahoma has been overlooked nationally on his show with Andy Staples.
Oklahoma has already shown it can compete at the highest level after making the College Football Playoff in its first season as an SEC member. Now, the challenge is proving that last season was not just a one-year breakthrough.
With a talented roster, an elite defense, and key players returning, the Sooners have the opportunity to exceed national expectations and establish themselves as a consistent contender in the SEC.
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Du Plessis returns to the Octagon for the first time since losing his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev last August. Standing across from him is Usman, a former welterweight champion who defended his title five times, with signature wins over Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington. The pair headline a stacked card filled with rising contenders and can’t-miss prospects.
Where To Watch UFC Oklahoma City
Live results, highlights, fight recaps, post-fight interviews and more will be added throughout the event. Preview each matchup below before the action begins. The main card kicks off Saturday at 8pm ET/5pm PT live on Paramount+ in the United States.
UFC Oklahoma City Main Card Results:
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San Diego, CA3 minutes agoThomas Michael Hardy, Sr. – San Diego Union-Tribune
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Milwaukee, WI9 minutes agoMilwaukee’s Bradford Beach busy during break from wildfire smoke
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Atlanta, GA15 minutes agoAtlanta Falcons a Surprise Leader in NFL Stat
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Minneapolis, MN21 minutes ago9 injured in mass shooting outside Minneapolis nightclub, police say
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Indianapolis, IN27 minutes agoFever take down Liberty 108-88 to win second straight game
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Pittsburg, PA33 minutes agoSome wildfire smoke lingers on Sunday in Pittsburgh, but sunshine and warmth return
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Augusta, GA39 minutes agoAugusta firefighters take on Reaper Challenge at Dave’s Hot Chicken
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Washington, D.C45 minutes agoStorm Team4 Forecast: Smokey air clears up a bit on mostly dry Sunday
