Sports
Cooper Kupp won't be only familiar face returning when Rams play host to Vikings
Cooper Kupp is aware of the buzz about the Rams possibly trading him.
But the veteran receiver’s focus Thursday night will be on returning to the lineup for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in the second week of the season.
“I’m feeling really good,” Kupp said this week as the Rams prepared for their game against the Minnesota Vikings at SoFi Stadium.
It remains to be seen whether the Rams will move on from the 2021 NFL offensive player of the year by the Nov. 5 NFL trade deadline — or keep him if coach Sean McVay’s injury-plagued team shows signs of mounting a turnaround and playoff drive for the second season in a row.
That makes the “Thursday Night Football” matchup against the Vikings pivotal on several fronts.
The Rams are 2-4 after defeating the Las Vegas Raiders last Sunday but now every game is like a playoff game for them.
A victory over the Vikings (5-1), who suffered their first loss in a last-minute defeat to the Detroit Lions, would give the Rams their first back-to-back victories. It also would reinforce their belief that they can repeat a 2023 turnaround that saw them rebound from a 3-6 start to finish 10-7 and make the playoffs.
That probably cannot happen unless injured players continue to return.
Receiver Puka Nacua participated in two jog-throughs this week and is listed as questionable for Thursday night, but that seems like pure gamesmanship. Is McVay going to risk playing the second-year pro without the benefit of full practices?
But if Kupp returns to form — he caught 14 passes for 110 yards and touchdown in the season opener — and Nacua and offensive linemen Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson and Joe Noteboom eventually return, mounting a push in the wide-open NFC West is still possible.
The Rams and Vikings have much in common.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell was the Rams’ offensive coordinator in the 2021-22 season when he and Matthew Stafford (9) went on to win a Super Bowl.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell served as the Rams’ offensive coordinator during their Super Bowl-championship season in 2021. Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips and assistants Thad Bogardus and Chris O’Hara also were members of Sean McVay’s staff.
The Vikings roster includes several former Rams players, including running back Cam Akers, tight end Johnny Mundt, receiver Brandon Powell and backup quarterback Brett Rypien.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores never coached under McVay, but the Rams will not forget their last encounter with an aggressive defense overseen by Flores. In 2020, when he was head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Flores’ defense perplexed and dominated the Rams.
The Vikings are similarly aggressive: They are third in the NFL with 24 sacks.
“The teams that haven’t matched them physicality-wise, that haven’t matched them intensity-wise have been blown out,” Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said.
So the Rams must protect quarterback Matthew Stafford.
The Raiders hit Stafford 10 times, the second game in a row that the 16th-year pro absorbed at least 10 blows.
The short week did not provide Stafford — or any Rams or Vikings player — with much time to recover.
“I feel pretty good so I’ll be all right,” Stafford said. “At that point, it’s a mind-set. They put the ball down on the tee, kick it off, and I don’t care how you feel, it’s time to go and I know our guys understand that.”
Some players embrace the short turnaround.
“Thursday games are the best because it’s just like, quick install, get everything out there and let’s just go play,” Rams edge rusher Michael Hoecht said. “They’re a lot of fun.”
The Rams defense enjoyed itself against the Raiders. Cornerback Cobie Durant intercepted a pass and forced a fumble that safety Kam Curl returned for a touchdown. Safety Jaylen McCollough intercepted two passes.
“Once you have a little bit of success, now you can go out and start playing a little more free,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “I think that hopefully it’s what’s happened, and hopefully that’s what’s going to continue to happen.”
Kupp seeks a similar feeling.
“I don’t like coming off the field,” he said. “I would love to be able to play as much as I possibly could and that’s going to be my mind-set.
“When I’m healthy, I can do it.”
Sports
Conor McGregor’s long-awaited Octagon return cut short by apparent knee injury seconds into UFC 329
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Nearly five years after his last walk to the Octagon, Conor McGregor made his long-awaited UFC return Saturday night against fellow MMA star Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
McGregor opened aggressively, attempting a running kick before throwing a head kick moments later. He appeared to slip on both tries. Holloway quickly capitalized after the second, taking top position and landing a right hand before McGregor was able to work his way back to his feet.
Moments later, McGregor hit the canvas again after trying to throw a kick with his right leg, which appeared to buckle underneath him.
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Conor McGregor of Ireland participates in the walkout before facing Max Holloway of the United States in their welterweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)
The official inside the Octagon waved off the fight moments later, giving Holloway a TKO victory.
During the broadcast, UFC CEO Dana White pointed to a first-round replay that appeared to show the moment McGregor suffered the injury. The apparent injury was not to the same leg McGregor broke during his 2021 fight against Dustin Poirier, which led to a lengthy absence from the Octagon.
The loss extended McGregor’s long winless drought, with his last UFC victory coming by first-round TKO against Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in January 2020.
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McGregor earned a unanimous decision over Holloway in a featherweight clash in 2013, when neither was an MMA megastar. In the blink of an eye, McGregor’s star rose.
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway face off during the UFC 329 ceremonial weigh-in at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 10, 2026. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
On Wednesday, he admitted he got caught up in his own stardom after winning UFC belts in two weight classes and becoming one of the biggest names in combat sports.
“I launched an Irish whiskey,” McGregor said. “I didn’t drink heavily, if at all, at that time of my life. I was an athlete at the top of my game. Next thing you know, thousands upon thousands of bottles (are) in my garage.
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“‘Sell this, Conor.’ OK, I’d leave my property with two bottles under my arm, and that was it. I was caught. And I wasn’t used to it. And that’s it. God gave me these lessons. That’s it. I was trapped and caught, and it is what it is.”
Conor McGregor jumps into the air for a kick as he fights Max Holloway in a welterweight bout at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (John Locher/AP)
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Easier said than done, perhaps, as the controversial former champion has been embroiled in multiple controversies and legal issues over the past several years.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS — The door opened for Arthur Kaluma to show his worth for the Lakers in the NBA Summer League on Saturday night.
He did so in a big way.
Kaluma had 34 points and five rebounds during the Lakers’ 91-70 win over the Dallas Mavericks at the Thomas & Mack Center.
He was 11 for 16 from the field and six for 10 from three-point range.
With Lakers rookie guard Cameron Carr unable to play because of a right thumb contusion, Kaluma took over the scoring role. Carr, the 24th pick in the NBA draft, is averaging 17 points per game.
“Cam doesn’t play tonight, so he gets a little bit more minutes, gets a couple more touches,” said Lakers Summer League coach Ty Abbott about Kaluma. “But he’s done a really good job of making the most of it when he doesn’t have actions run for him. So the way that he’s been able to stay ready, find windows for himself has kept him in a rhythm. So, on a night like tonight, when we can run some actions for him, he knocks them down and just plays out of his mind. It was great.”
Kaluma said he was “a little nervous” but his three-point shooting said otherwise.
“When [teammate] Jon Elmore came down and he pitched it back to me for a three … I just knew when it came off my hand it was cash,” Kaluma said. “So I said, ‘Yeah, I’m hot.’ It went on from there.”
Late in the fourth quarter, Kaluma lined up a three-pointer, setting his feet and scoring from 29 feet out. He flashed three fingers and smiled. His teammates on the bench stood and cheered, as did the fans.
“We have such a great group of guys this year at Summer League and going through this it’s hard to get that camaraderie with a group,” Kaluma said. “But I feel like everybody wants to see everybody succeed and I felt that tonight. I’m not going to lie to you. They tell me to shoot the ball. I passed up a couple of shots and they were mad at me the other day.”
Kaluma played for the South Bay Lakers in the G League last season. He averaged 14.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds and shot 55% from the field, 37% from three-point range.
“The G can get grimey, you know what I’m saying? It’s a time where everybody is trying to fight for a position and there is a certain hunger that you have to have in order to be successful in the G,” Kaluma said. “And I feel like that drive that I had my first year in it pushed me into this summer to really get better and work on my game and come here and have the opportunity to perform.”
Kaluma wasn’t alone in helping the Lakers improve to 2-0 in Summer League play.
Adou Thiero ran the court, took a lob pass from Chris Mañon and threw down a two-handed dunk. He had another solid outing with 15 points and four rebounds. He shot just four for 12 from the field, but was a plus-15.
But the night belonged to Kaluma.
“I pride myself on the defensive end,” he said. “I know I got hot offensively, but the shot was just falling today, you know what I’m saying? My game is three-and-D. I lock-up on defense and I know I can hit open shots. I just got hot today and I’m not going to try to let it get to my head.”
Sports
Golf star records lowest round in LPGA major history with astounding performance at Evian Championship
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There are good days on the golf course, and then there is what Haeran Ryu just did on Saturday.
Ryu, 25, recorded the lowest round in LPGA major history on Saturday with an 11-under 60 at the Evian Championship. With the South Korean golfer’s historic round, she holds a three-stroke lead.
Ryu’s round comes just two weeks after winning her first major at the Women’s PGA Championship. On the 18th hole, Ryu left a 30-foot eagle putt a few inches short, and instead settled for a birdie.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea reacts on the 18th green after the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
She said after the round that she had no idea what she had done until she counted up her scorecard.
“But after the putt and I counted my score with my caddie,” she said. “Oh my God, it’s 11-under par today. It was so amazing. My caddie says, ‘Yep.’ I’m so happy right now.”
If Ryu had made the eagle putt on the 18th hole, she would have been just the second player to shoot a 59 in LPGA history.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea celebrates a birdie on the 15th green during the third round of The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 11, 2026, in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Her 60 broke the record for the lowest round in an LPGA major by one shot. Leona Maguire and Jeungeun Lee6 in 2021, and Hyo Joo Kim in 2014, each shot 61 at the Evian Championship, which was designated as an LPGA major in 2013.
The lowest round in a men’s major is 62, which is shared by four players — Branden Grace at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 British Open, Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler in the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club, and Schauffele and Shane Lowry in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla.
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Haeran Ryu of South Korea and Lottie Woad of England interact after their round on the 18th green during the third round of the Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, on July 11, 2026. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Ryu hopes her historic third round can help propel her to a second major win in three weeks.
“That is amazing, amazing dream,” Ryu said. “So I just want that one to come true, but we have one more day.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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