Sports
Unbreakable: How MMA training forged a bond between Derwin James Jr. and Daiyan Henley
Plays go awry. Opponents score touchdowns. The Chargers even can lose a close game, but through every on-field adversity, Derwin James Jr. calmly looks at Daiyan Henley and reminds the second-year linebacker that they’ve conquered more difficult things together.
They think about the mixed martial arts workouts at a West Hollywood gym where they grappled, wrestled and tackled until their lungs burned and muscles ached.
Where they, as the name of the gym suggests, became “unbreakable.”
Where they plotted Henley’s breakout year that’s beginning to take shape.
“Everything he wants is right in front of him,” said James, the team’s star safety. “He can be, man, one of the best linebackers in this league.”
After a forgettable rookie season in which the third-round pick totaled just 10 tackles, Henley has grown into a breakout star of the Chargers’ resurgent defense. The former Crenshaw High standout leads the NFL’s No. 1-ranked scoring defense with 99 tackles, including five consecutive games with double-digit stops, the longest streak by a Charger since the turn of the century. With 10 or more tackles against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Henley would tie the longest streak since 2000 for any player in his first two NFL seasons.
Henley is a stout force against the run game. He can drop back in pass coverage and has five pass breakups. He is a constant presence on special teams.
Chargers safety Derwin James Jr., left, and linebacker Daiyan Henley (0) tackle Ravens running back Derrick Henry during a game earlier this season.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
“He’s that new-age linebacker that can really do it all,” defensive coordinator Jesse Minter said.
Jim Harbaugh noticed Henley’s unique blend of size, strength and speed almost immediately when the new coach and his staff took over in the offseason. He was in awe that the 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker ran like a safety.
The comparison is not far from reality. After beginning at Nevada as a wide receiver, Henley transitioned to safety for the Wolf Pack. He grew into a first-team All-Pac-12 linebacker at Washington State as a graduate transfer before the Chargers selected him 85th in the 2023 draft.
Henley earned raves during his rookie preseason that featured 14 tackles and one interception in three games, but he was soon forgotten in former coach Brandon Staley’s defense. He played just 54 defensive snaps as a rookie.
As he stood on the sideline, doubt started creeping in. Henley wondered if he belonged at this level. He questioned what he was lacking and what he wasn’t doing well enough.
“I just wanted more, wanted to be better, wanted to prove myself,” Henley said. “So getting to the offseason, I was dedicated to just improving myself.”
Henley was referred to a bright pink gym in West Hollywood by his uncle. When he found out that James also trained at Unbreakable, which was founded by Fox Sports NFL insider Jay Glazer, they started syncing their workout schedules.
They tangled in grueling MMA workouts. Henley, 10 pounds heavier and an inch shorter, claims he never lost any head-to-head bouts. James contends that in one session, he pushed Henley all the way off the mat before the linebacker unfairly tried to sling him out of the ring.
“First of all, you shouldn’t be pushing anybody out, because that’s not the point of the session,” an incredulous Henley said when presented with James’ memories of their training. “See, he’s exposing himself.”
First, the pair went through two assigned rounds that Henley dominated, he said. James then proposed a third round in which the All-Pro safety shoved Henley, who responded by applying the training technique of using an opponent’s weight against him. Both acknowledge that James, who started training at the gym earlier, had the upper hand in stamina.
“Once he started to get it, he was tougher,” said James, who refers to Henley as his “little bro.” “He’s a beast.”
The training has translated to the field, where the rules of leverage, getting low and body positioning still apply to tackling, James said. Since missing four tackles against Arizona, when he was playing while wearing a restrictive shoulder and elbow sling after injuring his elbow against Kansas City in Week 4, Henley has missed just four in the last five games while collecting 61 tackles.
When he was tangling with James on the mat, Henley never considered how much of an influence the training would have on the field.
“It makes me understand why DJ is elite at tackling,” Henley said.
This season James became the fastest defensive back since 2000 to reach 500 career tackles. A team captain for the fourth consecutive season, James has influenced Henley beyond their shared workouts. They bonded further over an offseason trip to Tokyo, where they gorged on sushi and wagyu beef. They dreamed what they wanted to accomplish this season under a new coaching staff.
Henley said he never got clarity from the previous coaches about his role. It doesn’t matter. Earning the support and belief from his veteran teammates is more important.
“I just want to prove to them that I’m legit,” Henley said.
The smile on James’ face when asked about Henley’s growth shows the Chargers’ young star has achieved what he hoped.
The Cleveland Browns, rumored to be willing to trade down from their No. 6 overall selection in the 2026 NFL draft, did just that Thursday evening when the traded the pick to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland traded the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to the Chiefs, in exchange for the ninth overall pick, as well as pick No. 74 in the third round and No. 148 in the fifth round.
The Browns now hold the No. 9 and No. 24 picks in the first round of the draft. They have a total of 11 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Quarterbacks Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson of the Cleveland Browns watch from the sidelines during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 7, 2025. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
So the Chiefs gave up three picks in making the first trade of the first round.
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And we know what the fan bases of both clubs were thinking prior to the selection:
Chiefs fans were thinking we know something they don’t. And then the Chiefs selected cornerback Mansoor Delane from LSU — a move no doubt forced by the club’s trade of Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie to the Los Angeles Rams earlier in the offseason.
So, the Chiefs fill a major need, assuming Delane is indeed the quality corner they believe.
LSU Tigers CB Mansoor Delane celebrates a defensive stop against the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard/USA TODAY Network)
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ESPN’s Mel Kiper didn’t like the pick, by the way. He had Delane as the 14th best player in the draft.
“It was a necessity,” ESPN analyst Louis Riddick, a former NFL defensive back, responded.
Browns fans weren’t thinking that way.
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They were probably thinking something akin to “We screwed up.”
This is understandable because they’re Browns fans and this could have been the Browns Browning.
Well, the Browns, moving down three slots, gave up a shot to draft linebacker Sonny Styles of Ohio State to the Washington Commanders, receiver Jordyn Tyson to the New Orleans Saints and then the Browns got their chance with the newly acquired No. 9 pick:
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Offensive tackle Spencer Fano of Utah.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 24, 2026. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
Fano is good. And he makes the Browns offensive line instantly better because he’s going to likely start at left tackle for them.
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So what will Browns fans think of this pick?
They’ll probably wonder why the Browns didn’t pick Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, who went with the No. 10 pick to the New York Giants and promised “to die for” Jaxson Dart if necessary. They’ll wonder this because Browns fans expect the worst.
UCLA women’s basketball team has added some star power as its revamped roster begins to take shape.
Former Iowa State forward Addy Brown announced Thursday she is committing to UCLA, giving the Bruins one of the top players in the portal.
Brown averaged 11.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game while shooting 43.1% from the floor and 33.8% from three-point distance with the Cyclones last season. She played just 21 games due to injury, but she is one of the better two-way players in the nation on the transfer market.
The 6-foot-2 forward co-starred with Audi Crooks for Iowa State the past few seasons and was a part of the mass exodus from the Cyclones’ program.
The Bruins reeled in former North Carolina junior guard Elina Aarnisalo and former Texas Christian senior guard Donovyn Hunter a few weeks ago, adding two more experienced players to the depleted starting lineup after a record six UCLA players were selected in the WNBA draft.
UCLA also signed Arkansas sophomore guard Bonnie Deas earlier this month. She is likely to start at point guard for the Bruins and is one of the best rebounding guards in the nation.
Along with returner Timea Gardiner, the Bruins are starting to form somewhat of a core to defend their national championship. Gardiner was a starter during UCLA’s 2024-25 Final Four run, but missed all of this past season with injury and has one season of eligibility left.
A lineup with Deas and Aarnisalo in the backcourt, Hunter at the three and Gardiner or Brown at the four and adding another big or Sienna Betts at the five would be a competitive lineup in the Big Ten.
Before going to TCU, Hunter played two seasons at Oregon State where she earned All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honorable mention and All-Pac-12 Freshman team honors. This past season with a Horned Frogs team that went to the Sweet 16, she was third in scoring with 10.2 points per game and averaged 3.2 rebounds per contest. She also shot 45.7% from the field and was 33.7% from beyond the arc.
Aarnisalo played her freshman year in Westwood after she originally committed to UCLA in 2025. Due to injuries from point guard Kiki Rice at the start of the 2024-25 season, she was forced into action early her freshman season and finished the year averaging 5.1 points per game.
The Helsinki, Finland, native averaged 10.2 points per game for the Tar Heels as a sophomore last season while shooting 47.3% from the field and 40.3% from the arc. The Bruins will desperately need to replace the three-point production lost with the departure of Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
UCLA coach Cori Close said she wanted to sign five players from the portal. She probably needs one more guard and a little more forward depth coming off the bench following the departures of Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic.
Lena Bilic and Amanda Muse are returners coming off the bench who got a little bit of playing time in the tournament and should have much larger roles, but they are still relatively unproven in late-game situations. They will get a chance to develop as backups with some more Power Four experienced starters now in the fold.
Trump says there’s ‘no time frame’ to secure Iran deal
Republican Minnesota Senate candidate Tom Weiler joins ‘Fox & Friends’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s blockade in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S.-Iranian conflict continues and react to Gov. Tim Walz’s, D-Minn., criticism of the president.
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Saudi Arabia was among the countries seeing missiles fly into their airspace as a conflict broke out in the Middle East between the U.S. and Iran.
The prospect of Iran targeting its Middle Eastern neighbors like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates put some sporting events on hold and questioned others. Formula 1 races in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were canceled and rumors swirled around whether future WWE events could be held in the kingdom.
Roman Reigns celebrates his win during WWE’s Royal Rumble at Riyadh Season Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 31, 2026. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
As the Trump administration brokered a ceasefire with Iran, WWE announced on Thursday that its Night of Champions premium live event will be held in Riyadh on June 27.
“We are proud to welcome Night of Champions back to Riyadh and look forward to delivering another unforgettable night of WWE action for fans in the Kingdom and around the world,” General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Al-Sheikh said in a news release.
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Sami Zayn makes his entrance during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
The release touted that WrestleMania 43 will still be held in Riyadh in 2027. It will be the first time that WrestleMania is held outside the U.S.
WWE president Nick Khan was adamant before WrestleMania 42 that the event will still take place in Saudi Arabia despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
“We’re doing WrestleMania next year in Saudi,” he said at a Sports Business Journal event, via The Sporting Tribune. “First time ever, WrestleMania will be outside the United States or Canada. And we’ve had a big, fruitful partnership with them.”
John Cena wrestles CM Punk during Night of Champions at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on June 28, 2025. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE)
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He added that those complaining about WrestleMania being held in Saudi Arabia were a “vocal minority.”
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