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ESPN Staff Writer- Marc Raimondi's first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn't his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book "Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling's New World Order Changed America," which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.
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ESPN Staff Writer- Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
A women's bantamweight bout between Sijara Eubanks and Karol Rosa for UFC Fight Night on Saturday has been canceled because of weight cutting issues for Rosa, UFC officials confirmed to ESPN.
Rosa had complications during her weight cut Thursday morning and had to be hospitalized, according to her manager, Tiago Okamura. She was released from the hospital after about four hours and is already showing improvements, Okamura said.
The official weigh-ins for the event are scheduled for Friday morning in Las Vegas.
Sources told ESPN that the UFC has already booked Eubanks to fight Julia Avila on the Sept. 12 card. Avila was originally scheduled to fight Nicco Montaño on that card, but Montaño tested positive for COVID-19 and had to withdraw.
Eubanks (5-4) snapped a two-fight losing streak with a win over Sarah Moras on May 13. Rosa (13-3) has won three straight.
Avila (8-1) has won four straight, including three finishes. Both Eubanks and Avila are jockeying for position in the UFC's women's bantamweight contender picture.
