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Zack Snyder has signed on to direct UFC drama ‘Brawler’.
The 58-year-old filmmaker, who will also co-write and produce the project, is teaming with UFC president Dana White and His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and owner of boxing magazine ‘The Ring’, to shoot the new film about a Los Angeles man who rises in the world of Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Mr Alalshikh was quoted by Variety saying: “I’ve been a fan of Zack’s work for years, his unique style – from his iconic action sequences to his sweeping visuals and intensely emotional storytelling – coupled with his humanised portrayal of deeply flawed characters is singular.
“I couldn’t think of a better person to partner with to bring the UFC to the big screen. 'The Ring', with its 103-year legacy, will support to ensure the project’s success.”
Dana White, 54, said: “His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and Zack Snyder have a shared vision to create a film about UFC.
“They are both very passionate about this project to show fans what it takes to become a UFC champion. It’s an incredibly ambitious project and I look forward to seeing it come to life.”
Shay Hatten and Kurt Johnstad will also serve as co-writers of the film.
Producers alongside Zack include Deborah Snyder and Wesley Coller under their banner Stone Quarry. Mr Alalshikh, Kurt and Shay will be executive producers, along with UFC’s chief content officer Craig Borsari.
Zack, known for his visually striking films, was quoted by Variety saying: “Behind every great fighter is the story of how they got there. UFC is the world leader in combat sports and I’m honored to be partnering with them to tell this incredible story.”
While 'Brawler' is in development, Zack is also working on an untitled feature at Netflix about the Los Angeles Police Department.
The director has previously collaborated with the streaming service on the zombie action film ‘Army of the Dead’ and sci-fi duology ‘Rebel Moon’.
His other notable credits include DC Comics films ‘Man of Steel’, ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ and ‘Justice League’.
Since its founding in 1993, UFC has staged over 700 mixed martial arts events.
In 2023, the company merged with professional wrestling organization WWE to form a publicly traded entity under the stock symbol ‘TKO‘, overseen by Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.
UFC recently partnered with Amazon MGM for the ‘Road House’ remake, released in March 2024, starring Jake Gyllenhaal as a former MMA fighter.
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The latest Jalen Milroe NFL Draft news may raise eyebrows
Could Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe go much higher in the 2025 NFL Draft than many expect? On Sunday, The Athletic's Dane Brugler tweeted Milroe accepted his invitation to the draft, scheduled for April 24-26 in Green Bay. It's worth noting the league is being more selective with prospects who are being invited to the draft this year. In February, Fox Sports' Jordan Schultz tweeted the league "only plans on inviting eight to 10 players who [it] feels are all top picks." Tankathon projects that the New Orleans Saints will take Milroe (6-foot-2, 217 pounds) with pick No. 93 in the third round. In March, however, FS1's Colin Cowherd said an NFL executive told him the Pittsburgh Steelers may consider taking Milroe with pick No. 21 in the first round (h/t Steelers Depot's Joe Clark). On March 18, NFL Media's Tom Pelissero tweeted the Steelers had dinner with the QB before his pro day. The Steelers are still courting free-agent QB Aaron Rodgers, who has yet to decide whether he'll sign with them. Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson are the only QBs on Pittsburgh's active roster. Rudolph and Thompson have a combined 10-10-1 starting record in the regular season. Still, the Steelers or another team taking Milroe in the first round would be a shock. He didn't look NFL-ready in his final season at Alabama. In 13 games, he had 36 touchdowns (16 passing and 20 rushing) but also tossed a career-high 11 interceptions. Milroe has some upside but may need to sit a season to reach his potential. Typically, NFL teams spend first-round picks on players who can start immediately. QBs, however, are often drafted too high. In three of the past four drafts, three or more QBs have gone in the first round. Milroe getting invited to the draft doesn't mean he's a guaranteed first-rounder, but where and how high he goes could be one of its more compelling storylines.
Reporter provides update about Steelers' stance on QB Aaron Rodgers
The Pittsburgh Steelers seem confident they'll land quarterback Aaron Rodgers even though he's making them play the waiting game. The New York Jets released Rodgers on March 12. Since then, the New York Giants have signed QBs Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston, and the Minnesota Vikings have committed to QB J.J. McCarthy. Rodgers' options are clearly dwindling, possibly explaining why Pittsburgh believes it has a strong chance of signing him. "[The Steelers] have not gotten definitive word, but they're willing to wait a little while longer," ESPN's Jeremy Fowler said Sunday on "SportsCenter" (h/t Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek). "That has really been the case for a few weeks now, but talking to people that have been involved in the quarterback market in the last couple of months, they believe the Steelers must've gotten some sort of assurance at some point from Rodgers that he's going to sign eventually. So, we should see movement between now and the draft, potentially." Steelers owner Art Rooney II echoed this sentiment in a news conference on April 1. He told the media they have received "positive signals" from Rodgers. In March, Rodgers threw with new Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf, via Brandon Loree of SB Nation. Perhaps that's another sign he's seriously considering signing with Pittsburgh. Rodgers potentially joining the Steelers still shouldn't preclude them from drafting a QB, perhaps Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart (6-foot-2, 223 pounds) or Alabama's Jalen Milroe (6-foot-2, 217 pounds). Rodgers — who tore his left Achilles tendon in 2023 — ranked 25th in the league in QBR (48 in 17 games) last season. The 41-year-old also completed a below-average 63% of his passes for 3,897 yards and 28 touchdown passes and tossed 11 interceptions. However, Steelers QB Mason Rudolph — who played for the Tennessee Titans last season after four seasons with Pittsburgh — seems like a stopgap. The six-year veteran has a 9-8-1 starting record in the regular season. With that in mind, Pittsburgh placing its bets on Rodgers makes some sense, even if he's making the Steelers wait.
Blue Jays lock in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with massive contract extension
When spring training arrived and the Toronto Blue Jays had not yet reached a contract extension with superstar Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it seemed possible — if not likely — that he was going to be playing somewhere else by the time the 2026 season rolled around. Guerrero Jr. had set a deadline for contract negotiations, he seemed adamant he was not going to negotiate during the season, and the whole situation seemed grim for the Blue Jays. But there is always one big truth in professional sports: Money talks. The Blue Jays proved that by not giving up in their quest to keep their superstar, and on Sunday night they reportedly locked in Guerrero Jr. to a whopping 14-year, $500 million contract extension according to reports from The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and ESPN's Jeff Passan. This is the third-largest contract in Major League Baseball history, coming in behind only the recent $700 million deal signed by Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the $765 million contract for Juan Soto with the New York Mets. This is an absolutely monumental win for the Blue Jays in a lot of ways. For one, it keeps an MVP-level player that they drafted and developed in their organization for what should be the remainder of his career. Second, it comes after the Blue Jays had missed out on several top-tier free agents in recent years, including Ohtani, Soto and most recently and Roki Sasaki. If they had lost Guerrero Jr. after the other near misses, it would have been a crushing blow for the organization and fan base. It is one thing to lose out on free agents who never played for you to the Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Mets in an open-bidding situation. But not being able to keep your own homegrown star is something else entirely. This at least shows they can do the latter. That matters. A lot. The 26-year-old Guerrero Jr. is still very much in the prime of his career and should have several big years ahead of him. He has been one of the American League's best hitters since arriving in the Major Leagues and has a career OPS+ of 137 (with 100 being a league-average hitter). He is the Blue Jays' top player, the biggest draw and has finished in the top six of the MVP voting two different times, including the 2024 season and a runner-up finish during the 2021 season. Now they have him in place for the foreseeable future and do not have to worry about any more contract negotiations or distractions with him, or hear opposing fan bases try to recruit him. He is a Blue Jay. He is staying a Blue Jay.
Report: Browns Considering Stunning Draft Pick That May Make Fans Revolt
The Cleveland Browns lay claim to the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, and if they decide to keep the selection, the general consensus is that they will take one of three players: Shedeur Sanders, Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter. This is assuming that Cam Ward goes No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, of course. However, the Browns are reportedly considering select a sleeper player with the second pick that may cause fans to revolt: Michigan Wolverines defensive lineman Mason Graham. At least that is what ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported over the weekend. “They are mysterious right now and I think they like to be. They are enjoying this process," Fowler said. "The Browns have spent a significant amount of time with Carter in the last few weeks in this process. He has felt the love and connection with that team. So, if time invested tells us anything, he would very well be the pick opposite Myles Garrett, but they have a shortlist. Shedeur Sanders is on it, Travis Hunter is on it, Mason Graham, the big defensive tackle from Michigan, is on it." Graham is widely viewed as one of the top defensive prospects in this upcoming draft class, but it would be an absolute shock if Cleveland takes him at No. 2. That's especially considering the Browns could definitely trade down and still nab him. Now, to be fair, Fowler didn't elaborate on whether or not Cleveland was considering moving down. Perhaps the only way the Browns would really select Graham is if they traded back, but regardless, he is certainly not the player most Cleveland fans are hoping for.
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