Machado Garry told reporters during Wednesday’s media day that he would only be answering questions about the fight, and he shut down one of those journalists, who he felt overstepped the mark, during Thursday’s news conference.

The journalist in question said: “A lot of fans sometimes say that Ian is annoying, do you find Ian annoying?”, but Machado Garry interjected before Makhachev could answer.

“That’s a loaded question,” Machado Garry said.

“What you’re doing now is trying to cause trouble. We’re friends, I thought we were cool. That’s putting words in his mouth and you know it.

“If he thinks that he can be honest and say it, but your job as a journalist is to be professional and stick to the sport.

“This is the biggest fight of the year, I think there are more important things to talk about.”

Machado Garry said he felt “nervous energy” from Makhachev when they faced off in front of the iconic Rocky Balboa statue on Wednesday.

But it was very cordial when they came face-to-face on Thursday, shaking hands before Machado Garry said “you ready?”

In short, it will depend on how long the ban is.

Eckert is only contracted at St Mary’s until the end of the current season, and a significant sanction could force the club to look elsewhere for a new head coach.

Group technical director Johannes Spors provided some insight into the board’s current thinking during the recent BBC Radio Solent Southampton FC fans’ forum.

Spors has held his position since 2025 and played a key role in handing Eckert the permanent job as head coach in December last year.

“It all depends on what the outcome is as there are so many uncertainties of how this could look like,” Spors said.

“There is nothing too concrete at the moment, we’re really focused on the here and now and if there is something that we have to deal with then we will deal with it.

“In the back of my mind and in the office we do speak about different scenarios to be prepared for but I still hope for a positive outcome.”

Southampton were preparing for a number of possibilities on their pre-season tour.

During one friendly Eckert watched the game from the stands, and later told the club’s media: “Let’s hope we don’t need it,” when asked about managing the game away from the technical area.

If Eckert were to be banned by the FA, there is no guarantee this would only prevent him from being on the touchline.

“At the moment I’m honestly very positive looking into the next weeks and we have some ideas in mind,” Spors added.

“There was some discussions earlier about how Tonda watched one of the pre-season games from above [in the stands] and we have to think into different scenarios like this.”

WASHINGTON — Alex Bregman has not stopped searching for answers. The veteran third baseman isn’t one to shy away from digging into video. He’s often staring at a screen, watching his movements in the cage or an old game, trying to figure out what’s right and what needs to be fixed.

On Monday night while in his hotel room in the nation’s capital, the work continued with Cubs assistant director of MLB development Ben Martin. And perhaps a breakthrough was made.

“Ben pulled up the KinaTrax data showing how my body is actually organized over the year when I load,” Bregman recently said. “We saw some pretty glaring differences, and we searched back to double-check it on video to watch that. Woke up in the morning thinking about it. Got here and went right to the cage trying to think about the same things we talked about. It’s been good.”

“Good” may be an understatement. Tuesday, Bregman went 2-for-4 with a home run. Then Wednesday, he had his first real Cubs moment, slugging three home runs and driving in seven runs.

Bregman had been on a bit of a run before those two games. He hit two home runs in the two games leading into the All-Star break. Going back further, he’s had a 159 wRC+ since June 29. But the start of the series against the Washington Nationals felt different.

Feeling right is one thing, but seeing the results on the field tells Bregman that this might be the fix he’s been looking for.

Alex Bregman’s three-homer game at the Nationals on Wednesday was his first multi-homer game since March 29. (Imagn Images via Reuters Connect)

“That’s the most important thing, right?” Bregman said about the results. “I’ve had days where it’s gone all right and had a few extra-base hits, then the next day you wake up and get to the ballpark and it feels completely different. Maybe that cue wasn’t the one that was actually correct.”

What exactly was this cue? Martin had been looking at how Bregman’s body was moving and how his swing worked. The two dug through video, searching for answers.

“We really went through the archives for this, way back in the day,” Bregman said. “Looked at all the changes to how I’ve loaded throughout my career. We were watching Corpus Christi Double-A video two nights ago in my room at 1 o’clock.”

They finally found something that seemed to click. Bregman came in Tuesday and made adjustments that made him feel “more in sync.” He hasn’t looked back.

“My shoulders have been closed and my hips have been open all year,” Bregman said. “I lined them up and keep them in the same direction. Felt like I could finally cover in again.”

As recently as June 7, Bregman looked lost. Many were questioning whether he still had anything left on offense. Some were already deeming the five-year, $175 million deal the Cubs gave him a mistake. But Bregman, who has a long history of success, was clear that doubt never entered his mind during his early-season struggles.

“No, I knew,” Bregman said. “Just gotta keep going. Gotta figure out what’s going on and address it. Feel like that last month or so have been a step in the right direction. But really, the last two days have been a real step in the right direction.”

It was only two games, but Bregman believes he’s found the consistent mechanics he’s been searching for. This is the type of performance Bregman expects from himself. And it’s what the Cubs were hoping to get when they made him the centerpiece of their offseason, luring him to a team with championship aspirations.