MJ Closes in on World Title After Dominant Knockout, Swanson Stuns in UFC, Firebirds Secure Win

NBC Palm Springs Sports Desk, brought to you by Agua Caliente Casinos. We have your game highlights this evening. In Indio's Mura John, or MJ as he's known here in the Valley, is closer to a world title after a dominant win in Monte Carlo on Saturday. The man who calls the home-stopped opponent Ricardo Espinoza by way of a third-round knockout. Espinoza was no match, hitting the canvas three times in the fight. MJ, who's trained by Antonio and Joel Diaz, is now the mandatory challenger to pound-for-pound champion Naoya Inoue in what is considered a legacy-defining fight. And from one local star to the next, Cubs Swanson, a Palm Springs native, faced opponent Billy Corentin in a thrilling UFC Tampa co-main event this past weekend. He made quick work of him with a stunning walk-off knockout, unleashing a textbook 12-punch combination that sent Corentin crashing to the floor. Swanson's local coach, Joel Diaz, must be very proud. You can see the crowd was very excited as well. The Coachella Valley Firebirds are getting back to their winning ways. On Sunday, they took on the Calgary Wranglers on home ice, skating off with a 4-2 win. It was a back-and-forth battle between the teams, with the Firebirds scoring a dagger of a goal with 30 seconds remaining in regulation. The Firebirds return to home ice this coming Wednesday, December 18th, where they'll take on the San Jose Barracuda. Puck drops at 7 p.m. You can watch the game on our sister station, KPSE.