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Most Beatable UFC CHAMPS

Who's next to be upset?

By: Braden Cross (class of 2026)

1. Merab- Merab being in a tough division with guys like Peter Yan, O'Malley and even Sandhagen makes this a pretty simple choice. I believe a good two dimensional fighter with striking and wrestling will take the belt.

2. Dricus- Dricus is a great fighter and the only reason he is this low is due to Khamzat Chimeav. Khamzat is an animal and has dominated everyone he's fought so far including recently Robert Whitaker in 1 round. I also do not doubt Sean Stricklands ability to dethrone him if he keeps the fight off the ground

3. Belal- Belal is a fantastic wrestler and showed great bits of striking against Leon Edwards. To defend his title he would have to go through people like Shavkat Rakhmonov, Jack Della Maddalena, Ian Garry or Sean Brady. All of the fighters I just listed are some of the best in the entire UFC and will challenge him repeatedly. I would be shocked if Belal would manage to control Shavkat in striking or on the ground.

4. Jones - I'm going to get a lot of hate for this one and I get it. A majority of people believe Jon Jones to be the GOAT of the UFC. And whether you agree or not you have to look at the current day and not 10 years ago. I believe that a lot of top contenders in heavyweight would give him serious issues (Alexander Volkov, Curtis Blaydes, Sergei Pavlovich). Especially the interim champion Tom Aspinall. If this fight ever happens, I have Tom purely because of his speed and strength that Jones just does not have anymore.

5.  Pantoja- The flyweight division is currently in shambles due to this guy and he is truly elite. The only reason he is at 5 is because of the pure domination from some of these next guys on the list. I think the fight against Kai Asakura kind of exposed his striking a little bit but again he dominated on the ground. If given the opportunity I believe Brandon Royval or Kai Kara France would have a decent shot at beating him. 

6. Topuria - Topuria is currently one of the best if not the best boxers in the UFC and he shows it. Beating Alex Volkanovski and Max Holloway both with KO was unheard of especially at such a young age. Even though his boxing is some of the best in the world his ground game is his specialty, training in Georgia his whole life made him absolutely elite and is a serious problem for anyone trying to find a hole in his game. The only current featherweights I see giving him any problems whatsoever is Diego Lopes or Yair Rodriguez. Both of these fighters have excellent stand up and have been developing very good ground game. I think he will hold on to this belt for a long time if he stays healthy.

7. Periera - Alex Periera is by far the kickboxer i've seen at light heavyweight. Even though he is at 2 you could absolutely argue him being the best champion in the UFC. While he is mostly a stand and bang kind of guy his take down defense is next level for this type of fighter. The division he is in is currently running out of people to fight this guy and none of them currently have a shot to win it. His age is his main issue right now and i think he will make a steady decline because of it. Chama. 

8.  Islam - Personally the best wrestler I've seen with my own eyes Islam Mackhachev is the current PFP 1. The threat of being taken down by this guy is so large that it makes elite strikers like Dustin Poirer or Charles Olivera crumble on the feet. If he manages to land a takedown for the rest of the fight his opponent will constantly be nervous of that. While his striking is unorthodox hes knocked out 5 opponents simply because theyre expecting him to take them to the ground. I believe his only competition right now if he stays at lightweight is Arman Tsarukyan and even that's a pretty long shot. If he stays at this level he can Absolutely move up and become double champ and most likely dominate welterweight as well. 

Top 5 Local Restaurants

 (not in order) and what to order

1. B.T.’s Fried Chicken and BBQ - Worcester MA

If you are a big barbeque fan, then you have to go to B.T.’s Fried Chicken and BBQ. I’ve tried brisket in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and many places in Massachusetts, but no place has brisket as good as B.T’s.  I recommend if you pair the Brisket Sandwich with their Mac and Cheese, oh man, just so good. Also on Thursdays they have burnt ends, which in the trimmings of the brisket, cut off and caramelized, might be a little pricey but totally worth it.

2. Anzios Brick Oven Pizza -  Northborough MA

Anzio’s has always been one of my favorites ever since they moved up in the Northborough Crossing Plaza in 2019. I’ll never forget the first time I took a bite of their pepperoni pizza, it was  a complete game changer. I went from having regular local town pizza my whole life, to finally being introduced to real italian pizza. Ever since that day in 2019, I have become a fan of traveling the country to find the best pizza place, and I would still probably have Anzio’s in the top 5 out of all the pizza spots I’ve tried. If you’re going there, you gotta have the Sausage and Pepperoni, a complete masterpiece.

3. O'Connor's Restaurant and Bar - Worcester MA

Being part Irish, I grew up with my dad always making Irish meals like Shepherd's Pie, Bangers and Mash, Beef Stew etc. My dad always made a good shepherd's pie, and every other restaurant that tried to make a better shepherd's pie, couldn’t do it. Until I tried O’Connor’s on West Boylston Street. Not only was the pie spectacular but they gave you a ton. If you are able to finish a shepherd's pie at O’connor’s in one sitting, a huge round of applause for you. As this goes for almost all their entrees, they are going to give you a lot of food. I got the fish and chips last time, and when the server brought it out, my jaw dropped.

4. Osaka - Shrewsbury MA

Now out of these 5 restaurants, Osaka has to be my personal favorite, and still to this day has a huge place in my heart. We first started going to Osaka when I was probably three years old, and I don’t remember much about the food at this time, but what I do remember is always seeing smiles on the workers faces, no matter how busy it was, no matter what had happened everyone was just so positive, fun, and it was just a good place to be. In the past 15 years of going to Osaka, I have had so many amazing moments there building connections with the workers, having birthday parties and just enjoying their amazing food. For those of you who don’t know, Osaka is a Hibachi restaurant, meaning in which they cook in front of you, they also have spectacular sushi, if I had to recommend a roll it would have to be the Dynamite roll, little spicy, little sweet, just perfect.

5. Oak Barrel Tavern - Worcester Ma

Last but Certainly not least, Oak Barrel Tavern in Worcester. Now this establishment is probably the least popular out of the four above. If you ask people that like Oak Barrel Tavern, what is their favorite thing to get, I guarantee that at least 80% of the people will say a burger. Now the problem with Oak Barrel Tavern is that it is less than half a mile away from “The Fix” which is the burger place that everyone thinks of when they hear great burgers in worcester. But trust me if you ignore the popularity and go to Oak Barrel Tavern, get a burger, whichever of your choosing, your mind will be blown. Oak Barrel Tavern has the best burger in Central Ma, and I will put that on my grave!

Toys for Tots

On Wednesday, December 11th, a group of aproximately 40 junior high students attended a meaningful field trip to the Toys for Tots warehouse. During the visit, they helped sort and distribute toys, contributing to the organization's mission of bringing holiday cheer to children in need. 

NHS Inducts 22 New Members

Last month, Millbury High School welcomed 22 new members into the National Honor Society (NHS). These students earned their spot by showing strong character, leadership, scholarship, and service.

The ceremony celebrated their hard work and the positive impact they’ve made on the school and community. Being part of the NHS is a big honor, and these students have proven they deserve it.

Here are the newest NHS members:

• Sophia Andrianopoulos

• Nahya Bichotte

• Kiandra Booth-Desmarais

• Brielle Brothers

• Samaya Cabral

• Gianna Giannette

• Berkeley Gobron

• Natalie Haghdoust

• Norah Haig

• Kendal Hargrave

• Jenny Johnson

• Corey Jones

• Devin Lavallee

• Hannah Lehtola

• Mila Nikiforow

• Anthony Powell

• McKenzie Settle

• Michelly Silva

• Arianna Sylvester

• Emiley Tula

• Nolan Valliere

• Sade Warren

Congrats to all the new NHS members! Your hard work and dedication have paid off, and the Millbury High community is proud of you!

MHS Says... Die Hard is a Christmas Movie 🎄