On the fourth episode of UFC 318 "Embedded," Robert Valentin seeks mystical answers on Bourbon Street while Dustin Poirier visits the Saints.

If we’re lucky here in the combat domain, there are a couple of times a year the fight world explodes with options. This weekend is one of those.

Yes — it’s legal to place bets on UFC 318 in California using internationally licensed sportsbooks. These sites are based offshore, operate under global gaming licenses, and accept U.S. players without restriction.

Ige (19-9 MMA, 11-8 UFC) meets former two-division Bellator champion Patricio Freire (36-8 MMA, 0-1 UFC) on Saturday's UFC 318 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) main card at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Ige explains that he's been wanting to fight "Pitbull" for a while.

New Orleans rapper Alfred Banks celebrates his birthday on Saturday, July 19, with a show at Gasa Gasa. He’ll be joined by La Reezy, who recently has been catching some national attention, and gifted lyricist Kaye the Beast. Music starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $19.29 via gasagasanola.com.