Jon Jones finally defends his heavyweight title this weekend when he faces Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 309. It’s a fight nearly two years in the making and could possibly be the last dance for both of the future Hall of Famers.

How can each man walk away Saturday as the champion and what are the most important parts of this long-awaited matchup? Let’s dive in.

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Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

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Paths to Victory for Jon Jones at UFC 309

What is there to say about Jon Jones that hasn’t already been said? Jones is universally agreed to be one of the greatest fighter of all time and the greatest light heavyweight ever. At his peak, Jones was a tour de force of imagination and execution, capable of seemingly anything inside of the cage.

In the early stages of his career, Jones was all creativity and violence; the rare kind of talent who fought like an action hero, except the stuff he did actually worked. As time went on and he got older, Jones then morphed from a chaotic dervish of destruction into a cerebral assassin who minimized risk with a sniping jab and his patented oblique kick to slowly diminish his opposition over 25 minutes. Then, Jones took three years off to move up to heavyweight and, in his return fight up a weight class, Jones showed a ruthless efficiency in going back to his grappling roots.

So which version of Jones will show up Saturday? All of them? None? In truth, we don’t really know.

Jones is probably the most talented fighter of all time but he’s also very likely declining (his transparent refusal to fight Tom Aspinall hints that Jones himself may be aware of this fact). He’s 37 and been fighting professionally for 16 years. That’s a lot of wear and tear on the body and given how rarely he’s fought in recent years, it is very hard to feel confident in what version of Jones shows up Saturday.

Fortunately, it probably doesn’t matter. If Jones wants to stay standing, Miocic can’t take him down, and his particular brand of out-fighting is well-suited against Miocic, who doesn’t have the best footwork and struggles to close range. On the other hand, perhaps Jones decides the safest course of action is to put Miocic on the mat where Miocic has never shown to be much of a threat. Miocic can wrestle but Jones is better there and should have enough horsepower to force the issue and pursue victory that way as well.

My best guess is that Jones does a bit of both, drawing Miocic in with a striking battle before changing levels and getting takedowns. Once on top, Jones is (well, was and may still be) a terrifying force of nature with elbows and ground-and-pound, so he should have the run of play in this scenario.

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Paths to victory for Stipe Miocic at UFC 309

For all the question marks around Jones in this fight, Stipe Miocic somehow has more. The two-time heavyweight champion is 42 years old, has not fought in over three years and hasn’t won a fight in over four years. He currently has no wins over fighters who compete in the UFC. There’s a reason people are entirely writing him off on Saturday.

Then again, being written off is sort of par for the course for Miocic. Even as he rose up the ranks and began putting together the most successful résumé ever for a UFC heavyweight, the Cleveland native never really felt like a generational champion. There was always a sense that Miocic was a placeholder until the next great heavyweight showed up. Except they never did and he kept going to work, punching in, and getting wins.

Well, he’s going to have to do the same on Saturday.

Again, we don’t really know what to expect from either guy but if we go by their most recent performances, Miocic has an uphill battle ahead of him. Jones is certainly the superior grappler and the better athlete. Also—and I mean this as respectfully as possible—Jones has a much better team. It took Miocic nearly two full fights with Daniel Cormier to realize he should attack the body, despite Jones putting that very thing on tape against him! It’s a fair bet that if either man comes into Saturday with some brilliant game plan, it’s probably Jones.

So where are Miocic’s advantages? On the feet. Don’t get me wrong, Jones is probably the better kickboxer of the two (and he’s vastly superior in the clinch because Jones is one of the greatest clinch fighters ever) but Jones is very beatable in a striking match.

The biggest weakness Jones has on the feet is he’s risk averse to the point of a problem. This is a guy who barely scraped out a win over Thiago Santos—who blew out both his knees during the fight—because he would not do anything for fear of getting hit back. Young Jon Jones would have obliterated Dominick Reyes, but Jones should have lost to Reyes primarily because Reyes took chances and Jones will not. So the biggest thing for Miocic is to simply adopt the Dricus du Plessis methodology of “eff it, I’ll keep throwing, eventually it’ll hurt him.”

Along those same lines, power is the one definitive edge Miocic has over Jones. Stipe is not a Francis Ngannou-level puncher, but he’s a darn good one and though Jones has shown a very good chin, he also clearly doesn’t want to get hit. Miocic needs to make this messy early and land some shots to put that reticence into Jones and make him clam up. The more comfortable Jones is in the cage, the worse it is for his opponents, and they way to make him uncomfortable is to hit him.

Finally, it’s never been a huge weapon in his arsenal, but I hope Miocic has been working on low kicks. Jones’s stance and spindly stems make him an ideal target for chopping the legs out from under him, limiting movement, scoring points, and taking away his explosion. Stipe needs to chop that wood to have any chance in this fight.

One Big Thing

The outcome of most high level fights depends on dozens of different things, but frankly, it’s a lot to list all of those out. Instead, let’s simplify things by determining the One Big Thing that will determine Saturday’s winner.

Does heavyweight matter?

This is Jones’s second fight at heavyweight and he’s reportedly smaller for this matchup than he was for the fight with Ciryl Gane. More importantly, Jones appears to have no interest in sticking around at heavyweight and continues to suggest he wants to fight dudes his size. Maybe that’s all a game, or maybe Jones really isn’t comfortable in this weight class. After all, the people who gave Jones the most difficult time in his career were simply the largest guys he fought (save Gane).

If Stipe comes out and puts mitts on Jones and he can’t take the shots the same as he did at 205 pounds, things get very interesting very quickly.

One Small Thing

Now we know the single most important factor of Saturday’s main event, but what about something else entirely that almost certainly won’t happen but if it does could change everything.

Are the MMA gods paying attention?

The buildup for this fight has been among the most frustrating to watch in years. A couple of month ago Jones was teasing he might fight Tom Aspinall after the Stipe fight. Then it turned into “I’m probably retiring.” Then in the last couple of weeks the Jones narrative shifted to “Actually I want to fight Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall doesn’t deserve it” and he admitted that Stipe is a good stylistic matchup for him coming off an injury.

This all culminated this week at Media Day where Jones entirely dismissed Aspinall as an opponent, said he only wants to fight fun matchups with “guys my size” despite being heavyweight champion, stated outright that beating Ciryl Gane was meaningless, and then issued an ultimatum of “either it’s Pereira or I retire.” It’s an astonishingly shameless admission that Jones is not looking for challenges, he’s looking for easy paydays. Jones is in his Floyd Mayweather era and for whatever reason the UFC is going along with it.

But the MMA gods are not so pliable.

It would truly be the funniest thing in the history of this sport if Jones went through all of this ridiculousness and then ultimately got knocked out by the 42-year-old firefighter who hasn’t fought since 2021. And he is certainly giving the MMA gods plenty of reasons to make it so.

Prediction

Perhaps you could tell from everything above, but I don’t think much of this fight. Even if you could take a time machine and pluck the perfect versions of themselves, I don’t think Miocic has much to offer Jones in a fight, and this is far from that. Jones is still somewhat near his peak while Miocic is well beyond it, and I suspect he gets rolled up in short order.

Jon Jones def. Stipe Miocic via TKO (12-6 elbows) — Round 1, 3:41

The Monaco Grand Prix’s position on the Formula 1 calendar remains intact, bar a minor date tweak, as a new deal has been signed to run until 2031.

But given the iconic race’s place in F1 has come under question in recent years, is this the right move for the series? Our writers give their input.

There’s enough room in the calendar for one weekend where the thrill isn’t the race – but it has its own charm – Alex Kalinauckas

One of the best things about Formula 1 is that it’s a broad church. The Monaco GP sums this up well.

It’s a track from a bygone era, which deserves considerable recollection and respect. It’s where the excesses of the modern iteration of the championship (such as the huge team motorhomes) must be crammed into a small space. This also applies to car size, with the lengthy modern machines even more of a challenge for the drivers to thread through the principality’s barriers. This is by far the best thing about Monaco.

Yes, it can come at the cost of a processional race in dry conditions, but everything that pre-dates a sunny Sunday on the riviera is still an essential part of excelling in grand prix racing. Qualifying speed is a massive part of the overall test for success for drivers, which in Monaco is hyper-focused by the track’s compact nature.

The thrill of Monaco qualifying is up there with the best that F1 can offer. Around all the heartbreak and eventual joy for home hero Charles Leclerc in this challenge in recent years, the 2023 event stands out most vividly in this regard. Max Verstappen‘s stunning third sector ended up being the only thing standing between a first Aston Martin F1 win ever and a 33rd for Fernando Alonso.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19

Photo by: Erik Junius

It was a lap for the ages – at a time when on other ‘normal’ circuits the opposition couldn’t get close. Monaco’s layout negates any particular power or aerodynamic design efficiency prowess. A year on, Verstappen having to push so hard to compete with the reinvigorated Ferrari and McLaren squads led to him hitting the wall and losing his victory shot.

Monaco is famously a ‘sunny afternoon for shady people’. Yet given the alternative these days would be another identikit street track in a different city or a runoff-heavy Tilkedrome – both things that induce similar angst at the heart of this discussion – that shade is only coming from people who can’t accept that the specifics of Monaco are a price worth paying for one weekend in 24. Plus, if it’s a wet affair, it’s also an instant classic.

And then there’s the list of F1 legends to have won in Monaco. With many more to come, they deserve to be given the opportunity to shine at this intrinsic challenge of grand prix racing and put their names alongside those who previously starred on the streets of Monte Carlo.

Monaco is not what it once was – the jewel in the F1 crown – Mark Mann-Bryans

The challenge of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix is indeed a unique one – but since when should the result of a Formula 1 race be determined over one lap on a Saturday afternoon?

The current cars, for starters, are too big and too wide to promote any tangible sense of a battle for position that is not decided by undercuts or timely safety cars.

Research conducted earlier this year found that, after the first lap, on-track overtakes at Monaco for the past decade totalled 101 – there were 99 at the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix alone.

Is a race or a circuit defined solely by the number of overtaking opportunities? Of course not, but at a time when more fresh eyes are tuning in than ever before, there has to be something more than the annual procession around world-famous casinos.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

Purists love Monaco for the blurry footage of their all-time favourites putting in sublime drives against the odds, at a time when nothing summed up the grit and glamour of F1 dovetailing like a Sunday in Monte Carlo.

Even off-track things have changed. The VIP guestlist for Monaco is now firmly underneath the likes of Miami and Las Vegas on the clipboard. Getting inside the velvet rope is much more important at those American races than in the principality.

Business is still conducted on the yachts moored in the harbour, of course, but that clientele, too, is finding new homes.

Saudi Arabia, Singapore and once again, Miami (there is a reason F1’s owners pick these places…) are where contracts get signed, handshakes are made, and deals are done.

Monaco will forever have its rightful place in F1 lore, but sadly it has now become stale. Ironically, it has been overtaken.

Monaco’s history is intrinsically tied to its grand prix – Stuart Codling

The Monaco Grand Prix epitomises the principality it calls home: tiny but fiercely independent, and as indomitable as the rocks upon which it perches. In the centuries since Francesco Grimaldi sneaked into the castle disguised as a Franciscan monk, then opened the doors to an invasion force led by his cousin (an origin story depicted in the Monegasque coat of arms), foreign powers have squabbled repeatedly over this small but strategically useful spot.

Likewise, the grand prix has weathered assaults on its status.

Juan Manuel Fangio, Alfa Romeo 158, leads Bob Gerard, ERA A

Photo by: Motorsport Images

Monaco’s land border is just 3.7 miles long, although reclamation projects and modern architecture have enabled it to expand outwards into the sea as well as upwards and downwards. The rocks which once sheltered pirates now enclose a bewildering network of subterranean road and rail tunnels.

Against this tapestry of continuous transformation, both geographically and demographically – two-thirds of the population are ‘foreigners’ – the grand prix acts as a fundamental connection between Monaco’s past and present. When the race was first held in 1929, the principality’s chief source of income was casino receipts. While gambling remains an industry and a tourist draw, Monaco’s post-war reputation as a dissolute Nazi hangout required the ruling family to make a course correction in which the grand prix played a central role.

Putting Monaco on the map was the point of hosting a grand prix in the first place. The Automobile Club de Monaco craved recognition from the Association Internationale des Automobile-Clubs Reconnus (the forerunner of the FIA) but this wasn’t forthcoming: the Monte Carlo Rally, which had been held since 1911, stopped short of the border. To be accredited as a national sporting body the ACM would have to stage a race on sovereign territory.

Antony Noghes, son of the ACM’s founder, duly walked the narrow streets until he alighted on a potential route which, by and large, remains the same to this day.

“This skirted the port,” Noghes said later, “passing along the quay and the Boulevard Albert Premier, climbed the hill of Monte Carlo, then passed round the Place du Casino, took the downhill zigzag near Monte Carlo Station to get back approximately to sea level and from there, along the Boulevard Louis II and the Tir aux Pigeons tunnel, the course came back to the port quayside.

“Today the roads comprising this circuit look as though they were made for the purpose.”

Graham Hill, BRM P261

Photo by: Sutton Images

Despite the unpromisingly narrow layout, dirt-surfaced and crisscrossed by tramlines, the first events proved successful because Noghes attracted a high-quality international field. Post-war, though, Monaco was tainted by its association with the Vichy regime and by society scandal: Princess Charlotte, the heir presumptive, had divorced her husband and taken several lovers including her doctor and a notorious jewel thief, Rene Girier. Casino receipts were down 90%.

Upon acceding to the throne in 1949 – the year the Monaco Grand Prix had to be cancelled because the state coffers were running on empty – Charlotte’s son Rainier III set about rebuilding Monaco’s economy and reputation, diversifying into tourism and the attraction of foreign tax exiles. Hosting a prestigious international motor race would make Monaco a destination again.

And, barring a few financial issues in the early 1950s and the small matter of a bug going round in the early 2020s, the Monaco Grand Prix has been central to the principality’s success trajectory ever since.

MIKE TYSON frustrated even Jake Paul with his frosty one-word press conference answers – but it’s part of his plan.

The heavyweight icon and YouTuber-turned-boxer looked to trade verbal blows just two days before their controversial clash in Texas.

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But 58-year-old Tyson – who has a catalogue of memorable press conference moments – appeared disinterested on stage.

Asked if he has rediscovered his frightening, savage and brilliant best, he shrugged: “I guess I’m back. I’m just happy to be here.”

Tyson then added: “I’m just ready to fight, I’ve said everything I have to say. There’s nothing else to say, I’m just looking forward to fighting.”

Paul has over 50 MILLION social media followers across his platforms and acts as brash and outspoken online as he does in front of the camera.

But he clearly mistook Tyson for running his own social media pages, which have been full of threats heading into their Netflix fight.

Because when Iron Mike got in front of Paul he had little to say, much to the confusion of his opponent of 31-years difference.

Paul moaned: “Man, there’s a lot of s*** talk online saying you’re going to kill me but nothing in person.

“I don’t know. It’s pretty boring, pretty f***ing boring.”

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JAKE PAUL VS MIKE TYSON: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE BOUT

CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS

Tyson is back for his first professionally-sanctioned bout since 2005 despite returning in a 2020 exhibition with Roy Jones Jr.

The fight with Paul is to be contested over eight two-minute rounds – opposed to the usual three – with bigger 14oz gloves on instead of 10oz.

Tyson did at last let out a quick glimpse of his volatile prime when probed on the consequence of what he deems an impossible loss to Paul.

He snapped: “I’m not gonna lose. I am not going to lose. Did you hear what I said?”

Tyson then faced off with Paul with little emotion or care, unbothered about causing a stir with pre-fight theatrics.

SunSport ran into a member of Tyson’s camp and asked whether his nonchalant behaviour was a ploy or genuine.

“Mike’s in kill mode.” They sharply responded.

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Aljamain Sterling believes Umar Nurmagomedov needs to earn his stripes.

Nurmagomedov (18-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC), cousin of former undefeated UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, was declared No. 1 contender after defeating Cory Sandhagen in the UFC on ABC 7 main event this past August. Sandhagen marked Nurmagomedov’s first ranked opponent.

Sterling’s training partner, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili (18-4 MMA, 11-2 UFC), is having a hard time acknowledging Nurmagomedov as his next title challenger. Dvalishvili says he’s been fast tracked, and Sterling thinks that’s largely in part due to being Khabib’s cousin.

“I’m not saying he’s not good,” Sterling said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I love Umar. I think Umar is a great guy, but facts are the facts. I don’t care what your cousin has done. That does not have any bearing on what you have done for the sport. You’ve got to cut your teeth in this game, not riding the coattails of your family’s merit.

“I always say if I have kids, I want to make sure they’re not riding off the coattails of what I do or have done in my life. I want to make sure they’re out there, they’re being go-getters. I think anyone with any type of real self-worth would want to do that, earn their keep. You don’t want to be feeling like the person who’s just here because you were handed an invite vs. actually earning to be at the table. Earn your seat at the table.”

Dvalishvili had to win 10 fights in a row before earning his shot at the title. He dethroned Sean O’Malley to claim the bantamweight title at UFC 306, and despite telling MMA Junkie that he’d be willing to rematch O’Malley in November over Nurmagomedov, “The Machine” clarified that he’ll end up fighting whoever the UFC offers.

Nurmagomedov is eager to fight before Ramadan, which is expected to start at end of February. If Dvalishvili isn’t ready by then, Nurmagomedov is willing to fight once more, and has been linked to a potential matchup with Song Yadong at UFC 311 on Jan. 18.

Marc Marquez believes it would be impossible for him to replicate the success he enjoyed during his peak years at Honda when he joins the factory Ducati team in MotoGP next season.

For the first time since 2019, Marquez will be racing what is expected to be the best bike on the MotoGP grid, as he teams up with two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia at Ducati in 2025.

The Desmosedici has been in a class of its own this year, winning 18 of the 19 grands prix held so far. Only Maverick Vinales’ triumph on an Aprilia in the Americas GP prevented Ducati from completing a clean sweep.

Marquez has adapted well to the Ducati after spending 11 years on the Honda RC213V, winning three grands prix on last year’s GP23 bike and taking the fight to the latest spec bikes of Bagnaia, Enea Bastianini and Pramac’s Jorge Martin.

The Spaniard’s results are particularly impressive considering the other three riders racing the GP23 scored just two podiums between them, with VR46’s Fabio di Giannantonio the highest-placed rider among the trio in eighth, five spots behind Marquez.

While he will finally get parity of equipment with Bagnaia next year, Marquez doesn’t think it would mean he will be able to enjoy the same success as he did in 2019, when he won 12 races en route to his sixth premier class title.

“Well, it was a year that I had not found myself in my sporting career and I hope not to find myself again, but it may happen, because it may happen. A year of looking for answers,” he said of 2024.

Marc Marquez, Gresini Racing

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

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“I had a lot of questions in my head and it was a year of looking for answers. I have been finding them in a positive way because the main question was, am I still competitive enough to be in MotoGP? So that was yes, I’m still competitive.

“Logically it will be impossible to be the dominator like in 2019. Why? Because life happens for all of us who are here, the ones who are coming but we will try to keep that line as flat as possible to keep a high level in MotoGP and to stay competitive.”

Marquez’s impending move to Ducati has raised expectations from him, given how his success in the mid-to-late 2010s put him among the list of all-time greats in motorcycle racing.

But the current Gresini rider isn’t concerned by the weight of expectations on his shoulders, pointing out how fans assumed he will be a genuine title contender in 2024.

“Yes, there were also people who, when I announced that I was going to Gresini, said that I was going to be a winner all year. Then I said no,” he replied.

“And there were people who at Le Mans [and] Montmelo who said I would fight for the title. I said I’d like to say yes.”

Marquez remained in mathematical contention for the title for much of the year, even as Bagnaia and Martin were a step clear of the rest of the pack on their factory-spec GP24s.

The 31-year-old admitted that he himself thought that he had a chance to win the title, but by September it was clear to him that the championship was out of his reach.

“Obviously. I got to thinking because mathematically I had a chance, but then when I arrived at Mugello, Assen, I had the answer and my doubts were cleared and I said ‘I can’t, I can’t make it this year’,” he explained.

“Next year we’ll see, I have to do the pre-season and from there, before Thailand…”

Marquez has previously stated that he is joining Ducati to learn from Bagnaia, who he believes will be the benchmark in the team.

But while playing down his chances for 2025, Marquez knows that he has to target the championship straight away as he returns to a factory team after a year on a satellite bike.

Asked if there will be no excuses at Ducati next year, he said: “No, no, I have the two best bullets in the next two years. I have the bike that has won the past years with the team that has won.

“Well, we will see this year, but at the end, it is the factory team. Then we’ll see, but for me, I don’t have to prove anything.

“For me, it’s about continuing to be competitive in MotoGP and to be fighting for those three positions.

“First, it will be the goal, logically, out of the corner of my eye, we’ll have to look at the title because we are obliged in a factory team to look at the title to see where we are.”

The American move comes at a time when prize money in men’s professional golf has reached record highs in response to the arrival of the lucrative Saudi Arabia funded breakaway LIV circuit.

“I don’t think any of the 24 players on either team needs that 400 grand,” McIlroy said. “Every two years, there are 104 weeks and 103 weeks you can play golf and get paid.”

Cantlay’s refusal to wear a cap in Rome led to European fans removing their headwear to taunt the American player.

It ultimately led to a spat between McIlroy and the US golfer’s caddie Joe LaCava that spilled into angry scenes in the clubhouse carpark.

“It was a discussion that was happening in Rome,” McIlroy added. “I can see the other side of the argument because the Ryder Cup does create a lot of revenue.

“It is one of the probably top five biggest sporting events in the world. So I get the argument that the talent should be or could be getting paid.

“But the Ryder Cup is so much more than that, especially to the Europeans and to this tour.”

The continental team represents the DP World Tour – formerly known as the European Tour, while the US side is administered by the PGA of America, the body that represents the country’s club professionals.

McIlroy said that he and his team-mates in captain Luke Donald’s side have no interest in being paid.

“We have all had a conversation with Luke about it over the past few weeks because we obviously heard,” McIlroy revealed.

“The common consensus among us is that $5m would be better off spent elsewhere on the DP World Tour to support other events or even to support The Challenge Tour.”

The Ryder Cup generates vast sums of money on both sides of the Atlantic. Next year’s match at Bethpage is a sell out despite daily tickets each costing a record $750.

“I think we would all welcome money if it didn’t change the dynamic but the money really would change the dynamic,” McIlroy said.

“That’s why I think everyone is like, let’s not do that.”

McIlroy shares the lead with Tyrell Hatton here in Dubai, where the first prize is $3m. Hatton said: “I’ve never thought about being paid to play in the Ryder Cup. It’s such an honour to be a part of that 12 that play.”

The Englishman competes on the LIV tour but remains eligible for the Ryder Cup while he appeals against punishments for playing without formal releases to appear on the breakaway circuit.

“The next 10 months I’ll be trying my best to be on that team,” Hatton said. “The US lads, it’s up to them. I’m on The European Team and I would love to be there at Bethpage.”

Bob MacIntyre, who made his debut in Europe’s victory in Italy last year, said his main priority is to be in New York next September.

“I just want to be on the Ryder Cup Team,” said the Scot. “Last year we didn’t get paid, and getting paid would not change the way I feel about the Ryder Cup.

“I wore my heart on my sleeve last year, and like everyone else on The European Team, it’s not about the money.”

And Ireland’s Shane Lowry said it is no sacrifice to be helping the European tour’s finances free of charge. “You’re not even giving back because it’s a privilege to be there,” said the former Open champion.

“I’d give anything to know that I’m on the team next year. I’m going to spend the next 10 months stressing my head off trying to make the team.”