Mixed martial arts legend Jon Jones ended his retirement from UFC simply because he wanted a spot on the “Freedom 250” fight card at the White House in June. 

But, when UFC CEO Dana White announced the card during UFC 326 this past weekend, Jones wasn’t among the fighters. As a result, he has requested a release from his UFC contract. 

White was candid when asked about Jones following the UFC 326 card. 

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Jon Jones of the United States of America reacts after his TKO victory against Stipe Miocic of the United States of America in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2024 in New York City.  ((Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images))

“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys a hundred thousands times, was Jon Jones ever even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” White explained, per CBS Sports. “Some guy with Meta Glasses filmed him talking about his hips – that his hips are so bad. And I don’t know if you guys saw that flag football game where he can barely run. Jon Jones retired because of his hips. He’s got arthritis in his hips. Apparently, doctors say he should have a hip replacement.”

White added that “the Jon Jones thing is bulls—,” saying that he texted the fighter’s lawyer saying he would never be on the White House card despite Jones saying he was in negotiations for it. 

UFC ANNOUNCES CARD FOR WHITE HOUSE EVENT

The Meta Glasses incident White is referring to came from a viral video, where Jones, unaware he was being filmed, discussed issues with his hips to a fan. 

On Monday, Jones composed a thorough response to White’s comments about him and the White House Card. He previously posted and deleted social media explanations, but Monday’s appeared to be his final statement on the matter. 

UFC President Dana White speaks after UFC Fight Night at Toyota Center on Feb. 21, 2026.  (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

“Yes, I have arthritis in my hip and it’s painful, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight,” Jones, who retired a heavyweight champion in 2025, said. “So let me get this straight, if I had accepted the lowball offer, suddenly my hip would be fine and I’d be on the White House card? That doesn’t make sense. I even received stem cell treatment last week to get ready for the White House card, and training camp was scheduled to start today. I was preparing to be ready. 

“I understand business deals fall through sometimes, but going out publicly and saying things that aren’t true isn’t right. After everything I’ve given to the UFC, the years, the title defenses, the fights, hearing that I’m ‘done’ is disappointing. Especially when as recently as Friday UFC was calling me trying to get me on that White House card for a much lower number.”

Jones finished his statement by saying he “respectfully” asks to be released from his UFC contract.

Jon Jones enters the ring before facing Stipe Miocic in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden on November 16, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

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“No more spins, no more games. Thank you to the real fans who know what’s up,” he wrote. 

The UFC did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Fox News Digital.

Jones is considered one of the best UFC fighters of all time, owning a 28-1-1 record, which includes his last bout with Stipe Miocic, knocking him out to take the heavyweight title belt. He is also a two-time light heavyweight champion. 

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Here’s an up-to-date list of all NFL Players from Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, California.

The list includes only those players who have played in a regular-season NFL game. Consequently, players taken in the upcoming draft will not be included until they have seen the field.

The League does not officially recognize players who appeared only in preseason exhibition games.

Junipero Serra High School is a prep football powerhouse, ranked as the No. 5 pro football player-producing high school in the state.

California has produced a total of 3,331 NFL players from 793 schools, with 264 pros currently active.

See where all the other schools in the Golden State rank here, with links to their respective players.

NFL Players from Junipero Serra HS

The Glazer family, who have owned Manchester United since 2005, have had a massive financial boost

Manchester United’s owners, the Glazer family, have seen their fortunes climb even higher over the past year.

Each of the six siblings – Avram, Joel, Edward, Darcie, Kevin and Bryan – has added an astonishing $300million (£223m) to their wealth in the last year. Their individual net worth now sits at $2billion (£1.59bn), according to Forbes’ latest Billionaires List, ranking them as the 2,052nd richest people globally.

The surge in wealth arrives at a moment when the family’s hold on United has been somewhat eased, yet their bank balances have never looked stronger. The American family, who oversaw a period of notable turmoil and fan protests at Old Trafford, sold part of their 68 per cent stake in the club to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe in 2024.

The deal reportedly cost Ratcliffe around £1.5bn, with the INEOS chairman now managing all football operations at United. Nevertheless, the Glazers retain majority ownership of the club itself.

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For United supporters, the announcement will be a bitter pill to swallow. While the owners’ fortunes continue to expand, the Theatre of Dreams has famously fallen into disrepair, with photos of a leaking Old Trafford roof serving as a symbol of the neglect during the Glazers’ tenure.

The family’s monetary gain also sharply contrasts with the club’s debt, a key issue for the ‘Glazers Out’ campaign since their leveraged buyout in 2005.

Recent Forbes figures indicate that, regardless of United’s on-field struggles – where the team has battled for consistency in recent seasons – the owners are still cashing in from their involvement with the Premier League club.

The list, which monitors the wealthiest individuals worldwide, highlights that the sports sector remains extremely lucrative for billionaire owners. Avram and Joel Glazer, who are the most prominent family members at United, have solidified their place among the globe’s richest earners.

Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke also appears on the list, with a net worth of $22.2bn (£16.5bn). Liverpool owner John Henry is included as well, with wealth of $5.7bn (£4.2bn).

Despite each Glazer now being worth a comparatively modest $2bn, fan pressure is unlikely to ease. Supporters have long claimed the owners treat the club as a ‘cash cow,’ and these latest figures will only stoke demands for a complete sale of the club.

Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package

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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle for the 2025/26 season, saving £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.

Sky shows at least 215 live Premier League games each season, an increase of up to 100, plus Formula 1, darts, golf and more.

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The Cheltenham Festival returns today as the National Hunt jump racing season gathers pace with the four-day bonanza of horseracing goodness one of the highlights of the sport’s calendar.

The Festival begins with Champion Day before Ladies Day and then St Patrick’s Thursday, with Gold Cup Day bringing the event to a close on Friday.

This year’s action is set to be thrilling and, perhaps, a touch more unpredictable than previous years though the prolific Irish trainer Willie Mullins and resident jockey Paul Townend will hope to excel once more.

The British trainers will also be looking to overcome a decade of Irish dominance in the Prestbury Cup as they aim to restore some pride after a 20-8 defeat last year.

You can find all the latest Cheltenham odds and free bet offers with Independent Sport in the build-up to the big week, but here is the schedule and race card:

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When is 2026 Cheltenham Festival and what races are included?

The Cheltenham Festival starts on Tuesday 10 March and concludes on Friday 13 March. Fans can expect 28 races over the course of four days, with seven races per day, including 13 races run over fences across the week, 13 over hurdles plus a bumper (flat race) and a cross-country chase.

The shortest run is a little under two miles, while the longest races almost reach four miles. Fans will look out for 13 of the races run at Grade 1 standard, while five are run as Grade 2s, six Grade 3s and the other four being Listed.

The first race is scheduled for 1:20pm GMT each day, with the final race starting at 5:20pm.

How can I watch the Cheltenham Festival on TV and is there a live stream?

You can watch the first six races of each day at the Cheltenham Festival with ITV1, while full coverage of the Festival, including the final race of each day is available through a Racing TV subscription.

Both ITV and Racing TV provide live streams for the coverage through their apps and websites, while fans can of course tune on via the traditional television broadcast.

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Tuesday 10 March – Champion Day

*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change

1.20: Sky Bet Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m½f| 8 hurdles | Old Course

1. Old Park Star 15/8F; 2. Sober Glory 9/2 3. Mydaddypaddy 6/1

2.00: Singer Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase (Grade 1)Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course

1. Kargese 7/1; 2. Kopek Des Bordes 11/8; 3. Lulamba 11/10F

2.40: McCoys Contractors Juvenile Handicap Hurdle Race (Registered as the Fred Winter) (Premier Handicap) Race conditions: £150,000 | 3m1f | 20 fences | Old Course

1. Saratoga 10/1; 2. Winston Junior 5/1; 3. Klycot 40/1

3.20: Trustmarque Ultima Handicap Chase (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £120,000 | 2m4f | 10 hurdles | Old Course

1. Johnnywho 18/1; 2. Jagwar 3/1; 3. Quebecois 10/1

4.00: Unibet Champion Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £450,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course

1. Lossiemouth 7/5F; 2. Brighterdaysahead 7/2; 3. The New Lion 3/1

4.40: Sun Racing Plate (A Handicap Steeple Chase) (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m½f | 8 hurdles | Old Course

5.20: National Hunt Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Novices’ Handicap Steeple Chase) (Class 2)Race conditions: £200,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course

Wednesday 11 March – Ladies Day

*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change

1.20: Turners Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1)Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m5f | 10 hurdles | Old Course

2.00: Brown Advisory Novices’ Chase (Grade 1)Race conditions: £200,000 | 3m½f | 20 fences | Old Course

2.40: BetMGM Cup Handicap Hurdle (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £100,000 | 2m5f | 10 hurdles | Old Course

3.20: Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Steeple Chase Race conditions: £75,000 | 3m6f | 32 obstacles | Old Course

4.00: BetMGM Queen Mother Champion Chase (Grade 1) Race conditions: £400,000 | 2m | 13 fences | Old Course

4.40: Debenhams Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Handicap Steeple Chase Challenge Cup (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m½f | 14 fences | Old Course

5.20: Weatherbys Champion Bumper (In Memory of Sir Johnny Weatherby) (Grade 1)Race conditions: £80,000 | 2m½f | Old Course

Thursday 12 March – St Patrick’s Thursday

*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change

1.20: Ryanair Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 2) Race conditions: £105,000 | 2m1f | 8 hurdles | New Course

2.00: Jack Richards Novices’ Limited Handicap Chase (Grade 2) Race conditions: £125,000 | 2m4f | 17 fences | New Course

2.40: Close Brothers Mares’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £100,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course

3.20: Paddy Power Stayers’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £375,000 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course

4.00: Ryanair Chase (Grade 1) Race conditions: £325,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course

4.40: Pertemps Network Final (A Handicap Hurdle Race) (Premier Handicap) Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course

5.20: Rosconn Group Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase (0-145) Race conditions: £75,000 | 3m2f | 21 fences | New Course

Friday 13 March – Gold Cup Day

*Please note race conditions and timings are subject to change

1.20: JCB Triumph Hurdle (Grade 1)Race conditions: £150,000 | 2m1f | 8 hurdles | New Course

2.00: William Hill County Handicap Hurdle (Premier Handicap)Race conditions: £98,370 (2024) | 2m1f| 8 hurdles | New Course

2.40: Mrs Paddy Power Mares’ Steeple Chase (Grade 2) Race conditions: £120,000 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course

3.20: Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (Grade 1) Race conditions: £150,000 | 3m | 12 hurdles | New course

4.00: Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase (Grade 1)Race conditions: £625,000 | 3m2½f | 22 fences | New Course

4.40: Princess Royal Challenge Cup Open Hunters’ Steeple Chase Race conditions: £50 | 2m4½f | 17 fences | New Course

5.20: Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle Race conditions: £75,000 | 2m4½f | 10 hurdles | New Course

Can I still get a ticket and how much do they cost?

You can secure access to the first three days of the festival through a daily Club Enclosure ticket from £103.50, while Friday is sold out.

Tattersalls tickets will cost from £73.80 on each of the first three days but again Gold Cup day has sold out.

The cheapest way to experience the festival is through the Best Mate enclosure with a day ticket for the first three days priced from £54.

All details can be found with tickets available to purchase through the Jockey Club here.

Chelsea legend John Terry has showered special praise on Blues summer signing Joao Pedro, claiming the player is one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

Pedro, 24, hit the ground running at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup after departing Brighton & Hove Albion in a £60 million deal last July. He scored three times in the Club World Cup, helping the Blues lift the trophy in the process.

The Brazilian has maintained his fine form in the ongoing 2025-26 season as well, finding the back of the net 18 times in 39 games across competitions for Chelsea. He has also laid out nine assists for his new teammates so far.

After Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior labelled Pedro a ‘world-class striker’ earlier this week, Terry has echoed a similar sentiment about the former Watford star. The 45-year-old former Blues captain said on TikTok (h/t Metro):

“Big praise from Liam Rosenior this week for Joao Pedro who has been in excellent form and we are very lucky to have him. He’s scoring goals but the variety of goals he scores, he scores goals with his left foot, he scores goals with his head. He shows great composure one-on-one where he does that little dink over goalkeepers as well.”

Likening Pedro’s playing style to Blues icon Didier Drogba, he added:

“I think his link-up play has been excellent as well, it’s got better and better week after week and that’s only going to grow and improve as he grows and gets a little bit older. It just enables you to hit him. We had the same when Didier played as well. You can hit him when you’re under a little bit of pressure and get yourself up the pitch and in the opposition half.”

Lauding the Brazilian’s work rate off the ball, Terry concluded:

“I love that he does the dirty work as well. When strikers are prepared to do the dirty work, it makes everyone else’s job a little bit easier and he’s often the one setting the tone in games as well. I’m expecting loads more to come from him, he’s certainly up there with the best strikers in the league this year.”

How have other Chelsea strikers performed?

Apart from Joao Pedro, Chelsea also signed another striker in Liam Delap in 2025. Subsequently, the Blues sent Nicolas Jackson on loan to Bayern Munich, and sold Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan last summer.

Delap, 23, has struggled to find his feet amid Pedro’s excellent run of form. He has netted just three goals in 34 overall matches for his new side since leaving Ipswich Town for around £30 million last June.

On the other hand, Marc Guiu has only made 12 appearances across competitions for the west London outfit this season, scoring just two goals.