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Trump looking forward to attending UFC White House event featuring ‘all top’ fighters

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Trump looking forward to attending UFC White House event featuring ‘all top’ fighters


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President Donald Trump confirmed in a sit-down interview with boxer Jake Paul this week that he will attend the historic UFC event in Washington, D.C., scheduled for the president’s 80th birthday as part of the America 250 celebration.

Trump, a longtime supporter of the UFC, spoke about the highly anticipated event scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House on June 14 that will feature two championship bouts. 

President-elect Donald Trump looks on during the UFC 309 event at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, on Nov. 16, 2024. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

“I will,” Trump responded when asked by Paul if he will be at the event, which has been dubbed UFC Freedom 250. “It’s going to be amazing at the White House. And Dana [White] is a great guy. He’s a good fan of yours, you know. Dana is a good guy. The best. I mean, there’s nobody like him.”

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Trump also spoke about the card, which was released days earlier and includes Ilia Topuria going up against Justin Gaethje for the UFC World Lightweight Championship and Alex Pereira taking on Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship.

“[White] had the idea of staging it right at the front door of the White House. We’ll be right in the front door of the White House. And he’s got a tremendous card. I don’t even know if it’s filled out, but I just saw it and it looks like it’s going to be all top guys. They all want to fight at the White House. So it’s going to be in honor of the 250th year. It’ll be great.” 

Trump fans at UFC 309

People hold a flag as President Donald Trump arrives at UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in New York.  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

The card also includes Sean O’Malley taking on Aiemann Zahabi, Michael Chandler squaring off against Mauricio Ruffy, Kyle Daukaus battling against Bo Nickal and Steve Garcia going up against Diego Lopes.

DANA WHITE DISMISSES NOTION WHITE HOUSE UFC EVENT WILL BE ‘TOO POLITICAL’: ‘IT’S A HISTORY-MAKING EVENT’

White said Thursday that the UFC is planning to offer 85,000 free tickets for the outdoor viewing area at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. Tickets for the South Lawn will not be sold, but instead will be comped to members of the military, ESPN reported.

Despite the location and presence of Trump, White has dismissed the notion that the event will be “too political.”

“I mean, I don’t know how it would be too political other than it’s at the White House,” he said in January during an interview with Bloomberg. “Listen, if you look back throughout history, I think [former President] George Bush was a big baseball fan, [former President Barack] Obama was an NBA fan and Trump is a UFC fan. I don’t think that any of those guys being fans made any sport too political.” 

Donald Trump waves to crowd

UFC president Dana White and former United States president Donald Trump attend the UFC 296 event at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 16, 2023, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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The UFC event is just one of the many events Trump has planned for the celebration of America’s 250th birthday. Last month, it was announced that an IndyCar race will take place in August and will be free for fans to come and watch.

Fox News Digital’s Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.





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LeBron James hypes up Caitlin Clark as she gears up for third Fever season

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LeBron James hypes up Caitlin Clark as she gears up for third Fever season


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The Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever’s opening game is only days away from tipping off and the superstar WNBA player received a message from LeBron James.

The Lakers star hyped up Clark after she posted a message on Instagram, “Year 3!!! See you all soon.”

ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark stands on the court before the game against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

“LFG!!!!!!!!” James in the comments section of the post.

James appeared to be a big fan of Clark as he posted about the Fever sharpshooter before the beginning of her second season in the WNBA.

“Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!!”

Year 2 didn’t exactly work out for Clark. She started off the season hot, finishing in double figures in scoring in eight straight games before she was held to just six points in 31 minutes against the Seattle Storm.

Clark reached at least 12 points in the final three games she appeared in. On July 15, Clark suffered a hamstring injury before the All-Star break and she wouldn’t return to the floor for the rest of the year.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers during an inbounds play at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers compete during an inbounds play in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

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She said last month she was “100% healthy” going into the 2026 season.

“I’m a person that doesn’t want to sit out a single rep, like I want to be in there every single time,” Clark told reporters in April. “But I think just being a little bit smarter with my body…whether that’s recovery, whether that’s pre-court treatment, whatever it is.”

She proved it as much so far during the preseason.

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shooting a basketball during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark shoots the ball in the second half against the Dallas Wings at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 30, 2026. (Trevor Ruszkowski/Imagn Images)

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The Fever will begin the season on Saturday against the Dallas Wings.



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2025-26 NBA Odds: Thunder, Knicks Favored to Meet in Finals

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2025-26 NBA Odds: Thunder, Knicks Favored to Meet in Finals


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The most likely NBA Finals matchup this season? The defending champs and a team that hasn’t seen the Finals in nearly three decades.

Let’s check out the odds for which squads will advance to the NBA Finals as of May 5 at DraftKings Sportsbook. 

This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.

NBA Eastern Conference winner

Knicks: +110 (bet $10 to win $21 total)
Pistons: +270 (bet $10 to win $37 total)
Cavaliers: +340 (bet $10 to win $44 total)
76ers: +950 (bet $10 to win $105 total)

NBA Western Conference winner

Thunder: -260 (bet $10 to win $14.35 total)
Spurs: +350 (bet $10 to win $45 total)
Wolves: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)
Lakers: +1800 (bet $10 to win $190 total)

Here’s what to know about this oddsboard:

Finals Favorites: The Thunder won it all last season, and the season before that, the Celtics reached the top of the mountain. So, entering the postseason, the two squads were favored to meet in a seven-game series with the title on the line, meaning one of the two franchises could have been approaching dynasty territory if the odds had rung true. However, the Celtics suffered a shocking first-round defeat at the hands of the Sixers, despite leading the series 3-1. Now, Boston is at home, while the Thunder will face the Lakers after sweeping the Suns in Round 1. The new favorite to come out the East? The New York Knicks, who haven’t been to the Finals since falling 4-1 to San Antonio at the conclusion of the 1998-99 season. N.Y. beat Atlanta in six games in the first round and is up 1-0 on Philly in the second round.

The Challengers: The Spurs are next in the mix from the West. Keep in mind, San Antonio and OKC faced off five times this season, and the Spurs won four of those matchups, including the first three. In terms of the East, after New York, things are up in the air, with the Pistons, Cavs and Sixers all in the mix. Detroit, after being one of three teams to win 60 games in the regular season and the only East team to accomplish the feat, has not been getting much respect on the oddsboards, including this one. However, it could have something to do with the Pistons trailing 3-1 to Orlando in the first round, and having to overcome a 60-38 halftime deficit in Game 6 in order to force a Game 7, which they ultimately won.



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PCB tightens grip on PSL stakeholders | The Express Tribune

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PCB tightens grip on PSL stakeholders | The Express Tribune



KARACHI:

Clear your dues or face termination of contracts” the Pakistan Cricket Board has launched a recovery campaign against defaulters. Notices have been issued to all concerned parties, directing them to make payments within the stipulated deadline.

According to details, the 11th edition of the PSL has now concluded, and the PCB had already begun its recovery drive during the tournament. Sources revealed that billions of rupees are currently outstanding from various stakeholders. After repeated reminders failed, officials adopted a stricter stance.

Recently, notices were sent to several entities, including early PSL franchises, clearly stating that contracts would be terminated if payments were not made by April 29. Following this, several franchises cleared their full dues.

When officials were questioned about the unpaid PKR 400 million owed to each franchise, they responded that payment of franchise fees is mandatory under the agreement. They added:
“How can we pay you until we receive payments from other stakeholders?”

In the past, the practice was that after partial payment of fees, the remaining amount would be adjusted from the central revenue pool. However, a different approach has been adopted this time.

For the 10th PSL edition, each franchise was supposed to receive PKR 975 million (97.5 crore) as its share. However, a key stakeholder owes the PCB PKR 4.7 billion, a major portion of which is related to the PSL. This stakeholder has been avoiding payment, citing financial losses, preventing the finalization of accounts.

Due to this issue, the PCB did not allow two TV channels to participate in bidding for the current edition’s media rights. However, surprisingly, the new company that acquired the broadcasting rights permitted those same channels to air the matches.

Learning from past experience, the PCB has now secured a bank guarantee from the new media rights holder, which can be cashed in case of non-payment.

Meanwhile, sources stated that both new teams and the new owner of Multan Sultans had already paid their full franchise fees in advance. Since this is their first year, they are not entitled to any share from previous central revenue pools.

Owners who purchased teams at high prices had already been assured a minimum of PKR 850 million (85 crore) annually from the central pool for the first five years. However, the final amount will only be determined once the accounts are fully settled.



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