Sports
Alex Pereira’s Backstage Comment Stunned Sean O’Malley
Among the many exciting moments scattered throughout UFC Freedom 250 at the White House, Ciryl Gane taking on Alex Pereira certainly ranked high.
Poatan made the jump up to heavyweight, taking on Gane, who was coming off the back of a controversial bout against Tom Aspinall. The chance to become a three-weight world champion and further etch himself in the history books was up for grabs for the Brazilian. However, the step-up seemed one too many as the Frenchman made it look easy on his way to becoming the interim UFC heavyweight champion.
It’s the third time Pereira has tasted defeat during his tenure with the UFC. Interestingly, all three have come in different weight classes, with Israel Adesanya, Magomed Ankalaev, and now Gane all finding a way to solve the Poatan puzzle. With defeat comes adversity, and it seems like his initial handling of the situation resonated with another UFC star.
During the fight, Poatan didn’t seem as mobile and couldn’t find his rhythm. Perhaps making such a drastic jump in weight hurt his speed, while the power also may not have translated. Gane was controlling the fight from the outside, with his movement dazzling the Brazilian. In the opening stages of the second round, it was more of the same, with a jab dropping Pereira; from there, the onslaught ensued.
Gane connected with a barrage of strikes before Herb Dean called a stop to the contest. It was one-sided, perhaps in a way few fighters and fans would have expected.
Following the loss, fellow fighter at UFC Freedom 250, Sean O’Malley, touched on how good his mentality is even after such a tough moment.
“[Alex Pereira’s] dad was crying, his family was sad, and he said, ‘Hey, we’ve made other families feel like this. It’s our turn.’
“I was like, ‘That dude is a legend,’ just for having that perspective so quickly after a fight and carrying that mentality… a lot of respect for that.”
What Next For Alex Pereira
After making the jump up to heavyweight, and dramatically changing his build, Pereira is in an interesting situation. What’s next for him in this division, especially after not being able to assert himself against someone like Gane?
Ilia Topuria’s Official Medical Suspension Revealed After Battering at UFC Freedom 250
Topuria won’t be stepping foot inside the Octagon for a long, long time.
In an interview after the fight, he’d already called for a rematch. However, this isn’t likely to happen given the manner in which the fight ended, and the fact that Aspinall and Gane now need to fight in order to make the championship undisputed. That fight has already been touted for September, which suggests Pereira would need another win before any possible title shot.
Josh Hokit had plenty to say about the Brazilian in the lead-up to the White House card, with the American criticising him at both press conferences. Hokit has brought himself into title contention following wins over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis. Could he be the next best challenge for Pereira?
Sports
Tottenham Chiefs Really Want to Sign Adam Wharton
Tottenham are still said to be firmly in the race for one of the most in-demand Premier League players this summer. Spurs have already made a solid start to their summer business, with Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson snapped up, and attention is now firmly on continuing to strengthen with further signings.
Spurs and Roberto De Zerbi are hoping to compete for European football next season, and while there is existing talent in the squad, it’s no easy task to go from back-to-back bottom half finishes to a top seven finish. Heavy recruitment is going to be required, and it looks as though that is what the Tottenham board intend to deliver.
Spurs still in Wharton race
One of the most intriguing Premier League transfer narratives this summer is where Crystal Palace and England midfielder Adam Wharton is going to end up. The midfielder is expected to be on the move for big money having consistently impressed with the Eagles, and we are beginning to get a clearer picture of where he could end up.
According to FlashScore, both Tottenham and Liverpool remain firmly interested in Wharton this summer. In fact, it’s claimed Spurs view Wharton as one of their primary targets this summer. That’s despite ongoing talks over the potential permanent transfer of Joao Palhinha.
The North London club lose Yves Bissouma this summer, so it’s logical they will try to sign another midfielder or two, and there are also links with Newcastle United’s Sandro Tonali, who would likely be a Wharton alternative. Spurs are said to have been tracking Wharton for at least a year, remaining patient in timing their move.
Liverpool are also said to be keen, though, and they are said to view Wharton and AFC Bournemouth’s Alex Scott as their main targets for the midfield, although it will be one or the other. The Reds seek a midfielder capable of controlling the midfield.
‘Exceptional’ Wharton’s price and attraction
Wharton is likely to cost a huge fee this summer, with £100million floated as a reported Palace asking price. Though Premier League clubs might be confident of reducing that fee to around £80million despite the midfielder having three years remaining on his current deal.
Eberechi Eze joined Arsenal for £67.5million in a club-record sale for Palace, and so £80million would be a fresh record, and Wharton could push for an exit if the right club comes in this summer, which would weaken Palace’s leverage at the negotiations table.
But Wharton is always going to command a giant fee given his Premier League experience and his proven ability to thrive in huge games for club and country, while he is still only 22 years of age. Micah Richards dubbed Wharton ‘exceptional’ last year, and most connected to Palace and the Premier League would agree.
Tottenham Want to Sign ‘Incredible’ Premier League Star in the Summer
Spurs could be looking to add another talented youngster to their squad in 2025.
Sports
New York Knicks Will Visit Donald Trump at White House After NBA Finals Win
The New York Knicks are currently enduring the greatest moment in their modern era after ending a 53-year wait to secure a third NBA Championship.
The team secured the title last Saturday night, taking down the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 on the road to clinch a 4-1 NBA Finals triumph.
Celebrations have been taking place non-stop since the Game 5 victory and fans of the franchise will get to witness the stars of the 2026-winning roster when the championship parade is held on Thursday, the 18th of June.
An American tradition that typically follows for a team winning a championship or a triumphant US national team in international competition is to get an invitation from the President to attend the White House. This often sees the winning players greet the sitting President in person and pose for pictures together.
However, this has become more of a conflicting decision for teams to make in the last decade, since the 45th and 47th President, Donald Trump, has been in office due to many players being against his administration’s policies and stances. Trump’s first stint in office was from 2017-2021 while his second and current one started in 2025.
NBA Champions Haven’t Attended White House Under Donald Trump Presidency
An NBA championship-winning team is yet to visit the White House since Trump’s first election into the Oval Office, with the Golden State Warriors being the first to make their stance clear after NBA Finals victories in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
The Toronto Raptors (2019) and Los Angeles Lakers (2020) also did not visit the White House in the remaining years of Trump’s first stint.
The 2025 NBA champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, did not make the trip to Washington either after being the first champions of Trump’s second spell as President.
Donald Trump Reacts to Heavy Boos He Received During New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs
When he appeared on the big screen, the POTUS was heavily booed by the fans inside Madison Square Garden.
Trump made an appearance at the 2026 NBA Finals, sitting in a suite alongside Knicks owner James Dolan for Game 3 of the series at Madison Square Garden.
The 47th President’s decision to attend the game was widely unpopular among the Knicks faithful, as it meant that fans were not permitted to gather for watch parties around the Knicks’ home venue, and fans with tickets had to go through extra rounds of security checks upon entering the third contest.
The President was booed when shown on the jumbotron at the game and some Knicks fans blamed his appearance at the game as the reason why their team was unable to secure a victory on that occasion, as the Spurs pulled the series back to 2-1 following that contest.
New York Knicks Made White House Decision
However, despite the Knicks fans’ opposition to Trump, it appears that the franchise itself is actually on good terms with the President, as the team is set to visit the White House following their Finals success.
Dolan, a long-time friend of Trump, confirmed the decision during an interview with WFAN New York on Wednesday after being asked whether he was looking forward to a potential celebratory trip to the White House.
The Knicks owner stated: “We did receive an invitation from (the) White House, which we accepted. We still have to figure out the details, but yes, of course, (we’re looking forward to it).
Donald Trump Reacts to New York Knicks’ First NBA Championship Win in 53 Years
The President has had his say on the historic victory…
“I invited the President to come down for the game, right? He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years, and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House,” the 71-year-old businessman added.
While Dolan will be pleased to make the White House visit and celebrate his team’s triumph with his close friend, it remains to be seen whether the Knicks players and staff display the same glee when greeting Trump and if they choose to pose for pictures with the current President.
Sports
Arsenal Told Not To Make £100m Move For Dream Transfer Target
Arsenal are just starting to make moves in the summer transfer window as manager Mikel Arteta assesses his options ahead of the start of the 2026/27 campaign.
After winning the Premier League title for the first time in 22 years, the rumour mill was slow to get into gear for the Gunners, but we are just starting to hear a few more noises around players potentially arriving at the Emirates Stadium now.
Christos Tzolis and Manu Kone are the names starting to make headlines in connection with Arsenal, but there is a big-money move that the club may well be working on over the next couple of weeks.
Arsenal are serious about signing Morgan Rogers
GIVEMESPORT understands that the Gunners are “serious contenders” to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa this summer and GMS senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs has said that he would be the dream signing for Arsenal.
Rogers is likely to leave Villa Park this summer, as Villa look to ensure they continue to comply with Financial Fair Play and adhere to the Premier League’s new Squad Cost Rules, coming in for the start of the 2026/27 campaign. There are also UEFA Squad Cost Rules to comply with given they are in the Champions League next season.
A number of clubs will be linked with signing Rogers and with Arsenal in the market for a left-sided forward, he is high on their list of transfer priorities.
Jacobs said: “Offers in excess of £80million will be engaged with. Interested clubs feel around £80million whereas Villa sources I speak to feel like they get in a room at £80million, but maybe £90million and even £100million might be the number because we’re in an inflated market.”
Rogers wants Arsenal move
Arsenal may have the advantage when it comes to signing the 23-year-old, with Gunners insider HandofArsenal saying on social media that Rogers has outlined his preference to sign for Arsenal over the likes of Chelsea this summer.
One former Arsenal star does not think it would be the right move, however.
Speaking in a blog for Betway, Gunners legend David Seaman warned Arteta against spending £100million on the England international.
He said: “As a player, he’s fantastic, but in terms of fitting into the squad, is he in the same mould as [Eberechi] Eze? He is, really. So what do you do with that?
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“It’s Eze’s first season at the club, you’ve got to give him a chance to really settle in, and it looks like he’s settled in already. It always takes a while to get used to team-mates and play at the Arsenal level where you’re contending for big trophies.
“I would feel like we need more of a playmaker, and Rogers is more of a No. 10, an Eze-type player. It’s tough, but that’s why I’m not the manager!”
Talks Held: Mikel Arteta Pushing Arsenal to Sign ‘World-Class’ £100m Star, He’s Keen to Join
Arsenal have held talks over a deal.
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