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WASHINGTON (AP) — UFC fighter Josh Hokit was decked out in an American flag bandana and American eagle gloves as he unleashed vigorous trash talk ahead of the company’s White House debut.

Sean O’Malley earned American style points for dressing in red — his hair and suit — and blue — dress shirt, tie and, well, hair again — and Michael Chandler visualized accessorizing his fight night walk-out before he dished out a patriotic pounding draped in an American flag.

“For me to walk from the White House to the octagon to represent America, to represent myself, to represent just who I am and what this country means to me,” Chandler said, “it’s just a dream come true.”

The usual foul-mouthed fight hype from UFC’s American fighters ahead of their prime-time debut Sunday on the White House grounds largely yielded to bursts of national pride Wednesday.

O’Malley, known as much for his cornucopia of colors that turn his locks into rainbows or cotton candy tops as his fight skills, tried to downplay the week and called it business as usual. In the next breath, O’Malley confessed fighting on a UFC card on the South Lawn was indeed “epic.”

Hokit, meanwhile, wasn’t about to modify his style on the microphone just because he will fight in the mixed martial arts show timed to coincide with President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday and the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary.

“You’ll never see me apologize for anything I do,” Hokit said.

Well, the heavyweight is in the right city for that declaration. He was one of several fighters who added a dash of brashness and boldness in the nation’s capital just four days before the surreal juxtaposition of pummeling and patriotism set for Trump and UFC boss Dana White’s big-fight vision of UFC Freedom 250.

Forget the Washington Monument. The claw, the temporary arena structure that houses the eight-sided cage, is the buzziest landmark this week in DC.

Weather is a slight concern for fight night

Umbrellas were a necessary accessory around Washington early Wednesday and the threat of heavier rain later in the week, which could dampen both a scheduled press conference at the Lincoln Memorial as well as fight night, was the only true concern ahead of the fight card.

White, who helped launch UFC into a global sports empire, insisted inclement weather will not keep the spectacle from proceeding as scheduled.

“We’re going to be good on Sunday,” White said this week. “I don’t care if it snows, rains, we’re going. Even lightning. You guys all played sports when you were growing up. Whenever there was lightning, you’d sit the lightning out. When it was over, you played. That’s what we’ll do.”

Two titles at stake on the South Lawn

While the South Lawn setting normally reserved for low-contact events like the annual Easter Egg Roll is the real star of the show, there are two championship fights set for the Paramount+ show.

In a card that has been panned by fans online as underwhelming, Brazil’s Alex Pereira will meet France’s Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC heavyweight title. Then Spanish-Georgian lightweight champion Ilia Topuria takes on interim champ Justin Gaethje, one of just two Americans who currently hold even a share of the UFC’s 11 championship belts.

Middleweight Bo Nickal was a three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Penn State who was awed when he met Trump in 2019 at the White House during a ceremony for collegiate national champions.

“The president said hello to all the teams,” Nickal said Wednesday. “When he got to us, he was all excited because he likes wrestlers. He talked to us for maybe 10, 15 minutes because he likes chatting.”

Nickal is set to fight on the main card Sunday against Philadelphia fighter Kyle Daukaus. Nickal called fighting on the show a “massive opportunity,” and one he may have manifested back in that 2019 meeting.

“I told him at that time in 2019 that I was going to fight at UFC,” Nickal said. “He asked if I needed an agent. He’s put in a good word for me, obviously, getting on this card.”

The bulk of UFC’s roster seemingly threw their names on the ballot and hoped to get the call they would fight in front of the president.

Chandler, the 40-year-old Missouri native, laughed when he said he would feel “as high as kite in the best way possible” on his way to the cage. He was thrilled when he earned a lightweight bout against Mauricio Ruffy.

“Even if you’re not watching, you’ve heard about this card, whether you like to admit it or not,” Chandler said.

White not fazed by federal lawsuit

Not everyone is on board with fighters commandeering the same South Lawn where Dwight D. Eisenhower once put in a putting green.

A federal lawsuit filed Saturday by the Public Integrity Project on behalf of two Virginia residents contends the Trump administration’s authorization of the event was unlawful. The lawsuit says such approval violated National Park Service regulations prohibiting sporting events on federal parklands, Congress did not consent to the towering arch overlooking the event space and no environmental review was conducted before the construction.

White, a long-time friend and former business associate of Trump’s from the days when Boardwalk cards at Trump Taj Mahal lifted UFC into relevancy, brushed off the idea the lawsuit could halt the fight card.

“We were expecting a lawsuit,” White said. “We expected everything coming into this event. We thought it would be sooner. We knew it was going to come. We didn’t know who or how, but we knew it was going to come.”

High-scoring, history-making, lead-blowing hockey is on full display in the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes. But is it among the greatest finals ever played?

“Everyone that texts me is saying it’s the best hockey they’ve ever watched,” Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin said. “It’s been fun to play. There’s a lot of momentum swings in the games, and I feel like it’s one of those series where you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

That unpredictability has made it must-see entertainment every night since the series began, which is reflected in this being the most-watched final in more than a decade. The teams are tied 2-2 going into Game 5 on Thursday night in Raleigh, and a Game 6 is guaranteed to have the Cup in the building Saturday night in Las Vegas.

A look at what has made this one of the best finals in recent history:

No lead is safe in the Vegas-Carolina Cup final

In Game 1, Carolina led 2-0 a little over 12 minutes in, fell behind 3-2 and tied it again late before losing on Tomas Hertl’s go-ahead goal with 3:24 left in the third period.

In Game 2, Vegas led 2-0 with less than 10 minutes left in regulation, before a flurry of four goals — and one that was called off — with Mark Stone tying it with 81 seconds remaining. With Hertl in the penalty box, Seth Jarvis scored in overtime to win it for the Hurricanes.

In Game 3, the Golden Knights led 4-0 in the third after Mitch Marner’s hat trick led to a Carolina goalie change. The Hurricanes scored four in a row to come all the way back, and then Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore’s shot off the boards banked in off goaltender Brandon Bussi 5:38 into the second OT to end it.

In Game 4, Carolina led 2-0 and 3-1 only for Vegas to tie it again. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal scored the go-ahead goal with 13:28 left on the way to evening the series.

This is the first final in NHL history to feature a multigoal comeback to tie the score in each of the first four games. Each of the first two were comeback wins, one shy of the most in a final: three games each in 1950 and ’87.

The Golden Knights and Hurricanes are scoring like crazy

So much for a defensive struggle. These teams came in allowing the fewest and third-fewest goals in the playoffs through the first three rounds. They have instead combined to score 33 through four games, the highest total since the New York Islanders and Minnesota North Stars had 36 in 1981.

— There were at least four goals scored in each period from the second in Game 3 through the first in Game 4. It’s just the second time that has happened three regulation periods in a row, and the first since the Islanders and Flyers during a span in Games 5 and 6 in 1980.

— Vegas forward Brett Howden leads all goal-scorers this postseason with 14, breaking the franchise record set by Jonathan Marchessault on the way to winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP on the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup run.

— Marner’s natural hat trick — three goals in a row — came in a span of 6 minutes, 10 seconds. That is by far the fastest in a final, breaking Ted Lindsay’s mark of 11 minutes, 27 seconds for Detroit in 1955.

— The Hurricanes are the third team to score four-plus goals in each of the first games of the final after Montreal in 1973 and Boston in 1970. Their Game 3 breakout was the fastest three goals in the history of the final, coming in a span of 39 seconds.

— Staal’s gap between goals in the final — from June 9, 2009, with Pittsburgh, until Game 1 on June 2, a span of 6,202 days — broke brother Eric’s record of 6,198 from ‘06-’23, according to Sportradar. Jordan is the first player since Mario Lemieux in 1992 to score five goals in the first four games of the final and first since Mike Bossy in ’82 to score in each of the first four.

Games have been tight, and people are watching

This is just the third Cup final in which the score has been tied at some point in the third period in each of the first four games. It last happened between Chicago and Tampa Bay in 2015 and St. Louis and Montreal in 1968.

The first three games were all decided by a goal for just the 10th time. A n empty-netter by Nikolaj Ehlers in Game 4, a long-range clearance that was something of a highlight itself, was the only thing keeping it from being four in a row.

Despite these being teams in smaller, so-called nontraditional markets, the country is tuned in. The first three games are the most-watched final since the Blackhawks against the Lightning 11 years ago, with an average of 4.9 million viewers on ABC. ESPN/ABC said Game 3 was the most-watched in the final since Carolina-Detroit in 2002, with 5 million.

Let’s not forget the goalies

This has not exactly been a goaltending series for the ages, though Vegas’ Carter Hart and Carolina’s Frederik Andersen and Bussi have each made some big-time saves.

Hart, Andersen and Bussi have a combined save percentage of .855, which is on pace to be the lowest in the final since the .850 in 1973 for the series between Montreal and Chicago. That is significantly lower than even the league average of .896 during the regular season that was the lowest since 1993-94.

Bussi in Game 4 became the third goalie to make his first NHL playoff start in the final and win it (Hank Bassen in 1961 and Alfie Moore in 1938).

With Andersen picking up the Game 2 victory, the Hurricanes are the first team since Edmonton in 1984 to have two goalies each win a start in the final. The only teams to win the Cup with multiple goaltenders starting and winning in the final are the ‘84 Oilers and ’72 Bruins.

The Toronto Blue Jays’ decision to trade Yusei Kikuchi in 2024 has panned out to be a major breakthrough for the team this season. 

In return for Kikuchi the Blue Jays acquired solid depth pieces with Jake Bloss, Joey Loperfido and Will Wagner. 

While Wager and Loperfido had solid stints with the Blue Jays, they ultimately became trade chips to address deficiencies in the lineup. Wagner was dealt at the trade deadline last season and Loperfido in the offseason in January. 

By trading both Loperfido and Wagner, the Blue Jays acquired two worthwhile additions who have provided clutch hitting, raw power and defensive versatility this season.

Analyzing how the return package for Yusei Kikuchi has been a major breakthrough for the Blue Jays

Acquiring Loperfido provided the Blue Jays with a solid bench player who sported a .333 batting average with four home runs and an .879 OPS during his tenure with the team. He proved to be a valuable trade asset, as the Blue Jays ended up trading him to the Houston Astros in exchange for Jesus Sanchez.

Sanchez was acquired to replace injured Anthony Santander, and he’s been a stellar addition providing reliable production and clutch at-bats.

When it comes to Wagner, he made a strong impression in his MLB debut with the Blue Jays, going 3-for-4 with an RBI on Aug. 12, 2024. But he later became useful as a solid trade chip that proved to be a significant win for the Blue Jays as they traded him to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Brandon Valenzuela. 

Valenzuela has been a shockingly valuable asset to the Blue Jays, with his defensive upside but also his resurgent bat. He’s undeniably proven his worth in the big leagues as a rookie, performing as one of the Blue Jays’ most consistent hitters. He has even earned praise from teammate Ernie Clement, who called him “the most improved player” in MLB. 

In his last seven games he’s been riding a hot bat with a .333 batting average, three home runs, seven RBI and an .857 slugging percentage. He had the game-winning hit for the Blue Jays against the Phillies on June 9.

Then there’s Bloss, the lone member of the trade who is still with the organization. While Bloss has yet to make his debut with the Blue Jays following rehab from Tommy John surgery, he is making significant strides in his recovery and could earn a call-up later this season. He currently ranks as the No. 7 prospect in the Blue Jays’ system.

Overall, the Blue Jays trading Kikuchi provided them with two worthwhile additions (Wagner and Loperfido) that were later utilized as trade bait to acquire Valenzuela and Sanchez, who have been solid contributors to the Blue Jays success in 2026 as well as a promising arm who could eventually make the trade look even better for Toronto.

For the first time since he moved to the Western Conference, LeBron James will be an unrestricted free agent.

It always seemed James would retire with the Los Angeles Lakers, but their addition of Luka Doncic may have changed the front office’s plans.

However, there’s still a chance James will resume his career in purple and gold, though both parties would still have to work out the financial aspects of their partnership.

According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, James would prefer to stay in Los Angeles, given that his family has already established itself there. 

LeBron wants to stay in Los Angeles

“Staying with the Lakers is widely believed to be his preferred choice because he is so entrenched in Los Angeles now after eight seasons with the purple and gold,” Fischer wrote.

Nevertheless, that won’t stop the Golden State Warriors from trying to get him. Apparently, they believe that he could still stay in Los Angeles while playing in Northern California.

“Yet league sources maintain that Golden State remains legitimately interested in adding LeBron to their Stephen Curry/Jimmy Butler/Draymond Green core coached by Steve Kerr,” added Fischer. “With the pitch presumed to include the idea that LeBron could commute from Los Angeles to some TBD degree without having to move his family.”

Multiple teams will be in the hunt for James’ services, and it might come down to who’s willing to pay him the most.

Granted, James is no longer the type of player who should demand $50 million a year, but with this most likely being his final contract, he may want to maximize his earning potential before riding into the sunset. 

It was not all that long ago when it seemed likely that first-year Cleveland Browns head coach Todd Monken would name veteran Deshaun Watson the team’s Week 1 starting quarterback over 2025 rookie Shedeur Sanders shortly after the team’s mandatory minicamp wrapped up this coming Thursday. 

However, recent reports suggested that Sanders had closed the gap in the competition, so much so that Monken could continue evaluating the quarterbacks through the summer. While speaking with reporters on Tuesday, Monken shared an update that will please Sanders supporters and pockets of Cleveland fans.

hedeur Sanders has given the Browns something to think about

Per Daryl Ruiter of Cleveland sports radio station 92.3 The Fan, Monken confirmed that he does not plan to name a Week 1 starting quarterback before players begin their summer breaks. 

“They’ve both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start,” Monken said about Sanders and Watson, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN. 

Todd Monken said chances are he’s not going to name a starting quarterback between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson after mandatory minicamp.

“They’ve both played well enough to earn the right to compete to start.”

While it’s unclear exactly when Monken will feel comfortable naming his starter, Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer hinted on Monday that the competition could run through the Browns’ first two games of the preseason. Cleveland plays at the Chicago Bears on Aug. 15, and the Browns will later host the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 22.

Starting Shedeur Sanders is the better business decision for the Browns to make

While Sanders is signed via an inexpensive rookie contract through the 2028 season, Watson is in the final year of the fully guaranteed five-year, $230M deal he received as part of agreeing to join the Browns from the Houston Texans in March 2022. For an article published on Monday, Tony Grossi of ESPN Cleveland/The Land on Demand noted that Watson and the Browns both “know there is no reasonable pathway to co-existence after this season.”

Thus, one would think that Monken and general manager Andrew Berry would prefer to declare Sanders the winner of the competition if he and Watson remain neck-and-neck through the preseason. For now, the fact that Sanders won’t automatically be relegated to QB2 duties before the second weekend of June arrives shows he has come on strong from where he was when it was first said in late April that Watson had “the inside track to be named the Browns’ QB1.”

Ja’Kobe Tharp broke the 110m hurdles world record during heats at the American college championships on Wednesday.

The 20-year-old, from Auburn, Alabama, clocked 12.75 seconds at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) event in Eugene, Oregon.

The previous record of 12.80 was set by fellow American Aries Merritt in Brussels in September 2012.

Current Olympic champion Grant Holloway set the previous collegiate record of 12.98 in 2019.

Tharp is the first athlete to set a world record at the NCAA championships in 50 years.

His previous best was 13.01 and although he came into the meet expecting to beat that, he did not expect to take more than a quarter of a second off that mark and set a world record.

“I knew I was ready to drop something crazy,” he told reporters.

“I knew what I was capable of, but I didn’t know about that.

“It wasn’t on my bingo chart for this meet, not at all. I’m speechless, seriously.”

Tharp will compete in the final on Friday, when he aims to become the first hurdler since Holloway in 2019 to win a second straight NCAA title.

Jordan Walker homered and drove in four runs, his latest big game in a breakout season, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Mets 9-2 on Wednesday night to match a season high with their sixth straight victory.

St. Louis starter Andre Pallante (7-4) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings. Pallante earned his third straight win and surpassed his win total from 2025 when he finished 6-15.

Walker knocked in the first run with an RBI single off New York opener Austin Warren (1-3) in a two-run first. Walker gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead in the fourth by hammering David Peterson’s fastball into the center-field seats for a three-run shot.

Walker’s single and 401-foot drive gave him 52 RBIs, one more than his previous career best set in his rookie season. He also surpassed his previous high by hitting his 17th homer, and he has at least one RBI in five straight games.

The 24-year-old Walker had multiple hits for the fifth time in six games and is batting .424 over his last seven games.

Nelson Velázquez preceded Walker’s homer with a two-run shot in the third to give the Cardinals a 4-0 lead. Alec Burlerson homered for the second straight night in the ninth and extended his hitting streak to 10 games.

St. Louis has outscored the Mets 16-2 in the first two games of the three-game series.

Masyn Winn added an RBI and reached base three times. José Fermín provided an RBI single as the Cardinals won a sixth straight game for the second time this year.

Francisco Alvarez hit a two-run homer in his second game back after missing four weeks with a torn meniscus in his knee, but the Mets were held to three hits. Juan Soto was 0 for 3 and is mired in a 3-for-30 skid.

Warren threw 33 pitches to seven hitters in his second appearance as an opener. Peterson was tagged for six runs and seven hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Byron Buxton hit his team-high 20th home run, a three-run shot, and the visiting Minnesota Twins held off the Detroit Tigers 6-4 on Wednesday.

Royce Lewis added a solo homer and Austin Martin scored twice for Minnesota. Every player in the Twins’ lineup got at least one hit.

Twins reliever Taylor Rogers (2-3) tossed a scoreless inning, and Yoendrys Gomez escaped a ninth-inning jam to collect his fifth save.

Gleyber Torres had three hits and an RBI for Detroit. Kerry Carpenter supplied a two-run single while Kevin McGonigle walked three times and scored twice.

Detroit starter Framber Valdez (3-5) gave up four runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out two and walked two.

The game was delayed for 1 hour, 7 minutes by rain during the first inning.

Lewis got the Twins on the board in the second inning when he blasted a Valdez sinker over the left-center-field wall. After Valdez pitched out of a jam in the third, his teammates tied it in the bottom of the inning. McGonigle drew a two-out walk, and Torres knocked him in with a double to right-center field.

Valdez put himself in danger in the fifth by hitting Alex Jackson and Martin with pitches. Buxton then unloaded on a changeup, driving it over the left-center-field wall to make it 4-1.

The Tigers rallied in the bottom of the frame. Zach McKinstry reached on an infield single, and McGonigle walked with one out. A Torres single loaded the bases before Carpenter smacked a two-run hit to right. Andrew Morris prevented further damage by striking out Dillon Dingler and Riley Greene.

Minnesota got some breathing room in the seventh. Martin led off with a walk and Buxton singled. After a fielder’s choice and a strikeout, Drew Sommers entered the game for Detroit and gave up Josh Bell’s run-scoring single. A wild pitch brought in another run to give the Twins a 6-3 lead.

The Tigers left two runners on base in the bottom of the inning. They pushed across a run in the ninth on Dingler’s two-out single, but Gomez struck out Greene to end the game.

Quarterfinal clash set: Amanda Anisimova and Iva Jovic both scored decisive wins to book a quarterfinal meeting at the HSBC Championships.

Injury shakes draw: Victoria Mboko retired with a left knee injury, raising doubts about her readiness for Wimbledon.

Weather disruptions: Rain and darkness postponed the Donna Vekic vs. Marie Bouzkova match, to resume Thursday.

Anisimova and Jovic set quarterfinal showdown in London

No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova and No. 6 seed Iva Jovic each advanced in straight sets from their Round of 16 matches at the HSBC Championships. Anisimova, a finalist here and at Wimbledon last year, defeated Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-3 in 66 minutes, winning all but four points on her first serve and breaking serve four times. Jovic, 17 and ranked 19th, beat Alexandra Eala 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 17 minutes, converting five of seven break points despite four double faults

Anisimova and Jovic set quarterfinal showdown in London

No. 2 seed Amanda Anisimova and No. 6 seed Iva Jovic each advanced in straight sets from their Round of 16 matches at the HSBC Championships. Anisimova, a finalist here and at Wimbledon last year, defeated Laura Siegemund 6-1, 6-3 in 66 minutes, winning all but four points on her first serve and breaking serve four times. Jovic, 17 and ranked 19th, beat Alexandra Eala 6-2, 6-2 in one hour and 17 minutes, converting five of seven break points despite four double faults

Williams and Mboko still in doubles draw

Serena Williams, competing in doubles alongside Victoria Mboko at the HSBC Championships, remains in the draw despite her partner’s singles injury retirement. The pair is scheduled to face Leylah Fernandez and Laura Siegemund in the quarterfinals. Williams’ participation is part of her competitive return at age 44 ahead of Wimbledon. Reuters

Other pre-Wimbledon shifts: Draper’s withdrawal and Sinner’s favor

Britain’s Jack Draper has withdrawn from Queen’s Club with a knee injury, targeting a return at Eastbourne under new coach Andy Murray. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner enters the grass season as the statistical frontrunner despite a shock second-round exit at Roland Garros, backed by his 2025 Wimbledon title and strong grass-court record. His physical condition remains under observation, but his power and serve make him a top contender at SW19.