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There will be a reunion at the start of September. The pair who combined for the only Champions League-winning goal – penalty shootouts excluded – in Chelsea’s history will be together again. But not for a Chelsea game. When Kai Havertz, the 2021 scorer, and Mason Mount, his supplier, are due to share a pitch again, it is because Arsenal are hosting Manchester United. The pace of change at Stamford Bridge is so swift that, barely two years after Thomas Tuchel’s team triumphed in Porto, only three of the 14 men to take the field that day - Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Reece James – are set to be at Chelsea next season. Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital can argue that the first of the departures, those of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, in effect predated their arrival, but not the rest. Chelsea now seem to exist in a state of permanent revolution. If Mount’s exit ought to provide Chelsea with most grounds for regret – Havertz, in contrast, spent three seasons as an enigma – United’s new No. 7 reflects a third phenomenon at Stamford Bridge. If Barcelona spent the summer of 2022 pulling various levers to permit them to trade, Mount is part of Boehly’s third lever. The first two have the air of loopholes; or, at the least, unique circumstances. Part one was based on amortisation over extraordinarily long contracts, thus allowing them to spread the fees – in their accounts, anyway – over much of the next decade. It is a loophole Uefa are closing but Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Nicolas Jackson have deals until 2031, Benoit Badiashile, Malo Gusto, Noni Madueke and Andrey Santos contracts until 2030 and Wesley Fofana, David Datro Fofana and Christopher Nkunku are tied down until 2029. Ridiculously, Chelsea have 17 players whose deals last at least another five seasons. Part two of the masterplan involved selling to Saudi Arabia. Perhaps Boehly, the man who acted as though he was cleverer than everyone else for much of a year of rampant stupidity, deserves credit for recognising and capitalising on a new market when some of Chelsea’s rivals are struggling to dispose of unwanted players. Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and, albeit on a free transfer, N’Golo Kante have gone to a newly wealthy league; Hakim Ziyech and Romelu Lukaku could follow and, if Chelsea have their way, perhaps Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will, too. But the third phase of the Boehly blueprint has entailed selling off the family silver. Letting Ruben Loftus-Cheek join AC Milan was understandable; Chelsea can lament what might have been if a huge talent had stayed fit but, at 27, he had only made 155 appearances for them. But Mount was different: Chelsea’s player of the year in two of the last three campaigns – a lazy trope he has had two bad campaigns shows ignorance – and a footballer who, along with Fernandez, James and Chilwell, looked among the best suited of their squad to Mauricio Pochettino’s demands, he should have been a Stamford Bridge lifer; maybe a future captain, possibly ending up with 500 or 600 appearances to his name. And yet over the last year Chelsea contrived to hire three managers and 18 players – plus bidding for dozens of others – and give several of their existing squad new deals without managing to extend Mount’s contract. It should have been one of the top priorities for the new regime; it did not feel that way and, while Chelsea can claim they had to sell the midfielder to prevent him from leaving on a free transfer, it has the air of a situation they created themselves. His sale was an indictment of their powerbrokers. They may deem it a triumph of negotiating, though, after forcing United to pay more than they wanted to. At an initial £55m, Mount has brought in one of the five biggest fees Chelsea have ever received. But from an accounting perspective, the key element is that it counts as “pure profit” in the books; sales of the homegrown are especially useful in that respect, particularly for a club who may face issues in their attempts to pass Financial Fair Play. It may point to the departures of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ethan Ampadu, who arguably need moves, but also to those who do not: perhaps Trevoh Chalobah or Conor Gallagher or Armando Broja. It may be telling that Chelsea tried to send Gallagher to Everton in January. Remove the word “pure” and the profit part is still rare. Chelsea sold Mendy at a loss, two years after he was named the best goalkeeper in the world. They sold Koulibaly for half the amount they paid last summer. The £65m they recouped for Havertz may be more than anticipated, but it was still less than his purchase price. Mateo Kovacic only had a year left on his deal and is 29 but he, too, went for a smaller sum than he arrived for. Lukaku, Ziyech and Christian Pulisic, if they go, will bring in under half of a combined cost of almost £200m. That is certainly not all the fault of Boehly and Clearlake: in several cases, their fortunes were declining before the takeover though the chaos of the last year has often compounded that. Being displaced by dozens of new signings can deplete value still further, while Koulibaly and Aubameyang can now be written off as bad buys. And Boehly and Chelsea are trying to fund their trading – or at least negotiate Financial Fair Play – by flogging anything and anyone they inherited. They have surpassed many an expectation by bringing in around £200m already this summer. There may well be another half a dozen players leaving, perhaps swelling the sum towards £300m. But Chelsea’s outlay already stands at the best part of £700m in little over a year. Whether it leaves them with a stronger squad than in 2021 is a moot point: after all, they have gone from being Champions League winners to out of Europe altogether. But by the end of this transfer window, Boehly’s third lever may have exhausted its use. Chelsea might be running out of players to sell. And at some point, they may have to call upon a fourth prong: a distinctly old-fashioned one called trading well. It may involve seeking value for money when buying, rather than repeatedly paying way over the odds, and selling some of their signings for a profit. It could entail keeping players for several years, rather than having a revolving door. It may sound crazy to Boehly and co but Chelsea might have to try it. Read More Mason Mount says it was clear ‘several months ago’ he was not in Chelsea’s plans Chelsea not willing to listen to offers for Levi Colwill amid continued interest Kalidou Koulibaly exits Chelsea to become latest star name joining Saudi Pro League Dybala or Vlahovic: Which Serie A striker should Chelsea sign? Chelsea target two Serie A players in quest for experienced strikers Mauricio Pochettino explains Chelsea ‘risk’ as club enters new era

Paris Saint-Germain are now leading the race for Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani, in a move that could well have a knock-on effect on the rest of a highly-competitive striker's market this summer. While the pursuit is entirely separate to Kylian Mbappe's future, since the French champions are looking for a No 9 regardless, it may well affect the plans of other clubs. The 24-year-old is almost seen as the ideal striker target this summer in how he offers an increasingly rare set of qualities but is also gettable for a relatively reasonable price, with all of Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur having seriously looked. It is understood that PSG's interest has influenced Bayern's position, especially as they accelerate attempts to sign Harry Kane. The German champions had been seen as favourites to secure Kolo Muani just a few months ago but that has now changed. PSG are understood to have successfully sold the idea that a return to his home nation will suit him better at this point in his career, as Luis Enrique attempts to build a new stage of the Qatari project. While Frankfurt had previously set a price of around £100m, it is believed a deal can be struck for £80m. That has also shaped United's plans although there had already been a rethink about how to apportion their summer budget, with Atalanta's Rasmus Hojlund potentially offering a cheaper option, who Erik ten Hag also greatly admires.

Alexander Volkanovski continued his dominant run atop the UFC featherweight division on Saturday, stopping interim champion Yair Rodriguez to unify the titles. Volkanovski controlled the Mexican on the mat for most of the first two rounds, and just when Rodriguez began to flicker into life in the striking exchanges, Volkanovski fired back with a hard right hook to set up a ground-and-pound finish in Round 3. With the result at Las Vegas’s T-Mobile Arena, the Australian not only retained his featherweight title but bounced back from a narrow loss to Islam Makhachev – Volkanovski’s first defeat in 10 years, and one that occurred when the 34-year-old challenged for the lightweight belt in February. In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja won a thrilling, back-and-forth battle with Brandon Moreno, taking the flyweight title from the Mexican with a split-decision win. The victory also saw the Brazilian move to 3-0 against two-time champion Moreno, whom Pantoja also beat in 2016 and 2018. Earlier in the night, South Africa’s Dricus Du Plessis stunned Robert Whittaker, beating the ex-middleweight champion via TKO before facing off with reigning title holder Israel Adesanya in a heated exchange. All the while, ex-US president Donald Trump watched on from ringside. Also, former welterweight champion Robbie Lawler won his retirement fight by knocking out Niko Price inside the first minute, Dan Hooker outpointed Jalin Turner despite suffering a broken arm, and Bo Nickal knocked out Val Woodburn to move to 5-0 with a fifth first-round finish. Full UFC 290 results Main card Alexander Volkanovski def. Yair Rodriguez via third-round TKO (4:19) Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Moreno via split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47) Dricus Du Plessis def. Robert Whittaker via second-round TKO (punches, 2:23) Dan Hooker def. Jalin Turner via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Bo Nickal def. Val Woodburn via first-round TKO (punches, 0:38) Prelims Robbie Lawler def. Niko Price via first-round KO (punches, 0:38) Tatsuro Taira def. Edgar Chairez via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27) Denise Gomes def. Yazmin Jauregui via first-round TKO (punches, 0:20) Alonzo Menifield def. Jimmy Crute via second-round submission (guillotine choke, 1:55) Early prelims Vitor Petrino def. Marcin Prachnio via third-round submission (arm triangle, 3:42) Cameron Saaiman def. Terrence Mitchell via first-round TKO (3:10) Jesus Aguilar def. Shannon Ross via first-round KO (0:17) Esteban Ribovics def. Kamuela Kirk via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Donald Trump high-fives fans at UFC 290 in Las Vegas Conor McGregor shoves Michael Chandler in the face amid coaching criticism UFC rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list Donald Trump high-fives fans at UFC 290 in Las Vegas Brandon Moreno, piñatas and the promise that inspired UFC supremacy UFC 290 LIVE: Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez updates and results

The UFC featherweight titles will be unified this weekend, as Alexander Volkanovski takes on interim champion Yair Rodriguez in a main-event clash. The pair headline UFC 290 in Las Vegas, where Volkanovski will try to maintain his dominance at 145lbs, following a brave but unsuccessful bid to win the lightweight title in February. FOLLOW LIVE: UFC 290 - Latest Volkanovski vs Rodriguez updates The Australian lost a narrow decision to 155lbs champion Islam Makhachev in Perth, at the same event where Rodriguez submitted Josh Emmett to win the interim featherweight belt. In the co-main event on Saturday, Brandon Moreno defends his flyweight title against a foe who has beaten him twice: Alexandre Pantoja. Moreno has improved significantly since those losses in 2016 and 2018, but this bout marks a difficult defence to kickstart the Mexican’s second reign as champion. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 290 will take place on Saturday 8 July, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early prelims are set to begin at 11pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 9 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Odds Volkanovski – 2/9; Rodriguez – 100/30 Moreno – 1/2; Pantoja – 13/8 Whittaker – 1/4; Du Plessis – 3/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Main card Alexander Volkanovski (C) vs Yair Rodriguez (IC) (featherweight title) Brandon Moreno (C) vs Alexandre Pantoja (flyweight title) Robert Whittaker vs Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight) Jalin Turner vs Dan Hooker (lightweight) Bo Nickal vs Val Woodburn (middleweight) Prelims Robbie Lawler vs Niko Price (welterweight) Tatsuro Taira vs Edgar Chairez (catchweight) Yazmin Jauregui vs Denise Gomes (women’s strawweight) Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield (light-heavyweight) Early prelims Vitor Petrino vs Marcin Prachnio (light-heavyweight) Cameron Saaiman vs Terrence Mitchell (bantamweight) Shannon Ross vs Jesus Aguilar (flyweight) Kamuela Kirk vs Esteban Ribovics (lightweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Sean Strickland makes passionate plea for Israel Adesanya fight after dominant win What time does UFC 290 start in UK and US tonight? How to watch UFC 290 online and on TV tonight Brandon Moreno, piñatas and the promise that inspired UFC supremacy

Two titles will be on the line at UFC 290 this weekend, as Alexander Volkanovski and Brandon Moreno defend their gold against formidable opponents. In the main event, Volkanovski defends his featherweight title against interim champion Yair Rodriguez, who will try to become the first fighter to beat the Australian at 145lbs. In February, Rodriguez submitted Josh Emmett to win the interim featherweight title, moments before Volkanovski challenged Islam Makhachev for the lightweight belt and came up narrowly short. That was just the second loss of Volkanovski’s career, with the 34-year-old’s only previous defeat having occurred 10 years ago – and at welterweight. FOLLOW LIVE: UFC 290 - Latest Volkanovski vs Rodriguez updates Meanwhile, Rodriguez’s victory over Emmett made him just the second Mexican champion in UFC history. His title win was followed by Alexa Grasso’s triumph in March, while Moreno preceded the pair as the first Mexican fighter to claim gold in the promotion. And Moreno will be in action again this weekend, defending his flyweight title against a foe who has beaten him twice: Alexandre Pantoja. Moreno has improved significantly since those losses in 2016 and 2018, but this co-main event marks a difficult defence to kickstart his second reign as champion. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 290 will take place on Saturday 8 July, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early prelims are set to begin at 11pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 9 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Odds Volkanovski – 2/9; Rodriguez – 100/30 Moreno – 1/2; Pantoja – 13/8 Whittaker – 1/4; Du Plessis – 3/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Main card Alexander Volkanovski (C) vs Yair Rodriguez (IC) (featherweight title) Brandon Moreno (C) vs Alexandre Pantoja (flyweight title) Robert Whittaker vs Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight) Jalin Turner vs Dan Hooker (lightweight) Bo Nickal vs Val Woodburn (middleweight) Prelims Robbie Lawler vs Niko Price (welterweight) Tatsuro Taira vs Edgar Chairez (catchweight) Yazmin Jauregui vs Denise Gomes (women’s strawweight) Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield (light-heavyweight) Early prelims Vitor Petrino vs Marcin Prachnio (light-heavyweight) Cameron Saaiman vs Terrence Mitchell (bantamweight) Shannon Ross vs Jesus Aguilar (flyweight) Kamuela Kirk vs Esteban Ribovics (lightweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Sean Strickland makes passionate plea for Israel Adesanya fight after dominant win Who is fighting on UFC 290 undercard tonight? What time does UFC 290 start in UK and US tonight? Brandon Moreno, piñatas and the promise that inspired UFC supremacy

UFC 290 will build towards two major title fights tonight, as Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight belt against Yair Rodriguez, and Brandon Moreno puts his flyweight gold on the line versus Alexandre Pantoja. Volkanovski and Rodriguez both fought on the same night in February, as “Alexander The Great” lost a controversial decision while challenging Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title, after Rodriguez submitted Josh Emmett to win the interim featherweight strap. The 145lbs titles will be unified tonight, as pound-for-pound great Volkanovski returns to his usual division to take on the Mexican – one of the most unique strikers in MMA. In the co-main event, Moreno looks to avenge two losses to Pantoja when he defends the title that he regained in January, when he stopped Deiveson Figueiredo in the Brazilian’s home country to win the pair’s four-fight series. Elsewhere on the card, ex-middleweight champion Robert Whittaker faces Dricus Du Plessis in a No 1 contender’s bout, and legend Robbie Lawler takes his final bow. There are plenty of other great match-ups tonight, too, which you can follow with our live blog below. Read More Brandon Moreno, piñatas and the promise that inspired UFC supremacy Conor McGregor shoves Michael Chandler in the face amid coaching criticism Sean Strickland makes passionate plea for Israel Adesanya fight after dominant win

Alexander Volkanovski returns to featherweight this weekend, defending his title against interim champion Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC 290. In February, both men fought on the same night, with Rodriguez submitting Josh Emmett to win the interim belt, before Volkanovski lost a narrow decision to Islam Makhachev while challenging for the lightweight title. The latter result marked just the second loss of Volkanovski’s career, and his first in 10 years. Neither defeat took place at featherweight, however, where the Australian has been imperious and earned the status of the UFC’s pound-for-pound No 1 in the eyes of many fans. In the co-main event on Saturday, Brandon Moreno defends his flyweight title against a foe who has beaten him twice: Alexandre Pantoja. Moreno has improved significantly since those losses in 2016 and 2018, but this bout marks a difficult defence to kickstart the Mexican’s second reign as champion. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 290 will take place on Saturday 8 July, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early prelims are set to begin at 11pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 9 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Odds Volkanovski – 2/9; Rodriguez – 100/30 Moreno – 1/2; Pantoja – 13/8 Whittaker – 1/4; Du Plessis – 3/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Alexander Volkanovski (C) vs Yair Rodriguez (IC) (featherweight title) Brandon Moreno (C) vs Alexandre Pantoja (flyweight title) Robert Whittaker vs Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight) Jalin Turner vs Dan Hooker (lightweight) Bo Nickal vs Tresean Gore (middleweight) Prelims Robbie Lawler vs Niko Price (welterweight) Jack Della Maddalena vs TBC (welterweight) Yazmin Jauregui vs Denise Gomes (women’s strawweight) Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield (light-heavyweight) Early prelims Vitor Petrino vs Marcin Prachnio (light-heavyweight) Cameron Saaiman vs Terrence Mitchell (bantamweight) Shannon Ross vs Jesus Aguilar (flyweight) Kamuela Kirk vs Esteban Ribovics (lightweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Sean Strickland makes passionate plea for Israel Adesanya fight after dominant win Who is fighting on UFC 290 undercard this weekend? How to watch UFC 290 online and on TV this weekend Brandon Moreno, piñatas and the promise that inspired UFC supremacy

Erik ten Hag is intent on offloading Harry Maguire, Fred, Scott McTominay and Jadon Sancho in the next two weeks to kickstart a badly needed streamlining of the Manchester United squad, as he seeks to mount a title challenge for next season. The Dutch coach is understood to have made definitive decisions on who he wants to keep, in a situation that has been likened to Mikel Arteta's first full summer at Arsenal. Ten Hag is aware that a group works at optimum when everyone is totally focused and involved, and that it is better to jettison those who do not feature as part of long-term plans. This has placed Maguire in a tricky position, not least because England manager Gareth Southgate has told him he needs to get regular Premier League football to keep his place for Euro 2024. West Ham United are among the clubs that have so far expressed tentative interest but have been put off by the cost of any deal. The Old Trafford hierarchy have set a value of £50m but buying clubs believe he is actually available for £35m. The main issue with Maguire remains high wages. This has actually proved United's primary problem in a long-standing struggle to sell players. Too many are on high salaries from previous management regimes, with potential buyers unwilling to go so high and players consequently unwilling to move. Ten Hag has nevertheless made his hierarchy at centre-back clear, with Victor Lindelof the main replacement and Luke Shaw seen as the second back-up. That will give Maguire a decision, but there aren't currently too many suitable takers. A loan is a potential option. Fulham meanwhile retain interest in Fred while both West Ham United and Newcastle United have been monitoring Scott McTominay, depending on movements with both. Arsenal are expected to hold a medical for Declan Rice in the next 48 hours, which will likely see West Ham accelerate plans to replace the England midfielder amid a new recruitment structure. It is understood that Sancho has been broached as a possible sale to Tottenham Hotspur but there hasn't been much feedback yet. United would ideally see him as a makeweight in any move for Harry Kane but the England record scorer's future remains uncertain, and is actually widely seen as one of those that could "unlock" the rest of the transfer market. Even though Kane's preference would be to go to Old Trafford, it is currently seen as highly unlikely due to the difficulty of negotiating with Daniel Levy. As it is, United are planning without him, and a current target for the summer is to bring in Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana and potentially Atalanta's Rasmus Hojland on top of Mason Mount, with further signings dependent on sales. Read More Mason Mount says it was clear ‘several months ago’ he was not in Chelsea’s plans Manchester United transfer news: Mason Mount signs from Chelsea as Andre Onana bid made Football rumours: Manchester United lining up bid for Rasmus Hojlund

The UFC featherweight titles will be unified this weekend, as Alexander Volkanovski takes on interim champion Yair Rodriguez in a main-event clash. The pair headline UFC 290 in Las Vegas, where Volkanovski will try to maintain his dominance at 145lbs, following a brave but unsuccessful bid to win the lightweight title in February. The Australian lost a narrow decision to 155lbs champion Islam Makhachev in Perth, at the same event where Rodriguez submitted Josh Emmett to win the interim featherweight belt. In the co-main event on Saturday, Brandon Moreno defends his flyweight title against a foe who has beaten him twice: Alexandre Pantoja. Moreno has improved significantly since those losses in 2016 and 2018, but this bout marks a difficult defence to kickstart the Mexican’s second reign as champion. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 290 will take place on Saturday 8 July, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early prelims are set to begin at 11pm BST (3pm PT, 5pm CT, 6pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 9 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Odds Volkanovski – 2/9; Rodriguez – 100/30 Moreno – 1/2; Pantoja – 13/8 Whittaker – 1/4; Du Plessis – 3/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Alexander Volkanovski (C) vs Yair Rodriguez (IC) (featherweight title) Brandon Moreno (C) vs Alexandre Pantoja (flyweight title) Robert Whittaker vs Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight) Jalin Turner vs Dan Hooker (lightweight) Bo Nickal vs Tresean Gore (middleweight) Prelims Robbie Lawler vs Niko Price (welterweight) Jack Della Maddalena vs TBC (welterweight) Yazmin Jauregui vs Denise Gomes (women’s strawweight) Jimmy Crute vs Alonzo Menifield (light-heavyweight) Early prelims Vitor Petrino vs Marcin Prachnio (light-heavyweight) Cameron Saaiman vs Terrence Mitchell (bantamweight) Shannon Ross vs Jesus Aguilar (flyweight) Kamuela Kirk vs Esteban Ribovics (lightweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Sean Strickland makes passionate plea for Israel Adesanya fight after dominant win Conor McGregor shoves Michael Chandler in the face amid coaching criticism What time does UFC 290 start in UK and US this weekend? How to watch UFC 290 online and on TV this weekend

Conor McGregor laid hands on Michael Chandler on this week’s episode of The Ultimate Fighter, as the former UFC champion’s frustration boiled over amid his team’s losing streak. McGregor’s team have lost every fight so far on the new season of the UFC television show, going 0-6 against Team Chandler. On this week’s episode, Lee Hammond was submitted by Kurt Holobaugh in the second round of their lightweight clash. McGregor’s fellow Irishman Hammond impressed in the first round, but he was caught in a guillotine choke and tapped out in the next frame. Outside the ring, McGregor fell to his knees and buried his head in his hands. The 34-year-old then entered the cage and told Hammond: “Lee, that was a f***ing flawless performance.” Hammond replied, “That’s not flawless,” but McGregor doubled down: “That’s a flawless performance, son, don’t worry about it. “He got lucky there. Head up. I’m proud of you mate. It happens. He didn’t land one shot on you, you were absolutely timing him.” McGregor then took exception to Chandler saying that his team are ‘stacking up wins’. McGregor told the American, “Some of these kids were in the UFC before you were in the UFC,” referencing the fact that Chandler is coaching a team of UFC veterans against McGregor’s rookies. “As long as you show up for them,” Chandler hit back, criticising McGregor’s coaching ability. “Maybe if you showed up for them. I show up for my f***ing team.” “I’ll show up and break your nose, you little fool, yeah?” McGregor fired back, before shoving Chandler in the face. “Woo!” Chandler shouted. “Oh, are we gonna do this, are we gonna fight right now? Let’s go, baby.” UFC president Dana White rushed to the ring to calm down both men, before Chandler left and told McGregor’s mentees: “I’m sorry you guys are on that f***ing team. I would have been there for you.” McGregor and Chandler were announced as the coaches for this season of The Ultimate Fighter back in February, when it was also confirmed that they would fight each other later this year. However, no date, location or weight class has been announced for that bout. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK UFC 290 live stream: How to watch Volkanovski vs Rodriguez online and on TV this weekend Sean Strickland makes passionate plea for Israel Adesanya fight after dominant win UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year Michael Chandler reassures fans over Conor McGregor fight Conor McGregor doubles down on Ultimate Fighter criticism

There’s a sea of change sweeping over the Etihad Stadium this summer. Ilkay Gundogan has departed for Barcelona, while Aymeric Laporte is another set to leave for pastures new. Manchester City have a knack for selling players at the right time, so fans shouldn’t be too concerned at the departure of a clutch midfielder and a centre-back who was previously considered the best at Pep Guardiola’s disposal. Nevertheless, to remain competitive even the best need to evolve and City are no exception. Mateo Kovacic has joined from Chelsea to cover Gundogan’s exit, while the Champions League holders are eyeing up another Croat to bolster at the back. City are closing in on the signing of RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol in a deal that will make the 21-year-old the most expensive defender in history. The vultures have been circling the Red Bull Arena for the versatile defender for the best part of 12 months now, with Tottenham and Chelsea both credited with an interest in the youngster last summer. However, as Gvardiol’s profile rose, so too did RB Leipzig’s asking price with City blowing the pair out of the water in the race to land the Croatia international. It’s the versatility to Gvardiol’s game that would undoubtedly have appealed to Guardiola. In 14 Premier League matches last season, Guardiola used a three-man backline, with the idea being to supplement Erling Haaland with as many attacking players in support as possible, this largely stemming from the 2-1 loss at Manchester United back in January. The Spaniard, therefore, needed flexible performers at the back to operate in a four-man or a three-man defence where required in-game. John Stones is perhaps the best example of this interchangeability, the ‘Barnsley Beckenbauer’ routinely shining at right-back, centre-back or central midfield, more often than not all in the same game. This meant the left-sided centre-back needed to either drift wide or tuck in where required, duties Nathan Ake and Manuel Akanji both carried out well. That being said, Gvardiol is arguably a level above the pair, thus explaining City’s interest in the RB Leipzig man. In any Guardiola system, distribution is key. City build attacks from the back with goalkeeper Ederson and the defenders vital at setting the champions on the front foot. Gvardiol fits the bill perfectly having finished the 2022/23 Bundesliga campaign fifth for passes per game (71.3) and with the ninth-best pass success rate (89.3%) to his name. In addition, the ability to pick a pass from distance will help City quickly transition from defence to attack, with the youngster returning a long ball pass success rate of 59.7% last season, that ranking 12th of the 112 Bundesliga players to have attempted 100 or more long balls. For a City side that ranked second for counter-attacking goals (7) behind rivals Manchester United (9) in the Premier League last season, Gvardiol’s ability to go direct where required will aid the former when they seek to break forward at speed, with Haaland, in particular, likely to benefit. This is particularly pertinent in that City ranked second for accurate long balls per 90 (28.4) in England’s top tier last term, so a defender to help place high for this metric will aid the Cityzens should they seek to go direct, as was evidenced during the 4-1 win over Arsenal back in April. In addition to distributing the ball well, Gvardiol is also a composed figure in defence, ensuring that any opponent who does seek to pressure the defender is unlikely to be successful in their quest. Indeed, of the 217 players to attempt 15 or more dribbles, none had a better dribble success rate than Gvardiol (88.9%) in the Bundesliga last season, so he’s calm under pressure and able to bring the ball forward where needed to help work the angles and fully maximise his vision. So, all in all, the perfect defender, right? Well... not quite. For all of Gvardiol’s qualities, opponents have proven to be able to get the better of the incoming centre-back in the air on more than one occasion. In fact, Gvardiol won just 55.8% of the aerial duels he contested in the Bundesliga last season, and teams will feel as though they can exploit this shortcoming as a means to get the better of City next season. That being said, City won the fewest aerial duels per 90 (11.6) in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, and that hardly impacted their successful title defence, so it’s a weakness to Gvardiol’s game that is unlikely to be routinely capitalised upon, such is City’s dominance. The pros, then, far outweighs the cons and given his tender years, there is plenty more to come from Gvardiol, who should go on to become a mainstay in the City backline. After all, it’s difficult to find a defender better suited to Guardiola’s game plan. Read More Man City assistant Rodolfo Borrell joins MLS side Austin FC as sporting director Ilkay Gundogan, the man who transformed Man City and timed a perfect goodbye Football’s biggest brand? Only one thing can stop the Man City ‘machine’ now Yaya Toure hopes Standard Liege coaching spell leads to Premier League return Jodie Burrage recalls the dark days after landmark victory at Wimbledon Cadan Murley: Studying Erling Haaland can help my England World Cup cause

A boxing match between KSI and Tommy Fury is ‘very close’ to being agreed, per promoter Kalle Sauerland. KSI last fought in May, knocking out Joe Fournier with a controversial elbow that led the YouTube star’s win to be overturned. Meanwhile, Fury – half-brother of world heavyweight champion Tyson – most recently competed in February, outpointing Jake Paul. KSI, 30, and Fury, 24, faced off in the ring after the former’s fight with Fournier, and a bout between the Britons is edging closer. “CONFIRMED: weights agreed today for @KSI v @tommytntfury... very close now!” Sauerland wrote on Twitter on Monday (3 July). KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) has only fought once professionally, beating Logan Paul on points in 2019 after fighting the American to a draw in a 2018 amateur bout. He has fought several times in exhibition contests, however, including against businessman and ex-boxer Fournier in May. Meanwhile, Fury is 9-0 as a professional with four knockout wins. In his most recent fight, he was dropped late by Jake Paul but beat the YouTuber via split decision. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More KSI and Tommy Fury separated after heated face-off at Misfits boxing event KSI and Joe Fournier react as fight result is overturned Nate Diaz ‘looked like he was dying’ in training for Jake Paul fight, sparring partner says