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Jon Jones has apologised to Stipe Miocic after withdrawing from their planned fight at UFC 295, as the heavyweight champion prepares for surgery. Jones, a former two-time light-heavyweight champion, was due to defend the heavyweight belt against divisional great Miocic on 11 November, but “Bones” sustained an injury in training this week. “He was wrestling, and he tore the tendon that connects your pec to the bone... off the bone,” said UFC president Dana White, who added that Jones, 36, will be out for around eight months. White also announced that Tom Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich will now fight for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295. In his first words since suffering the injury, Jones said in an Instagram video on Thursday (26 October): “Thank you to everybody who’s checked in with me to see how I was feeling. Obviously a very sad situation, very upset, but I’ve been through a lot of things in life, and injuries is a part of being an athlete. “I want to thank the UFC for getting me into one of the best doctors in the country, Dr Neal ElAttrache. Thank you to Dr Neal ElAttrache and his staff members over here in California for seeing me so quick. I wanted to say thank you to Stipe Miocic for all the work that he’s put in. Also, sorry to Stipe and his team. This comes with the territory. “Thank you to all my coaches and training partners, everyone who has helped me get this far – can’t even say to the fight, but the goal is to get surgery tomorrow and get back to work as soon as possible. I guess it’ll be Stipe and I at a later date, and that’s my plan. “So, it’ll be surgery and physical therapy for me for the next several months, but I’m committed. I’m committed, and my head is high. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for me, and I love you all. “And again, sincere apology to the fans. I know some of you guys, it was a huge commitment to get out to Madison Square Garden [where UFC 295 will take place in New York City]. Hopefully these other heavyweights, Aspinall and Sergei, put on a great show for you guys. I may even show up to the event to watch. But I love you all, and your boy Jon Jones is doing okay, and I’ll be okay. Take care.” Jones was expected by many fans to retire after fighting Miocic, 41. Jones’s heavyweight title win in March, when he submitted Ciryl Gane in Round 1, was the American’s first fight in three years and marked his debut in the division. Meanwhile, his compatriot Miocic has not fought since losing the heavyweight title to Francis Ngannou by knockout in March 2021. The former co-main event of UFC 295 has been elevated to the main event, as ex-middleweight champion Alex Pereira fights former light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka for the vacant title at 205lbs. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Jon Jones out of UFC 295 as Dana White announces new heavyweight title fight UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year Conor McGregor tipped to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov protege next

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In his bid to help South Africa retain its Rugby World Cup title, Cheslin Kolbe is ready to leave his favorite position on the wing to play at scrumhalf against New Zealand

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By Lisa Baertlein United Parcel Service on Thursday said it is spending more than $1 billion this quarter

By Fernando Kallas BARCELONA Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that England midfielder Jude Bellingham is ready

By Lewis Krauskopf NEW YORK Retail investors appear to be eager to buy up shares of the big

The education reform bill has come under fire as opposing parties say it is a "school capture".

Mikel Arteta has called on the Premier League to increase squad sizes as the Arsenal boss lost another two key players through injury. Both Gabriel Jesus and Thomas Partey face “a few weeks” on the sidelines after Arteta confirmed the pair have suffered setbacks. Arsenal, who remain unbeaten in the league so far this season, host winless Sheffield United on Saturday but Jesus will miss out with a hamstring issue suffered in the midweek Champions League win at Sevilla. Partey is absent having pulled up in training with a muscular injury which the PA news agency understands could rule him out until December. Arteta has already been without a host of players for periods of the campaign with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard needing treatment while summer signing Jurrien Timber is a long-term absentee following knee surgery. Arteta has often criticised footballing authorities for the number of fixtures in the calendar but, with that particular cork out of the bottle, he feels the solution could now lie in the Premier League expanding squad sizes beyond the current limit of 25. “If we have more games, more competitiveness and physically the standards are higher – by playing more minutes – we have to do that or instead of five subs, we have 10,” he said when asked about increasing squad sizes. “The five subs is now something normal but it was a big fight to go from three to five. I cannot imagine the game in the conditions we are in today after last year and the World Cup without five subs, it would be so difficult. “If the calendar extends, for sure we would have to think of not dropping the quality. The only way to do it is players have to have certain availability and you need players to pick.” “When is this going to stop and how long will it take for us to make the right decisions? The laws will change and probably our capacity to do things during games will change as well. We will have to adapt, for sure. “We will need more players. The players have a certain amount of energy. The battery lasts so long and we will burn them. We will need more players if that’s the case. We have to adapt. We try to manage every single thing to control it, but there are things that are difficult to do and we have to accept that Mikel Arteta “There are periods sometimes where you get really unlucky, and sometimes things that are really difficult to prevent. When you are loading players more and there are players who haven’t done it in the past that risk increases. “We try to manage every single thing to control it, but there are things that are difficult to do and we have to accept that.” Martin Odegaard is available and, despite being substituted in the last two games, Arteta is backing his captain to come good. Asked about recent criticism of Odegaard’s performances, Arteta said: “(It’s because) he’s an incredible player and he’s doing so much for us. “He’s our captain. We expect him to step in all the time like with the other players, and this is great because that’s the role that he has. “We have developed him into that player, that person, and now it’s about maintaining and sustaining that level. That’s the challenge.” Read More ‘High chance’ Sandro Tonali plays for Newcastle this weekend despite 10-month ban Mike McMeeken’s move ‘out of comfort zone’ to Catalans earned England recall Ange Postecoglou: Tottenham not a better team without Harry Kane, just different England’s woes at World Cup down to lack of preparation – Sir Geoffrey Boycott How ‘the best ever Scotland team to take the field’ fared at the Rugby World Cup A closer look at Ireland’s World Cup campaign and what the future might hold

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As if Alex Grinch was not already horrible at his job at USC, the Trojans' much-maligned defensive coordinator pretty much revealed that he does not watch film, as illustrated by his comment about how Utah uses safety Sione Vaki on offense.

A young Aston Villa fan looked set for a tearful night when a steward tore away his banner asking for his favourite player’s shirt – but it turned out better than he could have dreamed. Aston Villa blew away Dutch team AZ Alkmaar at AFAS Stadion on Thursday evening, and one fan was hoping to come away with Moussa Diaby’s shirt. Goals from Leon Bailey, Youri Tielemans, Ollie Watkins and John McGinn secured a 4-1 victory for Villa. After the game, manager Unai Emery said: “There were 1,000 fans here helping us and we played 90 minutes, being very competitive.” But for the young supporter, things looked set to end on a sour note, after a steward ripped the sign down and binned it. He had even written his message in Diaby’s native French. The fan was seen with his hands over his face crying as another steward went over to console him. One person captured the moment on X/Twitter, saying: “That’s unnecessary from the stewards to throw it in the bin.” Luckily for the boy, things took a turn for the better after news of what had happened made its way to the Aston Villa players. He was able to meet his hero after the game, as Diaby invited him onto the pitch, took a picture with him and gave him the shirt as a gift. The lad was grinning from ear to ear as he got a handshake and an embrace from the Frenchman. It’s the sort of fairytale story the young fan will carry with him for the rest of his life – getting to meet Aston Villa’s star player on a victorious European away night. The club summed it up perfectly, sharing the clip on X/Twitter, with the caption: “This is what it’s all about.” How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel Sign up to our free indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.