Actually a Sports Blog

The Washington Spirit have declined the 2026 option on the contract of Chloe Ricketts, meaning that she'll be eligible to start talking with other teams on July 1st. Since signing with the team in 2023- and with their next game August 3- she's appeared thirty-two times for the Spirit. 

Jon Jones has officially retired, ending one of the weirdest heavyweight championship reigns in UFC history- Tom Aspinall won *and defended* the *interim* heavyweight championship during which Jon had one title defense and... nothing else. Although most will remember his heavyweight reign largely for that, his overall UFC career is quite impressive. Looking past the no-contest or the times he had to vacate the titles for various outside-the-cage issues, Jon made the walk to the Octagon twenty-four times- he debuted at UFC 87 back in 2008- of which sixteen were title fights (seventeen if you count his UFC 214 bout that was overturned). His UFC record is an impressive 22-1 with 1 no-contest and he finishes up 28-1 with 1 no-contest. 

Ante Delija has joined the UFC heavyweight roster. He's a two-time PFL heavyweight finalist and the 2022 champion who fought eleven times in the SmartCage, going 8-3.  Overall, he's 25-6 with 18 finishes- 12 by KO/TKO and six by submission (four RNCs, a guillotine and a north-south). Interestingly enough, back in 2020, he was going to face off against Cyril Gane at a UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, but the bout was cancelled because Delija was under contract with PFL. 

Heading into the matches against Ireland on Thursday and Sunday and then July 2 against Canada: GOALKEEPERS Mandy McGlynn is the only one of the three with previous games- she's been between the pipes three times. Angelina Anderson (Angel City) and Claudia Dickey (Seattle Reign) are uncapped. DEFENDERS Emily Sonnett has 108 appearances while Naomi Girma has 46, making them the most experienced position-wise. Tara McKeon has appeared six times while Avery Patterson and Emily Sams each have appeared four times. Gisele Thompson has three while Kerry Abello has one. Jordyn Bugg (Seattle Reign), Lilly Reale (Gotham FC) and Izzy Rodriguez (Kansas City Current) are uncapped. MIDFIELDERS Rose Lavelle has 110 appearances while Sam Coffey has thirty-five, making them the most experienced position-wise. Olivia Moultrie has appeared seven times while Croix Bethune and Claire Hutton have three each. Sam Meza (Seattle Reign) is uncapped.  FORWARDS Lynn Biyendelo's eighty appearances make her...