Francis Ngannou has corrected Dana White’s false claim that the heavyweight was released by the UFC, after White criticised Ngannou for signing with the PFL. Ngannou left the UFC at the end of his contract in January, relinquishing the heavyweight title before announcing last week that he had signed with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). As part of Ngannou’s PFL deal, the Cameroonian will be able to box on the side, and his opponents will receive a guaranteed pay of $2million. Furthermore, Ngannou, 36, will serve as chairman of PFL Africa and have equity in the promotion. The “Predator” is expected to box this year and make his PFL debut in 2024. UFC president White said on Saturday that the deal “makes no sense to me” and that Ngannou “wants to take zero risks”. The American also referenced “the day that we released him”. Ngannou took exception to the 53-year-old’s comments, however. “What is your problem with me?” Ngannou tweeted on Sunday (21 May). “I completed my contract, was a free agent, and chose to walk away. You didn’t release me. “I hate taking risks? That’s why I defended my title to [fulfil] my contract with no acl or mcl? “I’m finally getting paid and respected, and have a deal that’s fair and equal for all parties. Why are you so against me being free and happy?” Ngannou also hit back at White’s claim that the Cameroonian had turned down fights in the UFC prior to his exit. “The reason I fought three times in three years is because you wanted to control my deal and [sign] a new one. And freeze me out,” Ngannou wrote. “‘I owe these guys three fights a year.’ Isn’t that what you say? What happened? I always asked for & never said no to any fight in the 3 years.” Ngannou most recently fought in January 2022, outpointing former teammate Ciryl Gane to retain the UFC heavyweight title with an injured knee. He later underwent treatment for the injury, before leaving the UFC this January. In March, UFC light-heavyweight icon Jon Jones won the vacant heavyweight title by submitting Gane in Round 1. Jones and Ngannou have long gone back and forth on Twitter and in the media, with White previously accusing Jones of avoiding a fight with Ngannou. On Saturday, however, the UFC president claimed the opposite, leading Ngannou to write: “If you ever really want that Jon Jones fight to happen, reach out to @PeteMurrayPFL. Whenever, wherever.” Ngannou also shared footage of White suggesting, after Ngannou had beaten Gane, that Jones had no desire to fight the Cameroonian. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Francis Ngannou: Who will the heavyweight fight next after signing with PFL? Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary Who will Francis Ngannou fight next after signing with PFL? Francis Ngannou explains unprecedented PFL deal and how it will help his opponents Conor McGregor makes guarantee for Michael Chandler fight

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Silverstone is one of the most iconic circuits in Formula One, holding the first championship race back in 1950 and 73 years later in 2023, the event is more popular than ever. It was a record-breaking weekend this year, as the British Grand Prix drew in the biggest crowd it had ever seen with 480,000 spectators entering from Friday (July 7) to Sunday (July 9). Though this figure should come as no surprise with F1 benefitting from the rise in popularity in recent years thanks to the Netflix series Drive to Survive which has propelled the sport into popular culture and widened its demographic in the process. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter For this race, I was able to watch the action unfold in the grandstands for the first time – here’s a breakdown of my experience. Arrival Clouds and rain loomed on Sunday morning when arriving at the track at 9 am, after navigating the race day traffic (and getting briefly lost on the way in classic road trip style). Upon arrival, the rain jackets were on as we took in the scale of the event and walked around the circuit that was abuzz with fans of all ages excited for the upcoming race. Hospitality An unmissable sight around the perimeter of the circuit was the variety of food trucks belonging to Freemans Event Partners who have partnered with Silverstone for over four decades. As a spectator, a deep thought isn’t typically given to the logistical efforts that go into pulling off such a huge event like this but for Freemans, they had expected to sell the following over the weekend: 40,000 burgers 35,000 glasses of wine and champagne 6,000 kg of chicken 65,000 portions of chips 1m+ drinks 90+ cuisines across 260 outlets, with meat-free options available at every outlet Stephen Freeman CEO, told indy100: “As one of the UK’s biggest spectator events – with over 480,000 UK and international visitors – the Formula 1 Aramco British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone provides a unique opportunity to showcase the very best of British food and drink. “We’ve been working in partnership with Silverstone for over 40 years and this year, as part of our delivery of 270 food outlets, offering over 90 varieties of cuisine, we created a ‘Best of British’ food zone for the first time. “Featuring a Pimm’s branded double-decker London bus, a range of photo opportunities and competitions for spectators to enjoy, the area was situated at the heart of the circuit. He added: “A selection of British treats were on offer such as traditional Cornish pasties, fish & chips, and cream teas, as well as Pimm’s & strawberries over the course of the four days of festivities." Initially, it was the perfect weather for a nice hot cuppa to warm us up as the Formula 3 and Formula 2 races took place where we were confronted by the riveting sound of the race cars zooming past on the track. But as the day went on, summer finally decided to make an appearance – just in time for the driver’s parade where the F1 drivers waved to the crowds as they made their way around the track in classic cars. Two hours before the race, it was time for lunch and from the array of cuisines to choose from, we opted for a chicken kebab – a popular choice as the queue snaked around the area, but definitely worth the 30-minute wait as we got to feast while being entertained by spectacular the Red Arrows display. Seating and the race itself After some exploring, we settled back into our Stirling A grandstand seats which provided a perfect reprieve from the sun as strong winds cooled us down and a great view where we could see the car speed towards Copse Corner with the 180mph bend being one of the fastest of the circuit. The first lap provided a thrilling start as McLaren'sLando Norris jumped Red Bull's Max Verstappen to lead the first couple of laps while loud roars from the stands cheered the Brit on as he and the other drivers went flat out as they sped past us down to Copse. Though Verstappen was able to get back in front with DRS by lap five, and went on to claim his first win at Silverstone with the reigning two-time world champion's continuing his dominance this season. There was a safety car deployed on lap 33 due to a fire in the Haas car of Kevin Magnussen, and this "free" pitstop was perfect timing for Verstappen, Norris and Hamilton - and we managed to see this unfold on the big screen conveniently situated near our grandstand. In the end, Norris impressively held second place by choosing a different type of strategy and defended the position on hard tires, while Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was able to get ahead of Piastri to secure third. As a result, Norris and Hamilton are the first pair of Brits on the podium at Silverstone since 1999 when David Coulthard won the race, followed by Eddie Irvine in second. In true British style, the weather couldn't make up its mind so our rain jackets and sunglasses were on stand-by with clouds threatening a downpour one minute followed by bright sunny skies minutes later - though in the end, the rain didn't come but this element of unpredictability did still entertain us. Post-race events After the race, we headed over to the Chrome Main Stage where we watched The Big Moon, DJ Patrick Nazemi, and Tom Greenan perform where fans were enjoying the post-race music festival vibes. Between these artists, some F1 drivers also made brief appearances to discuss their race performance with Williams' Alex Albon, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and George Russell and McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Some of the highlights included Russell bringing his niece and nephew on stage, and the McLaren boys toasting their result with a celebratory shoey. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was welcomed on stage with boos from the crowd but soon had the audience onside when his wife and Spice Girl Geri Horner made a surprise appearance. He also gained cheers when he asked the crowd "If we get [Daniel] Ricciardo back, will you be nicer to me?" as the Red Bull third driver was scheduled to carry out Pirelli tyre tests in the RB19. (Little did we know then, after doing the tests Ricciardo would be announced on July 11 as the new AlphaTauri driver, replacing Nyck De Vries). Following an action-packed day, we then chowed down on some food and made the most of the various cuisines available opting for a Greek Gyros, a Mac & Cheese pot and a Katsu Curry. With our bellies full and the day coming to an end, we headed home and as we discussed the day, the enjoyment of my first Silverstone Grand Prix already has me excited for 2024... 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.

AlphaTauri driver Daniel Ricciardo will miss this weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix after fracturing his left hand Friday in a crash during practice ahead of the Formula One race

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The 2023/24 season is already fast approaching and the first major cup draw for the new campaign saw new English Football League entrants Wrexham mark their return with a home tie against Wigan Athletic in the Carabao Cup. While the Welsh outfit - now co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney - were promoted from the National League last term, the Latics suffered relegation from the Championship and will begin life in League One with minus eight points due to not having paid salaries on time. With the first round draw for the competition split into Northern and Southern sections, all 72 EFL clubs are included in the draw at this stage - before Premier League clubs enter at the second- and third-round stages. In the south, QPR face Norwich City in one of the ties of the round, while Millwall play Reading in another enticing encounter. In the north, relegated Leeds host Shrewsbury while Leicester head to Burton. Here’s the first-round draw in full and the complete schedule for the 23/24 campaign in the Carabao Cup. Full Carabao Cup Southern section first round draw: Plymouth Argyle vs Leyton Orient Forest Green Rovers vs Portsmouth Swansea City vs Northampton Exeter City vs Crawley Ipswich Town vs Bristol Rovers Newport County vs Charlton Athletic Stevenage vs Watford Cheltenham vs Birmingham City Sutton United vs Cambridge United MK Dons vs Wycombe Wanderers Millwall vs Reading AFC Wimbledon vs Coventry City Bristol City vs Oxford United Gillingham vs Southampton QPR vs Norwich City Peterborough United vs Swindon Town Cardiff City vs Colchester Carabao Cup Northern section first round draw Notts County vs Lincoln City Bolton Wanderers vs Barrow Hull City vs Doncaster Rovers Mansfield vs Grimsby Stoke City vs West Brom Sheffield Wednesday vs Stockport County Leeds United vs Shrewsbury Preston North End vs Salford City Rotherham United vs Morecambe Harrogate vs Carlisle United Burton Albion vs Leicester City Accrington Stanley vs Bradford City Derby County vs Blackpool Port Vale vs Fleetwood Town Barnsley vs Tranmere Rovers Blackburn Rovers vs Walsall Huddersfield Town vs Middlesbrough Wrexham vs Wigan Athletic Sunderland vs Crewe Full Carabao Cup schedule for 2023/24 Round One - w/c 7 August 2023 Round Two - w/c 28 August 2023 Round Three - w/c 25 September 2023 Round Four - w/c 30 October 2023 Quarter-Final - w/c 18 December 2023 Semi-Final (first leg) - w/c 8 January 2024 Semi-Final (second leg) - w/c 21 January 2024 Final - Sunday 25 February 2024 Read More Carabao Cup draw LIVE: First round fixtures featuring all 72 EFL clubs Carabao Cup 2023/24 fixture dates and schedule revealed ‘Serial winners’ can help England finally celebrate silverware – Tyrone Mings Guardiola’s Man City trophy haul in full after treble triumph Saudi Arabia money has turned transfers into ‘chaos’ – will it last? Fifa urged to make human rights key consideration for World Cup 2030 host

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