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| For the first time in UFC history | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 9 2014, 07:30 PM (135 Views) | |
| xubb | Jan 9 2014, 07:30 PM Post #1 |
Club DJ
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For the first time in UFC history, a featherweight champion will be crowned at UFC 152 on Saturday night. After battling their way through the semifinals, Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson will now collide, with the winner emerging at the top of the 125-pound weight class. "Me and Joseph are going to show you that the flyweight division is here to stay in the UFC," said Johnson after the weigh-ins on Friday afternoon. Benavidez earned his berth in the finals with a second round technical knockout over Yasuhiro Urushitani at UFC on FX 2 in March, while Johnson fought to a draw with Ian McCall on the same card, before punching his ticket with a unanimous decision win over McCall at UFC on FX 3 in June. "It was frustrating to wait since February for this fight because DJ had a draw against McCall but it was just extra time to get better," stated Benavidez. "Most fighters train when they are fighting, I train to get better all the time. You get better as a fighter when you dont have a fight but you [are] in the gym – and youll see the best version of me yet on Saturday." Johnson (15-2-1) has competed for a UFC title once before, falling to bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz by unanimous decision last October. Benavidezs (16-2) last loss was also dealt to him by Cruz, via split decision, when the two fought for the WEC bantamweight championship in August 2010. "Ive worked so hard for this and just the fact that its coming true is so amazing right now," admitted Benavidez. "Im soaking it all in. I cant wait to give you guys a night to remember." "The main goal in my career is to be the UFC champion. I would take that however it comes - but to be the first UFC champion is extra special," said Benavidez. "If I wasnt a fighter, and I was just a fan, I would be a fan of DJ. Hes got a great all-action style and I love watching him. My coaches have broken his style down and we got a plan to beat him. My eye is on the prize but I am planning a long reign." The winner of the four-man flyweight tournament will instantly become the UFCs smallest champion, with 26-year-old Johnson standing at 53 and 28-year-old Benavidez an inch taller at 54. "I first walked into Matt Humes gym after seeing Rashad Evans on the Ultimate Fighter (season two, 2006) and I said I saw this guy who is a wrestler, like me, doing well, and I think I want to try it," explained Johnson. "I had no idea I was too small for the smallest UFC division back then, but as they kept adding more and more smaller classes, I started to believe I would fight at 125lbs in the UFC." Johnson and Benavidez were originally slated to meet in the main event this weekend, but once UFC 151 was cancelled, the promotion moved light heavyweight champion Jon Jones onto the marquee of UFC 152. This will mark the eighth time that a new title has been awarded in the UFC, but unfortunately for the flyweight contenders, the addition of Jones bout with Vitor Belfort has drawn attention away from their history-making fight. While many are predicting Jones to easily dismiss Belfort in the main event, the featherweight title bout has the potential to be a much more exciting affair. "Fighting a guy like Joseph Benavidez is an honour, hes a great competitor and Im sure were going to put on a great show for the Canadian fans," predicted Johnson. In general, fighters at the lighter weights have a higher level of stamina and, as Johnson and Benavidez showed in their semifinal bouts, they arent afraid to push the pace. The pair are currently the favourite among oddsmakers to win Fight of the Night. "Im so thankful for this opportunity to fight at my real weight, having an amazing opponent like Demetrious and were going to bring out the best in each other and just make it a night to remember for everybody," said Benavidez. "This is where I belong," said Johnson. "This is where I can perform to the best of my abilities. I want to be remembered as the George Washington of the 125-pound division, the first, the guy who was first in line and everyone else followed. All the hard work is worth that piece of the history books." Customized Shayne Graham Jersey . Now hes in the spotlight. Gomez scored for Germany in a 1-0 victory over Portugal in their European Championship opener on Saturday, moments before he was due to be substituted by Miroslav Klose. Customized Billy Winn Jersey . Its been a cast of rotating heroes that have been the most impressive with the Los Angeles Kings. http://www.officialbrownsteamsshop.com/autographed-buster-skrine-jersey-qq-84.html .J. Burnetts mind as he made his dramatic push for a no-hitter. Customized Star Lotulelei Jersey . -- Brady Quinn had waited three years for another chance to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. NFL Kheeston Randall Dolphins Jersey . For Italy, it was a bit of a reprieve. Beginning its bid for a third straight major title, the Spanish rallied to earn a 1-1 draw Sunday against Italy, which entered this years European Championship amid another match-fixing scandal. ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A Minnesota Senate committee narrowly approved a public subsidy on Friday to help the Vikings build a new football stadium, reviving the teams struggling effort just hours after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell visited the state capitol to jumpstart what had been a stalled stadium debate. The Senates Local Government and Elections Committee passed the bill on an 8-6 vote after a hearing that stretched nearly four hours. While the stadium bill still faces a long haul in the waning days of Minnesotas legislative session, the committees vote gave the $975 million stadium proposal new life four days after a companion bills defeat in a House committee sparked near panic among supporters. "Were very pleased with the progress and that the bill moved forward," Lester Bagley, the Vikings vice-president for stadium development, said after the Senate committee vote. "Its been an up and down week, touch and go." The setback in the House had prompted the visit Friday by Goodell. He and Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II met Friday morning with Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders to stress the urgency of resolving the Vikings decadelong pursuit of a replacement for the Metrodome. Though the Vikings will play next season in the dome, their lease there has expired. That has raised fears the franchise could get snatched by Los Angeles or another city seeking its own football team -- a prospect Goodell did not exactly squelch. "They were here basically to say, This is it folks," Dayton said after the meeting. A simmering movement to put a franchise in Los Angeles came up in the discussion at the prompting of lawmakers, Dayton said. Sen. Julie Rosen, a Republican sponsoring the stadium bill, said legislative leaders heard that Los Angeles is an option, even if there was no explicit threat from the NFL. "There is no ultimatum, but we did clearly talk about LA. We did clearly talk about that is an open market," Rosen said. "I do believe there is a feeling in some legislators and even in some folks throughout the state that they would never leave. So it was good to hear from the NFL, and from a very prominent owner, that they do have the right to move or be sold." Vikings officials, including owners Zygi and Mark Wilf, were not present at the meeting.ddddddddddddAfterward, most who were in the room said the need to act is urgent. "There were no implied threats or any threats at all," Goodell said. "What we talked about is the importance of creating a solution here that works for the team, that works for the community. This isnt a new issue. Its been discussed here for several years. I think the legislative leaders and the governor understand the time is now." Dayton has pushed for a stadium deal for months, saying the state is at risk of losing the team just as it did the Lakers long ago. Moving the team is not permissible under league rules this year, but theres always 2013. The Vikings have been contacted before by two separate groups trying to lure a team and build a stadium in Los Angeles but have said, for now, theyre not interested in selling. Under the bill approved by the Senate committee, the Vikings would pay $427 million of the construction costs for the new stadium, which would be built on the Metrodome site in downtown Minneapolis. City and state taxpayers would be on the hook for the other $548 million, or 56 per cent of the total cost. Dayton said the state leaders didnt ask league officials to enhance the private contribution in the financing package. He said the NFL delegation ran through a league loan program that could give the team access to up to $200 million, but it has long been believed franchise owners had figured that money into their calculations. The closeness of the Senate committees vote demonstrated concerns still held by a number of lawmakers, with some senators raising opposition to an expansion of gambling thats part of the proposals funding package. Some also raised the larger issue of providing a public subsidy to benefit a wealthy football team owner. "I think some of us are just trying to represent the good wishes of many Minnesotans," said Republican Sen. Roger Chamberlain, who voted against the bill. The Senate bill heads next to another committee of that chamber. Lawmakers are hoping to wrap up their session before the end of April. ------ Associated Press writer Patrick Condon contributed to this report. |
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1:39 AM Jul 11