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Wed Nov 27, 2019 2:46 am
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TORONTO - With No. Kyle Garlick Dodgers Jersey . 1 contender Alexander (The Mauler) Gustafsson sidelined by a knee injury, UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones and new challenger Daniel (DC) Cormier have wasted little time talking trash ahead of their UFC 178 main event. The two will face off Sept. 27 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Cormier wasnt asked to replace Gustafsson until Wednesday morning, meaning the gamesmanship has gone into top gear quickly. Jones young daughter has even got into the act, via an Instagram video. "DC. My dads going to beat you up. Guaranteed," said the six-year-old. "I think its cute," Cormier told The Canadian Press in an interview Thursday. "Kudos to Jon Jones. Lets sell this fight, lets make people want to watch this fight." Dont mistakes Cormiers comments for friendship with Jones, however. The two have not got on since Cormier thought Jones disrespected him in 2010 when they met at UFC 121 in Anaheim where Cain Velasquez, Cormiers training partner, defeated heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. "It never stops," Cormier said. "Every time were around each other, theres something .. It could be a little dig here or a little dig there but theres always something." In the wake of their fight announcement, Jones sent Cormier a "I hope youre ready to come to daddy" message on social media. Cormier tweeted his response to his followers, saying "I am. Im going to (mess) you up" with an F-bomb thrown in for good measure. Cormier also was quick to talk up his "Break Bones" T-shirts. Tweeted Jones: "This is the fight I wanted in the first place. Nothing like fresh meat #Champion2014" Cormier, ranked No. 2 among 205-pound contenders, stepped up when offered the fight by UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta, who sent him a 6:30 a.m. text Wednesday. Cormier, who had put off knee surgery to clear up a lateral medial ligament issue, said yes after consulting his coaches. Cormier (15-0) injured his knee in the leadup to his third-round submission of Dan Henderson in May at UFC 173. It was his second win as a light-heavyweight since moving down from heavyweight. Cormier called out Jones in his post-fight interview in the cage. "Jon Jones, you cant run away from me for ever, Im the kid at the wrestling tournament that is always in your bracket. No matter where you go boy, Im coming, You better hurry because I getting better." "If I decide to take Jon Jones down 100 times, Ill take him down 100 times. This is my Octagon, Im the man," he added. Now he has a little more than nine weeks to prepare for the title fight. "Hectic schedule but Im a very very happy man," said Cormier, while admitting he has work to do to get into fight shape. The withdrawal of Gustafsson is just the latest bump for UFC 178. The card was originally announced for Toronto but was shifted to Las Vegas in what UFC president Dana White called a business decision. Jones, who made seven successful title defences since winning the championship belt from Mauricio (Shogun) Rua at UFC 128 in March 2011, won a narrow five-round decision over Gustafsson when they met last September in an epic encounter in Toronto. Jones (20-1) went on to win a convincing decision over Brazils Glover Teixeira at UFC 172 in April while Cormier clamoured to meet the champion. "Ive wanted to fight Jon for a long time. Ive wanted to be a champion for a long time," Cormier said. The matchup pits the six-foot-four champion against the five-foot-11 challenger. At 84 inches, Jones has the longest reach in the UFC and will hold a significant advantage over Cormier (71 inches) in that regard. "I dont care if a guy has long arms," said Cormier. "Youve just got to move your head. Youve got to be going forward. You cant stand on the outside. Reach becomes important whenever you stay on the outside and you allow a person to use it. "Him being tall? OK. Josh Barnett was tall. Bigfoot Silva was tall. Soa Paleleis tall. Ive fought a ton of tall guys. When I go to the weigh-ins and I look at you in the face and I see your chin right there and if I can reach you with my hands, thats enough for me." Cormier beat all of those fighters. The 35-year-old is a two-time Olympian whose wrestling resume includes a fourth at the Olympics and third, fifth and ninth at world competitions. He took up MMA in 2009, making his pro debut in Strikeforce in September that year. He combines elite grappling with heavy hands, with wins over Roy (Big Country) Nelson and former heavyweight champions Frank Mir and Barnett. The 27-year-old Jones, a former junior college wrestling champion, and Cormier have similar grappling stats. Jones averages 2.37 takedowns per 15 minutes compared to 2.17 for Cormier, according to FightMetric. Jones takedown accuracy is 50 per cent, Cormier 48 per cent. Cormier has never been taken down, while Jones has successfully defended 96 per cent of takedowns. Their striking stats are also a wash. Jones lands 4.33 significant strikes a minute, Cormier 4.08. Jones striking accuracy is 54 per cent, compared to 50 per cent for Cormier. The challenger absorbs fewer significant strikes (1.30) per minute than Jones (1.92) and is successful in his striking defence 70 per cent of the time, compared to 66 per cent for Jones. Jones has already disposed of elite wrestlers in beating Chael Sonnen and Rashad Evans. But Cormier believes he matches up well against Jones. And he is clearly watching Jones every move, including the champ posting a photo of his training partners with the message "These guys will lead me to victory September 27." Said Cormier: "Ive got some guys too. And Ive got a big old guy (heavyweight champion Velasquez) thats going to ensure that Im successful Sept. 27. If you need a training partner, you dont get one better than Cain Velasquez. And then Ive got a tall kid (in) Luke Rockhold thats just as athletic as Jon Jones thats going to ensure that Im ready come Sept. 27. "So hes got a team and Ive got two guys ... Those guys I trust with my life. Ill be ready come fight night." Stitched Dodgers Jerseys . Gauteng High Court Judge Dunstan Mlambo ruled Tuesday that South African media houses will be allowed to install three remote controlled cameras in court for the Olympic athletes trial starting next week to capture images that likely will be seen by millions around the world. Los Angeles Dodgers Pro Shop . -- So much for concern that running back Marshawn Lynch would be absent from the Seattle Seahawks minicamp. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/ . -- Kael Mouillierat scored three times and set up one more as the St.Foxborough, MA (SportsNetwork.com) - Charlie Davies netted a pair of goals, including the series-winner on Saturday, as the New England Revolution battled the New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Championship at Gillette Stadium and advanced to MLS Cup final via a thrilling 4-3 aggregate victory. The Revolution entered Saturdays second leg in decent shape, having taken the first leg at Red Bull Arena, 2-1 a week ago. But the momentum from the opening leg was quickly erased as the Red Bulls drew first blood. Thierry Henry, playing on an artificial surface for the first time in his MLS career, sent and excellent ball over the top to Tim Cahill in the 26th minute and the Australian international did well to outmuscle Revs defender Jose Goncalves and poke it past goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. But New England pulled it level on the day at 1-1 and a 3-2 aggregate lead in the 41st minute when the home side elected to play a short corner kick to Chris Tierney and his cross was knocked off Davies and in behind RRed Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles. Keibert Ruiz Jersey. New York battled back to make it 3-3 on aggregate in the 52nd minute when Lloyd Sam sent a speculative ball into the box that fell kindly to the feet of Peguy Luyindula and the Frenchman fired it home to make it 3-3. With the match at 3-3 on aggregate, the tie would have gone to extra time if the result held, but Davies came to the rescue with 20 minutes to play. The goal came to cap a spell of relentless offensive pressure from New England as Tierney again got free on the left wing and served a great ball into the box where Davies was there to nod it home and give the hosts a 4-3 aggregate lead. As the clock crept toward 90 minutes New York surged forward knowing another goal would send them through via the away goals tiebreaker, but the Revs back line held firm to secure the clubs first trip to the MLS title game for the first time since 2007. Jay Heaps club has won eight straight matches on home soil and will face wither the Los Angeles Galaxy or Seattle Sounders FC on Dec. 7. ' ' ' |
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