Only for Guild Members » will likely earn his first

TORONTO -- A smiling Jon (Bones) Jones walked on to a makeshift stage Thursday to confront underdog challenger Alexander (The Mauler) Gustafsson. Authentic Glenn Anderson Jersey . Always thinking of a new angle, Jones was wielding a smartphone in front of him. His view of the square-off would soon be posted on Instagram, the UFC light-heavyweight champion told the media in front of him. Jones (18-1) took to social media soon after, managing to squeeze a biblical verse, Nike and Gatorade into the same tweet. "There is nothing special about me, I just work extremely hard," he wrote. "Anything can happen." A picture below showed a smiling Jones, a Nike swoosh prominent on his hoodie, pointing to a bottle of Gatorade -- his latest sponsor. To further make his point, he added Phillipians 4:13 and the hashtags for both companies. Fighter, man of faith and six-foot-four, 205-pound billboard, Jones is currently the brightest star in mixed martial arts. "His life doesnt suck, right," UFC president Dana White said dryly. "Hes got a lot to be happy about." A victory at UFC 165 Saturday and Jones will set the record for most consecutive title defences (six) in UFC light-heavyweight history. He already holds the record for most submissions (five) by a light-heavyweight and is tied for most finishes (nine). A former junior college wrestling champion with an 84.5-inch reach, Jones size and length make him hard to penetrate and tough to defend. At 6-5, Gustafsson (15-1) is one inch taller and has good striking skills. But while the 26-year-old Swede has won his last six fights, he hasnt faced the kind of opposition that Jones has. The bookies have made Jones anywhere from a 9-1 to 20-1 favourite to beat Gustafsson. White usually dismisses such odds. But he was slightly more circumspect Thursday. "I think that theyre making lines that they dont want a lot of money going on Jones because they think Jones is going to win. Thats the way the book works," said White, no stranger to the betting window. "Jones is good, really good." About the only people who believe Gustafsson can win are those in the challengers camp, although most pundits are quick to cover themselves by saying its a sport where anything can happen. Gustafsson, a lanky likable Swede with battered ears, doesnt think he is being disrespected. "Not at all. I dont takes anything personally. I dont read too much. I dont think too much. Im going to go in there and shock the world on Saturday," he said. "Im more than prepared," he added. "I cant wait to get in there. Im just living the dream right now. Ive got a one in a lifetime shot and Im going to do the best of it." Jones, 26, believes this defence will go the way of all the others. "I think I have a lot more tools in this fight to win the fight," he said. "Im going to do all kinds of unpredictable spinning elbows, flying knees, shots, fake shots, all types of stuff," he added. "He really needs to be on his game." Jones seemed less than impressed by Gustafssons striking, saying hes not fighting a world boxing champion. "Im fighting a guy who throws punches," he said. "Alexanders boxing defence, Ive said it a lot of times now, is not that good ... Hes a good puncher, he has pretty good footwork. Not a great boxer." When the Swede stood next to Jones in front of photographers, he couldnt resist putting his arm behind the champion so he could touch the shiny championship belt slung over his shoulder. A smiling Jones pulled away. "Thats as close as youre going to get," he said. Jones joins welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre under the Gatorade flag. The Montreal MMA star has blazed the way with blue-chip sponsorships including Under Armour. Its a long way from fighters advertising the local gun shop. Jones can be forgiven for Thursdays blatant plug in that his deal with Gatorade had only been announced hours before. Jones will wear the Gatorade logo on his shorts when he walks into the cage Saturday night against the Swede. Chances are he will wear a Nike T-shirt on his walk through the Air Canada Centre. Jones, who signed with Nike in August 2012, wore a "Bones Knows" Nike shirt at UFC 152 in Toronto last fall. As for Phillippians 4:13, Jones always wears that. It is tattooed on his chest. It references the verse "I can do all this through him who gives me strength." Gustafssons ink is all about winning. He adds a sharks tooth tattoo on his arm for every win. Jones was the picture of calm Thursday as media swarmed around him. White says he has adjusted to life as champion, pulling back from going down the wrong path in the wake of a DUI charge after a May 2012 incident that saw him crash his Bentley in upstate New York. "Everything changes when youre the champion," White said. "Obviously the attention, the money, everybodys gunning after you. Theres a lot of pressure. "Jon Jones has really turned around and changed his life in the last year. Hes a young guy, he got that belt, you saw what happens when fame and money and all that stuff starts to come together. Im really happy with the way hes turned around." Jones, who meditates the day of his fight, does seems comfortable in his own skin as champion. "Its a great honour. To be the best in the world at something, and to travel to different countries and know that youre the champion of the world, its one of the coolest feelings that a man can ask for." Adidas Edmonton Oilers Jerseys . - Free agent defensive end Will Smith has signed with the New England Patriots. Authentic Jakub Jerabek Jersey . - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to meet with Richie Incognito to determine if one of the central figures in the Miami Dolphins bullying scandal can help their struggling offensive line. http://www.cheapoilersjerseysauthentic.com/?tag=authentic-cam-talbot-jersey . Adding playoff teams. Monitoring instant replay from league headquarters. Possibly creating a set of guidelines to prevent locker-room bullying.Two UFC events in one week, seems too good to be true doesnt it? Well this Saturday the UFC comes out strong yet again with a lightweight championship up for grabs in the main event and some key matchups in a number of different divisions. Once again Jordan Cieciwa and I go head to head in our picks and the question remains can #TeamJC keep the momentum going? After Wednesdays UFC Fight Night 27 which saw #TeamJC edge out #TeamLynch 9 to 8, the pride of Winnipeg looks to keep the winning streak alive. Let us know which side youre on, #TeamLynch or #TeamJC and feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section below. Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis (Lightweight title fight) James Lynch – TSN.ca (@LynchOnSports) An injury to Canadian TJ Grant has lead the way for one of the most anticipated rematches in UFC history as current 155lb torchbearer Henderson faces off with the last ever WEC lightweight champion Pettis. For those familiar with the highlight reel "Showtime Kick" that has been floating around on YouTube, that emanated from Henderson and Pettis first encounter at WEC 53 (In which Pettis won via decision). When the UFC absorbed the WEC, the 26-year old was injured and it was "Smooth" who earned the title shot with then champion Frankie Edgar. Since defeating the New Jersey native, Henderson has defended his title three times, but would no doubt love to erase the blemish on his record from Pettis. If the Roufusport fighter wants to emerge victorious, hell need to stop the ever improving leg kicks of the current 155lb champ, whos earned a number of victories with that weapon in his arsenal. The question is which fighter has improved more since their first encounter? While Henderson has defeated tougher opposition, hes narrowly squeaked by in his decision wins over Edgar (in the second fight) and Melendez. The Taekwondo black belt meanwhile has been finishing opponents, including top contenders Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone. Considering this fight is in his hometown of Milwaukee and the fact hes been waiting a long time for this opportunity, Pettis should deliver. We should see "Showtime" land more power shots than his opponent and while this will most likely be a close encounter, the hometown kid will have his hand raised in the end. Pettis via unanimous decision Jordan Cieciwa – TSN Radio 1290 (@FitCityJordan) There are very few fighters as explosive and precise as Anthony Pettis. He won their last fight with a solid decision. Being a Rufus Sport product and having Duke Rufus in your corner makes you all the more dangerous. The only problem here, no one beats Ben Henderson anymore. At 155lbs Ben Henderson has seen everyone, and beat them. In his last three fights he has had two split decisions that went his way and they should not have. There is a long standing tradition that the judges dont give away a championship on a decision, unless its very clear who the winner was. Unfortunately for Anthony Pettis, I expect that to be his fate. While Edgar and Melendez both looked better than Ben Henderson, they were both denied the win. Unless Pettis does something to end this fight or score a very dramatic knockdown, this fight will go to Henderson. Henderson via split decision Frank Mir vs. Josh Barnett Lynch March 2002 was the last time Barnett competed inside the octagon and on Saturday night he aims to prove that hes still a legitimate contender by taking out a former UFC heavyweight champion. Popped for steroids following his win over Randy Couture at UFC 36, "The Warmaster" was banished from the UFC and despite this, developed a successful career overseas with the now defunct PRIDE organization. Since leaving PRIDE in 2006, Barnett amassed a 9-1 record, with his only blemish coming against Daniel Cormier, the same man who defeated Mir in his last fight. Whats interesting about this fight is both are nearly identical in height, reach and age, while also possessing superior skills on the ground. The one area they differ is experience, as Barnett has fought 38 times compared to Mirs 23, however part of that was due to the significant amount of time the Las Vegas native missed due to his motorcycle accident in 2004. Barnett is the better wrestler and as long as he doesnt try and test his jiu-jitsu against the TUF 8 coach, he should win this fight with that alone. It may end up being a very lackluster affair, but the Seattle native should effectively get the takedowns he needs to win on points and have his hand raise for his 33rd career victory. Barnett via unanimous decision JC 11 years ago the UFC had the pleasure of having Barnett in the octagon. Since then he has been busted for PEDs 3 times, fought in a bunch of different organizations, and has looked fantastic doing it. His opponent is Frank Mir. The former UFC heavyweight champion has some impressive wins. He looked great against Big Nog (nasty arm break) and Cro Cop ate a few big knees from one of the sports best. The problem here is that Mir just isnt dominant enough to beat Josh Barnett. The PRIDE veteran is truly a bad dude. He doesnt play nice with others and he has a lot of skill. CSW, Barnetts home gym has a very distinct style. Its unmatched and unique. I think it will be enough to allow Barnett to out wrestle and find a submission or score a TKO on Mir. No matter what, I think it will be a fun fight to watch. Both athletes can box, and are not afraid to throw punches. Id expect this one to be explosive. Barnett via 3rd round TKO Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida Lynch Team Alpha Male fighter Mendes looks to inch one step closerr to a rematch with 145lb kingpin Jose Aldo, by taking out Jackson/Winkejohn pupil Guida on Saturday night. Authentic Jari Kurri Jersey. Much like his teammate Urijah Faber, the 28-year old has clearly looked head and shoulders above anyone else in his weight class outside of the Brazilian champion. In his last fight, Mendes needed over just a minute to dispatch Darren Elkins, who headed into that contest on a five-fight win streak. Guida meanwhile has looked extremely lackluster and appears to be a shell of the fighter that once earned "Fight of the Year" back in 2009 in his matchup against Diego Sanchez. Most recently Guida made his featherweight debut, and won a close split decision victory over former Sengoku featherweight champion Hatsu Hioki. Despite this, everything the 31-year old Guida does, Mendes does better. I see the former NCAA Division I wrestler picking his spots and finding his range throughout the fight. Expect "Money" to live up to his nickname Saturday and cash in with another big win as hell become the first man to knockout Guida inside the octagon. Mendes via second round knockout. JC Id like to think this is going to be a good fight. Honestly I expect this to have an early "Knock out of the Night". This fight will put Mendes back at the top contender in the division, and with an exclamation point. Team Alpha Male have all stepped up their game since welcoming Duane "Bang" Ludwig to the coaching staff. Its a little tough to grab and control Clay Guida, that fact will be the thing that stalls the knock out. Clay is exceptionally fast, and tough. Id expect him to use that speed to stay alive. However, the wrestling edge and strength goes to Mendes. That means Mendes will eventually gain control of this match. Given his power, I think Mendes ends this in a flurry on the mat. Mendes via 3rd round TKO Ben Rothwell vs. Brandon Vera Lynch A pair of heavyweights clash on Saturday with potential unemployment on the line, as Alliance MMA fighter Vera meets orthodox kickboxer Rothwell. Vera returns to the heavyweight division for the first time since 2008, where he was completely outmatched in just one round of work by Fabricio Werdum back at UFC 85. Going 4-4-1 during his tenure at 205lbs, the 35-year old hopes to find the form that earned him four straight wins when he entered the UFC back in 2005. His opponent, IFL veteran Rothwell has also had a lackluster tenure inside the octagon going 2-3 with wins over Gabriel Gonzaga and Brendan Schaub. Stylistically both these fighters match up similarly, being well versed on the ground and possessing knockout power. Because of whats at stake, expect both fighters to come out for an all-out war and keep the fight standing. Vera should be the faster and more accurate striker in this contest and will likely earn his first win at heavyweight since November of 2006. Vera via unanimous decision JC Brandon Vera came on the scene with a bang, and then seemingly fizzled. He has not lived up to the hype, and falls short when it comes to wrestling with larger opponents. Ben Rothwell has looked devastating at times and then has fallen flat in critical fights. It seems that Rothwell has been given a TRT card for this fight. That in addition to the fact that its pretty low pressure is the recipe for Rothwell to show his better side. His head will be in the game, hell have all the strength in the world, and he has the skill he needs to end this fight with a big punch. Im expecting the extra weight to slow Vera down and negate any advantage he may have with his agility and excellent kickboxing game. Rothwell via unanimous decision Erik Koch vs. Dustin Porier Lynch Two 24-year olds aim for redemption in the featherweight division as Roufusport member Koch meets ATT pupil Porier. Both of these fighters have fallen short in bids of earning a title shot as Koch was dominated by Richard Lamas at UFC on FOX 6 and Porier was bested by Jackson/Winklejohn student Cub Swanson back in February. While betting lines have the hometown favorite Koch as a slight favorite, Porier has been more active competing three times in 2012 compared to the Milwaukee native who didnt fight at all in 2012 due to injuries. On paper the Taekwondo black belt is the more talented fighter, but the question remains how will Koch bounce back from the beating he took from Lamas back in January? While "The Diamond" does have a three inch reach advantage, I expect "New Breed" to perform well enough for the win in what should be a closely contested contest. Koch via unanimous decision JC Few fighters in the UFC are as gritty and fearless as Dustin Porier. I will take him in a fight every time. In this match up, Koch has the team advantage being from Rufusport, but hes up against a tough and talented fighter who has something to prove. The injury bug has also bitten Koch, meaning hes going to be rusty while Porier is going to be ready to go and sharp as ever. Add to all that the fact that Porier has a reach advantage, and I expect this to go Poriers way. Hell be able to get take downs and score strikes as needed to win points and the fight. Porier via Unanimous decision. Undercard Picks: Lynch: Tibau, Elliot, Krauss, Kang, Krylov, Couture, CedenbladJC: Varner, Elliot, Krauss, Kang, Krylov, Iaquinta, Cedenblad Agree or Disagree? Let us know in the comments section or on Twitter @lynchonsports or @FitCityJordan. Also be sure to tune into "The Weigh-In" every Saturday on TSN 1290 Winnipeg as myself and Jordan Cieciwa go toe-to-toe discussing the hottest topics in Mixed Martial Arts. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '