beat Tate handily

LAS VEGAS, Nev. Cheap Los Angeles Lakers Jerseys . - Ronda Rousey realizes shes finishing up one of the biggest years for any fighter in the young history of mixed martial arts at UFC 168, and the UFCs bantamweight champion intends to go out on top. Rousey soared to the top of her sport and broke new ground for female athletes throughout 2013. She has made a reality television show, two blockbuster films and a whole lot of money in the 10 months since her UFC debut, along with countless media appearances and profile-raising endorsements. To cap it off, Rousey (7-0) is a heavy favourite in her rematch with Miesha Tate (13-4) in the penultimate bout Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden. Middleweight champion Chris Weidmans rematch with Anderson Silva is the pay-per-view shows main event. Although Rousey beat Tate handily last year with her signature armbar submission in the Strikeforce promotion, interest is high in the rematch after Rousey and Tate served as combative coaches on the most recent season of "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFCs reality competition show. Rouseys disdain for Tate is palpable, and shes confident fans will feel it. "If the Real Housewives threw down at the end of their season, how great would that be?" Rousey asked. "Every schoolyard in the world loves a fight. Thats how you get them to glance at us." With just one UFC appearance and three years of pro experience, Rousey has soared to heights reached by almost no other MMA fighters. Even before she beat Liz Carmouche last February in the UFCs first womens bout, the 135-pound former Olympic judoka had been targeted by the sports-entertainment complex as a rising star. She has spent the last year doing her best to embrace every opportunity while trying not to neglect the sport that got her to this lofty position. For instance, while in Bulgaria to film "The Expendables 3," Rousey worked out with Victor Ortiz, the ex-champion boxer who also had a part in the film. Ortiz helped Rousey with a few fine points of standup fighting when they werent running hills — and slowly getting exhausted with the hours of waiting necessary to be in a major film. "The movie stuff was fun, but by the time it was over, I said, Oh, thank God," Rousey said. "Im so ready to get back in the gym. ... Its tough to have to look good and say some line 19 million times. Id rather slum it and not shave and punch things." Rousey seemed to enjoy her film work, but her other experience on camera didnt go as well. Rousey emerged from "The Ultimate Fighter" furious over the narrative dishonesty of reality shows, specifically the poking and prodding done to make Rousey appear to be a humourless villain while coaching eight fighters against Tates team. "I really felt mistreated and disrespected by the whole production staff," Rousey said, citing "constant inhumaneness and insensitivity. The gym is my safe place. Its where I maintain my sanity, and they really bastardized that place for me. They needed a villain, and they made me fit that role." Rousey also acknowledges that she "purposely instigated the rivalry" with Tate to get people to watch their pay-per-view spectacle. Since Rousey has already beaten Tate, who then lost to No. 1 contender Cat Zingano, Rousey realized the matchup would be a tough sell without the personal spice to flavour it. Tate has been content to play a bemused spectator to Rouseys intensity, but Rousey insists its all an act. "When she walked on to that show, I shook her hand," Rousey said. "When she left, I flipped her off. So yeah, a couple of things happened between them." Rouseys wild life is likely to continue after her second fight with Tate. Shell have additional film opportunities, although she wont allow her agent to discuss them until after the bout, and her fame is likely to grow along with her sport. She also hopes to fight twice a year for the foreseeable future, although she realizes shell have to keep getting better to stay on top of the sport she has led to wide exposure. The UFC recently added a 115-pound womens division, doubling its roster in the new year. "Its really encouraging for me that womens MMA is exiting the experimental phase," Rousey said. "I dont have to worry about the whole sport resting on me. Its better for everybody." Cheap Stuttgart Jerseys . Gonzalez participated in his final game on Sunday, Atlantas 21-20 defeat at the hands of the NFC South champion Carolina Panthers, having posted four catches for 46 yards. Cheap Toronto Blue Jays Jerseys . Not exactly bursting with sentimental feelings, Matthew Lombardi makes an odd return to the state of Tennessee on Thursday night.TORONTO – When Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle first coached James van Riemsdyk last season, he was met initially with a hardheadedness that reminded him of someone very familiar. "Maybe I looked in the mirror," Carlyle said, chuckling as he walked off. Blossoming into something special for the Leafs, van Riemsdyk set a new career-high Tuesday night with his 41st point this season, also equaling a career mark with his 21st goal of the year, the game-winner in a 3-2 edging of the Lightning. All the 24-year-old desired when he was traded from Philadelphia to Toronto in the summer of 2012 was an opportunity to prove himself on a grander stage and, with that opportunity, he has most certainly flourished. In addition to goals and points, van Riemsdyk has also set new career-highs in power-play goals (8), shots (186), shorthanded goals (1) and power play points (14), already having matched a career-high in assists with 20 on the season – all this in just 53 games. He is also fetching nearly 21 minutes per game – by far the highest of a five-year career – teaming with Phil Kessel and Tyler Bozak on whats become an offensively dominant top line. "That was the key for me is the opportunity," said van Riemsdyk, who feigned no surprise when he was traded for Luke Schenn in a long-rumoured deal on June 23, 2012. "I was always confident in myself as far I think I proved it in Philly. I showed when I had the opportunity to play a lot, play in those key situations, that I was able to be a productive player. Ive been able to get more of those opportunities since coming here. "For me personally, I think it was good to start somewhere else, go to a place where I was going to get a chance to show what I can do." Before being dealt, van Riemsdyk was maybe most known for a seven-goal explosion in the 2011 playoffs as a member of the Flyers, a foreshadowing in many ways of what was coming down the line. Last spring, during his first campaign with the Leafs, he offered another tantalizing glimpse of where his career might be headed in the very near future, a force with seven points during a memorable seven-game first round series with Boston. "I think JVR has picked up a lot of where he was in the playoffs last year," Carlyle said prior to Tuesdays game, which snapped a mini two-game slide for the Leafs. "He seemed to be able to take that next step. Hes more confident." "I just want to try to keep getting better and better every single year," van Riemsdyk said. "Ive been given an opportunity here to play in some key situations and play some big minutes. Im definitely happy about that." Five Points 1. More van Riemsdyk Carlyle indicated that van Riemsdyk often proved stubborn early in his Toronto tenure, but with time has grown more receptive to the prodding of the coaching staff. "He used to be a guy yeah, but [or] but if," Carlyle said of van Riemsdyks response to coaching. "But hes not that [anymore]. Now hes more receptive to [it] … Theres a difference between coaching and criticism. Sometimes they all become the same to players. Thats the difficult part is when to use it, when not to use it as a coach." It was only days into the 2013 campaign that Carlyle first publicly prodded van Riemsdyk. "Hes got to go into the dirty areas a little bit more and thats one of the things were going to ask of him," said Carlyle before an early season game against Pittsburgh. "Hes a big man, who can go to the front of the net. Hes got soft hands around the net. We want to see him drive that puck to that area..." Improvements in those areas have notably helped the New Jersey native blossom into an offensive force, specifically his willingness to camp out in the difficult areas around the net. 2. Shouldering a Heavy Burden With 40 stops on Tuesday, Jonathan Bernier improved to 7-1-2 this season when facing 40 or more shots this season, an impressive mark under the strain of a heavy workload. Bernier made a number of key saves throughout the evening, but none more brilliant than a stop on Martin St. Louis with just over three minutes to go in regulation. Sliding to his left, in rhythm with a Hedman cross-ice feed, the 25-year-old used his left pad to turn aside the surefire game-tying goal. "Great save, game-saving save," Kadri said. "We almost expect him to make those type of saves now because hes done it so often. Hes a great goaltender, uup with the best, and he definitely showed it there. Cheap Kansas City Chiefs Jerseys. " 3. Kadri Brushes Off Speculation Nazem Kadri scored for the fifth and sixth time in the past four games against Ben Bishop, the NHLs save percentage leader and six-foot-seven Tampa netminder. The first saw the 23-year-old employ six-foot-six Lightning defender Victor Hedman as a screen in transition, the second a sure Highlight of the Night candidate that saw Kadri dance around Hedman before slipping a backhand beyond the grasp of Bishop. Boasting 35 points on the year, Kadri has quickly quieted trade speculation that always seems to bubble in Toronto. "Im just ignoring that," he said. "I dont think I use it as motivation or as a concern – it doesnt discourage me. I just try and focus on what I have to do and what I can bring to the team. I know I can help this team, its just a matter of when." "The thing about him is he doesnt let anything bother him," van Riemsdyk added of Kadri, who is up to 14 goals this season. "Its definitely impressive to see. I think hes probably used to it maybe growing up in the spotlight here." 4. Adjustments for Kadri Sliding out from a slump that lingered for the better part of a month, Kadri has now posted points in six of the past seven games. "Our request [for him] is to play more north-south versus east-west, specifically through the neutral ice," said Carlyle. "When hes not playing well you see him, he gets caught from behind on the back-side pressure. And when hes playing well, he seems to be able to create space in that area." Carlyle also observed that Kadri was playing more physically in recent weeks, adding that his acumen in the faceoff circle had improved. A real source of concern earlier in the year – he was amongst the worst in the league – Kadri has won just under 50 per cent in the past 10 games, victorious on 10 of 16 draws against the Lightning. 5. Gleason Effect Tim Gleason has been paired with Cody Franson for all but two of his 12 games with the Leafs and hes proven a stabilizing force in that span. "Hes a very solid, aggressive, and physical style player," Franson said of Gleason. "For me, hes very easy to read off of. I know hes going in there to try to be aggressive as the first guy. When you have guys like that where you dont have to think too much, it makes it easier. You can react quicker and it makes the plays a little easier to read." Franson, who leads the Toronto defence with 25 points, has benefited from the meat and potatoes style of the longtime Hurricane defender, similar in some ways to the effect Mark Fraser had on the 26-year-old last season. "Mark would always be aggressive trying to get hits and staple guys to the wall and allow our defensive zone coverage to take place," Franson said. "Gleas is the same way. He has a physical mindset and goes in there and tries to get people in tough positions to make plays and allow us to break out of the zone a little easier." Gleason battled through a difficult night against the Lightning. The 30-year-old blocked a shot in one uncomfortable area, received a pass in the face and was then hammered into the end-boards in the final two minutes by Teddy Purcell. He was forced to leave the game with a shoulder injury, one that Carlyle didnt believe to be serious. Stats Pack 10-5-2 – Leafs record against the Atlantic division. 7-1-2 – Record for Jonathan Bernier this season when facing 40 shots or more. 2 – Multi-goal games for Nazem Kadri this season. 41 – Points for James van Riemsdyk this season, a new career-high. 49.7% - Success rate for Kadri on the draw in the past 10 games. 7 – Phil Kessel shot attempts that were blocked by the Lightning. 75% - Leafs success rate on defensive zone faceoffs against Tampa. 21-6-3 – Leafs record this season when scoring first. Special Teams Capsule PP: 0-3Season: 22% (4th) PK: 3-3Season: 77.1% (29th) Quote of the Night "They thought Ive been playing excellent over this last nine, 10-game stretch. Kudos to them for sticking with me. I know theyre a patient bunch as well and they understand what I can bring to the team. Ive been very coachable and theyve given me some great pointers that Ive listened to and just tried to get better." -Nazem Kadri on the patience of the Toronto coaching staff. Up Next The Leafs host the Panthers on Thursday night. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' '