|
TORONTO -- The UFC will hold five shows in Canada in 2014, including a return to Vancouver and new stops in Halifax and Quebec City. Hyun-Jin Ryu Dodgers Jersey . The schedule, announced at a news conference Wednesday in Quebec City, also calls for fights cards in Toronto and Montreal. The five shows are up from three in recent years when Toronto and Montreal were constants on the schedule with another city rotating in. The busy calendar is a nod to the appetite for mixed martial arts north of the border. "On a per-capita basis, no nation in the world consumes MMA like we do," Tom Wright, director of UFC Operations in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, said in an interview. "The fact weve been able to go from three events to five events is a reflection of that. "Well have three of the (UFCs) 13 pay-per-views (in 2014)." Quebec City will host a show for the first time in the form of a televised UFC Fight Night for the live finale to "The Ultimate Fighter Nations: Canada vs. Australia" on April 16 at Le Colisee Pepsi. The UFC returns to Vancouver on June 14 -- for the first time since UFC 131 in June 2011 -- for UFC 174 at the Rogers Arena. The MMA promoter opted to stay away because of what it saw as onerous insurance and other requirements that have since been modified. "Now were in a position where we can return and were very much looking forward to it," said Wright. "Vancouvers been a great city for us, its a great MMA market for us -- all of Western Canada is. Toronto gets its fifth show in the form of UFC 178 on Sept. 27 at the Air Canada Centre. The UFC debuts in Halifax on Oct. 4 with a televised Fight Night card at the Metro Centre. And the Canadian schedule concludes Dec. 6 with UFC 181 at the Bell Centre, marking Montreals seventh show. Wright says it is too early to speculate on marquee matchups at the Canadian shows. But rival TUF Nations coaches Patrick (The Predator) Cote of Montreal and Australian Kyle Noke will face off in Quebec City. A lightweight bout between Sam (Hands of Stone) Stout and K.J. Noons has already been announced for the Quebec City show. The UFC has held 14 pay-per-view shows to date in Canada: six in Montreal, four in Toronto, two in Vancouver and one in each of Calgary and Winnipeg. Hanley Ramirez Jersey . JOHNS, N. Brian Wilson Dodgers Jersey . The squad is expected to be divided into 23 players with seven back-ups, although FIFA regulations require only a 30-man provisional squad to be named by May 13.DUBLIN, Ohio -- Steve Stricker finally found the winning formula at the Memorial on Sunday. Stricker, who had never finished in the top 10 in his 11 previous trips to Muirfield Village, built a big lead with more flawless golf on the front nine, then relied on his silky putting stroke for two clutch pars to hang on for a one-shot victory. He closed with a 4-under 68, lagging from 20 feet for a two-putt bogey on the 18th hole. By then, the hard work was over. Stricker twice saved par from bunkers on the 16th and 17th holes, making putts of 15 feet and seven feet to go to the last hole with a two-shot lead. "It wasnt pretty," Stricker said to tournament host Jack Nicklaus walking off the 18th green. Matt Kuchar and Brandt Jobe each closed with a 65 to tie for second. The 44-year-old Stricker moves to No. 4 in the world and becomes the highest-ranked American for the first time in his career. He won for the 10th time in his career, and the seventh time since he turned his game around five years ago. Dustin Johnson closed with a 65 to finish fourth, followed by Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, who had a 68. The biggest consolation prize went to Gary Woodland, who had a 68 to finish alone in sixth. Woodland likely will move to about No. 40 in the world ranking, making him virtually a lock to get into the U.S. Open. He had faced a 36-hole qualifier Monday morning. Stricker, who led by four shots at the turn, made it more interesting than it needed to be, especially after a 2 1/2-hour storm delay that slowed his momentum following a spectacular bunker save behind the 12th green. He had a three-shot lead with five holes to play when he missed a short birdie on the 14th, then pulled his tee shot into the woods on the par-5 15th to make a bogey. His lead was down to two, and he faced a tough finish. Stricker found the back bunker on the par-3 16th and blasted out to 15 feet, lightly pumping his fist when it dropped in the centre of the cup for par to keep the two-shot cushion. From the middle of the 17th fairway, he badly pushed his six-iron off a mound and into a deep bunker right of the green. He splashed it out to seven feet, and the par putt again was never in doubt. Needing only a bogey to win, Stricker hit into a fairway bunker on the 18th, missed the green to the left and was happy to chip onto the top tier to 20 feet that locked up his first win of the year. "It was a litttle bit of a struggle since we came in from the rain delay," he said. Fernando Valenzuela Authentic Jersey. "At that point, I was trying not to make a mistake. I hung tough, made a couple of crucial putts when I had to." While the par putts at the end were crucial, his bunker shot on No. 12 was equally big. He had to play away from the flag, bounced it out through the rough and saw it settle a foot from the cup. Stricker finished at 16-under 272 and earned US$1,116,000. Almost as sweet as the trophy was getting a handshake and hug from Nicklaus behind the 18th green. "Its pretty special walking off," Stricker said. "Hes a friend, and its truly an honour." Luke Donald, in his first tournament at No. 1 in the world, never had a chance to win but never quit trying. Donald closed with a 68 and tied for seventh, his 10th consecutive finish in the top 10 in worldwide golf. It was a tale of two nines for Stricker, as it had been all week. He played the front nine in 20-under par, including his six birdies Sunday when he made the turn in 30 to build the big lead. He played the back nine in 4 over, and didnt have another shot to spare. Kuchar and Jobe did all the could to catch him. "My 5 under on the front didnt gain any ground on him," Kuchar said. "It was tough to see. Got two more on the back, played great golf. But looks like its just not quite good enough." Jobe has been battling injuries over the past several years, and the $545,600 pushes him over $1.16 million for the season and assures him keeping his card for next year. Jobe put the most pressure on Stricker by running off five straight birdies around the turn. "I thought if we would have gone out and shot 65, that might have been good enough," Jobe said. "But it looks like were going to be a little short. It was his tournament to kind of win or lose, and hes going out there and winning it." Woodland would not get the official ranking until later Sunday night. He came into the week at No. 54, and the top 50 after next week are exempt from qualifying. Despite a bogey on the 18th hole, his sixth-place finish should be more than enough to stay in the top 50. Stricker now heads to Congressional in two weeks as one of the players who could be a big factor in the U.S. Open. He was a runner-up at Congressional in 2007 during the AT&T National, and that putting stroke goes a long way on any course. wholesale jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
