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The Toyota Center in Houston, Texas plays host to UFC 166 this Saturday night, in arguably the promotions biggest pay-per view event this year. http://www.hockeyflamesfanshop.com/Karri-Ramo-Jersey/ . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Let us know which side youre on, #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter. Also feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section below. Cain Velasquez vs. Junior Dos Santos (Heavyweight championship) James Lynch TSN.ca (@LynchOnSports) The two best fighters in the heavyweight division conclude their trilogy on Saturday night, as current UFC champion Velasquez defends his title against the hungry challenger Dos Santos. Back in November of 2011 on the UFCs debut on FOX, these two fighters met for the first time with the contest lasting just over a minute. That evening, it would be the Brazilian having his hand raised as he knocked out Velasquez to become the new heavyweight champion. Neither fighter was 100% with both having serious knee injuries, so this contest doesnt serve as a good catalyst for how Saturdays main event will unfold. The rematch would take place last December and it was the 31-year old challenger dominating Dos Santos over the course of five rounds to win back the title. The 29-year old Dos Santos claimed over training was a decisive factor in the loss and has since fixed that issue thanks to the help of medical professionals (which was well documented in the “UFC Primetime” series). In the stand-up department, both fighters cancel each other out as they each possess devastating knockout power. On the ground, the advantage goes to the Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt Dos Santos, who has a wealth of experience compared to his American foe. Where Velasquez has the edge in this fight, as he displayed in their last encounter, is both with his wrestling and conditioning. Even if “Cigano” has improved on his conditioning, Velasquez still has a better wrestling base and a better group of training partners as fellow top contender Daniel Cormier trains with the former NCAA Division I wrestler on a regular basis. Expect this fight to be closer than their second encounter, but with the same result. Velasquez will effectively wear out the Brazilian on route to a unanimous decision victory. Velasquez via unanimous decision Jordan Cieciwa TSN Radio 1290 (@FitCityJordan) Junior dos Santos didnt have his best showing last outing against Cain Velasquez. Cain is a top notch athlete, who has developed his boxing to a championship level. JDS, up until this point, has relied on that skill to set him apart, hes coming off a win against Mark Hunt. That win that doesnt warrant a shot at the title, but, it is what the fans want to see. Its the rubber match and it should keep things interesting. Cain has the momentum behind him for this, and the crowd will probably be shouting his name the loudest. I dont think this going to be the flash ending we saw in previous encounters. This time I expect to see a bit more of the wrestling and ground games. JDS won the first match up with a KO, and Cain won a hard fought battle and decision last time. This will be another one that goes the distance. Cains athleticism and wrestling will make this interesting, and get him the win. Velasquez via unanimous decision Daniel Cormier vs. Roy Nelson Lynch Two of the UFCs shorter heavyweights clash in what could be their last bouts in the division as 5-foot 10 Cormier battles 6-foot tall Nelson. The AKA wrestling coach Cormier is one of the hottest fighters in the division, boasting a perfect 12-0 record since his career started back in 2009. His list of victims includes Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, Josh Barnett and most recently former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir. A dominating win over the Ultimate Fighter Season 16 winner would certainly situate the 34-year old nicely in the title picture (for either division, should he make the drop to 205lbs). Nelson meanwhile, is coming off a disappointing performance against Stipe Miocic at UFC 161; where he was completely dominated in all aspects over the course of three rounds. What the 37-year old brings to the table in this fight is his durability, highly underrated jiu-jitsu game and a wealth of experience. The former IFL heavyweight champion has fought 27-times compared to Cormiers 12 appearances inside the cage. With that said, neither should be a factor against the undefeated San Jose native, who should use his superior wrestling over three rounds to earn the judges decision. As a side note, should Dos Santos pull off the upset against Cormiers teammate Velasquez Saturday, expect him to earn the next shot at the heavyweight title. Cormier via unanimous decision JC Daniel Cormier is going to get a big test when he steps into the Octagon with Roy Nelson. This will be lucky 13 for Cormier if he pulls out a win. Thats right Daniel Cormier is 12-0 right now, and looking strong. Nelson is tough, hits hard, and is surprisingly agile for a big guy. We still havent seen Nelson use that jujitsu to really dominate a fight. My hope for this one is a ground war that Cormier will dominate, and Big Country finds a way to sneak in a slick submission. There has been a lot of talk about it, now as I fan, I want to see Roy get a win with his jujitsu. Of course, Ill take a big booming knockout as well. Nelson via 3rd round submission Gilbert Melendez vs. Diego Sanchez< Lynch In a bout that has “Fight of the Night” honours written all over it, former Strikeforce lightweight champion Melendez goes to war with TUF Season 1 winner Sanchez. The 31-year old Cesar Gracie Student hasnt fought since April, where he lost a razor close decision to former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. Prior to the loss, Melendez had just two blemishes on his resume since his career started back in 2002. Sanchez meanwhile returned to the lightweight division earlier this year defeating Takanori Gomi and looks to find the same success at lightweight that he enjoyed during his four-fight win streak back in 2009. Physically both of these fighters are nearly identical, but Melendez brings a huge step up in competition for Sanchez who has competed mostly at welterweight in his career. If you needed to look up a “complete fighter” in the dictionary youd find Melendezs name right there as he brings superior wrestling, boxing and jiu-jitsu to the table. Anywhere this fight goes, Melendez has the edge and while Sanchez should get make this a war, its doubtful hell emerge victorious. Expect the PRIDE veteran to push the pace for three rounds and outpoint his foe for the unanimous decision victory. Melendez via unanimous decision JC Gilbert Melendez is the lightweight champ in my eyes. He was robbed of the title in his fight against Ben Henderson. If Diego Sanchez is part of the route he has to take to get another shot, then so be it. The Dream wont be able to control the fight with his wrestling or take downs, and I think hes the slower striker. The edge goes to Melendez in almost every category. That means that Diego Sanchez will probably lose this one on points. Its set to be an exciting fight as Sanchez loves to be the spoiler. I just dont think he has what it takes to make sure this one goes his way in the judges eyes. Melendez via uanimous decision Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shawn Jordan Lynch Former UFC title challenger Gonzaga aims to separate himself from the rest of the heavyweight pack when he meets former LSU fullback Jordan. A winner of four of his last five bouts, “Napao” is coming off a 17-second knockout over Dave Herman at UFC 162. Subsequently the 28-year old Jackson/Winkejohn product has also won four of his last five fights, including his 59-second knockout over Pat Berry at UFC 161. Each combatant has exceptional stand-up, with 17-knockouts between the two of them, so its likely well see some exchanges on the feet. While this fight is a fairly even matchup, Gonzaga takes the slight edge with his experience and underrated jiu-jitsu game. Expect the Brazilian to overwhelm his younger adversary and hand Jordan the first submission loss of his career. Gonzaga via second round submission JC Just when Gabriel Gonzaga starts to get on a win streak, or gets some press about being a challenger, he loses a big fight. He has showed a total game with jujitsu and striking over his career, and has beat some top tier talent, but he is stepping in the ring against an opponent that hits hard. That seems to be Gonzagas nemesis. Hes been KOd in the first round a few times. In my opinion Gonzaga is the better all-around fighter, but thats not going to save him in this fight. Shawn Jordan will land a big shot early in the first while both fighters are getting used to each other and end the night early. Jordan via first round TKO John Dodson vs. Darrell Montague Lynch Ultimate Fighter Season 14 winner Dodson returns to the cage for the first time since his loss to champion Demetrious Johnson, as he welcomes “The Mongoose” who makes his promotional debut. Prior to losing in the title fight back at UFC on FOX 6, the Jackson/Winklejohn product enjoyed a five-fight win streak, with victories over Tim Elliot, T.J Dillishaw and John Moraga. Looking to push himself back into title contention, a win over a very game Montague would certainly do that. His 25-year old opponent meanwhile captured the Tachi Palace flyweight championship back in 2011 in defeating Ulysses Gomez, but would evidently lose the title in his next bout to UFC 125lb fighter Ian McCall. Montague is currently riding four-fight win streak and has earned 10 of his 13 victories via knockout. While no doubt the Millennia MMA will make this an exciting bout to open the main card, his skillset just doesnt matchup to his 29-year old counterpart. Expect Dodson to overwhelm his foe over three rounds and earn a stoppage sometime in the third. Dodson via third round technical knockout JC Dodson takes this one and spoils the debut of Montague. Expect a big comeback from the Ultimate Fighter 14 winner as he looks to get back in the title picture Dodson via second round knockout Tim Boetsch vs. C.B. Dollaway Lynch Boetsch caught a huge break when his original opponent Luke Rockhold had to bow out due to injury. I disagree with Jordan in this being a potential “Fight Of The Night” candidate as I see this being a one sided beatdown on the side of “The Barbarian” Despite his lackluster performances in back to back losses to Mark Munoz and Costa Philippou, we should see the old Boetsch back in action Saturday, the same one who came from behind to knockout Yushin Okami. Expect the 32-year old to take Dollaway down at will and earn the TKO victory sometime in the second. Boetsch via second round TKO JC Believe it or not, one of the fights of the night for me is going to be C.B Dollaway and Tim Boetsch. When I feel careers are on the line, I think the fighters put on a better show. Both these fighters need to put together win streaks or start to get comfortable with the thought of working for other organizations. Boetsch can take a beating and always makes fights interesting. Hes coming off two loses, but has looked fairly good in the process. Hes obviously a threat when he competes and can never be counted out. Dollaway is on a two fight win streak, but has left both those in the hands of the judges. For me, I go with the fighter that finishes fights, and also seems to be extremely difficult to finish. Im expecting Boetsch to take this one convincingly. He knows he has to, and he has the talent and power to do it. Boetsch via third round TKO Nate Marquardt vs. Hector Lombard Lynch In a battle for UFC employment, Lombard makes his welterweight debut against Marquart in a battle of two fighters coming off losses. This fight is going one of two ways, either Lombard is going to score an early knockout or Marquardt is going to use his wrestling to grind out a decision. Its interesting to note that Lombard has never been finished in his 38-fight career and while Marquardt has 24 finishes, I dont see it happening on Saturday. Expect the former Bellator middleweight champion to come out guns blazing and catch Marquardt early, similar to how Jake Ellenbuger knocked out “Nate The Great” in their last encounter. Lombard via first round TKO JC The Hector Lombard and Nate Marquardt fight begs the question, whos showing up? Honestly two of the most unpredictable fighters when it comes to effort and preparedness for competition. They have both looked like animals, and they have both looked ready for bed. On a good day both of these fighters are strong, hit hard, and have ground games. Both have over 35 fights, 30 of those being wins. So they know what to do when they get in the cage. This is another fight where I imagine someone may lose a job. Marquardt is coming off two losses and he hasnt looked as sharp as he once did. Lombard is 1-2 in the UFC and needs to even that out bad if he wants a few more Zuffa paychecks. I think Lombard is the faster, more explosive fighter. I expect him to take the fight to Marquardt early, build up a point lead and then run out of gas. I dont think Marquardt will be able to do anything to win the fight. This will go to decision, and it will be two tired fighters staring at each other promising fans a better outing next time. Lombard via third round decision Rest of the Card: Lynch: Eye, Noons, Amagov, Ferguson, Fili, Horiguchi JC: Kaufman, Noons, Waldenburger, Ferguson, Larsen, Pague Also be sure to tune into the “Weigh-In” on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg every Saturday as myself, Jordan and “Big Marv” Timog go toe to toe discussing the hottest topics in MMA. http://www.hockeyflamesfanshop.com/Craig-Conroy-Jersey/ . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. http://www.hockeyflamesfanshop.com/Deryk-Engelland-Jersey/ . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. http://www.hockeyflamesfanshop.com/Mikael-Backlund-Jersey/ . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at .NEW YORK - As the Knicks were on their way to an embarrassing 29-point Christmas Day defeat, the Madison Square Garden faithful chanted the name of their saviour, who just so happens to be the Raptors starting point guard. Their 9-19 record remains identical to the crosstown rivals in Brooklyn and trails both Toronto and Boston in the Atlantic Division. Raymond Felton, their declining point guard, is back on the sideline nursing his third injury of the season. Their owner James Dolan has reassured his team that no one is being traded or fired, at least for the time being. Still, some Knicks fans are holding out hope that help is on the way. "Thats very humbling," Kyle Lowry said, flattered by the thought of Knicks fans chanting his name. "Thats humbling, I appreciate it. Its kind of one of those things where you just dont know what to say, you just are like, wow thats pretty cool but at the end of the day, I play for the Raptors." Exactly two weeks ago, Lowry stood in front of the Toronto media and addressed multiple reports that had surfaced the day prior, connecting him to trade talks with the Knicks. The rumour mill has dried up since then, for the most part, but the Raptors guard found himself answering the same questions prior to Fridays game at MSG, the first in a home-and-home set with the Knicks. Catch both contests against the division-rival Knicks - Friday at 7:30pm et and Saturday at 7pm et - live on TSN2 and listen to Saturdays rematch on TSN 1050 Radio. "That wasnt in my mind," Lowry said, asked about the possibility of playing in New York. "My mind [said] to keep playing and be a competitor and play hard, try to win as many games for the Raptors. If something happens, then it happens, until that day Im a Raptor and I play hard for the Raptors." Reconvening in New York following a brief two-day break for the holidays, the Raptors are feeling good about their place in the putrid Atlantic Division. Despite the trade of Rudy Gay earlier in the month and ongoing speculation that Lowry and/or others could be moved next, no one is panicking. Quite the opposite in fact. The team is as harmonious as ever and thats a credit to their flood general, who hasnt been shaken by the off-court noise and is playing the best basketball of his career. Lowry is avveraging 15. http://www.hockeyflamesfanshop.com/TJ-Brodie-Jersey/. 2 points and 7.0 assists this season, both career-highs. He has recorded six or more assists in a career-best 18 consecutive games, obliterating his previous high, which was eight straight contests. The Raptors sit atop the division, a half game ahead of the Celtics and three games in front of the Knicks and Nets. Although theyve won five of eight since the trade of Gay - including two of three during an exceptionally difficult Western Conference road trip - the Knicks are closing in. New York has won six of its last 12 and has Tyson Chandler, the heart of its defence, back in the lineup. With two straight games against the Knicks and four of the next 11 against Atlantic Division opponents, this stretch could go a long way in mapping out the Raptors next step, as well as the future of Lowry and his expiring contract. "We all want to win, we all want to make the playoffs, we all want to be a better team and continue to get better," said Lowry. "I think guys are just out here, were having fun, were taking advantage of every time we can step on the floor together and just trying to win games." "I just want to keep playing. No matter what, I want to try to win games. I made a commitment to the city of Toronto, to myself and to the fans to get the Raptors to the playoffs so thats what Im here to do." Much-needed rest for DeRozan For the second straight season, DeMar DeRozan is among the league-leaders in minutes played. The Raptors guard has logged 38.5 minutes per night through the teams first 26 games with only the Knicks Carmelo Anthony and Rockets guard James Harden averaging more playing time. The two-day break couldnt have come at a better time for Torontos best player. "I think we just needed that," he said following shootaround at Baruch College in New York Friday afternoon. "Just to have two days to relax, get your mind off things, I think it was definitely needed for us, especially with this push were trying to make to stay on top of the division and win the next couple games." Raptors coach Dwane Casey said he is planning to monitor DeRozans minutes closely and could deploy John Salmons or the sparingly used Landry Fields and Steve Novak to spell him more as the season goes on. Cheap Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '