etown club, Toronto FC. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:N

TORONTO - With No. Air Max 720 Outlet . 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." Air Max 270 Outlet . According to bodog.ca, Cleveland moved up to grab the best odds to win the Larry OBrian trophy at 4-1 on Friday. By comparison, the Miami Heats odds plummeted from 3-1 favourites before LeBron left, to 50-1. Air Max 97 False Come Riconoscerle . Pedroia reached the milestone with a little panache, hitting a grand slam in the sixth inning and propelling the Boston Red Sox to a 7-1 win over the Oakland Athletics on Friday night. http://www.airmaxshoponlineitalia.it/scontate-max-tn-outlet.html . -- For one night, Nick Calathes provided a big reason to believe the Memphis Grizzlies might be able to withstand the loss of Mike Conley on a short-term basis.LONDON - Starting out at the Canadian Consulate in rather exquisite Grosvenor Square, my day Tuesday concluded with a visit to one of the most unique football settings there is in all of English football. As the land which invented modern day Association Football and with that ticket to Rio on the line, it seemed Prince Harry included, the entire nations focus was entirely fixated on a sold out Wembley Stadium in North London Tuesday evening. Not mine. Leafy London, SW6 and a football stadium constructed in the 1890s on prime real estate nestled alongside the banks of the River Thames be my destination. The history of the venerable Craven Cottage dates all the way back to the 1780s, where the original cottage existed until burning down in dubious circumstances in the late 1880s. Modernized with great care and expense over recent seasons, Craven Cottage has been Fulhams home stadium for close to 120-years. On a chilling London Tuesday evening, the Cottage, as its affectionately known in these SW6 parts, played host as Canada took on a World Cup Finals bound Socceroos. A so termed friendly and the culmination of a 10-day London camp for our Mens National Team. Conceding the softest of goals from the opening whistle within the same time frame Usain Bolt takes to win three gold medals, was not the idealist of starts. However following the goal, the 3,500 or so in attendance witnessed a spirited first half performance from our latest creation of a mens team. A performance which could best be described as putting into applied practice, in a live setting, Benito Floros 10-day football theory master class staged over at QPRs training complex - located some 10 miles due west and within close proximity of Londons Heathrow airport. With a high energy and some outstanding movement in the attacking half of play, the mens national team created gilt edged opportunity over the next 44 minutes as they strove with Canadian-like endeavour to tie it up. Losing Julian de Guzman early on due to hamstring problems didnt dent enthusiasm or guile. The back of the net though remained as elusive as it has been over recent times and if it continues for much longer, the only trophy our MNT could win is if they give out prizes for goalless seasons. Were all now well aware the storm in a tea cup which erupted here in London Thursday in regards to a certain aspect of Roy Hodgsons half-time pep talk in the Wembley World Cup qualifier Tuesday night. What though happened in that Canadian dressing room at the interval remains a mystery. Yes a number of not fully bled youngsters were introduced. So what? They knew their roles going in. Woefully though and almost to a man, including the more experienced players, any manner of enthusiasm and forward thinking was left in that 115-year old dressing room. Lethargy took over and tracking back became a thing of the past. Speaking to captain Dwayne De Rosario post match he had an explanation. "Well obviously in the second half guys a lot of guys who havent got a lot of caps came in. Benito did tell us at the start of the game we would be coming off to give opportunity to the young guys to see them in this environment and test the waters." Break water they certainly did not. Australia were so dominant in the second-half, thoughts of San Pedro Sula came racing back as the Roos added two more easy goals. It finished 3-0 in favour of a nation which only four daays before Tuesdays match unceremoniously jettisoned their head coach. Nike Air Max Plus Scontate. One who only recently delivered Australia to yet another World Cup Finals. Anyone know when Roman Abramovich took up his role with the Australian Football Federation? My gosh Holga. Yes youd overseen two matches against Brazil and France where combined your team leaked in a humbling 12. No room for that in Frank Lowrys world. Lowry the maverick Australian multi-millionaire who almost single handedly has dragged Australian football from the dark ages to where they are today. Such is his influence that Australia was able to navigate out and away from the more challenging Oceania Continental Conference and transferred over to lightweight Asia. Not sure if this transfer came in the summer or January window. De Rosario was very matter of fact about the defeat. "Its disappointing, as its another loss in a game where yet again we did not score." Adding, "We have got to continue to work, and work and work. We got a long road ahead of us as you see tonight. Lets stay positive, lets make sure the group stays positive and learn from our mistake and hopefully every game we get better and better. I still see there is quality out there, despite the result." For many a veteran, this could be the cue to hang up the international boots. Not for this 2011 MVP, whose club season has been so pitiful, DC United have even managed to make Toronto FC appear enthralling like. De Rosario disclosing, "No it never crosses my mind. I still enjoy wearing the Canadian jersey, Im still proud to be called up. Its a huge honour for me, I still love the game. I believe I still have something to offer and I think I proved that in the first half." Disappointed with the outcome Tuesday the match itself was the curtain drop to the vital 10 days spent in camp with QPR playing the role of very gracious hosts. "I didnt see Harry, but the first team were training and it was a great environment for the young guys." The "Harry" De Rosario refers to is not Prince Harry but that old scoundrel himself Harry Redknapp. Which bought back memories of the first time I attended a professional football match - I was a snooty nosed little five-year old urchin in tow with my parents and two brothers. Craven Cottage was the venue as Fulham entertained West Ham. A West Ham team resplendent with the likes of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters with a very youthful looking Redknapp playing in midfield that day. Fulham had a world cup winner in their ranks too, George Cohen. De Rosario himself was left suitably impressed with the venue. "The young guys see this stadium on TV and to have that experience they got tonight was valuable." Marooned in likely the hottest metropolis in the globe right now didnt faze the veteran when asked if he had chance to get out and enjoy the host city of last summers Olympics. "Not really. The focus was camp, and the game. We got out for a little bit for four hours or so but I know what this city is all about. The main thing was this game today." Next Week Part II: Julian de Guzman – provides insightful thoughts on Floro, and The Kids during Camp London. Plus De Guzmans rather candid and strained thoughts on his hometown club, Toronto FC. You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca@TheSoccerNoel ' ' '