Even before he received the call, Ali Bagautinov had a feeling he would be challenging Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight championship.
Chicago Blackhawks Store . Since debuting in the UFC last year, the Dagestan native has made waves in the 125-pound division. After finishing Marcos Vinicius with punches in front of a hostile Brazilian crowd in September, Bagautinov earned consecutive decision victories over Tim Elliott and John Lineker. Immediately following his win over Lineker at UFC 169 four months ago, Bagautinov checked the UFCs official rankings and discovered hed broken into the top five. Since each fighter ranked above him had suffered recent losses to Johnson, Bagautinov knew he was next in line. "I dont know, but for some reason I had this feeling I would be given a chance at a title shot," Bagautinov told UFC.ca through a translator. "I watch all the fights in my (weight class). So I try to keep abreast of everything thats going on." Bagautinov gets his opportunity to dethrone Johnson in the headliner of UFC 174 in Vancouver, B.C. June 14. The co-main event features a pivotal welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley. Also, former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski returns against Brendan Schaub. Not only would a win over Johnson be the culmination of all his hard work in both mixed martial arts and Combat Sambo, it would earn Bagautinov the distinction of being the first Russian titleholder in UFC history. The heavy-handed striker also recently became a father, welcoming his first-born son. It goes without saying that a victory would allow him to further support his family. Bagautinov admitted a lot is riding on his fight with Johnson. "First of all, its very important to me that I will go into the history books as the first UFC champion from Russia," Bagautinov said. "It is very important to me, and without a doubt, it will help me provide better for my family. "I think that you will see more and more fighters from Russia (in the UFC). We have a lot of very successful and very promising fighters. I believe that they might be champions and titleholders in different categories, in the future." Though Bagautinov is on the cusp of making a better life for himself and his loved ones, his road to a title shot has been bumpy. A recent report from MMABoxing.ru claimed the fighter failed a 2012 drug test and was retroactively suspended for two years by the International Sambo Federation. According to the article, Bagautinov was flagged for methylhexanemine, a dietary supplement and stimulant commonly found in nasal sprays that is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Bagautinov has since called the report bogus, stating that had he been suspended, he wouldnt have been allowed to compete in Sambo bouts in Russia. He also said the incident hasnt interfere with his training camp. "I never even thought about it," Bagautinov said bluntly. "It did not affect my training. I would say that I did experience some indignation as to why this nonsense suddenly came up. But it didnt damage me or hurt me in any way because I am focused on my training and my preparations." With the drug accusation behind him at least for now, Bagautinov has to get the job done against Johnson, who has proven to be a difficult puzzle to solve. Since capturing the inaugural flyweight championship in 2012, Mighty Mouse has been as impressive as any champion on the UFC roster. Johnsons toughness was on display in his first title defence in early 2013, as he rallied to win a unanimous decision over John Dodson. He then put on a dominant display against John Moraga last July before sealing the deal with a fifth-round armbar submission. In December, he became the first fighter to finish Joseph Benavidez by uncorking a vicious right hook for the stunning knockout win. Though Johnsons speed, footwork and timing have given other contenders fits, Bagautinov said hes figured out the flyweight champions style. "In my understanding, his style is to actually crock up his opponent and then to win during the fourth or fifth round," Bagautinov said. "I think hes trying to play it safe by not risking too much. Hes running around the cage and looking for the ninth corner. The cage has eight corners, so its as if hes looking for the ninth corner, then (he tries to deliver) the decisive strike, with a decisive result." Though Johnsons speed and slick striking are often considered among his best tools, Bagautinov feels his power and grappling will get the job done. "As Ive said before, God willing, if I get the title it will be the result of everything that I have been doing for all these years," Bagautinov said. "You can expect a beautiful and good quality fight."
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Cheap Blackhawks Jerseys .C. -- Al Jefferson said he feels like hes playing the best basketball of his 10-year NBA career.Top-ranked Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic are part of a star-studded line-up at the Rogers Cup in Toronto as the hard-court swing begins in earnest ahead of the Rio Olympics and the US Open. The Masters event will be seen as a warm-up for the Olympic games which runs from August 6-14. Players not taking part in Rio will then prepare for the final major of the year at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, live on Sky Sports, before heading to Flushing Meadows for the US Open starting on Monday, August 29.Former champions Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal have pulled out, leaving the tournament without three of the worlds top four players. Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal will be missing The decision by Swiss world No 3 Federer and Spanish world No 4 Nadal comes a day after Wimbledon winner Andy Murray, ranked second, said he would not defend his title so he can rest before defending his Olympic singles crown in Rio.Federer, a 17-times Grand Slam champion who won the Canadian stop in 2004 and 2006, said he needed more time off after his bid for a record-extending 18th major title ended in the Wimbledon semi-finals earlier this month.Looking ahead, it is best for me that I take more time after Wimbledon, the 34-year-old Federer, who will seek his third Olympic medal at next months Rio Games, said. I look forward to coming back to Canada next year. Raonic will be playing on home soil for the first time since reaching the Wimbledon final Nadal, who has been out of action since pulling out of the French Open following his second-round match with a wrist injury, said he was not fit enough to return to competition.The 30-year-old Spaniard, a three-time winner of the tournament that alternates each year between Toronto and Montreal, was only recentlly given clearance to compete in Rio despite not fulfilling the qualification criteria.
Chicago Blackhawks Shirts. .I only started practicing a week ago after my wrist injury and I am not ready to play such an important event, said Nadal. Andy Murray is taking a well earned rest after winning Wimbledon Murray is coming off his second career Wimbledon victory, beating Canadas Raonic in three sets in the final to land his third major crown.I always look forward to coming to Canada and its the first time Ive missed the tournament, the guys there do a great job and always look after the players, said Murray, a three-time Rogers Cup champion.My body needs some recovery time after reaching the latter stages of tournaments over the past few months. Im sorry to my fans in Toronto, but I look forward to being back in Canada next year. Stan Wawrinka will join a whole host of star-studded names in Toronto There are still a whole host of top names to look out for in Canada with the likes of Stan Wawrinka, Kei Nishikori, Dominic Thiem, Tomas Berdych, Marin Cilic and Gael Monfils all taking part.Dont miss the action which gets underway on Monday on Sky Sports 3 HD, your home of Tennis, from 4pm.Check out daily Tennis news on skysports.com/tennis, our app for mobile devices and iPad and our Twitter account @skysportstennis.By purchasing a Sky Sports Day Pass for £6.99 or Sky Sports Week Pass for £10.99, you can enjoy access to all seven Sky Sports channels and watch on a TV with a NOW TV Box or on a range of devices. Also See: ATP schedule Tennis on Sky GBs route to Davis Cup glory Get a NOW TV pass Video ' ' '