NEU » defensemen and looks to fill a ho

Its difficult enough to make a UFC debut on three weeks notice, but Will Brooks (18-1) had the added pressure of entering the Octagon eight days before his wedding.Brooks beat Ross Pearson (19-12, 1 NC) by unanimous decision on July 8 at the The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale, then hopped on a plane the next day to fly from Las Vegas to his home in South Florida. He packed his car, then drove 22 hours to Chicago to get married that next Saturday.My wife is a warrior, Brooks said. She took it like was nothing. She just rolled with it. She was like, All right. Lets win, and lets go get married.And, even without a full camp, thats exactly what they did.Now, in his second UFC fight, Ill Will will face Alex Cowboy Oliveira (14-4-1) in the co-main event of the Oct. 1 card in Portland, Oregon.I feel so much better, Brooks said. Being able to take my time and eat through a camp and not just rush it has been a huge benefit.I cant wait to get out there, put all those skills on display in the best shape that I could be in and show people how its supposed to look when Im locked in mentally, physically and emotionally.It would have been fair to add a short notice footnote to Brooks debut against Pearson -- but marketability and trajectory arent built on fairness. And while Brooks never lost control to Pearson, he never appeared close to finishing the Brit. The three judges awarded the first two rounds to Brooks and the third to Pearson, when Brooks says the effects of a steep weight cut began show.It had been an eventful two months leading into Brooks debut that began with Bellator granting his release in mid-May. He signed a six-fight contract with the UFC five weeks later and was left with just 23 days to prepare for that first scheduled fight against Pearson.It was an odd training camp, he said. Especially being all excited about finally accomplishing a goal that you set for yourself and wanting to kind of celebrate that.But then you have to turn around and realize that, Oh, man. Theres a guy that wants to play spoiler to that.Brooks said he felt disappointed with some aspects of his debut performance, but came away satisfied with a win, all things considered.His next opponent, Oliveira, has won four of his past five fights, but only one came at lightweight. Primarily participating at welterweight in his career, Oliveira will have a six-inch reach advantage Saturday. Nine of his 14 wins came by knockout, and he holds a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.Hes got a lot of athleticism, said Brooks, nearly a 3-to-1 favorite. Hes very loose. He clearly enjoys fighting, so it makes him get out there and kind of freestyle things a little bit more.But overall, I think Im just ready to beat him in every aspect of mixed martial arts ... I cant see him beating me anywhere.Brooks has made no secret of intentions to claim the UFC lightweight title, currently held by Eddie Alvarez (28-4). After beating Pearson in July, he planted a promotional seed by warning Alvarez to hold onto that belt in the postfight interview.In a sport with inherent subjectivity -- and in its deepest weight class -- fighters welcome any reason to cut in line for title consideration. But Brooks is in the fortuitous position of sharing parallels with Alvarez. They both left Bellator as its lightweight champion. Theyre the only fighters to have beaten that promotions current champ, Michael Chandler (15-3). They even held identical 10-1 records in their stints there.While reluctant to compare careers, even the favorable similarities, Brooks considers an in-cage meeting against Alvarez inevitable.Ive always had the goal of beating the best of the best, and hes always been considered one of the best lightweights in mixed martial arts, Brooks said. When we get our date to dance in the cage -- and I promise you we will -- Ill put on a display that my skill set and my abilities are somewhere far beyond his.Whether Brooks can bump draft off Alvarez in the meantime depends on his performance Saturday and in subsequent fights -- he made a point to call out Michael Johnson after Johnsons knockout Sept. 17 of Brooks teammate Dustin Poirier.Some consider lightweight the hardest division to climb. Brooks thinks he stands to benefit from the clutter, especially if he dazzles at the Moda Center.Right now, theres an opening, said Brooks, who turns 30 seven days after the Oliveira fight. Theres no one making themselves out to be a front-runner superstar in the lightweight division.These guys, in my opinion, are trying to duck each other and figure out how to get themselves to the title without having to do the hard work to get there. I dont think any of them carry themselves like they have that X factor. Im the guy who has that X factor. Vendita Scarpe Online Italia .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Scarpe Saldi Online . Ronaldo produced a spectacular individual performance on Tuesday, scoring all three goals and guiding Portugal into the next years World Cup in Brazil with a 3-2 victory in Sweden. The Real Madrid forward has scored 66 goals in 2013, but the last three may be the boost he needs to upstage Messi after FIFA unexpectedly extended the voting period for the Ballon dOr to Nov. http://www.scarpeitaliasaldi.it/ . James, who turned 29 on Monday, injured his groin Friday during the Heats overtime loss at Sacramento. He sat out the following game, a 108-107 win Saturday in Portland, before coming back to help send the Nuggets to their seventh consecutive loss. Scarpe Scontate Uomo . But the quarterback hopes to stay involved in football after officially calling it quits Tuesday. "Id love to look at those opportunities as they arise," Pierce said in an interview from his Winnipeg eatery. Scarpe Saldi Online Italia . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. It is finally time to exhale after the long journey that is the NHL season.It started what seems like a million years ago with preparation for training camp back in September. And now, thanks to new wrinkles in the collective bargaining agreement that allow free agents to discuss potential new homes with teams before the opening of the free-agency bazaar, the 2015-16 season, for all intents and purposes, ended on July 1.Did we mention exhaling?There still isnt much of an offseason in the traditional sense of the word. And, to be sure, plenty of teams need to get their collective houses in order before training camp rolls around in two months. Several teams, however, already find themselves in a pretty darned comfortable position heading into next season, having -- at least on paper -- assembled the deck chairs in a pleasing manner. Heres a look at some of the clubs that fall into each category as summer, true and proper, is upon us.Teams that can take a breatherNew Jersey DevilsThis isnt to suggest that the Devils, who have missed the playoffs every season since surprisingly advancing to the 2012 Stanley Cup finals, are a lock to finish in the top eight in the Eastern Conference next season. But you have to admire the work done by general manager Ray Shero in wheeling and dealing and finessing his lineup into a position where a postseason berth is very much a possibility.First, Shero did what is so difficult to do in the NHL: add guaranteed offense via trade. By acquiring one of the NHLs top left wingers in Taylor Hall, the 2010 first-overall draft pick who should be pretty motivated to prove the Edmonton Oilers wrong, Shero has provided a critical scoring catalyst. The Devils were dead last in goals per game last season, yet they hung around the playoff fringes until March. So if you figure in 30 goals from Hall, all of a sudden New Jersey is a different team.The deal cost the Devils top young defenseman Adam Larsson?-- and they also lost the useful David Schlemko (see below) to San Jose -- but they brought in Ben Lovejoy, whom Shero knows from their days in Pittsburgh. Lovejoy was an important cog in the Penguins defensive machine, which helped spur them to a Stanley Cup championship in June. Add in a nice complementary player like Vernon Fiddler, and you have to like how the Devils are trending.San Jose SharksIts been quite the renaissance for San Jose GM Doug Wilson, who seemed to have lost control of the ship a couple of years ago after the Sharks choked up a 3-0 first-round series lead against the Los Angeles Kings and then missed the playoffs the following year.This season, however, the Sharks reached their first Stanley Cup finals, and Wilson isnt resting on his laurels. He signed the aforementioned Schlemko to bolster a defense that wasnt quite good enough against Pittsburgh -- and did so at an affordable $8.4 million over four years. The Sharks also added a healthy dose of speed up front by signing free-agent winger Mikkel Boedker to a four-year deal that will pay the 2008 eighth-overall draft pick $4 million annually. This is a calculated risk for Wilson, as Boedker has never hit the 20-goal mark. But the native of Denmark will play with a talented forward group in San Jose, which bodes well for his goal production.Boedker, 26, is also familiar with Sharks coach Pete DeBoer, having thrived while playing for DeBoer in the OHL. San Jose also locked up?Tomas Hertl, who was injured for most of the finals. The Sharks signed the 22-year-old to a two-year bridge deal worth $2.8 million in the first year and $3.2 million in the second year, for a team-friendly $3 million cap hit. Hertl had a strong postseason before his knee injury. If, as some believed, the Sharks were vulnerable to taking a step back after their memorable run to the finals, Wilson seems to have assured that wont be the case.Tampa Bay LightningThe Lightning werent among the team that waded into free-agent waters on Friday, but by the end of the day they might have accomplished as much, maybe more, than any other team in the league.After ending months of suspense -- and more than a little angst for Lighttning fans -- by signing captain Steven Stamkos to an eight-year deal worth $8.dddddddddddd million annually on Wednesday, Steve Yzerman solidified his status as a GM deity by locking up defenseman Victor Hedman to an eight-year deal with a cap hit of $7.875 million per year on Friday. Both Stamkos and Hedman left millions of dollars on the table in terms of what they could have earned by becoming unrestricted free agents -- Stamkos could have hit the market on Friday, while Hedman would have become an unrestricted free agent next summer. But both committed long term to a team they believe is championship-caliber.Then, as if he hadnt already done enough, Yzerman locked up goalie of the future (or the now?),?Andrei Vasilevskiy, to a three-year extension at a very manageable $3.5 million annually. The contract does seem to suggest that the Lightning will be looking to move Vezina Trophy finalist Ben Bishop, who is entering the final year of his contract. But, regardless, the Lightning have secured the kind of building-block players that suggest more deep playoff runs are in the offing.No vacation for youNew York IslandersOn Friday, I took issue with the relative lack of activity by the New York Rangers as they enter a period of uncertainty regarding their lineup. Speaking of New York-area teams that dont seem to have a plan in place yet: The Islanders very early on indicated they werent interested in keeping winger?Kyle Okposo. So Okposo signed a seven-year deal worth $42 million with the Buffalo Sabres.Center?Frans Nielsen also departed, signing a six-year deal worth $5.25 million annually with the Detroit Red Wings, and forward?Matt Martin signed a four-year deal to serve as mentor and protector of some sort for the young Toronto Maple Leafs.Letting them escape was one thing, although you do hate to see your former guys stay in the same conference. Still, Im not sure how replacing those players with 30-year-old Andrew Ladd, at $5.5 million per year for seven years, and 37-year-old Jason Chimera, who signed?a two-year deal worth a total of $4.5 million, represents forward progress. I love Ladds dressing-room presence, but hes two years older than Okposo. So at the very best its a wash. I likewise love Chimeras ageless enthusiasm and durability, but given his advanced age, its hard not see this as a team thats tracking sideways at a most inopportune time, considering that the Islanders are coming off their first playoff-series win since 1993.Furthermore, are they content heading into next season with Thomas Greiss and Jaroslav Halak as their goaltending tandem -- especially given that Greiss, who was stellar in the playoffs, has never been a full-time starter and Halak is perpetually one step away from the disabled list?Anaheim DucksJuly 1 was a very quiet day for the Ducks, who saw Jamie McGinn, David Perron and Chris Stewart depart the nest, as it were, for the?Arizona Coyotes and St. Louis Blues, respectively, but did little else.That doesnt mean that GM Bob Murray, who earlier this spring rehired Randy Carlyle for a second turn as Ducks head coach, wont be busier later this summer. In fact, theres lots left on Murrays plate as he tries to figure out what to do with his glut of NHL-caliber young defensemen and looks to fill a hole or two up front.I know that defenseman?Cam Fowler has been in play for some time now as he heads into the final season of his contract. Its possible the asking price for Fowler will come down as the summer progresses. But Murray is going to have to move assets to make this all work. Hampus Lindholm and Rickard Rakell need new contracts as restricted free agents, and the team is without a backup goalie after trading Frederik Andersen to Toronto earlier this spring. That leaves youngster John Gibson as Anaheims lone, NHL-ready netminder.The Ducks remain a team that should be considered a Western Conference power but, unfortunately for Murray, he still has work to do before he can put his feet up and take a summer break. ' ' '