Once considered the future of the 205lb division, former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua heads into Friday nights UFC Fight Night 33 bout against James Te Huna on a two-fight losing streak, a first for him in his illustrious 22-fight career. cheap jerseys . The question all fans want to know heading into this light heavyweight affair is will Rua display his true potential. Working with UFC welterweight fighter Demian Maias team in Sao Paulo Brazil and having training partners such as fellow UFC stand outs Fabio Maldonado and Daniel Sarafian, the 32-year old feels very well prepared for Friday nights encounter. "Im feeling very good coming into this fight." Rua told TSN.ca through a translator. While Te Huna doesnt hold the same name value as past opponents Lyoto Machida, Jon Jones or Alexander Gustafsson, the former Chute Boxe fighter believes his Australian foe is a worthy opponent. "I think hes a guy that has earned some good wins in the UFC. Hes a very aggressive fighter so it made all the sense in the world (to fight him) and its going to be a great fight." Te Hunas weakness is clearly in his ground game as all five of his losses have been by way of submission. Despite this, Rua doesnt have a specific game plan for the Athletic All-star pupil. "Well take the fight wherever it goes. The most important thing for me is to win the fight, regardless of how I do it or in which way." Many pundits have suggested win or lose that perhaps "Shogun" would have better success dropping down to the middleweight division. While he hasnt ruled out the idea, its not something that hes thinking about. "I dont get stressed about it. Its natural for fans to ask about their favourite fighter dropping down in weight. I try to educate them, but its not that simple." Fighting for the first time in Australia, Rua is using this opportunity as extra motivation for a victory on Friday. "Im excited to be here for the first time. This is a place where the fans are really friendly and supportive of the fighters." Meanwhile for the Aussie native Te Huna, fighting one of his idols on his home soil is a dream come true. "I was a really big fan of Shogun during his PRIDE days when I first started MMA," said Te Huna to TSN.ca Interestingly enough it was the 32-year-old Te Huna who asked for this fight when he heard the Brazilian was potentially available. "I asked for the fight earlier this year and I thought it was a bit of a longshot for me with his two straight losses. Shogun has a huge fan base (in Australia); the UFC liked it and put it together." Despite Te Huna being a slight favourite in the eyes of the odds makers, hes well aware of the skill Rua can present on any given night. "A lot of people are writing him off (in this fight) but people tend to forget when hes coming off injury it takes a fight or two for him to come back strong." "Its going to be a tough match. Hes fought the "A" level guys and most of the guys Ive fought are the "B" level." In addition, the Mark Hunt trained Te Huna is well aware of his weaknesses on the mat and expects an all-out war. "Im prepared for this fight if it goes to the ground. Im going to expect everything." "I dont think Shogun is going to take any risks, he needs to win this fight. Whatever he needs to do hes going to do it. If its submissions, then hell go for it." For Te Huna, this is an opportunity of a lifetime to not only win in front of the Australian fans, but also propel him up the 205lb division. "Shoguns in the Top Ten for sure and a win against him will put me straight up there." And while title aspirations are in his sights with a win on Friday, Te Huna is going to soak this moment in, as this is one of the biggest milestones in his career. "Its an honor to share the cage with him this weekend. Its going to be huge for me." cheap jerseys from china .com) - The Detroit Lions announced on Wednesday that they have placed wide receiver Ryan Broyles on season-ending injured reserve. wholesale nfl jerseys . No exaggeration, the season has been great thus far. A more unpredictable Premier League is better viewing.NEW YORK -- Nick Folk kicked his way to a big pay raise with the New York Jets. The Jets placed the franchise tag on the reliable kicker Friday after he had perhaps the best season of his seven-year NFL career. Folk made $780,000 last season, but the franchise tag estimate for kickers is about $3.4 million for this season. Folk was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent and by using the tag, the Jets could potentially set things up for a multiyear deal -- which it is believed Folk is seeking. Teams have until Monday to designate a player for the franchise tag, which allows a team to retain the rights to a scheduled unrestricted free agent. Its the first time since 2011 that the Jets used the tag, when linebacker David p;Harris was franchised. cheap nfl jerseys. In his fourth season with the Jets, Folk made 33 of 36 field-goal attempts, including three winning kicks. He broke the franchise records for most consecutive field goals from the start of a season (23) and most consecutive home field goals (20). Folk also had a career-high 30 touchbacks on his kickoffs. After spending his first three seasons with Dallas, Folk has established himself as a clutch kicker for the Jets, with coach Rex Ryan playfully referring to him as "Folk Hero." Folk has repeatedly won training camp kicking competitions with the Jets, beating out Nick Novak, Josh Brown, Billy Cundiff and Dan Carpenter, among others, the last few summers. ' ' '
