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DALLAS -- Johny Hendricks won the vacant welterweight championship Saturday night, unanimously outpointing Robbie Lawler in five rounds at UFC 171. Jarvis Landry Jersey . Tyron Woodley won the co-feature, stopping Carlos Condit to set up a likely title bout against Hendricks in the 170-pound division. Fighting in Hendricks adopted hometown, Lawler opened a cut beside Hendricks right eye in the fourth round. All three judges scored the fight 28-27 for Hendricks. The title was vacated by Georges St. Pierre, who had held it since 2007. In his final defence, St. Pierre took a disputed split decision over Hendricks in November. Would Hendricks feel vindicated if he could fight and defeat St. Pierre? "No, but Id like to. I think Im better now. Im only learning," the 30-year-old said. The 31-year-old Lawler lost the first two rounds, but won the third and fourth before falling short in the final round. "The fifth round. Thats where I lost it in the GSP fight," Hendricks said. "I nearly died again. I was sitting there thinking, Not another GSP. I was thinking, Please call my name." The announcer did. Hendricks improved to 16-2, and Lawler fell to 22-10 with one no contest. "When you leave it up to the judges, thats what happens. I just didnt do enough to win," Lawler said. Hendricks background as a two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Oklahoma State helped him take down Lawler twice. "Wrestling is part of our sport," Lawler said. "Ive wrestled with some high-level guys." Hendricks and Lawler fought cautiously in the first round. Midway through the second, Hendricks landed a succession of punches and kicks. Lawler rallied in the closing minute. Woodley, 31, competed for the University of Missouri against Hendricks and OSU. "Me and Johny have some unfinished business from Big 12 days of wrestling," Woodley said. Woodleys bout ended two minutes into the second round after his leg kick behind Condits left knee caused his right knee to buckle. Condit fell to the octagon floor in pain, and hobbled out of the arena. Woodley is 13-2. "You know whats next," Woodley said. "The title. If I can get to (Condit) and beat him, I can be the world champion." All but the title bout were scheduled for three five-minute rounds. Also on the main card, welterweight Hector Lombard dominated the bloody Jake Shields, winning by unanimous decision. Shields lost a title bout to St. Pierre in 2011. It took light heavyweight Ovince Saint Preux just 1:29 to win by submission with a Von Flue choke against Nikita Krylov. Lightweight Myles Jury, who has won all 14 of his professional bouts, took a unanimous decision over Diego Sanchez. Among the prelims, Alex Garcia of Montreal took a fiercely contested welterweight split decision over Dallas Sean Spencer. Kelvin Gastelum opened a cut on Rick Storys left cheek in each round on the way to a split decision in a welterweight fight. In the only womens bout, bantamweight Jessica Andrade of Niteroi, Brazil, won a split decision against Raquel Pennington. Mike Pouncey Authentic Jersey . Pistorius also offered an apology to the family of Reeva Steenkamp, who died from multiple wounds after the double-amputee runner shot her through a closed toilet door last year in his home. He said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder. Prosecutors allege he killed her after an argument. "There hasnt been a moment since this tragedy happened that I havent thought about your family," the athlete said at the murder trial as Steenkamps mother, June, looked impassively at him in the courtroom. Mike Pouncey Womens Jersey . Scott was at 10-under 132, while fellow Australian David McKenzie was in second after a 69 at Royal Pines. American Rickie Fowler, who began the day with a two-stroke lead, holed out with his approach on the first hole for an eagle, but things got progressively more difficult for him in swirling afternoon winds.He entered college football an undersized, somewhat unknown quarterback from Kerrville, Texas. He leaves as a potential first overall pick, and one of the most dynamic, breath-taking players in college football history. Johnny Manziel declaring for the NFL draft means Texas A & M will have to find a new pivot. It also means college football will have to find a new folk-hero. The numbers Johnny Manziel put up in his all-too brief career read like a stat line from a video game. In a pair of seasons, Johnny Football threw for 7,820 yards, ran for 2,169, and accounted for 93 total touchdowns (63 passing, 30 running). Manziel fell just 11 yards short of becoming the first sophomore in NCAA history to accumulate 10,000 career yards. His 2012 season - in which he became the first redshirt freshman ever to win the Heisman – broke Cam Newtons single season SEC yardage record. His 2013 follow-up ranks second all-time. In all, Manziel set 35 school, conference, and NCAA records in two seasons in College Station. But more than the statistics, its the highlights themselves that blew everyone away. Time and again, Manziel did things on the field that made all of us look around and ask, "did that really just happen?" Who could forget his 2012 fumble-turned-touchdown in A & Ms 29-24 upset of eventual national champion Alabama? Or this past season against the Tide, when Manziel retreated 25 yards behind the line of scrimmage, escaped a defenders grasp and heaved a jump ball to Edward Pope for a first down. In the Chick-fil-A Bowl, Manziel delivered one final trademark moment, a scramble that became a hurdle that became a 19-yard touchdown pass. On the field, Manziel never shied away from the spotlight, delivering over and over in big games. In his two bowl games, Manziel accounted for 9 touchdowns, almost 1000 total yards, and a 72 percent completion rate. As a first-year SEC entrant, all but the most ardent Aggie supporters thought A & M would struggle in 2012. Instead, the 61" redshirt freshman from Tivy High led the Aggies to an 11-2 record that included the shocking upset of Alabama at Bryant-Denny, and a 41-13 blowout of Oklahoma in which Manziel set the Cotton Bowl record with 516 total yards. This past season against Bama, Manziel outdid himself, accounting for 562 total yards and five touchdowns. In his final game against Duke, he led his team back from a 21-point halftime deficit to a 52-48 win. He was named offensive MVP after completing 30 of 38 passes, throwing for 382 yards and four touchdowns, while rushing for a team-high 73 yards and a score. Manziels 455 total yards marked thhe ninth time in 26 games in which he amassed more than 450 total yards. Mike Pouncey Green Jersey. In the 111 years in which Texas A & M has played major college football, only two other players have ever had a 450 yard game. Off the field, there were issues to be sure. Manziels 2012 Heisman campaign almost didnt happen. The 21-year-old was initially suspended by Texas A & M after a June 2012 arrest in connection with a fight in College Station. He has since pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, but Manziel was only reinstated as a redshirt freshman after Sumlin wrote the administration on his behalf. This past season, Manziel was suspended for the first half of Texas A & Ms opener against Rice for inadvertently breaking NCAA rules by signing autographs, after he was alleged to have accepted money from memorabilia brokers to sign. Even after he returned to the field, he grabbed headlines by taunting players, making autograph gestures. But as much as he was a thorn in the side of college footballs governing body, Manziel was also a money maker for it. Just as likely to appear on TMZ as ESPN, Manziels games became appointment viewing more than any other player in the sport. Texas A & Ms September loss to Alabama drew an average of 13.6 million viewers, making it the second highest rated regular season game on the college football schedule. En route to their 9-4 record, the Aggies drew three of the top 15 television audiences of the season. Four separate times they had the highest rated game of the week. And with 8.69 million viewers, Manziels last game was the most viewed non-BCS bowl in ESPN history. Back in September, A & M announced that over the past 12 months, they raised $740 million in fundraising. Thats almost double the highest total raised in any other 12 month period in school history. With the NFL Draft less than four months away, JF is skyrocketing up draft boards. In his first mock draft of the year, draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has the 21-year-old headed to the Texans as the first overall pick. No matter where he is drafted though, Manziel will continue to excite. No player in college football could turn nothing, into something spectacular, quite like the sophomore. When Manziel declared last week, Sumlin said of his quarterback, "in all of my years of coaching, [he] is the most exciting football player I have ever seen. We appreciate everything [Manziel] has done for Texas A & M and Aggie football and wish him nothing but the best." Not just Aggieland, but the whole of college football should appreciate what he has done as well. Johnny Football will be missed. ' ' ' |
