losed the gap to 16 points, Syracuse responded with an 8-2 spurt that Cooney starte

For the third time in UFC history, the promotion will feature an event in cooperation with a U. Adidas Falcon Sverige .S. military base for UFC: Fight for the Troops 3. This fight card, which takes place in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, has had a number of changes, including headliner Lyoto Machida replaced by fellow Brazilian Rafael Natal. Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks for this mid-week event. Last weekend at Bellator 106, my #TeamLynch went a decent 8-3, but a miserable 1-4 on the main card. #TeamJC went 7-4 but was had was better on the main card going 3-2. Let us know which side youre on this week. Either tweet #TeamLynch or #TeamJC. Also feel free to leave your opinions in the comment section below. Tim Kennedy vs. Rafael Natal James Lynch TSN.ca (@LynchOnSports) Crowd favorite and U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Kennedy aims for his second UFC victory, when he is paired with the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Natal. The former Strikeforce title challenger is on a two-fight win streak, including a successful UFC debut against Roger Gracie. Looking for his third straight win, hell face a stiff test in Natal, who has currently won five of his last six fights. The Gracie Fusion fighter is coming off a "Fight of the Night" performance in a victory over Tor Troeng at UFC Fight Night 28 and looks for his first four-fight win streak inside the octagon. Its no secret the Brazilian has the superior ground game, but will he be able to handle the wresting of Kennedy? The 34-year old Jackson/Winklejohn product showed in his losses to Luke Rockhold and Jacare Souza that hes extremely durable and difficult to finish. With no submission losses on his resume, its unlikely Natal will force the tap in this fight. Expect Kennedy to turn this into a dog fight in front of the military crowd and pull of a unanimous decision victory. Kennedy via unanimous decision Jordan Cieciwa – TSN 1290 Host (@FitCityJordan) I will say about this fight, its not an easy victory for Tim Kennedy. Rafael Natal is an accomplished athlete with a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. If they wanted a main event to ensure the ex-US Army Staff Sergeant would win, this is not the one. At 5 1, Tim Kennedy is no stranger to tough fights and some great stand up battles. He has been vocal about pay scales and time off in the industry. Other than that, there are few as focused as Kennedy. He is always ready to go when he steps in the octagon. His opponent is riding a three-fight win streak. Rafaels last fight in September was an all-out war and fight of the night honors went to the battle with Tor Troeng. It will be interesting to see if he has had enough time to recover and put in a solid camp. That fight was 10 weeks ago. A full three round fight like that needs a good three or four weeks of rest. That leaves six weeks to prepare for Kennedy. That lack of rest a preparation is the reason I am giving the nod to Kennedy. Kennedy via unanimous decision Liz Carmouche vs. Alexis Davis Lynch Port Colborne native Davis looks to pull off the upset on Wednesday, when she battles former womens title challenger Carmouche. The 29-year old will be heading into enemy territory as "Girl-Rilla" is an Iraq military veteran and will no doubt have the crowd on her side. A winner of three-straight fights since her loss to fellow Canuck Sarah Kaufman last year, a win over the highly touted Carmouche would certainly propel her into the title picture. Meanwhile the 29-year old San Diego native bounced back from her loss to Ronda Rousey, with an impressive victory over Jessica Andrade at UFC on FOX 8. Both fighters are well versed in all areas of this fight, with Carmouche having the advantage on the feet and Davis having the edge on the mat. No doubt this will be competitive, but Carmouche should outwork the Canadian over three rounds, landing the better shots on route to a unanimous decision victory. Carmouche via unanimous decision JC Id love to see a Canadian win a fight against a Marine at the "Fight for the Troops" I am pretty sure nothing more "un-American" than that could ever happen. With that said, Liz Carmouche gave Ronda Rousey her first scare inside the cage, and she has had a very impressive career so far. Alexis Davis is an impressive fighter, but from what fans have seen from her this far, I dont think her striking or wrestling will match Carmouche. Liz should be able to over power, and out gun Davis. This will be an exciting fight with a lot of pace. Davis always brings a solid fight and her time with Cesar Gracie team will be perfecting her ground game. Davis is a contender in the division, but it will be Carmouches night. Carmouche via unanimous decision Ronny Markes vs. Yoel Romero Lynch The 14-1 Brazilian Markes looks for his eighth straight victory when he battles Cuban Olympic medalist Romero. The 25-year old was originally scheduled to compete on the UFC on FUEL 10 card back in June, but a car accident a day before the fight as he was scheduled to face Derek Brunson. Romero is coming off a "Knockout of the Night" performance against Clifford Starks at UFC on FOX 7 and looks for his sixth win in his last seven fights. The 36-year old American Top Team fighter should be able to avoid the mat with his wrestling and use his exceptional standup to knockout the Nova Uniao fighter, sometime in the second round. Romero via second round knockout JC Im excited to watch this fight. Im actually expecting a fight of the night out of this one. Ronny Markes has looked fantastic in his career to date. At 14-1 he has faced some top tier talent including Paulo Filho and Aaron Simpson. His opponent across the cage is Yoel Romero. His flashy knee KO over Clifford Starks raised some eyebrows. In my opinion its not enough to make the case to beat Ronny Markes. I expect this to be a great fist fight with someone getting tagged early and in exciting style. Markes via second round TKO Rustam Khabilov vs. Jorge Masvidal Lynch In a matchup that could very well take home "Fight of the Night" honors, 16-1 Russian Sambo specialist Khabilov battles former Strikeforce title challenger Masvidal. The 26-year old Jackson/Winklejohn member has made quite the impression since his UFC debut last December. Through two fights, Khabilov has earned two first round finishes over Vinc Pichel and Yancy Mediros. His superior Sambo background has served him well thus far in the octagon, bullying opponents and looking completely dominant while doing so. Facing a 32-fight veteran in Masvidal however, is a big step up in competition. Currently riding a three-fight win streak, the American Top Team product Masvidal has faced his fair share of top talent including Gilbert Melendez, Paul Daley and Raphael Assuncao. Despite the fact all of those were losses, none of those fighters were able to finish the gritty Miami native. Aside from having superior standup, the 28-year old also holds a two inch reach advantage that should serve him well if he is able to neutralize the Russians clinch game. No doubt many pundits will be favoring the decorated Russian in this fight, but Masvidal will prove his critics wrong by pulling off the upset. Masvidal should be able to keep his opponent at bay, and pick away with his shots on route to a unanimous decision victory. Masvidal via unanimous decision. JC How do you bet against Jorge Masvidal in this contest? With 25 wins, 10 by knockout its hard to give anyone else the nod. Hes been in the cage with the champion and has looked excellent in all of his fights. Rustam Khabilov has less than five minutes of cage time in two fights. He debuted in the UFC with an impressive slam/ground and pound win. The fact remains, his level of competition has not been the same as Masvidal. Look for Jorge to use his total arsenal as a veteran to get this win. The reach advantage goes to Masvidal, and Im sure he will use that to stay out of harms way and secure a KO win. Watch for a young, frustrated Khabilov to make a mistake early in the second and get knocked out. Masvidal via second round KO Michael Chiesa vs. Colton Smith Lynch Two Ultimate Fighter winners open up the main card in the lightweight division, as active U.S. Army member Smith battles Team Alpha Male fighter Chiesa. The TUF 16 winner Smith is coming off hard fought loss to TUF: Smashes winner Robert Whittaker at UFC 160. As a result, Smith will be making his debut at lightweight on Wednesday night for a better result. Similarly TUF 15 winner Chiesa is coming off his first pro defeat at UFC on FOX 8, when he was submitted by Jorge Masvidal in the second round. Both fighters have proved to be very durable, but Chiesa will have both a one inch height and five inch reach advantage. In addition, Chiesa has fought half as many fights as Smith, who has only competed five times in the cage. While this fight will be competitive, expect Chiesa to catch Smith sometime in the third round and land in the submission for the win. Chiesa via third round submission JC I dont like Colton Smith. There I said it. The Ultimate Fighter winner gave a glove touch cheap shot to get into the house and that still has left a sour taste in my mouth. Its the reason Im excited to see Michael Chiesa step in and work his submission game. Chiesa had his first big test when he fought Jorge Masvidal; Masvidal won that fight with one second remaining in the second round. This match up favors Chiesa who finishes fights. Hes got two decisions in nine wins. Thats a fantastic record, and one that has me believing hes got a win coming in front of the troops. Chiesa via second round submission Undercard Picks: Lynch: Green, Roop, Bermudez, Nunes, Larkin, Edwards, Baczynski, Brunson JC: Krause, Roop, Bermudez, Nunes, Camozzi, Edwards, Baczynski, Brunson Also be sure to tune into the "Weigh-In" on TSN Radio 1290 Winnipeg every Saturday as myself, Jordan and "Big Marv" Timog go toe to toe discussing the hottest topics in MMA. Adidas Falcon Dam Rea .ca. Hi Mr. Fraser, When I was watching the Heritage Classic in Vancouver there was a play midway through the third where Ottawa crashed the Canucks net and it came off its moorings. Adidas Superstar Rea . Erik Logan, president of the network, said Friday that the postponement was made after meetings with the St. Louis Rams. http://www.nmdsverige.com/nmd-r2-adidas-skor.html . -- A lawyer for the fiancee of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez asked a judge Friday to throw out perjury charges, saying Shayanna Jenkins did not wilfully lie as she was bombarded with 1,630 questions over two days before a grand jury.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney was mired in a shooting slump, and his woes coincided with a late-season swoon by the Orange. Say goodbye to both. Cooney scored 18 points, fellow guard Tyler Ennis of Brampton, Ont., had 16, and the Orange defence clamped down in a 77-53 victory over Western Michigan on Thursday in the second round of the NCAA tournament. Cooney hit 4 of 8 from beyond the arc and Ennis had six assists with one turnover to spark the Orange, who shot 28 of 57 (49.1 per cent) from the field and hit 7 of 17 from long range. "It was just good to see one go in," Cooney said. "It adds to your confidence a little bit, and I was able to get into a good rhythm and guys found me in good spots. The ball just went in today." Since matching a school record with nine 3-pointers that keyed a six-point win over Notre Dame last month, Cooney had hit just 10 of 51 (19.6 per cent) from beyond the arc. That abysmal shooting came during Syracuses swoon, which included a three-point loss to North Carolina State in the ACC tournament last week. Thats all forgotten now. "Same guy," Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. "Hes just got to get his looks and take them. Hes definitely stayed up the whole time. Hes played the other parts of the game. Its a big difference when he makes shots." Syracuse (28-5), the third seed in the South Regional, will play 11th-seeded Dayton (24-10) on Saturday. Dayton beat Ohio State 60-59 on Thursday. The Orange won their first 25 games and were ranked No. 1 for three weeks before losing five of seven in that late-season skid. Western Michigan (23-10), the Mid-American Conference champion, had won 14 of 16 games and was in the NCAA tournament for the first time in a decade. The Orange forced 11 turnovers in the opening half and scored 13 points off them in running out to a double-digit lead before the midpoint of the period. Syracuse used an 18-4 spurt over 10 minutes to take control and led 40-21 at halftime. The Broncos took care of the ball in the second half, losing it only twice, but the deficit was much too daunting to overcome as Syracuse dominated the glass 41-25 and scored 15 second-chance points. "We ran into a buzz saw today," WMU coach Steve Hawkins said. "We made too many mistakes in the first half. We had 11 turnovers in the first half and thats what staked them out to that lead. I felt like after we started taking care of the ball in the second half, we got a few better looks." Jerami Grant finished with 16 points, while C.J. Fair, double- and triple-teamed nearly every time he touched the ball, finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Shayne Whittington and Tucker Haymond led Western Michigan with 11 points apiece. David Brown, the MAC scoring champion, finished with a season-low nine points on 2-of-12 shooting, 2 of 100 from long range. Adidas Yung 96 Svart. Syracuse rode its defence to the Final Four a year ago and the zone was stellar from the opening tip against the Broncos. The Broncos split two games with Eastern Michigan during the season, learning the nuances of the zone defence employed by Eagles coach Rob Murphy, an assistant at Syracuse for eight years before taking over at EMU. "We hope its a help," Hawkins said. It wasnt. Same system, maybe, but different personnel. "Theyre long and athletic, and they make you second-guess where you want to throw the ball," Brown said. "I feel that we were hesitant. We turned the ball over way too much." The Syracuse defence had to focus on WMUs fifth-year seniors Whittington and Brown and did the job. Whittington was hounded in the lane, unable to generate much, taking just seven shots. And while Brown was his usual self at the free throw line, he had only four chances, hitting three. "We came out playing pressure defence," Fair said. "We werent going to let them get comfortable." They didnt. The Broncos committed four quick turnovers as Syracuse took a 7-2 lead on a 3-pointer by Cooney just over 3 minutes in. Brown led the MAC at 19.4 points per game and earned MVP of the conference tournament after scoring a career-high 32 points that included five 3-pointers in the final against Toledo, and he makes a good living at the free throw line. Brown was 196 of 254 (77.2 per cent) from the line, most of the fouls coming while he was attempting one of the 237 shots he took from behind the arc. He found no room to roam against the Orange, missing three times from well beyond the 3-point line before finally hitting near the midpoint of the opening half. Whittington is a hulking figure in the lane at 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds, but Grant easily spun around him and slammed home a ferocious two-handed dunk to boost the Syracuse lead to 12-4. Cooneys second 3 and a layup by Ennis had the Broncos 13 points behind and reeling. Fairs three-point play and a 3-pointer from the wing by Ennis off a feed from Grant inside gave Syracuse a 31-13 lead with 4:08 to go in the half. Whittington shook off a foul by Grant and hit a pretty hook in the lane that he turned into a three-point play and Brown followed with two free throws and his first 3 to give the Broncos a glimmer of hope. Syracuse responded with a slam dunk by senior centre Baye Moussa Keita, another 3 from Cooney, and a putback by Fair off a miss by Ennis to gain the 19-point halftime lead. If the Broncos hoped to make a comeback in the second half, that idea was quickly squashed. After a layup by Connar Tava -- Grant was called for goaltending on the play -- and a free throw by Haymond closed the gap to 16 points, Syracuse responded with an 8-2 spurt that Cooney started with a four-point play. ' ' '