Geburtstagsgrüße » .The promotion is not flush with female

In a year that already has proved to be massive for the UFC, with one major card after another, UFC 205 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York looks to be the biggest and most important of them all. In honor of such a marquee event, ESPN.com is providing dedicated previews to all 13 bouts on the card, breaking down whats at stake and projecting who will win, along with quotes and statistics for each fighter.Womens bantamweights: Liz Carmouche (10-5) vs. Katlyn Chookagian (8-0)Odds as of Nov. 2: Carmouche +165; Chookagian -190Whats at stake?Carmouche ready to end unwanted layoffAfter her last fight in April 2015, Carmouche asked the UFC for a short break to get some personal affairs in order. The problem was, once she was ready to start up again, the promotion evidently wasnt on the same page.Feels like Ive been asking to fight for a full year now, Carmouche said. I honestly dont know what happened. I thought maybe Id made someone mad and got blacklisted. The only thing I can imagine is discussions for the purchase of the UFC put things on hold -- but if booking me to a huge card in New York was their way of saying, Sorry this took so long, Ill take it.Carmouche, 32, did participate in an Eddie Bravo Invitational grappling match in September, which was broadcast on UFC Fight Pass. Even with the time off, Carmouche wouldnt be far away from title contention if she were to get past the undefeated Chookagian.I believe I built momentum competing in jiu-jitsu, showcasing all the skill sets I have, Carmouche said. Winning this fight just progresses that momentum and gets me back in title contention.Chookagian: I think I represent the newer generationWhen UFC 205 was first announced, the 27-year-old Chookagian immediately pulled up the UFCs female roster and liked what she saw.The promotion is not flush with female talent based out of New York. Chookagian, a Philadelphia native who now fights out of New Jersey, figured she had a shot to make the card.Im pretty lucky to be on this card, considering this is only my second UFC fight, Chookagian said. But I also had a feeling Id be on the card. Im pretty much the only girl signed in either division who is from the East Coast, New York area. I was holding on to that, thinking maybe it would get me on here.In addition to her locale, Chookagian is also one of the better prospects in female MMA. She started taekwondo when she was 4, and got into karate a few years later. By the time she was 15, she had already won an amateur Golden Gloves boxing tournament. She trains her striking under standup coach Mark Henry, who will be in the corners of Eddie Alvarez and Frankie Edgar on Nov. 12.Currently, I think the womens side of the sport is where the men were a few years ago, Chookagian said. I feel like most of the women are only dominant in one area of MMA. Thats why youve seen, in the bantamweight division, there has been a different champion every fight lately. A lot of that has to do with matchups.I think I represent the newer generation. I have equal experience in different areas of fighting.Statistical comparisonCarmouche: 10-5 record (2-3 in UFC); past three fights have gone to decision (1-2 record)Carmouche: 11 takedowns landed in past four fightsChookagian: 8-0 record (1-0 in UFC); five of eight wins by decisionChookagian: Defended three of four takedowns in UFC debut (UD3 over Lauren Murphy)BreakdownThis bout sets up as a potential passing of the torch for contender status within the division -- unless its just too early for Chookagian.Carmouche will battle a size disadvantage, which could make things especially difficult as grappling is her clearest path to victory. Chookagian is a mobile, high-paced striker with a jab that is pretty efficient at maintaining the distance she wants.What Carmouche lacks in size at this weight, she makes up for in strength. Chookagian also doesnt carry a lot of knockout power, which means theres a solid chance Carmouche will get a full 15 minutes to work her takedowns. If you look over Carmouches record, her toughest foes mostly have been bigger grapplers. Chookagian is definitely bigger, but her grappling is less proven.PREDICTION: Chookagian by decision. Swell Flaske Liberty . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Swell Flaske Nettbutikk . Clarkson had been dealing with an elbow injury in early January and will be out of action for at least one week. He has three goals and five assists through 36 games with the Leafs this season. http://www.swellflaskenorge.com/ . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Swell Flaske Butikk . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Swell Flaske Hvit Marmor . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta.The Cleveland Cavaliers are on top of the NBA draft yet again, only this time there is no LeBron James waiting to save them. There may not even be a Kyrie Irving. The first big NBA draft question was answered Tuesday night when the Cavaliers won the lottery for the second time in three years. But there are still plenty of questions left with a draft that many talent evaluators believe lacks the star power of previous years. And they start right at the top. There is no consensus No. 1 selection. Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel may come the closest, but he is recovering from a torn ACL that will likely keep him out until at least December. Kansas guard Ben McLemore, Indiana guard Victor Oladipo and Georgetown forward Otto Porter also are considered some of the top players in the draft. "I think its a balanced draft," new Timberwolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said. "You dont have an Alonzo Mourning, a Patrick Ewing, a guy like Derrick Rose, Shaquille ONeal. You dont have that one player that might single-handedly change the face of the franchise. Its going to be a draft where you might see a player at taken at 12 that some other team might take at No. 6." Observations like that one are common, leading some to label the draft weak. Saunders is among several executives and talent evaluators who disagree with that characterization, instead taking encouragement from the overall depth. "There isnt a player that has wowed or completely dominated college or international ball to create that buzz or whatever," said Ryan Blake, the NBAs senior director of scouting operations. "We have a bucket load of really good players that are going to make an impact immediately." Noel is the wild card that could shape the rest of the draft. The 6-foot-10 centre from Kentucky was one of the most sought-after recruits in the country, but he tore the ACL in his left knee Feb. 12, giving him just over half of a season of college experience before coming to the pros. He hopes to make his NBA debut sometime in December, but some teams could be concerned after watching Rose sit out the entire season with the same injury. "We havent seen him in three or four months and were not going to see him in another three or four months," Blake said. "That can be disturbing." The Cavs certainly could use a young big man to bring into a promising core that includes Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan&nbssp;Thompson.dddddddddddd Getting a natural shot-blocker and gifted rebounder like Noel could round out that group very nicely. A knock-down shooter like McLemore or a versatile forward like Porter would also fill some needs for a team that is desperate to get back into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. The Orlando Magic sit in the No. 2 spot, still in full-on rebuilding mode after trading Dwight Howard to the Lakers before last season. If the Cavs go in another direction, the Magic could grab Noel to put alongside young centre Nikola Vucevic for an imposing new-age frontcourt. "They say this draft isnt running over with great talent, but believe me, there will be eight or 10 players from the draft, youll look back and say they had really good careers," Magic senior vice-president Pat Williams said after losing the No. 1 spot to the Cavaliers in the lottery. "Were very pleased. Obviously, we came here to win it, because we have a history and wanted to keep it going. But, everybody is very pleased with the second pick." And just because this class is lacking a star who became a household name last season in the NCAA tournament doesnt mean there isnt one to be found. Last year at this time few knew much about a muscular point guard out of Weber State named Damian Lillard. The 6-foot-3 Lillard played four years in college, which has become more of a liability than an asset for players at the top of the draft these days. The Portland Trail Blazers grabbed him with the sixth overall pick, and he wound up as the unanimous rookie of the year and a player heralded as a cornerstone for the franchise moving forward. "I dont think anybody expected when Portland was picking at six last year that theyd have the unanimous rookie of the year," said Saunders, whose Timberwolves have the ninth overall choice. Teams looking to add big men will find plenty in this draft, including Noel, Indianas Cody Zeller, Marylands Alex Len, Gonzagas Kelly Olynyk, Louisvilles Gorqui Dieng and Pitts Steven Adams. And as the draft moves on into the late first round, promising prospects like Michigans Tim Hardaway, Jr., Miamis Shane Larkin and Russias Sergey Karasev are there for the taking. "Some teams want to hit that home run," Blake said. "Theyre going to take a chance. But no matter what you get in this deep draft, youre going to have guys that come in and can be a 10-point, 10-rebound guys for 10 years." ' ' '