Dein erstes Forum » ting Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (1), 6-2

The UFC will anoint its top heavyweight title contender this weekend, and Fabricio Werdum believes he has waited long enough for his shot at the belt. Travis Browne is equally certain hes ready to cut in line. Browne faces Werdum in the five-round main event at the Amway Center in Orlando, Fla., to determine who gets the next chance to take on champion Cain Velasquez. "Its been a while since Ive fought, and Im very happy to have the chance to show Im worthy of this title," Werdum said through a translator. Werdum (17-5-1) has been the presumptive choice for a title shot for several months, but he elected not to wait around longer than a year while Velasquez recovered from surgery on a torn labrum in his left shoulder. Velasquez wont be ready to return until late fall after getting hurt in his second victory over Junior Dos Santos last October. Werdum already was far too inactive for his tastes last year while spending several months coaching on the Brazilian version of "The Ultimate Fighter," the UFCs reality-show franchise. He has fought just once in the last 22 months, submitting Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the second round last June. "I didnt want to be waiting around for too long," Werdum said. "To wait for two years and never fight at all, that wouldnt be the best decision. I want to fight at least three times a year, so it was a little bit hard in the beginning, but I have to keep motivated, keep training, so I took the fight." In a news conference held at UFC fan Shaquille ONeals home gym Thursday, President Dana White confirmed that the winner of Saturdays main event will fight Velasquez in the UFCs long-expected debut in Mexico later this year, assuming injuries and the usual nuttiness of the heavyweight division dont change the plan. Werdum is taking a significant risk by stepping into the cage against the destructive Browne (16-1-1), who called him out in December after stopping Josh Barnett for his third straight victory. While Werdum has a lengthy history of success highlighted by his victory over Fedor Emelianenko in 2010, Browne is a rising force in the heavyweight division after winning six of his last seven bouts, including five by stoppage. "A chance to fight for the title is what were all in it for, but Im not going to sell myself short," Browne said. "This is part of my journey. I expect more of myself than to fight for a chance to fight for a title. My goal is to leave a legacy in this sport, so this is another fight on my road to my legacy." Browne is a native of Hawaii with vicious power and growing skill. His recent victories have featured spectacular highlights: A Superman punch to stop 6-foot-11 Stefan Struve, or the elbows that left Barnett limp on his feet last December. He doesnt have Werdums name recognition, but that would change with another big victory on a nationally televised show on Fox. "Its an honour to be bestowed with the responsibility of having the main event, of having your face up on the billboards and the posters," Browne said. "Im lucky to have a style thats very crowd-pleasing." The Orlando card also includes a bout between bantamweights Miesha Tate and Liz Carmouche, while crowd-pleasing lightweight Donald Cerrone meets Brazils Edson Barboza. Deandre Baker Youth Jersey . Simona Halep of Romania claimed the fifth title of her career by beating Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the womens final. After trading sets, Gasquet trailed 4-3 in the decider but broke back to 4-4 in a game that went to seven deuces with Kukushkin constantly failing on his forehand shots. Darius Slayton Giants Jersey . Picard had a goal and two assists to help Canada improve to 2-0 at the tournament. Seven different players scored for the two-time defending champions. "Today all four lines played excellent," said head coach Laura Schuler. http://www.authenticnygiantspro.com/Odel...nts-jersey/.com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Lawrence Taylor Giants Jersey .com) - Calgary Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau has been selected as the NHLs Rookie of the Month for December, the league announced Friday. Mark Bavaro Giants Jersey . INJURIES - Reds RF Jay Bruce is facing knee surgery for a torn meniscus and it could cost him a month of playing time. Chris Heisey, who has shown some pop (43 home runs, .LOS ANGELES -- Bubba Watson wasnt about to let another chance get away. Two weeks after Watson made a pair of late bogeys in the Phoenix Open, he delivered the best closing round at Riviera in some three decades. Watson played the final 39 holes without a bogey and shot a 7-under 64 on Sunday to win the Northern Trust Open. It was his first victory in 22 months and 41 tournaments worldwide dating to the 2012 Masters. Watson wound up with a two-shot victory over Dustin Johnson, who closed with a 66 for the second straight week and got the same result. This wasnt Bubba golf as much as it was simply great golf. Watson, who also shot 64 on Saturday to start the final round four shots behind William McGirt, made up ground so quickly that he broke out of a four-way tie for the lead with a birdie on the eighth hole and made the turn in 30. Equally critical were a pair of par saves with 7-foot putts on the 12th and 13th holes. Johnson, who was second at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am last week after a final-round 66, made birdie on the 15th hole to get within one shot. He didnt give himself good birdie chances on the last three holes. Watson made a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th to cap off the best closing round in this tournament since Doug Tewell shot a 63 in 1986. Even sweeter was going up the steps toward the famous clubhouse to see his 2-year-old son, Caleb, whom Watson adopted just before his Masters victory. Watson finished at 15-under 269, and he wasnt the only big winner. Jason Allred, who went to college up the coast at Pepperdine, played bogey-free for a 68 and tied for third with Brian Harman, who also had a 68. Allred was a Monday qualifier, and this was his first regular PGA Tour event since he last had his card in 2008. The tie for third was a career-best for the 33-year-old Allred. He earned $388,600, which is more than he had made in his entire career, which included two full seasons on the PGA Tour. He now is exempt into the Honda Classic, which starts in two weeks -- about the time his wife is due with their third child. "Well have fun figuring out what that looks like," Allred said. Watson won for the fifth time in his career, and hee had to earn it.dddddddddddd With no margin for error over the closing holes, he managed to get out of a deep fairway bunker on the 15th hole to the front edge of the green. He smartly played to the middle of the green on the par-3 16th hole for a par. Facing the uphill tee shot on the 18th, he blasted his drive down the middle of the fairway and hit wedge into 15 feet to the right of the pin. And when it was over, he felt a lot better than he did two weeks ago in Phoenix, where he missed a short par putt on the last hole to lose by one to Kevin Stadler. Johnson, meanwhile, now has finished among the top six in all four tournaments this season -- including a win in Shanghai and consecutive runner-up finishes. His other start was at Kapalua, where he tied for sixth. "I had a chance there on the back nine, I just didnt have good looks on 16, 17 and 18 to give myself a chance," Johnson said. "I was still right there. Thats all you can ask for." McGirt, who had a two-shot lead to start the final round as he tried to win for the first time, opened with a birdie and stalled after that. And on yet another gorgeous day at Riviera, this was not a day to stall. The pack behind took aim and made birdies, particularly Watson. Watson hit a perfect tee shot on the par-3 fourth that rode the slope to 15 feet for birdie. He holed a bunker shot from left of the sixth green for birdie. And a 15-footer on the eighth gave Watson his fifth birdie of the round, and the outright lead. That allowed him to break out of a four-way lie among McGirt, Schwartzel and Harman, who made three straight birdies in the middle of the front nine. So many others were positioned just one shot behind, including Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Allred. The tournament was decided by birdies -- and not making bogeys. The pivotal stretch came on the back nine. The 12th through the 16th were the five toughest holes at Riviera in the final round. Johnson got through them in 1 under, despite hitting only one green. Watson made a pair of 7-foot par saves on the 12th and 13th holes, and he made a 4-foot par putt on the 14th. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., closed with a 73, and finished at 4-over 288. ' ' '