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Ahead of his bout with Robbie Lawler at UFC 167 in November, Rory MacDonald was forced to field yet another question about potentially fighting then-welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre. Despite almost exhausting all methods of saying no by this point, the B.C. native once again shot down the notion of facing his teammate. However, MacDonalds reluctance appeared to raise the ire of Tyron Woodley, who was preparing for a bout with Josh Koscheck. "Ive asked to fight tough guys because one day I want that belt Georges St-Pierre has in front of him," Woodley said at the UFC 167 pre-fight press conference. "Rorys like, I wont fight him. If he doesnt want to fight him, then he needs to get out of the way. Guys like me will fight him." Though the St-Pierre issue is now moot due to the Montreal fighter vacating the belt and taking a leave of absence, Woodleys words almost seem prophetic as he is set to face MacDonald in the co-main event of UFC 174 in Vancouver this Saturday. MacDonald admittedly isnt a fan of Woodleys tactics, but said he wasnt bothered by the former NCAA Division I wrestlers verbal potshot last fall. "I think it was his way of trying to put a stab at me, but also, maybe he doesnt want to fight me," MacDonald said during a phone interview with UFC.ca. "I think he knows in the back of his head that Im a dangerous fighter and he doesnt want to deal with me on the way to a title shot. But I dont really get too stressed about what people have to say. Im just focused on my own path, what I need to do and thats all. "Hes got his own thing and its got him to where he is. Everyones got to do their own thing. Im just focused on myself. I wouldnt go about it the way he does and the way he speaks sometimes, but it doesnt bother me. Its just the way he is." Regardless of Woodleys jab, MacDonalds focus remains locked on earning a shot at current welterweight titleholder Johny Hendricks. Though his bout with Woodley remains pivotal in the 170-pound division, the winner could be leapfrogged in the pecking order by the victor of Julys battle between Lawler and Matt Brown. As always, simply getting the job done wont be good enough. MacDonald knows he needs to make a statement against Woodley. "I want to have the greatest performance of my career so far," said MacDonald. "I want to be at my best every fight. I think doing that will get me where I want to be. If I just keep improving every fight, keep on impressing and growing as a martial artist, people will recognize that. "(Fans can expect) a technical and precise performance, but at the same time, exciting and dynamic." Stylistically, MacDonald and Woodley make for an exciting fight on paper — especially considering how much theyve both grown as fighters in recent years. Though MacDonald, 24, is eight years younger than Woodley, 32, he began competing in mixed martial arts in October 2005, four months before the St. Louis fighter made his respective debut. Woodley will always have his wrestling credentials to fall back on, but has recently emerged as one of the most dangerous strikers in the UFCs 170-pound division. Not only has he put his heavy hands to good use in wins over Koscheck and Jay Hieron, his ability to quickly cover distance is nothing short of breathtaking. His most recent outing saw him pick up a second-round TKO victory over Carlos Condit when the former interim welterweight champ suffered a knee injury due to Woodleys onslaught. MacDonald said he has the tools necessary to neutralize Woodleys strengths, but opted not to get into details. "Youll see that night," MacDonald said. "Im not going to tell you how I technically beat him, but Im confident in my solutions to those problems." As far as MacDonald is concerned, the real question is whether Woodley can handle what he brings to the table. "I try not to worry about my opponent," MacDonald began. "I have to perform in front of any kind of opponent. It really doesnt matter what style they are. I just feel I have the solutions to beat anybody in the welterweight division right now. "I think hes fought some good guys and well-rounded fighters, but I really feel like hes fighting the best on Saturday night. I dont think hes ready for it." Nick Leddy Jersey .3 million qualifying offer to outfielder Michael Cuddyer on Monday. Clark Gillies Jersey .The league also seems to have a fairly active Twitter account www.twitter.com/bikinihockey that features the description “We provide a positive alternative to the hockey community and a venue for adult female hockey athletes to continue in their sport. http://www.authenticnyislanderspro.com/Jordan-eberle-islanders-jersey/ . In question is whether 26-year-old Matt Frattin will be on it. A a€?mediocrea€? training camp, as Carlyle put it earlier this week, has Frattin lingering nervously on the bubble at the end of the exhibition season, pushed out of a likely job by Brandon Kozun, the small, but feisty winger determined to make the NHL for the first time. Pat LaFontaine Jersey . The 30-year-old Kottaras served as Kansas Citys backup catcher last season after being claimed off waivers from Oakland in January. Andrew Ladd Jersey . Vonn "reopened" the idea of competing in the season-opening World Cup event on Oct. 26-27 in Soelden, Austria after returning to the slopes last month in Portillo, Chile.SALT LAKE CITY - The Detroit Pistons hadnt played this well in Utah since John Stockton and Karl Malone were on the Jazz. Andre Drummond had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Detroit shot a season-best 55 per cent to blow by the Jazz 114-94 Monday night. It was the Pistons first victory in Utah since Richard Hamilton had 28 points in an 80-78 squeaker on Nov. 6, 2002, that was aided by an ill Malone taking the night off. When guard Rodney Stuckey found out, he couldnt believe it. "Wow. Well this is very rare, absolutely, but we really played as a team," said Stuckey, who had 19 points. Brandon Jennings, who scored 15, said he was probably 12 or 13 years old the last time the Pistons won in Utah — and this one reminded him of being a kid on the playground. "Tonight felt like a pickup game. We were getting things that were so easy," Jennings said. Drummond shot 9 for 10 from the field and Greg Monroe added 18 points and 11 rebounds to help the Pistons snap a 14-game road losing streak in the finale of a four-game Western Conference trip. "We were both aggressive. We moved around trying to get second shots ... and we did a good job being patient," Monroe said. Gordon Hayward scored 32 points — his highest total since he had 37 against Oklahoma City on Jan. 7 — to lead the Jazz, who have lost seven of eight. Hayward converted a three-point play to slice the lead to 88-76 with 10:03 to play, but the Jazz couldnt get any closer. Each time they made a run, the Pistons responded with a 3-pointer or a basket near the rim. "Its too difficult when you let teams get going like this. They feel good about all the shots they get," Utah coach Tyrone Corbin said. Detroit went 9 for 17 from 3-point range and ended a five-game losing streak. Just as they did when their comeback fell just short against the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, the Pistons used crisp ball movement to find open shots. They topped their previous mark for accuracy (54 per cent) set against Atlanta on Feb. 21. "We just took what their defence gave us. We were able to move the ball around, we were making shots and we made everybody look good tonight," Jenniings said.dddddddddddd Monroe scored on a pass from Kyle Singler to stake the Pistons to their largest lead at 71-46 in the third quarter. The Pistons still have an outside shot at the playoffs, but they need more efforts like this one. Detroit outrebounded Utah 53-33 and hounded the Jazz into 7-of-27 shooting from beyond the arc. The Pistons gained a game on the Hawks, who lost to Phoenix on Monday, but still trail them by 5 1/2 games for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth with 12 games remaining. The Jazz missed the offensive creativity of Alec Burks, the teams second-leading scorer. He sat out his second straight game with a sprained left ankle. Utahs roster doesnt feature many players who can create their own shot, and once the Pistons interrupted the Jazz sets, they were forced into several off-balance jumpers to beat the shot clock. In the first half, the Pistons didnt miss many attempts, shooting at a 61 per cent clip. When they did happen to misfire, they were often there to get the rebound and put the ball back in. Of their 16 misses, the Pistons retrieved nine of them on their way to a 60-40 halftime lead. The Pistons avenged a 110-89 loss at home Jan. 17 when Trey Burke led Utah with 20 points and 12 assists. This time around, the former Michigan star was outplayed by both Jennings and Stuckey and shot just 6 of 15 for 15 points with two assists. "Its tough, but weve just got to continue to learn," Burke said. "They had more energy than us early on and when we did try and make a push, it was kind of too late." The Jazz, who have shown effort throughout this trying season, looked spent and splintered against Detroit. Players and coaches were yelling at each other, no one was sprinting to the timeout huddles, and hustle plays were few and far between. The Jazz, who never led, own the worst record in the Western Conference. NOTES: The Jazz were only able to convert Detroits 13 turnovers into six points. Utah had a season-low seven turnovers, but they led to 14 Detroit points. ... The Pistons outscored the Jazz 34-17 in the second, their most dominant quarter of the season. ... Drummond entered the game ranked second in the NBA in field goal percentage. 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