Silva: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Eleven shots separated Phil and Tiger Sunday at Pebble Beach as Lefty secured his 40th Tour win. Jason Sobel had hole-by-hole reports.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
Special to MSNBC.comMinutes before stepping into the ring, Dan Henderson had a face of steely calm and composure, despite facing the feared and internationally revered Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva.
No problem.
Henderson knocked out Silva, a highly touted Brazilian mixed-martial arts fighter, to capture the Pride Fighting championship middleweight title to go along with his welterweight title Feb. 24. He’s the only MMA fighter to hold two major titles in two weight classes simultaneously.
Few expected Henderson to avenge an earlier loss to Silva.
“I’m a much better fighter now than six years ago,” said Henderson, 36, almost apologetically. “We both improved.”
Long an Olympic-style wrestler who had qualified for the 1992 and 1996 Greco-Roman teams, Henderson attempted to make the U.S. team for the 2000 Sydney Games but was not chosen.
But life can make some crazy turns and though he had not considered MMA as a career path, Henderson realized the door was open. After fighting as early as 1997, he focused more on MMA starting in 2000.
Despite being reared as a wrestler from the age of five, he quickly adopted striking skills to supplement his world-class skills as a grappler.
“I’ve been known to be more of a knockout guy,” Henderson said. “Most of the guys in the elite level are able to get out of submission holds. I’ve learned to finish a fight with a punch. I hit kind of hard.”
Henderson’s gym, Team Quest in Murrieta, Calif., has a history of producing MMA fighters with a background in wrestling who quickly adapt to fist and kick fighting techniques. Randy Couture, who holds the UFC heavyweight title, and Matt Lindland, who is set to face Russia’s feared Fedor Emelianenko for the Pride heavyweight title, both come from wrestling backgrounds.
Recently Henderson returned to California, where MMA blossomed once it was allowed by the state in January 2006. Before that, he fought in Japan, where crowds of 70,000 people are not uncommon. That kind of fanfare has prepared the Temecula, Calif., fighter for the bright lights of Las Vegas and any other big venue.
So when Henderson was told he would fight Silva, one of the icons of MMA, he was quietly excited, despite being a 6-1 underdog.
“I was very confident I would win,” Henderson said.
From the onset of the match that took place at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Henderson erupted.
“He destroyed Silva from the beginning,” said Cesar Garcia, a reporter for Combat News. “It was no contest.”
Henderson has propelled himself to rarified air in the MMA circles. But it hasn’t stopped him from sharing fighting knowledge with his teammates.
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After his win over Silva, Henderson revealed he had battled most of the fight with a broken right hand, which he said he thought he suffered in the first round. Once he is healed, Henderson has big plans for the rest of the year, including bouts against Ultimate Fighting Championship stalwarts such as Anderson Silva and Chuck Liddell.
Those bouts might not happen if UFC and Pride Fighting, rivals MMA companies, can't find common ground.
“I hope they do come together,” Henderson said.
Any sort of agreement between the MMA competitors might lead to megafights across the world, and Henderson probably would be a centerpiece of any card. Fans already are salivating over the possibility of watching someone such as Henderson meet the best in his two weight classes.
“He’s a superstar now,” said Garcia.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
NEW YORK (AP) - As the glow fades from the Giants' Super Bowl triumph, some New York sports fans are tuning in to basketball and hockey, with the Rangers in first place and the Knicks' overnight sensation, Jeremy Lin, sparking "Lin-sanity.''
Robins: This year, six new breeds will be making their debut on the green carpet for the Westminster Dog Show, which begins Monday.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
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