I like what we have and everybody is ready. from miao1234's blog
QUEBEC -- Theres been more than a little Australian-Canadian diplomacy since filming ended on The Ultimate Fighter Nations.http://www.authenticpatriotsshop.com/James-White-Patriots-Jersey . Once on different sides of the reality TV show, Australian welterweight (Filthy) Richard Walsh trained with Canadian coach Patrick (The Predator) Cote. Heck, the Aussie spent the last week staying chez Cote. "Ive got a lot of time for him. Hes such a good guy," Walsh said of Cote. "Super super nice guy," said Cote. The two, along with fellow Canadian cast member Elias (The Spartan) Theodorou, also went to Thailand to train. "Hes my bestie, man," said the affable Theodorou. After spending six weeks with the 15 other fighters during filming in a lodge in the woods about an hour outside of Montreal late last year, Walsh is happy to be back in Canada. "I love this place," he said. "People are so friendly. And I like to see snow now and then. We dont get that in Australia." He saw plenty of snow during filming of the TV show, which wrapped in December. And he got a little more this weekend as winter refused to leave the Quebec capital. Fans who tune in to Wednesdays TUF Nations finale card will see Walsh sporting his impressive fight beard. The Aussie shaved it off on the TV show after losing his semifinal bout to Canadian Olivier Aubin-Mercier. He has no regrets about his time on the show. "For me, losing wasnt such a bad thing," he said. "Im back here. Im in the finale. This is the best thing thats happened to me in my life." The winners of the shows welterweight and middleweight divisions will be decided Wednesday in all-Canadian finals at the Colisee Pepsi. Aubin-Mercier faces Chad (The Disciple) Laprise at 170 pounds while Theodorou takes on Sheldon Westcott. The winners will be the first Canadians to be crowned The Ultimate Fighter. Cote was a finalist on Season 4 back in 2006, when he lost to Travis Lutter. The 25-year-old Walsh, meanwhile, takes on Australian teammate Chris (The Savage) Indich (6-1). After filming finished on the show, Walsh (7-1) went back to Australia and chilled. "I took a month off, had a few beers," he explained. "Kind of took it easy around Christmas and New Years." Thinking he might get a slot on the finale card, he returned to the gym and started training. Finding out that he was fighting a fellow Aussie hasnt fazed him. "I love the guy, hes great guy, hes done a lot for Australian MMA," Walsh said. "But I dont have any problem punching him in the face. Because on the night, were not really going to be mates. Were fighting for our future." Walsh watched the show, saying he had no issues with how he was portrayed other than he has a better sense of humour than the show suggested. "Ill take it," he said. "They didnt make me look bad." And while he had no problem seeing himself on TV, he said he didnt like hearing himself. "Watching yourself, you see yourself in the mirror every day," he said. "Unless you dont like looking at yourself and then maybe youve got a few problems. But listening to yourself, thats something you dont get a chance to do often, so that was a bit of a wig-out." Walsh, who lives in Sydney, said life has not changed much for him since taking part in the show. He attributes that to MMA still facing an uphill battle in Australia. "Im hoping guys like myself, Chris can kind of grow that sport because in the last five years its kind of taken a spiral downwards from what it was when I first started." Australia, he says, needs top-flight fighters like Canada has had in Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald. Walsh has other options than fighting for a living. He studied construction property at the University of New South Wales, finishing his degree at Georgia Tech and started studying law in Australia before quitting a semester later to pursue fighting. A year later, the former rugby player was on the UFC TV show. "For me its not about the money," he said. "Its like the furthest thing from the money and the glory and stuff. Its just something I like doing and I set a goal long ago that this was something and Ive kind of followed through on that. "Ive had to kind of buck a lot of trends, parents telling me I should get a job and all that kind of stuff. Because I come from a good family, good parenting, good education. So this was harder for me I think in a lot of ways than it was if I didnt have the choice. I had so many other things I could have been doing: making money, using my degree, travelling ... but I chose this path. "It was a little bit harder I think, but its a lot more fulfilling." Having made it onto a UFC card has proved to family and friends that his dream was worth chasing, he said. Jimmy Garoppolo Womens Jersey . -- Arron Afflalo didnt make a big fuss after his name wasnt among those announced this week as reserve selection for the All-Star game. www.authenticpatriotsshop.com/Bryan-Stork-Patriots-Jersey . Although the hosts were outscored five tries to three by the team from Auckland, Marnitz Boshoff landed four penalties and two dropped goals to give them their third win in five games since returning to the competition.KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Right-hander Julio Teheran and the Atlanta Braves agreed to terms on a six-year, $32.4 million contract on Friday with a club option for the 2020 season. The deal with the 23-year-old Teheran was another move by the team to lock up a key young player on a long-term deal. First baseman Freddie Freeman, 24, agreed to $135 million, eight-year deal on Feb. 5, the same day the team announced a two-year, $13.3 million deal with right fielder Jason Heyward, 24. Braves announced the agreement with Teheran on the day pitchers and catchers had their first workout in spring training. Braves general manager Frank Wren said Teheran is "one of the best young pitchers in the National League and one of our core of players we expect to be together for a number of years." If the Braves exercise their $12 million option for the 2020 season, Teheran will earn more than $44 million over the next seven years. Teheran, who had been regarded as a top prospect, realized those expectations in 2013, when he became an important member of the rotation as a rookie. He was 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA and finished fourth in voting for the NL Rookie of the Year. "I couldnt wait to see him pitch last year," said Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez. "He had a tougher time pitching in Triple-A." Teheran led all rookies with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 3.78, ranking seventh among all National League starting pitchers. Teheran received a $1 million signing bonus and will earn $800,000 in 2014. His annual salaries will go up to $1 million in 2015, $3.3 million in 2016, $6.3 million in 2017, $8 million in 2018 and $11 million in 2019. Teheran joins Krris Medlen and Mike Minor as leaders of a young rotation that lost Tim Hudson and Paul Maholm to free agency. Bryan Stork Womens Jersey. Brandon Beachy is expected to earn the fourth spot in the rotation as he continues his comeback from 2012 elbow ligament-replacement surgery. Beachy, a right-hander, had a follow-up procedure to clean up the right elbow last season. Gonzalez said that he is looking for someone to take over as a leader of the staff. "Its early but I feel good about this team," Gonzalez said. "We lost Huddy (Hudson) but we still had the ERA tile last year. I like what we have and everybody is ready." Left-hander Alex Wood and veteran Freddy Garcia are expected to lead the competition for the final spot in the rotation until free-agent signee Gavin Floyd completes his recovery from elbow surgery. The Braves expect Floyd to be ready to pitch as early as May. "Alex Wood helped us win the division last year," Gonzalez said. "I am comfortable with what we have coming back this year. You can never have too much pitching." NOTES: Braves special assistant to the general manager Jim Fregosi, 71, passed away in Miami on Friday. Gonzalez expressed his appreciation for Fregosi who managed four teams during his 53-year professional baseball career. "This is a day of mixed emotions," Gonzalez said. "We lost one of our family members.". Floyd has impressed Gonzalez so far. "He looks like hes ready," Gonzalez said. "The way he throws in batting practice, its like hes never been away." Floyd was 0-4 in five starts for the White Sox last season. ' ' '
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