fighting out of Montreal, is ranked No. 2 among UFC 170-p

TORONTO -- Canadian Rory (Ares) MacDonald will have to go through former Strikeforce champion Tarec (Sponge) Saffiedine to continue his run at the UFC welterweight title. The UFC announced Thursday that the two will meet Oct. 4 in the main event of a televised UFC card at the Halifax Metro Centre. MacDonald, a native of Kelowna, B.C., now fighting out of Montreal, is ranked No. 2 among UFC 170-pound contenders. Saffiedine, a Belgian based out of the U.S., is ranked 10th. The 25-year-old MacDonald has won seven of his last eight bouts and is 8-2 in the UFC since making his debut in the organization in January 2010. His lone UFC losses have come at the hands of (Ruthless) Robbie Lawler, at UFC 167 last November, and Carlos (The Natural Born Killer) Condit, at UFC 115 in June 2010. Lawler went on to lose a decision to Johny (Bigg Rigg) Hendricks to decide who would take over the title vacated by Georges St-Pierre, who trains with MacDonald. Hendricks won by decision, with Lawler earning another title shot after disposing of Matt (The Immortal) Brown on the weekend. The six-foot MacDonald is coming off an impressive win over No. 4 Tyron Woodley at UFC 174 in June in Vancouver following a decision over jiu-jitsu ace Demian Maia at UFC 170 in February. MacDonald (17-2) is a rangy well-rounded fighter who can do damage from the outside with an effective jab. But he is also dangerous in close, able to slam opponents and punish them on the ground. The Canadian will have a six-inch advantage in reach and two inches in height on Saffiedine. Saffiedine (13-3) has won five straight since dropping a decision to Woodley in Strikeforce in January 2011. His last outing, which was his UFC debut, was a decision win over Hyun Gyu Lim in January. The 27-year-old Belgian, who won eight of his last nine fights, is a former kick-boxer with a black belt in karate and a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. MacDonald is a black belt in BJJ. A win over Saffiedine would be MacDonalds fourth over a top-10 welterweight fighter. The Halifax show marks the UFCs first in Nova Scotia. Lamar Jackson Youth Jersey .C. -- North Carolina State coach Mark Gottfried said his team had a "golden" opportunity to help its NCAA tournament chances. Jaylon Ferguson Youth Jersey . Mired in an offensive slump, Lowry - the NBAs leader in taking charges this season - did what he has learned to do best, standing his ground and drawing a crucial offensive foul on the Cavaliers all-star point guard. Fast forward 30 seconds to the Cavs next possession, with the home team still trailing by three, Spencer Hawes - one of the leagues best passing big men - threw an interception, intended for Tyler Zeller and picked off by DeMar DeRozan. http://www.cheapravensshoponline.com/You...-ravens-jersey/. -- Kenneth Faried made a turnaround hook shot over Draymond Green with a half-second remaining, and the Denver Nuggets made Golden State wait at least one more game to secure a playoff berth with a stunning 100-99 win over the Warriors on Thursday night. Joe Flacco Youth Jersey . De La Rosa pitched six strong innings to win his sixth consecutive decision, Todd Helton homered and the Colorado Rockies snapped the Los Angeles Dodgers six-game winning streak with a 7-5 victory on Wednesday night. Joe Flacco Jersey . -- The Chicago Bears agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract with defensive lineman Israel Idonije and are bringing him back for a second stint. TAMPA, Fla. -- Free agent centre Evan Dietrich-Smith has agreed to a contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dietrich-Smith spent the past three seasons with the Packers and has started 25 of 61 games hes appeared in at centre and guard. He was one of two Green Bay offensive linemen to play in every game over the last two years. The sixth-year pro is the seventh player to join the Buccs through free agency this week.ddddddddddddTerms of the deal Friday were not disclosed. In addition to Dietrich-Smith, the Bucs have added quarterback Josh McCown, tackle Anthony Collins and tight end Brandon Myers on offence. Defensive acquisitions include pass rusher Michael Johnson, tackle Clinton McDonald and cornerback Alterraun Verner. ' ' '