The last time Rory MacDonald fought in Vancouver, things didnt exactly go as planned. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Jersey . The B.C. native immediately turned heads in a thrilling bout with future interim welterweight champ Carlos Condit at UFC 115 in 2010. Though MacDonald was ahead on the judges scorecards going into the final round, he succumbed to Condits relentless ground-and-pound with only seven seconds left on the clock. While he may have come out on the losing end that night, MacDonalds performance established him as a young fighter to watch. Over the past four years hes largely lived up to the hype, making the leap from prospect to contender. Now that hes poised to make his Vancouver return against Tyron Woodley in the co-main event of UFC 174 Saturday, MacDonald said he has grown both as a fighter and a person. "I was an inexperienced fighter at that point, it was a very big fight and I got a lot of response (from fans)," said MacDonald of his bout with Condit. "So it was a tough, but good learning experience for me as a martial artist and a UFC fighter to deal with that pressure and perform under it. "Since then Ive had a lot of big fights. Ive been able to deal with it great since then. So I see no difference going back there and fighting there again." Though MacDonald has since etched his spot in the welterweight title picture, consistency has been a problem. If he has struggled in one area, its been the frequency within which hes competed. Since joining the UFC roster in early 2010, hes managed only two fights per year due to a variety of injuries. MacDonald has attributed many of these to over-training and not knowing when to dial back his efforts. However, MacDonald appears to have found his groove as of late. His scrap with Woodley not only marks his second of 2014, but also his fourth in the past 12 months. MacDonald said hes finally hit the right balance. "In a years time Ive been very busy and Ive been focused," MacDonald said. "My trainings been good. Ive been training very smart and been able to stay healthy. Obviously there are some injuries that are out of your control, but others are in your control and I think its just up to your experience as a martial artist. You know, growing up in your training and seeing what works for you. Im starting to figure out a rhythm that works for me. "I understand how to warm my body up, how to spar more technically and put less stress on my system. Its been a combination of a lot of things." MacDonald said a big piece of the puzzle has also been separating east coast from west coast. While in Montreal and New York, hes 100 - percent focused on training. However, after each fight, he spends time with family and friends back in B.C. The Tristar fighter said this allows him to recharge his batteries. "I take a month back home after my fights," MacDonald stated. "After all the hard training, I relax, but I also stay busy and stay active. I go into the gyms where I used to train with all the people that I know. I work with them — nothing crazy; just once a day. I spend my time there and enjoy it with family. It makes me happy. When I come out to Montreal and New York, I focus on my training and I feel energized." With his training formula firmly in place, MacDonald said he cant wait to put on a show in his home province. "It feels great," MacDonald began. "I love fighting in Canada and being in Vancouver is even better because after the fight Im right at home. I get to see my family and I dont have to fly anywhere. I also get a lot of recognition there from the fans. "Its going to be a very exciting night. Im very much looking forward to it." Joel Veltman Jersey .5 million, two-year contract that runs through 2015. Venable, the son of former big leaguer Max Venable, will make $4. Marco van Ginkel Jersey .com) - The Toronto Raptors set their sights on a second straight victory with the Oklahoma City Thunder visiting the Air Canada Centre tonight riding a two game streak of their own. NEW YORK -- At least the New York Knicks can say they won a city championship. Only the Brooklyn Nets have a chance to compete for a real one -- though theyd better play a lot better than this. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 16 points and the Knicks, playing without the injured Carmelo Anthony, beat the Nets 109-98 on Tuesday night to win the season series between city rivals. And in an otherwise massively disappointing season, apparently local bragging rights do matter. "Hell yeah," Knicks guard J.R. Smith said. "I mean, Im cool with some of those guys over there, so I can still say something when were in the gym this summer. As long as I can say they didnt beat us that many times, were good." The Knicks prevented the Nets from clinching the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and won their third straight in their too-little, too-late strong finish. Amare Stoudemire and Smith each added 14 points. Anthony had an MRI exam Tuesday that revealed a torn labrum in his right shoulder. He wont play Wednesday against Toronto, the final game of the first season in his 11-year career that wont end with a playoff berth -- and potentially his last as a member of the Knicks. He has said he will become a free agent in July. Marcus Thornton scored 24 points for the Nets, who werent sharp despite playing starters Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. The other starter, Shaun Livingston, remained sidelined with a sprained right big toe. The Nets still have a magic number of one for finishing fifth. But they could fall to No. 6 if they lose Wednesday in Cleveland and Washington beats Boston. "Tonight was an example of how not to take a step forward. We were off our game offensively, defensively, all phases of the game and thats not how you want to go into the playoffs," Pierce said. The Knicks would be in the playoffs themselves if they played against everyone else the way they did against the Nets while winning three romps. All four games were on national TV, though none was really worth watching after halftime. The Knicks won a pair of routs, 113-83 at Barclays Center in December and 110-81 at Madison Squarre Garden two weeks ago. Karim Rekik Jersey. The Nets won by 23 in their lone victory. The overhyped city series didnt live up to preseason expectations, much like the Knicks. Players from both sides had sparred in the press during the summer after the Nets made their big off-season moves, expecting to battle to be the best in New York and also the Atlantic Division. Well, the division champion isnt from New York -- or even the U.S. Toronto finished ahead of both teams. The Knicks have defeated the Raptors, Bulls and Nets, currently the Easts Nos. 3-5 seeds, in their last three games, and coach Mike Woodson said it was "irritating" that his team would be watching the playoffs from home. "If we had handled our business early on and didnt let some of the close games get away, we probably wouldnt be standing here. Wed probably be preparing for playoff basketball, but thats not the case," Woodson said. "We put ourselves in this hole and were going to have to live with it this summer and then try to figure it out next season." The Knicks led 29-18 after one and the game got fun midway through the second quarter. Stoudemire had a powerful follow dunk over Mason Plumlee, screaming into the rookies ear afterward. Plumlee responded in the best way possible, dunking on the Nets next two possessions. Plumlee finished with 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds. But Brooklyn never really got into the game, and the only real interest in the second half were some occasional dueling chants between the split crowd. A "Goodbye Melo!" chant from a section of Nets fans was soon followed by a loud "Lets go Knicks!" NOTES: The Nets wore their Brooklyn Dodgers-inspired grey uniforms on Jackie Robinson Day. He debuted for the Dodgers as the first black player in the major leagues on this date in 1947. ... Pierce became the sixth player in NBA history to score 1,000 points in 15 straight seasons, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19), Karl Malone (18), John Havlicek (16), Elvin Hayes (15) and Robert Parish (15). ... Mirza Teletovics wife gave birth to twins earlier Tuesday and the Nets reserve forward also will miss Wednesdays game. Cheap NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap Jerseys From ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys AuthenticWholesale Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaNFL Cheap Jerseys ' ' '