~~**GÄSTEBEREICH**~~ » recent years. Though MacDonald, 24, is

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." Cheap NFL Jerseys 2017 . The Grizzlies erased most of a 25-point deficit before Durant, the leagues scoring champion, got hot. Cheap NFL Jerseys . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.cheapnfljerseysbestsite.com/. Or maybe he already did. Clark hit his first homer, Wily Peralta pitched into the seventh inning, and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 Wednesday night. Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic . The 18-year-old Januzaj has made his breakthrough at United this season, including scoring twice in a 2-1 win over Sunderland before the recent international break. His performances have sparked a debate about where his international future lies. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale .C. -- Eric Staal kept his focus after his apparent breakaway goal was waived off early in the third period.PARIS -- France reached the World Cup against the odds after beating Ukraine 3-0 on Tuesday, overturning a first-leg deficit with a performance full of pride and confidence after most observers had written the team off. Backs to the wall after a 2-0 defeat last Friday, France started at a frenetic pace and never let up against a dispirited Ukraine that played most of the second half with 10 men. France was already leading 2-0 by then after Mamadou Sakho scored his first international goal midway through the first half and Karim Benzema added a close-range finish in the 34th. "Ive experienced some great moments but this one is special. Its fabulous, especially after the first game and the bad result we got there," France coach Didier Deschamps said. "The players should get all the credit because they did something special." Ukraine went down to 10 men when fullback Yevhen Khacheridi was red-carded for fouling Franck Ribery in the 47th minute. France sealed qualification in the 72nd when Ukraine subsitute Oleg Gusev turned a cross into his own net under pressure from Sakho. "We should have worked harder and been more organized," Ukraine coach Mykhailo Fomenko said. "I warned my players before the match to avoid the yellow and red cards but this was very difficult." There were delirious scenes at the end as France players rushed off the bench to celebrate. Bullied all night in Kyiv last Friday, the French responded brilliantly in a performance full of bravery, panache and determination. "Its the magic of football. Four days ago we were bad, very bad," Deschamps said. "Tonight the players were present and I had no doubt they would be." The players, under intense pressure in the build-up to the game, grabbed flags and sprinted around the field in jubilation as France avoided the embarrassment of failing to qualify for a major tournament for the first time in 20 years. "Its been a very long time since we saw the Stade de France like this," Ribery said. "We took a big slap in Ukraine and we woke up. We were stuck together until the end and we showed it on the pitch." Olivier Giroud grabbed a microphone and got the crowd singing along to the national anthem as pent-up emotions were welll and truly released.dddddddddddd "Weve suffered so much, theres been so much sadness," Ribery said. "This is wonderful, magnificent." In a match four years ago, 10,000 travelling Irish fans drowned out the home support. But there was no danger of that this time from Ukraines considerably smaller following. Pre-match footage on the stadiums big screen showed clips of glory days: the Platini years, the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Perhaps this was an attempt to jog the crowds memory, a last-ditch plea to get them to rally behind the team. Or perhaps it was a simpler message: "This is how to win, remember?" The words to "La Marseillaise" then popped up on the screen, offering further encouragement to show their support. It seemed to have the desired effect as France poured forward and had Ukraine firmly on the back foot from the outset, with Mathieu Valbuena going close with a rising shot and Paul Pogba and Benzema heading over from good positions. Piatov had kept eight consecutive clean sheets but his resistance was finally broken when Sakho pounced to turn the ball in from close range after Piatov pushed away Riberys shot from the edge of the penalty area. The way Sakho sprinted to the bench, thumping his chest with pride, showed just how intense the strain had been on the French since Friday. Some of the tackling was ferocious, as this time France stood up to the physical challenge after their battering in Kyiv. "I know the French team is very strong and can play at a very high level. They were playing at home and their fans were very good," Fomenko said. "I regret a few things. We werent good psychologically. We needed to be ready and I dont think we were." Piatov was well beaten for the second goal when Cabayes attempted shot deflected favourably into the path of Benzema and he stroked it into the bottom corner. Moments before halftime, Sakho stretched his leg high to poke the ball away from Roman Zozulya as he was about to shoot and, from the resulting corner, Andriy Yarmolenkos goal-bound hit Mathieu Debuchys chest. The French bench rose in unison when Gusev turned a cross into his own net and substitute Giroud almost made it 4-0 but his point-blank header was superbly saved. ' ' '