He also said there will be more equal availability of Islanders and Nets merchandising at the arenas retail stores.- With fans desire for more weekend games, Yormark noted there were 18 games scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays

After 22 years of training, and with multiple championships from across the globe, Alistair Overeem is ready to stake claim to the missing jewel in a decorated career: the UFC heavyweight title.I think its the last piece missing to my already-magnificent career, Overeem, 36, told ESPN.com.For that to happen, Overeem (41-14, NC) must defeat Stipe Miocic (15-2) in the main event of UFC 203 on Saturday. Itll take place in Miocics hometown of Cleveland, at Quicken Loans Arena. Like Miocic did in May at UFC 198, beating Fabricio Werdum in front of a raucous Brazilian crowd to capture the belt, Overeem will enter hostile territory in search of the most important 12 pounds of gold in his career.The Reem was in a position similar to Miocic in his last fight, headlining the first UFC card in the Netherlands, his home country. Overeem knocked down Andrei Arlovski with a jump kick and left hand, then finished the fight with some ground-and-pound to secure the second-round TKO victory in front of more than 10,000 screaming Dutch fans. For Overeem, dealing with the stress and pressure was a matter of control.You need to stay focused. You cant be carried away, Overeem said. To me, its all about staying focused, staying calm, staying collected. The focus is to prioritize what is important, and to me that is a UFC title.As for his championship opponent on Saturday, Overeem believes it is all on Miocic to see how he handles the pressures of fighting in front of a home crowd.It can go either way, just depends how he deals with the stress, Overeem said. To me, its all about fighting my fight, and then victory will be mine.This bout is an interesting matchup of strikers with a combined 29 knockouts. Miocic employs a purer boxing style, while Overeem prefers to switch his stances, opening opportunities for his kickboxing. Both fighters are the same height (6-foot-4) and have the same reach (80 inches). Even the odds on the fight are close, with the champion being a slight favorite.The confident challenger was quick and straightforward when asked why he, not Miocic, will be victorious.Because Im a better fighter than Stipe Miocic, Overeem said.Saturdays title fight marks the sixth time Overeem has worked with the Jackson Wink MMA Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He credits the high-altitude training and work ethic that the team instills to focus on improving each day. In addition to that, Overeem gets to game plan with one of the brightest strategic minds in the sport, Greg Jackson.I do believe the energy in a group is very important. It either can lift you up or it can put you down. The energy in Jacksons is truly lifting me up, Overeem said.Besides his work with Jackson, as well as coaches Brandon Gibson and Chad Smith, Overeem specifically praised the sparring work he gets with Jon Jones. He called the former UFC light heavyweight champion a great help, and credited Jones for his technical ability and work ethic. Overeem also flies in coaches from Holland and Sweden who round out his training.I definitely am at the best of my abilities now, and a lot of energy and focus went into that, Overeem said. I truly feel that Ive peaked again, and Im very excited for Saturday.Overeem spent a total of 12 weeks in Albuquerque in preparation for the fight, since its announcement at the end of May. He did a pre-camp before doing promotional work in June and July, but has remained there for the final eight weeks. Overeem says hes dedicated his life to this training camp and has stepped things up.This is for the UFC heavyweight championship. It needs to be [like] that, he said. You can hope for a quick victory, but what if the quick victory doesnt come? You got to be ready for everything. I believe we are just that. We are ready for everything.Two years ago at this time, predicting a title run for Overeem wouldve been ambitious at best. He was coming off a first-round knockout loss to Ben Rothwell, the third loss via KO or TKO in a span of four UFC appearances. This downturn in performance came on the heels of a 12-fight unbeaten streak that was capped off by a dominant showing over Brock Lesnar at UFC 141.Now, after four straight victories, including three by knockout or TKO, Overeem is at the precipice of winning the UFC belt.He has held the Strikeforce heavyweight title, as well as the DREAM interim championship during his MMA career. In addition, Overeem was the 2010 K-1 World Grand Prix champion. With these accolades, as well as holding victories over six former UFC heavyweight champions, a question of how high The Reem ranks among the best heavyweights of all time is worth debate, provided he wins on Saturday.Thats going to be for the people to decide. Personally, I like the ring of it. Ive always faced top competition in my 22 years, Overeem said. Of course theres been ups and downs; thats the only critique. But I always came back stronger. Nike Vapormax Wholesale . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. Cheapest Kyrie Shoes . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.com/cheap-kevin-durant-shoes.html .Y. -- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Wednesday that J. Air Max 97 Plus Cheap Wholesale .C. -- Manny Malhotra had two goals and an assist, leading the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Replica Air Max 270 . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. NEW YORK -- Pleased with the progress made during the New York Islanders first season in Brooklyn, Brett Yormark is looking forward to the teams second year at Barclays Center.I thought we ended the year in a much better place than we started, said Brett Yormark, the Chief Executive Office for Brooklyn Sports and Entertainment, which oversees business operations and marketing for the Barclays Center. When you look back at those playoff games they were some of the most dramatic moments weve had here.Pointing to the improvements the team made with game presentation, including the hiring of a hockey-centric group to take over game days, Yormark said the atmosphere during the Islanders run to the Eastern Conference semifinals -- and their first postseason series victory since 1993 -- showed hockey has arrived in Brooklyn.However, Yormark wouldnt comment on reports the Islanders were already considering leaving for a new arena either near Citi Field, home to baseballs New York Mets, or Belmont Park.I cant speak to that, Yormark said Monday in a Q&A with media before the teams preseason opener against the Philadelphia Flyers. All I can speak to is that collectively our team here at Barclays Center will do everything we can to provide the fans and the players with a first-class experience. And thats what Im focused on.The Islanders moved to the Brooklyn arena -- home to the NBAs Brooklyn Nets since 2012 -- last year after spending the franchises first 43 seasons at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island. The deal with Barclays Center on a 25-year lease was announced in 2012 after a failed attempt to secure public financing for a new arena on Long Island and zoning approval was rejected for a privately funded development plan that would have included renovations to the ColiseumNewsday reported earlier this month the lease has an opt-out clause with a January 2017 deadline for either side to terminate the deal..dddddddddddd The Islanders could do it effective the end of the third season, and either side could do it for after the fourth season.I dont have a crystal ball, Yormark said. I cant tell you what the future holds. But I can tell you adamantly that were committed to providing a great season for everyone involved.To that end, Yormark said arena management conducted focus groups with fans in Brooklyn and on Long Island, asking what they liked and what they wanted to see improved.One of the top complaints was about transportation on the Long Island Rail Road after games. Fans were displeased with the service during the season, but noted it had improved for the playoffs, and Yormark said the LIRR had agreed to maintain the additional schedule of trains after games this season.Among other topics Yormark addressed:- Fans can expect to see more Islanders branding and signage around the arena, so they can feel this is their home. He also said there will be more equal availability of Islanders and Nets merchandising at the arenas retail stores.- With fans desire for more weekend games, Yormark noted there were 18 games scheduled on Fridays, Saturdays or Sundays this season, an increase from last year. Its something we need to look at and see where we can make more improvements for next year, he said.- The teams ticket base had grown, with a marked increase in Manhattan residents who grew up in Long Island. He said the Long Island base had stabilized, while acknowledging some full-season ticket holders had chosen to trade down to partial plans.Weve addressed everything fans had their hands raised about, Yormark said. Im sure there will be more during the course of the season. Well remain flexible like we were last year. Well continue to learn and where we can get better, we will. ' ' '