Georges St-Pierres departure from the welterweight scene, temporary or otherwise, changed the playing field for everyone in the UFCs 170-pound weight class. None more so than Rory (Ares) MacDonald. The 24-year-old can finally chase the title unencumbered. MacDonald, ranked No. 2 among welterweight contenders, trains at the same Montreal gym as the former UFC champion. St-Pierre has been one of his mentors. They share coaches and training partners. As MacDonald rose up the rankings, he and St-Pierre were constantly asked about whether the allies would ever fight. "It was pretty much any interview I did," said MacDonald. Now the landscape ahead is clear. "I feel like Im on my own path now," he said in an interview this week at Quebec City, where he was making appearances for the UFC around "The Ultimate Fighter Nations" finale card. "As much as I didnt think it was bothering me at the time, it was. Its a distraction, its always something in the back of your head. I never wanted any drama there, anything like that but at the same time I wanted what I wanted -- the (championship) belt. "So right now, the way it all worked out, I feel a lot less stress about it. I just feel like Im having fun, enjoying my time." MacDonald returns to his home province June 14 to face No. 3 Tyron (The Chosen One) Woodley in the co-main event at UFC 174 in Vancouvers Rogers Arena. The 32-year-old Woodley, an explosive former two-time All American wrestler from the University of Missouri, went 8-1 in Strikeforce before moving into the UFC. He opened his UFC account with a 36-second knockout of Jay Hieron. After a split-decision loss to Jake Shields, he bounced back with wins over Josh Koscheck and Carlos (The Natural Born Killer) Condit. The winner between MacDonald (16-2) and Woodley (13-2) will likely get a title shot at Johny Hendricks, who is recovering from bicep surgery and a fractured shin following his championship win over (Ruthless) Robbie Lawler at UFC 171 in March. MacDonald said he is happy to fight again before a possible title shot. "I wanted to. I didnt want to sit on the sidelines anyway," he said. "I think me against Tyron is a great matchup for a No. 1 contender shot. Weve both had good wins and good showings in our UFC careers." MacDonald watched the Hendricks-Lawler title fight from Hawaii where he was vacationing with his father and brother. He saw it as a close contest that came down to the fifth round. "I was really pulling for Lawler because I fought him in the past and have a lot of respect for the guys I fight," MacDonald said. "Obviously I was excited to see him do that well. "I just think Hendricks was the better man in the very end of the fight. He pushed it. He pushed through being tired, being hurt. Thats what a champion does. .. He finished hard, he won that last round. And thats what won him the fight in my opinion." MacDonald lost a split decision to Lawler at UFC 167 last November, when GSP won a controversial split decision over Hendricks. MacDonald admits there was a time before the Lawler bout when he did not enjoying fighting. "I had a lot of injuries I was battling through," he said. "It weighs on you." Looking back, he says he probably should have pulled out. "They (the injuries) were pretty serious. But I was sick of doing that," he said. "I was sick of getting injured before a fight, pulling out. I think fans were really annoyed with me doing that. I just had to fight through that." His only other loss was to Condit in June 2010 -- a TKO with seven seconds remaining -- at UFC 115 in Vancouver. It was MacDonalds second fight in the UFC and the adrenalin was pumping. He dominated the early going but the veteran Condit rallied in the final round. His first fight was a small televised event in January 2010 in Fairfax, Va., where Macdonald submitted Mike Guymon in four minutes 27 seconds. The frenzy of the Condit fight -- and audience -- took MacDonald by surprise. "People were going insane," MacDonald recalled in an earlier interview. "I never heard that level of noise in a building ... I was super-shocked and it just got me fired up to a point where it was, like, bad. If you watch that fight you could see the intensity that I was bringing and I dont think that was my style. And I paid for it." The loss was humiliating for MacDonald. "Because I was just laying there getting beaten on," he told reporters after his December 2012 win over B.J. Penn in Seattle. "My face looked like I was a guy from The Goonies after. I was embarrassed, I was embarrassed about my performance and how I held myself. It did a lot of damage and I dont think Ive been the same person since." The loss changed MacDonald. He moved from Kelowna, B.C., to Montreal in the aftermath to train with coach Firas Zahabi, St-Pierre and other elite fighters at the Tristar Gym. He also focused on fighting without emotion, reasoning that it contributed to the loss in Vancouver. MacDonald was slated to meet Condit again at UFC 158 in March 2013 but had to pull out due to injury. Hendricks stepped in and won, setting up his title shot against St-Pierre. MacDonald, meanwhile, rebounded from the Lawler loss with a unanimous decision over Brazilian submission ace Demian Maia at UFC 170 in February. Talk to MacDonald these days and you notice how big he is. The six-footer may fight at 170 pounds but its a weight he serves only occasionally. He walks around at 200 pounds. "Im big right now. Im not dieting but Im in shape," he said. MacDonald was just 14 when he started training in MMA. Born in Quesnel, B.C., MacDonald started training with David Lea in Kelowna. He had his first pro fight at age 16 in Prince George, because it was the only place to let him fight. Even then, his parents had to give their approval. He won the King of the Cage Canadian lightweight title at 18 -- in his sixth fight -- and the King of the Cage world 155-pound title in his next outing a year later. MacDonald became the UFCs youngest fighter when he signed on at 20 in the fall of 2009. Years later, he is comfortable in his own skin and happy with his fighting career. And while he is in a sport that often rewards self-promoters, MacDonald does things his own way. "Im not here to talk," he said. "Im not a great promoter but I believe I am one of the best fighters in the world. And Im going to be the best fighter in the world eventually. And I think people are going to appreciate what I bring to the cage." Nike MLB Jerseys For Sale .A. remained bitter for Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers on the long flight back home to New York. MLB Jerseys From China . Hamelin overcame a weak start to win bronze in the 500-metre race behind winner Wu Dajing of China and American J.R. Celski on Saturday at the world short track speed skating championship. https://www.mlbjerseys2020.com/. -- Navy football player Will McKamey, who has been hospitalized since collapsing at practice three days ago, has died while in a coma. MLB Jerseys 2020 . On Saturday night, Winnipegs strong offense was again accompanied by some fantastic pitching which gave the Fish a commanding victory. Cheap MLB Jerseys From China . -- LeGarrette Blount wasnt satisfied with three short touchdown runs, not against a team coming off the second greatest comeback in playoff history.When the teams were announced, the pre-match chatter was all about the Brazilians. No Oscar for Chelsea. Left on the bench. Willian to play his role centrally. No Fernandinho for Manchester City. Out injured. David Luiz back for Chelsea. In central midfield. And then there was the other Samba Boy. Mr Reliable, Ramires, an automatic name in the starting XI but whose position and role was far from automatic. Less than two hours after kick-off, Chelsea had done it. They had become the first team in 62 attempts to stop Manchester City scoring at home in the Premier League. However, this was no dour 0-0, like they ‘accomplished at Manchester United and Arsenal this season. Yes, another clean sheet at a Premier League giant had been secured but this time theyd won; Branislav Ivanovic scoring the games only goal in the 32nd minute. It was fitting that the game was decided by a goal on Chelseas right side. Fitting also that had come from a counter-attack. A wonderfully stretched game, particularly in the first half, saw both teams crave and find space and when Ivanovic powered home the goal, just 34 seconds earlier, Jesus Navas was dancing in the other penalty area trying to ignite another City chance. In between, arguably the games best player, Eden Hazard had glided from one flank to the other to pin City deep; Ramires had sprinted from deep to have a shot blocked; the exact block that rebounded out to the Serbian defender to blast home. Five minutes earlier, the Chelsea counter-attackers had had an even better chance, once again starting deep in their own end, where Ramires faced Navas one-on-one in the box. Seconds later, Alvaro Negredo gave the ball away and Willian started a four-on-one attack that finished with Ramires (once again) sticking his jetpack on and sprinting into the box to hit a shot wonderfully saved by Joe Hart. Willian had made the wrong decision, an all too familiar story for the Chelsea counter-attackers, and instead should have played in Samuel Etoo, but, much like at Arsenal in December, the wrong decision was made at a key time and they let their opponents off the hook. Just think what this team could achieve when they do make the right decisions and do have a legitimate force as a striker who they wont think twice about before passing? It was a night of combinations for Chelsea. Nemanja Matic making his first league start since his move from Benfica, was outstanding alongside David Luiz as the pivots in midfield. Gary Cahill and John Terry made England fans wonder if the Chelsea skipper just might come out of international retirement for a trip to Brazil. Willian and Hazard were electrifying on the ball and much improved without it. It was the kind of night that elevated the Belgian to another level. Earlier this season, Jose Mourinho said it best of Hazard: “The quality we know, his talent we all know, but his ambition, the way he looks at a match, sometimes it is a little up and down, sometimes he waits for the game to give him conditions to succeed.” On a rainy night in Manchester, Hazard waited for nothing. It waas his night to shine.dddddddddddd Many have been too quick to elevate him to world class status but consistent performances in this manner will take him there soon enough. A football field containing other geniuses such as David Silva and Yaya Toure, became the garden of Eden when the world was watching. And that is why Chelseas victory was worth much more than three points. It is easy to forget Hazard is only 23 and has played very few big games in his career. This is a team that is much different to the one that won the Champions League in 2012 and, even, the Europa League last May. It is a team that Mourinho is building to become winners but to do that they must learn how to win together. This is the biggest win their attacking unit has accomplished. Only Luiz, Gary Cahill and Petr Cech beat Bayern Munich to be crowned European champions while that trio were joined by Cesar Azpilicueta and Ramires in the win over Benfica in Amsterdam. That night Ramires played on the right side of midfield, just as he did on Monday against City. So often used in central midfield, the 26-year-olds versatility was once again leaned on by his manager and he rewarded him with a performance at the highest level. Putting the Brazilian on the right didnt completely stop the enormous threat City pose with overlaps down the flanks but it certainly prevented them from trying it often. Citys 4-4-2 is more a 4-2-2-2 with Silva and Navas playing a little more central, allowing full backs to go beyond them. It has been a shape that has destroyed teams this season. Not Chelsea. The positioning of Ramires meant Ivanovic, more than comfortable as a centre back, often came narrower because he had the Brazilian to play right back without the ball. In attack, the pair could combine well also. Ivanovic rarely gets forward under Mourinho but with Ramires alongside him, he was able to do so, which paid off on the goal. Higher up the pitch, Ramires also slotted in central positions to make up a three in midfield and help prevent City playing through the middle while causing transitions, he often got on the end of. It was the kind of performance few will talk of. The stats show little of what he did, Hazard will rightly get the attention and Mourinho will dominate the headlines but without the football intelligence and incredible engine that Ramires provided, Chelsea could just have been another team carved open by a ruthless Manchester City. “We have six players for these positions. The three players behind the striker give me chances, as a manager, to change from match-to-match, depending on the opponent, the game plan. It is based on these three players how we create our football,” said Mourinho back in August. Back then it was about picking between Oscar, Juan Mata, Hazard, Willian, Kevin De Bruyne and Andre Schurrle. Ramires once again was not on anyones radar for those positions. For a player who is so typically non-Brazilian the low profile suits him but once again in another big game it was just too difficult to let him go unnoticed. ' ' '