Fragen und Antworten » Bo Horvat, Sean Monahan and Anthony Mantha

BRISBANE, Australia -- Mark Hunt (9-8-1) and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (18-5-1) clashed for 25 minutes on Saturday morning before settling for a majority draw in the headliner of this weekends "UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Eden Hazard Jersey . Bigfoot" event in Australia. With the crowd on its feet, the two exhausted and battered heavyweights fired punches into the final round of the fight, which ended in a majority draw -- 48-47 Hunt, 47-47 and 47-47 -- after judges could not determine a winner. Hunt and Silva combined for 184 total significant strikes, according to a FightMetric report, the highest total in UFC heavyweight history. UFC President Dana White took to Twitter and labelled the fight the "sickest heavyweight fight" he had ever seen, and awarded both men an additional $50,000 for the evenings "Fight of the Night" bonus. Silva stayed at distance early, utilizing a front kick to keep space as Hunt looked to explode with punches. A flurry at the halfway point saw Silva get the best of the exchange, and Hunt hit the deck, but scrambled up before his opponent could take top position. Silva got impatient as the second round wore on. A low kick buckled Hunts left knee, and he was forced to switch stances to protect the joint. Hunt limped a bit in the third, and Silva immediately kicked the leg again. Hunt buckled but pushed forward into a surprising takedown. Silva grabbed the cage as he pulled up to the feet but received only a warning as they went back to work in the standup game. Hunt landed a few short right hands as he settled into his rhythm, and a big straight sent Silva crashing to the floor. Hunt slipped inside for another surprising takedown in the fourth but Silva stayed active on his back and eventually crawled to his feet. Hunt tried for a trip but instead slipped to the floor and allowed Silva to take a dominant position. Silva moved to mount with a little less than one minute remaining, and unleashed a flurry of massive shots, including an elbow that sliced his opponents forehead open. Still, Hunt survived to the bell. The pair touched gloves and offered a quick embrace to open the fifth round before throwing bombs. With blood streaming down both of their faces, the pair took turns exchanging in the centre of the cage. Hunt landed a huge left hand that wobbled his massive foe but Silva stayed on his feet. Referee Steve Perceval brought in the doctor to take a look at a cut on Silvas head, but the physician let the fight carry on. Neither athlete attended the evenings post-event press conference as they were each transported to a local hospital for precautionary observation. Prior to the evenings co-main event, UFC President Dana White said a loss could spell the end of former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (22-8). But Rua knocked out James Te Huna (16-7) in the first round. Te Huna leapt forward with a left hand that missed, and Rua answered with a crushing left counter to the chin that put his opponent out cold in just 64 seconds. "I knew he could come aggressive, trying to strike, but I also expected him to come clinching and trying to wrestle me, so I was timing his engagements," Rua said through an interpreter. "When he was moving forward, I was timing his entrances so I could connect. I was happy that ended the bout." Rua was awarded $50,000 for the evenings "Knockout of the Night" bonus. Light heavyweight contender Ryan Bader turned in one of the most complete performances of his career, dominating Anthony Perosh for the entirety of their 15-minute affair. "I learned from my last fight; this time around the game plan was to go out, be patient and get the win," Bader said. "For that reason, Ive worked a lot on my cardio and speed, and it was nice to have that advantage for a fight that went the distance." In a heavyweight affair, Soa Palelei (20-3) unleashed a flurry of ground-and-pound blows that scored flush and left opponent Pat Barrys (8-7) head bouncing off the canvas. The fight was waved off at the 2:09 mark of the first frame. "Pat is a very dangerous striker, so it easily could have been me KOed today," Palelei said. "Thats why I wanted to take the fight immediately to the ground and use my ground and pound. Ive been working my Brazilian jiu-jitsu lots this camp. When I get on top, Im not coming off you." In a middleweight matchup of "The Ultimate Fighter 17" teammates, Clint Hester (9-3) was awarded a TKO win after opponent Dylan Andrews (17-5) was unable to answer the bell for the third round. "Game plan going in to this fight was to keep it standing, look for openings and take advantage of them," Hester said. "I felt that was going to plan and disappointed we couldnt go into the third round." In the nights first main-card matchup, Brazilian UFC newcomer Bethe Correia (7-0) earned a hard-fought decision win over longtime MMA veteran Julie Kedzie (16-13). "I cant put into words how happy I am," she said after the win. "Julie was the favourite fighter, and I beat her. This win will have to put me up in the division." Leander Dendoncker Belgium Jersey . -- Conor Casey scored two goals, his first of the season, as the Philadelphia Union beat Chivas USA 3-0 on Saturday night. Toby Alderweireld Belgium Jersey . -- David Freese is starting to pick up his run production, which is something the Los Angeles Angels have been waiting half a season to see. http://www.belgiumsoccerpro.com/Thorgan-Hazard-Belgium-Jersey/ . Floundering in the English Premier League, United has delivered better performances in Europe this season and stunned Bayern by taking the lead against the run of play through Nemanja Vidics header in the 58th minute. Bayern had dominated possession but struggled to create a clear-cut chance before Schweinsteiger arrowed a half-volley high into the net in the 67th to give the German side a slight advantage ahead of the second leg in Munich next week.Last weekend, I was at the NHL Scouting Combine, an event which NHL prospects are put through the paces doing exercises and interviewing with teams, though its debatable how much value is gained through this process. Here are some observations: - One of the bigger stories to come out of the event was that Sam Bennett, the Kingston Frontenacs centre considered to be one of the top prospects, couldnt do a pull-up. A little surprising. Most of the guys I watched were around a half dozen, though some did more and, obviously, some did less. To his credit, Bennett didnt appear fazed by his goose-egg. "Games arent won or lost based on pull-ups," he said afterwards. Also, in The Hockey News Future Watch issue, published months before, a scout was raving about Bennetts strength on the ice, so this probably isnt a reason for concern. This also goes to a larger question about whether these tests have any relevance for a players NHL future. If there isnt some correlation with future success as a hockey player, what is the point? They might as well write a paper discussing theoretical physics, macroeconomics or something similarly correlated to hockey-playing success. This is the part where I annually plead for some kind on-ice testing to be part of the NHL Combine process. Nothing subtitutes for what a player does while competing in their actual sport, but knowing a players skating speed, for instance, could inform decisions more than how many times they can bench press 150 pounds. Consider the NFL Combine, for example. There are all kinds of flaws with 40-yard dash as a measure for a players football ability, not least of all because players rarely run 40 yards on a given play, but it has become a measure that affects a prospects value. A cornerback who locks down receivers in college isnt going to have the same success in the NFL if he runs a 4.7 40, or a running back who runs a 4.7 40 is going to get caught a whole lot more than a guy who runs a 4.2 and player value is adjusted based on that knowledge. Its not always right (Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden has infamously performed at a high level despite a subpar 40 time), but were talking about odds and probability. Even with all the flaws in the 40-yard dash time, the uniformity of the test offers some value to teams because there isnt a circumstance in which a team prefers a slower player (you know, fast guys can always slow down if need be; it doesnt worth the other way). Former Colts GM Bill Polian, at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference a couple of years ago, talked about how the Colts, when seeking a new middle linebacker, had set parameters for how quick the player needed to be in order to fulfill the demands that their defensive scheme required. For the Colts, that meant a linebacker that could run a 4.76 40-yard dash. Wouldnt it be worthwhile to know whether that kid who is dominating a lower level of hockey is doing so because he plays at NHL speed? The long-standing argument against having on-ice testing for NHL prospects as part of the Combine process is that players have their seasons end at different times. A prospect in Minnesota high school might finish in early March, compared to players in the Memorial Cup, which finished in late May. Thats obviously a sizeable gap, but I submit that any teenager considered to be an NHL prospect would have access to ice somewhere in order to continue training. Its not like these guys pack up their equipment at the end of the season and bring it out again in September. Those days are long gone. Moving on... - There is such a variance in body type from one player to the next, such is the nature of 17-year-olds. Some still look like kids and others might as well be full-grown men (or close to it). One of the latter is top prospect Aaron Ekblad, who goes 6-foot-4, 216 pounds. He carries himself with the confidence of someone who expects to be a top pick and, while hes sure to get stronger as he matures, its easy enough to see that Ekblad could handle himself on an NHL blueline next season. One of the challenges scouts face, when it comes to evaluating players with superior physical stature, is trying to determine how much of their relative success in junior is due to playing against smaller, weaker players, something that wont happen nearly as much in the NHL, a proverbial mans league. Its completely fair to have those concerns about Ekblad, but he can play. Ekblad scored 23 goals last season; Ryan Murphy (12th overall to Carolina in 2011) is the only first-round defenceman in the past 10 drafts (2004-2013) to score more goals in his draft year. - By contrast, Vladimir Tkachev has a tiny frame -- listed at 5-foot-9, 141 pounds -- and surely wouldnt have great physical testing numbers, yet after joining Moncton of the QMJHL late in the year, he put up 17 goals and 39 points in 26 (regular season plus playoff) games. How much should teams care about his physical stature and fitness as an 18-year-old? At past Combines, I recall seeing the likes of Toni Rajala or Mike Reilly, who both looked way too small to be pro hockey players. Rajala was nearly a point-per-game scorer in the AHL (61 points in 63 regular season plus playoff games) before heading to Sweden this past season, where he scored 30 points in 37 games. Reilly isnt big, but he has grown since and was an All-American as a sophomore at the University of Minnesota last season. Not every player will fill out ideally for pro hockey, but some of them fill out at 19 and 20 instead of 17. - If Ekblad, as the top defence prospect, looks NHL-ready, the second-ranked defenceman, Haydn Fleury, doesnt look too far behind, physically. Hes not as imposing as Ekblad, but Fleury was listed at 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, enough size that it wouldnt necessarily prevent him from playing in the NHL next season. There may be a whole host of other reasons not to play an 18-year-old defenceman, but Fleury has the build of a solid defenceman. Nacer Chadli Belgium Jersey. - Headed to Boston College in the fall, Sonny Milano probably drew more attention for his stick and puck tricks than anything else he did at the Combine. He was the second-leading scorer on the U.S. Under-18 Team, witt 39 points in 25 games, behind only 2015 top prospect Jack Eichel. - One of the most fascinating prospects in this years draft is Josh Ho-Sang, a very talented forward who played for Windsor in the OHL. Universally, Ho-Sang is described as a talented hockey player -- no one disputes his skill -- but, theres always a "but". In interviews, Ho-Sang is described as engaging and intelligent, an independent thinker.. Uh-oh. NHL teams (and pro sports teams in general) are not known for their acceptance of independent thinkers; they tend to prefer the players that follow the script. I recall, a couple of years ago, again at the Sloan Conference, former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy talking about how, as a coach, he wasnt seeking well-rounded individuals. He wanted players who were obsessed with basketball. My impression is that NHL teams have similar ideals -- hockey comes first, everything else can be a distant second, third, fourth in the pecking order. So, there may be some teams that dont want to deal with Ho-Sang and it could cost him spots in the draft as a result, but there will be teams that recognize that the vast majority of 18-year-olds have a lot of growing up to do and they might not want to let Ho-Sangs talent pass just because he talks a different game than others. A stats note on Ho-Sang: he scored 61 points (23 G, 38 A) at even-strength, tying Nikolaj Ehlers (30 G, 31 A) , not far behind late-birthday prospects Nikolay Goldobin (28 G, 37 A) and Sam Reinhart (22 G, 41 A) for even-strength scoring among first-year draft-eligible CHL forwards. Another Combine note for Ho-Sang: hes not big (5-foot-11, 175 pounds), but is very fit. He did more pull-ups than any other prospect, rattling off 13, the first 10 or so with easy fluidity. No idea if that makes him a better or worse prospect. - Leon Draisaitl is a big-bodied (6-foot-2, 204 pounds) that would be easy enough to project into an NHL lineup next season. In addition to having the frame, Draisaitl came across as mature and thoughtful in interviews. - There is an interesting group of second-generation NHL hopefuls. The most notable of which is Sam Reinhart, whose father Paul played 648 NHL games after he was drafted 12th overall in 1979, and has brothers Griffin Reinhart and Max Reinhart already in the prospect pipeline. That NHL exposure may help explain why Reinhart doesnt appear fazed at all by the attention. Some others: Kasperi Kapanen (father Sami played 831 NHL games), William Nylander (father Michael played 920 NHL games), Ryan MacInnis (father Al played 1416 NHL games), Dominic Turgeon (father Pierre played 1294 NHL games), Brendan Lemieux (father Claude played 1215 NHL games), Daniel Audette (father Donald played 735 NHL games), Ryan Donato (father Ted played 796 NHL games), Josh Wesley (father Glen played 1457 NHL games), Ryan Mantha (uncle Moe played 656 NHL games) and Luc Snuggerud (uncle Dave played 265 NHL games). - Oshawa Generals winger Hunter Smith, nephew of "Motor City Smitty" Brad Smith, is a tall one. Hes 6-foot-6 and will need time to fill out, but he emerged as a prospect this year scoring 40 points in 64 games for Oshawa. Thats not amazing production, but he had two points in 45 OHL games previously, so its progress and teams are always intrigued by the big guys. Its easy to see the appeal of players like Nick Ritchie, Brendan Perlini and Alex Tuch; they have huge frames and while its one thing to be a refrigerator on skates, its another to be able to put up numbers like those players and have the size that wont present questions about whether they can handle the physical play at the next level. The challenge for player evaluators is not to overvalue that size. - While there havent been any in-depth combine analytics, to my knowledge, going back over past results, there do seem to be some pretty good prospects finishing near the top of the VO2 Max test duration. Last year, the top 10 included the likes of Mirco Mueller, Chris Bigras, Rasmus Ristolainen, Samuel Morin, Bo Horvat, Sean Monahan and Anthony Mantha. The year before, it was Hampus Lindholm, Ryan Murray, Henrik Samuelsson, Tom Wilson and Nail Yakupov. In 2011, Adam Larsson, Brandon Saad, Dougie Hamilton and Jamie Oleksiak were among the leaders. This year, the leader was Clark Bishop, a centre for Cape Breton, but some other top prospects fit in the Top 10, including Sonny Milano, Sam Reinhart and Hunter Smith. What does all this mean? Maybe nothing. We dont know because we dont see the Bottom 10 (or all the results) so that we can find out of if there is any real correlation between having a good VO2 Max test and having an NHL career. Some other notable showings in the Combine exercises: - William Nylander had the best Anaerobic Fitness, both Peak Power Output and Mean Power Output on the Wingate Cycle Test. Tkachev fared well on the Mean Power Output, perhaps in part because the calculation is based on the participants weight. - Robby Fabbri (6.1%) had the lowest body-fat percentage. Sonny Milano and Nikolaj Ehlers were other top prospects in the Top 10. - Shane Gersich, who plays for the U.S. National Under-18 Team, has springs. He had the best scores in standing long jump and all the vertical jumps, his top vertical jump was 36 inches. - Alex Peters, a 6-foot-4 defenceman for Plymouth, had the strongest grip strength, in both hands. Aaron Ekblad was among the Top 10 in both too. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. 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