George St-Pierre and Johnny Hendricks Called to Headline UFC 20th Anniversary Card

Great news for all Mixed Martial Arts fans. UFC President Dana While recently stated that Canadian fighter and current Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre (24-2) will return to the Octagon to face  #1 welterweight contender Johnny Hendricks on November 16, 2013 at UFC 167. Though the organization hasn't picked an official venue for this event, it is rumored that the event will take place in Las Vegas, NV.

The welterweight title match is expected to serve as the main event on what will be an impressive card in celebration of the UFC's 20th anniversary. More information, including MMA Lines and UFC Fight odds will be announced in the days previous to the fight.

The fight will mark St. Pierre's ninth consecutive defense of his UFC welterweight title. The 32-year old champ is regarded as the most successful welterweight fighter in UFC history, has defended his title in eight different occasions, defeating a long list of top class challengers including names such as Matt Serra, BJ Penn, Thiago Alves, Dan Hardy, Josh Koscheck, Carlos Condit and Nick Diaz.  St. Pierre’s eight title defenses ranks him second all time in the UFC, only middleweight champion Anderson "The Spider" Silva owns more title defenses with a total of 10. In addition, St. Pierre currently holds a record of 11 straight victories dating back to 2007. 

The title defense against Hendricks will mark the first time St. Pierre fights outside of his native Canada since the UFC 111 event held in Newark on July, 2009, and his first fight in Las Vegas since he defeated Thiago Alves in the UFC 100 event.

Meanwhile, the fight represents a chance for former NCAA wrestling champion Johnny Hendricks (15-1) to probe he has what it takes to be amongst the top fighters in the UFC. In the last months Hendicks cemented himself at the top of his category thanks to an impressive streak of six victories over top quality rivals. Known for his very powerful punches, Hendricks defeated some of the best fighters in the welterweight division in his six win stretch, including Charlie Brenneman (TKO after 40 seconds of the second round), Paulo Thiago ( first round TKO), Josh Koscheck (Split decision), and Martin Kapmann (KO at 46 seconds into the first round). He's also the fighter in the UFC to finish John Fitch via KO, winning the fight in just 12 seconds into the first round. Hendricks last competed at UFC 158, where scored a unanimous decision over Carlos Condit to earn a shot at the title.

Federal judge expects July 22 ruling on NFL concussion case

A federal judge in Philadelphia plans to rule next month on whether former professional football players can sue the NFL over concussion-related injuries and other problems related to the sport itself.
Senior U.S. District Judge Anita Brody says she expects to have a decision on whether the lawsuits can proceed in an open court or if they should be revised in a private labor arbitration. Judge Brody heard brief arguments in early April from a pair of nationally prominent lawyers, David Frederick for the players and Paul Clement for the league.

The ruling is likely to give one side or the other the upper hand on what could be a multi-billion-dollar dispute. The league previously asked judge Brody to dismiss the lawsuits, arguing that players' complaints should be seen and resolved by an arbitrator, not a judge. 

on the other hand, lawyers for more than four thousand players say in their lawsuits that this issue extends beyond their contracts because it involves an alleged fraud and a cover-up by the league. According to the lawsuit, the National football League has been aware of the risks of concussions and allegedly rushed players back into the game. However, the NFL has contentiously deny these statements, and said that all decisions on players health is a matter that concerns teams and medical staffs.

Lawyers want damages for injured players, and request monitoring for players who have not yet shown any signs of brain damage. A considerable number of former NFL players say they suffer from dementia, Alzheimer's disease and other neurological conditions and believe they stem from on-field concussions.


Looking for a safe and trusted site where to bet the latest sportsbook betting odds? At Sports Betting Online, players have access to hundreds of odds and lines for the most popular leagues in the world, plus an exclusive 10% cashback on all their bets, win or lose.