As Dana White goes through the final motions leading up to UFC 173 this Saturday, his company couldnt be doing much better. "Were in 175 countries, 23 different languages and over a billion homes worldwide in some form of television," he said Tuesday on TSN Drive with Dave Naylor and Dave Hodge on TSN Radio 1050. "We are the largest pay-per view provider on the planet."What makes White and his organization special is that they are always reaching farther and aiming higher. In 2014, the UFC has already held events in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, China, U.K., Abu Dhabi and Singapore. By the end of the year, Japan, Sweden, Turkey, Germany and New Zealand will be added to that list. Additionally, White has begun his descent south into Latin America, where the UFC will host its first-ever event in Mexico – a heavyweight title bout between champion Cain Velasquez and Fabricio Werdum in November. The show – UFC 180 – will also feature the finale bouts of "The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America", the regions first edition of the reality show.As mentioned, White has big plans and high hopes for expansion. "You guys know how big (UFC) is in Canada, you know how big it is in the U.S. Well in Brazil, The Ultimate Fighter reality show gets 12 million viewers a week. And when we do a live fight on TV, 65 million people watch down in Brazil, its insane," he said. "We believe that Mexico and Latin America will rival that."However, there are still growing pains for White and his 20-year-old organization. Many would say the UFC is still in its infancy, despite the resounding success. And in a sport where violence is front and centre 100 per cent of the time, White says there is an important "education process" that has to take place in order to attract more fans. "Theres still a lot of people who havent been reached. Theres still a lot of people that are uneducated about the sport," White said. "Every day when we get up and we continue to move into other countries and continue to do business here in the U.S. and Canada, which are huge markets for mixed martial arts, theres still that education process."The fight game can be trivial at times. Where one night a pair of 200-pound men could stand toe-to-toe, bloody, crashing hooks and jabs into each others jaws until one collapses to the floor unconscious, another night could see a tactical matchup featuring two jiu-jitsu practitioners, twisting inside and out on the mat searching for an advantageous position while fighting off the grasp of their opponent. Fights can be night and day, overtly vicious or deceptively calm. With this come frequent misconceptions about the dangers of a combat sport. Its nothing White hasnt had to address before. "To a person whos uneducated about the sport or about the UFC they would probably believe people have died competing in the UFC," he said. "In the 20-year history of the UFC there has never been a death or serious injury. In 20 years, cheerleading cant say that."It is unlikely the UFC and mixed martial arts will ever be universally accepted. But that just means White will never be out of work. "Every day were in meetings pushing the company forward," he said. "Im a pretty simple guy. I love the sport, I love the UFC, I love fights." Pete Maravich Jersey . After two months of mediocrity, perhaps the Washington Nationals have turned the page. Strasburg struck out 11 in seven innings Wednesday night and the Nationals kept the Philadelphia Phillies bats quiet yet again in an 8-4, rain-interrupted win. Kevin Huerter Jersey . 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PITTSBURGH -- As he lay on the Heinz Field turf last September, his right knee in tatters, Maurkice Pouncey admits there was a small part of him that feared his football career might be in jeopardy. The Pittsburgh Steelers never doubted. They signed him to a five-year contract extension Thursday that averages $8.8 million per season, making Pouncey the highest-paid centre in the NFL. Words cant explain it," Pouncey said while fighting back tears, barely nine months removed from a torn ACL that ended his 2013 season moments after it began. The only centre in league history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons is nearly all the way back from surgery to repair the knee after teammate David DeCastro fell on it eight plays into last falls season opener against Tennessee. The 24-year-old Pouncey insists hes "totally fine." The new financial deal puts him just ahead of the agreement signed by Clevelands Alex Mack in April. However, getting paid was the least of Pounceys concerns. Entering the final year of the contract he signed after the Steelers took him with the 18th overall selection in the 2010 draft, Pouncey simply ordered agent Jason Segal to get to work. "I didnt have much role in it," Pouncey said. "I told my agent to get it done as soon as possible so we could move on to other things." Namely getting the Steelers back into the post-season. Considered one of the most athletic linemen at any position in the NFL, Pouncey provides Pittsburgh with a gifted anchor to protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "That group up front is a special group as it is," Roethlisberger ssaid.dddddddddddd "Hes the glue that holds them all together." Even if the glue comes at a significant price. Pouncey has only played a full 16-game schedule once in his first four seasons and was forced to sit out Pittsburghs loss to Green Bay in the 2011 Super Bowl with a sprained ankle. Though he wont turn 25 until August, he finds himself as the linchpin of a unit whose oldest player is 28-year-old guard Ramon Foster. "Hes worked his butt off man," Foster said of Pouncey. "Its good to see his hard work is coming around to him. Were glad to have him back and the team commit to him like that." Its a commitment that never wavered as Pouncey underwent surgery and a grueling rehab last fall. Although Roethlisberger maintains Pouncey could have returned before the end of the 2013 season, the arduous recovery process isnt quite over. While Pouncey was a full participant in organized team activities that wrapped up on Thursday, he remains involved in near daily rehab work. The goal is to be 100 per cent by training camp in July. The contract means Pouncey wont have to deal with any potential distractions about his future. Besides, he never planned on leaving anyway. Free agency didnt appeal to him, particularly after the loyalty shown by the Steelers from the moment they chose him to follow in a line of great centres that includes Hall of Famers Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson. Pounceys career arc is trending in that direction. Having the game taken away from him last September makes him eager to get back to work. "Ill do anything for this team," Pouncey said. "Theres true love here." ' ' '