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When Rory MacDonald enters the octagon for the main event at UFC Fight Night 54 in Halifax to face off against Tarec Saffiedine on Saturday the last thing he’ll be thinking about is a shot at the UFC Welterweight championship. Custom Vancouver Canucks Jerseys . The last time the Quesnel, B.C. native had a title shot in sight he came up empty in a decision loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 167 in November. “It refocused me on a lot of things,” MacDonald told TSN.ca. “It kind of reset me a little bit – my attitude and approach to fighting. In the long run it was a good thing for me.” Since his defeat at the hands of Lawler, MacDonald (17-2) has proven those comments to be true. “Ares” dominated Demian Maia in two of three rounds at UFC 170 in February. After spending the entire first round on his back, victimized by Maia’s lethal ground-and-pound, MacDonald stuffed 20 of the next 21 takedowns and put on a world-class striking display in the unanimous decision win. MacDonald’s next opponent came in the form of the heavily-feared welterweight contender Tyron Woodley at UFC 174 in June. Riding a train of momentum of his own, Woodley was no match for the ever-improving MacDonald, who put together a deadly combination of striking and grappling to earn his second-straight unanimous decision. “I train to be that type of fighter that can take the fight anywhere at any point,” MacDonald said. “I think that’s one of my strengths - being able to fight any style of fighter in their strong points and weak points.” In the wake of two straight convincing victories, the 25-year-old was ready to refocus his sights on the belt. However, it was not to be. Lawler, who lost to Johny Hendricks in a bout for the vacant Welterweight championship at UFC 171 in March, earned a rematch with the new champ after consecutive victories of his own – including a title eliminator fight against Matt Brown. And with Hendricks sidelined due to a torn bicep suffered in his first matchup with Lawler, MacDonald was forced to wait again for his golden opportunity. “I was hoping the title, but it didn’t work out that way and I was prepared for that – for it to go either way,” he said. “But I was happy with the way the fight (vs. Woodley) went and I think the UFC was and all the fans watching were really happy with it, so it put me in a position to fight Tarec and hopefully get the title shot after this.” Once again, MacDonald’s target has changed and he is adamant that Saffiedine (15-3) is all he is worried about heading into his first headline assignment as well as the UFC’s first event in Halifax. He knows all too well what can happen when you look past the fighter at the opposite end of the cage. “For me, I had that opportunity with Robbie (Lawler) with a title shot on the line before,” he said. “I’m always just focused on the fight ahead of me because your most important fight is the one you’re dealing with. All I see right now is Tarec.” In Saffiedine, MacDonald is up against a former Strikeforce Welterweight champion currently on a five-fight win streak. The Belgian veteran has shown a propensity for marathon matches, having gone to decision in 10 of his last 11 bouts and winning eight of them. He has just one bout in the UFC – a unanimous decision win over Hyun Gyu Lim at UFC Fight Night 34 in January – but his record and reputation have earned a spot at No. 9 in the welterweight rankings, seven back of MacDonald at No. 2. “In my opinion we’re both some of the best talent in the Welterweight division and numbers aside, we both have a lot to win and both have a lot to lose,” MacDonald said. And while MacDonald makes a conscious effort to live in the moment, he knows very well what is at stake and that’s not easy to ignore. “I just want to be the guy wearing the belt.” Brock Boeser Jersey .ca MLB Power Rankings, the third consecutive week that the As have held top spot and the third straight week that they have been one ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays. Pavel Bure Jersey . Rasmussen didnt have a decision during his four appearances in May, when he gave up two hits and no runs in two innings. Toronto used five relievers while pulling off the second-biggest comeback in franchise history on Friday night, rallying from an 8-0 deficit to a 14-9 win. http://www.officialcanuckspro.com/Todd-bertuzzi-canucks-jersey/ . Hawkins severely sprained his left ankle while making a diving catch during training camp and went on injured reserve with a designation he could return midway through the season. He was back at practice Wednesday.ROME -- A leading candidate for Italian football federation president is facing fierce criticism and calls to step aside following a racist comment. Amateur leagues president Carlo Tavecchio caused a stir on Friday when he discussed the presence of foreign players in Italy. "In England they select players based on professionalism, whereas we say that Opti Poba is here, he was eating bananas before and now hes starting for Lazio and thats OK," Tavecchio said, using a hypothetical name and situation. Tavecchio apologized and claimed he is not racist but the players and coaches associations both expressed outrage. The Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper also called for the 71-year-old Taveecchio to stand down in an editorial Sunday. Igor Larionov Jersey. The only other candidate in the Aug. 11 election is former AC Milan player and current federation vice-president Demetrio Albertini. Former FIGC president Giancarlo Abete resigned along with national team coach Cesare Prandelli immediately after Italys first-round elimination from the World Cup last month. The vote is considered pivotal for the future of Italian football, which is rife with problems such as falling attendance, crumbling stadiums, fan violence and racism -- plus early eliminations for the national team at the last two World Cups. The new presidents first job will be to name a replacement for Prandelli. ' ' '