LAS VEGAS, Nev. Aaron Ekblad Panthers Jersey . - Josh (The Peoples Warrior) Burkman returns to the UFC as a heavy underdog against a beast of a welterweight in sixth-ranked Hector (Showeather) Lombard.Some may see it as a case of be careful of what you wish for.The five-foot-nine Lombard, a slab of muscle who holds a black belt in both judo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has lost just two of his last 30 fights — most at middleweight. He has defeated Jake Shields and Nate Marquardt since dropping to 170 pounds, prompting one bookie to list the 2000 judo Olympian as a 10-1 favourite to beat Burkman on Saturday at UFC 182.But for the 34-year-old Burkman, the tough matchup is a chance to excel.Me coming back to the UFC is just not giving up on yourself, believing in yourself, following your dream really, he said in a recent interview. This is a dream come true to get back and Im just really grateful and excited for the opportunity. And I think the fans are going to see a better version of me than theyve ever seen before.Lombard (34-4-1 with one no contest) marks Burkmans first fight in the UFC since October 2008 when he lost a unanimous decision to Pete Sell at UFC 90, which saw then-middleweight champion Anderson Silva dispatch Montreals Patrick Cote in the main event.Burkman (27-10) has gone 9-2 since, with a 4-1 record in the World Series of Fighting that included avenging a 2006 loss to former UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch.Burkman has had to rehab and relearn his body since his last stint in the UFC, which ended in consecutive 2008 losses to Mike (Quick) Swick, Dustin Hazelett and Sell after a 5-2 run in the organization.The Salt Lake City native says his body simply broke down that year, perhaps with an assist from the fighter himself.A former tailback at junior college who gave up a scholarship at Utah State to pursue MMA, Burkman believes the constant contact in football affected his neck and back.Burkman suffered a bulging disk in his back while snowboarding before his training camp for Swick. Next time out, he sustained a herniated disk when he slammed Hazelett to the ground.His preparation for Sell was limited due to the injuries.I couldnt train hard. I couldnt grapple, I couldnt wrestle. My career, my body was deteriorating. He failed to make weight for the fight, saying he simply wasnt in good enough shape to shed the pounds.I went out there and fought my ass off but that doesnt mean that I was doing the right things in training. And I knew that. he said. I knew I was just going out there to fight and pick up cheques, because I couldnt train like a professional fighter in the UFC needed to be training at that time.After having an MRI on his back and neck, a surgeon told Burkman an operation was needed. Burkman balked, also resisting the offer of cortisone shots and pain pills.That was probably one of the hardest things Ive had to go through — at 29 years old, for a doctor to tell you your careers over, that you need to get surgery, he said.So I sat there and I reflected on what Id been doing and why I was where I was at. And I just got on my knees and I just said a really long prayer. And I just asked God to help me and guide the right people into my life to help me get my career and my life back really.The next day, he went to a yoga session and a friend put him in touch with an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and was willing to help. That led to a meeting with a doctor who had worked as a physical therapist on the PGA Tour.Burkman turned to yoga, massage and chiropractic help as well as eating a raw food diet and living clean.He returned to action in November 2009 against Brandon Melendez, winning by first-round KO after a six-week camp limited to footwork and hitting pads. Two fights later, he was able to hold a full camp before defeating then-unbeaten Jordan Smith in September 2010.He continues to have back flare-ups, admitting he avoided sparring for weeks in the buildup to Lombard so that hed avoid further complications.For me, no training camp is ever perfect, he said. Its managing those back injuries and managing those things so I can just step in there on fight night. Because if I can get in there on fight night, Ive got a chance.Burkman has climbed more than a few mountains in the past.He missed Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter reality TV show after failing a drug test. He cleaned up his act and made it on Season 2.Then there were the injuries.When they say one step at a time, its a journey — thats absolutely what its been for me. Its been a lot of perseverance and persistence, and just continuing to believe in myself and think that I can overcome things. I think that was also part of the battle, just overcoming myself early on. I was very reckless. I just wasnt that focused. I enjoyed life, but I wasnt very disciplined. Maybe I enjoyed my time in the UFC a little bit too much at first.Burkmans goal was not just to get back into the UFC. Its to rise up the rankings.I really believe I can come in and compete with the best welterweights in the world, he said. And theres no better way to prove than to come in and fight a guy like Hector Lombard who people dont want to fight.Hes very dangerous and (I) absolutely believe that Im going to go in there and have the performance of my career.UFC president Dana White said unlike other fighters, Burkman didnt balk when he was offered Lombard.Hes a vet, hes been around. Its a big opportunity for him, White said of Burkman. And nobody else wants to fight Lombard.Whatever happens against the 36-year-old Lombard on Saturday, there is good news in Burkmans future.A brother to his two-year-old son is expected Jan. 10.A hell of a way to start off 2015, he said.———Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter. Jonathan Huberdeau Jersey . Cox started the season with San Francisco, but was released by the team on Nov. 12 before being signed by Seattle, where he appeared in two games and tallied three tackles before being released on Dec. MacKenzie Weegar Jersey . -- Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer will be out three to six weeks with a stress fracture of the third finger of his right hand. http://www.hockeypanthersofficialonline.com/denis-malgin-hockey-jersey/ . Ireland was the last unbeaten side in the championship after France fell to Wales on Friday, and was favoured to end a three-match losing run to England with a side with more than twice as many caps, rampant momentum, and added incentive to celebrate Brian ODriscolls world record-tying 139th test cap.TORONTO - At the ripe old age of 26, Amir Johnson - the teams second-most experienced player - is one of only two Raptors starters that can give a firsthand account of what it will be like to compete in the postseason. "All he says is, its crazy," DeMar DeRozan told reporters following Torontos win over the Pistons Wednesday. The Raptors longest-serving members, Johnson and DeRozan have had two coaches and 56 different teammates in five seasons with the club, all without appearing in a single playoff game. Before becoming a fixture in Toronto, Johnson logged 56 minutes in 11 postseason contests spanning over two seasons with the Pistons. At the time, the forward was primarily a spectator, mentored by the likes of Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton and Antonio McDyess. Johnson is a man of few words but hes shared a couple with DeRozan, who is poised to make his playoff debut next month. "Amir says one word and you really just have to go off that one word, how he explains something," said the Raptors all-star guard. "Everything is crazy to him. So, he always says its crazy." "Its crazy, D," Johnson interjected from his locker on the far side of the room. "See, so its crazy," DeRozan continued. "Playoffs are going to be crazy." Up until this season, DeRozan and Johnson had endured 190 losses to just 119 wins in Raptors red. They havent played in a meaningful late-season game since their first year with the team, Chris Boshs last. Their bond is a unique one, as you might expect, having experienced the trials and tribulations of the Raptors four-year playoff drought together. "Thats my dog, man," DeRozan said of Johnson, both hail from the state of California. "Amirs known me [since] I was running around with the same pair of dirty shoes on playing basketball. We always used to look up to Amir, especially in LA. He was a big star and everything. Its definitely cool just to be here with him." "People dont know, Amirs my cousin,&qquot; he said with a smirk, jokingly, we think. Aleksander Barkov Jersey. "You can ask Amir." So we did. "Oh man, I dont know," he responded, this was news to him. "I have no idea. Somewhere down the line, I guess. I guess were cousins, I dont know. Ive got to talk to his mom, talk to my mom and see." DeRozan, the Raptors leading scorer, is enjoying a career year but the playoffs - as coach Dwane Casey has cautioned - are a different animal. The atmosphere is intensified, the competition more fierce, scoring opportunities are harder to come by, weaknesses are magnified and in a seven-game series the oppositions scouting report will undoubtedly feature DeRozan. Theres been a steep playoff learning curve for Raptors stars of the past. Bosh, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady each shot under 40 per cent from the field in their first postseason series. Making his playoff debut as a 23-year-old in 2000, Carter shot just 30 per cent, turning the ball over nearly three times per contest in a three-game sweep to the Knicks. Even with that in mind, DeRozan believes hes more prepared than most. While many players on losing teams find it far too maddening to watch their peers compete for a title in April and May, the Raptors guard has done just that each year hes missed out, making notes and using them for motivation. "I had to [watch]," he admitted, "just to understand, to see how it was. Youre playing the same team, possibly seven times. Just to understand that and see the different schemes out there and try to really get a knowledge of how its played." "Thats why I work so hard. It always bugged me going home early, just sitting there, doing nothing. It used to make me so hungry. Ive got a lot of friends that play in the playoffs and Ive always got to hear them all summer talk about their experience in the playoffs. Its always pushing me even further. I just want to get there, not even for myself, just for this organization as well. It definitely feels good that were moving in the right direction now." ' ' '