It goes without saying that no mixed martial artist enjoys being stuck on the sidelines. Though fighters each have their own motivations for competing, they all must embrace the grind if they hope to reach the top. Not only do debilitating injuries prevent further training — and therefore hinder progress — they also mean a lack of paydays. For newly crowned UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks, his current hiatus is only further compounded by the fact that he has yet to defend his title. The two-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion captured the vacant 170-pound strap at UFC 171 in March, winning a thrilling unanimous decision over Robbie Lawler. However, he immediately underwent surgery to repair a torn bicep and has since been forced to watch as the welterweight elite jockey for the No. 1 contender spot. Though Hendricks admitted his body has enjoyed the time off, his mind has been itching to get back in the cage. "Im tired of being on the DL," Hendricks told UFC.ca during a phone interview. "It sucks watching everybody else train and do things when you cant. "It was nice to finally let the body heal, but then again, you want to be there. You want to train. Thats the way Ive always been. I like being at the front and active — all those things that a lot of people might not like. Theres nothing better than waking up every day, training and having something to train for, as well. Those are the things that make it fun for me." Luckily for Hendricks, his downtime is coming to a close. On top of already returning to full-time training, hes only days away from having his first title challenger established when Lawler battles surging Matt Brown in the main event of UFC on FOX 12 in San Jose, Calif. Saturday. Though Hendricks said he doesnt care who gets the job done this weekend, he expects an entertaining war from two of the welterweight divisions most aggressive fighters. "Its going to be a good one and I think it could go a couple ways," Hendricks said. "Matt Brown could win if he keeps his distance right. One thing I expect to see from Matt Brown is to keep his distance, throw a lot of kicks and keep Robbie Lawler off balance. "From Robbie Lawler, a thing he does very well is get guys to fight into his style. Thats something that I fell into, too. In that fifth round I had to pull myself back from that. Thats what (Brown) cant do. Robbie Lawlers going to try to get Matt Brown to fight his fight. If he does that it could be a quick night for Matt Brown." Even without title-shot implications, Brown vs. Lawler is a fight fans dream. Neither athlete is known playing it safe once the octagon door shuts. Since Lawler and Brown hold a combined 31 career knockout victories, fireworks are all but guaranteed. Then theres the curious case of Brown, who has successfully made the leap from journeyman to contender by netting seven consecutive victories. Hendricks said hes curious to see how The Ultimate Fighter 7 cast member handles the stress of competing in a title eliminator. "Itll be good for him to fight somebody in the top five for the first time," Hendricks said. "This is a big-time fight for him. This is a fight that could change his life forever. Thats something that you want to see: How does he handle the pressure? Does he handle that this could be the fight of his life?" Though a win for Brown would add yet another chapter to MMAs most intriguing win streak, a Lawler victory would guarantee a rematch of arguably the best fight of 2014 so far. Lawler pushed Hendricks to the limit four months ago, but faded in the final minutes of a wild slugfest. Despite being on the receiving end of a vicious beating in the third and fourth rounds, Hendricks said he wouldnt change his approach should he lock horns with Lawler a second time. He would simply tighten certain holes Lawler exposed in their first encounter. "There are some things that I would change up because of what I know now," Hendricks said. "But other than that, no. I thought I had a good game plan going into the Robbie Lawler fight. We just didnt know how bad my injury was and how it would hinder me. "That played a huge factor in trying to get takedowns. Dont get me wrong, its not that I want to do a lot of takedowns, but one of my greatest attributes is that I can get somebody scared on the feet. The reason why Im able to get people scared on the feet is because I can take them down. Thats something I have to know for myself. I have to have both of those (tools) for me to be effective with one or the other. They sort of intertwine." For the time being though, Hendricks isnt worrying about who will be next in line. Like the rest of us, hes just looking forward to a good fight this weekend. Then, once the dust has settled, he will shift his focus to retaining the UFC welterweight championship. "Thats why I wanted to be on top, because I dont have to worry about (challengers)," Hendricks said. "Now, I get to focus on what I need to do. How do I get better? Then whenever I do get cleared to fight, and the UFC and my management group do come up with somebody, thats when I can switch my mind over to it and thats all Im going to give my attention to." ----- SIZING UP 170 Though UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks is expected to face the winner of Saturdays bout between Matt Brown and Robbie Lawler, there are a number of elite fighters vying for a future title shot. Among those at the top of the list is B.C. native Rory MacDonald, who has won consecutive decisions over Demian Maia and Tyron Woodley in recent appearances. Hendricks admitted MacDonald could offer an interesting challenge, but also took a jab at the Canadians last five outings all going the distance. "I think hes a good (challenger)," Hendricks said. "He can do some amazing things. Id like to see him try to finish a couple people — that would be great. But everybodys style is different. Thats whats nice about the welterweight class, there are so many different ways it could go." On top of MacDonald, fighters such as Woodley, Hector Lombard and Dong Hyun Kim have all been making waves at 170 pounds. Hendricks admitted its an exciting time for the division, but said he doesnt spend time thinking about the murderers row currently gunning for his championship. "Heres what Ive learned from wrestling — I cant worry about Hector Lombard, Rory MacDonald, Tyron Woodley, Matt Brown or Robbie Lawler," Hendricks began. "Right now, what I have to do is worry about what I can do. I have to worry about what I need to do to get better. Nobody else matters. "Lets say I decide to worry about Robbie Lawler because he has a better chance of winning (against Brown). If I worry about Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown wins, Ive just wasted (time) worrying about fighting Robbie Lawler when I could have been preparing myself to get better." Aside from the current crop of contenders, Hendricks also cant go far without former champ Georges St-Pierres name coming up. The MMA legend won a controversial split decision over Hendricks in November and many fans have been calling for a rematch ever since. Hendricks said he would relish the opportunity to rematch St-Pierre should the Montreal native choose to return to fighting. "The way that he went out and the way the last fight went, people want to see a rematch," Hendricks said. "So Ive always figured he wouldnt be a name that would really die down. Not only that, he was the champion for six years. Its going to be hard for that name to die down. "What Ive been telling everybody is: I dont want to kill his name. I just want to make my own name." 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Jaso drove in three runs Sunday night, helping Scott Kazmir and Oakland beat the Texas Rangers 9-3.BARCELONA, Spain - Lionel Messi has another scoring record in sight when Barcelona visits Almeria on Saturday looking to bounce back from consecutive losses that have cost it the Spanish league lead.Messi scored his 70th and 71st goals in the Champions League in a 2-0 win at Ajax on Wednesday to equal Raul Gonzalezs all-time record in Europes top-tier club competition.The Argentina forward can now match the Spanish leagues scoring milestone as he is just one goal short of Telmo Zarras mark of 251, a record the Athletic Bilbao great established in 1955.Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, meanwhile, will try to extend his club-record run of scoring in eight straight league appearances when the leaders hosts crosstown minnow Rayo Vallecano.Madrid leads Valencia and Atletico Madrid by one point, with Barcelona and Sevilla another point behind.Here are some things to know about round 11 of the Spanish league:___BALE BACK: Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has been facing questions about whether Gareth Bale, the winger Madrid bought for a world-record 100-million euros (then $132-million) last season, has a place in his starting 11.While Bale nursed a muscle injury, Madrid didnt skip a beat and won all five games, including a 3-1 victory over Barcelona.And with the Santiago Bernabeu crowd chanting the name of midfielder Francisco Isco Alarcon and thrilled with James Rodriguez, some have questioned whether Bale shouldnt be left on the bench.Ancelotti is not having any of it and said Bale will start against Rayo after coming on as a substitute against Liverpool.I see Bale is fine, Ancelotti said. I didnt start him because he is just back from injury. He felt fine. He will start on Saturday.___SUAREZ SEARCHING: While Messi dazzled in Amsterdam with his goals and incisive playmaking, new teammate Luis Suarez was left scoreless against his former club to remain without a goal in three games since returning from his four-month biting ban.Messsi is not worried and expects the goals to come for Suarez once he settles in and learns Barcelonas possession-based style.dddddddddddd.We are happy Luis is with us and he is adapting to our philosophy, Messi said. This was his third game and we expect more from him given the class of striker he is.Suarez will have a good opportunity to get on track against an Almeria team that has lost three straight and is winless in all five games played at its Juegos Mediterraneos Stadium this season.___WINNING VALENCIA: Valencia has had a remarkable turnaround under new Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo and new owner Peter Lim, the Singaporean investor.The team looks like it is halting years of decline after losing only once in the first 10 rounds.Valencia is in second place before hosting struggling Athletic Bilbao. The Basques have won two straight in the league, but are in 12th place and coming off a 2-0 loss to FC Porto on Wednesday that ended their chances of advancing in the Champions League.___TROUBLE AT ANOETA: Atletico visits a Real Sociedad side that is still trying to find a replacement for fired coach Jagoba Arrasate.Sociedad let Arrasate go with the team having won just once in 10 rounds. The club president said former Manchester United boss David Moyes is one of four candidates to take over.Antoine Griezmann will make his return to San Sebastian, where he played for five seasons before transferring to the defending champions in the off-season.___STEADY SEVILLA: Sevilla has won four straight home games in the league and welcomes relegation-threatened Levante.Coach Unai Emery has melded new arrivals Denis Suarez, Aleix Vidal and Gerard Deulofeu into a side led by Colombia striker Carlos Bacca to produce one of the leagues most versatile attacks.Levante, meanwhile, is tied with Granada for the fewest goals scored in the 20-team league with just six.Sevilla hosts Standard Liege in the Europa League on Thursday. ' ' '