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LOS ANGELES -- When four UFC champions and their next opponents stood together on a stage Tuesday amid camera flashes and raucous cheers, the happiest man was in the middle. UFC President Dana White has healthy fighters, pleased television partners and a tantalizing slate of upcoming fall fights. Its a big change from last year, when White spent untold months scrambling to replace injured stars and plugging holes in an ambitious schedule that devolved into a patchwork slate for mixed martial arts dominant promotion. "It feels good to run your business again," White said. "Youre on your heels the whole year, rebuilding cards that were already built and not focusing on building your business. Right now, everything couldnt be better." The unprecedented cancellation of UFC 151 last September was the lowest point in a year crammed with injury postponements and underwhelming cards. Many fans thought the UFC had booked too many shows with not enough quality fights to fill the schedule demands of its television deal with Fox. "Last year, we had main events and co-main events falling off every card," White said. "This year doesnt compare to last year. Were really building some momentum, and these fighters are going to keep it going." White largely blames last years problems on injuries, and most of his important fighters are healthy heading into the fall. Every star fighter on stage for the promotional event at a downtown Los Angeles theatre is eager for a starring role this fall. Georges St. Pierre, Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez displayed their title belts and signed autographs for hundreds of fans on the Hollywood stop of an unusual six-day, 11-city promotional tour stretching across three continents. The champions traded barbs and posed for faceoffs with challengers Johny Hendricks, Miesha Tate, Alexander Gustafsson and Junior Dos Santos. St. Pierre, Rousey and Velasquez drew the biggest cheers from the crowd, which reserved its biggest boos for Jones and Tate. Jones, whose refusal to accept a late replacement opponent at UFC 151 partly forced the cards cancellation, has become an antihero to UFC fans despite his sparkling record and boundless talent. "You guys like to boo me, Im realizing," Jones said with a grin to the jeering fans. "I feel like Im growing up in front of an audience. But its fun. Its a great business to work in." Jones and Gustafsson will meet for the light heavyweight title in Toronto on Sept. 21. Hendricks gets his long-anticipated shot at welterweight champion St. Pierre in Las Vegas on Nov. 16, while Velasquez and Dos Santos will complete their trilogy of title fights in Houston on Oct. 19. Rousey, the UFCs breakout star of the last year since the promotion opened a womens division, defends her bantamweight title against Tate on Dec. 28 in Las Vegas. Rousey and Tate were the only fighters betraying a serious dislike at the promotional stop, exchanging insults to the fans delight. "How is it not a rivalry? I have everything that she wants in life," said Rousey, who repeatedly made obscene gestures at the challenger. "She just has a way of irritating me," Tate replied. "Its really more of a personal thing." The world tour features most of the UFCs biggest names, but it doesnt include Anderson Silva, whose streak of 10 straight middleweight title defences ended earlier this month with his shocking stoppage loss to Chris Weidman. Their rematch will headline the UFCs traditional year-end Las Vegas show on a card also featuring Rousey and Tate, but Silva had sponsorship commitments that prevented him and Weidman from joining the tour. Silvas defeat served as a sobering warning to St. Pierre and Jones, two long-reigning champions who have often seemed as untouchable as Silva. St. Pierre will risk his streak of eight consecutive title defences against Hendricks, the bearded wrestler who has waited years for his opportunity. "I would never take anything for granted or look past any opponent," St. Pierre said, still smarting from his stunning upset loss to Matt Serra in 2007. "I made a mistake before, and I paid for it, and Ill never do that again." Hendricks and Gustafsson are eager for their long-awaited title shots, and Hendricks believes hes ready to end the Canadian welterweight stars reign. "Im stronger than anybody he has ever faced," Hendricks said. "I hit harder than anybody he has ever faced. Im quicker than anybody he has ever faced." Detroit Red Wings Gear .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Detroit Red Wings Store . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. https://www.cheapredwings.com/ . Catch all the action on TSN2 at 11pm et/8pm pt. The nine-time Big 12 champion Jayhawks are positioning themselves for another title, as they have run out to a flawless 6-0 mark in conference play thus far. Red Wings Jerseys 2020 .Y. -- Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble scoring goals. Red Wings Jerseys China . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate. WASHINGTON -- John Tortorella had worried about Sundays game, the first matinee for the Columbus all season. He didnt want the Washington Capitals to get off to a quick start.The Capitals scored on Nicklas Backstroms goal barely three minutes into the game, but the Blue Jackets didnt fold and got a last-minute goal with Backstrom in the penalty box and escaped with their fourth straight win, 3-2 over the angry Capitals. Backstrom was called for high-sticking Nick Foligno with 1:34 remaining, a penalty that the Capitals vehemently disputed.Alexander Wennberg took a pass from Foligno and slammed it past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby with 54 seconds left in the game. The goal was confirmed after a video review.It was the Blue Jackets second power play goal of the game, and Washington coach Barry Trotz didnt like the call that cost his team.If you see the replay, he doesnt really touch him, and his head pops up when (Backstroms) stick is already on the way down. Thats just a little disrespectful to the game, Trotz said. The penalty call was not great for me.Backstrom, who also assisted on Alex Ovechkins ninth goal of the season midway through the second period, didnt think he touched Foligno.Last two minutes you get a penalty thats not a penalty, thats tough, Backstrom said.Columbus has its longest winning streak since they ran off nine straight wins from March 18-April 4, 2015.Sometimes it seemed like they took over the game more and more but we started to play smart and at the end of the game we felt like we played smart and got opportunity to score, Wennberg said. Find a way to win. Its as eeasy as that.ddddddddddddTortorella, who has eliminated morning skates from the Blue Jackets routine, talked to his team about the perils of getting off to a slow start.They score one, but they dont score the two and three where it can really knock you out in an afternoon game like this, really a morning game, he said. That steadied us a little bit.Ovechkins ninth goal of the season gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead, but the Blue Jackets tied it just 14 seconds into the third period on Brandon Dubinskys second goal of the season.Columbus goal by Foligno six minutes into the second period broke Washingtons streak of 15 straight successful penalty kills.Other than the disputed call, Trotz didnt find much to find fault with -- even though it was the Capitals second loss in five days to the Blue Jackets.They played a solid game. We played a solid game. Theres not going to be a lot of mistakes, Trotz said.Game notes Washington was without C Lars Eller and RW T.J. Oshie. Both have upper-body injuries. They were injured in Fridays game against Detroit. . C Paul Carey was recalled from AHL Hershey. . Columbus D Dalton Prout (upper body) missed his third straight game. . D Todd Jones (foot) was out for the sixth straight game. Tortorella says Jones is back practicing with the team, but isnt sure when hell return.UP NEXT:Blue Jackets: Host Colorado on Monday. They play five games in seven nights.Capitals: Continue season-long five-game homestand against St. Louis on Wednesday. ' ' '