Mitch Gagnon knew it was only a matter of time before the UFC paired him with a top-ranked fighter. Chad Kelly Jersey . Following an initial setback against Bryan Caraway during his promotional debut in 2012, the Sudbury, Ont. bantamweight has been on an absolute tear. Over the past two-plus years, Gagnons aggressive grappling has led him to consecutive victories over Walel Watson, Dustin Kimura, Tim Gorman and Roman Salazar. His first-round destruction of Kimura also earned him Submission of the Night honours at UFC 165 in Toronto last year. Though Gagnon is confident he can hang with the 135-pound divisions elite, he admitted to being surprised when UFC officials offered him a crack at Renan Barao. Obviously I think its the perfect time, but did I think (Barao) would be offered to me? No, Gagnon told UFC.ca during a phone interview. I was just ranked (in the top 15) after the fight (with Salazar). I really thought I would have had to fight a top-10 or top-five guy to get near the top. Do I think its the perfect time for me? Yeah, I believe Im putting everything together well and feel its my time. Gagnon gets the opportunity to stake his claim for a title shot when he meets Barao in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Machida vs. Dollaway in Barueri, Brazil Dec. 20. It goes without saying a victory over the former UFC bantamweight champion would be a career changer for Gagnon. Not only would it etch his name as a serious contender by taking out one of the most dangerous fighters in the division, a win would also open doors to both bigger fights and paydays. Gagnon knows whats at stake, but said he cant afford to obsess over the perks of beating Barao. Ive been really focusing on the training camp and the game plan, Gagnon stated. Im not really focusing on the future all that much. I have a job to do and Im concentrating on that. I dont want to look past anything. I really want to focus on one thing — and thats beating Renan Barao. I feel like everything will then open up afterwards. (A victory) would bring me to the upper echelon and get me those big fights. Im fighting a former champion whos still ranked No. 1 in the world. I dont know where it puts me. I have no idea, but Id definitely be up there. Thats where I feel like I belong. Though theres a lot riding on the bout for Gagnon, its also pivotal for Barao, as it marks his first outing since dropping the bantamweight title against T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 175 in May. In many ways, Dillashaw laid out the blueprint for beating the Nova Uniao fighter. A hard-hitting power striker, Barao has found success catching opponents who have stood directly in front of him. Using sharp angles and footwork, Dillashaw picked him apart en route to a late TKO victory. Though the Team Alpha Male fighter exposed holes in Baraos game, Gagnon said his own style is too different from Dillashaws to duplicate the same strategy. An aggressive pressure fighter, Gagnon said he plans to break Barao both mentally and physically. Thats not my style, Gagnon said of Dillashaws performance. Do I feel like getting on the line is where Im going to catch Barao? Yeah, I think so. Thats where Barao likes to stay. Hes a very stationary fighter. He plants his feet and throws with 100 per cent power every time. Definitely, one of the things youve got to do with Barao is you always have to make him think, always make him react and make him move around. (Im going to) put the pressure on him. Baraos good at dictating the pace and fighting his fight. If you put the pressure on him and make him exert more energy, thats when he gets in trouble and gets frustrated. For Barao, theres more than a potential title shot on the line when he faces Gagnon. Its also an opportunity for him to earn a measure of redemption following an ill-fated weight-cut attempt ahead of UFC 177 in August. The Brazilian was set to face Dillashaw in a rematch on the card, but was hospitalized after fainting and hitting his head on a bathtub. He was then pulled from the event and replaced by UFC newcomer Joe Soto, who went on to lose via fifth-round TKO in a gutsy performance. As a result of the incident, Barao will no doubt look to take his frustrations out on Gagnon. For some fighters, the prospect of stepping into the octagon with a fired-up Barao would be enough for them to reconsider their entire approach to training. But Gagnon is confident in both his methods and coaching staff. The Canadian submission artist said hes sticking to the routine that has brought him success throughout his career. As far as a whole camp, I havent really changed anything, Gagnon said. Obviously Ive had my coaches training me specifically for Barao. I feel like my team, we have a winning strategy at my camp. I dont want to start doing more or over-thinking things. Ive been successful at what Ive been doing. Im going to keep doing it and improving as a mixed martial artist. With his training tapering off, Gagnon said he is ready to make a statement against Barao. If you look at Baraos past 10 fights, you can see he tends to do (the same) stuff even as he progresses as a fighter, Gagnon said. He sticks to stuff that he does and thats what Im going to capitalize on. Thats why I think Im going to win the fight. I plan on stopping Barao and making it an interesting fight. I plan on shocking the world. Von Miller Jersey . Russia has spent about $51 billion to deliver the Sochi Olympics, which run Feb. 7-23, making them the most expensive games ever, even though as a winter event it hosts many fewer athletes than summer games do. Cheap Broncos Jerseys Free Shipping . They know how difficult it is to beat the San Antonio Spurs. George scored 28 points and Indiana defeated San Antonio 111-100 on Saturday night, snapping an 11-game skid against the Spurs. http://www.cheapbroncosjerseyssale.com/?tag=darian-stewart-jersey-sale . The St. Louis Cardinals were scheduled to arrive in Boston in time for a workout on Tuesday afternoon. Much of Mondays discussion focused on Bostons lineup considerations as the series progresses, specifically when the venue shifts to St.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- When the Toronto Blue Jays sent Sergio Santos to the minor leagues, general manager Alex Anthopoulos said he wanted the reliever to pitch some innings and "get back on track." Santos is definitely back on track. In 6 2/3 innings over seven appearances since being assigned to triple-A Buffalo, the right-hander has given up just one hit and no runs. "I feel like Im in a good place," Santos said Tuesday night after recording two outs to pick up a save. "I feel a lot better attacking the zone with my fastball, and the command of my fastball has been a little bit better. Im not kind of missing over the plate, I feel like Im getting thirds, whether its the inner or outer half." Satisfied with his performance with the Bisons, Santos has been left to wonder why the Blue Jays havent called him back up to the majors or given him any indication on when they might. "I havent had any communication with them, which has been a little frustrating at times because I feel like Ive ironed some of the things out that I needed to iron out and Im just waiting for that opportunity to go back out there and hopefully do what Im doing here," Santos said. In Santoss place, the Blue Jays have blue-chip prospect Aaron Sanchez, who is one of five right-handers in the bullpen along with closer Casey Janssen, Chad Jenkins, Todd Redmond and Dustin McGowan. The Blue Jays designated Santos for assignment on July 21, and once the 31-year-old cleared waivers he went to Buffalo. Anthopoulos said Santos hadnt pitched well but still possessed dominant stuff that needed to be refined with some more work than he was getting. "We hope this is a quick move, get some innings, get hot and come back because we certainly could use the help," Anthopoulos said at the time. Shaquil Barrett Jersey. Anthopoulos and manager John Gibbons pointed to Santoss fastball command as something that needed to improve. Even with 17 walks in 19 major-league innings this season, Santos felt like he handed out more good ones than bad ones but also cut down on free passes since being sent to the minors. "The command, I think for me, was I felt like my fastballs were just catching a little too much of the plate," he said. "I feel like Ive kind of figured that out a little bit." Santos has a 7.78 earned-run average in 24 appearances for the Blue Jays this season after putting up a 1.75 ERA in 2013. As management pointed out, he struggled with an inconsistent workload. "Its just the consistency of throwing," Santos said. "I was (up) there, didnt throw for 10 days, threw three pitches, waited another week and then threw a third of an inning. Its just really hard to get in a groove, get in a rhythm when youre throwing so sporadically." Still, Santos was taken aback by the decision to designate him for assignment because he thought he "threw a lot better than the numbers say." The numbers in Buffalo tell the story of a reliever with plenty of confidence: nine strikeouts and four walks with a couple of saves for his trouble. "It (was) just a matter of getting back and knowing what Im capable of, knowing what I can do and just a matter of going out and proving it," Santos said. Note -- On Wednesday the Blue Jays claimed left-handed reliever Colt Hynes off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers and announced he will report to Buffalo. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Authentic Cheap NHL Jerseys Canada Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Nike NHL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Football Jerseys Store Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Jerseys NCAA China Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '