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CLEVELAND -- One show, one match at a time, CM Punk climbed to the top of pro wrestling, acquiring unimagined fame and fortune along the way.It wasnt enough. He needed more, a challenge to satisfy his inner drive. A dream.And now, he said, here I am.On the verge of stepping into the UFCs octagon, an arena where some say he doesnt belong.One of WWEs biggest stars before leaving the squared circle two years ago, Punk makes his long-awaited debut as an MMA fighter on Saturday night in UFC 203, where he wont be in the main event but where hes the top draw and greatest curiosity.When he takes center stage a month shy of his 38th birthday, Punk, who was born Phil Brooks, will complete a two-year journey that began on Jan. 27, 2014, when he informed WWE chairman Vince McMahon that he was done with wrestling. That conversation took place in Quicken Loans Arena, where Punks first foray in mixed martial arts will be witnessed by more than 20,000 fans and a pay-per-view audience interested in his unique story.The symmetry is not lost on Punk, who has spent grueling hours training for his bout with 24-year-old Mickey Gall. Just as he was in his days as a brash, do-whatever-it-takes-to-win wrestler, Punk is certain hell come out victorious.I belong here and my team belongs here, he said earlier this week. Im confident in my preparation. To me, its never too late to start something. If you think otherwise, Im sorry your dreams are so small.Punks fight with Gall will precede a heavyweight title matchup between champion -- and Cleveland native -- Stipe Miocic, who will take on Alistair Overeem, one of the divisions top-ranked contenders. Also Fabricio Werdum, knocked out in the first round by Miocic in May, will take on Travis Browne in a rematch.While former pro wrestler Brock Lesnar successfully transitioned from wrestling to MMA, he didnt attempt it as deep into his athletic career as Punk, who says the pace of UFC training is more conducive to family life after years on the road performing in arenas around the world.He has spent the past 12 months in Milwaukee, working with Duke Roufus and others at the Roufusport Martial Arts Academy.You have good days, you have bad days. You have frustrating days. You have breakthroughs. You turn corners. You make friends. You are with your team. Your team is your family, he said. No matter how frustrating or how bad a day got, its still awesome Im enjoying all of this. Youve got to be a sick individual to enjoy some of the gnarlier aspects of the training, but this has been amazing.Unlike the scripted WWE, where outcomes are decided long before wrestlers lock arms, nothing is planned inside the UFCs caged, eight-sided playpen.Punk has prepared himself as best he can for the chaos that takes place, but acknowledges there are some unknowns. Hes lost more than 20 pounds from his wrestling days, but feels more than adequately adept in his new sport.I use the correlation of you know how to drive an automatic car and now youre learning how to drive a stick shift, Punk said in comparing the athletic adjustment hes made. If you think too much about it, youre not going to be able to do it, but if you learn and you practice and you drill and youre serious about it, you can drive it and then it becomes second nature. Youre still driving a car.For Gall, the matchup with Punk fulfills his own dream.He gravitated to MMA after trying other sports, then took advantage of an appearance on UFC President Dana Whites online series, Looking For a Fight. Gall won his first fight, then challenged Punk immediately afterward. Without any video to watch on Punk, Gall said hes prepared for whatever comes at him.Ill be ready for everything, he said. Im going to fight my fight and Im going to find a way to get him out of there.Since cutting ties from wrestling to try UFC, Punk has been targeted by fans, media members and athletes who have questioned his motives and doubt his chances to succeed.Punk doesnt care. This is no act. This is who he is now.Its like when Michael Jordan went from playing basketball to baseball, he said. `Oh, baseballs too hard, hes not going to able to do it. Im awkward, uncoordinated and Im old and Im fat and Im lazy and I suck and I was a fake athlete, Im not going to be able to do it. If you believe all that stuff then youre not going to be able to do it. Flames Jerseys 2021 . -- Former San Diego Chargers safety Paul Oliver was found dead at his Atlanta-area home Tuesday night, and a medical examiner said Wednesday that the ex-player committed suicide. Cheap Flames Jerseys . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. https://www.cheapflames.com/ . Note: The Calgary Flames announced Tuesday that Sean Monahan would not be made available to Canadas World Junior team. Wholesale Flames Jerseys . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. Flames Jerseys 2020 . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. SAN FRANCISCO -- Yoenis Cespedes hit two long home runs and an RBI double in his second game back from the disabled list, and Bartolo Colon and the New York Mets beat the San Francisco Giants 9-5 on Saturday.The Mets had lost five of six before topping the team that began the day leading the NL West. The Giants dropped to 11-22 since the All-Star break.Cespedes, whod been out since Aug. 4 with a strained right quadriceps, drove in three runs. He has 24 homers this season. The sluggers shot off Matt Moore (7-10) in the third inning went 457 feet, according to Statcast.com. Cespedes added a 418-footer off reliever Jake Peavy in the seventh.Alejandro De Aza hit a three-run homer in a four-run sixth that stretched the Mets lead to 7-2.Colon (11-7) allowed two runs, scattering nine hits and a walk in 6 1/3 innings.WHITE SOX 6, ATHLETICS 2CHICAGO -- Chris Sale pitched eight scoreless innings for his first victory in 49 days, Jose Abreu homered and Chicago beat Oakland.Sale (15-6) was the majors first 14-game winner and the AL starter in the All-Star Game, but the lefty had gone 0-4 in six starts, interrupted by a five-day suspension for slicing up throwback uniforms he didnt want to wear. Sale allowed three hits and retired the last seven batters, five by strikeout, while throwing a season-high 120 pitches.The White Sox scored four runs with two outs, including Abreus solo shot that just cleared the eight-foot wall in right in the first inning. Melky Cabrera added an RBI double in the second and a run-scoring single in the fourth off Ross Detwiler (1-2). Oaklands Danny Valencia homered in Oaklands two-run ninth off Nate Jones before David Robertson earned his 31st save.ASTROS 12, ORIOLES 2BALTIMORE -- Jason Castro homered and drove in four runs in Houstons second straight blowout victory over struggling Baltimore.Alex Bregman and George Springer also homered for the Astros. They beat Baltimore 15-8 on Friday night to snap a five-game losing streak.Bregman got this rout started with a two-run homer in the first inning off Chris Tillman (15-5). Houston increased its lead to 6-0 in the third and went up 10-1 in the sixth.Chris Davis homered in a fourth straight game and Steve Pearce also went deep for the Orioles. But Baltimore has dropped eight of 12 overall to fall into the third place in the AL East.Baltimore pitchers combined to allow a season-high 10 walks. Utility infielder Ryan Flaherty worked the ninth inning, giving up two runs and three hits.Mike Fiers (9-6) had little trouble in his first career appearance against the Orioles. The right-hander went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits.MARLINS 3, PIRATES 1PITTSBURGH -- Xavier Scruggs hit his first major league home run and David Phelps pitched six scoreless innings to help Miami beat Pittsburgh.Miguel Rojas scored on an error in the third, and Ichiro Suzuki doubled down the right field line in the fourth -- for his 3,008th hit in the majors to move into 28th place on the career list -- ahead of Scruggs shot into the bleachers in left field.Phelps (7-6) allowed two hits and two walks with nine strikeouts in his fourth start of the season. Fernando Rodney got the last three outs for his sixth save with the Marlins and 23rd save overall.Chad Kuhl (3-1) gave up three runs and five hits in six innings.ROYALS 10, TWINS 0KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Alex Gordon homered twice and had a double, Ian Kennedy pitched eight sharp innings and Kansas City beat Minnesota to extend its winning streak to seven games.The Royals string is theiir best since they won seven straight in April 2015.dddddddddddd The World Series champions have won 12 of 14 to move back into the AL wild-card race.Gordon has homered five times in five games. He connected in the fourth inning and again in the fifth for his fourth career multihomer game.Kennedy (8-9) gave up four hits, walked none and struck out six. Salvador Perez and Gordon hit back-to-back home runs in a four-run fifth, chasing Hector Santiago (10-8).PHILLIES 4, CARDINALS 2PHILADELPHIA -- Cesar Hernandez homered, doubled and singled, and Jeremy Hellickson pitched seven strong innings in Philadelphias 4-2 victory over St. Louis.Maikel Franco had two hits, including a double and the winning RBI, and Aaron Altherr homered for the Phillies. They have hit home runs in 14 straight games.Jeremy Hazelbaker homered and Jhonny Peralta had three hits for St. Louis, which had won five in a row. The Cardinals are 1 1/2 games head of Miami for the second wild-card spot in the National League.St. Louis fell short of setting a major league record of 10 straight games with multiple home runs. The Cardinals tied the mark with a pair of homers Friday night.Hellickson (10-7) skipped his last start because of back tightness. The right-hander looked healthy and sharp, allowing two runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and one walk. Jeanmar Gomez pitched a scoreless ninth for his 33rd save in 37 opportunities. Luke Weaver (0-1) was the loser.NATIONALS 11, BRAVES 9ATLANTA -- Ryan Zimmerman homered and had three hits in his return from the disabled list, and Washington used an eight-run fourth inning to take control before holding off Atlanta.Daniel Murphy and Trea Turner hit homers in Washingtons big fourth inning against Tyrell Jenkins (2-4). The Nationals trailed 3-1 before setting a season high for runs in an inning and taking a 9-3 lead.Washington set a Nationals record with nine hits in the inning, including eight straight, and had 17 hits in the game.Max Scherzer (13-7) allowed four runs in 6 1/3 innings. Mark Melancon gave up a two-run single to Chase dArnaud, cutting the lead to two, before recording the final out for his 36th save.BLUE JAYS 6, INDIANS 5CLEVELAND -- Edwin Encarnacion homered, Roberto Osuna bounced back from a nightmarish outing to record the save and Toronto beat Cleveland.Toronto was stunned Friday night on Tyler Naquins game-ending inside-the-park home run off Osuna that gave the Indians a 3-2 victory.The latest matchup between division leaders also had plenty of drama, with Osuna getting his 28th save by retiring Naquin on a groundout to end it.Encarnacions leadoff homer in the fifth, his 35th of the season, put Toronto back on top. Joe Biagini (4-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Josh Tomlin (11-7) allowed all six Toronto runs.RAYS 8, RANGERS 2ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Evan Longoria and Luke Maile homered, Jake Odorizzi won his fifth game since the All-Star break and Tampa Bay ended Texas four-game winning streak.Odorizzi (8-5) is 5-0 with a 1.64 ERA in seven starts since the All-Star break.Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus had two hits each for the AL West-leading Rangers.The Rays scored in each of the first two innings off starter A.J. Griffin (5-3). Matt Duffy drove in a run with a two-out single in the first, and Maile made it 2-0 with his first career home run in the second. Longorias 28th homer made it 3-0 in the sixth. ' ' '