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LAS VEGAS/NEW YORK -- I had to go to both. Conor McGregor left me no choice.Im not a violent guy. I cant remember the last real fight I was in and hope to keep it that way. But theres nothing I enjoy more than watching fights, real or scripted, in the UFC and WWE. I guess its kind of like how I love playing violent video games like Grand Theft Auto and yet I disapprove of robbery and reckless driving in real life. I think I can enjoy one without indulging in the other.Despite my love for both and the similarities I might attempt to enumerate between the UFC and WWE to friends who like one but not the other, theres no thread that ties the live experiences together for me. Theyre completely different -- ?and equally mesmerizing -- for different reasons.The beauty of the UFC is that its reality television playing out inside the confines of a caged Octagon. You know the stakes that are in play for both fighters when they square off, and no one in the building knows whats going to happen. It could all be over in 25 seconds or 25 minutes, and both could inspire an ecstatic reaction from the crowd. In fact, the shorter match with the more thrilling finish will always elicit the loudest reaction from the crowd.WWE, on the other hand, is live theater played out against the same backdrop of 15,000 screaming fans in an arena, but the stakes, of course, arent the same. If Brock Lesnar loses a match, Im not wondering about his career being over; Im wondering what the WWE writers have in store for his character next. If a match ends in 25 seconds, Im not excited about the dramatic ending; Im apathetic to the uninspired booking of a match that was an afterthought.There are moments when the lines between the UFC and WWE blur. There was no better example than last week, when McGregor successfully hijacked much of the mainstream promotional tour WWE had scheduled for its superstars leading up to SummerSlam while he was promoting UFC 202. McGregor took shots at WWE and its wrestlers like he was ready to switch professions.If you didnt know any better, youd think McGregor was planning on hopping on a flight to New York after his much-anticipated rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 to be at SummerSlam.He wasnt. I might have been the only one crazy enough to do that.When I was a child and did something that warranted a reward, my mother would take me to Toys R Us and tell me I could pick out a toy in the store as a gift. It was a kind gesture, but ultimately a thankless task for a wide-eyed kid. I would do countless laps around the aisles, hopelessly trying to whittle 100 choices down to one.The closest I come to recreating that feeling now is when I walk into the Las Vegas Fight Shop -- basically a toy store for fans of the UFC and WWE nestled inside the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood. Theres a cardboard cutout of McGregor and Ronda Rousey on one side of the door, and John Cena and Sasha Banks on the other. Inside, there are replica belts, toys, shirts and posters from both the UFC and WWE.Walk around the store long enough, and it becomes clear that the similarity in the merchandise offered by both companies to a growingly blended fan base isnt an accident. The reason the WWE plays up Lesnars UFC career and wants him wrestling in his MMA gear is the same reason the UFC gave the former WWE champion a title fight after just two fights and a 1-1 record in the UFC. Its also why CM Punk (Phil Brooks), who has never been in an MMA fight, is one of the headliners of next months UFC 203?and will fight under his pro wrestling name.While both companies are star-driven, the UFC is a top-heavy promotion that makes its money off big names and big main events. Thats why the crowd outside of T-Mobile Arena before the start of the preliminary matches for UFC 202 was non-existent: No one was rushing from the casinos or pools to see Marvin Vettori face Alberto Uda or Artem Lobov face Chris Avila. Many of the 15,539 fans didnt make it to their seats until it was time for McGregor to face Diaz.Meanwhile, a WWE pay-per-view is like a movie in which fans feel the need to consume every minute from start to finish. Thats why, three hours before the start of SummerSlam, there were already lines of fans getting into the Barclay Center in Brooklyn, New York. By the time the pyro went off to to start the show, most of the 15,974 fans were already in their seats. WWE also does a better job of pushing its products through its stars and getting fans to pay for things that would make no sense to anyone who hasnt watched The New Day, WWEs tag-team champions. WWEs fans are so loyal that grown men will buy and wear $15 unicorn headbands and a $35 cereal box of Booty Os with no actual cereal inside -- just a shirt. The craziest UFC item sold in Las Vegas was a plush doll of a screaming Conor McGregor -- exactly what you want your baby cuddling with during nap time.Theres nothing quite like a McGregor fight in Las Vegas, because theres nothing quite like McGregor fans. They turn UFC fight crowds into European soccer matches, with constant jumping, singing and chanting. It was like Christmas in August when McGregor walked toward the ring at T-Mobile Arena to face Diaz in a rematch of UFC 196, which Diaz won, with McGregors fans altering the words of Winter Wonderland to suit their champion.Theeeeres only onnneeee Conor McGregor! Only one Conor McGregor! Were walking along! Singing his song! Living in a Conor wonderland!After McGregor entered the Octagon to Biggies Notorious B.I.G. and Diaz entered to Tupacs Ambitionz Az A Ridah (yes, they were rivals right down to their entrance music), both fighters gave fans what will likely go down as the fight of the year and one of the best main events in UFC history.It was a five-round war that took everything out of McGregor, who knocked Diaz down twice early, and Diaz, who stormed back and nearly finished McGregor off twice late. The fight exceeded the hype -- a rarity in any sport -- and set up what will be one of the most anticipated trilogy fights ever.Celebrities ranging from Kanye West and chef Gordon Ramsay to Mike Tyson and Dwight Howard sat near the Octagon for the fight, while Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Aaron Rodgers, Lil Wayne and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. chimed in during and after the fight on social media. It was one of those transcendent fights that captivated casual fans and will likely make the third fight, whenever that happens, the largest pay-per-view draw in the companys history.McGregor won a majority decision, but the rivals had no problem putting their differences aside after the fight. Diaz helped McGregor up after the final bell, and the two embraced in the middle of the Octagon -- no doubt knowing the payday they had just earned themselves down the line with a third fight.Surprise, surprise, m-----f-----s, McGregor said after his win. The king is back.During the post-fight news conference, McGregor, dressed in a three-piece suit, reflected on the massive stakes in this fight and what a loss would have done to his career.This was a hell of an important fight for me, McGregor said. Everyone, from the media to the fighters, wrote me off in this one. They tried to say if I lost this one Im done. It was a hell of a fight. I feel I have more skills, but he is one tough mother f---er. ... We got it done tonight. It was not easy. It was a war. Im happy it went that way. I got to show my heart in there. I took it to him and got the win.McGregors win didnt come without a cost. He arrived at the news conference on crutches before heading to the hospital to get his shin evaluated. He was fine, but his trip to be evaluated gave Diaz one last opening for one last shot before the two meet again down the line.Hes going to the hospital, Diaz said. Im going to the after-party.My after-party involved a red-eye flight to New York to watch SummerSlam, headlined by Lesnar facing Randy Orton -- a match announced the week of UFC 200, which was headlined by Lesnar.SummerSlam has become WWEs biggest event after WrestleMania, and it came to symbolize my last day of fun before school started when I was a child. It was also usually the culmination of a months-long feud that would finally come to a head in the main event. That wasnt really the case this year with Lesnar being a part-time player and Orton coming back from injury last month. Any fight with Lesnar, however, whether in the UFC or WWE, is must-see TV.As a former NCAA heavyweight champion and UFC heavyweight champion, Lesnar adds a level of credibility and believability to a company that long ago stopped grasping for either. Youre never quite sure what youre going to get with Lesnar, but chances are you wont have to suspend reality to believe the end result.The problem with Lesnars match at SummerSlam was that it seemed too real.After an exciting back-and-forth match with Orton in which Lesnar give Orton an F5 and Orton give Lesnar an RKO on the announcers table, Lesnar busted Ortons head wide open and blood poured onto the mat. WWE is a more family-friendly product these days and has cut all bleeding from its shows, at least for the most part, so there was an air of realism when the referee hovered over what seemed like an unconscious and bleeding Orton.The match was stopped less than 12 minutes after it started, with Lesnar winning by TKO, a result commonplace in the UFC but basically unheard of in WWE. The crowd, already upset that the previous match between Roman Reigns and Rusev was called off before it began, was in disbelief that the show would end with such an odd result.As the lights came on at the Barclays Center, the crowd booed before being told to leave by arena security. It was an odd ending that left fans wondering what they had just seen and yearning for an explanation they would never get.While WWE is getting more mainstream media coverage these days, theres no post-fight news conferences during which WWE CEO Vince McMahon explains what happened in the main event before the wrestlers answer questions from reporters. Media members are ticket-holders, just like the fans, and once the show is over, we walk out with the unicorn-wearing guy holding an empty cereal box of Booty Os.So did Lesnar cross the line in beating Orton? Was Orton supposed to be lying in a pool of his own blood? Was the main event really supposed to be over that quickly? When did a TKO become an appropriate ending to a pro wrestling match?There were so many questions, and no one around to answer them as disgruntled fans spilled onto the streets of Brooklyn. It was an ending that would have been celebrated in the UFC but left WWE fans wondering what they had just seen.In other words, it was just the latest example of the blurring of the lines between the UFC and WWE -- and a reminder that sometimes reality is better than fiction. Ken Panfil Jersey Store .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. DeShawn Williams Jersey Store . Louis Blues teammates who would also be participating in the Olympics, Alex Pietrangelo felt right at home, no different in some ways to the travel experience of any old road trip – save for the length of the journey, that is. https://www.chinacheapjerseys.net/dave-pacella-jersey-store/ . The Swede became the first golfer to win the PGA Tours FedEx Cup and European Tours Race to Dubai in the same season. "It is still taking a little time to sink in what Ive achieved this week as was the case when I won the FedEx Cup but then it just kept getting better and better as the days went on and I am sure this will be the same," he said. Mike Nott Jersey Store . It was hard for Luck to pull off another comeback, or even get into the end zone, while standing on the sideline. Rivers threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to rookie Keenan Allen and Nick Novak kicked four field goals to give the Chargers a 19-9 victory against the Colts on Monday night. Jack May Jersey Store . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. SARASOTA, Fla. -- The Oakland Raiders will try to go 5-0 on the road for the first time since 1977 when they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.The teams mettle could be tested with back-to-back games in Florida, however the Raiders remained in the state to practice at IMG Academy in nearby Bradenton instead of returning to the West Coast after a 33-16 win over the Jacksonville JaguarsCoach Jack Del Rio said the additional time in Florida has helped the team adjust to the conditions and stay focused on the task at hand.The biggest thing is not to have to fly back and forth, Del Rio said. As far as being here and acclimated I dont know that youre ever acclimated in the short time that were here. We understand what were up against. Weve traveled to Tennessee before and played in similar conditions in terms of heat.Quarterback Derek Carr credits the teams business-like attitude and camaraderie to their success on the road. Noting that when the team arrived in Sarasota many of the players were already starting to study film together in their hotel rooms.Doesnt matter where we at were family, Carr said. We could be here, in New York, doesnt matter. Our focus is on winning this football game. I could see it Monday and Tuesday night watching those guys and they are watching film in their rooms instead of being outside.The game will have special meaning to offensive lineman Donald Penn as he will play the Buccaneers for the first time since they released him in 2014. Penn spent eight seasons with Tampa Bay and made the Pro Bowl in 2010.Its going to be kind of weird, Penn said. Ive never walked intto Raymond James Stadium from the visitor side.dddddddddddd. Its going to be something new.Penn said is he doesnt want to make too much of his homecoming but said that hell play with a chip on his shoulder against the team that let him go.Its very huge, you know me, Im a straightforward guy, Penn said. (Being released) is definitely on my mind and something Im never going to forget. Good thing is Im happy where I am now. Carr said Penn has been a great teammate and a major asset to the team. He doesnt expect Penns return to Tampa to be a distraction as the game approaches.Donalds the best, hes like a big brother to me, Carr said. He wants to protect me more than anything. He gets mad if his guys finger touches my jersey. For him to come back Im sure hes excited. Its human nature. Its exciting, but once the game starts hes not thinking about it. Hes just trying to play to the best of his ability.EDWARDS JOINS TEAM: DE Mario Edwards Jr. joined the Raiders in Sarasota on Thursday. Edwards has been on injured reserve since the start of the season with a hip injury. He was eligible to begin practicing with the team last week but Del Rio said Wednesday that Edwards had not been cleared yet. The 2015 second-round pick is eligible to play in Week 9 against the Denver Broncos.JONES RETURNS TO PRACTICE: RB Taiwan Jones was a limited participant in practice Thursday after sitting out Wednesday with a knee injury.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '