quarter. Portland went on a 9-0 run to close to 51-48, but D

AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Nate Marquardt tapped out James Te Huna in the first round of their main-event bout on Saturday at "UFC Fight Night: Te Huna vs. Marquardt," New Zealands first UFC card. Te Huna, who in 2010 became the UFCs first New Zealander, thrilled the crowd with his walk-in, which featured Maori warriors performing a traditional haka war dance. The energy carried into the cage, as both Te Huna and Marquardt started in rapid fashion. But after a few big exchanges on the feet, the end would come on the floor. Battling in the clinch against the cage, Marqaurdt (33-13-2) threw Te Huna (16-8) to the canvas and moved immediately into mount. When Te Huna rolled to escape, Marquardt went to the back and then slipped off to the side, trapping the arm and extending it to earn a submission win with 26 seconds left in the opening round. "An armbar was not part of my plan," said Marquardt. "It just sort of happened." The nights heavyweight co-feature was a little light on action, but Jared Rosholt (11-1) picked up a one-sided decision win over Australian fan-favourite Soa Palelei (21-4). It was Rosholts wrestling pedigree that earned him the win, utilizing a grinding grappling attack to bring Palelei repeatedly to the floor and preventing him from really ever launching any sort of attack. The crowd often booed the slow-paced fight, but at the end of 15 minutes, it was clear Rosholt had done enough to win the fight, and he was awarded the victory with three scores of 30-27. "I was a little disappointed with that win," Rosholt admitted. "I had a vision to dominate, which I did, but not in the fashion I wanted. "My last few fights have gone the distance, which is disappointing but proves that I have the conditioning, which is definitely an advantage at this weight class." In a grappling-heavy featherweight matchup, Charles Oliveira (18-4) scored an impressive submission win over fellow jiu-jitsu ace Hatsu Hioki (27-8-2). The entertaining matchup saw both men transition and sweep to dominant positions on the floor while seeking submission opportunities. Multiple attempts came from both men, but it was a modified guillotine choke in the second round that sealed the victory for Oliveira. Trapped in the hold, Hioki was forced to tap out for the first time in his career. "My opponent tonight was very tough and challenging," Oliveira admitted after the fight. "I studied all of his fights and knew he would be tough. "I know we are in New Zealand, but you always hear Brazilians in the crowd. They are the most passionate fight fans and always make lot of noise. Tonight, they inspired me to take the win." In the nights first main-card matchup, New Zealand native Robert Whittaker (13-4) picked up an impressive decision win over fellow welterweight Mike Rhodes (6-3). Whittaker, the former winner of "The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes," was the better striker throughout the three-round affair, using crisp boxing to pick apart his opponent with a sharp jab and powerful right hand. Rhodes was a game opponent, offering counters until the end and never seeming to slow, but Whittakers relentless attack earned him all three rounds, and he was awarded an unanimous-decision win with scores of 30-27 across the board. "The game plan was to throw as many weapons at my opponent as possible," Whittaker said after the win. "Hats off to Mike -- he gave a lot and definitely took a lot of shots. I like to think I punch hard, so props to him to keep on going." Cheap New York Mets Jerseys .500 ball against teams with winning records, so they needed a huge lift from somebody Tuesday night in a matchup of division leaders. Cheap Gary Carter Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. http://www.cheapmetsjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-lenny-dykstra-jersey . Thornton emerged as one of the leagues best defensive ends against the run in 2013. The former undrafted free agent from Division II Southern Arkansas led Philadelphias linemen with 78 tackles and had one sack. Cheap Keith Hernandez Jersey . And all things considered, the first 40 games have offered a little bit of everything from a hockey club that faced many questions in its first year under new management, with a new head coach and with a number of new faces in the lineup. However, with a recent dip in scoring, it seems some of the same old questions persist and several new ones have been raised after a somewhat troubling homestand. Cheap Tug McGraw Jersey . There is no argument that the line of Pacioretty, David Desharnais and Thomas Vanek was one of the hottest in the NHL leading into the post-season, and they did combine for three goals and seven points, but it was the depth of all four lines that helped propel Montreal.PORTLAND, Ore. -- LaMarcus Aldridge had a career-high 44 points and 13 rebounds, and the Portland Trail Blazers rallied for a 110-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. Wesley Matthews added 24 points for the Blazers (32-11), who snapped a two-game losing streak coming off a 2-2 road trip. The Blazers have not lost three straight this season. Wilson Chandler had 18 points for Denver (20-21), which has lost four of their last five games after a five-game winning streak. The Blazers trailed by as many as 15 points in the third quarter, but chipped away at Denvers lead to pull to 91-90 on Wesley Matthews turnaround fadeaway before taking the lead on his 15-foot jumper. The teams wrestled for control, but Aldridges jumper put Portland up a 102-99 with 3:08 left. Chandler and Timofey Mozgov made consecutive baskets to regain the lead for Denver, and it was back-and-forth until Aldridge made four consecutive free throws to shouts of "M-V-P," from the Portland crowd, giving the Blazers a 108-105 lead. Chandler missed a jumper with 8 seconds left and Aldridge made more free throws for the final margin. The two-time All-Star, who came in a disappointing fifth among Western Conference frontcourt players in All-Star voting, made eight straight free throws to close the game. Blazers owner Paul Allen addressed the media at halftime, talking on a wide range of topics including a contract extension for Aldridge, which the team will consider "at the appropriate time.&quuot; Kenneth Faried got two quick fouls early in the game and had to sit, but the Nuggets still led 30-28 at the end of the first quarter, paced by Anthony Randolph off the bench.dddddddddddd Nate Robinsons 3-pointer stretched Denvers lead to 44-37, and the Nuggets went on to lead by as many as 12 points in the second quarter. Portland went on a 9-0 run to close to 51-48, but Denver held on to 67-59 lead at the half. Randy Foye hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter to stretch Denvers lead to 78-63. The Nuggets led 91-86 heading to the fourth. Earlier in the day, Aldridge and teammate Damian Lillard were named to the 2014-16 U.S. mens national team pool, the first step toward making the Olympic team. Faried was also invited. The All-Star team starters were also announced before Thursday nights game. Aldridge finished fifth in fan voting among Western Conference frontcourt Blazers, while Lillard finished seventh among guards. Both players will have a chance to make the team if they are selected by the leagues coaches. NOTES: The Blazers defeated the Nuggets 113-98 in Denver their first meeting of the season on Nov. 1. ... Portland is the only team to have used the same starting lineup all season. ... The Nuggets announced earlier this week that forward Danilo Gallinari will miss the rest of the season after undergoing a second surgery on his left knee. Gallinari averaged 16.2 points per game last season for Denver. ... Actor Billy Dee Williams was at the game. ' ' '