kepbeen there so many times is a testament to my fighting ability, character and will to win, Bisping said. Ive been there several times,

MIAMI - The convicted ringleader of a smuggling organization that brought more than 1,000 Cubans into the U.S., some of them baseball players including Texas Rangers outfielder Leonys Martin, was sentenced Monday to more than 14 years in federal prison.U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard rejected a request for leniency by Eliezer Lazo, whom she noted was paid $22,000 a month through the scheme — not counting the percentages of any professional baseball contracts the players signed. Prosecutors say Martin paid the Lazo group $1.2 million after signing with the Rangers in 2011.Thats a lot of money, Lenard said.Lazo, 41, will begin serving the sentence after finishing an unrelated five-year prison term for money laundering in a Medicare fraud case. In the smuggling case, he pleaded guilty in August to extortion conspiracy.The Lazo organization smuggled Cubans by boat to Mexico for $10,000 each, more for the baseball players, according to court documents. They would then usually travel to the U.S. border crossing at Laredo, Texas, and ask to be permitted to stay in the U.S.Under the U.S. wet foot, dry foot policy, Cubans who reach dry land in the U.S. are generally allowed to remain while those intercepted at sea are returned to the communist island. Lazos attorney, William Clay, said many of Lazos customers were overjoyed to make it to the U.S. despite the costs.They had gotten what they bargained for, Clay said.But Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Davidson said migrants who couldnt pay were held for ransom by armed guards, often threatened and sometimes beaten. Although Lazo himself did not participate in any violence, Davidson said he was well aware it was going on.This man is not a freedom fighter, Davidson said.The case also provided a glimpse into how Mexican drug cartels get their cut of the migrant smuggling business. Court documents show that in the Cancun area, the Zetas cartel charges Cuban smugglers $10,000 per boat and up to $3,000 per migrant to allow them to pass through their territory and assist in paying bribes to local officials.No evidence surfaced in the case that Martin or any of the other valuable Cuban ballplayers were mistreated. Only Martin has been identified by name in the Lazo case, but other Cuban stars such as Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig have also been smuggled through Mexico.Aside from being free from Cuba, baseball players from that country have an incentive to go to a third country such as Mexico before signing MLB contracts. If they came directly to the U.S., they would be subject to the MLB draft and likely sign a less lucrative deal. Going to Mexico first makes them free agents looking for the highest bidder.Martin, a speedy outfielder, signed a five-year, $15.5 million contract with the Rangers in 2011. Last year he batted .274 and stole 31 bases.Clay indicated he may appeal Lazos sentence, calling it unreasonable because Lazo offered to co-operate with investigators before he was indicted and had only a limited role in the extortion. For his part, Lazo apologized for his crimes through a Spanish interpreter.I am very repentant and remorseful for the crimes I have committed, Lazo said. I am so sorry I got involved in these issues._____Follow Curt Anderson on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Miamicurt Vapormax Outlet Italia .A. Dickey, even though he was coming off a Cy Young Award in 2012. Many felt the Jays would regret giving up righthanded pitcher prospect Noah Syndergaard and catcher Travis DArnaud over the long haul. Vapormax Italia Scontate . Weise will have his hearing with the NHL head office over the phone, while the league has requested an in-person hearing with Kassian. Oilers centre Sam Gagner suffered a broken jaw after getting hit with a high stick from Kassian in Edmontons 5-2 win. http://www.vapormaxitalia.it/. Alfredo Simon lowered his ERA to 0.86, and the Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 Friday for their 16th win in their last 17 games at the Friendly Confines. Nike Vapormax In Offerta . Jets head coach Paul Maurice made the announcement Saturday following the morning skate and confirmed Al Montoya will start in goal against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. Nike Vapormax Scontate . -- Jerry Rice Jr.Michael Bisping has never been one to mince words. The middleweight contender has seemingly made a career of rubbing other fighters the wrong way. Often backlash against the brash Brit is the result of very pointed comments towards other competitors. When hes at his trash talking best, he can burrow himself under an opponents skin with relative ease. As a result, the bulk of his fights in the 185-pound division have been preceded by heated exchanges fueled by bad blood. So it shouldnt be a surprise to anyone that the lead up to his forthcoming bout with last-reigning Strikeforce titleholder Luke Rockhold has been typified by yet another war of words. When the top middleweights hopped on a media call Tuesday, it didnt take long for them to butt heads. Youve got to treat people the way you want to be treated, Rockhold told reporters. It seems like hes a p***k everywhere in life. I dont know what hes not happy about, but Im looking forward to making everyone else happy. Of course, in classic Bisping fashion, The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner didnt let those remarks go unanswered. Luke, I dont know you and I dont care for you, a fired up Bisping responded. We havent shared a single proper conversation. So youre basing your facts, or what you presume as facts, on absolutely nothing, on fresh air. You dont know me as a person. So kiss my f**king a**, you lanky piece of s**t. Ill see you in Australia, you a**hole. Ill put it all to bed then. Bisping and Rockhold will settle their grudge in the main event of UFC Fight Night 55 at the Allphones Arena in Sydney on Sat., Nov. 8. Due to the time difference, the card will stream on UFC Fight Pass in North America on Nov. 7. Though the two have yet to face each other inside the octagon, their beef stems from a sparring session in 2012. Afterwards, Bisping boasted about getting the better of Rockhold, going so far as to proclaim himself the unofficial Strikeforce champion. He later apologized, stating the remark was made in jest, but said Rockhold needs to develop a sense of humour. You cant live your life regretting every comment that youve made, Bisping said. I made a light-hearted remark and it was a joke. If he had a sense of humour he may have got that joke, because I thought that was a pretty good line. Was it a little bit disrespectful? I suppose it was. Thats why I instantly apologized. Do I regret it? No, I dont regret it. I certainly got a good laugh out of it at the time. A calm Rockhold said he hasnt let Bispings words get to him, but admitted hes looking forward to settling the score. Its definitely a bonus to shut his mouth and set the record straight on that note, Rockhold said. I dont like the guy. Im going to voice my opinion and sell the fight. Im competitive as a person, whether were talking or fighting. Im not going to lose at all to this guy. Though bragging rights are on the line between the two, their upcoming tilt will have serious implications in the miiddleweight division.dddddddddddd Currently ranked No. 5, Rockhold aims to make a case for a shot at the winner of next years championship fight between Chris Weidman and Vitor Belfort. Following a KO loss to Belfort in his promotional debut in 2013, the American Kickboxing Academy fighter has netted consecutive stoppage wins over Costas Philippou and Tim Boetsch. He also holds a notable decision victory against top contender Jacare Souza, which earned him the Strikeforce belt in 2011. Rockhold knows theres a lot riding on his fight with Bisping. He may have nothing but contempt for the Brit, but said he wont let emotion get the better of him when the cage door shuts. If you want to see me emotional, go back and watch my Belfort fight, Rockhold said. In the lead up, I was pissed. I was emotional and you could see it in my eyes. Now Im very comfortable and relaxed. Its never going to happen again. Im never going to let emotions get the better of me. Michaels good — I cant take that away from him. Hes technical. Hes got good footwork and a lot of movement. He throws off a lot of people because hes always moving. Hes constantly circling away from the power. He knows what hes doing on the feet. Meanwhile, Bisping, who sits at the No. 9 spot, looks to keep the ball rolling after his impressive destruction of Cung Le in August. Though a victory over Rockhold would only mark his second since dropping a unanimous decision to Tim Kennedy this past April, it would put Bisping back in the title mix, a position hes all too familiar with. Bispings been close to reaching No. 1 contender status over the course of his middleweight stint, but has struggled to get over the hump. Despite suffering a slew of setbacks in the past, Bisping said hes still among the divisions elite. The fact that Ive been there so many times is a testament to my fighting ability, character and will to win, Bisping said. Ive been there several times, but most people only get there once. Ive dusted myself off and come back a better fighter. Ive truly learned from all my losses. Im still as hungry as the first day I put a pair of gloves on. I still want to be world champion. I know I can do it. Im physically in my prime and mentally Im better than ever. I still dream of being world champion and that all starts next weekend. Im one of the top guys. Ive been here a long time and Im not going anywhere. It goes without saying that failure is not an option in either fighters mind. From Rockholds perspective, hes about to put on a clinic at Bispings expense. The difference between our fighting skills is the same as the difference between our beards, Rockhold began. Im just more of a man than him. This, of course, set up yet another trademark Bisping comeback. Theres insight for you, Bisping chimed. He can grow slightly better facial hair, so hes the bigger man and going to win the fight. Good on you, Luke. Well done, youve got more pubes on your face. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '