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Even before he received the call, Ali Bagautinov had a feeling he would be challenging Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight championship. Gary Sheffield Jersey . Since debuting in the UFC last year, the Dagestan native has made waves in the 125-pound division. After finishing Marcos Vinicius with punches in front of a hostile Brazilian crowd in September, Bagautinov earned consecutive decision victories over Tim Elliott and John Lineker. Immediately following his win over Lineker at UFC 169 four months ago, Bagautinov checked the UFCs official rankings and discovered hed broken into the top five. Since each fighter ranked above him had suffered recent losses to Johnson, Bagautinov knew he was next in line. "I dont know, but for some reason I had this feeling I would be given a chance at a title shot," Bagautinov told UFC.ca through a translator. "I watch all the fights in my (weight class). So I try to keep abreast of everything thats going on." Bagautinov gets his opportunity to dethrone Johnson in the headliner of UFC 174 in Vancouver, B.C. June 14. The co-main event features a pivotal welterweight bout between Rory MacDonald and Tyron Woodley. Also, former heavyweight champ Andrei Arlovski returns against Brendan Schaub. Not only would a win over Johnson be the culmination of all his hard work in both mixed martial arts and Combat Sambo, it would earn Bagautinov the distinction of being the first Russian titleholder in UFC history. The heavy-handed striker also recently became a father, welcoming his first-born son. It goes without saying that a victory would allow him to further support his family. Bagautinov admitted a lot is riding on his fight with Johnson. "First of all, its very important to me that I will go into the history books as the first UFC champion from Russia," Bagautinov said. "It is very important to me, and without a doubt, it will help me provide better for my family. "I think that you will see more and more fighters from Russia (in the UFC). We have a lot of very successful and very promising fighters. I believe that they might be champions and titleholders in different categories, in the future." Though Bagautinov is on the cusp of making a better life for himself and his loved ones, his road to a title shot has been bumpy. A recent report from MMABoxing.ru claimed the fighter failed a 2012 drug test and was retroactively suspended for two years by the International Sambo Federation. According to the article, Bagautinov was flagged for methylhexanemine, a dietary supplement and stimulant commonly found in nasal sprays that is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Bagautinov has since called the report bogus, stating that had he been suspended, he wouldnt have been allowed to compete in Sambo bouts in Russia. He also said the incident hasnt interfere with his training camp. "I never even thought about it," Bagautinov said bluntly. "It did not affect my training. I would say that I did experience some indignation as to why this nonsense suddenly came up. But it didnt damage me or hurt me in any way because I am focused on my training and my preparations." With the drug accusation behind him at least for now, Bagautinov has to get the job done against Johnson, who has proven to be a difficult puzzle to solve. Since capturing the inaugural flyweight championship in 2012, Mighty Mouse has been as impressive as any champion on the UFC roster. Johnsons toughness was on display in his first title defence in early 2013, as he rallied to win a unanimous decision over John Dodson. He then put on a dominant display against John Moraga last July before sealing the deal with a fifth-round armbar submission. In December, he became the first fighter to finish Joseph Benavidez by uncorking a vicious right hook for the stunning knockout win. Though Johnsons speed, footwork and timing have given other contenders fits, Bagautinov said hes figured out the flyweight champions style. "In my understanding, his style is to actually crock up his opponent and then to win during the fourth or fifth round," Bagautinov said. "I think hes trying to play it safe by not risking too much. Hes running around the cage and looking for the ninth corner. The cage has eight corners, so its as if hes looking for the ninth corner, then (he tries to deliver) the decisive strike, with a decisive result." Though Johnsons speed and slick striking are often considered among his best tools, Bagautinov feels his power and grappling will get the job done. "As Ive said before, God willing, if I get the title it will be the result of everything that I have been doing for all these years," Bagautinov said. "You can expect a beautiful and good quality fight." Los Angeles Dodgers Gear . - After sewage backups, toilet overflows and foul smells surfaced the past two years, nothing at the Oakland Coliseum surprises the home team anymore. Brett Butler Jersey . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. https://www.cheapdodgersonline.com/105h-kyle-garlick-jersey-dodgers.html . -- Quarterback Josh Johnson has returned to the San Francisco 49ers and his former college coach, Jim Harbaugh.West Brom defender Jonas Olsson insists the team still has much to play for in the remainder of the season, despite already cementing their position in the Premier League. The Baggies were comfortably beaten 2-0 at Arsenal on Thursday night and face a swift return to north London to take on title-chasing Tottenham on Monday.Having only taken one point from their last five league outings, there have been suggestions the Albion players are already winding down ahead of the summer break. But Olsson, who came off the bench at half-time against the Gunners, is adamant the campaign is anything but over.It wasnt to be for us against Arsenal, but we still have four games and we have to do our very best for the fans who travel to watch us, Olsson said.Its important for the club and for the players to finish well to prepare for next season. West Brom manager Tony Pulis There will be a few players in the squad who will be going to Euro 2016 so they will want to prepare in the best possible way for that.There is still a lot of things to play for.We have to dust ourselves off and come back to London on Monday to play Spurs.A positive result for West Brom at White Hart Lane could hand the title to Leicester, but Albion boss Pulis reckons the team will have to be att their best to take anything from the match. Dodgers Jerseys China. Although he would like to see Leicester become English champions for the first time, Pulis still believes it will take a special effort to prevent Mauricio Pochettinos side coming from behind to nick the title.Pulis said: It is going to be a tough game. Spurs have been absolutely fantastic this year and the job he has done there. He did a wonderful job when he went in at Southampton and he has carried that on at Tottenham. James McClean (centre) scores for West Brom in the 1-1 draw with Tottenham in December They have got a great team that plays together, they are very well coached and they have got some outstanding players.They will push Leicester all the way. As a football man Id like to see Leicester win it but if they dont you couldnt pick a better team than Tottenham.Because its someone different and I think its great for English football that at the end of this year we are going to have someone different lifting that trophy. Also See: Premier League video Fixtures Table Live on Sky Get Sky Sports Get a ￡10 free bet! ' ' '