HALIFAX - Back at UFC 160, T. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop .J. Grant showed his championship mixed martial arts credentials by earning a lightweight title shot with an impressive knockout of Gray (The Bully) Maynard.Entering the MGM Grand Garden Arena to Whitesnakes Here I Go Again — his usual soundtrack, chosen after seeing boxer Mickey Ward walk out to it in 2002 — the lightweight from Cole Harbour, N.S., knocked out Maynard in the first round to earn a 155-pound title shot.The first minute of the fight belonged to Maynard, who landed some hard shots. But the rest belonged to Grant, who put Maynard down with a right to the jaw and then swarmed him at the fence. The Canadian fired knees and punches until the referee stepped in to save a dazed Maynard two minutes seven seconds into the fight.Huge, huge victory for T.J. Grant, said UFC commentator Joe Rogan. What an impressive knockout, in the most important fight of his career.The win, his fifth straight since dropping down to lightweight, earned Grant a US$50,000 bonus for knockout of the night and a shot at then-world champion Benson (Smooth) Henderson.Nothing but respect. But hey, I want to fight the champ, I want to be the champ, Grant said in the cage that night. Lets do it.Today, the euphoria of May 25, 2013, seems a distant memory.Saturdays televised show in Grants backyard represents the 56th UFC card since he battered Maynard. And the Canadian contender has not been a part of any of them.Two weeks after the Maynard win, Grant was hit in the head by his training partners foot during a jiu-jitsu session. Later in the session, he used his head to stop a sweep and was hit again.I dont know which one it was, he said of the head blows. All I know is just when I was done training, I didnt feel right.Diagnosed with a concussion, the 30-year-old has not sparred since.A proud, private man, Grant (21-5) is reluctant to do much media these days. He wants to focus on getting well, rather than rehash his medical problems.It has been one step forward, one step back. A frustrating, bumpy road back. And while acknowledging he was on the cusp of being able to secure my future, he is not complaining.Im making improvements, basically, Grant said in an interview this week. Its a slow process. Nothing really new to report. Getting some good direction, trying to do my best.There is no quick fix for a concussion. Every one is different. And unlike a broken leg or surgically repaired knee, there is no set return date.At a news conference in August to promote the Halifax card, Grant seemed more optimistic.Im near the end of it, and Im looking forward to resuming my career soon, he told reporters. I hope to be ready to fight this fall.Summer is over and Grants plans have changed.For me, its just really up and down, hit or miss, he said. Ill say one thing one day and Ill feel good and the next day I wont. Ive decided to just kind of take a little step back, put my career on hold and just do what Ive got to do to get better.Grant looks good, lean and in shape. He works out but doesnt spar. But some days, going to the gym turns out to be a bad idea.You dont really want to go roll around with people when you have a headache.Its doubly painful because training is what he loves to do.And there seems no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes you dont know what you did, he said of setbacks.He follows his sport closely, watching every show he can. And he is grateful for the support he gets daily, often from people he doesnt know.But he doesnt want to be a sad-story poster boy, one of the reasons he has limited interviews.By all rights, his story should be that of a blue-collar athlete who turned himself into a hard-nosed, prickly opponent with multiple weapons, a fighter who dropped down a weight class and became a dangerous contender.There are no airs to Grant, who knows the value of honesty and hard work. But sadly character doesnt factor into concussion comebacks.Grant has had plenty of help in recent months, from medical experts to other athletes. Fellow Cole Harbour native Sidney Crosby reached out to share his concussion experiences.It really meant a lot, said Grant.He tries to apply discipline to his recovery, for example watching what he eats — which he admits wasnt easy at the beginning when he couldnt train. The fighter remains optimistic and has no plans to retire. But he knows he has to put his chosen profession on the side. For how long, he doesnt know.Im know Im going to get back to 100 per cent. I just dont know exactly when thats going to be.The Halifax show represents another missed opportunity for Grant, the flag-bearer for MMA in the region.Anthony (Showtime) Pettis replaced him at UFC 163 in August 2013 and dethroned Henderson. Grant, still not feeling right, then had to withdraw from a scheduled December 2013 title fight with Pettis.On the plus side, Grant has the support of a sizable family. He grew up with four older brothers. His mother was one of nine kids and his father one of 14. At a recent family reunion, he discovered he had 50 first cousins.At home, one-year-old daughter Casey keeps Grant and wife Belinda busy.Shes awesome, Grant said of the little one. Shes tons of fun. Every day is like a new journey. Shes doing something different. It keeps you on your toes.Kids, Grant has learned, are quick learners.They just watch you and they see what youre doing. The next thing you know theyre imitating, he said.Youve got to make sure youre holding yourself to the highest standards, so youre not teaching them any bad habits, he said with a laugh.Unfortunately for Grant, he also stands as a reminder of concussion — a confusing, debilitating injury that is no stranger to combat sports.Athletic commissions routinely hand out medical suspensions to the victim of a knockout. But in a sport where you have to compete to get paid, the pressure to return to action quickly is intense.Grant was fortunate in winning three UFC bonus cheques worth $180,000, which no doubt have helped matters although a hefty chunk of that goes to the taxman. He bought a Nissan Maxima with his first bonus cheque, for knocking out Kevin Burns at UFC 107.Speaking last year, UFC president Dana White said concussions are monitored closely. Often fighters have to be cleared by a doctor before they can step back into the cage after a bad loss.Injuries in training are tougher to monitor, he acknowledged.We cant baby-sit everybody. We cant police grown men, White said prior to UFC 165. We can lay down the rules.If you are on a three month suspension because you were hit in the head or whatever your deal is in a fight and you go back into the gym and start sparring again, first of all youre a moron. No 2, the people who handle you probably dont care about you.Grant knows he is not alone.Im not going to say it doesnt happen in this sport because you see it happen on every fight card, said Grant. Like I said, everybodys different ... some people dont get symptoms. Im just trying to deal with what Ive got right now.---Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter Stitched Hurricanes Jerseys . Price also posted the longest shutout sequence since 1960 at 164:19 minutes. He stopped a combined 55 shots in Canadas final two games and 70 of 71 shots in Canadas three elimination games, allowing only a breakaway goal to Lauris Darzins of Latvia. For his efforts, Price was named best goalkeeper by the tournament directorate. Prices outstanding play is marred only by the extremely strong defensive play of Canadas top six defencemen; Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Drew Doughty, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester. Custom Carolina Hurricanes Jerseys . Wayne and Cindy Tuck of Ilderton, Ont., closed out round-robin play earlier in the day with a 7-3 win over Finland but needed a win over Austria to reach the final eight. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/ . - Frankie (The Answer) Edgar dominated B.SURREY, B.C. -- Stefan Logan had no idea the B.C. Lions running game had fallen on hard times when he contacted his old employer looking for work. The diminutive running back/kick returner spent the last four seasons in the NFL, but didnt get invited to a training camp this year after being cut by the Detroit Lions. Thats when Logan, who played for B.C. in 2008 and was working out on his own, reached out to Lions general manager Wally Buono. "It was just one of those times where I knew I was older and I didnt want to sit there and be waiting, waiting, waiting," said Logan, who was on the field with his new teammate Tuesday after being added to the practice roster. "I didnt want to sit there and just be waiting -- waiting for a team to call." The team that Logan called is one with a ground attack in shambles. After B.C. running back Andrew Harris rushed for just 10 yards in a 31-17 home loss to the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Oct. 4, Buono told reporters at practice: "Our running game, at this point, is almost non-existent." Despite both coaches and players saying all the right things last week about a rededication to running to the football, Harris followed that up with just 31 yards on nine carries in Fridays 40-26 defeat to the Stampeders in Calgary. The Lions have not had a 100-yard rusher since Harris gained 107 yards in a 38-12 loss to the Toronto Argonauts on July 30 -- a span of 10 games. During that time Harris has rushed for 10 yards twice, to go along with totals of 19, 27 and 38. Logan said he was unaware of the poor numbers, adding that he contacted the Lions because they were the only CFL team he had interest in playing for. "I didnt even look at any of the stats. Nothing," said the 32-year-old. "I just knew that when I talked to my agent and talked to my family, I said, If I go back to Canada, I want to go back to the B.C. Lions. "They were familiar with me, I was familiar with them. Still got some of the same guys that were here (from 2008). Once I called them, I was like, Hey I want to come back over there and play." Logan rushed for 889 yards duriing his previous stint with B. Hurricanes Jerseys 2021. C., while also contributing 477 yards and three touchdowns through the air. He also made an impact on special teams, returning 12 punts for 126 yards, and adding 266 yards on nine kick returns. After his inaugural season in the CFL, Logan headed south to join the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he spent one year before joining Detroit for three more campaigns. "Hes obviously still got it. Its an exciting thing," said Lions quarterback Thomas DeMarco. "Management seems to think its a good decision to bring him in and I can see why." B.C. head coach Mike Benevides said he doesnt know if Logan will suit up for Saturdays game when the Lions (9-6) travel to Saskatchewan to take on the Roughriders (10-5) in a key West Division matchup. One thing Benevides is sure of is Logans desire. "The biggest thing about Stefan is just his passion for the game," said Benevides. "He just loves the game. He loves being here, and he loves this place and thats why he chose to come here. "Right now were going to do everything we can to win, because weve got to win." Logan said he will do whatever is asked of him by a Lions team looking to snap a two-game slide that has them in danger of falling out of the running to host a home playoff game. "If were struggling at running the ball, I want to help," said Logan, who was named to the 2010 NFC Pro Bowl team as an alternate. "If were struggling at catching the ball out of the backfield, I want to be able to help. "Im not coming in to be cocky or anything like that, I just want to come in and help us win and go to the playoffs and win a Grey Cup." Follow Joshua Clipperton on Twitter at (at)josh--clipperton Notes: DeMarco looks set to start his fifth straight game in place of injured No. 1 quarterback Travis Lulay (shoulder). Lulay has resumed throwing, but neither he or Benevides would put a timeline on his return. ... Apart from the addition of Logan, the Lions also announced that defensive tackle Mykes Wade and offensive tackle Nyere Aumaitre have joined the practice roster. ' ' '