In a year that already has proved to be massive for the UFC, with one major card after another, UFC 205 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York looks to be the biggest and most important of them all. In honor of such a marquee event, ESPN.com is providing dedicated previews to all 13 bouts on the card, breaking down whats at stake and projecting who will win, along with quotes and statistics for each fighter.Middleweights: Chris Weidman (13-1) versus Yoel Romero (11-1)Odds as of Nov. 7: Weidman -165; Romero +145Dana Whites thoughtsWeidman and Romero is the No. 1 contender fight -- that totally makes sense. This is a big fight in New York. Weidman felt like he and [former UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta] had sort of gone down this road regarding his career and this fight -- and once Lorenzo was gone [due to the UFCs sale to WME-IMG earlier this year], it was my opinion the only right thing to do was to have him and Lorenzo meet and finish this thing. Thats what happened, and now Weidman has a big fight against a nasty middleweight in Romero.Whats at stake?UFC 205 not exactly what Weidman had in mind, but plenty of silver liningsIn recent years, Weidman put in hours and hours of work into the UFCs lobbying efforts to legalize MMA -- and he always did it with a general image in mind.Hed walk out as the main event in Madison Square Garden ... the middleweight champion of the world, fighting out of Long Island ... a belt around his waist and American flag draped around his back.As it turned out, Weidman almost didnt make it to the UFCs first card in Madison Square Garden. He was supposed to fight Luke Rockhold in a rematch for the 185-pound title in June but was forced to pull out due to a herniated disk in his neck.The first three doctors Weidman spoke to advised him to undergo fusion surgery, which would have placed him on a recovery timeline that would have made fighting on Nov. 12 in New York really tough. Weidman eventually underwent a less invasive procedure that required less recovery time but couldnt completely guarantee the pain and nerve issues he was experiencing wouldnt come back. Ultimately, the decision worked out perfectly.Literally, two weeks after surgery, I felt I could do everything again, Weidman said. Normally, I would have just done the fusion, but since its the neck, I kept educating myself and getting different opinions. If I would have done the fusion, the chances of me fighting in New York wouldve been really tough.Even after his health was ruled a nonissue, Weidman still wasnt officially added to the card until the 11th hour, as he and the UFC needed to sit down and hammer out certain aspects of his contract. It actually took an impromptu trip to Las Vegas to meet with the former owner of the UFC to finalize everything. With those two issues settled, Weidman is now focused on reclaiming the title he lost to Rockhold late last year.Im happy with it, you know? Weidman said. Bottom line is that everyone wants more money, no matter what their job is, and everyone always thinks theyre worth more. The UFC met me at a good spot, though, and Im happy.I am next in line. Im next, we all know that.Romero has been inactive in 2016 thanks to a failed drug test last December. The Cuban Olympian originally faced a possibility of a two-year suspension, but he had that reduced to six months when he was able to prove the failure came from a tainted legal supplement.The situation came at a very inopportune time for Romero. The 39-year-old was firmly in title contention, coming off a decision win against Ronaldo Jacare Souza -- his ninth in a row.Based on the fact his suspension was reduced, Romero does feel vindicated in the matter -- although he says hes not taking any chances now after going through the ordeal.When they told me about the positive test, it took me about 10 minutes [to comprehend] because I still did not believe it, Romero said. Steroid use is a lie against God. People do not understand that.We are more careful now. I dont want to offend anybody, but this is what we will do. We will take our own water to New York. I will not take anything from anyone. I have to be this careful now.The current UFC champion, Michael Bisping, recently said he will not fight again until 2017. Prior to that announcement, Bisping had been angling for big-money fights against either Georges St-Pierre or Nick Diaz -- both of whom are considered welterweights.Romero said he doesnt blame Bisping for calling out smaller opponents, because he ultimately is confident with his place in the division. Especially with former champion Rockhold recently pulling out of a fight in November, Romero says a win over Weidman will absolutely lift him into title contention.This is a job, so you think about your money, Romero said. Bisping also thinks that. If you told me, Yoel, Im going to pay you $1 million to fight a shark in water, or Ill pay you $1 million to fight the shark out of water, Id say, Well, bring the shark out of the water, then. You understand? Bisping thinks the same way, but I am next in line. We all know that. I know that I will fight Michael Bisping.Key statsWeidman: 13-1 (9-1 UFC); first non-title fight since July 2012Weidman: 56 percent takedown accuracy, second highest among active UFC middleweightsRomero: 11-1 (7-0 UFC); nine of 11 wins by knockoutRomero: 78 percent takedown defense, fifth highest among active UFC middleweightsBreakdownOne of hardest fights on the card to predict, and close betting odds support that.Romero is a special athlete. His physical gifts stand out, even among the backdrop of his professional peers. His gas tank has always been something of a concern, but he manages that relatively well with extreme efficiency in his movement.Weidman will pressure and should have success doing so, but his guard needs to be up at all times. He made his name against another fluid, dangerous southpaw by the name of Anderson Silva, but Romero presents other things to think about with the Olympic wrestling background. Weidman has more ways to win, but hell always be one Romero left hand away from disaster.Prediction: Weidman TKO, third round.You make the call: Magasin Air Max Belgique . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Air Max Pas Cher Livraison Rapide . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. http://www.airmaxpascher.be/ . The defence is doing its part, too. Drew Brees threw a pair of touchdown passes in the first half and the guys on the other side made sure that was enough, sending the Saints to a 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night. Air Max Pas Cher . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Air Max Pas Cher En Ligne . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. After years of lopsided results in Denvers favor, the rivalry between the Broncos and the Oakland Raiders appears to be heating up again.Both teams are 6-2 and tied atop the AFC West heading into Sundays matchup in Oakland, the 111th meeting between the division rivals. Denver has regularly gotten the better of the Raiders in recent years, winning eight of the last nine since 2011, and the Broncos are 26-7 overall in divisional play over the last five years, the best winning percentage against divisional foes in the NFL in that span.But the Raiders have served notice that they are a different team this season, with quarterback Derek Carr leading a dynamic offense that is averaging 401.6 yards per game, ranked fifth in the league. In last weeks overtime win over Tampa Bay, Carr became the third player in NFL history to throw for at least 500 yards passing (513), four touchdowns and zero interceptions in a game.Hes playing at a really high level, Broncos linebacker Shane Ray said. With all the talk thats been going around the league, with how hes been playing and his number of pass attempts through the game, hes a quarterback that you definitely have to have pressure on or hell pick you apart. Theyve been a really good balanced team as far as running the ball and passing the ball. Derek Carr is definitely making an impression on the league right now.Carr has helped turn Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree into one of the most feared receiving tandems in the league. Cooper had 12 catches for 173 yards, both career highs, against Tampa Bay and Crabtree has six touchdown catches, tied for the league lead.Hes doing some good things this year, Broncos safety T.J. Ward said of Carr. He seems to have a handle of the entire offense and his receivers are catching some great passes from him. Theyre clicking right now.The upward trajectory for the Raiders, who would match their win total from last season with a victory Sunday, has coincided with the arrival two years ago of coach Jack Del Rio, who was the Broncos defensive coordinator before going to Oakland.Were obviously still learning, Carr said Where were at? Im not sure, but were in a good spot. Were heading the right way, but we still have a way to go as a football team.Del Rio said he senses something of a culture change among the Raiders.I think weve changed the mentality here in this building. Thats part of it, Del Rio said. Last year, we learned how to compete and this year were learning how to close plays, how to make the plays that need to be made to win.The Raiders and their high flying offense face a severe test against a Broncos defense that already has shown its mettle against some of the best quarterbacks in the league, beating ssuch stalwarts as Carolinas Cam Newton, Indianapolis Andrew Luck and San Diegos Philip Rivers, against whom the Broncos had three interceptions last week, including one that cornerback Bradley Roby returned 49 yards for a touchdown.ddddddddddddDenver leads the NFL in sacks with 26, and Super Bowl MVP Von Miller ranks second in the NFL with 8.5 sacks. In addition, no team in the league has scored more points off turnovers (80) than the Broncos.Carr said he considers Chris Harris Jr. and Aqib Talib, who will miss his second straight game with a back injury, the best cornerback tandem in the league. Bradley Roby replaced Talib last Sunday and was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.To have them on the same team, its ridiculous, Carr said. I think the world of them. When you study them, theyre very tight cover guys that are very smart. You can tell that they study. You can definitely tell that they know where their help is. They know how to communicate in the secondary, so I think theyre some of the best, not only in this league, but that weve ever seen together.The Broncos, meanwhile, are hoping to get more production out of their offense, which has struggled to achieve balance this season between the pass and the run, most especially since the loss of running back C.J. Anderson to a knee injury.Theres conversation all of the time about how are we balanced-wise? What is going on here? Broncos coach Gary Kubiak said. Like last week, you know youre out of whack. You have to go out there and make plays to win games. The key to balance is you have to run plays. We had fifty-something plays last week and we have to find a way to be more balanced as a group. You also have to do what the defense is telling you to do, too. Its a commitment and one that you have to hang on to, but at the same time, you have to stay aggressive in this league. You have to make plays.The Broncos have had injury issues in their backfield. Beyond Anderson, his replacement, rookie Devontae Booker, had some limitations in practice this week because of a shoulder injury suffered in last Sundays win over San Diego.Denver cornerback Kayvon Webster also had some practice restrictions because of a hamstring injury.Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall could return this week from a hamstring issue after missing the San Deigo game, though he remains questionable.Raiders defensive tackle Stacy McGee (ankle) also has missed practice time this week after missing ast weeks game against Tampa Bay.Cornerback Sean Smith suffered a shoulder injury against Tampa Bay and has been limited in practice. ' ' '