Rebel Danes barrier trial win ahead of his Hong Kong mission has given his relieved trainer confidence he is ready to perform on the international stage.Gary Portelli admits he was nervous before Tuesdays 1000m-trial at Rosehill which Rebel Dane won narrowly but decisively after overhauling the speedy Thats A Good Idea in the straight.After his win in the Group One Manikato Stakes, Rebel Dane was invited to run in the International Sprint at Sha Tin on December 11, an opportunity his connections were thrilled to accept.I was a bit nervous before the trial, Portelli said.There was a lot riding on it and the last thing I wanted was for him to trial poorly.But now I know he is where he should be and we can go over there knowing he has held his form and Im sure he will race well.Portellis only concern is making sure Rebel Dane is at his fighting weight for the race.He was at 495 kilos yesterday so between now and when he leaves on the fourth of December, I just want to get him close to 500, he said.His normal racing weight is 493 and we want to have that buffer because horses usually lose weight when they travel.A seven-year-old entire, Rebel Dane has maintained his form this spring with Portelli changing his training regime to include trips to the beach for a swim and going over a few small jumps.The trainer said there had also been renewed interest from a couple of studs for Rebel Dane whose other Group One win was in the 2013 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.His Manikato Stakes winning jockey Ben Melham made the trip from Melbourne to ride Rebel Dane in the trial and also partnered his two-year-old stablemate, She Will Reign, in her first official outing in a 900m-heat.Despite Portellis hopes the filly would relax in the run, She Will Reign did what she does in trackwork and ran the field off its legs to win by more than five lengths.Its ridiculous how fast she can run, he said.Shes just a very fast horse and the aim is to start her in the Inglis Nursery.The $500,000 sales-related race over 1000 metres at Randwick on December 17 was won last year by Extreme Choice, subsequent winner of the Blue Diamond Stakes and the weight-for-age Moir Stakes. 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Cris Cyborg Justino will make her second UFC appearance at 140 pounds this weekend. Should she be fighting at this weight, which is difficult for her to make?Jorge Masvidal: I definitely disagree with it. I used to see her back in Strikeforce when I was at 155 pounds, she was just as lean and big as me and I was like, Wow, how does she make 145? To the casual fan who doesnt cut weight and doesnt know, its crazy to even lose one pound. When I was making 155, that was it. I couldnt have made 153 or 154. It wouldnt have mattered how much money was on the line. I was so depleted. When I got to 160, it was like every pound after that was a fight for my life. Book her to a 145-pound fight in the UFC. People will come up to that weight. Theyll say, Man, I dont have to cut at all anymore. Its only going to lead to more fighters at that weight.Okamoto: The whole idea of having her fight at 140 pounds in the first place was to gauge whether she could ever make 135. She made 140 when she fought Leslie Smith, and has since said she wont ever go to 135. I think at this point, you take her word for it. I dont necessarily blame the UFC for some of its previous stances regarding Justinos weight and wanting her to at least attempt a cut to 135, but weve hit a spot here where I think the company needs to promote her for what she is: A 145-pound champion. Let her defend her Invicta featherweight title in the UFC. If she continues to finish opponents in the first round, her star power will only rise and with that will come options. There will be UFC bantamweights who see her as an opportunity that makes sense for them. And if at that point, the three sides need to discuss the possibility of a 140-pound catchweight, then discuss it -- but for a super fight. For a random fight like this weekend? Whats the point?2. UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta has turned down an offer to fight in New York due to a contract holdout. What are your thoughts on Iaquintas decision?Masvidal: Obviously, Ive got a sore subject with him (Iaquinta defeated Masvidal via split decision last year) and I dont know all the details, but from what I heard its pretty crazy. Not giving him any more fight night bonuses, thats f---ing nuts. I commend him. Hes got balls to do something like that. Doesnt matter if you like or dislike a person, were all fighters. We should all want the best for each other. I get happy when I hear somebody has made five million, six million, 10 million. I want to keep hearing that. Thats what we deserve. We risk our lives to put on a show and train year-round. We should be getting paid to where we dont feel like we need a second job. I dont know his contract, but hes standing his ground.Okamoto: Were seeing more and more of these. Former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold just did something similar regarding his next fight. Nate Diaz demanded specific negotiations for his rematch against Conor McGregor. Whether this turns into a full-blown trend or not, Iaquinta cant be viewed as an isolated incident and you can bet plenty of UFC fighters will be paying attention to how this turns out. Personally, Im not necessarily in favor of every single fighter feeling he or she needs to renegotiate between every fight -- but read Iaquintas statements on why he no longer feels beholden to that contract. He doesnt believe he negotiated that deal in a fair environment. Hes not the only athlete under UFC contract to feel this way. There is a big picture aspect to this to keep an eye on.3. Was UFC lightweight Michael Johnson out of line in his postfight celebration over Dustin Poirier last weekend in Hidalgo, Texas?Masvidal: I dont know. Ive done some things too when a round is over. My opponent is down and Ill stand over him.dddddddddddd We play a lot of mental games in this sport. But if the dudes already knocked out, youre not really trying to get in his head anymore because hes already done. I dont know. It was a little overboard. Maybe I feel that way because Dustin is a friend and a teammate, but its fighting, you know? Were always trying to get in each others heads. Its not like [Johnson] is a bad person. Its just, we get in there, this s--- happens. But I did think it was a little overboard.Okamoto: He apologized to Poirier afterwards, which is pretty much the end of it to me. If Johnson had a history of these kinds of celebrations, itd be a different story, but this was his first appearance of 2016 due to a shoulder surgery and his first victory in three fights. Emotions ran high. It looked like Poirier accepted his apology immediately after. There was a lot of energy in this fight -- before it, during it, after it. Ill never advocate against that. Johnson standing over Poirier and shouting at him wasnt a good move in the moment, but I think were safe to move on from it.4. UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez has repeatedly stated he wants to fight Conor McGregor, while president Dana White recently stated Khabib Nurmagomedov is the No. 1 contender. Should Alvarez be allowed to pick his opponent?Masvidal: I dont want to be in trouble for giving an answer, but I think if youre the champion -- a fight like this, first time in New York, Conor McGregor is at your weight and the biggest name? Why not?Okamoto: In general, a champion needs to take on all opponents. I wouldnt advocate for a champion to call out a midtier guy and snub a very obvious title challenger. This combat sport thrives because the best typically fight the best. You dont see a world champion superstar padding his or her record. In this scenario though, I dont see why the UFC would stand in the way of Alvarezs request to fight McGregor. McGregor was already supposed to fight for the lightweight title earlier this year. The promotion gave him that opportunity against Rafael dos Anjos, but the fight fell through when dos Anjos was injured. As great as Khabib Nurmagomedov is, he has just one win in the past two years and that was over an unranked opponent. Hes worthy of a title shot, but hes not the only option that makes sense. You can make a case for McGregor as a No. 1 contender, so if thats who the champion wants -- like Masvidal said, why not?5. Is Chael Sonnen the biggest signing in Bellator MMA history? Why or why not?Masvidal: Yeah, theyve gotten guys like [former UFC lightweight champion] Benson Henderson before who have won a world title, but nobody who is a needle over like Chael. Chaels been in all kinds of controversy since he started his ride, got that Nate Marquardt fight [in 2010], started talking up a storm and really since then hes been one of the most recognizable dudes in the sport. So, its definitely their biggest signing. I would love to hear the numbers on his contract and Chael said theres more to him leaving the UFC, so I would like to know what happened. I dont know, but Bellator is paying out big bucks to a lot of fighters.Okamoto: Yes, Sonnen is Bellators biggest acquisition to date. Some day, hopefully, well look back and say thats false. Well say the promotions ability to sign potential phenoms like Aaron Pico, Ed Ruth, Tyrell Fortune, Jarod Trice, etc. I still think its crucial Bellator proves at some point it can sign and build its own talent (and draws), rather than relying on paying for established ones. But of course, considering what Masvidal said, Sonnen is one of the most absolutely recognizable fighters in the world today. This signing is huge for Bellator. ' ' '