RIO DE JANEIRO -- The sight would send Brazilian fans into a frenzy: Jose Aldo landing knees to the chin and kicks to the head in an Olympic fight. Aldo could bathe in the glory from his home country -- fans swarming him in celebration after a medal is placed around his neck.But mixed martial arts is still angling for an Olympic home even though its a worldwide hit and the components of the sport are already etched into the games elsewhere.The submissions of judo, the strikes of boxing and taekwondo, and strategy of wrestling are summer staples, and karate is on the way to Tokyo in 2020. Top promotions are filled with stars from around the world like Conor McGregor of Ireland and Joanna Jedrzejczyk of Poland. Several fighters have even been Olympians, like UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier and Ronda Rousey, the sports biggest crossover superstar and a judo bronze medalist in 2008.Despite that backdrop, MMA has been locked out of medal competition amid concerns similar to those held by U.S. states that once banned the sport.Its violent. Bloody. Unsafe.Densign White, chief executive of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation, said the sports universal appeal should make it attractive enough to IOC officials to make it an official sport in 2024, though 2028 seems more realistic.White concedes even 12 years could be a stretch as the organization treads through the political minefield of convincing an old guard of decision makers that MMA is not only good for the games, its good for business.Its the politicians that dont understand the sport, White said. Weve been trying to get France to accept MMA and the politicians there say if we get rid of ground and pound, then well allow the sport to take place. Ground and pound is what they find really objectionable.No ground and pound? They may as well get of rid of dunking in basketball.Still, theres no doubt MMA would look strikingly different in a condensed Olympics setting than the format fans know well from spending $60 to watch UFCs pay-per-view cards.I think theres a place for it. I just dont know that the physical makeup of mixed martial arts will allow it, UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier said. Look at boxing. Its three or four fights but its 10-ounce gloves. We only get 4 (ounce gloves). It could work, but wed have to make some pretty significant changes.The mixed martial arts federation has a plan it believes would work:- 32 athletes per class.- Fights would be three rounds of 3 minutes each (down from 5 minutes each in UFC).- Fighters would wear shin guards and 7-ounce amateur gloves.- Fighters would be limited to one bout a day, with the entire tournament finished over four or five days.- The use of elbows, knees to the head, heel hooks or pressure on the spine would be prohibited.At the 2016 IMMAF World Championships, the organization said there were only seven injury byes out of 210 participants in 13 weight categories and 190 matches.There is some blowback but I think peoples minds can be changed, White said. They have to realize that amateur MMA is not the same as professional MMA. ... Its not as violent. Theres less blood.That could mean fewer eyeballs.The UFC already boasts of broadcasts in over 129 countries and territories in 28 different languages, making some fighters wildly famous around the globe. Still, UFC would certainly get a major boost with some of its brightest stars fighting in front of casual fans. Its easy to imagine a tournament loaded with so many stud fighters that UFC 202 would seem like prelim bouts on Fight Pass.UFC President Dana White would prefer to see professionals fight instead of amateurs.Im not a fan of the amateurs, Dana White said. The only thing that makes them an amateur is like two moves are taken away. I dont recognize amateur fights.UFC, by far the dominant MMA promotion, has not ruled out making a harder push to help get the sport into the Summer Games.It takes a lot of money, time and hard work and we havent done that on the Olympic side, Dana White said. If it was a full-time focus for us like everything else weve done, wed get it done.White also knows the next big UFC star could be competing somewhere in Rio de Janeiro.Beyond Rousey and Cormier, Sara McCann and Dan Henderson are among the fighters who made the transition from the Olympics to the octagon.The question that dogged boxers for years at the Olympics has shifted toward medal winners in judo, boxing, and the other combat sports: chase more medals or start going for title belts?Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist judoka, worked as a training partner with Rousey during the Beijing Games and the two have remained tight. The UFC superstar even gave Harrison contacts if she wanted to pursue an MMA career. Harrison said she would consider an MMA career because it comes with perks that amateurism cant match.It potentially could be very lucrative for me, she said.American boxer Mikaela Mayer, who won her first bout Friday, considered MMA before she found boxing. But its on hold for now even though she knows winning big in Rio could brighten her prospects.Theres so much in amateur boxing that I havent accomplished, so much more that I still want to accomplish, that I wouldnt even consider doing an MMA fight, she said. I need to build my own sport, and I feel a responsibility to do that, almost, because we are pioneers of this sport.The IMMAF wont give up, either. It has started the often convoluted process to be recognized under the umbrella of both the World Anti-Doping Agency and SportAccord. Up next, approval from the International Olympic Committee. UFC 500 could be closer on the calendar than a date on the games.We cant say well never get there, Densign White said. This might take 20 years, but were going to get there. Throwback Vikings Jerseys . Terms of the deal were not immediately available. The 26-year-old finished last season with Clevelands Triple-A affiliate in Columbus after signing with the Indians in August. Youth Vikings Jerseys . The Nashville Predators were glad their captain was still on their side. Weber had a goal and two assists, and Roman Josi scored the shootout winner to lift the Predators to a 4-3 win over the Flyers on Thursday night. http://www.officialvikingsnflauthenticshop.com/daniel-carlson-stitched-jersey/ . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Camo Vikings Jerseys . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. Womens Vikings Jerseys . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. MEXICO CITY -- Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler said a green laser that was shined onto the field and into his eyes during the Texans 27-20 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Mexico City was very distracting.Throughout the game, someone in the stadium shined what appeared to be a green laser pointer on the field when the Texans were on offense.Im still gathering information on what exactly took place, but all I know at this point is, when we were out there on the field on offense, there were multiple times I saw a green laser coming from the stands, Osweiler said. There were a couple of times it definitely hit me in the eye. And it was very noticeable.Osweiler refused to say the laser was the difference-maker in the game, but he said, Certainly, having a laser zoomed in on your eyeball definitely affects how you play.Texans heaad coach Bill OBrien would not comment on the laser, saying that was more of a question for security.ddddddddddddTexans players werent the only ones who noticed.Yeah, that was kind of weird, Raiders defensive end Khalil Mack said. I saw that, and I thought I was in the Twilight Zone.Osweiler said he had never experienced anything like that while playing football.Ive never experienced a laser being shined in my eyeball during a football game, let alone a professional football game in the National Football League, Osweiler said. So I think that was certainly disappointing. But at the end of the day, thats not why we lost the game. That was just one small factor. But it certainly affected how I was playing. Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap Stitched Jerseys Disocunt Football Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China NFL Jerseys From China Wholesale Stitched Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store ' ' '