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LOS ANGELES, Calif. - When Carla Esparza and Jessica Penne agreed to spend several weeks of the summer sequestered in a house with 14 fellow mixed martial artists, they didnt do it because it sounded like fun.They joined the cast of the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter because their sport is growing in ways they never imagined just a few months earlier.After years of training, sacrificing and getting punched for little more than personal satisfaction, they embraced the chance to showcase womens MMA to a new audience, even if it meant living in what Esparza called a combination of a prison and a sorority.Were getting an amazing opportunity I never thought I would see, added Penne, who was fired from her job as a boxing instructor during her stint on the show this summer.In this sport, you go through people not taking you seriously, not being able to pay your bills because youre chasing a dream, Penne said. It gets really difficult. Its a crazy, up-and-down life, but I feel lucky to be able to do something I love every single day. Not many people get the opportunity to do that. Ill suffer while I can to chase my dream.When the UFC added an entire 115-pound womens division this year, the promotion decided to use its long-running reality television show to pick a champion for the first time. The UFC signed most of the worlds top strawweights out of the Invicta FC womens promotion and filmed them living and training together in Las Vegas.The results air on Fox Sports 1 starting Wednesday night, culminating in the title fight Dec. 12.It was a good experience, said Esparza, a wrestler from Redondo Beach. I wouldnt trade it for anything in the world, but I dont know if I would do it again.The visibility of womens MMA has skyrocketed in the last two years with the ascent of Ronda Rousey, the UFCs undefeated bantamweight champion and a budding movie star. Rouseys charisma and MMA skills were the main reasons UFC President Dana White reversed his long-standing reluctance to promote female fighters, and Rousey has become arguably the UFCs biggest star.With Rousey topping a thriving bantamweight division, White decided to double down on womens MMA. Suddenly, 115-pound fighters who had barely made any money after years in their sport had the chance to become reality-TV stars and eventual fighters in MMAs biggest showcases.I had no clue that this was even going to be possible, Esparza said. I started off fighting for pennies. I thought I was going to fight for a couple of years. It wasnt something I could survive on. I was just fighting because I love it.Through all my years of training and competing, I never thought of it as my profession, Penne added. It was just something that I loved to do. I enjoyed and just never really thought of it in that way. I think Ronda did a great service to womens MMA and gave us that catapult to be taken seriously.The UFC appointed lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and top contender Gilbert Melendez as the coaches. Melendez has been a supporter of womens MMA since he taught his first all-women jiu jitsu class in 2004, and his wife, Keri Anne, competes in muay thai.I was never like, Oh, theyre girls, Melendez said. Theyre all gamers. A lot of guys fight for so many reasons besides trying to be a true champion. Some of them fight for what it brings to them. These ladies fight straight because they like it.The strawweights needed the UFC, but the worlds dominant MMA promotion also needs them.Even White acknowledged The Ultimate Fighter had grown stagnant and repetitive after 19 seasons of the same formula. Most seasons showcase up-and-coming fighters from regional promotions trying to break into the big time — and usually failing. The 20th season showcases most of the worlds best fighters in the 115-pound weight class, and a title awaits at the end.The Ultimate Fighter hasnt featured this much top-end talent since mens flyweights and bantamweights joined the promotion three years ago in a season that featured current bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, John Dodson and Dennis Bermudez.I think there will be a couple of stars coming out of this season that can help the company, Melendez said. And they can use it. San Diego Padres Gear .C. Lions signed cornerback Dante Marsh to a contract extension on Friay and released receiver Paris Jackson. Custom San Diego Padres Jerseys . - Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard has signed with WME-IMG, saying the sports management powerhouse will help maximize the value of my brand. https://www.cheappadresjerseys.us/. -- Max Gilbert captured his first pro victory at the Tour Championship of Canada. Wholesale Padres Jerseys . -- Steven Stamkos scored his first goal since returning from a major injury, Ryan Callahan had his first goal with Tampa Bay, and the Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Thursday night. Stitched Padres Jerseys . -- Center Max Unger and tight end Zach Miller are both probable for the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday against the New York Giants and Percy Harvins recovery continues to be slow. HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel had a simple answer for what was working for him Tuesday night. "Everything," Keuchel said. "I felt good with every pitch." Keuchel (4-2) pitched a seven-hitter for his first major league shutout, leading the Houston Astros over the Texas Rangers 8-0. Keuchel struck out seven without a walk. He gave up just one extra-base hit, a double by Adrian Beltre in the first inning, and threw his second career complete game. "When youre able to plus and minus your fastball and have the type of command that Dallas has, hes able to ... cut the ball into the righties," Houston manager Bo Porter said. "He can sink it away from the righties. He runs it in on the lefties. He has confidence to throw his breaking ball, his changeup in any count." It was the second straight start where Keuchel hasnt walked anyone, which Porter said shows his confidence in attacking the strike zone. Keuchel didnt think that part of his line was a big deal. "I dont really think about that," he said. "When I throw strikes Im good, if I dont Im not very good. So I just have to throw strikes and be good." L.J. Hoes and Carlos Corporan each homered and drove in three runs. The Astros were shut out 4-0 in the series opener, but jumped on Matt Harrison (1-1) for three runs in the second before he left with back stiffness. Hoes hit a two-run homer in the inning. "I felt OK warming up, but looking up (at the radar) I noticed that my velocity just kept going down further and further," Harrison said. "Then I knew at that point, something wasnt right." He said he will go to Dallas on Wednesday to visit a doctor. They were up by four before a four-run fifth inning powered by an RBI single by Hoes and a three-run shot by Corporan. The roof at Minute Maid Park was open to start the game, but it was closed during the eighth inning with a storm approaching. It was the first Astros game where the roof was both open and closed since 2006. Houston was up by four before a four-run fifth inning powered by an RBI single by Hoes and a three-run shot by Corporan.dddddddddddd. Texas slugger Prince Fielder was thrown out in the fourth, trying to stretch the first of two singles into a double in the fourth. He was initially ruled safe, but Porter challenged the call and it was overturned. Keuchel struck out the side in the second inning and was helped by his defence turning double plays in the third, sixth, seventh and ninth innings. "He was changing speeds really well," Texas manager Ron Washington said. "And when he had to make a pitch, he threw that sinker. We just could not centre it. Everything we hit, we just kept beating it into the ground. And he kept throwing it, and we just kept beating it into the ground." Designated hitter Chris Carter, who entered the game batting just .168, had a season-high three hits, Jose Altuve tripled and doubled and rookie George Springer had an RBI and walked three times. It was the first time since 2006 that a Houston rookie walked three times in a game. Hoes hit his first homer since opening day, a two-run shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field to give Houston a 2-0 lead in the second. Altuve hit a two-out double before Springer walked. Harrison was replaced by Justin Germano after an RBI single by Dexter Fowler made it 3-0. Harrison allowed four hits and walked three before he was pulled after 1 2-3 innings to tie his shortest career outing. He laboured from the start and had already thrown 55 pitches when he left the game. NOTES: Keuchels other complete game came on June 23, 2012, against Cleveland. ... The Rangers will recall Nick Tepesch from Triple-A Round Rock before Wednesdays game to start the finale against the Astros against Scott Feldman. ... Houston general manager Jeff Luhnow said Tuesday that RHP Jose Cisnero will have Tommy John surgery on his right elbow next week. ... Luhnow also said that reliever Matt Albers, who is on the disabled list with right shoulder tendinitis, has some inflammation and wont throw for the next 10 days. ' ' '