League of Legends developer and tournament organizer Riot Games plans to mandate that all teams participating in its North American and European League Championship Series competitions contractually employ their players and coaching staff beginning with the 2017 season, multiple sources close to teams and the company tell ESPN.By making the change, players participating on League Championship Series professional teams will be eligible for employee benefits, including healthcare and 401(k) retirement plans. Additionally, teams as employers will need to withhold taxes upfront from the players, which has been rare over the past few years as many teams have contracted their players as independent contractors.Currently only six teams -- Cloud9, H2K Gaming, Immortals, Team Liquid, Team SoloMid, and Unicorns of Love -- employ their players as employees instead of independent contractors. The remaining 14 teams in North America and Europe will need to update their business models and infrastructure to comply with the rule change.In addition to the employment change, sources say Riot Games is currently considering increasing the player minimum salary distributed by Riot Games to teams for individual players. Currently, the Riot Games minimum compensation is $12,500 in North America and €11,250 in Europe per player, per split which would equal $25,000 and €22,500 per year respectively. Riot has reportedly not yet decided what the minimum will be.Riot did not respond to a request for comment. Cheap NHL Jerseys .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. Howie Morenz Jersey ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. http://www.canadiensauthority.com/authentic-victor-mete-canadiens-jersey/ . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. Charles Hudon Jersey .25 million option on reliever Jose Veras. Karl Alzner Jersey .Y. -- Canadas Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse have another World Cup gold medal after winning the two-women bobsled race on Saturday in Lake Placid, N. On Saturday, history could repeat itself when Stephen Thompson (13-1) challenges Tyron Woodley (16-3) at UFC 205 for the welterweight title at New York Citys Madison Square Garden.It was more than seven years ago when a karate expert challenged and defeated a wrestler for a UFC title. At UFC 98, Lyoto Machida knocked out Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight strap, inciting UFC commentator Joe Rogan to utter the famous words, Welcome to the Lyoto Machida era.Could this be the start of the Wonderboy Era?The parallels between the two fights and styles used are no doubt, well, striking. And the outcome is something Thompson hopes to mimic as well.His rise to No. 1 contender status in the welterweight division is a vindication of sorts for karate. The long-standing perception that karate is impractical for MMA started to turn when Machida rose to prominence. Indeed, many past champions in recent years such as George St Pierre, Anthony Pettis and Ben Henderson all boast deep karate backgrounds that served as the foundation for their striking, footwork and agility.You see all of those champions, you know they all learned outside the Octagon -- their persistence and discipline to be a champion -- they learned that from karate, Machida says.But considering the widespread popularity of karate around the world and especially in the United States, how did that perception ever begin?The myth of karate in MMAAccording to Machida, traditional karate -- the kind he and his family practice at Machida Karate Academy in Los Angeles -- utilizes many more elbow and knee strikes.Karate, however, had taken on a more sport approach during the developmental days of mixed martial arts, with points tournaments where elbow and knee strikes are frowned upon, as they simply cause too much damage. Traditional karate as a combat sport had gotten, as Thompson says, watered down.Because of this, MMA fighters saw little value in a style that seemed largely for show.You got a lot of schools opening up that stressed doing things that would score points and maybe not as practical for a street situation, Thompson says.So in the early UFC, everyone looked down on it. People would say, those angles and spinning kicks wont work in mixed martial arts, Thompson added. But Machida was the one who really brought it back.Thompsons dad and trainer, Ray, agreed.I think the perception of karate, until the Machida era, was karate doesnt work. Early UFCs karate guys got crushed because they couldnt grapple, says Ray, a former karate and kickboxing pro. Theyd try their kicks and punches and just get taken down. They just got beat up. They had no idea what to do on the ground.The integration of karate into todays MMA offers it a rebirth in the sport. As MMA evolves, the precision and fluidity of a fighters integration of combat disciplines can be the difference between a good fighter and a great fighter.Machida says karate can be very effective in honing a fighters timing and use of distance. Where Machida is a masterful counterstriker with impeccable timing, especially against charging opponents, Thompson is one of the best at using his length -- particularly in his legs.Youre seeing it more and more in MMA, in the movements and stances. Thats my goal, to bring karate back and to help it grow in the UFC, Machida said. But its not an easy technique to learn. It takes a long time to build up the muscles in the front leg and the balance on the back foot. Its not something you can learn in a couple of months.Watch Thompson when hes in his traditional southpaw, or side-out stance. He actually uses his leg as a longer jab. While hes listed at having a 75-inch reach, jabbing with kicks gives him a distinct advantage as he tries to keep the 5-foot-9 Woodley at bay.ddddddddddddAccording to FightMetric, Thompsons 4.7 strikes per minute (SLpM) ranks sixth-highest among UFC welterweights.Wonderboy is a unique guy. His timing is so good -- that is very hard to teach, Machida says.This side-out approach allows Thompson to keep his hands down and come from multiple angles with both his legs and fists, in combinations, hook and head kicks. The position of his hands does leave his head exposed, but thats actually what Thompson wants.You blade that body and [it] gives a smaller target for your opponent, Thompson said. I have my hands down, so you gotta get past my arm to get to my body. You turn straight on doing the Muay Thai, those kicks are straight on and always there [on the body], so thats a lot of wear and tear on you. I think our careers will last longer not taking the abuse, especially the head. That goes for training as well.But that head also serves as a kind of bait for aggressive strikers. As they come in, Thompsons footwork allows him to pivot and counterstrike effectively, and while the front leg seems exposed and ripe for a single-leg takedown, Thompsons improved takedown defense and quick feet allow him to either sidestep or readjust and sprawl.Yeah, Ill leave my head out there just to get guys to throw at it, and youll take one on the nose every now and then, Thompson says. But my feints and head movement are key to making that effective.Thompson has effectively worked karate into an approach that also includes a ground game that has significantly improved since he entered the UFC in 2009. Hes earned a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a first-degree black belt in Tetsu Shin Ryu Ju-Jitsu (Japanese ju-jitsu), but hes probably most proud of how much his wrestling has improved. Thats probably the biggest thing thats different in me since my only UFC loss (to Matt Brown in 2009), Thompson said.Of course, it also helps when former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, a two-time All-American wrestler, is your brother-in-law.Training with the bestThompsons trained with Weidman for several years, but hes been training with his dad Ray since he was 3. Ray Thompson was a champion kickboxer and runs Upstate Karate in their native South Carolina. Thompson also served as the punching bag to older brother Tony and his sister Lindsay, both accomplished martial artists in their own right, but dads influence is unmatched.I remember taking Stephen to UFC 2 or 3 and he was just hooked after that, Ray says.Thompson first toyed with the notion of entering mixed martial arts after working out at Tristar Gym in Montreal, Canada -- the home and training center of Firas Zahabi and Georges St Pierre.Its a career that has suited him well. With such an esteemed pedigree, and riding a seven-fight win streak, Thompson, 33, seems ready for prime time. With that goal in mind, what better place than New York City, where MMA makes its long-awaited debut, for Thompson to put himself on the map.Weidman trains with Matt Serra and Ray Longo on Long Island, and all of them have been major proponents and activists in getting MMA legalized in New York State. Thompson also sees this fight as an opportunity to show his appreciation for all that Weidman has done.I wouldnt be here if it wasnt for my family and my team and Chris, so Im doing this for all of them --and [for] the sport, Thompson says. 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