An apparatus of a user equipment, UE, operable to perform uplink, UL, transmissions outside a transmission opportunity, TxOP, the apparatus comprising one or more processors and memory configured to: process, at the UE, an uplink, UL, opportunity received from an eNodeB during a defined transmission opportunity, TxOP, wherein the UL opportunity schedules UL information to be transmitted from the UE on one or more UL subframes that are outside the defined TxOP; initiate, at the UE, a listen-before-talk, LBT, procedure to be performed before the UL information is transmitted from the UE on the one or more UL subframes that are outside the defined TxOP; and process, at the UE, the UL information for transmission to the eNodeB on the one or more UL subframes located outside the defined TxOP, wherein the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: initiate, at the UE, a self-deferral to be performed after completion of the LBT such that the UE does not perform channel sensing until a defined duration of time before the UL information is transmitted from the UE outside the defined TxOP and initiate, at the UE, a second LBT procedure to be performed before the UL information is transmitted from the UE outside the defined TxOP after the self-deferral; or not count down, at the UE, a random backoff counter even when a channel is sensed idle to align the backoff counter such that an expected completion of a backoff procedure corresponds to a start of transmission of the UL information. process, at the UE, an uplink, UL, opportunity received from an eNodeB during a defined transmission opportunity, TxOP, wherein the UL opportunity schedules UL information to be transmitted from the UE on one or more UL subframes that are outside the defined TxOP; initiate, at the UE, a listen-before-talk, LBT, procedure to be performed before the UL information is transmitted from the UE on the one or more UL subframes that are outside the defined TxOP; and process, at the UE, the UL information for transmission to the eNodeB on the one or more UL subframes located outside the defined TxOP, wherein the one or more processors and memory are further configured to: initiate, at the UE, a self-deferral to be performed after completion of the LBT such that the UE does not perform channel sensing until a defined duration of time before the UL information is transmitted from the UE outside the defined TxOP and initiate, at the UE, a second LBT procedure to be performed before the UL information is transmitted from the UE outside the defined TxOP after the self-deferral; or not count down, at the UE, a random backoff counter even when a channel is sensed idle to align the backoff counter such that an expected completion of a backoff procedure corresponds to a start of transmission of the UL information. initiate, at the UE, a self-deferral to be performed after completion of the LBT such that the UE does not perform channel sensing until a defined duration of time before the UL information is transmitted from the UE outside the defined TxOP and initiate, at the UE, a second LBT procedure to be performed before the UL information is transmitted from the UE outside the defined TxOP after the self-deferral; or not count down, at the UE, a random backoff counter even when a channel is sensed idle to align the backoff counter such that an expected completion of a backoff procedure corresponds to a start of transmission of the UL information.