« Previous

UFC 141 New Years Special features Lesnar vs. Overeem

Published at: 02:11 pm - Wednesday November 23 2011

Getting the fireworks started early in Las Vegas, UFC 141 kicks off when Brock Lesnar fights the menacing Alistar Overeem in the heavyweight division. The two have given a bit of verbal jousting but Lesnar is already looking past Overeem and wants a rematch with Cain Velasquez despite Cain’s loss to Junior Dos Santos.

Lesnar needs to focus on the task at hand if he wants to continue fighting big name opponents as the headliner for UFC events. Overeem is big and looks unbeatable but he does have a notoriously weak chin. The only problem for Lesnar is that he does not have a punch capable of taking advantage of Overeem’s glass jaw.

The undercard features a bout between 11-1 Johny Hendricks and 23-3-1 Jon Fitch. Fitch is the hot hand in UFC at the moment and he can destroy Hendricks in this fight although it will be anything but exciting. Look for a long and rough wrestling match in this one with Fitch prevailing in the end.

Nate Diaz takes on Donald “The Cowboy” Cerrone in a fight that could go either way. This fight will either be an exercise in patience or an all-out war between these two. Count on Diaz talking in Cerrone’s ear the whole time and it will test Cerrone’s discipline the entire fight.

Although this fight is not the co-main event it will be worthy of fight of the night if the stars align and these two decide to battle it out. Don’t take a bathroom break during this one, you may miss the most spectacular fight and climax of the night.

Check the UFC betting odds prior to this end of the year event.

Posted in: UFC by admin Comments Off , , , , , ,

Quinton Jackson faces Matt Hamill at UFC 130

Published at: 05:05 am - Friday May 27 2011

Quinton Jackson Vs. Matt HamillMatt Hamill wasn’t the first choice to fight Quinton ‘Rampage‘ Jackson May 28 in the light heavyweight division at UFC 130. Original opponent Thiago Silva was removed from the card after reportedly failing a drug test. Hamill was selected as the replacement, despite Jackson’s objections. Jackson preferred a rematch against Rashad Evans.

Online free sports picks have Jackson as a -265 favorite and Hamill a +205 underdog.

Still though, Hamill is a formidable opponent who has continuously improved during his career and a strong showing against an established star like Jackson is exactly what he needs to vault himself into the upper echelon of UFC talent. Fortunately for Hamill, his strength as a grappler on the mat just happens to be the powerful Jackson’s biggest weakness.

Hamill, 10-2 in his career, is a strong wrestler who also mixes boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into his arsenal. He has won five straight fights, including wins over Tito Oriz and Keith Jardine in his last two.

Jackson, a former light heavyweight champion, is 31-8 in his career with 14 knockouts. He’s one of the strongest men in the light heavyweight division and his brute strength is an obstacle for any fighter, but a key to neutralizing it is keeping Jackson on the ground. Jackson will have to use his aggressive boxing abilities to prevent Hamill from getting close enough to take him to the ground.

Because Jackson wasn’t particularly pleased that Hamill would be is opponent, it will be interesting to see how prepared he is for Hamill, who is eager to prove himself in a marquee fight.

Posted in: MMA by admin No Comments , , ,

Thiago Alves faces Rick Story at UFC 130

Published at: 05:05 am - Friday May 13 2011

Thiago AlvesAfter defeating Johny Hendricks in December 2010, Rick Story boldly asked for a step up in competition: he wanted to fight Thiago Alves, the third ranked welterweight in the world. At UFC 130 in Las Vegas May 28, Story will get his wish.

Alves is a -210 favorite and Story is a +165 underdog in MMA Betting.

Alves, 18-7 in his career, has 11 knockouts using his mix of Muay Tai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu styles. His quick-strike capability has made him one of the more dangerous fighters in his division. Alves beat John Howard in his last fight at UFC 124, but had lost his previous two bouts, including a title shot against Georges St-Pierre at UFC 100.

For Story, his desire to fight Alves was simple: Alves represents his toughest test yet in his UFC career. Story, whose strength is wrestling, has a 12-3 career record and will head into his fight with Alves on a five-fight winning streak. Story has been on a quest to prove he’s as good as the top competition in his division, including names like Jon Fitch, Alves, St-Pierre and B.J. Penn.

In order to defeat Alves, who is known for his training habits, Story will have to give Alves as little space as possible to avoid the punishing quick strikes that Alves is known for. Story also will have to work to get Alves on the ground as Alves is really strong at takedown defenses.

Posted in: MMA by admin No Comments , , ,

Georges St-Pierre defends title against Jake Shields at UFC 129

Published at: 05:04 am - Friday April 29 2011

Georges St-PierreUFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre will defend his title against Jake Shields at UFC 129 in Toronto on Saturday.

St-Pierre is a -360 favorite and Shields is a +280 underdog in UFC Betting Odds.

St-Pierre, a native Canadian who is headlining the first UFC event in Toronto, is known as one of the most complete fighters in Mixed Martial Arts. His style includes a mix of several disciplines, including Kyokushin, wrestling, Muay Thai, boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His versatility makes him extremely tough to opponents to prepare for, as he’s been able to win by wearing opponents down in stand-up situations, by quick strikes that lead to knockouts and by out-maneuvering them on the mat.

A win for St-Pierre over Shields could lead to a fight against UFC superstar Anderson Silva down the road. St-Pierre has also hinted that he could soon leave UFC to train for a spot on the 2012 Canadian freestyle wrestling Olympic team.

Shields, although an underdog, comes in with the momentum of a 15 match winning streak. His biggest strength is his ability to make opponents submit when he gets them on the mat. Shields is an expert wrestler, but also employs some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing in his arsenal. Shields received his title shot after defeating Martin Kampann at UFC 121 in October 2010.

If Shields upsets St-Pierre, he’d become just the seventh different welterweight champion in UFC history. Georges St-Pierre is a favorite in live betting USA odds.

Posted in: MMA by admin No Comments , , ,

Jeff Lacy Accepts Nick Diaz’s Challenge

Published at: 10:04 am - Wednesday April 20 2011

Nick DiazWithout an uncertainty, Nick Diaz is one of the preeminent welterweight mixed martial artists in the world. Some have started considering him as one of the finest strikers in MMA, based on his most recent fights.

His fight against Paul Daley a few weeks ago was the supreme display of his striking competence to date. Diaz showed that against one of the finest pure strikers in MMA, he was able to strike. Diaz was able to come back, punch well to both the head and body, and ended the fight in the first round, even though he able to recuperate when Daley floored him with his best punch.

Jeff Lacy, former boxing world champion wasted no time accepting MMA veteran fighter Nick Diaz’s challenge. Intentions to compete as a professional boxer known to MMA fans around the world, Nick Diaz recently made his intentions clear and listed Lacy as someone he would be interested in fighting.

Financially, it would be good for Jeff Lacy and MMA bad boy Nick Diaz. The latter fighter certainly has a lot of MMA fans who would pay to watch him box and the former is already established in the boxing world. To beat the veteran boxer in his sport, Diaz will without doubt have a tough time. In the sport of boxing, Lacy has already faced some of the best fighters and he is a perfect rival for Diaz who has been focused on MMA for quite some time now.

Betting odds for the MMA match will feature here as soon as bookmaker prices become available.

Posted in: MMA by admin Comments Off , , ,

UFC 131 – Sam Stout vs. Yves Edwards – Preview

Published at: 10:04 am - Thursday April 07 2011

Yves EdwardsFor UFC 131, the lightweight bout between Yves Edwards and Sam Stout is now official, as the UFC authenticated the bout’s occurrence.

Betting odds for this UFC 131 bout will feature here as soon as bookmaker prices become available.

The two longtime experts will meet for the first time at the event on June 11, each with at least ten fights in the Octagon and they will be headlined by the heavyweight number one contender bout between Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos.

Since a win over Paul Taylor at UFC 121 last October, Stout (16-6-1) will be making his first start. Stout is doing well, winning three out of his last four fights, although he lost the fight before that. Meanwhile in 2011, Stout has yet to compete but he did end off 2010 with a triumph, defeating Paul Taylor via split-decision at UFC 121 last October. With the other victories coming over Joe Lauzon and Matt Wiman, the success was his third in four fights. At UFC 113, his lone loss since 2009 came against Jeremy Stephens. Including three wins in his last four fights, Stout has gone 5-5 through ten appearances in the Octagon since 2006. With Matt Wiman, Joe Lauzon and Jeremy Stephens that stretch included three “Fight of the Night” bonuses in a row in bouts.

This past January, Edwards last competed at UFC: Fight for the Troops 2. Late in the second round of the contest, he earned a remarkable submission victory over Cody McKenzie. At “UFC Fight Night: Marquardt vs. Palhares”, Edwards defeated John Gunderson via unanimous decision earlier to that fight. After a four-year absence, this bout marked his revisit to the UFC.

Posted in: UFC by admin No Comments , , ,

Urijah Faber, Eddie Wineland clash in UFC 128 Bantamweight bout

Published at: 05:03 am - Wednesday March 16 2011

Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland will fight at the UFC event scheduled to take place on the 19th of March. The event will be UFC 128 and will be held in Newark, New Jersey. These two fighters should provide one of the best battles of the night.

Faber is a -550 favorite in UFC Odds and Wineland is a +350 underdog.

Both of these fighters are former champions and will have a chance to put their talents to the test. Urijah Faber will be making his debut in the UFC. He previously was a fighter in the WEC. He was the most famous fighter in the WEC for years, but he will now take the opportunity to put his skills up against the best fighters in the world.

Wineland is also a former champion from the WEC and is going to come into this fight on fire. He has won 4 fights in a row and has really dominated his competition as of late. These fighters will be fighting in the bantamweight class.

These fighters need to take advantage of the opportunity at hand. There is a lot of talk that the winner of this fight may have a chance at the UFC title.

These fighters both have a lot to prove, but there is no reason to believe that their fighting styles will not translate to the UFC. They were both huge names in the WEC and they have high expectations coming into the UFC.

Urijah Faber has a career record of 24 wins and 4 losses. Wineland has a career record of 18-6-1.

Posted in: MMA by admin Comments Off , , ,

Dan Henderson and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante – Saturday Night

Published at: 09:03 am - Saturday March 05 2011

Strikeforce will soon witness the bout between Dan Henderson and Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante on Saturday night at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio to keep the impetus going in spite of a long delay before the next Grand Prix fight.

In this battle, Rafael “Feijao” Calvacante, who hails from Sao Paulo, Brazil, brings his 10-2 record into the ring, with the self-confidence of a champion. In this fight, Calvacante has the youth advantage. He is presently just 29 years old. Back in August, Feijao put in a remarkable performance against the then-undefeated King Mo Lawal. In the third round, he knocked out the former title holder with punches, stealing the belt and the title. In 2009, to earn the Light Heavyweight Championship, Feijao recuperated from an upset loss to Mike Kyle. Although the fight is with another cagey veteran, the same title is now on the line.

Dan “Hendo” Henderson is a former Olympian and an MMA icon. Henderson has achieved everything in MMA by being a concurrent Welterweight and Heavyweight champion of the PRIDE Fighting Championships and UFC Champion. Even at the old age of 40, he will get the prospect to win another title. Henderson can use his experience and talent to outmaneuver Feijao, therefore look for him to focus on his wrestling skills, preferring to take down his younger rival to the mats. Henderson aim is to split his opponents from consciousness with his right hand. He might want to take the fight horizontally although given Cavalcante’s repute for being a terror at range.

Dan Henderson seems to be the favorite to win the bout. In various sports betting odds, the best UFC odds for Henderson to win are -210 and for Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante +170.

Posted in: MMA by admin No Comments , , ,

Jared Rosholt Makes His Professional Debut Against Dee Burchfield

Published at: 11:02 am - Thursday February 17 2011

On February 26th, Jared Rosholt, the younger brother of ex-UFC middleweight Jake Rosholt, will make his professional MMA debut. He will face Dee Burchfield at “Cage Fight Champions presents: Art of War Cage Fights.” The event takes place at Hutchins Memorial Auditorium in Ponca City, Okla.

Jared Rosholt, a runner-up in the 2010 NCAA Championships, was signed by Team Takedown boss Ted Ehrhardt this past July, who helped his older brother making the transition from standout amateur wrestler to professional fighter.

Ehrhardt said, “He’s a pretty good-sized heavyweight. He’s around 265 (pounds) when he’s walking. He’ll end up probably around 280, 285 pounds, and he’s real fast. He runs like a 4.7 (40-yeard-dash). I don’t know, but I’ve heard he’s bench-pressing around 700 pounds. He’s big, he’s strong, and he’s fast.”

In Arlington, Texas, Jared Rosholt currently is training alongside his brother with Cobra Kai Jiu-Jitsu head Marc Laimon in Team Takedown’s 30,000 square-foot training facility.

With an overall record of 125-27 Rosholt finished his collegiate career, which qualified him as the most winning heavyweight in the storied history of the Oklahoma State wrestling program. In the school’s history, the 125 wins also qualify as the fifth-most victories by a wrestler in any weight class.

Posted in: MMA by admin No Comments , , ,

Jake Ellenberger faces Carlos Eduardo Rocha in welterweight bout at UFC 126

Published at: 05:02 am - Thursday February 03 2011

Jake Ellenberger and Carlos Eduardo Rocha will square off very soon in a MMA fight at UFC 126. Jon Fitch was originally scheduled to fight, but Rocha took his place.

Ellenberger is a -325 moneyline favorite in UFC odds.

These two fighters are at very different points in their respective careers. Ellenberger is a seasoned veteran that has already fought 28 professional fights. He is 23-5 in his career and has a 2-1 record in the UFC.

Rocha has not had nearly as much experience, but he has looked great in all of his fights so far. He is 9-0 in his professional career, but he has only fought one fight in the UFC. It is not uncommon for fighters to be undefeated before coming to the UFC, but very few fighters are able to remain unbeaten against the tough UFC competition.

Rocha had an impressive first victory as he put Kris McCray away with a kneebar. He has had a knack for dominating his competition as he has ended fights in the first round in 8 of his 9 competitions. Look for Rocha to come out and fight very aggressively. He has a knack for putting fighters away early and he will certainly try to keep up with his reputation.

The key for Ellenberger will be lasting past the first round. Rocha has dominated his opponents, but it is unclear whether or not he will have the stamina to go multiple rounds. If Ellenberger can just survive he may be able to find the weaknesses in Rocha’s game.

Posted in: MMA by admin Comments Off , , ,
« Previous