Author: Ben Fowlkes

Fighter vs. Writer: UFC 125 Predictions With Sean McCorkle

Filed under: UFCIn the last edition of Fighter vs. Writer, Matt Mitrione and I came to a bittersweet tie. Considering my dismal record in this series, I’ll gladly take it.

But since both Mitrione and I picked Sean McCorkle to win, and since his defeat…

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In the last edition of Fighter vs. Writer, Matt Mitrione and I came to a bittersweet tie. Considering my dismal record in this series, I’ll gladly take it.

But since both Mitrione and I picked Sean McCorkle to win, and since his defeat made us both look like suckers, I thought it only fitting to invite “Big Sexy” McCorkle on for the UFC 125 edition of Fighter vs. Writer.

When told of the way things played out last time, he expressed surprise that I wasn’t able to beat Mitrione, since, as McCorkle put it, “he knows nothing about MMA. You really should have been able to do better against him.”

Clearly, McCorkle hasn’t been following my past performances, otherwise he’d know to keep his expectations low. On to the picks.

UFC 125: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCAn easy way to tell how competitive any given fight card will be is to take a look at the betting odds and look at the average disparity between favorites and underdogs.

For some mismatched cards, the numbers get gaudy in a hurry. F…

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An easy way to tell how competitive any given fight card will be is to take a look at the betting odds and look at the average disparity between favorites and underdogs.

For some mismatched cards, the numbers get gaudy in a hurry. For UFC 125, there’s not a single 2-1 favorite on the entire main card. In fact, the biggest favorite on the pay-per-view portion is Chris Leben, who’s going off a fairly tame -170.

What does that tell us about UFC 125? That matchmaker Joe Silva has lined up an evening of fights where almost anything can happen, as well as one where all our picks could very easily turn out to be wrong. But because admitting the limit of our own knowledge is no fun, let’s go ahead and see where the smart money ought to be on Saturday night.

The Cut List: Who Desperately Needs a Win at UFC 125?

Filed under: UFCWhen we look at the UFC 125 lineup, what we see is a host of fights that are painfully difficult to call. Of the 11 bouts slated for Saturday night, only three feature a fighter coming off a loss.

That’s good news for those of us who a…

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When we look at the UFC 125 lineup, what we see is a host of fights that are painfully difficult to call. Of the 11 bouts slated for Saturday night, only three feature a fighter coming off a loss.

That’s good news for those of us who are hoping to start 2011 off with a night of competitive fights, but it means that the Cut List is a short one this time around, featuring only three fighters who are teetering on the precipice of unemployment.

Who are they, and what do they need to do to keep their jobs in 2011? The answers await you below.

What’s to Become of MMA’s Top Heavyweights in 2011?

Filed under: UFC, StrikeforceMuhammad Ali used to say that the heavyweight champion of the world was the champion of all champions. Of course, it’s possible he was a little biased.

It’s easy to understand the appeal of the heavyweights. It’s the bigge…

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Muhammad Ali used to say that the heavyweight champion of the world was the champion of all champions. Of course, it’s possible he was a little biased.

It’s easy to understand the appeal of the heavyweights. It’s the biggest, baddest kids on the block vying to see who’s tougher. That’s part of why Brock Lesnar – a man who looks like the grown-up version of a high school bully straight out of central casting, crew-cut still intact – has proved to be such an irresistible enigma to MMA fans. The fact that there’s footage of him dancing around in a sombrero and flipping off the top rope probably doesn’t hurt either.

But while 2010 may have been the year of the heavyweight in MMA, with everyone from Lesnar to Fedor Emelianenko to current UFC champ Cain Velasquez rapidly swapping places in the ranks, the division seems to be in tatters heading into 2011.

Antonio McKee: I Should Have UFC Belt by End of 2011

Filed under: UFCAntonio McKee has a plan. It’s simple, really.

“By the end of the year I should have the UFC [lightweight] belt,” he told MMA Fighting. “I’ve got to get through [Jacob] Volkmann here, beat up Volkmann real quick, and after I get done …

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Antonio McKee has a plan. It’s simple, really.

“By the end of the year I should have the UFC [lightweight] belt,” he told MMA Fighting. “I’ve got to get through [Jacob] Volkmann here, beat up Volkmann real quick, and after I get done with Volkmann they’ll think I’m serious and we can start moving forward and making progress.”

See? Nothing to it. After 11 years as a pro fighter, the 40-year-old McKee is set to make his Octagon debut at UFC 125 this Saturday, so of course he already has his future mapped out.

But does he really think becoming a UFC champion is going to be that easy? Seriously?

“Oh yeah, come on, man. I’ve got a four-fight deal, so I’d say that sounds about right. Randy [Couture] won the belt when he was about 44, right? I’ll be 41 by the end of the year, and I think McKee is made of a little better stuff than Randy, so I should have it by then.”

Phil Baroni: ‘It’s Obvious That a Lot of People Are Counting Me Out’

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse ExclusiveAfter 10 years in this sport, no one has to tell Phil Baroni what’s at stake on New Year’s Day.

When you’re a 34-year-old fighter on a two-fight losing streak who just happens to be facing a 23-year-old kid fresh of…

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After 10 years in this sport, no one has to tell Phil Baroni what’s at stake on New Year’s Day.

When you’re a 34-year-old fighter on a two-fight losing streak who just happens to be facing a 23-year-old kid fresh off season 11 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” it’s pretty self-evident.

“It’s obvious that a lot of people are counting me out, the UFC included,” Baroni (13-12), who faces Brad Tavares (6-0) at UFC 125 on Saturday, told MMA Fighting. “You know, they’re giving me guys off ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ they never send me to expos, stuff like that. But I’m thankful for the opportunity to get that all back, and I’m going to start on New Year’s Day and resurrect my career. I’ve done it before; I’ll do it again.”

If he doesn’t, if he loses to Tavares on the UFC 125 prelims, well, Baroni doesn’t really want to think too much about what will happen then.