Brian Mazique | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

UFC Fight Night 73: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux Fight Card, TV Info and Predictions

Former Tennessee Volunteers football player and current sixth-ranked UFC light heavyweight contender Ovince Saint Preux will be back in Nashville, Tennessee, Saturday night. OSP will have a great opportunity to earn a title shot when he faces No. …

In the co-main event, there’s an equally compelling lightweight tilt featuring Beneil Dariush and Michael Johnson. The winner of this bout will almost certainly find himself ranked in the top 15.

When: Saturday, August 8 at 5:30 p.m. ET

Where: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee

TV: Fox Sports 2 for preliminaries and Fox Sports 1 for main card

Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass for early prelims

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

OSP Will Smash Through Teixeira

Saint Preux always fights with a ton of energy. Competing in front of Vols fans will only amp him up more. Teixeira is a tough customer who has excellent power and a rarely used background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

To have an opportunity to beat OSP, Teixeira needs to take the fight to the ground. Despite the big power the Brazilian possesses in his hands, he doesn’t have the quickness, explosiveness or length to beat OSP in a stand-up battle.

OSP will enjoy a four-inch reach advantage against Teixeira in the fight. It’s also clear from this Instagram post that OSP isn’t lacking in the power department himself. This is 300 pounds on the hang and clean:

Teixeira usually doesn’t look to grapple much. He averages just 2.32 takedowns per 15 minutes in the Octagon. In the event Teixeira does decide to go for the takedown, OSP has the takedown defense (66 percent) to thwart his opponent’s advances.

This one should be over in the first round as both men look to see whose striking game is superior. Look for OSP to score another definitive victory via stoppage.

Dariush Will Open Eyes With Win

The world is about to find out just how good Dariush is when he beats Johnson in the co-main event. Johnson is a talented and respected fighter at 155 pounds, but Dariush has shown such rapid improvement and excellence on the ground, he’s the smart pick to come up with a second-round submission win over Johnson.

Everything Dariush does is set up by his advanced submission skills, but he’s not a one-trick pony. He proved he’s able to hold his own in stand-up when he faced dynamic kicker Daron Cruickshank in March. He outlanded Cruickshank 27-17 before submitting him via rear-naked choke in the second round.

That win was impressive, but it was nothing compared to what he did in his next fight. Just a month later, Dariush stepped in on short notice and took on respected and dangerous UFC veteran Jim Miller.

The latter is known for his ground game, but Dariush didn’t just match him on the mat; he also got the better of him with excellent transitions and overall high-level grappling.

When Dariush faces Johnson, he’ll be taking on another red-hot fighter. Both men have won four fights in a row, but Dariush‘s overall game is more well-rounded, and he’s headed for the top 10. This win will be the one that hips the world to his legitimacy at 155 pounds.

Now or Never for Uriah Hall

Uriah Hall has the perfect opponent to show off his dynamic striking and finally begin to live up to the enormous hype that surrounded him during his time on the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter.

Hall faces Oluwale Bamgbose, a talented, athletic, energetic and dangerous striker who is making his UFC debut. These two men are similar athletes, and that presents an opportunity for Hall to shine against an opponent who can potentially bring out the best in him.

You might be looking at this funny because I’m comparing someone to Hall athletically. Take a look at Bamgbose for yourself in this quick and devastating win over Brian Booth in June. Notice the crowd chanting “UFC! UFC!” at the end.

You might have watched that and said to yourself, “Heck, I think he’s going to beat Uriah.” You might be right, but this prediction is banking on Hall’s experience seeing him through. Bamgbose has had just five pro fights. That said, this is likely just the beginning of his run in the UFC.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fight Night 73: Teixeira vs. Saint Preux Fight Card, TV Info and Predictions

In the co-main event, there’s an equally compelling lightweight tilt featuring Beneil Dariush and Michael Johnson. The winner of this bout will almost certainly find himself ranked in the top 15.

When: Saturday, August 8 at 5:30 p.m. ET

Where: Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee

TV: Fox Sports 2 for preliminaries and Fox Sports 1 for main card

Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass for early prelims

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

OSP Will Smash Through Teixeira

This one should be over in the first round as both men look to see whose striking game is superior. Look for OSP to score another definitive victory via stoppage.

Dariush Will Open Eyes With Win

The latter is known for his ground game, but Dariush didn’t just match him on the mat; he also got the better of him with excellent transitions and overall high-level grappling.

Now or Never for Uriah Hall

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Glory Kickboxing 23: Holzken vs. Daniels Fight Card, TV Schedule and Predictions

The Glory World Series invades Las Vegas with a card that promises martial arts fans plenty of striking. Nieky Holzken and Raymond Daniels will tangle in a rematch for the vacant Glory welterweight title in the main event.
The card will also feature a …

The card will also feature a four-man middleweight contender tournament and a heavyweight co-feature pitting Xavier Vigney against Daniel Sam. Here’s the full card, per Glory World Series on Twitter:

When: Friday, Aug. 7, at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas

TV: Spike TV (coverage begins at 11 p.m. ET)

Live Stream: Eversport.TV

Here’s a look at the full fight card with predictions:

Holzken Will Win the Rematch

Joe Valtellini vacated the title because of post-concussion syndrome, thus giving Holzken and Daniels an opportunity to scrap for the belt. Holzken has to be coming in with a great deal of confidence. He faced and defeated Daniels via third-round KO in the welterweight contender tournament in February at Glory 19.

Here’s a look at the entire fight, per Glory on YouTube:

Holzken brings a wealth of experience into the Glory ring with 97 pro bouts (86-11) to his credit. Daniels (27-2) will be looking for revenge, but as was the case in the first fight, Holzken’s pressure, strength and technique will be too much for the American to overcome. Psychologically, Holzken holds a big advantage after wearing Daniels down and stopping him in the first fight.

An even faster finish is on tap for the hungry Holzken in the rematch. He will regain the title he relinquished because of injury in 2014.

Vigney Will Slam Sam

When the big boys clash, it’s always interesting, as the fight can be over quickly and brutally. This one won’t deviate from what most expect in that regard.

The No. 4-ranked Vigney is 8-1 overall and 4-0 in a Glory ring. All of his wins have come by KO, and his strength is legit. Sam is a big man with more experience (25-10), but Vigney’s power—especially in his right hand—will chop down the big Brit.

Sam has yet to find success with Glory, and it’s primarily because of his defensive issues. Vigney is not the guy you want to face if blocking punches has been an issue in the past. Sam is just 1-3 with the promotion, and that record is set to get even worse.

Vigney will earn another stoppage win as he climbs the ladder toward a title shot.

Sepulveda for the Win

Four relative newcomers to Glory will have an opportunity to fight their way into the middleweight contender tournament by winning two fights in one night. The initial pairings are:

Dustin Jacoby vs. Ariel Sepulveda
Casey Greene vs. Quinton O’Brien

When the dust settles, the man moving on to the next tournament later this year will be Sepulveda. It’s clear from this awesome image from Glory World Series that he is ready for war:

The powerful Dominican can strike with both hands, and he has heavy kicks at his disposal. His aggressive style lends itself to knockouts. Even when he’s not able to win by stoppage, his willingness to move forward and launch a consistent muay thai attack will be favored by the judges.

Expect him to destroy Jacoby in his first fight via KO and to win a decision against O’Brien in a competitive final match.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Rousey vs. Correia Results: Immediate Post-Fight Comments and Top Highlights

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey’s latest demolition took just 34 seconds on Saturday night in Brazil at UFC 190. Rousey destroyed Bethe Correia to remain undefeated and put a stamp on a grudge match between her and the Brazilian.
Rousey chose to brawl with C…

“Rowdy” Ronda Rousey‘s latest demolition took just 34 seconds on Saturday night in Brazil at UFC 190. Rousey destroyed Bethe Correia to remain undefeated and put a stamp on a grudge match between her and the Brazilian.

Rousey chose to brawl with Correia in an effort to beat the challenger at her own game. From the beginning of the fight, Rousey claimed the center of the Octagon. Her punches had more snap and conviction, and they drove the challenger into the Octagon cage.

Shortly thereafter, a hard right hand caused Correia to face-plant, and the fight was over. J.Cerda has the brutal finish:

Immediately after, Rousey dedicated the victory to her late father and recently deceased WWE legend “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, per the UFC on Twitter. He inspired Rousey to adopt the same moniker.

Rousey‘s dad became a prominent figure during the pre-fight hype.

In an effort to get under Rousey‘s skin, Correia said she hoped Rousey wouldn’t kill herself after she beat her. Rousey‘s father committed suicide, and the champion took Correia‘s comment as a tasteless dig at her family history.

She vowed to make her pay, and based on the results of the fight, it was mission accomplished.

Rousey‘s win not only allowed her to stay undefeated and defend her title, it also earned her another Fight Night bonus, per the UFC on Twitter:

It didn’t take Rousey long start looking ahead. Per Jason Floyd of the MMA Report, Rousey said she’d like to be on the Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo card.

Old nemesis Miesha Tate will be next for Rousey. Tate beat Jessica Eye at UFC on Fox 16 to earn her third chance to beat Rousey. Despite the fact Tate has shown resiliency and that she’s the only opponent to make it out of the first round with the champion, she won’t be given much of a chance to beat Rousey.

Instead, most of the questions at the post-event press conference centered around a fighter who isn’t yet in the UFC. Cris “Cyborg” Santos and Rousey have traded barbs for years, and now it appears the UFC and the Invicta featherweight are trying to come to an agreement, per Floyd:

If Cyborg can make 135 pounds, it would be the biggest event one the UFC’s calendar, no matter when it takes place.

The truth is: the UFC needs Cyborg. There aren’t any legitimate threats to Rousey in the UFC. At this point, every single fighter in the women’s bantamweight division would be a hard sell as a real contender.

Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to see the only fight left for Rousey to have in her career.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 190 Results: Winners and Scorecards from Rousey vs. Correia Fight Card

There were no surprises, just more dominance on Saturday in Brazil at UFC 190. “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey remained undefeated. She defended her UFC women’s bantamweight championship with a lopsided first-round TKO victory over Bethe Correia.
The win took jus…

The win took just 34 seconds to complete. The UFC was quick to congratulate its most dominant champion via Twitter:

Here’s a look at all of the results from the night of fights in Brazil.

Untouchable

Most of the bravado and fighting spirit seemed to be leaving Correia as she walked to the Octagon. The fierceness that she’d shown throughout the hype of the bout was seemingly replaced by nervous anxiety.

When she got to the stare down in the Octagon, she just looked plain scared. Moments later, we’d find out why Correia was so frightened. Rousey not only stopped Correia, she did it by fighting the challenger’s style.

Correia is a grinding brawler and Rousey made it more of a fight than a neat battle of MMA skills. It took twice as long for her to finish Correia than it took to beat Cat Zingano in her last fight, but the performance was just as dominant.

Combination punching and constant pressure told the short story in this one. Rousey put the challenger against the cage and with strikes to the midsection and head. The finishing blow was a right hand to the head that caused Correia to face plant.

How do you know when an athlete has gone to the next level? Stars from every level of entertainment tweet congratulations. Everyone from Nick Jonas to Shaquille O’Neal acknowledged Rousey‘s continued success:

When it was over, Rousey spoke to the UFC’s Joe Rogan and dedicated the win to her deceased father and the late “Rowdy” Roddy Piper. The latter passed away on Friday, per CNN.com.

Rousey‘s father became a central figure in the hype for the main event after Correia said that she hoped Rousey didn’t kill herself after she beat her. The comment struck a nerve because Rousey‘s father committed suicide when she was a child.

Rousey vowed to make Correia pay for her poor choice of words and she did just that on Saturday. A third battle with Miesha Tate is next for Rousey. Tate defeated Jessica Eye at UFC on Fox 16 to earn the No. 1 contender spot.

Quite honestly, there’s a clear lack of formidable competition for Rousey. It speaks to how great and ahead of her time Rousey is in the sport. At this point, she is peerless and most won’t give Tate much of a chance to win the third time around.

Correia will go back to being just another Rousey victim scratching for a piece of the mythical second place trophy. She and every other female fighter aren’t in the champion’s league.

Shogun Takes Rematch

The sequel wasn’t as good as the original.

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira I was a tough act to follow. It was especially difficult to re-create the energy and emotion from a fight that took place 10 years ago. Neither Rua or Nogueira are the same fighters they were when the two teamed together for a true MMA classic.

On Saturday, the exciting moments were kept exclusively to the first round. Rua controlled the early part of the first round, but he got caught with a hard right hand that wobbled him.

Nogueira went looking for the finish, but Rua was able to survive the round. Here’s a look at the sequence, per the UFC:

In the second round, hard body kicks kept Rua in control of the action and he mixed in a takedown to regain control of the bout. It was more of the same in the third as Rua seemed to coast to the win in the final round. Here’s one of the kicks that pushed Shogun to the win:

Neither of these legends would stand much of a chance against younger and more dangerous opponents. It almost makes you think the UFC should have a legends division for the old guys that just won’t retire.

In a perfect world, neither Rua or Nogueira would fight again. In reality, we’ll probably see both men underwhelm us once more.

Biggest Loser

Magny

Many didn’t expect Magny to defeat Maia, but how many thought he would get completely dominated and made to look like a novice? That’s exactly what happened. Take a look at the fight stats, per Jason Floyd on the MMA Report:

If that’s not domination, then nothing is.

Magny had won seven fights in a row coming into the bout, but it was clear the streak was about the competition as much as it was Magny‘s development. He crashed into his ceiling as a mixed martial artist hard on Saturday night.

What’s Next

The UFC comes back to the states for the next show. On August 8 at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, former Tennessee Volunteers football player and current light heavyweight wrecking machine, Ovince Saint Preux will face Glover Teixeira.

The bout is a key clash between fighters attempting to position themselves for the next shot at the title.

In the co-main event, two lightweights riding four-fight win streaks will battle for a spot in the top 15. Michael Johnson faces Beneil Dariush in an intriguing battle between well-rounded fighters. The fights keep coming.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Ronda Rousey vs. Bethe Correia: Keys to Victory for Each Fighter at UFC 190

Trying to find keys to victory for Bethe Correia against Ronda Rousey is like trying to find a way for me to beat Usain Bolt in a foot race. So much would have to happen to Bolt that it’s barely worth even pondering.
For kicks, let’s talk about what Co…

For kicks, let’s talk about what Correia has to do to pull off a miracle in her home country of Brazil in the main event of UFC 190.

Correia‘s Keys to Victory

Be Smart with Her Strikes

Correia‘s striking is the best aspect of her game. She lands 55 percent of her strikes. If Rousey has a weakness, it’s her striking defense. She only evades or blocks 53 percent of the strikes her opponents throw.

UFC light heavyweight champion and Fox Sports analyst Daniel Cormier obviously knows a thing or two about the sport, but it’s hard not to disagree more with his keys to victory for Correia. Per Fox Sports, Cormier says:

“She [Correia] needs to try to overwhelm Rousey with her striking and power. She needs to control the range of the fight.”

The worst thing Correia can do is attack with reckless abandon. We saw what that got Alexis Davis and Cat Zingano. Rousey used their aggression against them, and neither fighter lasted 20 seconds.

Correia has to be smart and judicious with her attack. Prolonging the fight would at least give us a chance to see if Rousey is as devastating late in a fight as she is early on.

Avoid the Takedown Like the Plague

Correia‘s takedown defense has been excellent in her career at 80 percent, but she’s never faced Rousey. Avoiding the rest of the women’s bantamweights’ attempts at takedowns and Rousey‘s powerful and skillful throws are two different things.

If the fight goes to the ground, Rousey will win end it whenever she wants to put Correia out of her misery.

Rousey‘s Key to Victory

Don’t Allow Emotion to Get the Best of Her

Rousey seems determined to make a statement against Correia, but she must guard against allowing this fight to get too emotional. You can watch the path both women have taken en route to Saturday’s clash in the video below.

She’s simply better in every way. Perhaps the only way this bout becomes competitive is if Rousey leaves herself open to take a shot she wouldn’t normally take because she’s trying to put on a show.

Even then, she’s likely tough and resilient enough to recover, but there’s no reason to put herself in harm’s way. As long as she comes to the Octagon to take care of business, Correia won’t make it past the two-minute mark in the first round.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com