Author: Donald Wood

Hendricks vs. Lawler 2: Final Predictions and Odds Before Start of UFC 181

There have been many pay-per-view cards for the UFC over the last year, but few have built as much hype as the UFC 181 show Saturday night from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.
Not only are fans going to witness Johny Hendricks battling Rob…

There have been many pay-per-view cards for the UFC over the last year, but few have built as much hype as the UFC 181 show Saturday night from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Not only are fans going to witness Johny Hendricks battling Robbie Lawler for the UFC Welterweight Championship, but the lightweight title will also be one the line as Anthony Pettis defends against Gilbert Melendez.

Here is the full UFC 181 PPV card with predictions and odds, and a breakdown of one of the fights not getting enough mainstream attention.

 

Odds via OddsShark.com.

 

Underrated Fight to Watch: Travis Browne vs. Brendan Schaub

There are several fights on the card that have the potential to steal the show as Fight of the Year candidates, but the battle between Travis Browne and Brendan Schaub is just going to be a brutal heavyweight bout.

Fans looking for a knockout are most likely to get it in this fight.

Schaub is coming off a tough loss to Andrei Arlovski. The veteran heavyweight had beaten Matt Mitrione and Lavar Johnson in back-to-back fights before the defeat, but he has fallen back down the rankings.

At 31 years old and with three losses in his last five fights, Schaub understands that this could be one of his few remaining chances to make an impact in the division. Proving to UFC President Dana White how important he is in the ring will be a big part of Schaub’s motivation.

Add in some trash talking from Schaub to Browne, via Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com, and fight fans can’t help but get excited for this PPV fight:

Hopefully, he’s 100 percent healthy. Every loss he has, it’s, ‘Well, he did break his hand and foot.’ My left hand was broke when I fought Arlovski, did anyone know about it? Nope. Because I don’t make excuses for that fight. It was pure s—. When he lost to [Antonio Silva], he hurt his knee.

It’s called getting your ass whooped. That’s what it’s called. That kind of s— happens when you get beat up for five rounds. I just hope he’s healthy. I truly believe he’s the most dangerous heavyweight in the world. He’s a handful, and I’m looking forward to this one.

Browne is coming off a heartbreaking decision loss to Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight title eliminator. Coming into the battle, Browne had three straight wins, all coming via knockout and earning the Knockout of the Night honors.

Both men possess the ability to end this fight early, but Browne has been fighting at the highest level of his career over his last four bouts. He may be coming off a loss, but Browne showed his toughness against Werdum and proved he belongs at the top of the rankings.

On Saturday night, Brown should be able to return to his winning ways by knocking out Schaub with his unique mixture of heavy strikes and powerful kicks.

Predicted Winner: Browne via first-round TKO

 

*Stats via UFC.com.

 

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UFC 181 Start Time: Full Card, TV Info, Live Stream and Predictions

UFC has saved one of its best shows for the end of the year, as two championship bouts will headline Saturday night’s UFC 181 pay-per-view fight card.With Johny Hendricks squaring off against Robbie Lawler for the Welterweight Championship and Anthony …

UFC has saved one of its best shows for the end of the year, as two championship bouts will headline Saturday night’s UFC 181 pay-per-view fight card.

With Johny Hendricks squaring off against Robbie Lawler for the Welterweight Championship and Anthony Pettis defending the Lightweight Championship against Gilbert Melendez, MMA fans will be treated to an excellent show.

Here is all the vital viewing information and predictions for Saturday’s big event.

 

Where: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas

When: Saturday, December 6

Start Time: UFC Fight Pass Prelims at 7 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 Prelims at 8 p.m. ET; Main Card PPV at 10 p.m. ET

Watch: Pay-per-view (local service providers)

Live Stream: UFC.TV, Fox Sports Go (Preliminary fights)

 

 

Breaking Down UFC 181’s Most Underrated Fight

The UFC 181 card is very deep, but the most underrated fight of the night is the preliminary card headliner featuring bantamweights Urijah Faber and Francisco Rivera.

Faber is a veteran of mixed martial arts and the UFC’s Octagon, but he looks to be far from done as a viable championship contender. The UFC’s official rankings have Faber listed as the No. 3 contender in the bantamweight division.

After losing in his championship match against Renan Barao in February, Faber bounced back with a decisive submission win over Alex Caceres in his return matchup and looked to still be in elite form.

Faber spoke to E. Spencer Kyte of UFC.com about his approach to the sport despite being 35 years old and his charge back up the rankings:

I haven’t had time to sit back and smell the roses – I’m in ‘Do Mode’ right now. I’m gonna do, do, do, do and when I feel like I’m done with my journey and this path, that’s when I’ll look back and look at the ruins. At this moment, I’m not in the mindset of sitting back and seeing what I’ve done – I’m still doing.

On the other hand, Rivera has faced some roadblocks on his climb up the divisional rankings. Not only is he coming off a loss to Takeya Mizugaki, but he has only fought three times since July of 2012.

Seven of Rivera’s 10 victories have come via KO or TKO, indicating he has the power to be an issue for Faber, but The California Kid knows how to handle heavy strikers. Using his superior wrestling skills, Faber will keep Rivera off balance and control the pace of the fight.

While a fight filled with ground-and-pound action won’t satisfy casual UFC fans, Faber must earn this win to continue climbing the rankings and eventually earn another shot at the bantamweight title.

Faber has the tools to win a decision victory over Rivera and take one step closer to T.J. Dillashaw and the championship.

 

*Stats via UFC.com.

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Hendricks vs. Lawler 2: Latest Comments and Predictions for UFC 181

UFC 181 is one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-views of the year, and the main event will feature defending welterweight champion Johny Hendricks squaring off against Robbie Lawler for the second time this year.
Hendricks and Lawler fought in Ma…

UFC 181 is one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-views of the year, and the main event will feature defending welterweight champion Johny Hendricks squaring off against Robbie Lawler for the second time this year.

Hendricks and Lawler fought in March for the vacant UFC Welterweight Championship, and Hendricks won the fight via unanimous decision, earning the Fight of the Night award in the process.

Now fans are ready for the rematch.

Here is the full fight card with predictions and the latest comments from both main event fighters.

 

 

Breaking Down the Main Event

The battle between Hendricks and Lawler will be the rematch many fans didn’t expect to get this fast. After winning the title, it was revealed that the champion had torn his biceps before the fight and underwent surgery following the event.

With Hendricks on the shelf, Lawler took the loss as another wake-up call and ran through his competition. He beat Jake Ellenberger via TKO in May and followed it up with a unanimous decision win over Matt Brown in July.

Some fighters who win world titles become complacent, but Hendricks has fought Lawler before and understands the caliber of competition he is squaring off against.

Hendricks hasn’t shown any semblance of taking for granted his status as champion, and he told Andreas Hale of Sherdog.com about his approach to title fights:

This whole process I haven’t looked at myself as the champion. This is a fight and as soon as you sign that bout agreement, you are fighting for a belt that’s in the middle and belongs to nobody. I don’t get to take my past fights into this one. As soon as you start believing your own hype, it’s time to retire.

As much as Hendricks appreciates his spot in the UFC, Lawler left the company before and understands what he was missing. As he told Duane Finley of UFC.com that he will do whatever it takes to remain an elite athlete at the top level:

I’m excited to be fighting in the UFC and competing on the sport’s biggest stage again. This is just my time and everything has gone great. I’m excited to be here and I’m excited to be a mixed martial artist. That has shown in my fights and that is going to show again in this one.

I don’t think there was a period where I wasn’t excited to be training and be a mixed martial artist. I think it was more about whatever circumstances I was in at the time. Things just weren’t clicking on all cylinders I guess and we’ll just leave it at that.

While Hendricks can rely on his wrestling skills to make this a ground-and-pound showcase, he understands what puts fans in the seats. He spoke to Hale about his mindset coming into the rematch with Lawler:

I want to be exciting. There’s many ways to make money in the UFC. How many people are around today because they put on great fights? As soon as they step into that Octagon they’re fighting. That’s my reputation and that’s what I want to do: finish fights and keep fans on the edge of their seats.

The hope from most MMA fans is that Saturday’s fight resembles the first battle between these two men. If Hendricks and Lawler stand toe-to-toe in the middle of the Octagon, the ensuing slugfest will be a battle that could easily win Fight of the Night honors again.

Lawler deserves immense credit for contending with Hendricks in the first fight, but the champion is too good to lose his title at UFC 181. Both men will bring their best. But as seen in Hendricks’ fight against Georges St-Pierre, the champion is a physical freak.

Using a mixture of elite wrestling, powerful striking and overall ring awareness, Hendricks will steal the show once again and successfully defend the welterweight title.

Predicted Winner: Hendricks via fourth-round TKO

 

*Stats via UFC.com.

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Tito vs. Bonnar: Top Potential Fights for Both Stars After Bellator 131

In the main event of Saturday’s Bellator 131 pay-per-view, Tito Ortiz (18-11-1) defeated Stephan Bonnar (15-9) by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27) in one of the most entertaining fights of the night.
Ortiz and Bonnar engaged in a bitter war o…

In the main event of Saturday’s Bellator 131 pay-per-view, Tito Ortiz (18-11-1) defeated Stephan Bonnar (15-9) by split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27) in one of the most entertaining fights of the night.

Ortiz and Bonnar engaged in a bitter war of words leading into their fight, and the animosity between the two men helped fuel the PPV. Casual and hardcore MMA fans recognized these two stars and bought into the pre-fight chatter.

Here are the top potential fights for both stars after a successful Bellator 131.

 

Tito Ortiz vs. Muhammed Lawal

Ortiz has now won two fights since joining Bellator, but he needs another true test before entering the Light Heavyweight Championship conversation. One intriguing option would be Muhammed Lawal.

Lawal lost to Quinton Jackson in the finals of the light heavyweight No. 1 contender tournament earlier this year but has bounced back for two straight wins over Dustin Jacoby and Joe Vedepo. Lawal also needs another big win before entering the title scene.

After both men won their respective fight Saturday, Lawal called out Ortiz, via MMAFighting.com, saying, “Now if you want some, you get some. I’m just saying. You fought Bonnar and Bonnar has been gone for two years. That’s fine. I’ll Django your ass. Straight up, Django. I will bust your ass, straight up. I’m serious.”

Ortiz was connected to a fight with Jackson before a neck injury, but Bellator would be wise to spread its biggest names out on the same card. Eventually, Ortiz and Jackson could fight each other, but Bellator should be looking for two main events instead of just one.

 

Stephan Bonnar vs. Quinton Jackson

Bonnar didn’t look great in his return to MMA, but it had been over two years since his last fight. At 37 years old, there was no question that Bonnar was going to deal with ring rust, but with all considered, he did well in his first Bellator fight.

The perfect follow-up for Bonnar would actually be a warm-up for Quinton Jackson. Bellator officials understand that Jackson could use another fight before his shot against light heavyweight champion Emanuel Newton, and a chance to beat down Bonnar in a marquee main event would be a smart decision for the company.

Bonnar is not a legitimate title contender, but he has notoriety in the sport and could make for a big name on a PPV card. Bellator should be booking a show that includes Bonnar vs. Jackson and Ortiz vs. Lawal instead of a show that features just one main event.

 

Ortiz vs. Bonnar II

One option not being talked about enough is a rematch between Ortiz and Bonnar. The split decision can’t sit well with Bonnar, and with the mainstream success of the show, Bellator promoters would be smart to tap that well one more time.

Both men are older and have slowed. But the fight had people talking about the company, and that’s exactly what Bellator needs. With a few more well-produced trash-talking segments, the animosity in a rematch could help bring fans back for another helping.

The first fight between these two men was far from a technical masterpiece, but with a few months to prepare and experience against each other, a rematch would make for an even closer and more physical fight.

 

*Stats via Bellator.com.

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UFC 179: Full Fight-by-Fight Results and Scorecards

Saturday night’s UFC 179 pay-per-view featured a great main event between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, but the entire fight card was filled with entertaining bouts.
With Phil Davis earning a lopsided decision win over Glover Teixeira and Fabio Mald…

Saturday night’s UFC 179 pay-per-view featured a great main event between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, but the entire fight card was filled with entertaining bouts.

With Phil Davis earning a lopsided decision win over Glover Teixeira and Fabio Maldonado knocking out Hans Stringer on top of the marquee featherweight title fight, this was one of the most entertaining shows of the last several months.

Here are the full fight card results and a breakdown of the most underrated bout at UFC 179.

 

 

Breaking Down the Most Underrated Fight of the Night

While Aldo vs. Mendes stole most of the headlines, the battle between Phil Davis and Glover Teixeira was a great sign for the future of the light heavyweight division.

Teixeira was coming off a loss to Jon Jones in a championship bout, and he was thoroughly outclassed by Davis on Saturday. As well as Teixeira performed during his winning streak leading into his title match, Davis was the more effective striker and the better wrestler on Saturday night.

Davis was coming off a decision loss to Anthony Johnson and realized how important a victory was to his career. As one of the best wrestlers in the sport, Davis has been a light heavyweight championship contender, but he has lost in some of the biggest moments.

While Saturday’s fight went to the judges’ scorecards, it was very clear that Davis was the winner.

After beating Teixeira, Davis called out a legend in his post-fight interview, via Marc Raimondi of Fox Sports, saying, “Lately they’ve been calling me the Brazilian killer, but I really don’t like that…I have beat a lot of Brazilians and there’s one Brazilian guy I’d like to face and that’s Anderson Silva.”

Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter commented on Davis’ performance:

Teixeira will have to go to the back of the championship-contention line after back-to-back losses, but Davis’ future looks bright once again. One possible fight that could come out of this fight would be Davis vs. Rashad Evans in a rematch from 2012.

Evans defeated Davis via unanimous decision, but the second bout between the men would be a marquee bout that could co-headline a PPV. The light heavyweight division is crowded at the top with Jones, Daniel Cormier and Alexander Gustafsson, and the battle between Evans and Davis would be a great test of which fighter deserves an eventual title shot.

Regardless of who is next, Davis proved once again he can compete with the best fighters in the sport. While a matchup against Anderson Silva looks like a pipe dream right now, there is always a chance Dana White and UFC officials schedule Davis vs. Silva in the future if the American keeps winning.

 

*Stats via UFC.com.

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Aldo vs. Mendes 2 Results: Breaking Down Next Step for Both Fighters

The rematch between defending featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Chad Mendes was the most anticipated fight on the UFC 179 card, and the main event did not disappoint.
Aldo retained his championship via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-4…

The rematch between defending featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Chad Mendes was the most anticipated fight on the UFC 179 card, and the main event did not disappoint.

Aldo retained his championship via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46), but MMA fans are already talking about what’s next for both the champion and Saturday’s challenger.

Here are the full results from UFC 179 and a breakdown of what’s next for both fighters.

 

What’s Next for Jose Aldo

Several fighters in the featherweight division arguably deserve a title shot following Aldo’s win on Saturday, but none more so than Irish star Conor McGregor.

Aldo has been an ideal champion for UFC, taking a blue-collar approach to the business and the media. The reigning champion has never talked too much trash and has backed up everything he has said with elite performances in the Octagon.

Aldo has never fought a challenger as unpredictable as McGregor, though, and the Irish star warned the champion that he was coming on Twitter:

After 18 straight victories, Aldo has done and seen it all inside the Octagon, but McGregor is not your run-of-the-mill challenger. The Irishman has won 12 fights in a row and each of his first four fights in the UFC.

If McGregor beats Dennis Siver in January, Dana White and company officials will have no choice but to give the entertaining a fighter a shot at the title. With 10 of his last 12 fights ending in a KO or TKO victory, McGregor would likely provide a stiff test to Aldo.

 

What’s Next for Chad Mendes

The loss will be devastating for Mendes, but he had an incredible performance. Aldo is the cream of the crop and one of the toughest pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and Mendes deserves credit for going all five rounds and earning the Fight of the Night bonus.

When asked about Aldo landing a clean shot and how he survived the remainder of the fight, Mendes told Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com, via ABCNews.com, “He rung my bell for sure. I was rushing to get my wits back. Holy s—; that was fun. I’ve got to be honest: I was just going so hard that I didn’t know what the hell was going on.”

Now it’s time for Mendes and the UFC to look ahead and see what’s next for the former No. 1 contender. There is no question that he deserves a marquee fight after truly challenging Aldo in the title match, and his next bout will be the most important of his career.

With top featherweight contenders Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson scheduled to square off in November at UFC Fight Night 57, Mendes should be aiming for the loser of that fight as his first bout on the climb back into the title picture.

The winner of Edgar vs. Swanson will be considered one of the top contenders for Aldo’s title, but Mendes will need to win at least three fights to get back into the title hunt. Beating either Edgar or Swanson would be a great first step toward redemption.

 

*Stats via UFC.com.

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