Author: Donald Wood

UFC 168: Predicting Which Underrated Bouts Will Steal the Show

UFC 168 is shaping up to be one of the biggest pay-per-view events of 2013. The main event between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva is stealing all the headlines, but a few underrated bouts have the potential to steal the show.
With Uriah Hall taking o…

UFC 168 is shaping up to be one of the biggest pay-per-view events of 2013. The main event between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva is stealing all the headlines, but a few underrated bouts have the potential to steal the show.

With Uriah Hall taking on Chris Leben and Dennis Siver squaring off against Manny Gamburyan, there is serious potential for fireworks before the main card even begins.

Here is a full slate of predictions and a quick preview of the two most underrated bouts.

 

Uriah Hall (7-4) vs. Chris Leben (22-10)

Both Uriah Hall and Chris Leben are on losing streaks. Hall has amassed two straight split-decision losses—including the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 17—but Leben has really struggled, racking up three straight defeats and four losses in his last five fights.

While Leben’s talents are beginning to decline, Hall has suffered his losses due to inexperience. There is no better lesson in MMA than being beaten, and Hall will return to the Octagon at UFC 168 looking to save his career.

Leben has the experience advantage, but the mileage on his body has taken a toll after so many losses. If Hall can stick to his plan and keep this fight standing up, his elite striking will open up the chance to steal a victory.

Whether it’s a TKO or a submission, Hall will end Leben’s night early.

Predicted Winner: Hall via second-round TKO. 

 

Dennis Siver (21-9) vs. Manny Gamburyan (13-7)

Veteran Dennis Siver is reeling from a TKO loss to Cub Swanson in July, and he will be taking on Manny Gamburyan, who is coming off two consecutive wins. With both fighters evenly matched, this bout has all the earmarks of an instant classic.

Both men are willing to stand and exchange in the middle of the Octagon, and that raises the likelihood of a potentially abrupt finish. While most experts believe both men can go the distance and force a decision, Siver is too good to put this fight in the judges’ hands.

With nine career submission victories, Siver will catch Gamburyan getting too aggressive and make him pay with an early end to the bout.

Siver’s climb back into title contention will start with a win over Gamburyan.

Predicted Winner: Siver via third-round submission.

 

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UFC 168: Predicting Every Fight on Blockbuster Card

The UFC holds several shows each month, and some have a tendency of getting lost in the shuffle, but the vast amount of mainstream notoriety that UFC 168 has garnered thus far indicates this is not your typical pay-per-view.

With co-main events featu…

The UFC holds several shows each month, and some have a tendency of getting lost in the shuffle, but the vast amount of mainstream notoriety that UFC 168 has garnered thus far indicates this is not your typical pay-per-view.

With co-main events featuring middleweight champion Chris Weidman going against Anderson Silva in one of the most anticipated rematches in years and the women’s bantamweight title being contested by Ultimate Fighter 18 coaches Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate, this show will appeal to every kind of MMA fan.

Here is all the vital viewing information for the event, a full slate of predictions and a quick preview of the two headlining bouts.

 

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

When: Saturday, Dec. 28, at 10 p.m. EST

Watch: Pay-per-view

Live Stream: UFC.com

 

 

Chris Weidman (10-0) vs. Anderson Silva (33-5)

Weidman won the UFC Middleweight Championship from Silva in July to end the longest title reign in the history of the company. The victory came as a shock, but it was the manner in which it happened that was most stunning.

Silva was caught taunting, and Weidman made him pay with a KO.

Saturday’s rematch is what MMA fans dream about. Silva is one of the most dangerous men in the world, and the fire under him has been re-lit. He will challenge one of the brightest rising stars in the sport for the championship he feels he should have never lost.

The stakes are as high as they can get.

While Weidman deserves immense credit for seeing through the mental games of Silva and fighting his game plan regardless of what happens, the No. 1 contender is the better all-around competitor in the sport and has the distinct experience advantage.

Silva will avenge his loss and take back his belt.

Predicted Winner: Silva via TKO

 

Ronda Rousey (7-0) vs. Miesha Tate (13-4)

Women’s champion Ronda Rousey is the most dangerous woman in the world right now. With seven career victories coming via seven armbar submissions, there are few in the division who think they can stand toe-to-toe with the titleholder.

Miesha Tate believes she can win, though.

Tate and Rousey have had a bitter war of words on The Ultimate Fighter season 18 as the dueling coaches, and the culminating battle at UFC 168 will result in fierce in-ring display of the true animosity between the two combatants.

While Tate has fought well over the course of her career, using her wrestling skills to her advantage, Rousey’s previous victory in the duo’s first bout in March of 2012 proved she is the superior fighter.

Add in her Olympic-caliber judo prowess, and there is no question that the champion has the technical advantage.

Rousey’s desire and ability to finish the fight early will result in first-round submission.

Predicted Winner: Rousey via Submission

 

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UFC 168 Predictions: Projecting Winners and Losers for Main Card

When UFC 168 goes live on Saturday, Dec. 28, in Las Vegas, the excitement surrounding the main event rematch between middleweight champion Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva will have the MMA world buzzing over the stacked main card.
Not only is the mid…

When UFC 168 goes live on Saturday, Dec. 28, in Las Vegas, the excitement surrounding the main event rematch between middleweight champion Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva will have the MMA world buzzing over the stacked main card.

Not only is the middleweight championship on the line, but the women’s bantamweight title will be defended by Ronda Rousey against her longtime foe Miesha Tate in a rematch of their own.

Add in the three other bouts featuring hard-hitting knockout artists and submission specialists, and there is little doubt that UFC 168 is shaping up to be one of the deepest and most interesting cards in recent history.

Here is all the vital viewing information, predictions and odds for the entire main card and a full preview of the main event.

 

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

When: Saturday, Dec. 28, at 10 p.m. EST

Watch: Pay-per-view

Live Stream: UFC.com

 

 

Main Event Preview and Prediction

The main event of the evening will be the rematch between Chris Weidman (10-0) and Anderson Silva (33-5) for the UFC Middleweight Championship.

Weidman stunned the world when he beat Silva to end the longest title reign in UFC history during the duo’s first fight on July 6, but it was how he earned the victory that shocked fans the most.

With Silva playing the typical mind games with his opponent and leaving his hands out of position to taunt, his lackadaisical approach to the fight saw Weidman throw a series of heavy punches with the last one landing flush on his chin.

The shot sent Silva to the floor, and with one more haymaker to his downed opponent, Weidman forced the referee to stop the fight. There were several experts who claimed Weidman would be a threat to end Silva’s reign, but few expected it to happen in such embarrassing fashion.

After being asked about which strategy Silva will utilize this time, Weidman told Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie about his mindset heading into the rematch:

Some of the questions I hear often are, ‘What do I think Anderson Silva’s going to do in this fight?’ ‘Do I think Anderson Silva is going to be playing around in this fight?’ ‘What do I expect from him?’ I don’t expect anything. I don’t really care, I’m just going in there to fight my fight, so when people ask me those questions, it’s the first time I really think about it. I don’t think about what he’s going to be doing.

Silva contemplated retirement following his first loss since 2006, but he was soon back in the gym training harder than ever for the rematch. Not only did he lose his title in the first bout against Weidman, but he also lost some of the respect he had earned over the years due to the way he handled himself in the Octagon.

That will not happen again.

The Brazilian has been one of the most consistent fighters of the last decade, and he had almost forgotten what it felt like to be handed a loss. With a new focus and a hunger to regain his title, this will be the most dangerous Silva MMA fans have witnessed in years.

Weidman is a great wrestler who has the heavy strikes to make a fighter pay for his mistakes, but Silva is the flat-out more talented competitor. The experience advantage will give Silva the mental edge and should be enough to plant the seed of doubt in the champion’s mind.

Using an eclectic mix of jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai and elite striking, Silva is one of the best all-around fighters in the world. He was caught getting too cocky in the first fight, and he won’t make the same mistakes twice.

Silva will undoubtedly still taunt Weidman as he did in the first fight, but he won’t allow himself to fall into another trap. By using distance as his friend, the faster and longer Silva will keep Weidman on the move and hit him from every direction.

If the challenger can keep the fight standing up and protect himself throughout each round, Weidman will get caught in the Spider’s web.

Predicted Winner: Silva via third-round TKO

 

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UFC 168: Rousey vs. Tate 2 Betting Odds and Predictions

Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey (7-0) squares off Saturday, Dec. 28, against Miesha “Cupcake” Tate (13-4) in the co-main event of UFC 168 and there will be plenty of fireworks in this UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship showdown.
This is…

Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey (7-0) squares off Saturday, Dec. 28, against Miesha “Cupcake” Tate (13-4) in the co-main event of UFC 168 and there will be plenty of fireworks in this UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship showdown.

This is the second fight in the rivalry between these two MMA women. The first bout took place in the Strikeforce promotion for the company’s women’s title and ended in the first round when Rousey forced Tate to submit via her signature armbar.

Now, after serving as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter 18, the two combatants will go head-to-head once again with the championship on the line. The resulting in-ring war has fans genuinely excited about UFC 168 and its co-main event.

Here is all the vital viewing information and a full preview of Rousey vs. Tate 2.

 

Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

When: Saturday, Dec. 28, at 10 p.m. EST

Watch: Pay-per-view

Live Stream: UFC.com

 

 

Co-Main Event Preview and Prediction

There is serious hype around the UFC Middleweight Championship rematch between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva, but there is just as much talk surrounding the women’s bantamweight title fight.

Rousey vs. Tate 2 should be a great co-main event.

These two MMA veterans first met March 3, 2012, in one of the highest-profile women’s fights in the sport’s history. With both stars drawing mainstream notoriety due to their elite ability and good looks, each has helped put the sport of women’s MMA on the map.

The rematch is also coming at the perfect time.

After the success of The Ultimate Fighter 18, Tate and Rousey have successfully told a backstory to this fight that even casual fans can enjoy. Rousey came off as a bully during the production of the competition show, and Tate looked like the down-to-earth person fans could relate to.

Rousey spoke to Jim Rome about why her opponent was put in this fight:

Miesha has a nice ass and she has an ongoing rivalry with me and that’s the only reason she was picked for this fight. The rivalry is why she is even around. It’s not because of her athletic merit. She really has to play that part of it up (rivalry) because that’s all she really has. She has to make it personal because you can’t make it an athletic rivalry because there really is no comparison. I’m an Olympic athlete and she’s a high school wrestler.

With weeks of interaction and tension, the frenzy over the title fight has reached a fever pitch. UFC fans have been forced to take sides in this match due to all of the well-publicized, pre-fight banter.

As much as this fight will draw fans to buy UFC 168, the action in the Octagon will not live up to the hype. Tate deserves credit for her elite wrestling, striking and submission work (it helped earn her 13 career wins), but there is no fighter in the sport more dominant right now than Rousey.

Rousey has seven career victories. While that doesn’t feel overly impressive, all have come via submission due to an armbar. Most credit her ability to force her opponents to tap out to her elite work in the sport of judo.

As one of the best female judoka in the world, Rousey will match Tate’s wrestling ability and use her momentum against her. If the challenger doesn’t shift her game plan of taking the fight to the ground early to a more stand-up-oriented mentality, the champion will dominate this fight as she did the first.

Tate is a great fighter, but Rousey is the most dangerous woman in the world.

Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey via first-round submission.

 

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UFC on Fox 9: Previewing Johnson vs. Benavidez Rematch

When flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (18-2-1) squares off against Joseph Benavidez (19–3) for the title in the main event of UFC on Fox 9, the anticipation surrounding the rematch will have mixed martial arts fans flocking to the televisio…

When flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson (18-2-1) squares off against Joseph Benavidez (19–3) for the title in the main event of UFC on Fox 9, the anticipation surrounding the rematch will have mixed martial arts fans flocking to the television to watch the event.

The show was originally supposed to feature Anthony Pettis vs. TJ Grant for the lightweight championship, but a string of injuries to multiple competitors forced that bout and its alternatives to be cancelled.

Replacement fights are typically a letdown, but after the classic first chapter in the battle between Johnson and Benavidez, this is a bout fans of the sport can rally around.

Here is all the vital viewing information to witness Saturday’s main event, the full card and a preview of the flyweight title fight.

 

Where: Sleep Train Arena, Sacramento, Calif.

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Live

 

 

Main Event Preview and Prediction

The last time Johnson fought Benavidez, the two men were in the finals of the inaugural flyweight championship tournament at UFC 152. After brutalizing each other for five rounds, Johnson was awarded the split-decision victory.

Benavidez enters Saturday’s main event as the hungrier fighter with more to prove, and he will steal the show and the title with a decision victory of his own.

Three wins in a row since the loss to Johnson has momentum squarely on Benavidez’s side, but it’s more about how the No. 1 contender is winning his fights. TKO victories over Darren Uyenoyama and Jussier Formiga via a flurry of punches and knees prove he is a more aggressive striker than he was a year ago.

Add in the devastating knockout of Yasuhiro Urushitani in the semifinals of the tournament, and it is clear that Benavidez is the more powerful of the two fighters.

That doesn’t mean Johnson will just hand over his title, though.

The champion has successfully defended his belt twice in entertaining battles against John Dodson (won the Fight of the Night award) and John Moraga (won the Submission of the Night award).

Johnson deserved the victory in the first fight with Benavidez as much as his challenger, but the circumstances are different now. While Johnson has been feasting on the spoils of being a champion, Benavidez has been forced to scratch and claw his way back into the title scene.

These two men are evenly matched in speed and elusiveness, but the power advantage in the No. 1 contender’s striking will make the difference. If Benavidez can keep Johnson from taking this fight to the ground by countering with his own wrestling abilities, his striking advantage will be enough to get the decision victory and claim the flyweight title.

Predicted Winner: Joseph Benavidez via unanimous decision.

 

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UFC Fight Night 33: Last-Second Preview for Friday’s Event

For the first time in UFC history, the company will travel to Brisbane, Australia for Friday night’s UFC Fight Night 33.
The nationally televised show will feature an exciting main event between Mark Hunt (9-8) and Antonio “Bigfoot” S…

For the first time in UFC history, the company will travel to Brisbane, Australia for Friday night’s UFC Fight Night 33.

The nationally televised show will feature an exciting main event between Mark Hunt (9-8) and Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva (18-5). Both men are coming off knockout losses at UFC 160 and will be looking for a dominant win to re-enter the heavyweight title picture.

With a card full of quality fights, this is the kind of secondary show that the UFC needs to continue building excitement for the key pay-per-view events. Here is all the vital viewing information MMA fans need to enjoy Friday’s event.

 

Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

When: Friday, Dec. 6 at 9 p.m. ET

Watch: Fox Sports 1

Live Stream: Fox Sports Live

 

 

Main Event Preview and Prediction

On paper, the main event between Silva and Hunt is not the flashy matchup UFC fans were hoping for. In reality, though, both of these men are fighting for their careers, and the in-ring competition has the earmarks of becoming a brutal battle.

This fight will end in a TKO. Guaranteed.

As well as Hunt was fighting heading into his bout with former heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos—he had won four consecutive matchups—the devastating knockout loss in the biggest challenge of his career will be a blow the 39-year-old doesn’t overcome.

While Silva is coming off a loss of his own, it came against the greatest fighter in the sport today, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. Bigfoot’s two previous knockout wins over Travis Browne and Alistair Overeem indicate that he is still one of the most dangerous strikers in the division.

Silva will have the chance to prove he has plenty of fight left in the tank by taking down a bona fide tough guy like Hunt in front of his home crowd. If Bigfoot can overcome the odds once again by using his heavy striking and ground attack, his ascension back to the heavyweight title scene will begin.

The former No. 1 contender would likely have to amass another main event victory before earning another shot at Velasquez and the heavyweight title, but the road back to the top runs through Hunt.

Before Silva looks too far ahead, he must take down Friday’s challenger first.

Predicted Winner: Antonio Silva via second-round TKO.

 

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