Author: Kyle Newport

UFC 165: Jon “Bones” Jones Will Have Historic Night

Saturday night will be historic for Jon “Bones” Jones when he goes up against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165.
Entering the fight, all eyes will be on Jones. He has been the most dominant fighter in the sport for some time, and now he …

Saturday night will be historic for Jon “Bones” Jones when he goes up against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165.

Entering the fight, all eyes will be on Jones. He has been the most dominant fighter in the sport for some time, and now he will get a chance to establish himself as the greatest fighter in UFC history.

Everyone has been anxious for this night, including Jones himself.

Both fighters will bring impressive records into the event.

Jones currently sits at 18-1 for his career, and Gustafsson enters with a record of 15-1. The overall records look great, but each of their winning streaks is more impressive. Bones has won nine consecutive fights, and Gustafsson has defeated six straight opponents.

There are similarities in their records at a quick glance, but there is no debating that Jones has the edge.

Fans have argued about who the greatest UFC fighter is. After Saturday night, the debate will be over.

Jones has already made history, and his career is far from over. At 23 years old, he became the youngest champion ever. He then became the youngest fighter to defend his title.

This fight will give him a chance to break a record. He is currently tied with Tito Ortiz for the most consecutive successful title defenses with five. A sixth title defense would set a new mark and move Bones into a whole new level.

The 26-year-old has an advantage entering the ring. He has a reach of 84.5 inches compared to Gustafsson’s reach of 76.5 inches. That’s a big edge with his pure skills.

Jones is an incredible athlete. He is a good striker and does a solid job of avoiding his opponent’s strikes. He is also a terrific wrestler, and his versatility makes it tough for opponents to attack him.

One of his biggest strengths is his ability to finish fights. The moment his opponent shows vulnerability, Bones goes in and ends the fight.

There may not be another fighter to ever have so much talent. At the end of the night, he will have silenced his critics by coming out on top in an impressive victory. Bones will walk away as the most storied fighter in UFC history.

Nobody will be able to deny him of that title.

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Jon Jones Will Establish Himself as Greatest Fighter Ever After UFC 165

After this weekend’s UFC 165, Jon “Bones” Jones will have established himself as the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.
There may be some debate right now, but he has the opportunity to silence his critics on Saturday.
Alexander Gustafsson w…

After this weekend’s UFC 165, Jon “Bones” Jones will have established himself as the greatest fighter in the history of the sport.

There may be some debate right now, but he has the opportunity to silence his critics on Saturday.

Alexander Gustafsson will provide Jones with a big challenge. Some of Jones’ recent opponents have been on the smaller side, but Gustafsson has the size advantage in this one. The 6’5″ fighter is 15-1 in his career and will have to end this fight early in order to have any chance. 

Jones will be able to overpower his opponent. At 6’4″, he will rely on his skills to take down Gustafsson. Once they are no longer standing, Jones is great at getting submissions. He has done so against tough opponents before, so this will be nothing new.

The 26-year-old comes into this fight at 18-1 and has won nine consecutive fights. He is a great wrestler who can take down anyone he faces. Once the fighters are off their feet, it’s over.

Bones has already beaten five former world champions, and he has made history often throughout his career. At 23 years old, he was the youngest fighter to ever win a UFC title. He then became the youngest fighter to ever defend his title.

Right now, Jones is tied with Tito Ortiz for the most title defenses ever. Both currently sit at five, so Jones can move ahead with a victory on Saturday.

The light heavyweight champion has nothing to prove at this point in his career. Most fighters would love to have accomplished what he has by the end of their career, let alone so early.

Not many fighters will have a real chance to beat the 205-pound fighter. He is at the top of his game right now, and he continues to make history.

All of his prior accomplishments have led up to this fight. Everyone has been speculating as to who the greatest fighter ever is, but there will be no doubt after this weekend.

Jones will easily defeat Gustafsson and add to his legacy in UFC 165. His incredible run of title defenses will continue, and Ortiz will be behind the champion. Jones will go down as the greatest fighter in UFC history, and this will be the fight that ends the debate.

 

*All information is courtesy of UFC.com

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Teixeira vs. Bader: Teixeira Sends Message to Rest of UFC with First-Round TKO

Glover Teixeira sent a message to the rest of the UFC by knocking out Ryan Bader in the first round on Wednesday night in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
That message? Teixeira is for real.
UFC Fight Night 28 was a short one for Bader. He fell to 15-4 in …

Glover Teixeira sent a message to the rest of the UFC by knocking out Ryan Bader in the first round on Wednesday night in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

That message? Teixeira is for real.

UFC Fight Night 28 was a short one for Bader. He fell to 15-4 in his career after being knocked out, but the story was all about the victor and what his win means moving forward.

Teixeira has now won 20 consecutive fights, including three this year. He improved to 22-2 in his career, and it was the 13th time that he won via knockout.

Bader was the toughest opponent Teixeira has ever faced, so the result is even more impressive.

Teixeira’s aggressive style helped him earn the knockout, as he took control of the middle of the Octagon from the beginning. However, Bader was ready for it and actually looked like he might be able to stay with his opponent.

He tried to take down Teixeira early on but was unsuccessful. The fighters did end up on the ground after Teixeira countered with his own takedown. Bader landed a punch with his right hand shortly after the two got on their feet, but that was the 30-year-old’s last chance in this fight.

It was a strong comeback by Teixeira. The 6’2″ fighter was stunned by Bader‘s aggressive tactics, but he didn’t back down. Rather, he adjusted to his opponent. The two started exchanging blows, and he was able to send Bader to the mat. From there, it was just a matter of time before the fight ended, which it did at 2:55.

The result earned high praise from UFC president Dana White:

Wednesday’s fight was a chance for Teixeira to send a message to the rest of the UFC. And since he doesn’t have much experience with the organization, he knew he was going to need to be impressive. He improved to 5-0 in UFC fights since he first fought in May of 2012.

Yes, he briefly looked like he might get knocked out. The way he responded to Bader‘s attacks, though, showed that he doesn’t get shaken and proved that he will be able to fight against tough opponents.

Now the 33-year-old is waiting to see if he gets a chance to fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship. The win put him in line to face the winner of Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson. That fight will be on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Teixeira did what he had to in the fight. He was challenged by a worthy opponent, and he was able to extend his winning streak. By knocking out Bader, he told the rest of the UFC that he is for real.

Now that Teixeira has made a statement, his next goal will be to win the belt.

 

All stats are courtesy of UFC.com.

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UFC 159: Money Line and Predictions for Entire Fight Card

UFC 159 will begin Sunday evening in New Jersey, and here’s a preview of things to come.Just at a first glance of the card, it looks like this will be an entertaining night in the Octagon. There will be good bouts all night, so be sure to follow the ac…

UFC 159 will begin Sunday evening in New Jersey, and here’s a preview of things to come.

Just at a first glance of the card, it looks like this will be an entertaining night in the Octagon. There will be good bouts all night, so be sure to follow the action.

Fans want to know who’s fighting who and how to watch. They also want to know who the favorite is going into the fight, so continue reading to find out more information on the card.

 

Betting lines via bovada.lv as of 4/26/2013.

 

Main Card

Jon Jones (-800) vs. Chael Sonnen (+500)

Michael Bisping (-175) vs. Alan Belcher (+145)

Roy Nelson (-250) vs. Cheick Kongo (+195)

Phil Davis (-335) vs. Vinny Magalhaes (+255)

Jim Miller (-325) vs. Pat Healy (+250)

The picks: Jones, Bisping, Nelson, Davis and Miller

It would be a shocker if Jones didn’t win. He is 17-1 because he is so versatile. He uses his length extremely well, and he is just an overall great fighter. Bisping is a solid fighter because he wears down his opponents.

Nelson versus Kongo has the chance to be the best fight. These two heavyweights can use power to win. Nelson wants to get the fight over as quickly as possible, but Kongo has the endurance to go for a while. Nelson is better, so he gets the nod.

Healy is making his UFC debut, and Miller is one of the best lightweights. Miller is 22-4, which is very impressive. Miller will cool off Healy, who is coming in on a six-fight winning streak.

 

FX Card

Bantamweight: Johnny Bedford (-160) vs. Bryan Caraway (+130)

Light Heavyweight: Gian Villante (+155) vs. Ovince St. Preux (-190)

Women’s Bantamweight: Sara McMann (-700) vs. Sheila Gaff (+450)

Lightweight: Rustam Khabilov (-310) vs. Yancy Medeiros (+240)

The picks: Bedford, St. Preux, McMann and Khabilov

The bantamweight matchup is the best of this group. Bedford is a great wrestler, so the advantage goes to him. It’s the opening fight of the night for this card, so it will be full of energy. Gaff is fighting up a weight class, so McMann is going to be the big favorite.


Facebook Card

Featherweight: Leonard Garcia (-185) vs. Cody McKenzie (+150)

Welterweight: Nick Catone (+120) vs. James Head (-150)

Featherweight: Steven Siler (-130) vs. Kurt Holobaugh (even)

The picks: Garcia, Head and Siler

This card could have the closest fights. These bouts all seem evenly matched, especially Garcia versus McKenzie. That fight is a toss-up, but Garcia gets the nod. He’s the better striker and wrestler. Head has good length and submissions, and Catone is struggling right now. Head is the pick in this one. 

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UFC 159 Fight Card: Roy Nelson vs. Cheick Kongo Has the Makings of a Classic

UFC 159 has several good bouts, but Roy “Big Country” Nelson versus Cheick Kongo could be the best fight of them all on Saturday.Nelson will enter as the favorite, even though his record of 18-7 is slightly better than Kongo’s 18-7-2. Fans will be pull…

UFC 159 has several good bouts, but Roy “Big Country” Nelson versus Cheick Kongo could be the best fight of them all on Saturday.

Nelson will enter as the favorite, even though his record of 18-7 is slightly better than Kongo’s 18-7-2. Fans will be pulling for Nelson because of his style.

Both big men will be ready to go in this clash of power. This doesn’t look like it will go the distance, but there will be plenty of punches thrown in the Octagon. 

Nelson hasn’t been knocked out since 2008, and he can slug it out with anyone. The key for him will be to stay aggressive. He needs to be ready to give it his all right away and try to finish it before he wears down. If it goes too long, he could tire out and find himself knocked out.

The 36-year-old likes to use his right hand to win the fight. He has a good overhand, which could cause Kongo some problems.

On the other side, Kongo will be looking for the big blow. Whether it’s a punch or a kick, he has the ability to take anyone out, and he has to be able to keep it clean and use his power to his advantage.

Kongo has been inconsistent in recent matches. He is 4-3-1 in his last eight fights, and three of his past five bouts have gone the distance. He has gone 2-0-1 in those matches and would benefit again from going past five minutes, as his counterpart isn’t built to go the full length.

These two heavyweights are both capable of a knockout, but Kongo’s best chance is to draw the fight out. For that reason, expect Nelson to bring it early on. Kongo and Nelson will trade blows, but it likely won’t go the distance.

UFC 159 has quality matchups everywhere, but this figures to be a very intriguing bout. 

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UFC 150: Benson Henderson’s Controversial Win Overshadows Rivalry

Benson Henderson came away with a controversial victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC 150, and the outcome is taking away from the rivalry between the two fighters.UFC 150 showcased a battle between the two fighters for a second time, and the outcome was t…

Benson Henderson came away with a controversial victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC 150, and the outcome is taking away from the rivalry between the two fighters.

UFC 150 showcased a battle between the two fighters for a second time, and the outcome was the same as the first. 

Henderson walked away from both fights as the victor, but it was close both times. As Fox Sports lists the results of UFC 144, he came away as the clear winner in the first matchup. The three judges all agreed he won, and he came away with a unanimous 49-46, 48-47, 49-46 decision.

The second meeting managed to be even better than the first. 

Jeff Wagenheim of Sports Illustrated breaks down the latest fight, and he believes Edgar should have been named the new lightweight champion.

While two judges ruled 48-47 in favor of Henderson, one judge scored the fight 49-46 in Edgar’s favor. It was about as close as it gets, but the controversial outcome now overshadows the great battle.

Round 1 belonged to Henderson, but Edgar got stronger as the fight went on. Edgar appeared to take command in the fight during Round 4 with a great showing, but two of the judges awarded the round to Henderson. Round 4 was the turning point in the match, but it ended up going against Edgar on the scorecards.

Henderson and Edgar are about as evenly matched as it gets. The first two matches were scored closely, and it now creates even more drama. Whether or not the second outcome was the right decision, the Henderson-Edgar rivalry will be known for the controversy.

This has the making to be one of the best rivalries in UFC, but they will need to move on from this decision. The two fighters could not have had closer fights than what they had in UFC 144 and UFC 150.

One positive may come from this controversial result: a third fight. The close fights will lead to demand for a rematch, and Edgar will be pushing for a chance to win. 

Controversy can set the stage for a rematch, and Henderson also has something to prove. People are questioning the decision of the latest fight, so he needs to show he was the better fighter. 

A third fight will not change the outcome in this fight, but it will allow Henderson and Edgar to battle again to see who is the rightful lightweight champion.

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