Author: Nate Lawson

UFC on Fox 8 Ellenberger vs. MacDonald Round-by-Round Recap and Analysis

UFC on Fox 8 takes place Saturday night from Seattle’s KeyArena, and a co-main event between Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger serves as a highlight for the event. 
The younger MacDonald enters the fight as more than a 2:1 favorite, but Ellenber…

UFC on Fox 8 takes place Saturday night from Seattle’s KeyArena, and a co-main event between Rory MacDonald and Jake Ellenberger serves as a highlight for the event. 

The younger MacDonald enters the fight as more than a 2:1 favorite, but Ellenberger has attempted to get in his opponent’s head, taking to Twitter to ignite a war of words.

The winner of this fight could (and almost certainly should) be next in line for a shot at the welterweight title.

Check back here tonight for round-by-round results and analysis from Ellenberger vs. MacDonald.

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Handicapping the Odds for Every Main Card Fight at UFC on Fox 8

The UFC returns to free television this Saturday with UFC on Fox 8, and we are taking a look at the odds heading into the final card of July.
The event features a flyweight title fight between champion Demetrious Johnson and top contender John Moraga, …

The UFC returns to free television this Saturday with UFC on Fox 8, and we are taking a look at the odds heading into the final card of July.

The event features a flyweight title fight between champion Demetrious Johnson and top contender John Moraga, while the co-main event is a welterweight contest between contenders Jake Ellenberger and Rory MacDonald.

For those looking to get a bit more involved in the action, the betting lines for the main card fights are in, and we’ve got all the odds right here. 

Find out where the value lies for this card as we handicap all four main card fights. 

In advance, best of luck to everyone.

*All odds courtesy of Bovada.

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UFC: 5 Fighters Poised to Make a Run at the Welterweight Title

While the middleweight title changed hands at UFC 162, the welterweight belt remains wrapped tightly around the waist of Georges St-Pierre. But there are several contenders in the 170-pound division prepared to make a run at the division’s gold.&…

While the middleweight title changed hands at UFC 162, the welterweight belt remains wrapped tightly around the waist of Georges St-Pierre. But there are several contenders in the 170-pound division prepared to make a run at the division’s gold. 

Next in line for a shot at the title is Johny Hendricks, a powerful wrestler who has battered his way to top contention. He will not be included in this list, considering he has already made his run to a matchup against GSP.

The fighters who do make this list, however, are those still on their way up in the division. These welterweights boast the most potential, good standing in the division, a strong body of work and, in most cases, all three. 

Please note that this is not a list of prospects who could make a run, considering said prospects likely find themselves a few years out of title contention. Instead, the fighters included are those who could conceivably fight for the belt within the next 12 to 24 months, and preferably sooner rather than later.  Here are the top welterweights poised to make a run at the title.  

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UFC: 6 Fighters Poised to Make a Run in the Middleweight Division

The UFC middleweight top spot remained in Anderson Silva’s hands for the past seven years, the throne held by the most dominant of champions. Chris Weidman changed that, and the weight class has been ushered into a new era.
Well, sort of. 
Followi…

The UFC middleweight top spot remained in Anderson Silva’s hands for the past seven years, the throne held by the most dominant of champions. Chris Weidman changed that, and the weight class has been ushered into a new era.

Well, sort of. 

Following the loss to Weidman at UFC 162, longtime champion—and almost unanimously considered greatest of all time—Anderson Silva expressed no interest in a rematch against the new champion. Less than one week later, his tune has changed. This means the middleweight division will, at least for some time, remain focused on another Silva title fight. 

But the middleweight world continues to go ’round.

Several 185-pound fighters seek a shot at the middleweight title—well, once Silva’s and Weidman’s business is resolved. These fighters have shown strong promise lately with an equally threatening skill set. 

These fighters make the list of the five middleweights poised to make a run in the middleweight division. 

Note: The last five fights listed in each slide represent the last five contests at middleweight for each fighter.

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MMA’s Biggest Upsets from the First Half of 2013

Everybody loves an underdog, and in the first half of 2013, MMA fans were treated to a handful of upsets.
From Chris Weidman’s improbable knockout against UFC legend Anderson Silva, to King Mo Lawal’s incredible loss to Emanuel Newton at Bellator 90, t…

Everybody loves an underdog, and in the first half of 2013, MMA fans were treated to a handful of upsets.

From Chris Weidman’s improbable knockout against UFC legend Anderson Silva, to King Mo Lawal’s incredible loss to Emanuel Newton at Bellator 90, there were plenty of fights to leave spectators with their jaws dropped.

The biggest upsets—the ones that made this list—have been determined by a number of factors. The most basic way to determine an upset is the betting line for a fight. However, instances such as Weidman’s win over Silva, though not a huge upset in terms of odds, was a major upset nevertheless—Silva hadn’t lost prior to UFC 162 in the promotion.

Have a look at the biggest upsets from the first half of 2013.

*While UFC 162 technically took place in the 2nd half of the year, the event has been included in our mid-year awards because it’s on everybody’s mind.

**Odds courtesy of Bovada Sportsbook 

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How Did the First Half of 2013 Compare to 2012 for the UFC?

The first half of 2013 is complete, and the UFC surged into the second half this past weekend with UFC 162. Before moving forward with the latter six months of this year, let’s take a look back at what we’ve seen so far in 2013 and see how it stac…

The first half of 2013 is complete, and the UFC surged into the second half this past weekend with UFC 162. 

Before moving forward with the latter six months of this year, let’s take a look back at what we’ve seen so far in 2013 and see how it stacks up to 2012 in its entirety. 

Is the UFC on track to have as good a year in 2013 as it did in 2012? Are pay-per-view numbers up, or are they trending the wrong way? 

We’ll take a look at what went down in 2012 compared to how 2013 is trending for the UFC in terms of fights, stoppages, championship headliners, and buyrates. 

Note: Only events from the first six months of 2013 are included in this analysis, meaning UFC 161 is not. 

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