Author: Nathan McCarter

MMA Stock Projection for January: Who to Bet On, Who to Avoid

January is just about ready to kick off for mixed martial arts, and it does not lack many open dates from here on out.The UFC comes at you with two big free events. UFC on FX features a middleweight clash between Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort. Bisp…

January is just about ready to kick off for mixed martial arts, and it does not lack many open dates from here on out.

The UFC comes at you with two big free events. UFC on FX features a middleweight clash between Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort. Bisping will earn a title shot, says UFC President Dana White, with a win.

One week later the UFC Flyweight Championship will be on the line on Fox. Demetrious Johnson defends his crown against No. 1 contender John Dodson.

Bellator also gets back underway with three championship fights in the month of January.

Here is who you should bet on and who you should avoid when you get set to lay money down on the fights.

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UFC 157: Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Josh Koscheck returns to the Octagon for the first time since May to welcome Robbie Lawler back to the organization and division.Koscheck dropped a split decision to Johny Hendricks back at UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller. The win would have elevated him b…

Josh Koscheck returns to the Octagon for the first time since May to welcome Robbie Lawler back to the organization and division.

Koscheck dropped a split decision to Johny Hendricks back at UFC on FOX: Diaz vs. Miller. The win would have elevated him back into title contention. Now he will try to get things going once again in 2013.

Lawler will be back inside the Octagon for the first time since UFC 50 back in 2004. He has dropped three of his last four bouts, but will hope a return to 170 pounds will give him a fresh start as the calendar turns.

This is how the battle between the two hard-throwing welterweights stacks up.

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UFC 155 Fight Card: Power Ranking Every Fight on the Card

UFC 155 centers around the heavyweight rematch between UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, but there is plenty of action left to be had on the 12-fight card.There will be fights in six different divisions at UFC 155, and near…

UFC 155 centers around the heavyweight rematch between UFC Heavyweight Champion Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez, but there is plenty of action left to be had on the 12-fight card.

There will be fights in six different divisions at UFC 155, and nearly all have some sort of implication on the top ten rankings.

The card features a host of heavy hitters and submission finishers.

The co-main event features a lightweight clash between Jim Miller and Joe Lauzon. Also on the card, Chris Leben makes his UFC return against debuting Derek Brunson, Tim Boetsch looks to make a case for being a middleweight contender against Costa Philippou, and Alan Belcher will try the same vs. Yushin Okami.

This is how each fight stacks up to one another for UFC 155.

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Junior dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez Drinking Game

Junior dos Santos defends his UFC Heavyweight Championship against Cain Velasquez in the UFC 155 main event. The last time these two met, it was the first ever UFC on FOX event, and Dos Santos walked away with the gold.UFC 155 comes to you live from th…

Junior dos Santos defends his UFC Heavyweight Championship against Cain Velasquez in the UFC 155 main event. The last time these two met, it was the first ever UFC on FOX event, and Dos Santos walked away with the gold.

UFC 155 comes to you live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The event will kick off with a three fight Facebook preliminary card then move to FX prior to the pay-per-view.

The PPV card features the return of Chris Leben, Derek Brunson’s UFC debut, two significant middleweight contender bouts, and an evenly matched lightweight fight between Joe Lauzon versus Jim Miller before getting to the anticipated rematch between dos Santos and Velasquez for the UFC Heavyweight title.

As you sit down to watch beautiful MMA action on a Saturday evening during the holiday season, make sure your fridge is stocked with your favorite beverage and play along with the drinking game below.

 

Drink one…each time Mike Goldberg is not back to the mic in time after taking a bathroom break. This is a Joe Rogan-created rule. When Rogan takes over duties when a fighter is walking to the cage, it means that Goldberg has not returned from the bathroom.

Drink one…for each knockout and submission on the card.

Drink one…every time you hear “he’s rocked”.

Drink one…for Max Holloway’s body shots.

Drink two…if Holloway hurts Garcia with said body shots.

Finish your drink…if said body shots lead to a finish. We all love a good body shot TKO.

Drink one…if they mention Todd Duffee’s loss to Mike Russow.

Drink one…if they mention Todd Duffee’s loss to Alistair Overeem.

Toast the UFC…if the Facebook stream works perfectly again. They do not get enough credit for consistently providing a top notch stream for the fans. It truly is a rarity.

Finish your drink…if Jamie Varner cries. Win or lose, it could happen.

Finish your drink… before the pay-per-view broadcast begins. When Rogan and Dana White begin to yell at you to order the PPV, that is a good spot to get up and go to the fridge for a new drink.

Pour one out…for Strikeforce. RIP.

Drink one…if there is a mention of why Leben was suspended.

Finish your drink…if Alan Belcher wins and calls out Anderson Silva. He is bound to do just that with an impressive win.

Drink one…when they show Boetsch’s comeback win over Okami. It deserves to be remembered.

Drink one…for any mention of Costa Philippou training with Chris Weidman.

Drink one…when Bad Moon Rising starts to play. Jim Miller has one of the best entrance songs in all of MMA.

Drink one…prior to the UFC Heavyweight Championship fight. You’ll want to prepare yourself.

Drink two…if Dos Santos wins. One for each title defense.

Finish your drink…if the UFC Heavyweight Championship changes hands.

 

This is only a game. Please remember to drink responsibility and enjoy the fights.

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Junior Dos Santos vs. Cain Velasquez: Keys to Victory for Cain Velasquez

Cain Velasquez steps in to the main event looking to erase the lone loss on his record and reclaim the UFC Heavyweight Championship.Standing across the cage will be Junior dos Santos. Without question these are the two best heavyweights MMA has ever se…

Cain Velasquez steps in to the main event looking to erase the lone loss on his record and reclaim the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

Standing across the cage will be Junior dos Santos. Without question these are the two best heavyweights MMA has ever seen.

Velasquez rebounded from the KO loss by defeating Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva at UFC 146. It was a bloodbath. Velasquez opened Silva up and blood poured everywhere as the title contender continued his ferocious beatdown.

That outcome is unlikely against Dos Santos.

Here are five keys for Velasquez’s title hopes on Saturday night.

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UFC 155: Yushin Okami vs. Alan Belcher Head-to-Toe Breakdown

UFC 155 will feature an important clash in the middleweight division. Alan “The Talent” Belcher meets Yushin “Thunder” Okami on the PPV portion of the card.Belcher will be going for his fifth consecutive victory in the division. His last outing was an …

UFC 155 will feature an important clash in the middleweight division. Alan “The Talent” Belcher meets Yushin “Thunder” Okami on the PPV portion of the card.

Belcher will be going for his fifth consecutive victory in the division. His last outing was an impressive TKO victory over Rousimar Palhares on UFC on FOX in May.

Okami rebounded from back-to-back losses at UFC 150 with a win over Buddy Roberts. A win over Belcher will put him back in the mix at middleweight.

As the middleweight division continues to get deeper, this is a must-win for both fighters if they hope to challenge for the championship in the near future. Belcher sits on the precipice of earning that shot right now.

This is how the fighters stack up to one another.

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