Katie Nolan is a rising star in the sports world. The host of Fox Sports 1’s “Garbage Time” offers a humorous look at sports on a weekly basis, and has one of the best Twitter profiles in all of sports. Bellator 138 hit her radar with the m…
Katie Nolan is a rising star in the sports world. The host of Fox Sports 1’s “Garbage Time” offers a humorous look at sports on a weekly basis, and has one of the best Twitter profiles in all of sports. Bellator 138 hit her radar with the main event of Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock.
The under-the-big-top style main event had wide appeal because of its circus nature, and the potential comedy surrounding the outcomes most certainly grabbed Nolan’s attention.
Before the fight even started she was on top of her game. Nolan called Shamrock “Sean Penn”, and suggested Bellator was being filmed as a local VFW. Her pre-fight tweets showcase her comedic talents even with an event with little to no consequence.
Slice would defeat Shamrock by TKO in just 2:22. This quick result most certainly caught Nolan’s eye and it was reflected in her instant commentary.
Nolan initially called it a UFC fight, but promptly corrected herself. She noted Bellator was a “weird creepy uncle” of the UFC. Honestly, it is not really that bad of an analogy if you are seeking one to explain Bellator to a friend. Nolan’s comedic touch only sharpened the edge for her opinion that this fight was a little fishy.
The “Garbage Time” host continued on post-fight to take a jab at Shamrock, and both fighter’s recent records.
To add to the comedy, the Twitter reactions of some Bellator fans in response to Nolan offered even more comedy surrounding the strange night of MMA action. Nolan was quick to respond to the criticism. The Fox Sports 1 host is continually a winner in the realm of social media, and Saturday night was no exception.
Given the fighters involved, their respective ages and recent results it is difficult to suggest that the fight was actual a work. However, I don’t believe it is that big of a leap for anyone to make – especially from an outside perspective. It was not a high-level bout in the slightest, and was most likely disappointing for a lot of viewers who tuned into the freakshow.
Nolan’s tweets were in good fun, but probably echo the thoughts of quite a few out in the sports world. It is what adds to the weight of her comedic tweets. There may be a sliver of truth behind it. The 140-character musing struck a chord with some fans, and made others chortle with pleasure. If anything can be taken away from the night it is that her tweets show that Bellator’s circus booking of Shamrock-Slice worked in generating widespread interest.
UFC Fight Night 69 emanates from Berlin this Saturday, and the main card is going to deliver some high-octane action for fight fans.The original main event was scheduled to be Alexander Gustafsson vs. Glover Teixeira, but an injury forced Gustafsson of…
UFC Fight Night 69 emanates from Berlin this Saturday, and the main card is going to deliver some high-octane action for fight fans.
The original main event was scheduled to be Alexander Gustafsson vs. Glover Teixeira, but an injury forced Gustafsson off the card. This left the UFC in a position of searching for a new main event. They called upon their newly minted European champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk to defend her title.
Opposite the strawweight champion will be Jessica Penne.
Penne, former Invicta FC atomweight champion, defeated Randa Markos by split decision in her official UFC debut. After just one close win she is getting a shot at gold. Will she hoist a championship in a higher weight class? It’s a tall order she has been given.
Three more bouts are booked for the main card of the event. We will take a look at the main card action and discuss the value on the betting lines. Let’s not waste any time and get right into the main card for Saturday’s afternoon action.
Nick Hein (-170) vs. Lukasz Sajewski (+140)
Sajewski will make his UFC debut with a perfect professional record of 13-0. The 24-year-old has seven submissions to his credit and holds a decision win over Marcin Held. He is a legitimate prospect the UFC has picked up. Hein will have his work cut out for him in Germany.
Hein started his UFC career with a solid showing against Drew Dober, but he dropped his second outing against James Vick.
Hein is on home turf, and he has an excellent judo game. This will make it difficult for Sajewski to find success with his submissions. Sajewski will be forced to win the stand-up exchanges in order to take the fight. I don’t think he will be able to do that for three rounds. Hein has an advantage at this stage in their careers, and it will show.
I also like Hein at the current odds. I don’t think he will get a stoppage, but he will stymie Sakewski for 15 minutes en route to a decision win.
Prediction: Hein defeats Sajewski by decision
The Play: Start with a solid play on Hein
Peter Sobotta (-275) vs. Steve Kennedy (+215)
Kennedy makes his UFC debut on a seven-fight win streak. He takes on Sobotta, who won his UFC debut last May against Pawel Pawlak.
Kennedy won four of his seven recent bouts via submission, but that will play in favor of Sobotta. I am not too impressed by Kennedy, and his record doesn’t have a signature win. Sobotta hasn’t lost since his first UFC run, when he went 0-3.
Sobotta has improved too much, and it will show. He will finish Kennedy with a submission of his own. I don’t expect this fight to be too competitive. And the odds are worth a small play on Sobotta, but it clearly won’t have a huge return.
Prediction: Sobotta defeats Kennedy via submission
The Play: A small play on Sobotta
Dennis Siver (-185) vs. Tatsuya Kawajiri (+150)
The co-main event of UFC Fight Night 69 is an underrated featherweight scrap. Two crafty veterans with clashing styles.
To say Siver has been inconsistent recently would be an understatement. He is 2-2 with one no-contest in his last five outings. His most notable win at featherweight was in his 145-pound debut against Diego Nunes. Every time he has stepped up, he has failed.
Kawajiri is certainly not the fighter he once was, but he has a good style to defeat Siver. However, his style also leaves big holes for Siver to exploit with his dynamic strikes.
If Kawajiri can avoid the big punch or kick, he will win. I don’t believe Siver can keep Kawajiri off of him for 15 minutes. Kawajiri’s grappling and pressure will prevent Siver from getting off first. He will be reduced to searching for the KO, and that will make him predictable.
This should be a good fight, but it won’t have a big finish.
Prediction: Kawajiri defeats Siver by decision
The Play: Take a shot on Kawajiri
Joanna Jedrzejczyk (-700) vs. Jessica Penne (+450)
Penne, ranked No. 3 in the 115-pound division, gets her shot at UFC gold in the main event. Penne has won back-to-back fights, but only one has come at 115 pounds. The submission specialist is a big underdog in this fight.
Jedrzejczyk had a quick rise from obscurity. She was not obscure because of a lack of talent, but she was not in a premiere fighting organization. Her striking credentials were not lauded until a Cage Warriors bout against Rosi Sexton. Her performance against Sexton caught the eye of Sean Shelby, and the UFC came calling.
In her debut, Jedrzejczyk pummeled Juliana Lima with her incredible striking. It put Jedrzejczyk on the map of just about everyone. Jedrzejczyk followed that up with a narrow win over Claudia Gadelha to earn her title shot. And in that title fight she brutalized Carla Esparza. The string of wins made her an MMA darling.
The odds for this fight reflect that, but they are also a bit inflated. This is a tricky fight for Jedrzejczyk. Penne’s frame is built for 115 pounds, and her submission style is an excellent foil for Jedrzejczyk. It is not out of the realm of possibility for her to submit the champion. Jedrzejczyk is not a Ronda Rousey-level dominant champion.
With that said, I feel more comfortable with Jedrzejczyk. Penne is still developing her striking. She may be able to utilize her jab a bit, but Jedrzejczyk will walk through her punches. She is far too technical standing to be concerned with Penne’s striking. It will make her takedown attempts more predictable. Penne may have to pull guard in order to get this fight to the canvas.
This fight has come a little too soon for Penne, but it could serve as a good learning experience for what she needs to address for a rematch. Jedrzejczyk will wear her down before getting a TKO finish in the fourth.
Prediction:Jedrzejczyk defeats Penne by TKO in the fourth round
The Play: Take a small risk on Penne at these odds
UFC 188 hits Mexico City on Saturday, but the 24 fighters will hit the scale to make weight Friday evening.
Most important is the main event. Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and interim champion Fabricio Werdum will have to make the generous heavyw…
UFC 188 hits Mexico City on Saturday, but the 24 fighters will hit the scale to make weight Friday evening.
Most important is the main event. Heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and interim champion Fabricio Werdum will have to make the generous heavyweight limit to make their title fight official. The five-round championship tilt will unify the belts to give fans one true champion.
In the co-main event, lightweights Eddie Alvarez and Gilbert Melendez square off in a fight that could contend for Fight of the Year.
Nine other fights fill out the card unless the weigh-ins go awry. Bleacher Report will keep tabs on everyone who steps on the scale with complete weigh-in coverage beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Henry Cejudo entered MMA with well-deserved fanfare. After all, he is a former Olympic gold medalist. But is he the future of the 125-pound division?
No.
Cejudo is immensely talented. We need not talk about his outstanding wrestling credentials, and he…
Henry Cejudo entered MMA with well-deserved fanfare. After all, he is a former Olympic gold medalist. But is he the future of the 125-pound division?
No.
Cejudo is immensely talented. We need not talk about his outstanding wrestling credentials, and he has solid boxing with knockout power. He has all the tools to become the champion of this division, but he’s not the future.
He is 28 years old. He is not a spring chicken. When we discuss fighters being the future of a division we are talking about young guns who will start a new era. Georges St. Pierre was the future of the welterweight division, and he fulfilled that prophecy. Cejudo is not the future at flyweight.
The biggest reason he is not the future of the division is that Demetrious Johnson is far and beyond Cejudo technique-wise. Mighty Mouse is lightning fast, a stellar striker, and possesses astonishing level changes and underrated jiu-jitsu. He is the complete package. He is the prototype for future mixed martial arts fighters—Cejudo is not.
Cejudo has great skills, and those skills could see him topple Johnson in the future. But as an all-around fighter, he isn’t there yet. He is not who everyone will point to as the example; Johnson is. Everything Johnson does is textbook for MMA. Cejudo has individual skills that can be broken down on tape to show the future fighters coming up through the ranks, but you wouldn’t show a full Cejudo fight as a picture of perfection.
On top of that, Cejudo has been slightly unprofessional in his short MMA career. He has missed weight on several occasions trying to make flyweight. He finally successfully did it at UFC 185, but can someone really be the future if he continues to have issues making the classification? He isn’t getting younger, and the weight will only become more difficult to shed.
Cejudo is still making strides in his career. His two UFC wins were dominant performances, but they weren’t dynamic. He will meet Chico Camus at UFC 188 in another fight he should dominate. It is a question of how much growth we will see.
Additionally, the gold medalist hasn’t had a finish to his credit since 2013. His past four wins have all come by decision.
We still need to see much more from Cejudo before anointing him.
The others contenders, John Dodson and Joseph Benavidez, would be stiff tests for Cejudo. He has yet to take on the elites of this division. The dynamic athletes in the upper echelon of 125 could bring Cejudo‘s stock crashing back to Earth, or he could prove he is worthy of all the gold he wears in his fights. We see the raw talents and are enamored with his pedigree, but we honestly haven’t seen him prove enough to call him the future.
Time will tell.
Cejudo should win his fight at UFC 188. He is an elite talent, and could be fighting for the title sooner than later. But he is not the future of this division or the sport. He is simply another outstanding talent we get to enjoy.
UFC returns to Mexico City this Saturday for the heavyweight title fight they failed to get last year. Champion Cain Velasquez squares off against now-interim champion Fabricio Werdum in the main event of UFC 188.
Elite lightweights Gilbert Melend…
UFC returns to Mexico City this Saturday for the heavyweight title fight they failed to get last year. Champion Cain Velasquez squares off against now-interim champion Fabricio Werdum in the main event of UFC 188.
Elite lightweights Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez compete in the evening’s co-main event.
UFC 188 has shaped up to be a solid fight card promising to deliver quality MMA action all evening long. But where can you find value on this fight card? That is what we are going to look at. The main card odds have a couple of lopsided bouts, but there may be a spot to take a chance or two.
The main card action gets underway live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET this Saturday. You have plenty of time to use this information and evaluate your options. Without further ado, let’s check out the event.
This is your look at the main card betting odds complete with fight predictions.
Fabricio Werdum, the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion, looks to unify the championship against Cain Velasquez this weekend at UFC 188. It is a tall order, but one that would be most beneficial to the current heavyweight division.
Werdum earned his w…
Fabricio Werdum, the UFC’s interim heavyweight champion, looks to unify the championship against Cain Velasquez this weekend at UFC 188. It is a tall order, but one that would be most beneficial to the current heavyweight division.
Werdum earned his way to the gold with four wins since returning to the UFC. He was originally slated for a title shot in Mexico City in 2014, but Velasquez was put on the shelf with an injury. An interim title was created, and Werdum landed a flying knee that put Mark Hunt on the canvas.
His only loss since the flash knockout against Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 was an odd performance against Alistair Overeem in Strikeforce. In his time since 2009, Werdum has beaten Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, FedorEmelianenko, Roy Nelson, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Travis Browne and Hunt. Not only have those victories moved him into the clear No. 1-contender position, but it has elevated him into being one of the greatest heavyweights of all time.
Beating Velasquez would cement his standing. He has been able to construct his legacy because he has been active—something Velasquez cannot claim.
Stability is what the heavyweight division needs right now, and Werdum has proven the ability to provide it. Velasquez has only fought five times since 2011, and all five fights have been against two opponents—Dos Santos and Bigfoot. That’s it. Two men.
Velasquez has been injury prone, and that has left him unable to defend his title for a third time.
There is yet another big reason why it is best for the division. A Werdum win would open the gates to more exciting and competitive fights.
Velasquez is the best heavyweight we have ever seen. He has run over nearly everyone in the division. On a bum leg, he got clipped against Dos Santos but returned from injury to paint the canvas red with Bigfoot’s blood. He reclaimed his championship by pummeling Dos Santos, and the third fight between the two was yet another one-sided beating.
Outside of Werdum, there is no one on the current slate of contenders that poses a serious threat to Velasquez. At least, that is how it seems.
Werdum doesn’t have that same aura of invincibility. Even Hunt had his moments against Werdum before eating the knee to the grill. Matchups against StipeMiocic, Andrei Arlovski and a rematch with Dos Santos are all exciting possibilities.
Having a new, more beatable champion adds in a little excitement to the division. Werdum has excellent skills that will electrify a crowd, but his fights against title challengers will be more competitive. Challengers to Velasquez are seen more as punching bags.
Werdum brings personality along with him as well. Velasquez is bland.
The UFC’s heavyweight division is stagnant with Velasquez on top. Sure, we get to see the greatest heavyweight of all time crush contender after contender, but we don’t get a true heavyweight war. We get a heavyweight massacre. Werdum makes for more fun.
UFC 188 is an uphill battle for the interim champion, but a victory is what is best for business.
Katie Nolan is a rising star in the sports world. The host of Fox Sports 1’s “Garbage Time” offers a humorous look at sports on a weekly basis, and has one of the best Twitter profiles in all of sports. Bellator 138 hit her radar with the main event of Kimbo Slice vs. Ken Shamrock.