Author: Pat

 155 lbs.: Joe Stevenson vs. George Sotiropoulos

Odds: (-240 Stevenson / +190 Sotiropoulos)

The third bout of the night is an exciting matchup between two of the Lightweight division’s most prolific grapplers, former title challenger Joe “Daddy” Stevenson and Australian jiu-jitsu ace George Sotiropoulos.  Stevenson has come up just short against the upper crust of the division, but is still clearly one of the better fighters in the division, so up and comer Sotiropoulos is going to have his hands full.

 George Sotiropoulos, an Australian jiu-jitsu black belt and former Amateur boxing champion, is an extremely accomplished grappler with awesome submissions from every single position.  He also has underrated standup, which even though it’s not that powerful is very crisp and technical.  The only problem with Sotiropoulos’ game is that, while his best work definitely comes on the ground, he is not a particularly effective wrestler, so he has trouble imposing his game plan against guys with superior wrestling, which Stevenson most assuredly has.

 Joe Stevenson, who has been fighting since he was a teenager and his mom had to drive him to shows, is one of the toughest and most experienced ground fighters in the UFC.  His standup is actually fairly decent, despite his small arms, but his excellent wrestling and submission game, most notably his famous guillotine choke, are his real bread and butter.

 Stevenson’s wrestling will wind up being the deciding factor in this fight.  Both men have too much grappling prowess to get submitted, but Stevenson’s vastly superior wrestling means that he will be the one controlling the pace and position in the ground game, and that alone should be enough to earn him a one-decided decision.

Prediction:  Joe “Daddy” Stevenson via unanimous decision.

If you want to add a little excitement to your fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

205 lbs.: Keith Jardine vs. Ryan Bader 

Odds:  (+130 Jardine / -160 Bader) at Sportsbook.com

The second bout of the evening features two Ultimate Fighter alumni, as season two contestant “The Dean of Mean” Keith Jardine will square off with season eight winner Ryan “Darth” Bader.  Jardine has proven to be a tough competitor, but Bader is an athletic wrecking machine, so this should be an exciting fight.

Keith Jardine, who distinguished himself on The Ultimate Fighter, has become a mainstay in the UFC’s Light Heavyweight division despite his decidedly mixed results.  A tough boxer with solid wrestling, Jardine has wins over former champions Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell, but seems unable to string together consistently good performances.  Part of that is that he has faced a very high level of competition, but it is undeniable that Jardine sometimes comes out looking lost and turns in regrettable performances.  Still, he has heavy hands and a good skill set, so he is not the kind of guy anyone can afford to take lightly.

Bader, who used his dominant wrestling to capture the Ultimate Fighter Season Eight title, is a powerful physical specimen with great takedowns, top control, and the ability to dole out significant punishment from top position.  He also comes from a great camp, with top fighters like Cain Velasquez and CB Dolloway, so you know his wrestling continues to improve.  All that said, there is no way to deny that Jardine is a big step up in competition for the undefeated Bader, whose fights have all come against younger, less experienced fighters, so this is going to be a tough win for him if he wants to keep that record intact.

Ultimately, I think Bader is just too strong and athletic for Jardine to handle.  Jardine has the edge in the standup, and his wrestling is solid, but Bader’s wrestling is excellent and he is just too strong and too skilled for Jardine to stop the takedowns.  I don’t see Bader being able to finish Jardine, but he should be able to score with takedowns and batter Jardine from inside his guard and side control to earn an easy decision.

Prediction:  Ryan “Darth” Bader via unanimous decision.

If you want to add a little excitement to your fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

 265 lbs.: Mirko Cro Cop vs. Ben Rothwell

Odds: (-142 Cro Cop /+112 Rothwell )

The opening bout of the evening sees the Octagon return of former PRIDE Legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, who will attempt to show the brutal striking that once made him one of the most feared fighters on the planet against a tough opponent, IFL veteran “Big” Ben Rothwell.  Both Cro Cop and Rothwell made their names outside of the UFC, and neither man has turned in an impressive performance yet, so coming out of this fight with an impressive win is a must if either of them hopes to cement a long-term future in the UFC.

 “Big” Ben Rothwell, a huge, well-rounded heavyweight, was one of the most dominant fighters in the now-defunct IFL.  Since IFL’s closure, though, his momentum has come to a halt, as he was knocked out cold by Andrei Arlovski in his lone appearance for Affliction, and then steamrolled by top prospect Cain Velasquez in his UFC debut.  Despite his recent losses, though, Rothwell is a dangerous fighter with a well-developed skillset and a surplus of physical gifts.  Rothwell is very tall and has a husky, muscular build that helps him bully opponents around.  More importantly, he has solid and powerful boxing, good wrestling, and surprisingly dangerous submissions.  He is not one of the best in the world at any of those aspects of fighting, but he is far more well-rounded than most Heavyweights.

 Cro Cop, once one of the most feared and exciting strikers in the world, has had a lot of trouble showing UFC audiences why he was once considered one of the top Heavyweights on Earth.  After an impressive debut, he was knocked out cold by a Gabriel Gonzaga head kick and then easily handled by French kickboxer Cheick Kongo.  After two low-quality wins in Japan, Cro Cop returned to UFC, looking good in handling Mustapha al-Turk, but was sent back into the L column in spectacular fashion by Junior dos Santos.  Cro Cop still has excellent technique, but he does seem to have lost some of the strength and explosiveness that made him so dangerous in the past, not to mention some of his speed.

 What made Cro Cop so great was more than just his devastating striking; it was his incredible ability to keep opponents from taking him down.  Only Chuck Liddell was as good at stuffing takedowns and making opponents pay with superior striking.  Unfortunately for Cro Cop, his strength and athleticism have suffered as he has gotten older, and chances are he is going to have a lot more trouble keeping himself upright if a guy as big and strong as Rothwell tries to force the clinch or a takedown.  Rothwell is nowhere near a match for a prime Cro Cop on the feet, but he is not facing a prime Cro Cop, and he has a substantial amount of power in his own hands.  Ultimately, though, I see him taking Cro Cop down eventually and controlling the fight easily before finishing with a rear naked choke.

Prediction:  “Big” Ben Rothwell via second round rear naked choke.

• Bet on Big Ben as the underdog winner.

If you want to add a little excitement to your fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Updated Superbowl Odds – Sun, February 7th – Here’s the updated odds for the Superbowl today.

All of the odds are from Bodog.com

Pointspread for the Colts/Saints

Colts -6

Saints +6

Over/Under for Colts/Saints

Over 57 (-105)

Under 57 (-105)

Prop bets for the Superbowl

Bodog has some really cool prop bets up right now. I dont want to list them all (theres like 2 pages worth) but you can check them out at Bodog.com