Riley Kontek | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

TUF 19 Episode 12 Results: Tournament Finals Set for Sunday

The Ultimate Fighter 19 concluded Wednesday night with the final two fights before the live finale. It featured a middleweight bout between Dhiego Lima and Roger Zapata, as well as a light heavyweight scrap between Dan Spohn and Matt van Buren.
The epi…

The Ultimate Fighter 19 concluded Wednesday night with the final two fights before the live finale. It featured a middleweight bout between Dhiego Lima and Roger Zapata, as well as a light heavyweight scrap between Dan Spohn and Matt van Buren.

The episode heavily featured both fights. In non-fight segments, we saw Chuck Liddell visit Team Penn to help train Spohn. We also saw some of the fighters indulge in alcoholic beverages as their time in the house winded down.

In the first bout, Dhiego Lima tapped out Roger Zapata in well under a minute. He used a quick, devastating armbar that overextended Zapata’s elbow and elicited a tapout almost instantaneously. Lima now meets Eddie Gordon in the finale.

In the second bout, Matt van Buren and Dan Spohn put on the fight of the season, a back-and-forth fight with heavy strikes and mixed action. In the end, van Buren knocked out a tired Spohn in the second round. He now faces Corey Anderson in the finale for the six-figure contract.

All four finalists came from Team Edgar, which should make the finals interesting. All the men are familiar with one another, so it should be a tactical chess match.

Teams

Team Edgar 185	Team Penn 185	Team Edgar 205	Team Penn 205
Ian Stephens	Mike King	Corey Anderson	Anton Berzin
Dhiego Lima	Tim Williams	Patrick Walsh	Josh Fields
Eddie Gordon	Cathal Pendred	Matt van Buren	Dan Spohn
Hector Urbina	Roger Zapata	Todd Monaghan	Chris Fields

Notes and Observations

Wow, did Zapata’s elbow bend the wrong way or what? Lima slapped that armbar and committed so fast, Zapata didn’t even have a chance to defend. Hopefully the injury wasn’t too serious.
Speaking of injuries, hopefully Lima’s foot is okay. On his second leg kick, it sounded like straight foot on shin and he was limping bad after the bout. I would hate to see the only guy who earned all of his finishes in the house out of the finale from an injury.
It was the last fight of the in-house competition, but we finally got a fight that was highly entertaining. Even Dana White was overly complimentary of the Spohn-Van Buren scrap, especially after how critical he was of Van Buren in the quarterfinals when he fought Chris Fields.
In looking at the postseason bonuses, Submission of the Season will go to the only man to score a tapout in Lima. It will likely be for his armbar of Zapata. The Knockout of the Season should go to Dan Spohn, but I don’t think elimination round fights count, so Van Buren may sneak away with it. Spohn and Van Buren will also likely get the Fight of the Season, so either one of those men may double up on their bonuses.
My predictions for Sunday night for the coaches fight and the finals are probably not shocking. I will take Frankie Edgar over BJ Penn by decision. In the middleweight finale, I will take Eddie Gordon over Dhiego Lima, mostly because of size and strength, even though I really like Dhiego. In the light heavyewight division, I will take Corey Anderson over Matt van Buren via heavy wrestling attack.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

B/R Women’s MMA Rankings, July 2014

Women’s MMA is growing, and with that, we must keep up with the times. Women are getting more and more opportunities in mixed martial arts, as well as becoming more prevalent on the big stage.
The UFC, Invicta and World Series of Fighting are…

Women’s MMA is growing, and with that, we must keep up with the times. Women are getting more and more opportunities in mixed martial arts, as well as becoming more prevalent on the big stage.

The UFC, Invicta and World Series of Fighting are just three of the major organizations that host female fighters. When you consider Deep Jewels, MMA Super Heroes and several others who let the ladies compete, you have a bunch of proving grounds for these up-and-coming athletes.

Here is this month’s installment of Bleacher Report’s women’s MMA rankings.

Begin Slideshow

4 Possible Debut Fights for Holly Holm Should the UFC Sign Her

One of the hottest free agents in MMA is not a man but a woman. That woman is former pro boxing champ and undefeated mixed martial artist Holly Holm.
Holm, who is 7-0, is currently mending a broken arm suffered in April. However, she should be ready to…

One of the hottest free agents in MMA is not a man but a woman. That woman is former pro boxing champ and undefeated mixed martial artist Holly Holm.

Holm, who is 7-0, is currently mending a broken arm suffered in April. However, she should be ready to go in the coming months, and the UFC has been pursuing the WMMA star actively, Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting reports.

In the event that the UFC does sign Holm, who should she debut against? Let’s take a look at four possibilities for her eventual premiere, if and when it happens.

Germaine de Randamie

Holm is a world-class boxer who has added some nice kicks to her repertoire. That makes her a great matchup for another great striker.

Enter Germaine de Randamie, a muay thai buzzsaw who has incredible accomplishments outside MMA in kickboxing.

Not only does she hold the women’s record for most consecutive wins in muay thai/kickboxing competition, but she also is a multiple-time world champion and a former European champion. That is impressive, especially when you consider that it’s a bracket that would likely include Jorina Baars, the woman who defeated Cris Cyborg at Lion Fights recently.

Their styles would mesh well. Holm‘s power and incredible boxing acumen would collide with De Randamie‘s nasty kicking and clinch game. It would be a must-see women’s bout.

Jessica Rakoczy

This is an intriguing bout because both women are accomplished pro boxers, but the size difference and MMA skill set Holm has over Rakoczy would probably make this a predictable affair.

Sometimes, stars need to be fed competition to build them up. Now, I am not saying this would be the proverbial squash match, but given their MMA track records, it seems pretty obvious.

Just seeing two boxing champions in the Octagon together would be fun to watch, though, no matter the outcome.

Jessica Andrade

Jessica Andrade throws missiles for punches when she’s in the cage. That is interesting, as a matchup with Holm would be power puncher vs. technical master.

Andrade is tough as nails, aggressive and always moving forward. She’s like a female Wanderlei Silva circa Pride, when he was one of the more feared fighters in the world.

Lock these two in a cage and let them loose. Either Holm would continue her winning ways or Andrade would derail the hype train.

Liz Carmouche

Liz Carmouche is the gatekeeper in the women’s 135-pound division. It’s only proper that she shows UFC fans whether Holm is for real.

Since losing her title bid to Ronda Rousey, Carmouche has gone 1-2. She did beat a late opponent in Andrade, but she got dominated by Alexis Davis and dropped another fight to Miesha Tate.

Not only that, but it’s time that Holm challenged herself against a tough wrestler. That’s what Carmouche represents, and she could really give us a glimpse into how rounded Holm‘s game is.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

5 Reasons to Watch UFC 175

This weekend, the UFC celebrates the biggest fight week of the year, with UFC 175 being the main attraction of the MMA world. Headlined by two title fights and numerous other star-filled bouts, UFC 175 promises to be a must-see event with big implicati…

Chris Weidman and Ronda Rousey are set to defend their belts in the co-main events. Weidman faces karate master Lyoto Machida in an intriguing matchup, while Rousey takes on jiu-jitsu black belt Alexis Davis.

If that’s not enough to tickle your fancy, other fighters like Urijah Faber are also set to fight on the star-studded card. Plus, Stefan Struve makes his long-awaited return from a near-career-ending heart condition.

There are way more than five reasons to watch this card, but we will give you the most important ones here.

Begin Slideshow

UFC FIght Night 43: What We Learned from Nate Marquardt vs. James Te Huna

The main event of UFC Fight Night 43 saw Kiwi James Te Huna attempt to defend his home country when he took on former title challenger Nate Marquardt. It was a bout that took place in front of a hot New Zealand crowd that would soon be silenced.
The fi…

The fight seemed to be a one-sided battle for Marquardt, who outstruck and outgrappled Te Huna throughout. He eventually secured a fight-ending armbar on Te Huna, earning him a victory in a win-or-go-home bout.

What did we learn from this fight? Let’s take a look.

What We’ll Remember About This Fight

How great Marquardt looked in his return to 185. He looked like the weight cut to 170 really drained him, and he found little success at that weight. In this bout against Te Huna, he looked like his former self—a well-rounded warrior.

The armbar was also impressive, as it looked like Te Huna would escape the back mount position with Marquardt too high. “The Great” adjusted himself, grabbed a kimura and transitioned to a straight armbar that he extended and earned the tap with.

It was a fun way to end a fun morning of fights.

What We Learned About Marquardt

We learned Marquardt is back. Te Huna is a credible opponent, and with his back against the wall, Marquardt more than passed his test with flying colors.

If he continues to fight like he did against Te Huna, he could work his way back to the title picture fast. Despite recent struggles, Marquardt is still a top-25 fighter at middleweight and a guy who can quickly ascend the ladder.

What We Learned About Te Huna

In big fights, the Kiwi has faltered in his UFC career. Te Huna dropped to middleweight after big losses to Glover Teixeira and Mauricio Rua in hopes to reboot his career.

He is a tough, rugged guy, but his skill set is much better against guys in the middle to lower part of the division.

What’s Next for Marquardt?

Marquardt saved his UFC roster spot Saturday morning and now has a clearer view of bigger and better things. That gives him a sense of relief going forward.

Tim Boetsch and Brad Tavares are set to meet each other in Bangor, Maine, in a rebound bout for both men. The winner is a good candidate to fight The Great next.

What’s Next for Te Huna?

Te Huna is in a must-win situation next time around. That means he needs a step down in competition next.

Antonio Braga Neto and Clint Hester are set to duke it out Saturday night in San Antonio in the second part of the doubleheader. Whoever comes out on the losing end could be a suitable opponent for Te Huna.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Fight Night 43: 3 Fights for Soa Palelei to Take Next

The co-main event of UFC Fight Night 43 in New Zealand saw a pair of the big boys collide, as Oceania’s own Soa Palelei took on Jared Rosholt. It was a battle that was expected to be a grueling match, and it lived up to the expectations.
The bout was a…

The bout was a grinding affair. Rosholt was able to use superior wrestling and sneaky striking to completely outhustle Palelei to a clear unanimous decision. Some fans may not have been the most pleased with the bout, but it was a great tactical win for the American.

This bout broke a big winning streak for Palelei, who the UFC was building up. It was a tough matchup, as he depends on superior wrestling in his bouts.

So, what’s next for “The Hulk?” Let’s take a look at three guys he could face next.

Daniel Omielanczuk

Daniel Omielanczuk started off his UFC debut like Soa Palelei started off his return bout to the company in that both earned late stoppages despite gassing out. Plus, both men are coming off losses, which makes a bout against each other seem logical.

Omielanczuk is a decent-sized heavyweight, weighing in last at 245 pounds. He is also coming off a loss to Rosholt, which he now shares in common with “The Hulk.”

Both the Pole and Aussie are ground fighters as well, which makes this matchup a no-brainer. Both men can knock you out and could put on a nice little (or big) show.

Viktor Pesta

Viktor Pesta is just 0-1 with the UFC, but it was a close decision loss to heavy favorite Ruslan Magomedov. He needs to get back on his horse and attempt a run back into the win column opposite a decent opponent. That’s where Palelei may come in.

Pesta, like Palelei, likes to wrestle and throw bombs from top position. He also has the grappling chops to secure submissions as well, though it would be tough against a jiu-jitsu black belt like Palelei.

This would be a tactical chess match mixed in with some power. It would be a grueling affair that could be highly entertaining as well.

Jack May-Shawn Jordan loser

Jack May and Shawn Jordan have a fight against each other in Bangor, Maine, in the upcoming months. When their dispute is settled, the man who comes out the loser could be in line for Palelei.

Both May and Jordan are power strikers with different all-around styles. While May is more the kickboxer with an incredible 6’8″ frame, Jordan is a shorter, stockier spark plug with good wrestling due to his collegiate football background.

Palelei would match up well with either man. Whoever comes out on the bottom is definitely an option for “The Hulk” next.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com