Tag: Alexander Gustafsson

Gambling Addiction Enabler: ‘UFC on FUEL TV: Gustafsson vs. Silva’ Edition

After what has been a long six weeks, a UFC event is finally on the horizon, Potato Nation. And thank Allah, because we were starting to get desperate. Like a Jencum addict without a balloon desperate. In either case, tomorrow night’s UFC on FUEL event provides the perfect opportunity for us to regret ever becoming gambling addicts in the first place, so let’s skip the bullshit and get right to it. Check out the betting lines, courtesy of BestFightOdds, and join us after the jump for our advice on where to place your hard-earned cash. .

Main Card
Alexander Gustafsson (-220) vs. Thiago Silva (+180)
Brian Stann (-400) vs. Alessio Sakara (+325)
Paulo Thiago (-145) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (+125)
Dennis Siver (+150) vs. Diego Nunes (-170)
DaMarques Johnson (+140) vs. John Maguire (-160)
Brad Pickett (-230) vs. Damacio Page (+190)

Preliminary Card (Facebook)
James Head (+200) vs. Papy Abedi (-240)
Tom DeBlass (-200) vs. Cyrille Diabate (+170)
Magnus Cedenblad (+225) vs. Francis Carmont (-265)
Yoislandy Izquierdo (+190) vs. Reza Madadi (-230)
Besam Yousef (+250) vs. Simeon Thoresen (-300)
Jason Young (-185) vs. Eric Wisely (+160)

Here we go…

After what has been a long six weeks, a UFC event is finally on the horizon, Potato Nation. And thank Allah, because we were starting to get desperate. Like a Jencum addict without a balloon desperate. In either case, tomorrow night’s UFC on FUEL event provides the perfect opportunity for us to regret ever becoming gambling addicts in the first place, so let’s skip the bullshit and get right to it. Check out the betting lines, courtesy of BestFightOdds, and join us after the jump for our advice on where to place your hard-earned cash.

Main Card
Alexander Gustafsson (-220) vs. Thiago Silva (+180)
Brian Stann (-400) vs. Alessio Sakara (+325)
Paulo Thiago (-145) vs. Siyar Bahadurzada (+125)
Dennis Siver (+150) vs. Diego Nunes (-170)
DaMarques Johnson (+140) vs. John Maguire (-160)
Brad Pickett (-230) vs. Damacio Page (+190)

Preliminary Card (Facebook)
James Head (+200) vs. Papy Abedi (-240)
Tom DeBlass (-200) vs. Cyrille Diabate (+170)
Magnus Cedenblad (+225) vs. Francis Carmont (-265)
Yoislandy Izquierdo (+190) vs. Reza Madadi (-230)
Besam Yousef (+250) vs. Simeon Thoresen (-300)
Jason Young (-185) vs. Eric Wisely (+160)

Here we go…

The Main Event: Given all the praise Gustafsson has been receiving as of late, combined with the fact that Thiago has been out of action for over a year now, the spread is a bit closer than we would have imagined. It might be due to Gustafsson’s recent list of victims, which includes the now retired Matt Hamill and the 41-year old Vladimir Matyushenko, or it could be attributed to the fact that we’ve yet to see Gustafsson’s chin really tested. Given Silva’s well documented power, he’s not a terrible choice if you’re looking to go balls out, but we’re going to stick with “The Mauler” here. He’s undoubtedly quicker than Silva and a smarter fighter to boot. He should have this, more than likely by way of second round GnP TKO.

The Good Dogs: At first glance, Siver looks pretty good as a slight dog. He’s coming off a tough loss to Donald Cerrone, however, prior to that he put together an impressive four fight win streak over good to mid-range competition. But when you take into account that he’s making his featherweight debut, and took two tries to make weight, he could be in for a long night against Nunes, who will likely hold the speed advantage over the German. It’s a tough call, but should be a great fight no matter which way it goes. Just for the heck of it, we’ll place a small bet on Siver, because the man has looked Goddamn brilliant in most of his victories.

And speaking of great fights, look no further than the Paulo Thiago/Siyar Bahadurzada scrap, which has FOTN written all over it. Thiago has been struggling as of late, recently rebounding from a two fight losing streak by decisioning David Mitchell back at UFC 134, but is one tough SOB in victory and defeat. Bahadurzada, on the other hand, has been on a killing spree over the past three years, scoring five wins by way of (T)KO in his current six fight win streak. The fact that he’s making his UFC debut does not tilt the scales in his favor, nor does the fact that Thiago has never been finished before, but like we said, it all comes down to how much you’re willing to lose. If that number is relatively high, a side bet on Bahadurzada is more than justifiable. Just keep him out of your parlay.

Looking over the rest of the card, one name that pops out is Damarques Johnson, who is coming off an impressive KO victory over a less than impressive opponent in Clay Harvison. We’ve only seen Maguire fight once in the UFC, on the other hand, and though he demonstrated a great grappling base when he decisioned Justin Edwards at UFC 138, he has yet to face anyone with as much experience as Johnson. If “Darkness” can keep it standing, look for him to end this one early. The fact that Cyrille Diabate is listed as a significant underdog to an injury replacement opponent on less than a week’s notice in Tom DeBlass should tell you the direction that one’s going to go. Steer clear.

The Sure Thing: Brad Pickett. Damacio Page hasn’t fought since his rematch with Brian Bowles at UFC Live 3 in which he was choked out at the exact same time he was choked out in their first meeting. He’s got some decent power, but is simply too one dimensional to handle a seasoned veteran like Pickett, whose only losses in the past five years have come to top contenders in Scott Jorgensen and Renan Pegado.

Prelim Steal: Reza Madadi, who more than lives up to his nickname.

Official CagePotato Parlay: Gustafsson + Stann + Pickett + Carmont + Madadi

Suggested wager for a $50 stake
-$20 on the parlay
-$5 on Silva
-$5 on Siver
-$10 on Bahadurzada
-$10 on Johnson

-J. Jones

Stefan Struve vs. Mark Hunt Booked for UFC 146


(Struve channels his inner Keanu Reeves during his UFC 130 bout against Travis Browne.) 

In a fight that is all but guaranteed to end in a decisive, if not brutally violent fashion, it appears that heavyweight contenders Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Mark “Mark” Hunt are set to collide at UFC 146, which now features an all heavyweight lineup as its main card for the first time in UFC history. Thank God it’s not being held at a high altitude.

We know what you’re thinking: WHY IS TIM SYLVIA NOT ON THIS CARD?!!!

Hunt has had perhaps the most startling career resurgence in recent memory, scoring three straight octagon victories over Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell, and most recently Cheick Kongo, with two of those victories coming by way of destructive KO. This was made even more shocking due to the fact that Hunt was only picked up by the UFC in order to fulfill a contract he had signed back in his PRIDE days before the organization was absorbed by Zuffa.

Struve, on the other hand, will be looking to add another three fight win streak to his current 7-3 octagon record come May 26th. We last saw him at UFC on FUEL: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger, when he dispatched Manbearpig Dave Herman via second round TKO. Prior to that, Struve choked out our boy Pat Barry in the first round of their UFC Live 6 co-headliner bout.

UFC 146 transpires at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and features a main event title clash between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.

In other fight booking news…


(Struve channels his inner Keanu Reeves during his UFC 130 bout against Travis Browne.) 

In a fight that is all but guaranteed to end in a decisive, if not brutally violent fashion, it appears that heavyweight contenders Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve and Mark “Mark” Hunt are set to collide at UFC 146, which now features an all heavyweight lineup as its main card for the first time in UFC history. Thank God it’s not being held at a high altitude.

We know what you’re thinking: WHY IS TIM SYLVIA NOT ON THIS CARD?!!!

Hunt has had perhaps the most startling career resurgence in recent memory, scoring three straight octagon victories over Chris Tuchscherer, Ben Rothwell, and most recently Cheick Kongo, with two of those victories coming by way of destructive KO. This was made even more shocking due to the fact that Hunt was only picked up by the UFC in order to fulfill a contract he had signed back in his PRIDE days before the organization was absorbed by Zuffa.

Struve, on the other hand, will be looking to add another three fight win streak to his current 7-3 octagon record come May 26th. We last saw him at UFC on FUEL: Sanchez vs. Ellenberger, when he dispatched Manbearpig Dave Herman via second round TKO. Prior to that, Struve choked out our boy Pat Barry in the first round of their UFC Live 6 co-headliner bout.

UFC 146 transpires at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and features a main event title clash between Junior Dos Santos and Alistair Overeem.

In other fight booking news…

Light Heavyweight sluggers Igor Pokrajac and Fabio Maldonado are scheduled to square off at UFC on FUEL 3, which goes down on on May 15 at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia and features a headlining possible number one contender bout between Dustin Poirier and Chan Sung Jung. Maldonado, who hasn’t fought since dropping a close decision to Kyle Kingsbury at the TUF 13 Finale, is stepping in to replace Thiago Silva, who in turn stepped in to replace Antonio Rogerio Nogueria against Alexander Gustafsson for the main event of UFC on FUEL 2.

The full event lineup for both UFC 146 and UFC on FUEL 3 is below.

UFC 146 
Heavyweight Championship bout: Junior dos Santos (c) vs. Alistair Overeem
Heavyweight bout: Cain Velasquez vs. Frank Mir
Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson vs. Antonio Silva
Heavyweight bout: Mark Hunt vs. Stefan Struve
Heavyweight Bout: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Shane Del Rosario
Middleweight bout: Jason Miller vs. C.B. Dollaway
Welterweight bout: Dan Hardy vs. Duane Ludwig
Lightweight bout: Jacob Volkmann vs. Paul Sass
Featherweight bout: Darren Elkins vs. Diego Brandao
Light Heavyweight bout: Kyle Kingsbury vs. Glover Teixeira

UFC on FUEL 3 
Featherweight bout: Dustin Poirier vs. Chan Sung Jung
Light Heavyweight bout: Fabio Maldonado vs. Igor Pokrajac
Lightweight bout: Donald Cerrone vs. Jeremy Stephens
Lightweight bout: Rafael dos Anjos vs. Kamal Shalorus
Lightweight bout: TJ Grant vs. Carlo Prater
Middleweight bout: Tom Lawlor vs. Jason MacDonald
Welterweight bout: Amir Sadollah vs. Jorge Lopez
Lightweight bout: Cody McKenzie vs. Aaron Riley
Middleweight bout: Brad Tavares vs. Dongi Yang
Bantamweight bout: Yves Jabouin vs. Mike Easton
Bantamweight bout: Jeff Curran vs. Johnny Eduardo
Bantamweight bout: Alex Soto vs. Azamat Gashimov

-J. Jones

Lil’ Nog Out, Thiago Silva in Against Alexander Gustafsson at ‘UFC on Fuel 2? in Sweden Apr. 14


(Fun fight between two hungry 205’ers.)

Our friends at StudioMMA broke the news minutes ago that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira sustained an injury training for his upcoming UFC on Fuel 2 bout with fast-rising light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson and that stepping in for Lil’ Nog will be fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva.

Silva, who is returning from a one-year suspension for submitting artificial urine to the California State Athletic Commission  in an attempt to mask steroid use ahead of his UFC 125 win over Brandon Vera, was originally slated to rematch “The Truth” at UFC on Fuel 3 on May 15 before a training injury forced his opponent out of the bout. Igor Pokrajac stepped up to replace Vera, but it looks like the UFC will now have to find a replacement for the Croation.


(Fun fight between two hungry 205′ers.)

Our friends at StudioMMA broke the news minutes ago that Antonio Rogerio Nogueira sustained an injury training for his upcoming UFC on Fuel 2 bout with fast-rising light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson and that stepping in for Lil’ Nog will be fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva.

Silva, who is returning from a one-year suspension for submitting artificial urine to the California State Athletic Commission  in an attempt to mask steroid use ahead of his UFC 125 win over Brandon Vera, was originally slated to rematch “The Truth” at UFC on Fuel 3 on May 15 before a training injury forced his opponent out of the bout. Igor Pokrajac stepped up to replace Vera, but it looks like the UFC will now have to find a replacement for the Croation.

This bout definitely provides a step up for Silva in competition from his previously slated two opponents, but this isn’t the first time the 29-year-old has faced a highly-touted adversary. A win over a bright prospect like “The Mauler” could propel the American Top Team fighter, who is 1-2 and 1 NC in his past four fights, back into the mix of 205-pound UFC contenders.

Gustafsson (13-1) will have the home crowd in Sweden on his side, as well as the momentum of four-straight wins — three in the past year — inside the Octagon. Silva’s inactivity may be the biggest factor in this fight, but Gustafsson may have a chink in his armor that the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt might be able to expose. The sole loss of the 25-year-old’s career came against Phil Davis via first-round anaconda choke, which makes the pairing with Silva — a known knockout artist with unheralded submission skills, very intriguing.

UFC on Fuel 2, AKA UFC Sweden
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Ericsson Globe Arena
Stockholm, Sweden

Main Card (Fuel TV):
Thiago Silva vs. Alexander Gustafsson
Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara
Paulo Thiago vs. Siyar Bahadurzada
DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire

Preliminary Card (FX):
Diego Nunes vs. Dennis Siver
Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page
Papy Abedi vs. James Head
Cyrille Diabate vs. Jörgen Kruth
ason Young vs. Eric Wisely
Reza Madadi vs. Yoislandy Izquierdo
Francis Carmont vs. Magnus Cedenblad
Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef

 

Movin’ on Up: The UFC’s Five Fastest Rising Prospects


(A preview of Gustafsson’s placement on the list? There’s only one way to find out.) 

A great man once said that geology was the study of pressure and time. That man’s name was Red, and although he was simply using the phrase as a metaphor for prison life, he could’ve just as easily been talking about hype. Because hype, not unlike geology, has the ability to form diamonds from coal, and just as easily crush the greatest boulders into dust.

As MMA fans, we know the hype game more than any; if we’re not prematurely declaring it “The_____Era,” then we’re likely discrediting legends of the sport, even going as far to say that their wins never held any validity in the first place. Sounds insane, doesn’t it? Well, welcome to the world of cyberhype, the deadliest, fastest spreading strand of hype there is. And as with Kei$ha and CSI spin-offs, there is little we can do to stop this disease, so instead we’ll just try and act like we were into it before it got popular.

Here are five of the hottest prospects in the UFC, ranked in order of how long we knew about them before you did.

5. Stephen Thompson

Last three fights: (W) Dan Stittgen via KO, (W) Patrick Mandio via UD, (W)  William Kuhn via UD

There isn’t much we can say about Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson that his kickboxing and MMA records don’t. The man has strung together 63 consecutive wins in mixed competition, most recently starching Daniel Stittgen ^ at UFC 143. The hype surrounding Thompson has been overlooked by some, and will be put to the test when he takes on TUF 7 vet Matt Brown at UFC 145.


(A preview of Gustafsson’s placement on the list? There’s only one way to find out.) 

A great man once said that geology was the study of pressure and time. That man’s name was Red, and although he was simply using the phrase as a metaphor for prison life, he could’ve just as easily been talking about hype. Because hype, not unlike geology, has the ability to form diamonds from coal, and just as easily crush the greatest boulders into dust.

As MMA fans, we know the hype game more than any; if we’re not prematurely declaring it “The_____Era,” then we’re likely discrediting legends of the sport, even going as far to say that their wins never held any validity in the first place. Sounds insane, doesn’t it? Well, welcome to the world of cyberhype, the deadliest, fastest spreading strand of hype there is. And as with Kei$ha and CSI spin-offs, there is little we can do to stop this disease, so instead we’ll just try and act like we were into it before it got popular.

Here are five of the hottest prospects in the UFC, ranked in order of how long we knew about them before you did.

5. Stephen Thompson

Last three fights: (W) Dan Stittgen via KO, (W) Patrick Mandio via UD, (W)  William Kuhn via UD

There isn’t much we can say about Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson that his kickboxing and MMA records don’t. The man has strung together 63 consecutive wins in mixed competition, most recently starching Daniel Stittgen ^ at UFC 143. The hype surrounding Thompson has been overlooked by some, and will be put to the test when he takes on TUF 7 vet Matt Brown at UFC 145.

4. Che Mills

Last three fights: (W) Chris Cope via TKO, (W) Marcio Cesar via KO, (W) Magomed Shikshabekov via UD

Former Cage Rage Welterweight champ Che “Beautiful” Mills had a rough start to his UFC career, falling to a heel hook in a preliminary match on the ninth season of The Ultimate Fighter to eventual season winner James Wilks. In the time since, however, Mills has gone 7-2, including wins over Jake Hecht and the above destruction of Chris Cope. Fun Fact: He also holds a pair of (T)KO wins over current DREAM Welterweight champion Marius Zaromskis. Mills will be squaring off against Rory MacDonald at UFC 145 in a match that will truly show us what he’s made of. Speaking of “Ares”…

3. Rory Macdonald

Last three fights: (W) Mike Pyle via TKO, (W) Nate Diaz via UD, (L) Carlos Condit via TKO

With his solid submission prowess, aggressive and diverse striking attack, and powerful wrestling base, it’s hard to really spot a weakness in Macdonald’s game. The only blemish on his record came via last second TKO loss to current welterweight interim champ Carlos Condit, in a match that many would argue he was ahead on going into the third round. We hate to speak in cliches, but the sky is the limit for this kid. In fact, we imagine he’ll be getting a much deserved rematch with Condit in the not-to-distant future. Unless Che Mills has something to say about it, of course.

UFC on FUEL TV 2 Fight Card: Nogueira vs. Gustafsson

Filed under: UFCThe UFC on FUEL TV 2 fight card, headlined by Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Alexander Gustafsson, takes place April 14 and marks the live debut of the UFC in Sweden.

The event airs live from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm on FUEL…

Filed under:

The UFC on FUEL TV 2 fight card, headlined by Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Alexander Gustafsson, takes place April 14 and marks the live debut of the UFC in Sweden.

The event airs live from the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm on FUEL TV and Facebook.

The current lineup is below.

FUEL TV Card – 10 p.m. ET
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Paulo Thiago
DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire

Facebook Preliminary Card
Jörgen Kruth vs. Cyrille Diabate
Magnus Cedenblad vs. Francis Carmont
Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page
James Head vs. Papy Abedi
Akira Corassani vs. Jason Young*
Simeon Thoresen vs. Besam Yousef

*not yet officially announced

 

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Alexander Gustafsson vs. Rogerio Nogueira Set for UFC Sweden Main Event

Filed under: UFC, NewsStockholm’s own light heavyweight Alexander Gustfasson will take on Brazilian veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the main event of UFC Sweden, the UFC announced Tuesday.

“UFC Sweden” (also known as UFC on FUEL TV 2), the promoti…

Filed under: ,

Stockholm’s own light heavyweight Alexander Gustfasson will take on Brazilian veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the main event of UFC Sweden, the UFC announced Tuesday.

“UFC Sweden” (also known as UFC on FUEL TV 2), the promotion’s debut in Sweden, takes place Saturday, April 14 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm.

“Sweden has been on our radar for a long time and on April 14, we’re excited to finally bring the UFC to Stockholm,” UFC President Dana White stated Tuesday. “We’re putting together a great card for the Swedish fans. I can’t wait to get there in April!”

Gustafsson (13-1) has been on a tear, finishing all four of his opponents in his last four UFC fights. Last month at UFC 141, Gustafsson earned the biggest win of his career, a first-round TKO over veteran Vladimir Matyushenko. Nogueira (20-5) last month snapped a two-fight losing streak by stopping former champ Tito Ortiz at UFC 140 in Canada.

Since this is not a pay-per-view card, Gustafsson vs. Nogueira will be a three-round fight.

The current UFC Sweden matchups are below.

Alexander Gustafsson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Siyar Bahadurzada vs. Paulo Thiago
DaMarques Johnson vs. John Maguire
Jörgen Kruth vs. Cyrille Diabate
Magnus Cedenblad vs. Francis Carmont
Brian Stann vs. Alessio Sakara
Brad Pickett vs. Damacio Page
James Head vs. Papy Abedi

 

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