Tag: Amir Sadollah

UFC on Versus 5 Weigh-in Results: Dan Hardy Needs Three Tries to Make Limit

Filed under: UFC, NewsMILWAUKEE – Dan Hardy got perhaps the loudest ovation at Saturday’s UFC weigh-ins – even though he wore Chicago Bears orange in green-and-gold Packers country. (OK, maybe it was meant to be Harley-Davidson orange.)

But Hardy, spo…

Filed under: ,

MILWAUKEE – Dan Hardy got perhaps the loudest ovation at Saturday’s UFC weigh-ins – even though he wore Chicago Bears orange in green-and-gold Packers country. (OK, maybe it was meant to be Harley-Davidson orange.)

But Hardy, sporting bright orange for his signature mohawk, missed weight for his welterweight bout against Midwesterner Chris Lytle, weighing in at 171.5 pounds even after dropping four pairs of trunks that he wore for show. Lytle weighed in at 170.5 for the main event of Sunday’s UFC on Versus 5 card.

After the official weigh-in event concluded, Hardy was able to make not just 171 pounds, but 170, the UFC confirmed. Hardy took to his Twitter feed, saying, “Not sure what happend there, I was on weight when I left the hotel!”

All 22 of the other fighters on the card successfully hit their marks at the weigh-ins, which took place outside the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee.

Hardy is looking to snap a three-fight losing streak that started with a welterweight title fight loss to Georges St-Pierre last year. Lytle is coming off his first loss in five fights, a decision setback to Brian Ebersole in February. Both men have said they want to put a Fight of the Night-type performance on, promising to stand in the pocket and trade.

Jim Miller and Ben Henderson fight in the co-main event, an important bout that might determine the next top contender in the lightweight division. Miller comes in on a seven-fight winning streak, tops in the UFC outside champions St-Pierre and Anderson Silva. A win is likely to assure him a shot at the Frankie Edgar–Gray Maynard rematch winner in October. Henderson, the former lightweight champ in the WEC, won his UFC debut in April against Mark Bocek. And while an upset of Miller wouldn’t likely get him a title shot, it would throw a wrench into the division. Though for the second straight fight, Henderson had to strip down to make his mark, he eventually weighed in at 156. Miller came in at 155.5.

Also on the main card, Donald Cerrone and Charles Oliveira had one of the afternoon’s more intense staredowns after leaving the scale, though they did shake hands. Cerrone said Friday he finds his opponent to be cocky thanks to a smirk he gave him earlier in the week. Cerrone has won four straight in the lightweight division – two to close out his WEC career and his first two as part of the UFC. The former WEC star won five Fight of the Night bonuses with that promotion, and a third straight UFC win would likely elevate his name into future title talk. Cerrone was 156; Oliveira weighed 155.

The complete weigh-in results are below:

Main Card
Dan Hardy (170*) vs. Chris Lytle (170.5)
Jim Miller (155.5) vs. Ben Henderson (156)
Charles Oliveira (155) vs. Donald Cerrone (156)
Amir Sadollah (170) vs. Duane Ludwig (170.5)
Preliminary Card
C.B. Dollaway (186) vs. Jared Hamman (185)
Joseph Benavidez (135.5) vs. Eddie Wineland (136)
Ed Herman (186) vs. Kyle Noke (185)
Karlos Vemola (205.5) vs. Ronny Markes (205)
Alex Caceres (146) vs. Jim Hettes (145.5)
Cole Miller (155.5) vs. T.J. O’Brien (155.5)
Jacob Volkmann (156) vs. Danny Castillo (156)
Edwin Figueroa (136) vs. Jason Reinhardt (135)

* Hardy missed weight on his first try. After removing his trunks, he was still 171.5. On his third try, after the official weigh-in event, he made 170.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC on Versus 5 Weigh-in Results and Reaction

The official weigh-ins for UFC on Versus 5 will go down today at 5 p.m. EST at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Live results from the event will be posted below as the fighters tip the scales.
The main event features a surefire scrap…

The official weigh-ins for UFC on Versus 5 will go down today at 5 p.m. EST at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Live results from the event will be posted below as the fighters tip the scales.

The main event features a surefire scrap between exciting welterweight sluggers Dan Hardy and Chris Lytle. It’s do-or-die for Hardy, who has lost his last three fights. Lytle hopes to rebound from his upset loss at UFC 127 to Brian Ebersole.

The co-main event holds more weight than the headliner. Top lightweight contenders Jim Miller and Ben Henderson will battle it out to possibly decide the next No. 1 contender for the UFC title.

As is custom, all of the preliminary bouts will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page at 5:45 p.m. EST before the main card goes live on Versus at 9 p.m. EST.

 

Main Card

*Dan Hardy (171.5) vs. Chris Lytle (170.5)

Ben Henderson (156) vs. Jim Miller (155.5)

Donald Cerrone (156) vs. Charles Oliveira (155)

Amir Sadollah (170) vs. Duane Ludwig (170.5)

 

Prelims

C.B. Dollaway (186) vs. Jared Hamman (185)

Joseph Benavidez (135.5) vs. Eddie Wineland (136)

Ed Herman (186) vs. Kyle Noke (185)

Karlos Vemola (205.5) vs. Ronny Markes (205)

Alex Caceres (146) vs. Jim Hettes (145.5)

Cole Miller (155.5) vs. T.J. O’Brien (155.5)

Danny Castillo (156) vs. Jacob Volkmann (156)

Edwin Figueroa (136) vs. Jason Reinhardt (135)

 

* Did not make weight on the first attempt

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Friday Afternoon Link Dump

(Video courtesy of YouTube/COLLECTBRUCELEEcom)

– Manager says probe will show Gatti’s death no suicide (SportsIllustrated)

– Brian Ebersole explains the art of the hairrow (MiddleEasy)

– The 20 biggest celebrity boob teases (SuperBooyah)

– Reverent Hardy Promises Rough Night for Lytle at UFC on Versus 5 (TheRugged)

– 18 awesome Anziz Ansari animated GIFs (ScreenJunkies)

– Superfood myths and recession tips (MadeMan)

– Buy the entire M-1 Global video catalogue and get a free autographed Fedor glove from Jerry Millen (Ebay)

– 25 of the lamest wrestling gimmicks ever (HolyTaco)

– Afl fan tackles player (ScoresReport)

– Amir Sadollah talks sex appeal and fighting a guy named “Bang” (Clutch.MTV)

– Bert and Ernie aren’t gay, Sesame Street spokesperson states (TorontoSun)

– Masvidal to challenge Melendez for Strikeforce LW strap in late fall (MMAFighting)

– Casey Anthony told to get her ass back to Florida for probation (InternationalBusinessTimes)

– 10 best UFC fighters ever, by division (BleacherReport)


(Video courtesy of YouTube/COLLECTBRUCELEEcom)

– Manager says probe will show Gatti’s death no suicide (SportsIllustrated)

– Brian Ebersole explains the art of the hairrow (MiddleEasy)

– The 20 biggest celebrity boob teases (SuperBooyah)

– Reverent Hardy Promises Rough Night for Lytle at UFC on Versus 5 (TheRugged)

– 18 awesome Anziz Ansari animated GIFs (ScreenJunkies)

– Superfood myths and recession tips (MadeMan)

– Buy the entire M-1 Global video catalogue and get a free autographed Fedor glove from Jerry Millen (Ebay)

– 25 of the lamest wrestling gimmicks ever (HolyTaco)

– Afl fan tackles player (ScoresReport)

– Amir Sadollah talks sex appeal and fighting a guy named “Bang” (Clutch.MTV)

– Bert and Ernie aren’t gay, Sesame Street spokesperson states (TorontoSun)

– Masvidal to challenge Melendez for Strikeforce LW strap in late fall (MMAFighting)

– Casey Anthony told to get her ass back to Florida for probation (InternationalBusinessTimes)

– 10 best UFC fighters ever, by division (BleacherReport)

 

 

 

The Cut List: Who’s in Desperate Need of a Win at UFC on Versus 5?

Filed under: UFCThe UFC Live cards may lack the firepower of the big shows, but a) they’re free, and b) they afford some great opportunities for up-and-comers and down-and-outers alike to show off their stuff at an event where the spotlight isn’t compl…

Filed under:

The UFC Live cards may lack the firepower of the big shows, but a) they’re free, and b) they afford some great opportunities for up-and-comers and down-and-outers alike to show off their stuff at an event where the spotlight isn’t completely hogged by superstars.

That also makes UFC on Versus 5 a last-chance go-round for several fighters on the roster, so it’s either win or go home when the UFC rolls into Milwaukee.

Who’s on the hot seat this time around, and who’s most likely to get scorched before the night is over? Find out below.

Dan Hardy (23-9, 1 NC; 4-3 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Chris Lytle
Why he’s in danger: Hardy managed to avoid the UFC’s informal three strikes policy based primarily on his popularity and his fighting style. If he was a bland, decision-prone wrestler with a buzz cut, he’d be long gone by now. But even the UFC would have trouble overlooking four straight losses, so Hardy needs to pull it together against Lytle. He’s a smart chap, so he knows that, which is why he called out Lytle to begin with. As much as he can’t afford to lose another one, he really can’t afford to get out-wrestled in another snoozer. In Lytle, he’s found an opponent who will probably choose not to exploit his weak takedown defense, opting instead to fling leather at one another’s faces until someone falls down. That’s exactly what Hardy needs right now. Of course, he also needs to be the one who doesn’t fall down. If you lose a hand-picked fight like this, then what hope is there for you?
Odds of getting cut: 3-1. It’s a winnable fight for Hardy, and one that’ll probably produce enough fireworks to please the bosses. If he gets KO’d, however, he’s almost certainly done in the UFC…at least for now.

Duane Ludwig (20-11; 3-2 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Amir Sadollah
Why he’s in danger: His current run in the UFC started with two straight losses, followed by a somewhat lucky split decision win over Nick Osipczak at UFC 122. Lucky not because he didn’t deserve it, mind you, but rather because he was pretty clearly losing until Osipczak ran out of gas and tried to coast to the finish, allowing “Bang” to finish strong. With close to 90 fights on the books between MMA and kickboxing, Ludwig is a savvy, yet battered journeyman of combat sports. He’s been in some battles and has more miles on the odometer than most 33-year-old fighters. If he gets beat by Sadollah, the UFC might start to do the math on him and decide it doesn’t need another tailspinning welterweight who’s doing good to pull off a 1-3 run against four mid-level opponents. Then again, he’ll fight whoever you’ve got and he doesn’t cause trouble, and there’s something to be said for an employee like that.
Odds of getting cut: Even. Without a memorable showing, a defeat here — which is likely, to say the least — probably results in Ludwig getting his walking papers.

Alex Caceres (5-3; 0-1 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Jim Hettes
Why he’s in danger: At least so far, Caceres seems more suited for reality TV than for the Octagon. He’s a character, and every season of TUF needs at least one of those. Once the show’s over, however, you’ve got to earn your keep with your fists. Caceres seemed out of his depth against Mackens Semerzier in his first UFC fight. On paper, he seems to be headed for another defeat against the undefeated submissions artist Hettes. It was the Bruce Leeroy gimmick and the glimmer of raw talent that got Caceres this far in the UFC, but that shine wears off quickly. We know Caceres has personality. Now he needs to show he has skills, as well.
Odds of getting cut: 2-5. Caceres is still young, so maybe he could use the time to get some experience on the small circuit. My guess is he’s going to get that chance after Sunday.

Jason Reinhardt (20-2; 0-2 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Edwin Figueroa
Why he’s in danger: What does it tell you when a guy’s undefeated outside of the UFC and winless in it? Either he hasn’t fought the toughest competition in the local shows or else he gets a killer case of nerves inside the Octagon. Neither is a particularly good sign. In two UFC fights, Reinhardt has lasted a total of 2:02. It’s somewhat surprising that he didn’t get cut after being mauled by Tiequan Zhang at UFC 127, but his role in the curtain-jerker on a UFC Live show should definitely tell him that this is the last stop on the express train out of the organization. Only a win will keep the 41-year-old Reinhardt on the UFC roster, and his opponent is a 3-1 betting favorite. If Reinhardt’s going to turn out to be the UFC’s answer to Rudy, he’d better start on Sunday.
Odds of getting cut: 1-5. Get a good look at him while you can, because Reinhardt is headed for the door.

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC on Versus 5 Predictions

Filed under: UFCThe UFC is back on Versus Sunday night with a five-fight televised card that will answer some big questions: Can Dan Hardy snap his losing streak and save his job in the UFC? Can Jim Miller prove that he’s worthy of a lightweight title …

Filed under:

The UFC is back on Versus Sunday night with a five-fight televised card that will answer some big questions: Can Dan Hardy snap his losing streak and save his job in the UFC? Can Jim Miller prove that he’s worthy of a lightweight title shot? Can Charles Oliveira get back on track and show that he’s one of the sport’s most promising young fighters? We’ll weigh in with some answers below.

What: UFC Live on Versus 5: Hardy vs. Lytle

When: Sunday, the Facebook fights begin at 5:45 PM ET and the Versus fights start at 9.

Where: Milwaukee

Predictions on the four televised fights and the top two Facebook fights below.

Dan Hardy vs. Chris Lytle
Hardly anything has gone right for Hardy in the nearly two years since he beat Mike Swick to earn a shot at the welterweight title. He was completely outclassed by Georges St. Pierre, knocked out by Carlos Condit and then controlled for 15 minutes by Anthony Johnson. Now Hardy says he’s shaking up his training and getting back into form, and he better be, if he wants to keep his spot on the UFC roster: Fighters rarely keep their jobs if they lose four in a row.

The good news for Hardy is that Lytle is liable to play right into his strengths and turn it into a slugfest. The 36-year-old Lytle is always exciting, but he has looked like he’s slowing down in his last couple fights, and Hardy should be able to out-slug him and win what should be an entertaining fight.
Pick: Hardy
Jim Miller vs. Ben Henderson
 Although Hardy vs. Lytle is officially the main event, Miller vs. Henderson is the best fight on the card. Miller has a great resume: He’s 20-2, and the losses are to the two best lightweights in the world, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. If he wins this one, you have to think he’s next in line for a shot at the winner of the upcoming Edgar-Maynard fight.

But Henderson, the former WEC lightweight champion, is an opponent who could give Miller some problems. Henderson isn’t as good on the ground as Miller, but he’s savvy enough to avoid getting tapped and maybe even put Miller in some trouble on the ground. And Henderson is a good enough striker that if he’s willing to take some chances and let his hands go, he could put Miller in some trouble on his feet.

However, that’s looking at the best-case scenario for Henderson if things go right. More likely, Miller takes Henderson down repeatedly, controls him on the ground, and grinds out a decision for his eighth consecutive win — the third-longest active winning streak in the UFC, behind only Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre.
Pick: Miller
Charles Oliveira vs. Donald Cerrone
 A year ago, Oliveira burst onto the scene in his UFC debut, forcing Darren Elkins to tap to an armbar and winning the Submission of the Night award. At the time, he was 20 years old and 13-0 in his MMA career, and things were looking great. But 2011 hasn’t been as kind to Oliveira: He suffered the first loss of his career, against Jim Miller, and then had his victory over Nik Lentz turned into a no-contest because he used an illegal knee strike.

Now Oliveira gets another tough draw in Donald Cerrone, who’s riding high on a four-fight winning streak. These are two of the best jiu jitsu practitioners in the lightweight division, and I expect 15 minutes of fast-paced action on the ground. Cerrone winning wouldn’t surprise me, but I think Oliveira’s relentless style will be impressive enough to the judges for him to earn the decision.
Pick: Oliveira
Amir Sadollah vs. Duane Ludwig
 Sadollah was extremely inexperienced when he won Season 7 of The Ultimate Fighter, and as a result the UFC has brought him on carefully, picking just the right opponents. Ludwig is another example of that: A name fans know because he’s been around for years, but not a fighter who at this stage in his career is just barely fighting at a UFC level. Sadollah should be able to beat Ludwig comfortably.
Pick: Sadollah
C.B. Dollaway vs. Jared Hamman
Dollaway is the guy Sadollah beat to win The Ultimate Fighter, and he, like Sadollah, has progressed in fits and starts. Mark Munoz made short work of Dollaway in his last fight, knocking him out in less than a minute, and that could mean trouble for Dollaway, as Hamman has knockout power, too. But I think Dollaway’s superior wrestling will rule the day, and he’ll win a decision.
Pick: Dollaway

Joseph Benavidez vs. Eddie Wineland
This fight really ought to be on the Versus card instead of Sadollah vs. Ludwig, but you can think of it as a nice reward for the hard-core fans who seek out the Facebook preliminaries. Wineland was the WEC’s first bantamweight champion, and he put up a good fight against Urijah Faber in his UFC debut in March. Benavidez, however, should be able to frustrate Wineland by coming at him at unusual angles and win a decision.
Pick: Benavidez

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

UFC on Versus 5: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCThere’s nothing like a free Sunday night fight card from the UFC to take your mind off the impending doom of Monday morning and the current lack of good TV dramas on HBO.

As we settle in to enjoy another event on Versus, which necessa…

Filed under:

There’s nothing like a free Sunday night fight card from the UFC to take your mind off the impending doom of Monday morning and the current lack of good TV dramas on HBO.

As we settle in to enjoy another event on Versus, which necessarily includes a confused few minutes of searching for Versus on the cable TV dial, let’s look at how oddsmakers see the action going down in Milwaukee.

Chris Lytle (-130) vs. Dan Hardy (even)

In his role as the guy you fight when you want to throw them bungalows and forget about the existence of takedowns altogether, Lytle has been pretty dependable. That’s good news for Hardy, who, after three straight losses, needs a win so bad he can feel it in his mohawk. We know Hardy can be outwrestled, but we also know Lytle isn’t likely to take that route. He’ll stand there and fling blows for as long as Hardy wants, regardless of whether it’s a good idea or not. We know Lytle is a skilled striker. What we have to wonder at this point is if he can stand up to Hardy’s power. The 36-year-old vet started to look his age a little bit in his last fight. He’s been eyeing retirement and a potential political run recently, while Hardy has no choice but to win. Kind of makes you think that the Brit might want/need this more.
My pick: Hardy. Based on past experience, Lytle will probably let him off the hook by ignoring the glaring weakness in his takedown defense. From there, youth and speed rule the day.

Ben Henderson (+145) vs. Jim Miller (-175)

We’re still figuring out just how well the top WEC lightweights stack up against the UFC regulars, but Henderson’s decision win over Mark Bocek was enough to tell us that he deserves to be taken seriously. However, there’s a big difference between edging out Bocek and hanging with Miller, who’s as underappreciated as any fighter in the UFC right now. The last time he lost a fight was to current top contender Gray Maynard, and that was in 2009. Since then he’s won seven straight, against quality opponents, and he’s finished more than half of them. Henderson is a decent striker with good grappling, but it’s hard to see where he holds significant advantages over Miller. This seems like Miller’s time to shine, and oddsmakers know it.
My pick: Miller. At -175 (meaning you’d need to wager $175 to win $100), you’re better off saving it for a parlay pick. Just don’t count on Henderson to be your underdog savior.

Charles Oliveira (-130) vs. Donald Cerrone (even)

There’s a lot to like about Oliveira, even though, after his blatantly illegal knee on Nik Lentz, his understanding of the unified rules of MMA may not be one of them. But while he looked impressive right up to that point, just as he did against Efrain Escudero last September, he’s facing a different kind of opponent in Cerrone. “Cowboy” is just straight-up mean. He took a disturbing amount of joy in leg-kicking Vagner Rocha until he could no longer stand, and when forced to use it, he’s also got a pretty good submissions game. Oliveira had a strong start to his UFC career, but we have to face the fact that he’s seeing a big jump up in competition lately, especially with Miller and now Cerrone, and we don’t know for sure yet whether he’s ready for it.
My pick: Cerrone. It’s going to be a close one, and quite possibly the best fight on this card, but I think his experience and crowd/judge-pleasing style will make the difference.

Amir Sadollah (-310) vs. Duane Ludwig (+250)

This is one where oddsmakers seem to have zeroed in on the right guy, but are perhaps a little overly optimistic. On paper, Sadollah should beat Ludwig. But when you’re looking at an experienced kickboxer like “Bang” going up against a still pretty inexperienced fighter like Sadollah, I’m not sure I’d have the faith to go all the way to 3-1 on it. Yes, Sadollah looked impressive against DaMarques Johnson (who took the fight on very short notice) in March. And yes, his weakness is his wrestling, where Ludwig isn’t likely to take it. But any time you’re trading kicks and punches with a guy who has as many kickboxing bouts as Ludwig does, there’s always a chance for things to go wrong.
My pick: Sadollah, though I could never get on board with these odds. In fact, Ludwig might even be worth small action if you’re sick of playing the lottery, where you so rarely get a decent fight for your money.

Quick picks:

– Jim Hettes (-400) over Alex Caceras (+300). I know, you loved him as Bruce Leeroy on TUF, but Hettes appears to have the submission game that Caceras lacks, so don’t get suckered in here.

– Jacob Volkmann (+105) over Danny Castillo (-135). Volkmann is not terribly fun to watch, and his trash talk on Obama comes off like an ill-conceived Mr. Bean sketch, but he’s got this.

The ‘For Entertainment Purposes Only’ Parlay: Hardy + Miller + Cerrone + Volkmann

 

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments