When your opponent has been guaranteed something and you haven’t, that provides extra motivation for you whether you want to admit it or not. That is what Antonio Silva is feeling heading into tomorrow night, when he will square off against Alistair Ov…
When your opponent has been guaranteed something and you haven’t, that provides extra motivation for you whether you want to admit it or not. That is what Antonio Silva is feeling heading into tomorrow night, when he will square off against Alistair Overeem at UFC 156.
Dana White stated yesterday that if Overeem gets by Silva, he will get the next title shot against heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. For Silva, nothing has been guaranteed.
Silva already lost to Velasquez last year at UFC 146, but rebounded and defeated Travis Browne at UFC on FX 5 last October. People aren’t really giving Silva a chance tomorrow night, so let’s take a look and see why you should cheer for the Brazilian against Overeem.
The first pay-per-view event of 2013 is set to kick off this weekend from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and with it comes a lot of questions about the fighters involved. Can Frankie Edgar show Rashad Evans that dropping down a weight class to fight for a title is a wise decision? Will Alistair Overeem manage to stake his claim for #1 contendership without screwing everything up again? Will Dana White finally get the revenge he’s always wanted by strangling Steve Mazzagatti to death after he blows a call during the main event?
All these questions and more will be answered in just two short days, so follow us after the jump as we highlight one bout from the undercard and all the main card bouts in order to ensure that you start off the new year with a little extra cash in your pocket. All betting lines come courtesy of BestFightOdds.
Volkmann is about as predictable as fighters come: a wrestler with limited striking who has no qualms about grinding out a 3 round decision. At 155lbs, all of Volkmann’s fights have ended up on the ground, so this may boil down to whether or not Green will be able to submit Volkmann off his back like Paul Sass was able to do at UFC 146. At -380, I am willing to bet that Volkmann is able to avoid getting caught by Green’s submissions and score a decision win.
A Team Alpha Male fighter in a non title fight is generally a safe bet, but Benavidez sitting at -250 is a little too rich for my tastes, however. Ian McCall is as durable as they come and even though he has had a rough go in life (especially of late), he has the speed and craftiness to give Joseph all he can handle. The prop bet that this fight goes the distance is the safest bet here.
By Dan “Get Off Me” George
The first pay-per-view event of 2013 is set to kick off this weekend from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, and with it comes a lot of questions about the fighters involved. Can Frankie Edgar show Rashad Evans that dropping down a weight class to fight for a title is a wise decision? Will Alistair Overeem manage to stake his claim for #1 contendership without screwing everything up again? Will Dana White finally get the revenge he’s always wanted by strangling Steve Mazzagatti to death after he blows a call during the main event?
All these questions and more will be answered in just two short days, so follow us after the jump as we highlight one bout from the undercard and all the main card bouts in order to ensure that you start off the new year with a little extra cash in your pocket. All betting lines come courtesy of BestFightOdds.
Volkmann is about as predictable as fighters come: a wrestler with limited striking who has no qualms about grinding out a 3 round decision. At 155lbs, all of Volkmann’s fights have ended up on the ground, so this may boil down to whether or not Green will be able to submit Volkmann off his back like Paul Sass was able to do at UFC 146. At -380, I am willing to bet that Volkmann is able to avoid getting caught by Green’s submissions and score a decision win.
A Team Alpha Male fighter in a non title fight is generally a safe bet, but Benavidez sitting at -250 is a little too rich for my tastes, however. Ian McCall is as durable as they come and even though he has had a rough go in life (especially of late), he has the speed and craftiness to give Joseph all he can handle. The prop bet that this fight goes the distance is the safest bet here.
Jon Fitch showcased both his entertaining side andhis excellent submissions defense against Erick Silva in his last outing at UFC 153. Demian Maia is a submission specialist –perhaps the best submission fighter Fitch has ever faced — and the very fact that Jon has managed to stay away from being submitted in his UFC career may be his undoing here. Fitch’s baiting style may catch up to him here, as I believe Maia will be both technically sound and strong enough to submit Fitch if the opportunity presents itself. Demian Maia for the submission victory upset at +150 is the most appealing underdog bet on the main card due to the high likelihood that this fight will end up on the mat.
The -400 line suggests Alistair will be able to find Silva’s chin (which, come on) before this fight finds the ground. Antonio Silva was not afraid to trade with Browne in his KO victory at UFC on FX 5, which could be problematic should he entertain that same notion with perhaps the most elite striker in the heavyweight division. I’m going to take the obvious bet here and say that Alistair stuffs the takedown attempts and uses his superior striking to become the no.1 contender to Junior’s Cain’s heavyweight title.
As much as it would be nice to think Lil’ Nog will catch Rashad in this fight, the steep price of -500 for Evans basically crushes those dreams. Not sure how this fight was thought up by the match makers, but if Lil’Nog’s track record against wrestlers in the UFC is any indication, Rashad would not be an ideal opponent for competitive purposes. Evans will crawl out at the opening bell, use his speed to exploit the openings created by Lil’ Nog’s boxing heavy offense, and take this fight to the mat, where he might even finish the Brazilian legend.
Aldo is one of the most dominant champions in the UFC, a consensus top five pound-for-pound fighter who has rarely shown vulnerability inside the Octagon. Edgar will be going into his 7th straight title fight at a weight class that many feel he should have been fighting at all along. There are several variables in this fight, but the most glaring one is whether or not Edgar’s lead leg will be able to withstand Aldo’s onslaught of kicks long enough to use his excellent conditioning as a determining factor. This will undoubtedly be Aldo’s toughest fight to date, as many believe he is fighting the true lightweight champion here and a guy who will dictate a pace that Aldo will not be able to match. Honestly, it might just be best to sit back and enjoy this superfight, because the lines just aren’t wide enough to warrant a big bet.
In honor of this must-see matchup, MANTO USA has given us a pair of their charming “Freak Fight of the Night” t-shirts, which we’re going to award to the two CagePotato readers who can most closely predict the result of Overeem vs. Silva. Please toss your guesses into the comments section of this post, in the following format…
In honor of this must-see matchup, MANTO USA has given us a pair of their charming “Freak Fight of the Night” t-shirts, which we’re going to award to the two CagePotato readers who can most closely predict the result of Overeem vs. Silva. Please toss your guesses into the comments section of this post, in the following format…
– Overeem def. Silva via TKO, 3:59 of round 1 or, perhaps
– Silva def. Overeem via submission (chin-in-eye), 2:32 of round 2
Please include the judges’ scores if you think the fight will end in a decision, in case we need them for a tie-breaker. Entries must be in by Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, and we’ll announce the winner on Monday. One entry per person, please. Any other questions, let us know. Good luck!
(“We’re here to pick up your daughter. Yes, both of us. Don’t mind my friend with the gigantism, he doesn’t talk much.”)
The hype surrounding gargantuan Dutchman Alistair Overeem has yet to come to fruition in the UFC—a fact that could soon alter, presuming “The Demolition Man” prevails in his co-main event bout at UFC 156 on Saturday. Poli…
The hype surrounding gargantuan Dutchman Alistair Overeem has yet to come to fruition in the UFC—a fact that could soon alter, presuming “The Demolition Man” prevails in his co-main event bout at UFC 156 on Saturday.
Polishing off dangerous opponents has long served as a staple of Overeem’s game, and if the hulking 32-year-old can add another notable submission or knockout to his résumé against Antonio Silva, he could instantly leapfrog Junior Dos Santos as the top contender in the heavyweight division.
Overeem still blames the postponement of his launch in the UFC on a miscommunication with a physician which ultimately resulted in a failed drug test in April.
Delays aside, Overeem immediately thrust his name back into the conversation of possible challengers for Velasquez when the Nevada State Athletic Commission granted the former Strikeforce, Dream and K-1 Grand Prix champion his fight license on Jan. 8.
During a media call for UFC 156, the supremely confident Overeem, who last tasted defeat in September 2007, elaborated on once again having a title shot in his crosshairs.
“It’s just a matter of time, in my sense. We still have one more mountain to climb, and that’s Bigfoot. But to be honest, I don’t see any problem.”
Despite having just one fight in the UFC—albeit a TKO win over former champion Brock Lesnar—Overeem is unbeaten in his last 12 tilts (with 10 finishes in that span) and could jump to the front of a long line of deserving contenders with a decisive win over Silva.
That means potential title challengers like Dos Santos and Fabricio Werdum will surely become Bigfoot fans for a night on Saturday.
Not for a lack of ability, but “Cigano” and “Vai Cavalo” shouldn’t put too much faith in Silva, at least according to SportsBook.com, which lists Overeem as a 4.5-to-1 favorite (-450).
Considering some of his signature victories, which came over the likes of Lesnar, VitorBelfort (twice), and Werdum, a win over Silva wouldn’t represent Overeem’s most significant career triumph. However, besting Silva in impressive fashion could put “The Demolition” Man in line for a title shot in his next fight.
Regardless of what’s a stake or what the oddsmakers say, Overeem remains adamant that he’s staying fixated on the massive Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt.
“I’m always focused on my next battle. Winning the next fight is the most important thing.”
– How likely is it that Edgar will become the third UFC fighter in history (after Randy Couture and BJ Penn) to become a UFC champion in a second weight division?
– Is anybody buying the idea that Bigfoot’s size and power will be a challenge for Overeem?
– What would Rashad Evans need to do, hypothetically, to convince you that he deserves another crack at Jon Jones?
– The UFC injury curse has been eerily quiet lately, with very few withdrawals of marquee fighters over the past two months. So, were Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta justified in throwing those virgins into the volcano?
And now that we have your attention, you might as well watch this stuff too…
– How likely is it that Edgar will become the third UFC fighter in history (after Randy Couture and BJ Penn) to become a UFC champion in a second weight division?
– Is anybody buying the idea that Bigfoot’s size and power will be a challenge for Overeem?
– What would Rashad Evans need to do, hypothetically, to convince you that he deserves another crack at Jon Jones?
– The UFC injury curse has been eerily quiet lately, with very few withdrawals of marquee fighters over the past two months. So, were Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta justified in throwing those virgins into the volcano?
And now that we have your attention, you might as well watch this stuff too…
Here’s the trailer for Bobby Razak‘s upcoming documentary on MMA fighter Amanda Lucas, including some choice quotes from her father, Star Wars creator George Lucas.
And finally: The Diaz brothers get pulled over by officer Steven Seagal, and Ariel Helwani teleports into Johny Hendricks‘s living room. Thanks, prebek.
The hype surrounding gargantuan Dutchman Alistair Overeem has yet to come to fruition in the UFC—a fact that could soon alter, presuming “The Demolition Man” prevails in his co-main event bout at 