(Dana White & the stars of UFC 164 hold court last night after the fights in Milwaukee | Video via UFC Youtube)
Watch the video above to see what UFC President Dana White, and some of UFC 164’s top fighters had to say about all the action from last night’s pay per view event. New champion Anthony Pettis talked about his dramatic first round submission of Benson Henderson, Frank Mir and Josh Barnett talk about their controversial heavyweight clash and Chad Mendes discusses his fourth straight knockout win.
Per usual, the “…of the night” bonuses were announced by White at the post presser. Mendes won KO of the night, Pettis won submission of the night and Hyun Gyu Lim and Pascal Krauss won fight of the night. All fighters involved took home an extra $50,000 for the honors.
(Dana White & the stars of UFC 164 hold court last night after the fights in Milwaukee | Video via UFC Youtube)
Watch the video above to see what UFC President Dana White, and some of UFC 164′s top fighters had to say about all the action from last night’s pay per view event. New champion Anthony Pettis talked about his dramatic first round submission of Benson Henderson, Frank Mir and Josh Barnett talk about their controversial heavyweight clash and Chad Mendes discusses his fourth straight knockout win.
Per usual, the “…of the night” bonuses were announced by White at the post presser. Mendes won KO of the night, Pettis won submission of the night and Hyun Gyu Lim and Pascal Krauss won fight of the night. All fighters involved took home an extra $50,000 for the honors.
(Anthony Pettis becomes the new UFC lightweight champion by submitting Benson Henderson in the first round at UFC 164 Saturday night | All videos via FoxSports Youtube)
Magnus Cedenblad defeats Jared Hamman via guillotine choke submission.
Video highlights of Barnett vs. Mir, Mendes vs. Guida and Poirier vs. Koch after the jump
(Anthony Pettis becomes the new UFC lightweight champion by submitting Benson Henderson in the first round at UFC 164 Saturday night | All videos via FoxSports Youtube)
Featherweights Chad Mendes and Clay Guida met in Milwaukee at UFC 164 in a high-profile bout Saturday. The winner would likely get his name thrown into the title talk.
What ensued was a pretty one-sided beating by Mendes. Guida struggled to connect wit…
Featherweights Chad Mendes and Clay Guida met in Milwaukee at UFC 164 in a high-profile bout Saturday. The winner would likely get his name thrown into the title talk.
What ensued was a pretty one-sided beating by Mendes. Guida struggled to connect with strikes and could not get him to the ground.
With that, let’s take a look at what we learned from this bout.
What We’ll Remember about This Fight
The finish. Guida is not an easy guy to finish, especially with strikes. Just ask Diego Sanchez.
However, Mendes connected with a beautiful punch that rocked the Illinois native, and he pounced upon smelling blood. A few follow-up shots later and Mendes earned a win in impressive fashion.
What We Learned about Guida
If he can’t get the takedown, he is in trouble. Guida‘s best bet in fights is utilizing his wrestling, but taking on a superior wrestler in Mendes exploited his skill set.
What We Learned about Mendes
He is the best featherweight in the UFC outside of Jose Aldo. His combination of power wrestling and improved striking under Duane Ludwig has made him the monster he is today.
He is ready for another title shot. He has knocked heads off on the way and should take on Aldo in his return.
What’s Next for Guida
He needs to pump the breaks on the level of competition he has been fighting. He has struggled against top guys, and that continued at UFC 164. Maybe a bout with another recent loser, Cole Miller, would strike up some interest.
(We had no idea what picture to use for this post, but this one seems to work nicely. Be sure to check out Meerkatsu’s shop for plenty of other awesome jiu-jitsu artwork.)
Are “the experts” really more knowledgeable than anyone else in terms of predicting who will win a fight?That’s debatable, to say the least. Today we’re bringing in Adam Touchet – a college football blogger and the most casual of casual MMA fans – to see how his predictions hold up against what will actually happen on Saturday night. Read on for his picks, follow him on Twitter, and check out more of his work at what is possibly the least pretentious college football blog on the Internet, BattleOfTheSun.com.
I’ve spent my tiny broadcasting and show-business career trying to prove that just because you’re on television with a microphone it doesn’t make you an expert. What makes a guy who doesn’t even play a sport an “expert” at it, and what makes the “predictions” of the broadcasters presenting a sporting event to the masses any more valid than its rabid fan base?
Spoiler Alert: Nothing.
(We had no idea what picture to use for this post, but this one seems to work nicely. Be sure to check out Meerkatsu’s shop for plenty of other awesome jiu-jitsu artwork.)
Are “the experts” really more knowledgeable than anyone else in terms of predicting who will win a fight?That’s debatable, to say the least. Today we’re bringing in Adam Touchet – a college football blogger and the most casual of casual MMA fans – to see how his predictions hold up against what will actually happen on Saturday night. Read on for his picks, follow him on Twitter, and check out more of his work at what is possibly the least pretentious college football blog on the Internet, BattleOfTheSun.com.
I’ve spent my tiny broadcasting and show-business career trying to prove that just because you’re on television with a microphone it doesn’t make you an expert. What makes a guy who doesn’t even play a sport an “expert” at it, and what makes the “predictions” of the broadcasters presenting a sporting event to the masses any more valid than its rabid fan base?
Spoiler Alert: Nothing.
My knowledge of MMA is limited to Jim Norton being choked out by almost the entire UFC roster on the Opie & Anthony Show. My knowledge of specific fighters stops at Brock Lesnar and Ken Shamrock. Yeah, that’s right, I’m a Vince McMahon guy (Hi CM Punk!).
So when this fine world-wide-web destination asked me to choose who is walking out of UFC 164 a winner, I was ready to twerk a Miley Cyrus slug trail all over the #ThickeDicke that is Cage Potato. My picks are highly uninformed and shamelessly unfounded. However, “predictions” are conjecture and results are the truth.
Here are my predictions for the pay-per-view matches. I don’t see why I need to Zumba my way through the 17 hour preliminary event because Fox Sports 1 needs to justify its existence to our cable providers. By the way, is this event really being called the “Hometown Throwdown?” <sarcasm> Gee, I wonder why Dana White stopped naming these events </sarcasm>.
Benson Henderson (c) vs. Anthony Pettis
My first impression of Benson Henderson isn’t “Destroyer of Worlds”. He seems like a nice guy and has the appearance of someone who brings interesting conspiracies to The Joe Rogan Experience, and “Smooth” is always an unacceptable nickname for champion. All of my superficial gripes about the champ aren’t nearly as inexcusable as Pettis being the fourth best in the world according to a website whose rankings actually matter. What’s the deal, did someone get a concussion?
Having said all that, Henderson is Korean. I think Koreans are underrated. No, I won’t explain myself further. Zip up your amazingly boss satin tiger jumpsuit, I’m picking Henderson to retain the title.
Frank Mir vs. Josh Barnett
Here’s what I know: Mir beat Brock Lesnar. Has Barnett beaten John Cena or HHH lately? If you can bring me proof, then I could have a case for Josh Barnett.
By the way, how old are these gentlemen? You people wonder why MMA is illegal in Manhattan! Is it even legal, nay, moral, to put two men of a certain age into the cage? Holy crap, get Ray Romano, Scott Bakula & Kevin James on the phone; Men of a Certain Age IN THE CAGE is the no-brainer sequel to Here Comes the Boom. I can’t be bothered with fact-checking and research, because I need to check Scott Bakula’s availability in 2014. Frank Mir wins.
Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida
Chad Mendes is part of Team Alpha Male. I already feel like he’s threatening my masculinity. Clay Guida doesn’t feel the need to intimidate me as a viewer, so he’s totally got this.
Ben Rothwell vs. Brandon Vera
I tried to learn more about this matchup, but Wikipedia fell asleep before it could try to explain why I should be excited about it. When in doubt, I pick who scares me the most. Ben Rothwell, you look like a grizzled trucker, before the FDA banned gas station amphetamines. You win, sir.
Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier
What kind of uninformed, babbling, self-aggrandizing sports analyst would I be if I didn’t take my hometown hero, Dustin Poirier? That’s my pick, because they’re going to say the name of my city on the TV box!
Do you understand how shameless you can truly be when you just call the elephant in the room? Take note ESPN, if you count your revenue dollars from big NCAA TV contracts while chastising student-athletes for disgustingly trumped-up violations, you won’t look like a bigger dunce than I did trying to predict the outcome of UFC 164.
Whether or not he’ll admit it, Clay Guida hates being an underdog. It isn’t that the featherweight doesn’t enjoy proving people wrong – he does.
It’s the underestimation that bothers him. Most of his UFC wins have come over opponents who were favored over him before he broke them down and beat them. Even before his UFC career began back in 2006, Guida’s opponents were regularly favored over him.
The assumption that he is an “over-achiever” that has to defy our low expectations just to win smacks Guida like a backhanded compliment time and time again. He’s too polite to get visibly angry when the term has been brought up but in the past, but he’s made it clear to this writer that he doesn’t think of himself in that way. After about a decade of “over-achieving,” Clay would prefer if we simply started referring to him as the elite MMA fighter he truly is. On Saturday, Guida will once again be considered the underdog when he fights former featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes.
Like Guida, Mendes is a wrestler, but he is a more decorated amateur one. Like Guida, Mendes is happy to go wild and throw strikes on the feet, but the Californian has been putting people out with his shots. Both men are obviously in the same weight class, but Mendes would appear to be the more physically imposing, stronger fighter.
Mendes’ only career loss was a shocking one to division champion Jose Aldo. Since that fight, Mendes has won three straight fights by knockout. At some point, in some way, every successful fighter must be a giant in his or her own mind. And in his mind, Guida is the clear favorite in his UFC 164 match up with Mendes.
“Chad is a great wrestler,” Clay admits to me one afternoon a month ago from his New Mexico training camp.
“But we are going to show him what Midwest wrestling is all about. It is a whole different beast. It is just scraping, driving non-stop, relentless and winning scrambles.”
Whether or not he’ll admit it, Clay Guida hates being an underdog. It isn’t that the featherweight doesn’t enjoy proving people wrong – he does.
It’s the underestimation that bothers him. Most of his UFC wins have come over opponents who were favored over him before he broke them down and beat them. Even before his UFC career began back in 2006, Guida’s opponents were regularly favored over him.
The assumption that he is an “over-achiever” that has to defy our low expectations just to win smacks Guida like a backhanded compliment time and time again. He’s too polite to get visibly angry when the term has been brought up but in the past, but he’s made it clear to this writer that he doesn’t think of himself in that way. After about a decade of “over-achieving,” Clay would prefer if we simply started referring to him as the elite MMA fighter he truly is. On Saturday, Guida will once again be considered the underdog when he fights former featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes.
Like Guida, Mendes is a wrestler, but he is a more decorated amateur one. Like Guida, Mendes is happy to go wild and throw strikes on the feet, but the Californian has been putting people out with his shots. Both men are obviously in the same weight class, but Mendes would appear to be the more physically imposing, stronger fighter.
Mendes’ only career loss was a shocking one to division champion Jose Aldo. Since that fight, Mendes has won three straight fights by knockout. At some point, in some way, every successful fighter must be a giant in his or her own mind. And in his mind, Guida is the clear favorite in his UFC 164 match up with Mendes.
“Chad is a great wrestler,” Clay admits to me one afternoon a month ago from his New Mexico training camp.
“But we are going to show him what Midwest wrestling is all about. It is a whole different beast. It is just scraping, driving non-stop, relentless and winning scrambles.”
As for Mendes’ new found punching power and impressive streak of recent knockouts? Guida gives credit to Chad, whom he counts as a friend, but isn’t as impressed with Mendes’ recent opponents.
“Lately he has shown power but we are going to show him what it is like to fight a top fighter,” the Team Jackson/Winkeljohn stable member says.
Toughness. Toughness to grit out tiring scrambles on the mat, toughness to withstand shots on the feet and the toughness to stand up and fight effectively against the best – the Gray Maynards, Benson Hendersons and Nate Diazs of the world.
When it comes down to it, Guida’s confidence always seems to stem directly from the idea that he is simply tougher than his opponent and gone through tougher tests. That he was tougher in the training room, went to lengths that his opponent would not and so that, even though on paper his foe might hold multiple advantages, come game time, “The Carpenter” will out work and beat him.
Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once said that “Continuous effort – not strength or intelligence – is the key to unlocking our potential.” There’s little doubt that Guida would agree with the Bulldog there.
Pundits are always talking about the talents of his opponents and Guida’s workman-like effort, as if a commitment to the latter couldn’t be an example of the former. Guida will fight in what will likely essentially be a hometown crowd in Milwaukee this Saturday at UFC 164, which has only motivated him all the more.
The leader of the “Guida Mafia” says he can’t wait to fight in front of his friends and family as he did last January in Chicago’s United Center. In his mind, Guida is the heavy favorite over Mendes and he’s sure to put forward a winning effort for his fans.
“I can’t wait. This is a great opportunity for me to climb the ladder. That’s the only reason I’m here – to win the featherweight championship,” he says.
The ability to push oneself mentally and physically, the ability to outwork everyone in the gym and cage, is a talent to Clay Guida. When it comes down to it, it is the only talent that he respects.
So, despite being a perpetual underdog to the rest of the world, in his mind, Guida is the most talented fighter in the world. And with talent like that, it is little wonder that he believes he’ll eventually become the best fighter in his division.
(The UFC 164 marketing strategy summed up in less than 30 seconds.)
By Dan “Get Off Me” George
This Saturday night, Zuffa brings us perhaps the most anticipated title rematch in lightweight history when Benson Henderson attempts to remove a stain from his soul against the man responsible for leaving said stain, new/interim #1 contenderAnthony Pettis. The preliminary portion of the card may not boast many recognizable names (which is a nice way of saying it’s garbage-ass) but the PPV lineup is a veritable potpourri of grizzled veterans and surgingprospects, with a little bit of something for everyone both new and old to MMA.
So come along as we head to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and highlight the undercard bout you stand the best chance of banking on as well as all of the main card bouts for UFC 164: Henderson vs Pettis II. All lines courtesy of BestFightOdds, per usual.
The heavy-handed Australian comes in as the +180ish underdog against Ukrainian (is game to you?) submission specialist and -200 favorite Nikita Krylov. Palelei has a chance to payout early in this fight if he is able to use his striking effectively, but the 16 year age gap between the fighters may prove the difference if Krylov’s is able to sustain the early onslaught from Soa. With this in mind, Palelei has been submitted once in his career and 7 out of his last 8 wins (Well, 6 out of 8. Bob Sapp no longer counts.) have come in the first round. +180 for Palelei is an underdog worth taking.
(The UFC 164 marketing strategy summed up in less than 30 seconds.)
By Dan “Get Off Me” George
This Saturday night, Zuffa brings us perhaps the most anticipated title rematch in lightweight history when Benson Henderson attempts to remove a stain from his soul against the man responsible for leaving said stain, new/interim #1 contenderAnthony Pettis. The preliminary portion of the card may not boast many recognizable names (which is a nice way of saying it’s garbage-ass) but the PPV lineup is a veritable potpourri of grizzled veterans and surgingprospects, with a little bit of something for everyone both new and old to MMA.
So come along as we head to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and highlight the undercard bout you stand the best chance of banking on as well as all of the main card bouts for UFC 164: Henderson vs Pettis II. All lines courtesy of BestFightOdds, per usual.
The heavy-handed Australian comes in as the +180ish underdog against Ukrainian (is game to you?) submission specialist and -200 favorite Nikita Krylov. Palelei has a chance to payout early in this fight if he is able to use his striking effectively, but the 16 year age gap between the fighters may prove the difference if Krylov’s is able to sustain the early onslaught from Soa. With this in mind, Palelei has been submitted once in his career and 7 out of his last 8 wins (Well, 6 out of 8. Bob Sapp no longer counts.) have come in the first round. +180 for Palelei is an underdog worth taking.
Both fighters are coming off tough losses to high-level competition and will be looking to use the other as a stepping stone back to the short list of top contenders at featherweight. Fighting out of his home town, Koch is the -150 favorite to the +130 Poirier and this line should come closer to even odds by fight time. Poirier has a three inch reach advantage and Koch has battled some injury issues which showed in his second round battering at the hands of Lamas back at UFC on FOX 6. +130 for Poirier to win based on the better price and the fact that he has less question marks hanging over his head going into this fight.
Ben Rothwell is the +100 underdog to -130 Brandon Vera, who is returning to heavy weight after losing while trying to put his mouth piece in against Shogun at UFC on FOX 4. Vera is the right favorite and should be fast enough to get in and out against Rothwell in the early stages of the fight, which should wear out Big Ben as the fight unfolds. If Rothwell cannot find a way to pressure Vera against the cage and put “The Truth” on his back, he may be at the mercy of a technically sound striking clinic. Vera to avoid the takedown and best Rothwell in the stand up game -130.
-465 for Mendes to have his hand raised at the end of this fight is perhaps worth placing in a parlay, but +115 that Mendes has to win by decision is a compelling prop bet when looking at his opponent. Clay Guida may not be the most threatening fighter out there, but he has fought and survived against top lightweights who pose similar skill sets to that of Mendes. Guida is a survivor and while he may get Clay Guida’d by Chad, he should be able to stay out of range (like he did against Maynard) on the feet and out of trouble on the mat (like he did against Bendo) to avoid losing inside the distance. Mendes to win via decision +115.
Josh Barnett’s biggest win since 2007 is against Sergei Kharitonov, which really does not inspire confidence when you examine the Warmaster’s steady diet of out grappling one-dimensional competition as of late. Frank Mir is closer to Daniel Cormier than the rest of Josh’s more recent opponents and while he may get put on his back, he is surely going to be difficult to stop from there. +130 that fight goes to decision is where the safest option may be — Barnett is not known for his GnP KO’s or being the victim of a TKO or submission lately. +130 fight goes to a decision.
The bookies firmly believe that lighting will not strike twice. If you look into the prop bets, Pettis is currently +300 to win by decision, but they are far less certain when it comes to whether or not Pettis will be able to win the lightweight title in his home town. Benson Henderson has bounced back well from losing his WEC belt, going on to win the UFC lightweight belt (a.k.a the one that matters) and successfully defending it 3 times now.
Many presume the kick heard round the world was what won Pettis the first encounter, but re-watching this fight, (despite being thoroughly entertained) it is rather evident that Pettis is just as fast as Bendo and the clear cut stronger striker of the two. Henderson may have an advantage in having fought 5 rounds for 4 straight fights now, but Pettis has never showed cardio as an issue in the past and beat Bendo on the cards after five rounds. Pettis at even money to become the new champ and +300 that Pettis wins (in hometown on the cards)…..+500 for the bold ones who think the decision will be unanimous.
Parlay 1
-Mendes + Vera
Parlay 2
-Mendes + Pettis
Parlay 3 (underdog parlay)
-Palelei + Poirier
Props
-Mendes wins via decision
-Barnett/Mir fight goes the distance
-Pettis wins via decision
Please share your thoughts on who you like CP nation. Enjoy the fights and may the winners be yours!
