Tag: Eddie Wineland

Four Hidden Storylines For ‘UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson’


(Seriously, Jon? You can’t take a break from Candy Crush Saga for five seconds? / Photo via Getty)

By Adam Martin

UFC 165 takes place on Saturday night at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and while most of the media’s focus has been on headliner UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, there are 25 other fighters on the card fighting this weekend that need their stories to be told, too. I can’t write about them all, but I’ve picked four fighters this weekend that you should keep an eye out for in the UFC 165 edition of Hidden Storylines.

Hypothetically, What Happens If Alexander Gustafsson Beats Jon Jones?

It seems like everyone in the world that doesn’t live in Sweden is picking Jon Jones to retain his UFC light heavyweight championship against Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 165, but no one is asking what will happen if “The Mauler” pulls off the upset victory. Sure, it’s unlikely, but so was this, and it’s always foolish to count a challenger out completely.

If Gustafsson wins, it seems likely that the UFC will do an immediate rematch with Jones, even if UFC president Dana White won’t admit it. Sure, it would be nice for the UFC to have a European champion, but the truth is that Gustafsson will never be a star on Jones’s level, and it’s in the UFC’s best interest to do the rematch right away if he somehow loses.

In that sense, Gustafsson is in a bit of a no-win situation. Yes, he will be on top of the world for a few months, just like Chris Weidman is right now, but if he loses the rematch then everyone is going to think the first fight was a fluke and they wont give him the credit he deserves.

We’ll see what happens on Saturday night, but don’t expect a sudden changing of the guard at 205 if Gustafsson wins, and instead expect for the UFC to announce the rematch at the event’s post-fight press conference. As Gustafsson said himself, “I think every champion deserves a rematch.”

Does Renan Barao Become A Star With A Dominant Win?


(Seriously, Jon? You can’t take a break from Candy Crush Saga for five seconds? / Photo via Getty)

By Adam Martin

UFC 165 takes place on Saturday night at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and while most of the media’s focus has been on headliner UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, there are 25 other fighters on the card fighting this weekend that need their stories to be told, too. I can’t write about them all, but I’ve picked four fighters this weekend that you should keep an eye out for in the UFC 165 edition of Hidden Storylines.

Hypothetically, What Happens If Alexander Gustafsson Beats Jon Jones?

It seems like everyone in the world that doesn’t live in Sweden is picking Jon Jones to retain his UFC light heavyweight championship against Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 165, but no one is asking what will happen if “The Mauler” pulls off the upset victory. Sure, it’s unlikely, but so was this, and it’s always foolish to count a challenger out completely.

If Gustafsson wins, it seems likely that the UFC will do an immediate rematch with Jones, even if UFC president Dana White won’t admit it. Sure, it would be nice for the UFC to have a European champion, but the truth is that Gustafsson will never be a star on Jones’s level, and it’s in the UFC’s best interest to do the rematch right away if he somehow loses.

In that sense, Gustafsson is in a bit of a no-win situation. Yes, he will be on top of the world for a few months, just like Chris Weidman is right now, but if he loses the rematch then everyone is going to think the first fight was a fluke and they wont give him the credit he deserves.

We’ll see what happens on Saturday night, but don’t expect a sudden changing of the guard at 205 if Gustafsson wins, and instead expect for the UFC to announce the rematch at the event’s post-fight press conference. As Gustafsson said himself, “I think every champion deserves a rematch.”

Does Renan Barao Become A Star With A Dominant Win?

UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao is on a 31-fight unbeaten streak but I guarantee you if you asked your casual UFC fan friends if they know who he is, they’ll more than likely say they’ve never heard of him, and I believe this is a huge issue the UFC needs to address.

Barao is a nasty finisher, the main training partner of UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, and easily one of the most well-rounded pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. Yet, for some reason, there’s little buzz about this guy outside of MMA die-hards, even though he’s an absolute stud.

I’m not sure why this is, but I would guess it’s because the one time he was given any sort of significant exposure by the UFC he was one half of the main event of that horrible UFC 149 card and his dull performance there may have turned off fans for a while.

But that Urijah Faber fight was an anomaly, because other than that Barao has been nothing but a beast and if he can do the same thing he did to Brad Pickett and Michael McDonald against Eddie Wineland in the co-main event of UFC 165 then it may give him a huge boost with the casual fans who have only seen him fight Faber.

There will be a lot of people buying the card this weekend to watch Jones fight, so Barao will have a lot of eyes on him. This is a big opportunity for the 26-year-old, and if he can destroy Wineland like the betting odds suggest he will, the UFC could very well have a new star to promote. But he can’t just outpoint his opponent for the win like he did with Faber – he has to finish. And, on Satuday, we’ll see if he can do just that.

What Is Myles Jury’s Ceiling?

There aren’t many undefeated lightweight fighters in the UFC but one of them is fighting this weekend on the UFC 165 prelims and, if he wins, I expect him to take a serious jump up in competition in his next fight.

The fighter I’m referring to is of course Myles Jury, who takes on TUF 16 finalist Mike Ricci in what should be an exciting fight between two solid 155 pounders. But of the two fighters, I really do believe that it’s Jury who has the higher ceiling, and I think he will show exactly why he could be a future top-five lightweight, as I believe he will defeat Ricci in impressive fashion.

At 12-0 overall and with a 3-0 record in the UFC, Jury has surprisingly flown under the radar but don’t let the lack of media attention for this guy fool you, as he is one of the most underrated prospects in the division, and he could eventually make a run for the title with a little more seasoning.

Training every day with Michael Chandler and Ross Pearson at Alliance MMA in San Diego, Jury definitely has the right training partners surrounding him to give him the push he needs to reach his ceiling. He’ll take his next step to get there — at Ricci’s expense — on Saturday night.

What Can We Expect From Jesse Ronson?

Arguably the best lightweight prospect in Canada makes his UFC debut this Saturday night in his home province as London, Ontario’s Jesse Ronson took a short notice fight against Michel Prazeres in order to get his long-awaited shot in the UFC’s Octagon, and I am confident he is going to make the most of it.

I’ve followed Ronson’s career for years and I’ve seen him fight twice in person, against Alex Ricci and Ryan Healy in Score Fighting Series. Let me just say that there is a reason this guy is nicknamed “The Body Snatcher,” as he possesses some of the best body work in the entire lightweight division, and he showed that in the Ricci fight as he destroyed his opponent’s gut with brutal punches to the stomach.

Against Prazeres, I expect Ronson to really take it to his opponent in the standup game and I predict he’ll be celebrating a victory in his UFC debut with a dish of Brazilian liver, following a dominant performance that showcases his ability to attack his opponent’s torso.

I believe that Ronson has a very bright future and if he runs through Prazeres like I expect him to, this is a guy who could become the new Sam Stout — coincidentally, his main training partner at Adrenaline in southern Ontario — that is, an extremely exciting standup fighter who is always in the running for post-fight bonuses.

Gambling Addiction Enabler — ‘UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson’ Edition

(Promo via UFC.com. Idea via explodingactresses.tumblr.com)

By Dan “Get Off Me” George

This Saturday night, a light heavyweight title fight is going down between the division’s long-standing champion and a really tall Swede that the UFC desperately wants you to believe stands a chance at beating said champion. Not that we’re counting Alexander Gustafsson completely out of his fight with JBJ, it’s just…well…we’ve already gone over that.

In any case, UFC 165 actually offers a handful of fights that aren’t as one-sided as Blind Mike Tyson vs. a dartboard, so join us after the jump as we break down a couple of the undercard bouts and the entire main card in the hopes of scoring you Taters some fast cash with absolute minimal effort. All betting lines courtesy of BestFightOdds.

Undercard bouts:

Alex Caceres (-130)vs. Roland Delorme (+110)

Caceres is the slight favorite here and has looked impressive (maybe due to elevated levels of “irie”) since his drop to bantamweight, using his size and reach — sometimes a little wild — to his advantage. Delorme is floating around +120 territory and while he may not have the tools to finish Caceres or even outpoint the former Team GSP member, he certainly is well rounded enough to push this fight to the cards. +110 prop that this fight goes the distance is a nice value as the Canadian underdog is surely not going to go away easy in this fight.


(Promo via UFC.com. Idea via explodingactresses.tumblr.com)

By Dan “Get Off Me” George

This Saturday night, a light heavyweight title fight is going down between the division’s long-standing champion and a really tall Swede that the UFC desperately wants you to believe stands a chance at beating said champion. Not that we’re counting Alexander Gustafsson completely out of his fight with JBJ, it’s just…well…we’ve already gone over that.

In any case, UFC 165 actually offers a handful of fights that aren’t as one-sided as Blind Mike Tyson vs. a dartboard, so join us after the jump as we break down a couple of the undercard bouts and the entire main card in the hopes of scoring you Taters some fast cash with absolute minimal effort. All betting lines courtesy of BestFightOdds.

Undercard bouts:

Alex Caceres (-130)vs. Roland Delorme (+110)

Caceres is the slight favorite here and has looked impressive (maybe due to elevated levels of “irie”) since his drop to bantamweight, using his size and reach — sometimes a little wild — to his advantage. Delorme is floating around +120 territory and while he may not have the tools to finish Caceres or even outpoint the former Team GSP member, he certainly is well rounded enough to push this fight to the cards. +110 prop that this fight goes the distance is a nice value as the Canadian underdog is surely not going to go away easy in this fight.

Jesse Ronson (-160) vs. Michel Prazeres (+140)

File this under the “Good Dog” category, as the 16-1 Brazilian Prazeres is the most notable underdog on the preliminary card. Michel was overwhelmed in his UFC debut against Paulo Thiago but he showed that he can hang in there against UFC-level talent, something Ronson has yet to show. At -160, Ronson is just as risky a pick when factoring in “Octagon jitters” and the talent gap between the UFC and other organizations. Prazeres as a secondary parlay option or single bet my be a dog worth taking.

Main Card:

Pat Healy (+205) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (-250)

In keeping with the CagePotato traditions of old, I would have to assign a “Stay the Hell Away From” status to this fight from a gambler’s perspective. Khabib is a stud, but at -250 against another bulldozer like Healy is simply too risky. Healy at +205 against the sambo expert who has an underrated stand up game may be the proverbial carrot dangling in front of the donkey, as we have yet to see the Eagle dominated or controlled by his opponent inside the Octagon. The best option would be the -170 prop that this fight goes the distance, as it may very well involve lots of cage work and scrambling on the ground.

Costa Philippou (-185) vs. Francis Carmont (+165)

At -185, Philippou is parlay bound and perhaps the best line offered on the entire card. Carmont’s last two wins inside the Octagon have been controversial decisions to competition who have not cracked the top 10 in the division. Costa is a potential contender right now who is able to stop the takedown and use his excellent striking to break down his opponents. Philippou proved in his fight with Boetsch that he will not be overpowered and that he can hit hard enough to put away some of the top competition that the 185 division has to offer. Costa -185 makes the parlay.

Brendan Schaub (-105) vs. Matt Mitrione (-120)

Meathead is the small -120 favorite against the Hybrid, who promises to teach his buddy what martial arts is all about. A brief numbers crunch suggests that this fight will end via a (T)KO for Mitrione, with 5 out of his 6 wins coming via KO and 3 of Schaub’s losses coming via exactly that. Schaub used his ground game to keep Lavar Johnson at bay and Mitrione has shown some weakness with grappling exchanges (against Cheick Kongo, of all people), but the fact that Schaub is vulnerable to the KO at all times tilts the odds in Matt’s favor here. Mitrione to win at -120 is a pick’em worth, uh, picking.

Renan Barao (-750) vs. Eddie Wineland (+525)

Wowza. Placing any money on a straight bet here is rather ludicrous, so the most alluring option may be the prop bet that Barao is able to submit Wineland (currently residing around +135) due to the fact that the former WEC champ has proven vulnerable to the takedown/submission over the course of his career. Barao is often content to keep his fights standing, but much like Pickett, Wineland is a forward moving fighter who likes to press his opponent. Barao to submit Wineland +135 prop bet.

Jon Jones (-1100) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (+700)

Jones at -1000 means u better bring the brinks truck if you want to make money simply picking the alpha 205’er to walk away the winner on Saturday night. Gustafsson is certainly as big as Jones, but far less skilled on the ground compared to the competition Jones has faced/dominated as of late. Gustafsson’s best chance comes with keeping this fight standing, something I believe he can do in the early stages of the fight, not so much because he wants to, but that Jones will be looking to beat Gustafsson where he is best (like he did with Chael on the ground). Ultimately the prop that this fight will start the 3rd round for -155 is a decent price, I guess if you believe Jones will entertain striking with Gustaffson for the first two rounds before he looks to close the fight out.

Parlay 1
-Philippou + Omielanczuk

Parlay 2
-Philippou + Prazeres

Props
-Caceres/Delorme fight goes the distance
-Healy/Nurmagomedov fight goes the distance
-Barao wins via submission
-Gustafsson/Jones fight starts round 3

Enjoy the fights and may the winners be yours!

Renan Barao’s Interim Title Defense at UFC 165 Will (Hopefully) Be His Last


(Barao’s success in MMA has caught the attention of Hollywood. He’ll be appearing in the next ‘Fast & Furious’ movie, playing the part of a dead raccoon lying by the side of the road. / Photo via Getty)

Already the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history in terms of time holding the belt, bantamweight phenom Renan Barao could become the first UFC fighter to defend an interim belt twice when he takes on Eddie Wineland later this month at UFC 165. But being an interim champ isn’t exactly something that Barao takes pride in.

“No disrespect to [Dominick Cruz], but from the moment I won this belt, and I have defended it once, I considered myself the champion,” Barao said yesterday during a UFC 165 conference call.

We can see how Barao might be confused, considering that he does in fact own a championship belt, and the real champ is nowhere in sight. Cruz, of course, has been sidelined for nearly two years due to a blown ACL and resulting complications. And although the UFC has been patient with “The Dominator”‘s long absence, the promotion may finally be setting an ultimatum on his return. As UFC president Dana White said during the conference call:


(Barao’s success in MMA has caught the attention of Hollywood. He’ll be appearing in the next ‘Fast & Furious’ movie, playing the part of a dead raccoon lying by the side of the road. / Photo via Getty)

Already the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history in terms of time holding the belt, bantamweight phenom Renan Barao could become the first UFC fighter to defend an interim belt twice when he takes on Eddie Wineland later this month at UFC 165. But being an interim champ isn’t exactly something that Barao takes pride in.

“No disrespect to [Dominick Cruz], but from the moment I won this belt, and I have defended it once, I considered myself the champion,” Barao said yesterday during a UFC 165 conference call.

We can see how Barao might be confused, considering that he does in fact own a championship belt, and the real champ is nowhere in sight. Cruz, of course, has been sidelined for nearly two years due to a blown ACL and resulting complications. And although the UFC has been patient with “The Dominator”‘s long absence, the promotion may finally be setting an ultimatum on his return. As UFC president Dana White said during the conference call:

“I hope this is the last time it’ll be an interim title fight. [Cruz] came in here a few weeks ago and had lunch with me and Lorenzo (Fertitta). He was very confident that he would be ready to go at the beginning of the year. If he can’t return at the beginning of the year, then we’re going to have to make a decision.”

The only logical “decision” at that point would be to strip Cruz and award the unified belt to Barao, who has done a fantastic job sustaining the division in Cruz’s absence. Not that we don’t appreciate Cruz’s fancy footwork and Norman Bates-esque good looks, but enough’s enough. Hell, if it were up to us, Barao would receive the unified belt right there in the Octagon if he manages to beat Wineland on September 21st. Anybody see it differently?

Dominick Cruz Eyes Early 2014 Return, Has No Intention of Vacating Bantamweight Title


(…and until then, we’ll just have to settle for awkward fist-pose photos. / Props: @RenanBaraoUFC)

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz was a dominant one before he became an absent one. It has been nearly two years since Cruz has fought, thanks to two consecutive ACL tears in his knee, but the injured champ hopes to return early next year.

“I’m looking to be back the beginning of next year is what it’s looking like from what the doctors have told me, so that’s my goal. Unfortunately, the doctor hasn’t even released me, so I couldn’t even make a date if I wanted to,” Cruz recently told MMA Junkie.

“It’s like when you got knocked out and you get put on suspension. It’s the same type of deal with this injury. There’s a set time and stipulation with a knee injury that I’ve gone through, especially doubled. So I’m just listening to the doctor so I stay back and don’t just come back.”

So, the up-side is that Cruz, who probably knows his own body better than anyone, is optimistic at this point. The bad news is that when he returns isn’t completely up to him.

When he does return, however, Cruz says it will be in a title fight. He scoffed at the notion that he’d vacate his title and take a “warm-up” fight first. If someone wants his title, they’ll have to take it from him in the Octagon.

“First of all, it’s silly to think that a champion would ever willingly give away the belt that he’s worked for,” Cruz explained.


(…and until then, we’ll just have to settle for awkward fist-pose photos. / Props: @RenanBaraoUFC)

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz was a dominant one before he became an absent one. It has been nearly two years since Cruz has fought, thanks to two consecutive ACL tears in his knee, but the injured champ hopes to return early next year.

“I’m looking to be back the beginning of next year is what it’s looking like from what the doctors have told me, so that’s my goal. Unfortunately, the doctor hasn’t even released me, so I couldn’t even make a date if I wanted to,” Cruz recently told MMA Junkie.

“It’s like when you got knocked out and you get put on suspension. It’s the same type of deal with this injury. There’s a set time and stipulation with a knee injury that I’ve gone through, especially doubled. So I’m just listening to the doctor so I stay back and don’t just come back.”

So, the up-side is that Cruz, who probably knows his own body better than anyone, is optimistic at this point. The bad news is that when he returns isn’t completely up to him.

When he does return, however, Cruz says it will be in a title fight. He scoffed at the notion that he’d vacate his title and take a “warm-up” fight first. If someone wants his title, they’ll have to take it from him in the Octagon.

“First of all, it’s silly to think that a champion would ever willingly give away the belt that he’s worked for,” Cruz explained.

“I’ve defended it four times — not once, not twice, not three times. Four times if you count the WEC. Not just that, but boxing is the only sport where you can get an easy fight before you fight for the title. That’s the difference between boxing and mixed martial arts, and that’s why mixed martial arts is the fastest growing sport in the world and not boxing.”

Cruz’ champion spirit certainly has not waned at all, it seems. Eddie Wineland will challenge interim champ Renan Barao next at UFC 165. If Cruz can fight in early 2014, chances are he’ll face the winner. Do you think Cruz will be ready to take on the likes of Barao or Wineland in his first fight in over two years, Nation?

– Elias Cepeda

Renan Barao vs. Eddie Wineland Interim Bantamweight Title Fight Rescheduled for UFC 165 Co-Main Event


(Pfft. Clearly, the UFC is just trying to protect their pretty-boy interim champion. / Photo via Getty)

The UFC confirmed last week that Renan Barao‘s interim bantamweight championship fight against Eddie Wineland has been re-scheduled to serve as the co-main event of UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson (September 21st; Air Canada Centre, Toronto). The match was originally slated to headline UFC 161 last month, until Barao suffered a foot injury and had to pull out on short notice. Instead of staying on the card against a replacement opponent, Eddie Wineland was taken off the lineup altogether.

Barao has gone 31 fights without a defeat — including 20 straight victories, the last five of which were earned in the UFC — and last competed in February, where he scored a fourth-round arm-triangle choke submission against Michael McDonald. If Barao beats Wineland, he’ll become the first fighter in UFC history to defend an interim title twice — an odd achievement, made possible by the fact that actual champion Dominick Cruz is suffering through one of the longest injury layoffs in recorded history.

By comparison, Eddie Wineland’s two-fight win streak is much less impressive, although he did score wins over perennial contenders Scott Jorgensen and Brad Pickett last year. So, will Eddie just be another notch on Barao’s bed-post, or does he legitimately stand a chance here?


(Pfft. Clearly, the UFC is just trying to protect their pretty-boy interim champion. / Photo via Getty)

The UFC confirmed last week that Renan Barao‘s interim bantamweight championship fight against Eddie Wineland has been re-scheduled to serve as the co-main event of UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson (September 21st; Air Canada Centre, Toronto). The match was originally slated to headline UFC 161 last month, until Barao suffered a foot injury and had to pull out on short notice. Instead of staying on the card against a replacement opponent, Eddie Wineland was taken off the lineup altogether.

Barao has gone 31 fights without a defeat — including 20 straight victories, the last five of which were earned in the UFC — and last competed in February, where he scored a fourth-round arm-triangle choke submission against Michael McDonald. If Barao beats Wineland, he’ll become the first fighter in UFC history to defend an interim title twice — an odd achievement, made possible by the fact that actual champion Dominick Cruz is suffering through one of the longest injury layoffs in recorded history.

By comparison, Eddie Wineland’s two-fight win streak is much less impressive, although he did score wins over perennial contenders Scott Jorgensen and Brad Pickett last year. So, will Eddie just be another notch on Barao’s bed-post, or does he legitimately stand a chance here?

Interim UFC Champ Barao Pulls Out of UFC 161 Title Defense Against Eddie Wineland


Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Tatame by way of Bloody Elbow reports that June 15th’s UFC 161 has lost its main event. UFC interim 135 pound champion Renan Barao was set to face Eddie Wineland in the event’s headlining match but the Brazilian has reportedly been forced to pull out due to injury.

Barao is reported to have injured a foot. He became the interim champion by beating Urijah Faber after champion Dominick Cruz went on injured reserve because of multiple knee ligament injuries. Wineland is on a two-fight win streak and Barao recently defended the interim belt by choking out Michael McDonald and earning his 20th consecutive win.

As of yet, the extent of Barao’s injury is unknown and so then is how long he will be out of action. No word yet from the UFC, either, on a substitution main event for UFC 161.

You up for an interim-interim bantamweight champ, nation?

– Elias Cepeda


Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Tatame by way of Bloody Elbow reports that June 15th’s UFC 161 has lost its main event. UFC interim 135 pound champion Renan Barao was set to face Eddie Wineland in the event’s headlining match but the Brazilian has reportedly been forced to pull out due to injury.

Barao is reported to have injured a foot. He became the interim champion by beating Urijah Faber after champion Dominick Cruz went on injured reserve because of multiple knee ligament injuries. Wineland is on a two-fight win streak and Barao recently defended the interim belt by choking out Michael McDonald and earning his 20th consecutive win.

As of yet, the extent of Barao’s injury is unknown and so then is how long he will be out of action. No word yet from the UFC, either, on a substitution main event for UFC 161.

You up for an interim-interim bantamweight champ, nation?

– Elias Cepeda