Tag: General MMA betting

Welterweight bout: John Howard vs. Jake Ellenberger

Odds:  (+125 Howard /-155 Ellenberger )

In the evening’s second bout, athletic up and comer John “Doomsday” Howard, currently riding a seven fight win streak, faces his toughest test so far inside the Octagon in IFL veteran Jake Ellenberger. Howard is very athletic and has a complete game, but Ellenberger is a very solid wrestler who can dole out serious punishment from top position, so this should be a competitive bout that will push the winner a step up on the Welterweight ladder.

Howard, who had a shaky start to his UFC stint with two straight narrow split decision wins, has really come on in his last two fights, winning both by knockout with huge power punches. Howard is a very athletic and powerful fighter with a very well-rounded game. His punching is obviously dangerous, but he has solid wrestling that he uses to set up effective ground and pound and a pretty good submission game as well. His ability to fight in every area is going to be his best weapon against Ellenberger, whose game plan will no doubt be to control the fight with wrestling.

Ellenberger, who has only been a professional for five years, has nonetheless had a huge number of fights in that time in a variety of promotions. He has fought all over the place, but he made his name as a mainstay in the short-lived International Fight League, where he put together a string of quality performances. Ellenberger is not as dynamic as Howard, but he is a very good wrestler with smothering top control who is great at finishing fights with strikes from the top position.

Howard is probably the better-rounded of the two fighters, and is certainly more dangerous in the standup game, but I think he is going to have a hard time keeping Ellenberger from taking him down, and an even harder time working off his back underneath Ellenberger. Howard won’t get destroyed by any means, but expect Ellenberger to score enough points with takedowns and his top game to earn the decision win.

Prediction:  Jake Ellenberger via unanimous decision.

To add a little excitement come fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

UFC on Versus 2 Odds

Light Heavyweight bout:   Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko

Odds: (-600 Jones /+400 Matyushenko )

In the main event of the evening, dynamic rising star Jon “Bones” Jones faces arguably his toughest challenge to date in long-time veteran Vladimir “The Janitor” Matyushenko.  Jones has looked completely unstoppable, mixing great striking and wrestling on top of his ridiculous athleticism, but Matyushenko is extremely well-rounded and experienced, with over 13 years as a professional under his bout, so this is a compelling matchup that should say a lot about where Jones stands right now.

Matyushenko, who has been competing as a professional since 1997, has put together an extremely impressive record.  With only 4 losses to his 24 wins, and only one loss since 2003, Matyushenko is clearly a very formidable fighter.  He has not lost to anyone outside the Top 10 in this decade, and while he hasn’t beat any big name opponents recently he does have some very nice wins over larger opposition on his resumé.  What makes Matyushenko so dangerous is his well-roundedness.  He has very solid boxing with decent power, quality wrestling, and good submissions and submission defense.  He has also been in with some of the world’s best fighters and is unflappable during his fights.

Jon Jones, who is undefeated save for a DQ loss to Matt Hamill in a fight he was utterly dominating, may lack Matyushenko’s experience and ring savvy, but he makes up for it in size, strength, reach, power, and sheer athletic ability.  Jones has crazy reach, and he uses it to set up devastating strikes.  His grappling is equally impressive, with great shoot takedowns and spectacular clinch throws that he uses to set up a punishing top game.  He is much stronger and quicker than Matyushenko, and will have a big reach advantage, so the only question is whether his physical gifts can compensate for Matyushenko’s edge in technique and experience.

As good as Matyushenko is, he is going to have his hands more than full with Jones.  The only edge Matyushenko really has is in the submission game, but it is unlikely that he is going to be able to dictate position against Jones for even a little while.  Expect Jones to dominate Matyushenko with his rangy striking before bruising him up in the clinch, taking him down, and pummeling him on top.  Matyushenko is notoriously difficult to finish, and is experienced enough to keep from being totally overwhelmed, but Jones will control this in one-sided fashion and earn the unanimous decision.

Prediction:  Jon “Bones” Jones via unanimous decision.

 To add a little excitement come fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

UFC on Versus 2 Odds

Middleweight bout:  Yushin Okami vs.  Mark Muñoz

Odds:  (-200 Okami /+160 Munoz )

In the co-main event of the evening, two very tough and highly skilled wrestlers will try to assert themselves as title challengers for Anderson Silva’s Middleweight crown.  Okami was considered by many to be the top contender for a title shot before his loss to Chael Sonnen, but Munoz has very dangerous striking to complement his wrestling background, which means Okami is going to need a great performance to get his #1 contender’s spot back.

Mark Munoz is an extremely talented wrestler, but you would never guess it from watching his fights.  Rather than relying on clinching, dirty boxing, takedowns, and ground and pound like so many other fighters with amateur wrestling pedigrees, Munoz usually just blasts his opponents into unconsciousness with his powerful Muay Thai and boxing.  Still, he does have wrestling skill, and that is going to be extremely important against Okami, who has made a career out of neutralizing the offense of his opponents with clinch work and top control.

Okami is undeniably one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC today.  His fights are not always very exciting to watch, which is probably why he has flown under the radar for so long, but he has very solid boxing and an uncanny ability to shut down his opponents’ offense with wrestling and a stifling “wall and stall” strategy.  Technically, he is a sound boxer, but he has nowhere near the finishing power that Munoz packs, so he is going to have to try to keep his opponent tied up for the majority of this fight.

This is an interesting matchup.  There is no question that Munoz has more finishing power on the feet and a more versatile striking attack.  The question is whether his wrestling background is going to be enough to keep Okami from stifling his striking game and holding him down for extended periods of time.  I just don’t see it happening.  Okami can keep Munoz at bay with his boxing, which is technical if not powerful, and press him up against the cage to stifle offense.  I just think that this is too big a step up in competition for Munoz at this stage, and Okami should take the unanimous decision.

Prediction:  Yushin ”Thunder” Okami via unanimous decision.

 To add a little excitement come fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

UFC on Versus 2 Odds

Lightweight bout:  Tyson Griffin vs.  Takanori Gomi

Odds: (-275 Griffin /+215 Gomi )

In what promises to be a very competitive lightweight bout, former PRIDE champion Takanori Gomi will look to rebound from a one-sided loss to Kenny Florian against tough wrestler Tyson Griffin, who is also coming off a disappointing loss against Evan Dunham.  This is an interesting fight, both because it is a style clash and because it is a must-win for both men if they want to stay relevant in the upper part of the Lightweight division.

Gomi, one of the most popular and exciting fighters from PRIDE’s heyday, became a mega star with his aggressive style and extremely effective standup.  He had great movement, handspeed, and power, although he did tend to get a little sloppy with his technique.  Since his prime, though, Gomi has clearly lost a step, and no longer has the accuracy and power he did when he was at his best.  More problematic, though, is the fact that Gomi’s weakness has always been fighters who are able to take him down and impose their will on him, and Griffin fits that bill.  Gomi, even having lost a step, is still easily the superior striker, but he is going to have to keep this fight standing up if he wants to capture his first UFC win.

Stylistically, Griffin matches up very well with Gomi.  He will not be able to box with him for long, due to his lack of solid technique and his short reach, but he is more than equipped to take Gomi down and control this fight, which is what he needs to do to win.  Griffin has a very active and dynamic ground game, and the only opponents he has ever had trouble with are guys he either can’t get down or can’t control on the ground.  In all likelihood, Gomi is not going to be able to thwart Griffin’s wrestling, so as long as Griffin comes in with a smart game plan he has a great chance of reasserting himself as a contender here.

It is kind of unfortunate that Gomi took so long to land in the UFC.  At his physical prime, he had the tools to make this interesting with his power punching, but he just doesn’t have enough left in his tank to threaten Griffin off his takedown attempts.  Griffin will take down Gomi repeatedly, at will, and control top position for an easy unanimous decision win.

Prediction:  Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision.

 To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds.  They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

UFC on Versus 2 Odds