The biggest stars in the sport of boxing loom large only at the box office. Floyd Mayweather Junior is a tiny man. Paired with the WWE’s Big Show at WrestleMania a few years ago, he looked like somebody’s kid brother, like Booker T had lost track of hi…
The biggest stars in the sport of boxing loom large only at the box office. Floyd Mayweather Junior is a tiny man. Paired with the WWE’s Big Show at WrestleMania a few years ago, he looked like somebody’s kid brother, like Booker T had lost track of his oldest son, who proceeded to sneak down into the ring.
Manny Pacquiao is almost three inches shorter than the average American male. He weighs nearly fifty pounds less than a typical American man, a shocking 19 pounds less the typical American woman. Yet, fans don’t seem to hold his munchin-esque size against him, worshiping him like a deity in his home country and paying millions to watch him fight here.
Boxing is a little man’s sport. But the same trend hasn’t taken hold in the world of mixed martial arts. Smaller fighters have traditionally been a bust in the Octagon, with only B.J. Penn and Urijah Faber standing out in the UFC’s 18-year history.
Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson, despite fighting for a UFC title, will not headline UFC 152. They aren’t even in the second biggest fight of the night. The perception is that the UFC simply can’t sell the public on 125-pound men.
Why aren’t they buying into the smaller weight classes? In boxing, fans have embraced diminutive fighters, making Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao kings of their sport. UFC fans have had the same opportunity with Edgar, but have made the choice to save their bucks for scraps with bigger men, and presumably in their minds, bigger stakes.
I’m not sure why that is. It seems there is a divide between how fans view their respective sports. In boxing, fans identify with artistry. When you order a big boxing show, you expect to settle in for a night of action. The story inside the ring builds as the night goes on, with commentators like HBO’s Jim Lampley doing their best to make even the most boring fight seem like a Homerian epic.
In mixed martial arts, fans have been trained to expect the opposite. The violence is quick, arriving like a bolt of lightning and evaporating just as quickly. As a kid, I remember how furious my dad’s friends were when Mike Tyson’s fight with Michael Spinks ended so quickly. They wanted more than a brutal knockout. In MMA, the quick KO will suffice for most fans, thank you very much.
Recent research by the essential folks at Fight Metric and Fightnomics shows that facts back up my theory that fans want, and will pay for, fight-ending violence. The bigger guys, the ones that move pay per views and ratings, are also statistically better finishers:
The conclusion: Size matters. Stoppages increase steadily by weight class; but while striking finish rates correlate strongly with increasing weight, submissions have a weaker, negative correlation. Keep in mind that bantamweights and featherweights have a short history in the UFC so far, so expect some possible smoothing out of those division trends over the next year.
Big men equal big knockouts. And that, it seems, more than any other factor, establishes the light heavyweight and heavyweight classes at the top of the UFC pecking order. It doesn’t just seem like the big boys provide that satisfying jolt of pure violence, that “V” we all crave as MMA fans—they actually do and the numbers back it up.
Demetrious Johnson enters UFC 152 as the underdog in the UFC flyweight tournament finals against Joseph Benavidez.The former UFC bantamweight title contender brings a 15-2-1 overall record to the Octagon.Johnson battled to a draw against Ian McCall in …
Demetrious Johnson enters UFC 152 as the underdog in the UFC flyweight tournament finals against Joseph Benavidez.
The former UFC bantamweight title contender brings a 15-2-1 overall record to the Octagon.
Johnson battled to a draw against Ian McCall in March, but defeated him in a rematch in June to advance to the finals. It was a much more grueling path to the flyweight championship match than Benavidez had to endure.
The quick flyweight is one of the most well-rounded in mixed martial arts today. He brings a complete tool kit to the Octagon.
The co-main event will crown the UFC’s first ever 125-pound champion. Here are three keys to victory for Johnson.
Joseph Benavidez will finally get another shot at fighting for a world title, as he takes on Demetrious Johnson at UFC 152 this weekend for the inaugural flyweight championship.It’s been a while since we’ve seen Benavidez in the top contender role, hav…
Joseph Benavidez will finally get another shot at fighting for a world title, as he takes on Demetrious Johnson at UFC 152 this weekend for the inaugural flyweight championship.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen Benavidez in the top contender role, having not fought for a title since losing a split decision to bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz at WEC 50 in August of 2010. But with four straight wins since that loss, it may just be time for the Team Alpha Male product to wear some gold.
Even before dropping down to flyweight, Benavidez was rolling through the 135 lb. division in both the WEC and the UFC, with his only adversity coming against Cruz. Now that he’s at his natural weight class, Benavidez will be a dominant force at 125.
In the opening round of the UFC flyweight tournament, Benavidez showed just how fast and powerful he is fighting in this division by TKOingYasuhiroUrushitani 11 seconds into the second round.
Against Johnson, Benavidez will once again have a power advantage. His striking is crisp and on point, a scary combination considering his relatively heavy hands.
This power advantage will also aid Benavidez‘s wrestling, which is also technically superior to “Mighy Mouse’s”.
Johnson’s only real edge is in his speed. If Benavidez can slow him down with powerful leg kicks, and beat him up against the cage and on the ground, that should slow down “Mighy Mouse” enough to let Benavidez unload.
At the end of the day, it will be Benavidez who walks out of the Octagon as the UFC’s first flyweight champ.
You know that saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? Well, such is the case with UFC 151’s trash (which coincidentally resembles the remnants of a totaled Bentley) and UFC 152’s treasure. And those of us who were smart enough to recognize a curse when we saw one and purchase our tickets accordingly will reap the rewards of the 151 fallout by being treated to two title fights on the very same card. Suck it, over-saturation!
This Saturday night, the GAE will attempt to go where no other MMA blog/website/”professional MMA gambler”(my favorite) has gone before, a perfect 4-0 generating plus money dating back to UFC 148. So follow us after the jump as we try to navigate through the good, the bad, and the ugly betting lines of UFC 152: Jones vs Belfort (courtesy of BestFightOdds).
I feel that the Spaniard will be able to get this fight to the mat and establish himself as the dominant fighter. Hovering around -225, the line is appealing when you examine how Kyle Noke has lost his last two UFC bouts coupled with how Charlie has found victory throughout his UFC career (Ed note: Except here). This fight falls into the good category for betting lines and Brenneman will find his way into my parlay as the well priced favorite here.
You know that saying “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? Well, such is the case with UFC 151’s trash (which coincidentally resembles the remnants of a totaled Bentley) and UFC 152’s treasure. And those of us who were smart enough to recognize a curse when we saw one and purchase our tickets accordingly will reap the rewards of the 151 fallout by being treated to two title fights on the very same card. Suck it, over-saturation!
This Saturday night, the GAE will attempt to go where no other MMA blog/website/”professional MMA gambler”(my favorite) has gone before, a perfect 4-0 generating plus money dating back to UFC 148. So follow us after the jump as we try to navigate through the good, the bad, and the ugly betting lines of UFC 152: Jones vs Belfort (courtesy of BestFightOdds).
I feel that the Spaniard will be able to get this fight to the mat and establish himself as the dominant fighter. Hovering around -225, the line is appealing when you examine how Kyle Noke has lost his last two UFC bouts coupled with how Charlie has found victory throughout his UFC career (Ed note: Except here). This fight falls into the good category for betting lines and Brenneman will find his way into my parlay as the well priced favorite here.
Hometown underdog Mitch Gagnon will be looking for his first UFC win against another good favorite here in Walel Watson. Watson lost his first ever professional MMA fight via submission, but since then has avoided being submitted and has been in the octagon with fighters of a much higher pedigree than Gagnon. While Mitch has a large list of submissions victories and an impressive UFC debut under his belt, Watson seems like the only fighter of the two that has the ability to win this fight both on the feet and on the ground, and is another solid parlay pick as well.
This fight is sitting around pick’em status with Thoresen as the slight underdog. Seth has a few submission losses on his record, but has a well-rounded ground game that may be the deciding factor considering Thoresen’s striking game is simply not at the level of the “Polish Pistola.” Add in the fact that Thoresen is fighting for the first time in North America and going after the underdog line could prove to be a bad decision. I am much more comfortable looking at the prop that this fight does not go the distance. Thoresen’s last five fights have not seen the judges cards while Baczynski has only been to a decision once in his last five fights.
File this one under the ugly. Jimmy Hettes is the right favorite, but the price is simply too high and not worth the risk to your parlay. Brimage is talented and beat a well respected Maximo Blanco his last time out, but the minute Brimage finds himself locked up with Hettes, he will most likely be on his back defending submission attempt after submission attempt. Marcus will not be easy to put away, but I do believe Hettes will win here, potentially submitting Brimage in the process.
A fun fact here is that both fighters have been on the winning side of the cards in exciting fights against Matthew Riddle. Pierson is a veteran of the Canadian martial arts scene and will be looking to come back strong after losing via KO to Jake Ellenberger the last time he fought in Toronto. Since then, however, Pierson has gone 1-1, splitting a pair of UD’s to Dong Hyun Kim and Jake Hecht. Benoist is the younger fighter and the favorite, but Pierson is worth a look as the underdog and may find himself on the end of a favorable (think Nick Ring/Court McGee) decision win here. It’s Pierson or nothing for me. Not a parlay fight, but a look that the fight goes the distance may be the safest bet.
Not to sound like “that guy,” but Evan Dunham has only really ever lost to Melvin Guillard; his decision loss to Sean Sherk is perhaps the worst decision I have seen in UFC history. Dunham seems to have the advantage in the stand up game here and I think he uses his skills to keep this fight standing while out striking Grant en route to a decision victory. Grant will not be a walk in the park; he is well rounded and has the ability to push this fight to the cards like he has done with Hendricks, Kim, and Almeida in past losing efforts. The line sitting at around -200 for Dunham, however, is too alluring to pass up. Dunham for the win and fight goes the distance are both solid picks.
I will take the bad favorite here and suggest Igor keeps this fight standing, possibly finishing Vinny at some point during the contest. Everyone and their cat knows that if this fight goes to the ground Igor is in big trouble, and while Vinny has the ability to submit anyone, he also seems to be at a marked disadvantage when fighting stand up (Ed note: Vinny’s striking did look much improved in his last fight. Just sayin’.). The -200 territory that Igor is able to stop the takedown is bad, mainly because he seems to welcome the ground game in his fights which could be his undoing here. Lay your money on the prop that the fight does not go the distance because this one ends in either KO or submission before the end of the third.
Cub is tough fighter to figure out and while he has managed to put together two straight wins, there seems to be a ceiling that he cannot break through. It is easy to pick Oliveira here based on the assumption that he will finish Swanson via submission (like Lamas did), but with so few underdogs worthy of picking, I prefer to stay away from this favorite hovering around -250. The prop that the fight does not go the distance feels right as I do not believe that Oliveira and Swanson will waste any time trying to finish each other (Greg Jackson game plan aside).
On one side, Hamill is coming off a year long retirement from MMA (so a vacation, I guess?), while on the other side, you have a relatively unknown fighter coming in on short notice to fight the man he was supposed to have fought before pulling out due to injury. Anyone else confused? The line on Hamill is just fugly, too many unanswered questions to go into -350 territory and not a clear cut case for the underdog to win other than home field advantage/judges gift. I do like the prospect that this fight goes the distance and instead of risking heartbreak betting on Hamill, I would rather pass and go with the fact that Hamill will be able to wrestle his way to a decision victory.
The price is very fair for Bisping if you look at the popular opinion that Bisping is simply better than Stann in every aspect of the sport. Personally, I think Stann is the better striker, not technically, but simply more dangerous. I do not think Wandy was a better technical striker than Bisping, but he won the fight by being more aggressive that night and delivering more damage than Bisping could. I think the book is out on Stann’s grappling deficiency and I would not be surprised at all to see Bisping go for the takedown and look for a submission. The glaring advantage Bisping has on the ground together with Bisping’s ability to take down excellent grapplers (Chael) leads me toward Bisping here.
I am not exactly sure why Benavidez is such a heavy favorite, sitting close to -300 even, when both fighters have seen their only losses come at the hands of Bantamweight kingpin Dominick Cruz. Joe may have the advantage in the stand up, but this title fight feels more like a pick’em to me. Both fighters have defeated top level competition, both seem to have solid stand up to compliment their ground game, and their cardio levels are out of this world. I am much more comfortable suggesting along with most that this fight goes the distance and depending on what the lines are, I would look at playing over rounds up to fight goes the distance. Gun to the head I will go with Benavidez to bring home Team Alpha Male’s first UFC title.
A -800 line that Jones wins this fight should have most people staying away from this one altogether. A puncher’s chance is what Vitor has and a Pterodactyl wing for an arm is what Jones has. For five to one on your money, do you think Vitor can get through Jones’ extended left arm, open hand, backing away style of defense to find the money with his fists? Sadly, I think not. Simple as that. The prop that this fight does not go the distance is also just as ugly sitting around -500. With minimums on props, risking $100 will bring you $20 is as close to a guaranteed investment as you can get in MMA. I think if there is a prop on under 1 ½ rounds available at -300 territory, jumping on it would be wise; Vitor’s either going to sink or swim quickly in this fight.
Parlay 1
Brenneman-Dunham-Bisping
Parlay 2
Brenneman-Watson-Pokrajac
Props
-Baczynski/Thoresen fight does not go the distance
-Dunham/Grant fight goes the distance
-Pokrajac/Magalhaes fight does not go the distance
-Swanson/Oliveira fight does not go the distance
Follow the usual CP breakdown of betting higher on the parlays and lower on the props and feel free to heckle when/if these parlay’s fall apart. But most importantly: May the winners be yours.
At least one individual fighting on the UFC 152 card believes that Vitor Belfort will pull off the upset of a lifetime by taking out UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. When UFC middleweight Michael Bisping was asked by MMA Fighting’s Ariel …
At least one individual fighting on the UFC 152 card believes that VitorBelfort will pull off the upset of a lifetime by taking out UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
When UFC middleweight Michael Bisping was asked by MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani (video courtesy of MMA Fighting) if he was picking “The Phenom” over Jones (at the 6:36 mark), he had an interesting response:
“Listen…I’ve just got a feeling he’s [Belfort] going to pull off the upset,” Bisping began. “Not in a disrespectful way to Jon Jones, I think Jon Jones is an incredible champion, and on paper Jon wins. But, when you’re the underdog and you have nothing to lose like that, and he truly has nothing to lose, he’s expected to lose and if he loses, so what? He stepped up a weight class to fight the champion. I think that makes him dangerous: he has the tools, he has the knockout power, he has the speed. Who knows, you know?”
“The Count” also recommended that “Bones” should rely on his takedowns and ground and pound to defeat Belfort, since a left hand from the Brazilian could be a “good night for anybody.”
Belfort enters the UFC 152 headlining bout, hosted at the Air Canada Centre, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as a 6-to-1 underdog and is generally not expected to make it out of the first round.
Nevertheless, the former UFC light heavyweight champion is feeling good heading into the title fight.
“I’m ready,” Belfort told MMA Junkie. “It’s all in my mind. I’m taking advantage of what is positive. Focus on the positive, not what is negative.”
Bisping takes on Brian Stann in the event’s third main card fight. For his thoughts on that fight, as well as his recent feud with flyweight Joseph Benavidez, watch the interview in its entirety.
The biggest stars in the sport of boxing loom large only at the box office. Floyd Mayweather Junior is a tiny man. Paired with the WWE’s Big Show at WrestleMania a few years ago, he looked like somebody’s kid brother, like Booker T had lost track of his oldest son, who proceeded to sneak down into the ring.
