Funny thing about these mixed weight “superfights.”
They always sound great in theory.
Maybe when you’re just spitballing ideas over a couple cold ones at the local watering hole, weight classes seem negotiable. Perhaps when you’re trying to dream up a…
Funny thing about these mixed weight “superfights.”
They always sound great in theory.
Maybe when you’re just spitballing ideas over a couple cold ones at the local watering hole, weight classes seem negotiable. Perhaps when you’re trying to dream up a bestselling pay-per-view event on the whiteboard at ZuffaLLC world headquarters, the rules feel like they were made to be bent.
A couple days out from actually watching welterweight Nick Diaz fight middleweight legend Anderson Silva at UFC 183, however, nobody could blame you if you’re having second thoughts. Will this get ugly? Is this really something we all want to watch? Both reasonable questions.
Here to supply the answers—and then some—are Bleacher Report lead writers Chad Dundas (that’s me) and Jonathan Snowden. Luckily for them, they already know what will happen this weekend in Las Vegas. Luckily for you, they’re willing to share.
The boldest of bold predictions await. Read on, if you dare.
(Silva hilariously reacts to the news that Diaz has missed his open workouts, via ZombieProphet.)
Can we level with you for a second, Nation? Last week, we dropped a ridiculous amount of money on a Krylov + Sicilia + Bader + Lusty Gusty parlay. Three quarters of the way through it, we felt like the precogs in Minority Report, and were already buying up rounds at the bar for complete strangers. “As soon as Gustafsson levels Rumble, free Patron for everyone!” we shouted to a chorus of cheers and back pats. The air of confidence surging through us was addictive, to the point that we even asked our high school crush, Jenny Bracegirdle, out on a date. Just coffee, but still, we were feeling it.
And then, the rug was swept out from under us, as it so often is. We mean literally. We couldn’t pay our tab, and the bouncers wrapped us in a rug and heaved us into a dumpster. Needless to say, Jenny Bracegirdle has yet to return our calls.
The point is, we could use a little extra cash this weekend, and we’re sure you could as well. Which is why we brought back our gambling expert, Dan George, to break out an old favorite and potentially save us from yet another weekend spent nursing our fractured egos (also, wrists). So join us after the jump for the return of the Gambling Addiction Enabler: UFC 183 Edition.
(Silva hilariously reacts to the news that Diaz has missed his open workouts, via ZombieProphet.)
Can we level with you for a second, Nation? Last week, we dropped a ridiculous amount of money on a Krylov + Sicilia + Bader + Lusty Gusty parlay. Three quarters of the way through it, we felt like the precogs in Minority Report, and were already buying up rounds at the bar for complete strangers. “As soon as Gustafsson levels Rumble, free Patron for everyone!” we shouted to a chorus of cheers and back pats. The air of confidence surging through us was addictive, to the point that we even asked our high school crush, Jenny Bracegirdle, out on a date. Just coffee, but still, we were feeling it.
And then, the rug was swept out from under us, as it so often is. We mean literally. We couldn’t pay our tab, and the bouncers wrapped us in a rug and heaved us into a dumpster. Needless to say, Jenny Bracegirdle has yet to return our calls.
The point is, we could use a little extra cash this weekend, and we’re sure you could as well. Which is why we brought back our gambling expert, Dan George, to break out an old favorite and potentially save us from yet another weekend spent nursing our fractured egos (also, wrists). So join us after the jump for the return of the Gambling Addiction Enabler: UFC 183 Edition.
Both fighters here are sporting a 1-2 record over their past three contests, and both have a propensity to go the distance inside the octagon. Watson and Natal also seem to share a similar fighting style, preferring (somewhat unpolished) striking to the grappling game, which could sabotage the alluring -130 prop bet that this fight goes the distance. Save the stress and cash for later on in the evening.
The odds alone make a strong case to simply sit back and enjoy what is sure to be a very close fight. Gastelum is most likely the razor thin favorite due to his impressive submission win over Jake Ellenberger just 2 months ago, coupled with his perfect 10-0 record. Woodley, however, will possess the experience advantage in this fight and will really be the one answering the questions as to whether or not he “chokes in big fights” — Dana White, ever the honest abe-hole.
If Woodley has not learned how to stay off the fence since his fights with Jake Shields and Nate Marquardt or how to close the distance since his bout with Rory MacDonald, than we may see Woodley once again be relegated to bridesmaid status on Saturday night. Both men have KO power, strong wrestling backgrounds, and are accustomed to imposing their will on their opponents, which makes this one simply too close to call.
Diego Brandao is coming off back to back losses to Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, which may not necessarily mean that he is fighting for his job, but surely will be looking to right the ship at 145lbs to avoid going 0-3. With his grappling background and solid ground game, Hettes has a good chance to re-create the similar environment that Darren Elkins was able to thrive in against Brandao — one which chewed up the clock and limited Diego’s ability to create space and earn points on the cards. Look for the Sworysville, Pennsylvania native to use his slight size advantage in this fight to blanket Diego en route to a decision victory. It might not be pretty, but all those extra bills in your wallet sure will be.
It may be going on 6 years now since Alves was a title contender, but he has to be the most alluring underdog on the main card here, based solely on the likelihood that this fight stays on the feet. Jordan Mein will not be looking for takedowns and may gain a false sense of security in his striking game against the ultra technical Alves, who likely holds an advantage in the counter striking department. Look for Alves to establish his patented (not to mention, vicious) leg kicks early on and mix in straight punches behind them to potentially catch Mein and pull off the upset.
Perhaps the sexiest underdog pick on the card and not only for obvious reasons, Meisha is a fine option when looking at the probability that McMann will be looking to get this fight to the ground early. Meisha is ever-improving, and look no further than the cerebral striking clinic she put on against Rin Nakai in the early rounds of their fight at Fight Night 52. Tate has fought consistently strong competition and only lost to the very best over the past 5 years, while McMann seems to be dominant over the lower-tiered ladies at 135lbs. This will be McMann’s second toughest test next to Rousey and may highlight McMann’s less evolved overall MMA skills if Meisha is able to avoid being taken down and keep McMann at a distance.
If you like Joe Lauzon here, chances are you are banking on his potential to submit Iaquinta, much like Mitch Clarke was able to do when he scored a massive upset over the heavy handed Serra Longo standout. Lauzon has a shot to pull off the upset here if he is able to avoid getting clipped by Iaquinta during his trademark blitz to begin the fight. Iaquinta may have looked outstanding against Pearson in his last outing, but Pearson never really threatened the takedown and left Al free to bear down and throw power shots. If Joe can mix it up and keep Al guessing, he should be able to land a takedown or two, wear Iaqunita out, and possibly catch him in a late submission.
(Ed note: In my completely unbiased opinion, my boy Joey Lauz is going to MURK THE SHIT OUT OF YOU, IAQUINTA. WOOO!!!!)
The only reason “The Barbarian” does not make the “good dogs” section is because Leites seems to have improved his striking to the point that he may be able to close the distance on Boetsch and get the fight on the ground before Tim has a chance to counter. Boetsch excels when he is able to brawl with his opponents, and while Leites is coming off back-to-back KO victories, he will surely not be looking to exchange with Boetsch if he can get this fight to the ground. This is supported by the inflated -475 line in favor of Thales.
We have all read about the props for the upcoming superbowl, but just imagine the fun the bookies could have had with props on Nick Diaz leading up to and during Saturday’s fight. Will Nick miss his flight to Las Vegas? Will Nick miss the open workouts? Will Nick land a Stockton slap during the fight? The possibilities are endless and probably more interesting than picking a winner between Silva and Diaz.
It is undeniable that this fight is interesting and worthy of being a main event, but the prospect that Nick most likely won’t “survive this shit” is slowly starting to become more prevalent as you read the headlines in advance of the weigh-ins. Whether or not Diaz is just showing up to collect a big payday or not, he is a proud fighter who has never been stopped inside the Octagon and will probably do better than most believe. He might just have an edge on the ground as well, but the open stance and looping punches he often resorts to simply offer too many openings for the Spider. Silva should be able to use this fight for what many believe it was made for, a tune up/showcase to prove he can still be a viable contender for a title shot in the immediate future.
A -150 prop bet that Anderson wins inside the distance is your best bet, as Nick is hittable and that’s really all it takes. While he probably won’t get knocked out cold, Diaz may have to cover up until the referee steps in to call the fight off.
LAS VEGAS — If you ask Miesha Tate the question—the one question everybody wants to ask—she’ll give you an honest answer.
“Do you want to fight Ronda Rousey again?,” you ask.
Of course she does. The answer is yes and will always be ye…
LAS VEGAS — If you ask Miesha Tate the question—the one question everybody wants to ask—she’ll give you an honest answer.
“Do you want to fight Ronda Rousey again?,” you ask.
Of course she does. The answer is yes and will always be yes, because Tate and Rousey are linked, bound together for as long as they both shall fight.
It was Rousey who used Tate to springboard her way to stardom by first verbally assaulting her and then physically repeating the process by submitting her to win the Strikeforce women’s bantamweight championship.
It was Rousey who shrewdly used Tate as a target, which helped change Dana White‘s mind about women fighting in the UFC. Today, there are two female weight classes in the UFC; without Rousey and Tate, there might not be one.
And it was Tate who gave Rousey someone to hate—and not just in the way we’re told UFC opponents typically hate each other. For reasons Tate has never been able to explain, Rousey‘s hatred of her went far past the usual promotional tactics employed by fighters. When the pair served as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter, Rousey routinely sent obscene gestures Tate’s way, even when the cameras were off.
“She was incredibly rude even when the cameras weren’t on. She would walk up to me out of nowhere and raise both middle fingers in my face,” Miesha told Bleacher Report during a 2013 interview. “But I wasn’t going to play into it. I just smiled at her.”
Rousey would beat Tate, again by armbar, last December. But two losses to Rousey have not deterred Tate, who clearly would like another chance to win championship gold from her rival.
First, she must get past a stern test in former Olympic wrestler Sara McMann, who Tate faces on the preliminary card of Saturday’s UFC 183 event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. If she beats McMann, she’d like to face the talkative Brazilian prospect Bethe Correia, who has executed a storyline of her own in dispatching Rousey‘s “Four Horsewomen” teammates.
The winner of that fight, Tate believes, would be in line for a shot at Rousey. And despite two losses to the champion, Tate believes the fight is still a promotable one—and also believes that she still has the best chance of any fighter currently on the UFC roster of beating Rousey.
“I think any fighter can be beat. I think the confidence Ronda brings into the Octagon, a lot of people buy into it. She’s proven herself time and time again,” Tate says during a Monday media lunch at the UFC offices.
“But at some point, if you’re going to step in the Octagon with her, you have to say ‘I know I can beat her.’ Not just ‘I think I can beat her.’ You have to have the same confidence that she walks in with. I can safely say that I know I can beat Ronda. It is a very tough fight for me. But I’ve been able to do things that no one else can do.”
The two losses to Rousey have been difficult for Tate, but she also sees the bright side.
“I like fighting Ronda. My goal is to be a better fighter and to be the best person I can be, and she pushes me to do both,” Tate says. “So every time I get a chance to step in there with her, she has a way of pulling the best out of me. That’s what I’m here to do.”
First, she’ll need to get past McMann, who has been installed as a 2-1 favorite by oddsmakers, via bestfightodds.com.
McMann‘s wrestling pedigree is her greatest strength, but Tate is hoping to keep the fight standing, where she believes she has a distinct edge in striking. But Tate isn’t looking to just keep the fight standing, on her own terms; she’ll look to smother McMann, to keep her as uncomfortable as possible. And if McMann does look for takedowns, Tate plans on making her pay.
“When a dog poops on the carpet, you don’t give it a biscuit. You spank it and put it outside,” Tate says with a laugh. “If she shoots in, and I don’t stop her and make her pay for it, then what’s to stop her from just relentlessly shooting in and wrestling until she gets me down?”
Tate and longtime boyfriend Bryan Caraway were once known as gym nomads, traveling around the United States in search of training but rarely putting in extensive time with any particular team.
But over the last year, Tate and Caraway have settled in Las Vegas and made it their home. They are in the midst of buying a home out near the mountains. And they are helping lead a revival of the team at Xtreme Couture, a gym that fell on hard times in recent years as all of its professional fighters departed for greener pastures.
Gray Maynard, one of the longest-tenured athletes at Couture’s, is back in the gym. And a crop of up-and-coming professional and amateur prospects crowds into the gym each evening for pro practice.
Tate and Caraway have opened their home to other fighters who want to be part of the new Xtreme Couture movement; the couple currently provide space for six of their teammates in their three-bedroom house.
It is not about the money; Tate and Caraway are financially stable and could afford the old and new houses on their own. It is about giving back in the same way they were given an opportunity when they were broke and hungry. The couple lived in a 22-foot RV on Dennis Hallman’s property for two years because they couldn’t afford to rent an apartment and commit themselves to training full time.
“The point of it is that we want to give these young, hungry fighters a chance to pursue their dreams, because we had people doing that for us when we were poor,” Tate says. “We want to return the favor and extend the offer to other young fighters who are coming up.”
Tate credits Robert Follis, the Xtreme Couture head coach, and gym manager Eric Nicksick for the change in fortunes. In the old days of Xtreme Couture, back when the gym was filled with UFC superstars, the atmosphere was one of slight selfishness. Athletes were concerned about themselves, concerned with what the gym could do for them. There were high-profile stars, but it was not a team. Not really.
Things are different now. It is easy to believe Tate when she says they have a close-knit team. At a recent World Series of Fighting event held at Planet Hollywood, Xtreme Couture athletes—professional and amateur—turned out en masse to support their teammates fighting on the preliminary card.
That team atmosphere is attracting other high-level athletes like middleweight Uriah Hall, who conducted his last training camp in the gym because he liked the way everybody turned out to support each other.
The sense of community and family and the relationships being built in the gym give Tate peace in her daily life and in her training, which translates to confidence. And despite two losses to Rousey, Tate speaks with conviction when she says she has the tools to beat the champion. She also says she wouldn’t be happy if her career ended without another Rousey fight.
“Yeah, I don’t think I would be content without it,” Tate says. “That is a huge motivator for me. But it’s more about the gold for me. That has been my motivation since Day 1. Rousey has only been part of my career for half of it. But she adds a unique motivator that nobody else has been able to provide.”
In a previous, less saturated era of the UFC, this fight would likely be considered one of the “do-or-die” nature for both guys, who have been struggling as of late to put it lightly. Since breaking Big Nog’s arm back in December of 2011, Mir has fallen on a rather tough-to-watch 0-4 skid, which has included TKO losses to Junior Dos Santos and Josh Barnett and decision losses to Daniel Cormier and Alistair Overeem. Despite this, the former champion is somehow still ranked #13, which should really tell you something about the depth of the heavyweight division right now.
In a previous, less saturated era of the UFC, this fight would likely be considered one of the “do-or-die” nature for both guys, who have been struggling as of late to put it lightly. Since breaking Big Nog’s arm back in December of 2011, Mir has fallen on a rather tough-to-watch 0-4 skid, which has included TKO losses to Junior Dos Santos and Josh Barnett and decision losses to Daniel Cormier and Alistair Overeem. Despite this, the former champion is somehow still ranked #13, which should really tell you something about the depth of the heavyweight division right now.
In other fight booking news, bantamweight bridesmaids Miesha Tate and Sara McMann have agreed to face one another at UFC 183: Silva vs. Diaz on January 31st in Las Vegas. Tate was most recently able to improve her UFC record to an even .500 via a unanimous decision victory over Rin Nakai at Fight Night Japan, whereas McMann is fresh off a split decision win over promotional newcomer Lauren Murphy at UFC Fight Night 47.
While the fighter formerly known as “Takedown” Tate has been rallying to get an opponent that will stand and trade with her in recent weeks (specifically, Bethe Correia), it looks like she’ll have to settle with another “lay-n-prayer” in McMann. Not that *I* think the Olympic silver medalist is a “lay-n-prayer,” it’s just that I’ve read such things in comments sections across the MMA blogosphere, which we all know is where the real experts are found.
Random note: At the time being, the co-main event of UFC 183 is being listed as Thiago Santos vs. Andy Enz. The fuck is that shit?
It took awhile, but the UFC was finally able to announce a long-awaited bout between No. 2-ranked women’s bantamweight Miesha Tate (15-5) and No. 3-ranked Sara McMann (8-1).
The former Olympian tweeted nearly a month ago that this bout was close to be…
It took awhile, but the UFC was finally able to announce a long-awaited bout between No. 2-ranked women’s bantamweight Miesha Tate (15-5) and No. 3-ranked Sara McMann (8-1).
The former Olympian tweeted nearly a month ago that this bout was close to being official. The announcement was made on Fox Sports 1 during the broadcast of UFC Tonight.
McMann lobbied hard for this fight, and Tate was not going to back away from the challenge. Both women have challenged for the UFC gold, but both came up short against Ronda Rousey.
Tate started her UFC career with back-to-back losses to Cat Zingano and Rousey. She has since rebounded with two straight wins. She got back in the win column with a dominant performance over Liz Carmouche in April and came back in September with a decision win against RinNakai.
McMann dropped her title bid in February, but she took a narrow and contentious decision against Lauren Murphy in August.
This top-five matchup will move the winner into prime position to challenge once again for the strap. The division is shallow and in need of contenders, and these two ladies are the cream of the crop. Tate will want to erase two armbar losses to Rousey, and McMann wants to redeem herself after a 66-second loss by way of a TKO.
Rousey is set to defend the title in late February against Cat Zingano at UFC 184.
UFC 183 takes place in Las Vegas on January 31, 2015, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The main event will be a middleweight attraction between Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz. The McMann-Tate bout will help bolster the card with another high-level fight in the month of January.
