Tag: MMA Odds

UFC 148 Aftermath : Who’s Next?

UFC 148 definitely lived up to the hype, and was easily one of the most exciting MMA events this year. Now that the fights have come to a conclusion, the UFC has to decide what’s.

UFC 148 definitely lived up to the hype, and was easily one of the most exciting MMA events this year. Now that the fights have come to a conclusion, the UFC has to decide what’s next for the fighters. For those who were defeated, just how far did they get knocked down the ranking ladder? For those victorious, how much closer does this bring them to a fight for the title? Is there anyone who will not be returning to the octagon? These are just some a few of the questions that are being asked after UFC 148.

Mike Easton and Ivan Menjivar had a three round back and forth fight that saw Easton getting his hand raised. After the performance that Easton showcased, his next opponent should be a top ten contender. Eddie Wineland or Michael McDonald would most likely be the best choice to ensure another exciting striking war. Menjivar was the underdog, but still displayed a commendable performance. A perfect opponent for Menjivar to face next is Scott Jorgensen. Both are coming off a loss, but are still considered to be two high-level fighters in the division.

Chad Mendes’ quick finish of Cody McKenzie just shows how bizarre this match up was. Mendes should have been matched with someone of a much higher ranking, especially seeing his last fight was against Jose Aldo for the lightweight title. Mendes should fight Ricardo Llams next, but if it ends up being someone talented like Charles Oliveria, then that would still be justifiable opponent. Who knows who KcKenzie’s next opponent will be, but clearly it shouldn’t be an elite contender. He’s just not ready for that yet, and his fight with Mendes is proof of that.

In a stunning upset, Demian Maia make quick work of Dong Hyun Kim, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with at welterweight. Many people speculated that the weight cut would hurt his performance, but it actually helped it, and made him much faster. Whether or not the fight was stopped due to an injury received by Kim is irrelevant. Maia got Kim right where he wanted him and unleashed a fury of punches, the referee would’ve had to step in regardless. After taking out a fighter as good as Kim like it was child‘s play, Joe Silva should give Maia a fighter either in the top ten or just outside the top ten. Diego Sanchez would be ideal if he doesn’t decide to return to lightweight. However, it would be understandable if Maia were to pull a fighter like Jake Ellenberger.

After Cung Le’s performance over Patrick Cote, people are realizing that maybe they were to quick to turn on him. After all, he was out striking Wanderlei Silva for the majority of their fight, and scored multiple knock downs. Not to mention, Patrick Cote was cut from the UFC in 2010, after three consecutive losses. The only reason he was brought back was to fill a spot when Rich Franklin was pulled from the bout. Since being cut from the UFC, Cote had fought less talented competition and just isn’t on Le’s striking level. Joe Silva should match up Le and Costa Philippou seeing they both won their last fight, and fought on the same card. If the UFC grants Cote another fight, a rematch with Chris Leben is one that fans would go crazy for. Leben’s suspension will end in November, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

Fight of the night award winners, Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz had a very controversial decision in the eyes of the crowd. However, most MMA website agree with the decision that Griffin won the first two rounds. What was more shocking was Griffin running out of the octagon before the official decision came out, and then later taking
Joe Rogan’s microphone to interview Ortiz himself. Griffin later apologized for his actions and simply stated he wasn’t thinking and wish he could take it all back. Ortiz officially retired after the fight, and was inducted in the UFC Hall of Fame. Griffin was asked if he had planned to retire as well, but Griffin stated that he definitely had a few more fights in him. Many have suggested a rematch with Rampage Jackson or Stephan Bonnar for Griffin’s next fight, which are most likely the most interesting fights for the fans.

Chael Sonnen made round one of his rematch with Anderson Silva look like a reenactment of their first encounter. After securing a takedown just seconds into the fight, Sonnen was able to control Silva on the ground and land over seventy strikes, while taking zero. What was more impressive, was Sonnen passing Silva’s guard and achieving the mount position, instead of being content with staying in Silva’s full guard like in their first fight. However Silva turned things around in round two. He was able to keep the fight standing and avoid the takedown attempts of Sonnen. The most important strike Silva was able to dodge was a spinning back fist that when missed, threw Sonnen off balance and caused him to tumble to the mat. Once Sonnen was down, Silva seized his opportunity to pressure Sonnen with a plethora of strikes. Once Silva took control, it was the beginning of the end for Sonnen, and the referee eventually had to step in. As far as who is next for Silva, there aren’t many options to go with. If Mark Munoz beats Chris Weidman, it would most likely make Munoz the number one contender. However, if Weidman is victorious, the UFC may wait to see how the fight between Hector Lombard and Tim Boetsch plays out. As for Chael Sonnen, A fight with Vitor Belfort would be a bout fans would like to see due to the added tension with neither fighter being to fond of the other. However, before that fight can happen, Sonnen needs to decide whether or not he will continue fighting. He said he would like to take some time before making a final decision, but the majority of the fans are confident that we will see the American gangster come back to the octagon.

Written by : Ryan “Fight Freek” Poli

UFC on Fuel TV 4 Pre-Fight Analysis: Part 1

Chris Weidman vs. Mark Munoz The headliner at UFC on Fuel TV 4 is a matchup of up and coming middleweights. After Anderson Silva’s dominant performance at UFC 148, fans are looking for someone who.

Chris Weidman vs. Mark Munoz

The headliner at UFC on Fuel TV 4 is a matchup of up and coming middleweights. After Anderson Silva’s dominant performance at UFC 148, fans are looking for someone who might be able to challenge him in the future and this fight features two of the brighter young prospects in the division. Both come from a highly decorated wrestling background as two time All-Americans with Munoz even capturing a national championship.

Munoz had his first professional MMA fight in the summer of 2007 and is 12-2 in his career. He has seven wins and two losses in his UFC career. One was in his first UFC appearance against Matt Hamill and the other was against perennial contender Yushin Okami. Since the loss to Okami, he has reeled off four straight victories including his last two appearances against Demian Maia and Chris Leben. As expected, his main asset in the cage is his wrestling but he is not a prototypical decision grinder like many of the former collegiate wrestlers. He has devastating power in his hands and has shown some of the fiercest ground and pound in all of MMA. He is one of the few fighters who has one punch knock out power on the ground as well as on the feet.

Weidman is less experienced than Munoz having made his debut in February of 2009 and having only eight professional fights thus far in his career. However, he has won all eight of those fights. His last four victories have come in the UFC with the last two coming against Tom Lawlor and Demian Maia. His most recent performance against Maia was lackluster at best, which could have been due to accepting the fight on late notice and struggling with the weight cut. Regardless of the reasons for the performance, he will need to improve greatly if he wants to continue his undefeated streak. Like Munoz, his game is predicated on wrestling but he seems to prefer submissions to ground and pound when looking to finish.

When two high caliber wrestlers meet in the octagon, the result is usually a less than technical kickboxing match. Based on previous performance, Munoz is the better striker but high level athletes like Weidman tend to grow exponentially between fights early in their careers so I expect him to show a marked improvement in his striking. That said, Munoz should still have the advantage. The key to this fight will be who, if anyone, can land takedowns. Munoz will more than likely look to use his wrestling defensively and hope to exploit a striking advantage. But if the striking is close, he may look for the takedown. Weidman will be the more likely fighter to try to engage in a wrestling match as earning top position would give him the opportunity to work his submission game.

Weidman is the favorite for this fight at -135 with Munoz coming in at +115. I know Weidman is the new hot prospect with his undefeated record but I don’t quite understand that line. We’ve seen these types of fights between top level wrestlers before and they almost always turn into striking matches. And based on what we’ve seen so far, Munoz has an advantage in that category. Expect to see these two stand for most of the fight and if that’s the case, Munoz should be able to oustrike his opponent. But if Weidman can get a few takedowns and control from the top position, he has the submission skills to finish the fight and earn the victory.

James Te Huna vs. Joey Beltran

The UFC gives the fans what they want with a heavyweight slugfest between James Te Huna and Joey Beltran. Both of these fighters approach the cage with the same gameplan every time. The are both looking to stand and bang until someone can’t stand any longer.

Te Huna is 14-2 overall including a 3-1 record in the UFC. He has won his last two fights against Aaron Rosa and Ricardo Romero via TKO in less than three minutes combined. His performance against Rosa in his last fight was particularly devastating and should have been stopped well before the forty seven second mark where it was finally ended. Te Huna’s weakness is his ground game but don’t expect Beltran to test it as he has done nothing but brawl throughout his career. He is 14-7 overall and went 3-4 in his most recent UFC stint being let go after back to back losses to Stipo Miocic and Lavar Johnson. Beltran has a ridiculous chin and has made a career of eating huge shots to land his own. This is a dangerous fight for him because he cannot afford to get hit too many times by Te Huna. This fight seems destined for a first round stoppage and unfortunately for Beltran, his jaw seems more likely to receive the shot that ends it.

None of the major bookmakers have odds for any of the fights on this card other than the main event but if they did, Te Huna would have to be a big favorite here. Beltran’s only hope is for his brick chin to allow him to survive long enough to land a haymaker on Te Huna. Expect a slugfest from the outset and this one will probably be done inside of the first five minute.

Aaron Simpson vs. Kenny Robertson

In a fight changed due to injury, Kenny Robertson replaces Jon Fitch to welcome Aaron Simpson to the welterweight division. Simpson has been a fixture in the UFC middleweight division for years but was never able to earn a signature victory. At thirty seven years old, he will make the cut to welterweight for the first time in the hopes of finding more success.

Simpson dropped a close decision to Ronny Markes in his last appearance. He hurt Markes early and won the first round but didn’t muster much offense after than and lost the last two rounds. Prior to that fight, he had won three straight following a two fight losing streak to Mark Munoz and Chris Leben. He will look to get back on the winning track against Robertson, who lost to Mike Pierce via TKO in the 2nd round in his only UFC appearance. However, that loss is the only one on Robertson’s record so this is an opportunity for him to earn his way into the UFC. Simpson comes from a wrestling background and has developed his striking over the years. He has the power to finish the fight with his hands and has done so on many occasions. Robertson prefers to bring the fight to the ground and work his submission game, which will be difficult to do against a wrestler like Simpson.

Unfortunately for Robertson, he faces a similar situation to what he faced in his first UFC appearance against Mike Pierce. Simpson is stronger and a better wrestler, which will make it difficult for Robertson to get the fight to the ground where he wants it. Expect Simpson to use his strength to control the fight and if he finds Robertson’s chin, the fight could be over quickly. However, if Robertson can make Simpson work and take the fight into the third round, we might see Simpson struggling with his cardio after cutting to 170 lbs for the first time. If that’s the case, Robertson may get the opportunity to get Simpson on the ground and work for submissions.

UFC on Fuel TV 4 Pre-Fight Analysis: Part 2

Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Anthony Njokuani In another fight changed due to injury, the UFC on Fuel TV 4 opener will feature Anthony Njokuani and Rafael Dos Anjos who steps in to replace Paul Taylor..


Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Anthony Njokuani

In another fight changed due to injury, the UFC on Fuel TV 4 opener will feature Anthony Njokuani and Rafael Dos Anjos who steps in to replace Paul Taylor. Normally, the UFC likes to start their cards with a fight between lighter weight fighters who are likely to stand and strike to get the crowd into the event and hook the television audience. With Njokuani and Taylor, that would have been the case. Instead, we will see a classic grappler versus striker matchup as Dos Anjos will look to get Njokuani to the ground and work his black belt level jiu-jitsu.

Njokuani is one of the best strikers in the lightweight division. His long lean frame gives him a huge reach advantage against just about every other fighter in the division including Dos Anjos. His gameplan is pretty much the same for every fight. He looks to use his reach to keep his opponent at a distance and strike his way to victory. He is capable of a knockout but is not known for finishing and if he does earn a finish, it usually comes late in the fight due more to an accumulation of strikes than to the power of any one individual strike. He is 2-2 in his UFC career since moving over from the WEC with wins against John Makdessi and Andre Winner and losses against Edson Barboza and Danny Castillo. His performance against Makdessi in his last appearance was particularly impressive as he used his length to dominate with kicks. But he’ll need to be in even better form if he wants to put together back to back victories as Dos Anjos represents a step up in competition. Dos Anjos is mainly known as a jiu-jitsu fighter who looks to get his opponents to the mat and submit them. He has earned half of his sixteen career victories via submission including his last victory against Kamal Shalorus by rear naked choke. However, he set up the choke with a head kick that dropped Shalorus showing an improvement in his striking ability. Dos Anjos has been up and down in his UFC career with a 5-4 record but a victory against Njokuani would earn him back to back victories for the first time since 2010.

This fight is likely to be determined by whether or not Dos Anjos succeeds in landing the takedown. He showed improved striking against Shalorus but he is not on Njokuani’s level in that area and he will struggle to close the distance against the reach advantage of his opponent. The last fighter to get Njokuani down and control him was Danny Castillo. And even he struggled to maintain any kind of dominant position. Dos Anjos’s takedowns are not on that level and he is likely to struggle to get Njokuani down and keep him down. Expect Njokuani to use his reach advantage to keep Dos Anjos at distance and if he can do that, he should be able to strike his way to victory. But Dos Anjos only needs a few seconds on the ground to lock on to a submission so if he can get the takedown, he could earn the victory.

T.J. Dillashaw vs. Vaughan Lee

In the second fight of the night on Fuel TV, young bantamweight prospect T.J. Dillashaw will face Vaughan Lee. Dillashaw is just twenty six years old and has a 5-1 career record. The team alpha male product will look to build on his last victory against Walel Watson and continue to establish himself as a threat in the 135 lb division. Lee will be looking to prove that his upset victory over Norifumi Yamamoto was not a fluke and earn the right to continue fighting in the UFC.

Lee is 1-1 in his UFC career having lost a split decision to Chris Cariaso in his first fight before shocking everyone by upsetting Yamamoto in Japan at UFC 144. Lee was in trouble early in that fight but responded with a flying knee that eventually led to an armbar submission victory late in the first round. With a 12-7-1 career record, he will need to pull off another upset to prove that he belongs in the UFC bantamweight division. Coming from one of the best camps in the world, T.J. Dillashaw is looking to establish himself as a serious threat at 135 lbs. He dominated Walel Watson in his last UFC appearance earning a unanimous decision victory. He repeatedly put Watson on his back and rode him back and forth from mount to back mount landing strikes all along the way. He did everything but finish and he’ll be looking to do just that in this fight.

Dillashaw is the clear favorite going into this fight. He will look to put Lee on his back and work his impressive grappling game. But he’ll need to be careful as Lee has more to offer on the ground than Watson did. Expect to see a lot of grappling and whoever gets the better of the scrambles will likely earn the victory. If Dillashaw continues to show the kind of improvement he showed between his last two fights, he should be able to earn his second consecutive UFC victory.

Karlos Vemola vs. Francis Carmont

In a matchup of exciting middleweights who rarely make use of the judges scorecards, Karlos Vemola takes on Francis Carmont. Neither is a serious contender in the division but both have a tendency to fight aggressively, which is good news for the fans. Both fighters have knockout power and both are capable of submissions.

Vemola has alternated wins and losses on his way to a 2-2 record in the UFC. He earned a second round victory via rear naked choke against Mike Massenzio in his last appearance. That marked his fifth career victory in eleven fights via RNC. Vemola is an explosive fighter with big power in his hands. His submission victories are also usually based on overpowering his opponents. However, he is not the most technical fighter and has been controlled by opponents who approach him with a clear game plan of avoiding the exchanges and putting him on his back. Carmont, however, is not that type of fighter. He also looks for the finish and is likely to trade with Vemola early, which could be dangerous. If he goes for the takedown, he will look for submissions and not be interested in simply controlling his opponent. Carmont is 2-0 in his UFC career including his most recent victory over Magnus Cedenbland via rear naked choke. He was in trouble in the first round of that fight but responded in the second round with a quick takedown. From there, he moved to mount and used strikes to force his opponent to give up his back and neck.

This is another fight that isn’t likely to go to a decision. I don’t see either fighter having a clear advantage and the outcome will likely depend on who executes the most effective gameplan. Both fighters should be looking to set up a takedown and work from the top position as they both have the same weakness. If either fighter takes that approach, he is likely to earn the victory. But the more likely outcome is a series of exchanges on the feet and scrambles on the ground that eventually lead to a finish.

UFC 148 MMAFix Staff Picks: Part I

Anderson Silva (-280) vs. Chael Sonnen (+240) Ryan Poli: I have to go with Silva on this one. He has the striking and jiu-jitsu advantage, plus plenty of time to work on his takedown defense..

Anderson Silva (-280) vs. Chael Sonnen (+240)
Ryan Poli: I have to go with Silva on this one. He has the striking and jiu-jitsu advantage, plus plenty of time to work on his takedown defense. I don’t see Sonnen being able to change his strategy and that will be his downfall. Although the odds were much less generous for all of Silva’s other opponents, I am somewhat surprised that the odds are as high as they are in Silva’s favor just based on the how their first fight played out. Winner: Silva

John Rivera: Anderson Silva wins by KO/TKO in the 2nd Round. “The Spider” will publicly execute Chael Sonnen….we know this because he is the greatest fighter in the history of the sport. Winner: Silva

Emily Kapala: I personally think that Chael Sonnen is being undervalued in the eyes of the oddsmakers. Not only would I pick Sonnen as the winner, but I think he is the highest value bet. While the odds are against him, I think he will be able to pull through with the victory this time around when he faces Silva in the octagon. Winner: Sonnen

Elise Kapala: In almost every fight with Silva, the opposing fighter is the underdog. However, the last matchup with Sonnen and Silva was so intense and draining on Silva, there truly is no underdog here. If I had to choose a winner, I would say Sonnen via knockout in the 3rd or 4th round. Winner: Sonnen

Alan Wells: If I’m picking a winner, I’m going with Silva but if I’m betting the money line, I’m going with Sonnen. I’m not interested in -280 odds and after Sonnen’s performance in the first fight, I’m willing to take a flyer on him. I’m not expecting to win but if I need action on this fight, I’m going with Sonnen. Winner: Silva

MMAFix Staff Pick: Silva (3-2)



Tito Ortiz (+255) vs. Forrest Griffin (-310)
Ryan Poli: I’m going with the favorite to win. Although I wasn’t impressed by either of them in their last fight, Shogun is a more dangerous opponent than Lil’ Nog. Plus I would say with the exception of wrestling, Forrest has every advantage (age, cardio, reach, striking, jiu- jitsu). Winner: Griffin

John Rivera: I think Forrest takes a unanimous decision this time around. As much as I love Tito, I think as a fighter, his best days are behind him. Rashad ravaged him, and Lil’ Nog took the rest…. Winner: Griffin

Alan Wells: I hate this line. I don’t understand why Griffin is such a significant favorite. I like him to win but -310 makes him a waste of money. Once again, if I feel the need to wet my beak for this fight, I’m going with the underdog but I don’t feel great about my chances of getting that money back. Winner: Griffin

MMAFix Staff Pick: Griffin (3-0)

Cung Le (+180) vs. Patrick Cote (-220)
Ryan Poli: Cung Le all the way. His striking is more diverse and Cote has been fighting against much lower level competition for quite some time. He just isn’t at Cung Le’s level. Winner: Le

John Rivera: The headline will read: ‘Cote KO’s ex Strikeforce Champ, Cung Le in the 2nd round due to the former’s punching power and the latter’s lack of cardio.’ Winner: Cote

Alan Wells: I think the oddsmakers are just screwing with me at this point. If MMA was a more popular sport, this line would be a lot closer because the public would be moving it toward Le. But the betting pool for MMA isn’t nearly as big as other sports so the line is right where it should be. I like Cote to win and that’s where my money is going if I have to bet. The odds aren’t great but at least they’re better than the two headliners. Winner: Cote

MMAFix Staff Pick: Cote (2-1)

UFC 148 MMAFix Staff Picks: Part II

Dong Hyun Kim (-155) vs. Demien Maia (+135) Ryan Poli: Despite a poor performance in his last fight, I’m picking Demian Maia to win. Stun Gun is at his best on the ground, which I.

Dong Hyun Kim (-155) vs. Demien Maia (+135)
Ryan Poli: Despite a poor performance in his last fight, I’m picking Demian Maia to win. Stun Gun is at his best on the ground, which I feel plays right in to Maia’s hand. Plus as long as Maia can showcase his improved stand up (like he did against Mark Munoz), he will also have the advantage on the feet. I disagree with the odds. It may be because of his last fight, but I still disagree. Winner: Maia

John Rivera: This fight can go one of two ways: Kim, uses a moderate kickboxing advantage and solid judo skills to keep the fight upright for a unanimous decision victory…. OR…Demian Maia submits the motherf*cker with his insane jiu-jitsu skills inside of round one. Even though I want the badass Brazilian to win via flying omaplata to reverse spinning heel hook, I got Kim with the decision this time. Winner: Kim

Alan Wells: I expect DHK to take a decision victory here. This will probably be another mediocre striking match right in line with Maia’s recent fights and Kim has the slight advantage in the striking. At -155, this is the first fight that feels worth a bet. Winner: Kim

MMAFix Staff Pick: Kim (2-1)

Chad Mendes (-640) vs. Cody McKenzie (+470)
Ryan Poli: Chad Mendes is too strong and too skilled for McKenzie. His only chance to win is with his signature guillotine choke which Mendes can easily avoid. Winner: Mendes

John Rivera: I got Chad Mendes via boring decision victory. Mendes is a good enough wrestler to keep McKenzie on his back for most of the fight but the latter is good enough on the ground to avoid any submissions from the Team Alpha Male product. As sick as he is with the guillotine (Dude has 12 submission victories all by guillotine) I don’t see McKenzie tapping out the NCAA All-American Wrestler. Winner: Mendes

Alan Wells: This fight is a joke. The only reason to bet here is to either take a flyer on McKenzie because of the ridiculous odds or to use Mendes as a parlay to get better odds on either Silva or Griffin. Parlaying is normally a sucker bet but I really can’t imagine Mendes losing this fight. Winner: Mendes

MMAFix Staff Pick: Mendes (3-0)

Ivan Menjivar (+105) vs. Mike Easton (-125)
Ryan Poli: I think Menjivar is overrated. He is extremely talented, but his last few fights have been against lower ranked competition that gave him a great deal of trouble and put him in some bad positions where I feel if Mike Easton had the same position, he would be able to put Menjivar away. Mike Easton brings it every fight and will get the TKO over Menjivar. Winner: Easton

John Rivera: We are in for a treat. First of all Menjivar fought GSP when he debuted at 170lbs—the guy is a monster, especially when you consider this fight is at bantamweight. Second, Mike Easton is a Lloyd Irvin black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who PREFERS to fight standing up. I have no idea what is going to happen. Mike Easton is on a tear, killing guys left and right with very dangerous muay thai, but this is definitely a step up in competition. The UFC is testing Easton with this matchup. They want to see if he can make the leap from rising prospect to legitimate contender. A fourth victory against a high profile fighter such as Menjivar could sign Easton’s ticket to the title show. I think he will rise to the occasion for a very close split decision victory. Winner: Easton

Alan Wells: This is the closest fight of the night. It started as a pick ‘em but the line has now moved slightly in favor of Easton. I consider this a stay away for betting purposes because it’s too close. But if I have to pick a winner, I’m going with Easton. I’d love to pick Menjivar because I’ve been a fan of his game for a long time but I think Easton will be a bit too strong for him. Winner: Easton

MMAFix Staff Pick: Easton (3-0)

Why is Chris Weidman the Favorite?

Although rapidly approaching , UFC on Fuel TV 4 hasn’t gotten much attention from the media due to the highly anticipated UFC 148. However, just four days after Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen square off.

Although rapidly approaching , UFC on Fuel TV 4 hasn’t gotten much attention from the media due to the highly anticipated UFC 148. However, just four days after Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen square off for the second time, two other top middleweights will face off in an attempt to continue their run at the middleweight title.

Top contenders, Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman, will be headlining UFC on Fuel TV 4, which will take place July 11th. The betting odds for the main event have come out, and surprisingly, it is Weidman who is the favorite over Munoz. Now while casual MMA fans may not question this, it does raise a few eyebrows from the more enthusiastic fans. Both fighters have demonstrated their skills over talented opponents, which places both fighters among the top of the division, arguably in the top ten. However, nobody can argue with the repertoire of Munoz being more impressive.

Mark Munoz has won seven of his last eight fights, losing only a split decision to Yushin Okami, who at the time, was ranked in the top five. He has since beaten four high-level opponents, with only two of those fights seeing judges score cards. Chris Weidman hasn’t faced the number of high-level opponents that Munoz has. Although Weidman was able to finish UFC veteran, Tom Lawlor, with a guillotine choke in just over two minutes, it was his decision win over jiu-jitsu specialist, Demian Maia, that labeled him as a top middleweight contender. Coincidently, Munoz and Weidman share Demian Maia as a common opponent, and it’s the comparison of their bouts with Maia that reveal just how baffling these betting odds truly are.

Mark Munoz fought a confident, energetic Demian Maia, who came out aggressive, throwing a plethora of solid, accurate strikes. It was the first time Maia demonstrated his newly achieved striking skills and completely caught Munoz off guard with them. However, Munoz was able to come back in the last two rounds, using powerful strikes and elite wrestling to stifle the jiu-jitsu attempts of Maia, and win a unanimous decision. In Chris Weidman’s bout with Maia, eight months later, Maia’s performance was sluggish and mundane. His strikes were hesitant and predictable, while his take down attempts were feeble. Even commentators, Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg, made the comment that the performance of Maia and Weidman wasn’t installing any fear to the rest of the division, and that they both looked physically exhausted. While this was understandable for Weidman, seeing he agreed to the fight with Maia on only eleven days notice, there was no explanation for Maia’s poor performance. Bottom line, Mark Munoz defeated an elite contender at the top of his game, and Chris Weidman didn’t.

By no means should anyone count Chris Weidman out of this fight. He may very well remain undefeated when it’s all over. However, there is a reason that every MMA website has Munoz ranked above Weidman. When looking at the skills, past performances, and overall resumes that both of these fighters poses, Mark Munoz has simply accomplished more. Clearly somebody was misinformed when making these betting odds, and if not, then favoring Weidman is just plain ignorant and bias.

By: Ryan “Fight Freek” Poli