Jon Jones opening on BestFightOdds.com as a -800 favorite in his title bout against Alexander Gustafsson is likely to surprise few. Gustafsson opened at +500 (5-to-1 underdog) for the bout. Back in October, MMAJunkie.com reported Chael Sonnen’s initial…
Jon Jones opening on BestFightOdds.com as a -800 favorite in his title bout against Alexander Gustafsson is likely to surprise few.
Gustafsson opened at +500 (5-to-1 underdog) for the bout. Back in October, MMAJunkie.com reported Chael Sonnen’s initial odds at 4-to-1 for his bout with Jones. Coming in late as a replacement to face Jones, VitorBelfort opened at just over 6-to-1, according to MMAWeekly.com.
Gustafsson‘s odds could have been worse. Still, the odds do not exhibit a vote of confidence from the bookies.
In the past, Gustafsson had been labeled one of the few challenges left for Jones in the division. That sentiment seems to have softened in recent months.
While Gustafsson has a solid fanbase, the majority of MMA enthusiasts are likely to side with the early odds. A short list of key factors work against Gustafsson and are the cause of his perceived slim chances.
“Mauler” has yet to push five rounds in his career. He has reached the final bell in three-round bouts only twice. A majority of his fights have finished within the opening round. Quick stoppages usually work in a fighter’s favor when it comes to odds, but Gustafsson‘s ability to keep up with Jones for 25 minutes is in question.
Fans and bookies alike are cooling on Gustafsson in part due to his most recent decision victories. His wins over Thiago Silva and Mauricio Rua were solid, but not spectacular.
It is no secret that it will take something more than a solid performance to beat Jones.
Finally, Gustafsson‘s one loss is hard to ignore. Phil Davis came into his bout with Gus possessing many of the same advantages Jones will have at UFC 165. Davis utilized his long reach to control the stand-up before easily controlling Gustafsson on the canvas. It is hard to imagine Jones will not use the same attributes and skills to snatch another victory.
There is plenty of time to see the odds change for Gustafsson. For now, he will have to swallow any pride he had coming into the bout and simply look to shock a majority of the MMA world as a solid long shot.
One of the most respected grapplers in the fight game today, UFC light heavyweight Vinny Magalhaes plans on finishing his upcoming opponent Anthony Perosh on the ground. The fact that “The Hippo” is a third-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu…
One of the most respected grapplers in the fight game today, UFC light heavyweight Vinny Magalhaes plans on finishing his upcoming opponent Anthony Perosh on the ground.
The fact that “The Hippo” is a third-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Magalhaes is a second-degree black belt) means absolutely nothing to The Ultimate Fighter season 8 runner-up.
“He’s a third-degree black belt because he’s as old as my grandfather. Next year I’ll be a third degree black belt myself and I’m half his age,” Magalhaes said in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report. “I do expect to finish him on the ground. There’s nothing on my resume that says that I can’t finish Anthony Perosh or another black belt, especially considering the fact that I’ve gone against some of the best grapplers in the world. (I’m) way more accomplished than him…what other world-class grappler has he faced? Jeff Monson? Check the result of that fight.”
Magalhaes, 28, is a three-time medal winner (one gold, two bronze) at the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships, regarded as the highest-level no-gi jiu-jitsu tournament that exists today.
In the grappling world, Magalhaes has defeated the likes of UFC heavyweight contender Fabricio Werdum, upcoming middleweight title challenger Chris Weidman and respected full-time jiu-jitsu practitioners like Dean Lister and Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, among many others.
For the sake of comparison, Perosh, 41 (not quite old enough to be Magalhaes’ grandfather), has qualified for the ADCC World Championship five times but has never placed at the tournament.
Additionally, Perosh did indeed lose to Monson all the back at UFC 61 in July 2006, though it is worth noting he lost by TKO, not submission, and the bout was contested at heavyweight.
Magalhaes and Perosh face off at UFC 163, which is set to take place at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on August 3.
“Pezao” got some backlash from his countrymen for training Chael Sonnen for his UFC 148 middleweight title bout with Anderson Silva; however, he says this will not ruin the experience of competing in his home country for the first time ever in his in 17-fight MMA career.
I’m not really worried about that. I have a lot of my friends and family members going to the fight to support me and that’s what really matters. Plus, most of the new MMA fans in Brazil don’t even care about (the situation). Some of them don’t even know anything about it. They just go to the fights because the UFC is the new “cool (thing)” going on right now.
Magalhaes has trained with Sonnen, a three-time UFC title challenger, on multiple occasions now, so the submission wizard stated he would not accept a fight with “The American Gangster” if offered.
Speaking of Sonnen, Vinny also got a fair share of criticism after he picked “Uncle Chael” to defeat Jon Jones at UFC 159 (via BJPenn.com), a bout where the challenger was soundly defeated in the first round.
He argues that he has all the tools to be successful in the matchup and could still present Jones a challenge in the future, despite what happened in the recent championship bout:
When I give my opinion, I’m not necessarily saying that things will go exactly the way I’m saying; I’m usually talking about capability…I thought, and still think, he has some skills that would allow him to win a fight against Jones, but apparently, things didn’t really go the way I thought that they could’ve gone.
While Magalhaes is best known by UFC fans for his time on TUF, he compiled a 7-1 record after being cut by the company in April 2009, which included winning the M-1 Global light heavyweight strap.
Despite a 5-0 record (all stoppages) and being a champion, Magalhaes ran into problems with M-1 Global directors behind the scenes and actually ended up putting his belt for sale on eBay.
Here’s what he had to say about the whole ordeal:
I had a problem with one of their directors right after my last fight for them and the same guy was still trying to screw me over by not letting me fight and by making me sit out for the rest of my contract. So I just decided to put my belt up for sale; after all, there was nothing (in) my contract saying that I couldn’t sell my belt. I ended up not selling the belt, though. I decided to keep (it) so I can give it to my son once he’s older.
Magalhaes has a 10-6(1) record overall, though just a 1-3 record inside the Octagon, most recently dropping a decision to top-10 light heavyweight Phil Davis at UFC 159.
One of the BJJ instructors at Syndicate MMA in Las Vegas, Magalhaes also said he personally “underperformed” in that matchup, while Davis looked “better than I expected.”
Nevertheless, these are two factors he considers non-issues in his upcoming summer scrap with Perosh.
All quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report unless otherwise noted.
JohnHeinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
He’s renowned for his venomous right hand that’s often called the H-Bomb, but former Pride and Strikeforce champ Dan Henderson possesses lethal knockout power in both of his aging paws. Granted, Henderson’s used his sledgehammer of a …
He’s renowned for his venomous right hand that’s often called the H-Bomb, but former Pride and Strikeforce champ Dan Henderson possesses lethal knockout power in both of his aging paws.
Granted, Henderson’s used his sledgehammer of a right hand to violently KO the likes of FedorEmelianenko, Rafael Cavalcante and Michael Bisping, among others.
But those who want proof of the theory that “Hendo” has major league pop in both of his hands should just dig up his second fight with the Pride organization’s most feared striker, Wanderlei Silva.
Henderson finished the epic middleweight title fight at Pride 33 with a surgical left hook that rendered “The Axe Murderer” unconscious in the middle of the canvas.
More than six years later, the 42-year-old Hendo, the UFC’s oldest fighter, will look to make his heavy hands the X-factor against the younger and speedier Rashad Evans in the main event of UFC 161.
The 33-year-old Evans, a knockout artist in his own right who will enjoy a four-inch reach advantage over Hendo, has won six of his 17 fights by knockout—including TKO’s of Forrest Griffin and Tito Ortiz and a KO of Chuck Liddell.
Henderson confidently offered the following regarding his game plan to dismantle former light heavyweight champ Evans during a pre-fight interview for UFC 161.
I’m gonna use the best tools that I have to try to win this fight. Knocking him out is one of those things that … it’s one of my best tools. I’m definitely going to at least try to knock him silly. Put him on his back that way (and) take him down. Put him on his back there and try to wear him out.
While Henderson, a two-time Olympian in Greco-Roman wrestling (1992 and 1996), may have better amateur credentials, Evans, a standout at Michigan State University, arguably has the edge in the functional wrestling for MMA category.
In Henderson’s last 10 scraps, he’s scored 10 takedowns and allowed 12. Evans, conversely, has piled up 23 takedowns and surrendered just 10 in his last 10 bouts.
But Evans performed uncharacteristically in his last bout against underdog Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 156. “Little Nog” landed 18 more significant strikes in the bout and stuffed four of “Suga’s” five takedown attempts en route to a unanimous decision win.
If Evans made a serious effort in his training camp to get back on track in the wrestling department, the former Spartan could employ a pressure-heavy game plan on Henderson similar to the scheme that Jake Shields enacted on Hendo at Strikeforce: Nashville.
Although he hasn’t displayed stellar takedown defense in his latest fights, Hendo still has Olympic level Greco-Roman chops, a fact that will likely help him dictate where the fight takes place.
Henderson will look to engage in a strikefest and avoid aggressively running after the often elusive Evans. A point fight favors Evans, especially if Henderson chases him the way he pursued LyotoMachida in his split decision setback at UFC 157.
However, if Henderson closes the distance successfully and consistently lands his left hook or patented over-hand right on Evans’ jawline, then Suga will likely spend the early hours of Sunday morning in a hospital nursing a concussion.
Despite the loss of its co-main event, UFC 161 is heading for Winnipeg with a solid card. While the losses of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Shogun Rua, Eddie Wineland and Renan Barao took away star power, this weekend’s event makes up for it with a c…
Despite the loss of its co-main event, UFC 161 is heading for Winnipeg with a solid card.
While the losses of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Shogun Rua, Eddie Wineland and RenanBarao took away star power, this weekend’s event makes up for it with a card of solid fights that look to be entertaining.
The main event between Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson will obviously take most of the media attention, as a battle between two former champions always will, but UFC 161 has other matchups that are sure to send fans home happy.
Let’s take a look at a few fights from this weekend that should prove to be exciting.
Sam Stout vs. James Krause
Sixteen-time UFC veteran Sam “Hands of Stone” Stout will once again enter the Octagon in front of a home crowd, as the Canadian-born kickboxer will take on UFC newcomer James Krause.
Stout will come into this weekend having won his last fight, a split decision over CarosFodor, while also winning four of his last six. Stout has a 29-8 career record, which includes nine knockouts and five Fight of the Night bonuses.
The debuting Krause enters the Octagon with a 19-4 record, having fought in the WEC and Bellator. He also featured briefly on Season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, where he was upset in the first round. The submission specialist Krause has finished 12 of his 19 career wins by submission, while also recording five knockouts.
Look for Krause to take this fight to the ground and look for the submission while Stout will look to bang. Expect Stout to keep the fight standing, while landing a few flurries on the way to an exciting unanimous-decision victory.
Jake Shields vs. TyronWoodley
Former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields takes on former Strikeforce Welterweight Title contender TyronWoodley in this welterweight bout.
Shields has hit something of a rough patch since making his way to the UFC as he has lost to both Georges St. Pierre and Jake Ellenburger. His last fight, a decision win over Ed Herman, was overturned after Shields failed a post-fight drug test. Shields may be one mistake away from being out of the world’s premier MMA organization
Woodley, on the other hand, impressed in his UFC debut, where he recorded a 36-second knockout of veteran Jay Hieron. Woodley has only one loss on his record, a knockout from the hands of Nate Marquardt, while also recording victories over UFC veterans Paul Daley and Jordan Mein.
Both fighters are known for their wrestling abilities, as Shields relies on a smothering top game to break down his opponents. However, T-Wood is game when it comes to defending takedowns, as the former Missouri wrestler comes from a strong amateur background.
Look for Woodley to keep the fight standing, where he has shown he possesses knockout power, as he TKO’s Shields late in the fight.
Pat Barry vs. Shawn Jordan
The always-entertaining Barry enters the Octagon with momentum, as The Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale Knockout of the Night winner will take on Shawn “The Savage” Jordan.
Barry is coming off of an impressive second-round knockout of former Strikeforce prospect Shane Del Rosario. Barry is known for his entertaining style of kickboxing, as only one of his 13 career fights have gone to the scorecards.
Jordan is also coming off of an impressive performance, as his last fight was a TKO of heavyweight veteran Mike Russow. Jordan’s resume features an impressive 10 knockouts and three submissions, while only three of his 18 career fights have gone to decision.
Look for this to be a standup battle, which favors the more experienced kickboxer, Barry. Jordan will get a few takedowns, but Barry’s much-improved ground game will keep him afloat when Jordan puts pressure on him.
While consistency has never been Barry’s thing, expect him to finally put together back-to-back UFC wins as he earns a TKO victory in a contest that keeps fans on their toes.
What do you think of this weekend’s card? Make your predictions in the comment box below!
A good finish to a fight is better than almost any decision. A knockout or submission provides a sense of totality and closure to a bout. It is what each MMA fan secretly craves, even if he or she pretends an exciting decision is “just as good.&r…
A good finish to a fight is better than almost any decision. A knockout or submission provides a sense of totality and closure to a bout. It is what each MMA fan secretly craves, even if he or she pretends an exciting decision is “just as good.”
Data collected from FightMatrix.com allows us to look at finishing rates for the participating members of UFC 161, as well as more broad numbers from across the divisions.
(All statistics are compiled by the author via Fightmatrix.com and cross-referenced with Sherdog’s Fight Finder function)
Injuries play a part in any sport, but it was hard to hear the news on Friday that one of the most-anticipated fights of the summer would no longer happen, as, according to Dana White, Anthony Pettis suffered a knee injury in training, forcing him out …
Injuries play a part in any sport, but it was hard to hear the news on Friday that one of the most-anticipated fights of the summer would no longer happen, as, according to Dana White, Anthony Pettissuffered a knee injury in training, forcing him out of his scheduled bout against Jose Aldo at UFC 163.
Pettis has been preparing for the bout for several months and just recently made his first attempt at cutting down to featherweight for the fight with Aldo.
Now, the Milwaukee-based fighter will have to sit on the sidelines while “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung gets the title fight against Aldo instead.
Just after the news was released by the UFC that Pettis was injured, the fighter took to his Twitter page to update his condition and explain what happened to keep him out of the fight. According to Pettis, he suffered a small tear in his meniscus, which likely won’t require any kind of surgery that would put him on the shelf for any long period of time.
Most small tears of the meniscus are treated with rest and staying off of the injured knee for two to three weeks.
Pettis‘ manager, Mike Roberts, told Bleacher Report on Friday that he’s not expected to be out for any extended period of time, but given that he would have to be off for several weeks from training, there was no way to take the fight August 3 against Aldo.
Pettis was dropping down to featherweight specifically for the chance to face Aldo at UFC 163 in August.Prior to this fight, he’d spent his entire career at 155 pounds, where he was the WEC lightweight champion. He also picked up a win over current UFC titleholder Benson Henderson.
According to Roberts, the decision about what weight class Pettis‘ next fight will take place remains undecided. With Aldo now locked up for the UFC 163 fight against Jung, it’s likely that Pettis would have to sit even longer to get a shot at the featherweight belt.
Meanwhile, the UFC lightweight title will be up for grabs on August 28 when Henderson faces T.J. Grant in the main event of UFC 164 in Milwaukee.If Henderson wins, it could set up a huge rematch with Pettis before the close of 2013.
For now, however, Pettis remains sitting dejected on the sidelines, dealing with an injured knee while contemplating what could have been.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report
Jon Jones opening on BestFightOdds.com as a -800 favorite in his title bout against Alexander Gustafsson is likely to surprise few.