Tag: MMA

Danny Castillo Says Team Alpha Male Is Like a UFC Fraternity

“Fraternity brothers” isn’t a term we see thrown around very often.At least not in the world of mixed martial arts.That is, however, unless you’re a member of the prestigious Team Alpha Male.Enter UFC lightweight Danny Castillo.”Urijah Faber and I were…

“Fraternity brothers” isn’t a term we see thrown around very often.

At least not in the world of mixed martial arts.

That is, however, unless you’re a member of the prestigious Team Alpha Male.

Enter UFC lightweight Danny Castillo.

“Urijah Faber and I were childhood friends, and we grew up together,” Castillo told Bleacher Report.

“We were great friends all throughout school, and then we kind of went our separate ways for a while. I went down to see his house and whatnot, and saw his lifestyle. I wanted that,” said Castillo. “He told me it took a special type of person to fight.”

It didn’t take long as Castillo began to ponder a career in MMA.

After a few difficult decisions, Castillo’s bags were packed, and he was on his way to a new life.

From an office worker to a professional cage fighter, his future was filled with uncertainty and doubt.

Nonetheless, Castillo pushed on as he joined his childhood friend Faber, along with the remaining Team Alpha Male members.

Castillo’s decision turned out to be the right one as he’s won three of his four bouts inside the Octagon since joining the UFC in December of 2010.

However, it’s the friendships formed that have allowed Castillo to witness a great deal of his success.

“There’s nothing like having the opportunity to wake up and train alongside your best friends day in and day out. That’s what really makes my job the greatest job out there,” said Castillo.

“We’re like a group of fraternity brothers; that’s how close we all are. When Joe [Benavidez] won his last fight, it was a group celebration,” said Castillo. “We all won.”

If you haven’t noticed yet, Team Alpha Male have elevated themselves to arguably the top team in the business led by Faber, Castillo, Benavidez and Chad Mendes.

Without Team Alpha Male, it’s likely Castillo would still be sitting behind a desk and on the receiving end of a pile of complaints.

But instead, Castillo gets to live out his dream.

All because of his friends.

 

For additional information, follow Garrett Derr on Twitter.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on Fox 3: Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks’ Title Hopes Will Be Squashed

Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks have been given the opportunity of a lifetime. They are fighting in the top two matches on a UFC on FOX show and Dana White has said that if they win their respective fights against Jim Miller and Josh Koscheck that title …

Nate Diaz and Johny Hendricks have been given the opportunity of a lifetime. They are fighting in the top two matches on a UFC on FOX show and Dana White has said that if they win their respective fights against Jim Miller and Josh Koscheck that title shots await. 

With all the pressure on their shoulders for this big primetime event, Diaz and Hendricks will fail in their quests for gold. It is through no fault of their own, they are just locked in bad matchups that don’t play well to their styles. 

Miller was on his way to earning a shot at the lightweight championship last year. He was 20-2 with seven straight victories. His momentum got cut off last August against Benson Henderson, who went on to win the title from Frankie Edgar in February. 

Diaz’s title shot is interesting, just because he is 5-4 in his last nine fights. He does have two straight wins to his credit—a submission win over Takanori Gomi and a unanimous decision win over Donald Cerrone that was one of the most exciting fights of the year—but he hasn’t beaten a lot of top guys. 

The only reason Miller isn’t getting into title contention right now is because he isn’t a flashy, exciting fighter. He shows up, does his job and does it well, then goes home. But he is a better all-around fighter than Diaz and will prove that this Saturday. 

As for Hendricks, he has more of a claim to a title shot at welterweight than Diaz does at lightweight. He has three straight wins on his resume, including a 12-second knockout of perennial contender Jon Fitch last December. 

Koscheck’s stock might be down just a bit because his victory over Mike Pierce in February looked sloppy, but he is a better wrestler and striker than Hendricks. As long as he doesn’t let his surgically repaired eye get the best of him, which is what happened in the fight against Pierce, he is going to win this fight. 

Hendricks does fight a similar style to Koscheck; both are former world class wrestlers who have turned into strong stand-up fighters. 

Still, at this stage of the game, Koscheck is a better fighter and tough stylistic matchup for Hendricks. 

With two title shots on the line Saturday night, neither one of the fighters vying for the opportunity are going to find the brass ring at the top of the mountain. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Dana White Says Frank Mir and Roy Nelson Have Most to Lose at UFC 146

After the UFC on Fox 3 pre-fight presser, Dana White dropped a very interesting nugget to the media in attendance about UFC 146.He was asked who in his opinion had the most to lose at UFC 146 and his answer may surprise you. It’s an interesting questio…

After the UFC on Fox 3 pre-fight presser, Dana White dropped a very interesting nugget to the media in attendance about UFC 146.

He was asked who in his opinion had the most to lose at UFC 146 and his answer may surprise you. It’s an interesting question as there are several fighters on the main card who may be on their last legs in the promotion. Even more interesting is his response.  

“I’d probably have to say (Frank) Mir. Mir’s been in so many title fights and held it twice. Losing wouldn’t be too great for Big Country either. I think he’s 1-4 in his last five fights. So he needs a win too.”

Roy Nelson is probably expendable. He’s a former Ultimate Fighter but has failed to exceed any expectations. He’s continued to be unwilling to drop to light heavyweight.

Instead, he’s made jokes about his weight and continues to fight at heavyweight (h/t mmajunkie.com), even though Dana has stated in interviews he thinks that “Big Country” would be better suited at 205. The only thing that may keep Nelson on the roster is that he’s a fan favorite and always brings the fight. 

I am surprised that White said that Mir has the most to lose at 146.

Mir is one of the UFC’s best known fighters and one of the few guys that is legitimately “home grown.” He’s been willing to step up in many situations and his stint on The Ultimate Fighter endeared him to fans. There’s also the fact that he’s the only fighter in MMA history to stop Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira twice.

In my mind, a loss to Junior Dos Santos wouldn’t end his career, as he’s still relatively young and has plenty more to offer the heavyweight division. He still has time to go on another run, and he’s always dangerous both standing and on the feet. I guess this is just a time when myself and the UFC president disagree. 

Matthew Roth is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Bellator 67: Main Card Predictions

Tonight, Bellator 67 comes to you live on MTV 2, Spike.com and Bellator.com. The card will be headlined by Michael Chandler and Akihiro Gono in a non-title bout.Also on the card will be one of the welterweight semifinals, which will pit UFC veteran Ben…

Tonight, Bellator 67 comes to you live on MTV 2, Spike.com and Bellator.com. The card will be headlined by Michael Chandler and Akihiro Gono in a non-title bout.

Also on the card will be one of the welterweight semifinals, which will pit UFC veteran Ben Saunders against the always dangerous Bryan Baker. Let’s take a look at the main card.

Begin Slideshow

Melvin Guillard: Slumping Contender or Scatterbrained Underachiever?

Melvin Guillard isn’t that good.Doesn’t that seem impossible? Melvin’s hands are cocked and loaded—certified weapons. The former cokehead possesses blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy with his striking, a rare mix that reminds me of…

Melvin Guillard isn’t that good.

Doesn’t that seem impossible? Melvin’s hands are cocked and loaded—certified weapons. The former cokehead possesses blinding speed and pinpoint accuracy with his striking, a rare mix that reminds me of a certain arachnid in the middleweight division.

But Melvin Guillard will never seriously contend for a title, let alone garner the success Anderson Silva has. Despite his God-given athleticism, “The Young Assassin” is resigned to mediocrity.   

Guillard has amassed 11 wins in the octagon against six losses, a “good” record. People with the athletic talent of Melvin Paul Guillard Jr. are supposed to do better than “good.”

At times, he channels his inner beast: He’s finished 19 of his 29 victories by (T)KO. Frankly, he makes fighters who try to stand with him look meek and stupid. But if the UFC was an idiot contest, Melvin would win. Hands down.

All six of Melvin’s defeats in the UFC have come by way of submission. He’s just not up to par with his ground skills. He looks like a child when his fights hit the mat, even after 17 UFC bouts. He serves his neck and limbs on a platter to hungry submission sharks, without fail.

Okay, so he’s not especially well-rounded, but he even sets the table for his limb-hungry foes. In his last fight with Jim Miller, he attempted three telegraphed flying knees in the first round, begging to be taken down, and choked. Miller obliged after being lit up like a lamp the entire first round.

Melvin, learn how to win. You don’t need a highlight-reel KO to move up the lightweight ladder.

Guillard is booked for a fight with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt/gorilla Fabricio Camoes at UFC 148, on the undercard. UFC executives are implicitly begging him to train his submission defense.

Melvin has the gifts needed to shine in the octagon. But until he trains his grappling or learns to avoid his weaknesses, Melvin will never reach UFC gold.  

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

MMA Betting Strategies Part II- Always Go With At Least 1 “Dog of the Night”

No matter how much you read up on all of these fighters, or how sure you are that one guy is that much better than his opponent, there is virtually always one or more big.

No matter how much you read up on all of these fighters, or how sure you are that one guy is that much better than his opponent, there is virtually always one or more big upset on each fight card. MMA betting is a fickle game. In my opinion, there is no other sport in the world where you can find as much value as you can in MMA lines. Sure, there’s the well known and hyped, huge favorites (-400 or higher) that are pretty sure things.

However, there are also a few fights each night where a heavy favorite is basically unproven, or facing a tough style matchup. How some of these fighters warrant laying 3 to 1 odds when they haven’t beaten any worthy opponents, or if we know nothing about their opponent that night, who could be a VERY dangerous fighter, is beyond me. That is where my strategy of picking one of these “Dog” fights on each card has padded my bankroll over the years.

On a given night of say 10 fights, I like to do my due diligence on each fighter individually, then see how they match up with their opponent. I will then usually pick my three FAVORITE FAVORITES. In other words, the three favorites I like the most I lock in, hoping to go 3-0, 2-1 at worst. Then, during the course of my research I will find value in 2 or 3 Dogs. From there I will narrow it down to the best “Dog of the Night”, and put 1/2 a unit on it, so as to not blow the entire nights winnings. Because the odds on these Dogs are usually +150 or better (sometimes as high as +350), we can see huge profits from these Dog wagers.

Let’s take UFC on Fox Saturday night. Of the big Dogs, my pick to pull off the upset is Alan Belcher (16-5). Belcher is 6’2″, vs. the 5’8″ submission specialist Rousimar Palhares (23-3). Belcher has the experience to understand that if this fight goes to the ground, he will be tapping faster than Spider in Goodfellas when Tommy shoots him in the foot.

The key to this fight for Belcher will be to stay on his feet and use his 4 inch reach advantage to keep Palhares away from him, while scoring points and winning each round. Belcher’s conditioning is superior, and if he can get the fight into the 3rd when both fighters will be lathered up and “slippery when wet,” the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist will be less dangerous with his leg lock attempts. Belcher may be able to finish him in the 3rd, but if I were in his corner I would advise him to keep his distance and go for the 29-28 decision, and pad our bankrolls at +220.

-The Cookie Crisper