As expected, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and his opponent Ricardo Lamas were fit and lean during Friday’s weigh-in ahead of Saturday’s night clash at UFC 169. The champion weighed in at 145 pounds, and the challenger was a ready 14…
As expected, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and his opponent Ricardo Lamas were fit and lean during Friday’s weigh-in ahead of Saturday’s night clash at UFC 169. The champion weighed in at 145 pounds, and the challenger was a ready 144.5 pounds.
Bleacher Report MMA has the official word and thoughts about Lamas’ condition and demeanor:
Check out this preview of the bout from the UFC’s YouTube channel:
The combatants stepped on the scale at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J, which will also be the site of the event. Aldo and Lamas were respectful and non-confrontational during the staredown, so fans will have to wait for Saturday night to see the fireworks begin.
The bout is part of a stacked card that also features UFC bantamweight champion RenanBarao taking on Urijah Faber.
Also on the card is a high-stakes heavyweight bout between Frank Mir and Alistair Overeem. The loser may be in danger of losing his spot on the UFC roster.
With those three solid fights lined up for Saturday night, it’s hard to definitively say which one will be the most intriguing. The Aldo vs. Lamas match probably deserves the edge.
This is a fresh matchup between two fighters who are still in their prime. It could be argued that Barao and Faber are still in the midst of their best days as fighters, but this will be the second battle between them. Barao won the first fight, and it wasn’t filled with excitement.
Were it not for yet another injury to former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, we wouldn’t even be seeing this fight again—at least not now.
Mir vs. Overeem offers a sense of desperation, but few people would consider either man a legitimate threat to Cain Velasquez’s heavyweight title.
Aldo has his sights set on becoming the best fighter in UFC history, but he understands he has to take one fight at a time. He told John Morgan of USA Today: “I’m very young, and I still have a lot to accomplish. But I feel like I can be the greatest ever. I want to break every UFC record.”
Lamas is known for his quiet demeanor, but as he says in the above video preview of the fight, he “likes to do his talking on fight night.” Whose fist, feet and elbows will speak loudest on Saturday?
You’ll have to tune into the pay-per-view to find out.
There may be 24 fighters hitting the scales at today’s UFC 169: Faber vs. Barao II weigh-ins, but the eyes of the MMA world are going to be focused on one man. No, not Jose Aldo, nor Renan Barao or Urijah Faber or that Lamas guy; I’m talking about supposed flyweight John Lineker, who battles Ali Bagautinov in a potential #1 contender bout tomorrow night.
I say “supposed” because Lineker has shown up heavy for three of his past five fights at flyweight, attaching an unfortunate asterisk to his current four-fight winning streak. Thankfully, Lineker says he has finally made the correct changes to his weight-cutting regimen, so join us after the jump to see how he and the rest of the fighters competing at tomorrow’s event fare in today’s weigh-ins.
(Photo via Getty.)
There may be 24 fighters hitting the scales at today’s UFC 169: Faber vs. Barao II weigh-ins, but the eyes of the MMA world are going to be focused on one man. No, not Jose Aldo, nor Renan Barao or Urijah Faber or that Lamas guy; I’m talking about supposed flyweight John Lineker, who battles Ali Bagautinov in a potential #1 contender bout tomorrow night.
I say “supposed” because Lineker has shown up heavy for three of his past five fights at flyweight, attaching an unfortunate asterisk to his current four-fight winning streak. Thankfully, Lineker says he has finally made the correct changes to his weight-cutting regimen, so join us after the jump to see how he and the rest of the fighters competing at tomorrow’s event fare in today’s weigh-ins.
Main Card:
Renan Barao (135) vs. Urijah Faber (134.5)
Jose Aldo (145) vs. Ricardo Lamas (144.5)
Alistair Overeem (257) vs. Frank Mir (256.5)
Ali Bagautinov (126) vs. John Lineker (127*)
Abel Trujillo (155.5) vs. Jamie Varner (156)
Preliminary Card:
John Makdessi (155) vs. Alan Patrick (155.5)
Chris Cariaso (125) vs. Danny Martinez (125.5)
Nick Catone (185.5) vs. Tom Watson (18.5)
Al Iaquinta (155) vs. Kevin Lee (155.5)
Andy Enz (184.5) vs. Clint Hester (185.5)
Rashid Magomedov (155) vs. Tony Martin (155.5)
Neil Magny (170.25) vs. Gasan Umalatov (170)
Two champions, two title bouts—there’ll be plenty at stake during the main showdowns on Saturday night at UFC 169.
Since losing to UFC bantamweight champ Renan Barao at UFC 149, perennial fan favorite Urijah Faber put together an impressive four-…
Two champions, two title bouts—there’ll be plenty at stake during the main showdowns on Saturday night at UFC 169.
Since losing to UFC bantamweight champ RenanBarao at UFC 149, perennial fan favorite Urijah Faber put together an impressive four-fight win streak—and he did it decisively enough to earn himself another shot against the Brazilian terror ruling over the 135-pound division.
Will all the pieces fall into place for him on Saturday night, or does Barao really have his number for the long haul?
In the evening’s co-main event, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will look to secure his sixth-straight UFC victory against the dangerous Ricardo Lamas.
Will Aldo’s sheer ferocity be too much for the American to handle at UFC 169?
Oh, and let’s not forget the fact that Alistair Overeem vs. Frank Mir will act as a precursor to both of those title fights. Though neither the winner nor the loser will walk away from the fight with a title, there’s still much to lose for either man.
Both know how to finish fights, so there’s no reason to doubt that we’ll be left with one fighter loudly snapping a losing streak and the other left worse for the wear.
Here’s a look at the entire fight card scheduled to go down in Newark, NJ.
Will both Brazilian champs continue their respective title reigns, or will we see the dawn of a new era? Does Mir have what it takes to whether the Overeem storm, or will he tap the K-1 champ before he even knows what hit him?
UFC 169 will hit the Prudential Center this weekend in Newark, New Jersey with two title fights.
Renan Barao defends the UFC Bantamweight Championship against No. 1-ranked Urijah Faber, and UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defends against No. 2-ran…
UFC 169 will hit the Prudential Center this weekend in Newark, New Jersey with two title fights.
Renan Barao defends the UFC Bantamweight Championship against No. 1-ranked Urijah Faber, and UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defends against No. 2-ranked Ricardo Lamas in the evening’s two big bouts.
10 other bouts fill out the UFC 169 fight card on Super Bowl weekend.
Bleacher Report will have full coverage of the event all weekend long.
Weigh-In Results
UFC Bantamweight Championship: Renan Barão (135) vs. Urijah Faber (134.5)
UFC Featherweight Championship: José Aldo (145) vs. Ricardo Lamas (144.5)
And with each UFC pay-per-view comes the p4p best gambling advice on the internet: The Gambling Addiction Enabler. So join us below as we dissect UFC 169 and determine where the best opportunities to make some serious bank lie, because let’s be honest, we’ve all got child support payments to make. What? You don’t have any illegitimate children? I feel like I don’t even know you guys anymore.
At -165, Makdessi earns the right to be the favorite against undefeated Alan Patrick, who will be looking to make it 2-0 in the UFC. Both fighters are coming off first round knockout wins and while Makdessi has earned his stripes against better competition, it is hard to ignore “Nuguette’s” (?) winning formula thus far in his career. There is no denying that Makdessi is the more talented striker, but Patrick mixes up his striking with takedowns very well which may present problems for Makdessi if he is unable to stop the larger man from taking him down early and often. Against Hallman, “The Bull” showed that his Achilles heel is the ground game and this is where Patrick at +145 is worth some consideration based on what we have seen from him throughout his career.
(“It’s OK Eddie, you’re still the king of the invisible motorcycle dance.” Photo via Getty)
And with each UFC pay-per-view comes the p4p best gambling advice on the internet: The Gambling Addiction Enabler. So join us below as we dissect UFC 169 and determine where the best opportunities to make some serious bank lie, because let’s be honest, we’ve all got child support payments to make. What? You don’t have any illegitimate children? I feel like I don’t even know you guys anymore.
At -165, Makdessi earns the right to be the favorite against undefeated Alan Patrick, who will be looking to make it 2-0 in the UFC. Both fighters are coming off first round knockout wins and while Makdessi has earned his stripes against better competition, it is hard to ignore “Nuguette’s” (?) winning formula thus far in his career. There is no denying that Makdessi is the more talented striker, but Patrick mixes up his striking with takedowns very well which may present problems for Makdessi if he is unable to stop the larger man from taking him down early and often. Against Hallman, “The Bull” showed that his Achilles heel is the ground game and this is where Patrick at +145 is worth some consideration based on what we have seen from him throughout his career.
Hester is a very solid stand up fighter coming in as the -200ish favorite against a relatively unknown Andy Enz, who will bring a perfect 7-0 record (5 via submission) into his Octagon debut. Training out of Gracie Barra Alaska, the 22 year old Enz has earned his nickname “Tank Mode” with a knack for his heavy grappling prowess, something Hester (9-3) may have trouble with if he cannot keep the fight standing. If Andy can take Hester down, the scales tip heavily towards Enz finding a way to finish the fight, but if Hester can keep the fight standing, all signs towards Clint picking up his third straight stoppage victory in the UFC. The undefeated prospect gets the finish over Hester, who has dropped 2 out of his 3 professional losses by submission.
Chris Cariaso (-145) vs. Danny Martinez (+125)
-145 favorite Chris Cariaso will look to bring his UFC flyweight record above .500 against WEC veteran Danny Martinez. Despite being his first bout in the UFC, Martinez has gone to the score cards with some of the highest caliber fighters in his weight class since he turned pro in 2006, but recently suffered a suprising loss to David Grant at the TUF eliminations for Team Rousey vs Team Tate. The prop that Cariaso wins by decision should pay out roughly 2 to 1 and is a respectable choice when noting Cariaso has 4 of his 5 UFC wins by decision.
Abel Trujillo is a small underdog at +120, but in the first tough test of his career, he came up short against The Eagle in which could be described as a veritable sambo clinic. Recognizing that Varner has fought higher level competition as of late and has the experience advantage suggests taking him as a favorite in the fight. The +230 prop that Varner wins this fight by decision may be a fruitful option in the plus money category as Trujillo has not been stopped since 2011.
Frank Mir at +280 is approaching the same price he was valued at against JDS and Daniel Cormier. Alistair Overeem has changed camps three times in as many fights and is now fighting for his job against arguably his toughest test in the UFC. OK, not arguably…but still a very live dog. The one major caveat that pops up can be found in Alistair’s ultra dangerous clinch game, which has spelled the death of Mir in his losses to Shane Carwin and Josh Barnett. Here’s to Frank keeping his back off the cage and hands by his head until Overeem gases.
Watson came out of the gate early this week at -200 territory which has quickly shifted towards -185 in the past 48hrs. Nick Catone will be returning to his familiar stomping grounds (as well as the middleweight division) as the +160 underdog. “The Jersey Devil” has only lost once in eight contests inside New Jersey state lines and has the tools in the grappling department to give Watson trouble here. If Catone can close the distance on Watson, the only question that remains is whether or not Nick can get the takedown. If Nick cannot take Watson down, the likelihood of Watson ending this fight inside the distance is strong (3 of Catone’s 4 losses have come inside the distance). Really hard to imagine Catone is as good a grappler as Thales Leites, but he may not have to be to still find his way to a decision victory. Simply too hard to predict this one.
Certainly a FOTN selection here as both men are known to produce fireworks inside the Octagon. The most interesting bet would be if Lineker makes weight at this point, since the fight itself is way too volatile to try a predict a winner when looking at how readily these two plant feet and launch bombs. The +105 prop that this fight goes the distance is not as interesting as just sitting back and enjoying the shootout between these two prospects.
Until Aldo looks to be in trouble in the Octagon, it will be business as usual for the champion, who will look to use his superior Muay Thai in combination with his legendary takedown defense to defeat his Lamas. “The Bully” poses the threat to take Aldo down and control the fight on the ground, but it is merely a threat that Aldo has faced and effectively overcome in the past. The prop of -121 that this fight starts round 3 may be a chance to shorten the price of wagering on this fight when acknowledging Aldo has gone past 3 rounds in his past two outings.
Faber has been 0-5 in fights where Zuffa gold is on the line, always rebounding and seemingly coming back better than ever. Urijah is sure to bring his most exciting brand of fighting into his rematch with Barao, who effectively out struck Faber and limited his takedown ability by punishing the California Kid’s lead leg at UFC 149.
Win or lose, it is hard to argue that Urijah Faber has had a very special 2013 and has proven that no matter what weight class he is in, he can still find a way to title contention. Barao most likely picks up right where he left off in the first fight with Faber and continues his run of dominance at the UFC Bantamweight champion.
UFC 169 is just a few days away, and the event features two title fights. Unfortunately, one of those fights is not getting the promotion or love it deserves.
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will defend his title for the eighth time, adding in his…
UFC 169 is just a few days away, and the event features two title fights. Unfortunately, one of those fights is not getting the promotion or love it deserves.
UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will defend his title for the eighth time, adding in his WEC defenses. The challenger? No. 2-ranked Ricardo Lamas.
Lamas is 4-0 in the UFC with four quality wins. Matt Grice, Cub Swanson, HatsuHioki and Erik Koch make up his list of defeated UFC fighters. Three of the four wins came by way of stoppage.
Lamas is a legitimate contender for the title, so why is his bid for the gold not getting the hype it deserves?
He is not the most charismatic fighter on the roster and has chosen not to be as visible as he could be. That makes it more difficult for the UFC to use him in promotional aspects because the UFC fanbase does not know him that well.
The other factor is Aldo’s dominance.
Many fans immediately discredit featherweight opposition going up against Aldo. In his long reign as the top featherweight in the world, he has disposed of top fighter after top fighter. In his eight title fights, he has fought eight different foes. Lamas will be the ninth.
With the lack of competitive bouts, fans discredit whomever stands opposite him.
According to MMAPayout.com, the last time Aldo headlined a pay-per-view, the buyrate was under 200,000. There is little question as to why this title fight between Aldo and a largely unknown challenger has been relegated to the co-main event slot. That is even with a main event that we have seen before, which was largely one-sided.
What fans and management need to realize is that Lamas is a real threat to the featherweight throne.
He brings in a well-rounded skill set that gives him opportunities to challenge Aldo no matter where the fight takes place. He is a competent striker with big power, a quality submission game and a very good wrestling background. He will be able to push Aldo in this fight.
The UFC should be using the lead-up to this fight to raise Lamas’ profile. The UFC 169 TV spot does little to enhance Lamas or Aldo. It is thrown in as an afterthought.
Without a clear focus on this fight, the fans will not care about it. There is a distinct level of apathy from the fans for this fight. That is a travesty.
The combination of Aldo’s dominance, Lamas’ lack of charisma and the UFC’s lack of promotion for this fight does little to help UFC 169, the fighters or the organization in the long term. These are two elite fighters who deserve more.
If UFC Fight Pass was utilized properly, the UFC could use that platform to push Lamas’ past performances. It would showcase him and show the fans that this is a man who can walk out of UFC 169 with the featherweight title.
This should be the most talked-about fight on the UFC 169 card, but it is not. It is being overlooked by just about everyone.
Aldo vs. Lamas is by far the most intriguing bout on the UFC 169 lineup. It is a shame it is not getting the push it deserves.
As expected, UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo and his opponent Ricardo Lamas were fit and lean during Friday’s weigh-in ahead of Saturday’s night clash at UFC 169. The champion weighed in at 145 pounds, and the challenger was a ready 144.5 pounds.
