UFC 137 GSP vs Condit

UFC 137 Main card Welterweight Championship: Georges St.Pierre vs Carlos Condit Condit is without a doubt the most dangerous opponent St. Pierre has fought yet, but I think GSP is going to win this fight easier than most people think. Condit is a guy who has fantastic armbars and devastating standup. What is probably going

UFC 137 Main card

Welterweight Championship: Georges St.Pierre vs Carlos Condit

Condit is without a doubt the most dangerous opponent St. Pierre has fought yet, but I think GSP is going to win this fight easier than most people think. Condit is a guy who has fantastic armbars and devastating standup. What is probably going to happen though is that GSP is going to confuse Condit with takedown fakeouts and overwhelm with a number of strikes. Then do late round takedowns and avoid the submission to secure the round. Condit wins if he gets lucky and catches GSP with punches. I don’t see a submission happening. GSP and his team are smart enough to never stay in the guard of Condit. If GSP controls from the half guard, Carlos is likely not going to get up the entire round.

GSP.

Welterweight bout: BJ Penn vs Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz. Did you think I wouldn’t pick him coming back to the UFC? Not like this fight is easy.

Heavyweight bout: Cheick Kongo vs Matt Mitrione

Mitrione is on a hot streak for sure, but I think Kongo is the more talented overall fighter. Unless it goes to the ground. Mitrione has better top control. Matt could GnP this one, while Kongo likes to win on the feet. I’m feeling Kongo here.

Heavyweight bout: Mirko Filipovi? vs Roy Nelson

I gotta go with Roy. He can take a tremendous amount of damage and put it on the other guy himself. Plus if it goes to the ground, his belly is a huge advantage.

Featherweight bout: Hatsu Hioki vs George Roop

Everytime I don’t pick this guy, he crushes his opponent. Roop.

Preliminary card (Spike TV)

Lightweight bout: Dennis Siver vs Donald Cerrone

Featherweight bout: Tyson Griffin vs Bart Palaszewski

Griffin. He will stay close to Bart all night and that is where Bart’s weaknesses are inside the grappling range. If Griffin stays on the inside he should win this one.

Preliminary card (Facebook)

Middleweight bout: Brad Tavares vs Dustin Jacoby

No pick, but Tavares has some power.

Bantamweight bout: Scott Jorgensen vs Jeff Curran

Glad to see Curran back in the UFC after a long stint outside. Jorgensen is that Guidaesque grinding wrestler and Curran has no problem fighting off his back. I can see Jorgensen taking a decision win here, but would be cool to see Curran pull off the sub.

Light Heavyweight bout: Brandon Vera vs Eliot Marshall

Vera easy.

Lightweight bout: Ramsey Nijem vs Danny Downes

Nijem

Middleweight bout: Chris Camozzi vs Francis Carmont

Camozzi seemed tough on the show.

UFC 136 Picks

Main card Lightweight Championship bout Frankie Edgar (c) vs Gray Maynard I always would pick Frank Edgar over opponents, but against Gray Maynard I think the last fight Gray just gassed himself out. I don’t expect that again. I’ve got Gray in this one. Featherweight Championship bout: José Aldo (c) vs Kenny Florian I want

Main card

Lightweight Championship bout Frankie Edgar (c) vs Gray Maynard

I always would pick Frank Edgar over opponents, but against Gray Maynard I think the last fight Gray just gassed himself out. I don’t expect that again. I’ve got Gray in this one.

Featherweight Championship bout: José Aldo (c) vs Kenny Florian

I want to pick Kenny Florian, but I can’t. Aldo faster, more technique, more dangerous.

Middleweight bout Chael Sonnen vs Brian Stann

Chael Sonnen. Expect takedown and grind down.

Lightweight bout Joe Lauzon vs Melvin Guillard

In the past Lauzon would be an easy pick here. However, Melvin Guillard has improved so much in the submission and submission defense. I think Guillard is going to be too much for Lauzon.

Featherweight bout Leonard Garcia vs Nam Phan

Nam Phan. A little more technique here might be the key to victory.

Preliminary card (Spike TV)

Middleweight bout: Demian Maia vs Jorge Santiago

I like the improvements Demian Maia has made to his standup game and the agressive stance he has taken. If it goes to the ground Maia is better there, but Santiago is no slouch. Standup probably goes to Santiago, but hes definitely more wild.

Lightweight bout Anthony Pettis vs Jeremy Stephens

Such a good fight. Both have great striking with Stephens being the bigger power puncher of the two. However, Jeremy is more wild. If it goes to the ground, Pettis, has a good advantage. On the feet I think its even, slight edge to Pettis, due to reach.

Preliminary card (Facebook)

Heavyweight bout Joey Beltran vs Stipe Miocic

I can take the Mexicutioner in the dark here.

Featherweight bout: Zhang Tie Quan vs Darren Elkins

Pass

Middleweight bout Aaron Simpson vs Eric Schafer

Interesting match. Two zombies that don’t stop coming forward despite taking damage. Schafer is not as good as doing damage as Simpson is. If it stays up I say Simpson.

Middleweight bout Steve Cantwell vs Mike Massenzio

Steve Cantwell. I don’t know what skills Massenzio has to beat Cantwell.

Reminder: ‘Countdown to UFC 136? Premieres Tonight on Spike at 11 pm ET

(“Just stay down, Frankie.”)

Just a friendly reminder the the UFC 136 countdown show will air tonight at 11 pm ET.

One thing that’s clear is that Gray Maynard is coming into this bout pissed off that he hasn’t lost to Frankie Edgar in two fights, yet “The Answer” has the strap. “The Bully” is confident that this is his fight and says he’s not leaving without the belt. Hopefully for his sake he wins the fight, since it’s going to be pretty awkward to watch him snatch the belt out of Dana White’s hands and run back to the dressing room with it. If he does happen to lose, maybe they can get him one of those replica belts Jon Jones refuses to sign.

Regardless of who wins and the pre-conceived notion that Maynard is a boring fighter, if the last fight is any indication, this fight is going to be a war (Sorry Tim Kennedy. That’s just how we feel. Pinch our cheeks if you want.).

Anyway, if you’re one of those people who can’t wait until Christmas to check out your presents, you can watch part one of the show after the jump.

(“Just stay down, Frankie.”)

Just a friendly reminder the the UFC 136 countdown show will air tonight at 11 pm ET.

Anyway, if you’re one of those people who can’t wait until Christmas to check out your presents, you can watch part one of the show below.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/TheSHOGUNmmaTV)

Spike TV Playing Hardball With UFC; Dana White is Not Happy

(A woman scorned always has her revenge.)

It looks like Spike TV isn’t going to let the UFC walk away from their longtime liaison quietly.

Like a woman scorned , Spike will attempt to sabotage Zuffa’s burgeoning relationship with Fox by counter-programming the network’s first UFC event featuring a heavyweight tilt between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos with a three-hour special “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez: Unleashed” series of shows according to MMA Junkie. The November 12 Unleashed Marathon will begin at 9:00 just as Fox’s inaugural UFC event is set to start.

According to the report, Spike owns the broadcast rights to the UFC library through 2012, and unless Zuffa buys back the rights the network will likely continue to counter-program Fox’s events for the next year. The catch 22 of the situation is that unless the UFC buys back the rights, Spike cannot air any other promotion’s events, which explains why it is only airing Bellator’s prelims on its website. The move could be a testing ground to see if there’s enough interest to move Bellator’s weekly events to the rotation when the UFC agreement expires.

(A woman scorned always has her revenge.)

It looks like Spike TV isn’t going to let the UFC walk away from their longtime liaison quietly.

Needless to say, Dana White is not impressed. During an interview he did with MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani last week, the UFC president pulled no punches when discussing the move by Spike to air Bellator fights on Spike.com, but added as a last f*ck you that Zuffa has no intention of buying the rights back from Spike.

“UFC programming will be on Spike in 2012. It will continue there. When you look at what I call ‘the spirit of the deal,’ [counter-programming] is the wrong thing to do. In my opinion, it’s Spike not being honorable. They’re not being honorable and they know. [Spike president] Kevin [Kay] knows; [Spike senior vice president of sports and specials] Brian [Diamond] — all the guys who have dealt with me at Spike TV — I’ve been nothing but honorable with them,” White explained. “Everything that I did was to build the UFC and Spike TV. I’ve been a fantastic partner. Whatever they needed from me I’ve done for them and helped them get to where they are today, just like they’ve helped us get to where we are today. And what they’re doing, if that’s the case, and they’re running [Bellator fights] on Spike.com, that’s not the spirit of the deal and they are being 100 percent not honorable.”

Video Reminder: TUF 14 Debuts Tonight With a Two-Hour Episode Featuring 16 Fights

(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFC)

Just a friendly reminder that the final Spike TV-affiliated season of The Ultimate Fighter — TUF 14 kicks off tonight at 9:00 pm ET. Judging by the clip above, Jason Miller’s role on the show is to bug the shit out of perma-heel Michael Bisping and he’s doing a bang-up job of it.

He definitely seems to be getting under the skin of “The Count,” which explains why the cocky Brit has made no secret of the fact that he despises “Mayhem” in any of the interviews he’s done about his coaching gig on the show. At least they’ll get the opportunity to hug it out in December.

This season features bantamweights and featherweights and tonight’s episode will have all 16 qualifier bouts between the final 32 selected to fight for the remaining 16 beds in the TUF house.

(Video courtesy of YouTube/UFC)

He definitely seems to be getting under the skin of “The Count,” which explains why the cocky Brit has made no secret of the fact that he despises ”Mayhem” in any of the interviews he’s done about his coaching gig on the show. At least they’ll get the opportunity to hug it out in December.

This season features bantamweights and featherweights and tonight’s episode will have all 16 qualifier bouts between the final 32 selected to fight for the remaining 16 beds in the TUF house.

Sprinkle in equal parts alcohol, idiocy and testosterone and a ferocious feud between coaches as volatile as the one between Ken Shamrock and Tito Ortiz, and it looks like the series will be leaving Spike with a bang before it packs up and heads over to Fox next year for its “new and improved” live incarnation.

I may actually watch this season if it’s half as exciting as the preview makes it look. The marketing department earned its pay this time around. I’m just glad they fired the script writer who came up with the spoogy sushi.

Saturday’s UFC 134 Prelims Get Full Spike, Facebook Treatment From Rio

Filed under: UFC, NewsThe last time the UFC was in Brazil, there was no such thing as Spike TV or Facebook.

But for Saturday’s UFC 134, the promotion’s first trip to the South American cradle of MMA since 1998, fans can watch all 12 fights on a combin…

Filed under: UFC, News

The last time the UFC was in Brazil, there was no such thing as Spike TV or Facebook.

But for Saturday’s UFC 134, the promotion’s first trip to the South American cradle of MMA since 1998, fans can watch all 12 fights on a combination of Facebook, Spike and pay-per-view.

This will be the 15th consecutive event that the UFC has utilized Facebook to air preliminary card fights, dating back to January. And for the ninth straight event, each fight on the card will be broadcast in some form. The first five UFC 134 prelims will stream live on Facebook, followed by a pair of fights on Spike leading into the pay-per-view broadcast.

A pair of fights between Brazilians and Americans leads the Spike broadcast. A middleweight bout between Rousimar Palhares and Dan Miller kicks things off, followed by a lightweight bout between Thiago Tavares and Spencer Fisher.

Palhares (12-3, 5-2 UFC) fought exclusively in his native Brazil until signing with the UFC in 2008. His last three wins have been by submission. Miller (13-5, 1 NC, 5-4 UFC) has struggled since starting his UFC career 3-0. He suffered a three-fight skid with decision losses to Chael Sonnen, Demian Maia and Michael Bisping, but rebounded with back-to-back wins over John Salter and Joe Doerksen. But in March, he lost a unanimous decision to Nate Marquardt in his native New Jersey.

Tavares (15-4-1, 5-4-1 UFC) started his career 12-0 but has gone just 3-4-1 in his last eight fights. In March, he was knocked out by Shane Roller at UFC on Versus 3. Fisher (24-7, 9-6 UFC) is also coming off a loss. Ross Pearson took a unanimous decision from him at UFC 127 in Sydney in February, giving the Iowa-based fighter three losses in four fights.

On the UFC’s Facebook page, fans will get a Brazilian-heavy lineup. An opening bantamweight bout between Canada’s Yves Jabouin and American Ian Loveland is the only fight on the card to not feature a Brazilian. Three fights on the Facebook prelims feature Brazilians debuting in the UFC against fellow Brazilians. And Paulo Thiago (13-3, 3-3 UFC) looks to end a two-fight skid against David Mitchell (11-1, 0-1 UFC).

To gain access to the Facebook fights, which will begin at 6 p.m. Eastern, viewers must “like” the UFC on Facebook. As of Wednesday afternoon, the UFC had more than 6.2 million fans at the site. When the UFC first started streaming prelims fights on Facebook in January, it had approximately 4.5 million fans at the social networking site.

The UFC began streaming preliminary fights in January with its Fight for the Troops 2 show at Fort Hood, Texas. Since then, the promotion has included free Facebook fights for each event, regardless of the main card’s platform – be it on pay-per-view, Spike or Versus. For the historic UFC 129 card in Toronto in April, five prelims were aired on Facebook, followed by a pair on Spike leading into the pay-per-view – meaning for the first time, fans were guaranteed the opportunity to see each fight on the card. That has continued for each of the eight events since then, including Saturday’s card in Rio.

UFC 134 features a main event middleweight title fight between champion Anderson Silva and Yushin Okami, the last man to beat him – albeit by disqualification when Silva delivered an illegal upkick and Okami couldn’t continue. The co-main event features a rematch between former light heavyweight champions Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Forrest Griffin. And also on the main card, heavyweight Brendan Schaub looks for his fifth straight win in a matchup against Brazilian legend Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.

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