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Gambling Addiction Enabler: ‘UFC 153? Edition

(Well, at least the poster is as half-assed as the main event.)

By Dan “Get Off Me” George

I’ll be honest, when I first heard of the new main event for UFC 153, I thought we were all the victims of some intricate ruse on the UFC’s part. Surely the head honchos at Zuffa didn’t consider a “fun” squash match on the level of Joe Lauzon vs Jens Pulver to be the best possible option for a country that was recently denied the biggest fight of all time, right? But I guess when an injury curse on the level of 2012’s hits, you do what you can to simply stay afloat, and in that sense the UFC has succeeded.

Luckily for us, the UFC has also succeeded in putting together a card that provides plenty of opportunities to prosper from a wagering perspective as well. This time around, I will attempt to follow the lead of Jared “Money Bags” Jones, who provided both the gift and the curse for UFC on FX 5: Browne vs. Silva with his parlay picks, so follow me as I highlight a few names on the preliminary cards for Facebook and FX and breakdowns of all fights on the PPV portion of UFC 153. All betting odds come courtesy of BestFightOdds.

Facebook + FX prelims

Reza Madadi stands out in the two FB fights; Sweden has been hot in the octagon lately and I think “Mad Dog” (not Anthony Macias) at around -200 has the right combination of size and all around ground advantage to deal with Marcello’s submissions game and win his second straight UFC fight.

Gleison Tibau hovering around -160 should be able to stifle fellow Brazilian Francisco Drinaldo and find a way back into the UFC win column after dropping a hard fought loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 148. Tibau has fought solid competition throughout his lengthy UFC career and I do not think Francisco has the right tools to win this fight. An underdog that may be worth a look is Renee Forte at around +200 against Sergio Moraes, who dropped a unanimous decision last time out due in part to his in-ring demeanor, which did not seem to go over well with the judges.

(Well, at least the poster is as half-assed as the main event.)

By Dan “Get Off Me” George

I’ll be honest, when I first heard of the new main event for UFC 153, I thought we were all the victims of some intricate ruse on the UFC’s part. Surely the head honchos at Zuffa didn’t consider a “fun” squash match on the level of Joe Lauzon vs Jens Pulver to be the best possible option for a country that was recently denied the biggest fight of all time, right? But I guess when an injury curse on the level of 2012′s hits, you do what you can to simply stay afloat, and in that sense the UFC has succeeded.

Facebook + FX prelims

Main Card

Demian Maia (-150) vs Rick Story (+130)

The line on Maia has steadily climbed towards the -160 area, and despite many picking him to lose against Kim in his WW debut, the BJJ whiz out grappled one of the best WW in the world. Story fights best when he can impose his will, but against Maia, clinching against the fence or taking the fight to the ground may not be the best strategy to win. Maia makes the parlay and remains undefeated at 170lbs.

Phil Davis (-380) vs Wagner Prado (+315)

The only thing that sticks out here (like a finger to the eye! *rimshot*) is that Wagner caught Davis once in their first fight. I am not rushing to the window to lay -350 and up on Phil Davis in Brazil as I need to see more from the American wrestling standout to pay that kind of price fighting in Wagner’s back yard.

Jon Fitch (+115) vs Erick Silva (-135)

This is one of those Old School vs. New School fights, a more or less one-dimensional fighter against a more well rounded fighter. Silva has a fantastic sprawl and represents the new breed of fighter who use defensive wrestling to compliment a strong stand up game. Jon Fitch will no doubt fight hard, but I think his old school style may fail him for a second time in a row for the first time in his career. I am going with Silva sitting at -140 for the parlay as I do not think Fitch will be able to win the stand up game or keep Silva on the ground long enough to take the fight on the cards.

Glover Teixeira (-400) vs Fabio Maldonado (+325)

I’m on the Glover bandwagon even with the steep price coming in around -400. Trained by everyone from Marco Ruas to John Hackleman and having such sparring partners as Chuck Liddell at his disposal, Glover may just know a thing or two about how to handle himself in the stand up exchange with Fabio. It will be interesting to see if Teixeira attempts to show off his grappling skills in this fight or times a perfect counter to a Maldonado body shot, but it seems like in either case, Glover is ending this fight and stamping his name towards the top of the 205 division. I like the prop that this fight does not go the distance and perhaps ends before the half way mark of the contest.

Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (-320) vs Dave Herman (+260)

I want to lay it down on Big Nog and I think the fight plays well into his skill set, but coming off a serious injury against a fairly experienced younger, bigger fighter is a tough spot for the legend here. I do not see this fight going the distance and I would rather sit back and enjoy Antonio’s return as the betting favorite and see if the fight ends before the 15 minute mark.

Anderson Silva (-1100) vs Stephan Bonnar (+700)

Silva. Just lay the 3 grand you have lying around the house to make 200 bucks and thank me later.

Parlay 1
Madadi – Tibau – Maia

Parlay 2
Tibau – E.Silva – Maia – Teixeira

Props
-Teixeira/Maldonado does not go the distance
-Bezerra/Sicilia does not go the distance
-Big Nog/Dave Herman does not go the distance

Enjoy the fights CP nation and may the winners be yours!

UFC 153 Preliminary Card B/R MMA Staff Predictions

UFC 153 goes down Saturday night from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a number of Brazilian fighters will have the opportunity to showcase their skills on the preliminary card. Kicking off the Facebook fights, highly-touted Brazilian …

UFC 153 goes down Saturday night from the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a number of Brazilian fighters will have the opportunity to showcase their skills on the preliminary card.

Kicking off the Facebook fights, highly-touted Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu technician Cristiano Marcello takes on another high-level grappler in Reza Madadi in a lightweight scrap.

Next up, hard-hitting striker Luiz Cane makes his middleweight debut against a very game Chris Camozzi, while two Brazilian prospects clash in the form of Sergio Moraes vs. Renee Forte.

At featherweight, one of the few Americans on the card, Joey Gambino, will have his hands full with The Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Brandao.

In a classic new school vs. old school battle, UFC veteran, the hulking Gleison Tibau, takes on surging prospect Francisco Trinaldo.

Headlining the preliminary card, the first The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil winner Rony Mariano Bezerra takes on the dangerous Sam Sicilia.

Predicting the action this week are Bleacher Report MMA Featured Columnists Vince Carey, Matt Juul, and myself, John Heinis.

Take a look inside to see whose picking up the “W” this weekend.

Begin Slideshow

UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar Pits Top-Line Pros vs. Little League Squad

As an opinion piece, I’m sure this article will catch flak for being so harsh on the UFC. The sad truth is that the UFC just isn’t putting together shows like they used to. As we realize more injuries and events become more tightly scheduled for the sa…

It is you and I who pay for UFC, who buy into the image and the feel of a sport that was once so great who end up losing out. The UFC has grown in popularity, but through poor fights and poorer fighters putting together lackluster shows.

UFC 153 is evidence of this sort of event. You can read up and down the card without any real knowledge of the sport and would likely come out with a pretty good idea who is going to pull these things out.

The UFC should be putting together bigger PPV cards and leaving cards like this one on FX or Facebook or Spike… or wherever they want to put them. They aren’t worth the money.

With that said, let’s take a look at this card and see what we can come up with.

Anderson Silva vs. Stephan Bonnar

The main event. I’m pretty sure just about anybody would be shocked to see Bonnar take this. To give credit where it is due, Bonnar did step up to take this fight. The problem is, he’ll likely not be leaving it standing.

This will be a rout, and while Bonnar will come out hyped up and swinging, Silva will pick him apart until his corner scrapes him up off the mat with a squeegee.

Minotauro Noguiera vs. Dave Herman

I get that Herman has some skills. The kid has some talent when it comes to strikes, but his ground game is too weak and Minotauro far too rounded to let this striker get away with just beating him up.

He’s old, and that may be his downfall, but I think Noguiera has this one on the mat or in a landslide decision.

Glover Teixeira vs. Fabio Maldonado

This one is gonna hurt. Teixeira is the GSP of 205. Pretty much a perfect combination of strike, submission and takedown, he is going to manhandle Maldonado. Few people know much about Teixeira, but fewer still know Maldo-what’s-his-name.

At 205, Teixeira is a beast of a man while Maldonado is carrying a fair bit of extra weight. Expect a stoppage by the second round here.

Jon Fitch vs. Erick Silva

Most casual fans will know Jon Fitch. He’s a fairly well liked and experienced UFC vet. Erick Silva is less known, but I suspect will be more recognizable after this fight. He’s got good takedown defense, and if Fitch wants this, it will be a decision of whether he can take Silva down. Coin Flip: Silva in the second.

Phil Davis vs. Wagner Prado

A close second for FOTN contender, this is a rematch from an Aug. 4 match-up on FOX. Phil Davis has a handful with Prado, but I think the reach advantage and relentlessness of Mr. Wonderful (Davis) is going to overshadow the skill of Prado. Expect a slow start and exciting finish in the second round.

Demian Maia vs. Rick Story

This one could go the distance, and with a lot of energy. If Davis/Prado is a close second, this is the fight it will be close to for FOTN. These guys are equal on paper and off. They fight the same, have the same high energy, and both have good defense.

Like Fitch/Silva, this is a coin flip, but not because they are each good at one thing. In fact, they are both good at so much that it’s hard to call. Very cautious prediction: Story by decision.

Rony Jason vs. Sam Sicilia

I really (really!) enjoy watching Sicilia. This guy has some power in those fists of his. Jason is no slouch, and while I do think he has talent, I don’t think he’s going to take this one.

Sicilia is too big, too powerful, too quick and has too much cardio for Jason to overcome. KO in the second round here for Sicilia.

Gleison Tibau vs. Francisco Trinaldo

Tibau has some takedowns and good takedown defense, but Trinaldo will want to keep this one standing. Trinaldo has some good power, but I don’t think he has the experience in the octagon yet to match up well with someone like Tibau. Expect a takedown and submission late in the first round.

Diego Brandao vs. Joey Gambino

Brandao has some skills, but with a 19-8 record, he just doesn’t match up against the 9-1 Gambino the way one might hope for. First round, Gambino with the win.

Sergio Moraes vs. Renee Forte

On one hand, Moraes is a good fighter with skill in all areas of MMA. On the other, Forte will dominate this fight no matter where it ends up. Not a lot to talk about with these two, Forte has Moraes beat anywhere in the Octagon.

Luiz Cane vs. Chris Camozzi

This will probably be a slug-fest. A couple of strikers just throwing ’til the victor walks out, arms raised. After his last fight, Cane has something to prove and sometimes that gets the better of him.

He is usually either knocked out or lands a winning blow in the first round. Unfortunately for him, that tradition will continue with Camozzi pulling out a very late first-round victory. Expect some blood.

Cristiano Marcello Vs. Reza Madadi

No doubt someone from this match will take the Submission of the Night title. I suspect it will probably be Marcello, but this is a pretty decent match-up and Madadi could certainly pull it out. The more aggressive Marcello will likely see the victory in the end via decision.

No matter how you slice it,there will definitely be some interesting fights at UFC 153, but they aren’t the blockbuster events one might grow to expect from this sport. The UFC just hasn’t been able to piece together a solid front-to-back show in a few years.

Let’s hope this card is better than it looks at first glance. I am certainly not expecting great things, but there should be a couple fights in here worth watching at least.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Stephen Bonnar vs. Anderson Silva: Head-to-Head

(It’s pretty obvious who takes the “Cooler Hairstyle” category.)

It’s time for some real talk, Potato Nation. Stephan Bonnar is booking a one-way train ticket to Painsville Station on Saturday night and Anderson Silva is the conductor. I know it, you know it, the bookies know it, and your mom knows it (I asked her last night. Say hi to her for me, alright?). Matter of fact, if “The American Psycho” is simply able to come away from the fight in the same state of matter he began it in, everyone watching will unquestionably declare his performance a win for America, the UFC, and perhaps even the Caucasian race.

But this fight is about more than who’s accomplished what or who holds what title or who may or may not have lost to a decrepit Mark Coleman. There are several x-factors at play here, and when we decided to match up Stephan Bonnar and Anderson Silva for one of our infamous head to head sessions, the results might surprise you. Let’s get started.

AGE
Bonnar: 35
Silva: 37
Advantage: Bonnar

SIZE
Bonnar: 6’3″, walks around at roughly 235 lbs, 80 inch reach
Silva: 6’2″, walks around at roughly 215 lbs, 77.5 inch reach
Advantage: Bonnar

(It’s pretty obvious who takes the “Cooler Hairstyle” category.)

AGE
Bonnar: 35
Silva: 37
Advantage: Bonnar

SIZE
Bonnar: 6’3″, walks around at roughly 235 lbs, 80 inch reach
Silva: 6’2″, walks around at roughly 215 lbs, 77.5 inch reach
Advantage: Bonnar

LAST TWO FIGHTS RESULTED IN
Bonnar: A pair of tedious but smartly gameplanned UD’s over Igor Pokrajac and Kyle Kingsbury
Silva: A pair of absolute clownings over Yushin Okami and Chael Sonnen
Advantage: Silva

FINISHING RATIO
Bonnar: 66.7% (10 stoppages in 15 victories)
Silva: 78.1% (25 stoppages in 32 victories)
Advantage: Silva

RECORD WHEN FIGHTING UP A WEIGHT CLASS
Bonnar: 0-1 (TKO loss to Lyoto Machida at HW in 2003)
Silva: 2-0 (both at LHW, both by way of first round KO)
Advantage: Silva by an ass-whooping

RECORD AGAINST FORMER UFC CHAMPIONS
Bonnar: 0-6
Silva: 5-0
Advantage: Silva by sweet Jesus, Bonnar’s a dead man

PERFORMANCE AGAINST JON JONES
Bonnar: Hard fought but completely one-sided UD loss
Silva: Would rather just stay friends
Advantage: Bonnar

FRIEND OF CAGEPOTATO
Bonnar: You know it, son!
Silva: Won’t return our calls, filed for three separate restraining orders.
Advantage: Bonnar

SALARIES
Bonnar: $34,000 to show at UFC 139 (seriously, Dana?!)
Silva: $200,000 to show at UFC 148
Advantage: Silva by a Ferrari

GREATEST WAR
Bonnar: One half of the fight that basically pulled the UFC out of the dark ages at the TUF 1 Finale
Silva: Overcame four round deficit to submit Chael Sonnen in the fifth at UFC 117
Advantage: Bonnar by *picks up phone* You gotta see this fight bro!

POST FIGHT CELEBRATION
Bonnar:

Silva: It doesn’t matter. Bonnar clearly wins this round.

Conclusion: Well, well, would you look at that, this fight is actually going to be a lot closer than most of you predicted, with Bonnar actually emerging victorious on paper…

…

…Silva by first round KO.

–J. Jones

The Big ‘What If?’: Stephen Bonnar Shocks World, Defeats Anderson Silva

(Does this look like the face of a man who is going to lose?…Probably. / Photo courtesy of Francis Specker)

By Josh Hutchinson

Well Potato Heads, we are staring down the barrel of what would on paper seem like another absurd mismatch for a PPV main event. (Speaking of which, is it just me or does it seem like freak show fights are making a comeback?) Now I could sit here and try to persuade you that this is a legitimate match-up, Stephan Bonnar totally has a chance, Anderson Silva’s heart is not in it, or some equally stupid defense as to why this fight needs to happen, but I like all of you far too much to insult your intelligence like that. For Christ’s sake, even the UFC’s official promo videos for UFC 153 are split between joking that Bonnar has no chance and not showing Bonnar at all, if that tells you anything. So instead I’m going to take a hypothetical look at what could happen if The American Psycho manages to pull off the unbelievable. Because let’s be honest, if it happens, the fallout will be of nuclear proportions. For instance…

Stephen Bonnar, The New Face of Burger King

Should Bonnar prevail, his stock will rise exponentially with sponsors. A miraculous victory over Silva would have Nike, Burger King, and many others reconsidering the amount of support and money that they have thrown at The Spider. At the same time, it would then be easy to spin Bonnar as a legend killer — and therefore a legend himself — and he can be sure to expect a few more 0’s on his future paychecks. To this point, BK has kept their Anderson commercials in Brazil, since American audiences apparently wouldn’t be able to handle a cage-fighting burger pitchman. Bonnar, with his good-guy-everyman image, could break through that wall. New commercial concept: Bonnar and Forrest Griffin get into a furious Stacker-eating contest that leaves both men exhausted, and the other restaurant patrons howling for a rematch.

Anderson Silva pulls a Gina Carano

(Does this look like the face of a man who is going to lose?…Probably. / Photo courtesy of Francis Specker)

By Josh Hutchinson

Stephen Bonnar, The New Face of Burger King

Anderson Silva pulls a Gina Carano

This one’s not too far-fetched when you look at the facts. We’ve already seen “Anderson Silva, Entertainer” with his upcoming movie roles, Michael Jackson impersonations, appearances with washed-up action stars, nude photo shoots, and Brazilian ass-contest-judging so he clearly knows how to play the game. Now if the bong hasn’t ruined your short-term memory completely, then you might remember another superstar champion from a few years ago, Ms. Gina Carano. Since I’ve never excelled at anything, it’s hard to put myself in the place of a great coming to terms with their own mortality, but if Gina’s plight is any indicator I could very well see Anderson choosing to earn a paycheck with his name instead of his fists.

Shamed, the UFC revamps format, breathes life into a dying sport

As evidenced earlier this week, apparently I’m not the only one that has been less than excited with the fights this year. In fact judging by the comments about 90% of you agree. Now just imagine if the unbeatable golden boy were to lose to a 14-7 fighter who is nowhere near title contention at any weight class. A black eye to the promotion for sure. Now just imagine that said black eye actually made the head honchos at Zuffa step back, reevaluate, and make an attempt to recapture what made all of us fall in love with the sport in the first place. How they can do that, I have no idea, but if they even gave it a half-hearted try it would be a step in the right direction.

So for better or worse, we have a main event this weekend that has no title implications, no effect on any weight class standings, and one competitor that’s thought to have as much of a chance at winning as Vanilla Ice does to win a Grammy this year. The only thing that is certain is should Bonnar prevail, the shit will be hitting the fan in one way or another. Sound off with all your hypothetical outcomes should Silva lose in the comments section, and have fun with it, because hey, it could happen.

UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar: An MMA Oddity

This Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 153, the greatest mixed martial artist the sport has ever known will once again step into the Octagon to put his skills on display.Over the past seven years, Anderson Silva has built a legacy unmatched thus …

This Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro at UFC 153, the greatest mixed martial artist the sport has ever known will once again step into the Octagon to put his skills on display.

Over the past seven years, Anderson Silva has built a legacy unmatched thus far in the sport’s history, and he’s accomplished this feat by turning the world’s best into highlight reel victims.

We’ve all seen the front-kick knockout of Vitor Belfort. We have been amazed by his hands-down, Ali-esque laser beaming of Forrest Griffin. We have seen “The Spider” poetically dismantle the opposition sent his way as he has earned his place at the very top of the sport.

This is a man who handles his business inside the cage, and the next task at hand is Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153. Crazy, right? At least, that was my original sentiment when the fight was announced, but that opinion has since changed.

When measuring the madness of this situation, you must keep several key factors in mind: The decision to make the bout came in the wake of Jose Aldo’s injury and subsequent withdrawal from his fight with Frankie Edgar.

This turn of events left the UFC without a main event for the upcoming card, and from out of this chaos, one of the strangest matchups in UFC history was born. Silva and Bonnar agreed to fight on short notice and the UFC machine continued onward towards Brazil.

This fight pits two men at distinctly different places on the MMA spectrum willing to throw their best in search of victory. While this scenario is a rare occurrence in the fast-paced world of the UFC, matchups of similar pairing are weaved throughout the history of combat sports.

Whether this fight between Silva and Bonnar have what it takes to shake the foundation remains to be seen, but what is there will be an opportunity for the biggest upset in UFC history and the pound-for-pound king to fight in his home country.

UFC President Dana White recently labeled this bout a “fun fight,” and because of the potential chaos lingering in the balance I wholeheartedly agree. Should Bonnar do the unthinkable and defeat Silva, the MMA world gets turned on its ear. This is by no means a conventional matchup to any degree of belief, but the odd nature of the fight is what makes it so appealing.

Due to the increased competitiveness of the divisional pictures, we are conditioned to seeing champions defend their belts in each outing. Nearly every weight class under the UFC banner has a competitive upper tier and this warrants the belt-holder fending off the next emerging contender.

This is simply the way things are done and every system needs order and structure. These are the cogs which keep the machine in motion but every now and again, a circumstance will arise where unconventional methods fit. Silva vs. Bonnar is precisely this situation.

There will be no belt on the line, only varying levels of opportunity. For Bonnar, the upside is tremendous. Minus being violently robbed of his consciousness, he has nothing to lose.

In what will most likely be the final showing of his career, Bonnar will be given the chance to blast himself into the stratosphere of MMA folklore. For a man who is credited as one half of the fight that saved the UFC, and who has never been able to break into elite level status, this is the perfect setting for a swan song.

If he is forever linked with Forrest Griffin and by comparison they are Black Sabbath, this is his Ozzy Osbourne moment. UFC 153 could be his “Crazy Train.” At the same time, it could be Ozzy singing the National Anthem at Wrigley Field, but finding out is the exciting part.

Things look different on the Silva side of the fence. He is approaching the end of his career and is looking to finish his run in proper fashion.

Will a victory over Bonnar be a crowning jewel? Absolutely not. But his willingness to fight outside of his weight class and to headline a card at a crucial moment when the organization he has become a legend fighting for needed him most; those become gems in the royal scepter.

In the past examples we have seen where the opposition genuinely shows up to fight him, the best version of Silva emerges, and the opportunity to see a great fighter work his science is always something worth seeing in my humble opinion.

The UFC isn’t attempting to sell Bonnar as the man who holds the answer to the Silva puzzle, but you can guarantee he will try like hell to figure it out. Bonnar knows what he is walking into. He has embraced the mystique of the man he is fighting and appears to be strangely excited for it. The guy isn’t called “The American Psycho” for nothing.

As for Silva, this fight is about the here and now. His legacy is rock solid. The most dominant champion in UFC history has set records which may never be broken and has publicly voiced his intention to retire undefeated under the organization’s banner.

Silva’s accomplishments are unparalleled, and the biggest fights of his career could still hang somewhere on the horizon. He is fully aware this is a fight he should win and intends to do exactly that on Saturday night.

Against overwhelming odds in hostile territory, Bonnar will attempt to do what no one in the UFC has done before. That still sounds crazy to me but it’s just the right amount of crazy I can get behind.

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