UFC Betting Sites – The Best MMA Online Bookies
UFC best betting sites and the best MMA odds and gambling news
There are several reasons to be excited for UFC 139, despite the fact that no title is being defended.As with any event, there are upsides and downsides to the matches on the fight card. For UFC 139, the good outweighs the bad.So why should you be watc…
There are several reasons to be excited for UFC 139, despite the fact that no title is being defended.
As with any event, there are upsides and downsides to the matches on the fight card. For UFC 139, the good outweighs the bad.
So why should you be watching UFC 139 tonight? And why should you be on the edge of your seat when the fight card is starting? Read and find out!
With the UFC’s experimental FOX television debut safely behind us, commercial-free MMA action returns tonight headlined by one of the most anticipated main events of the year. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua faces off with S…
With the UFC’s experimental FOX television debut safely behind us, commercial-free MMA action returns tonight headlined by one of the most anticipated main events of the year. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua faces off with Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson in a long-awaited meeting of the former PRIDE rivals.
What We Know
Mauricio Rua entered the UFC to high hopes, but his Octagon career has been an emotional roller coaster for fans. After dropping a closely contested title decision to former champion Lyoto Machida, Rua bounced back and won the belt in a rematch, only to be immediately sidelined with knee surgery.
Following a long recovery, Rua returned to defend his title only to have it summarily stripped away by Jon “Bones” Jones in a one-sided TKO loss which was not particularly competitive.
Rua’s most recent outing, a brilliant first-round knockout of Griffin which avenged that inauspicious UFC debut, showed a return to form the Brazilian must maintain to get back into contention. A dominant victory over Dan Henderson might fast-track Shogun to another title shot.
At 41 years of age, Henderson may not have time on his side but his dramatic victory over the legendary Fedor Emelianenko proved he can still get the job done against younger and more aggressive opponents.
Stung early and knocked down early by Fedor’s frenetic striking attack, the cagey veteran was able to reverse positions and deliver a blind-side uppercut that dropped Fedor and led to a first-round TKO.
Both Rua and Henderson have made names for themselves as strikers, though with markedly different styles. Rua uses speed, great boxing and devastating leg and body kicks to keep opponents on the defensive, while Henderson relies more on timing and power to land the big overhand right that has become his signature.
While Henderson’s superb ability to close the distance and connect will likely factor into Rua’s strategy entering this fight, he will probably be more focused on nullifying Henderson’s distinct advantage as a wrestler.By using superior quickness and landing the same vicious leg kicks he used to dismantle Lyoto Machida, Rua may be able to wear down the veteran wrestler and chip away at his ability to shoot.
What the Tapes Don’t Show
Superstitious fans will appreciate the fact that Tim Sylvia, Andrei Arlovski, Brett Rogers, Fabricio Werdum, and Antonio Silva each fought Fedor Emelianenko and then immediately turned in dismal follow-up performances. Though it’s improbable Henderson will fall completely flat in his return to the Octagon, turning in a strong performance against Rua will mean breaking the “Fedor Curse.”
Had he decided to retire, Henderson’s win over Emelianenko would have provided a definitive conclusion to a long and illustrious MMA career.
Rua, on the other hand, is just one fight removed from a lopsided beat-down at the hands of Jon Jones, and at 29 years old is only reaching the prime of his fighting career.
Like most fights, this one may be about unfinished business. All things being equal (or a wash, anyway) the odds usually favor the fighter who has something left to prove.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Two former WEC champions are set to face-off when bantamweights Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles meet each other on the main card. A victory for either Faber or Bowles will re-enter them back into the title picture at 135 pounds. Faber will be c…
Two former WEC champions are set to face-off when bantamweights Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles meet each other on the main card.
A victory for either Faber or Bowles will re-enter them back into the title picture at 135 pounds.
Faber will be coming into this bout looking to prove that he remains a competitive force in the bantamweight division since falling short to the champion, Dominick Cruz, earlier this year in a close, hard-fought bout at UFC 132.
Despite the loss, “The California Kid” showed a lot of heart and skill, as he came close to putting the champion in danger on a few occasions. Possessing quickness, unorthodox striking and solid wrestling credentials, Faber will hopes to utilize his skills in order to claim the win.
Bowles, who previously held the bantamweight title while competing in the WEC, has made a successful transition thus far in the UFC, currently holding a two-fight winning streak. Bowles showed off his skills to UFC fans, showing technical striking and a strong submission game, proving that he belongs among the elite competitors in the bantamweight division.
Coincidentally, both Faber and Bowles have suffered losses to Cruz, so it is very likely to see both competitors put on a performance and enter the bout determined to earn the victory.
While both fighters possess speed and technique in their striking skills, it is Faber who is much more well-rounded and the more dynamic striker. Faber will want to keep this bout remaining on the feet as much as possible, so he can utilize his speed to force Bowles to commit to striking and pick him apart with his unorthodox counter-striking.
Bowles is efficient on the ground, however, Faber’s wrestling skills and submission defense should prevent the former WEC bantamweight champion from gaining an advantage. Faber is a more accomplished grappler and is the superior fighter overall.
Look for Faber to dictate the fight with his speed and pick apart his opponent with his dynamic offense en route to a unanimous decision.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
UFC 139 is about to kick off with Maurício “Shogun” Rua vs. Dan “Hendo” Henderson serving as the main event. This bout is guaranteed to be explosive—sparks will fly, but for who? Shogun (20-5) is slowly making progr…
UFC 139 is about to kick off with Maurício “Shogun” Rua vs. Dan “Hendo” Henderson serving as the main event. This bout is guaranteed to be explosive—sparks will fly, but for who?
Shogun (20-5) is slowly making progress back up the rungs of the UFC light heavyweight division ladder after losing his title to Jon “Bones” Jones at UFC 128.
He showed his intentions with an emphatic first-round blitz of Forrest Griffin at UFC 134.
On the other hand, Hendo (28-8) is making his return to the Octagon after a successful 3-1 stint at the now-defunct San Jose-based Strikeforce company—picking up the light heavyweight title along the way.
Hendo has made the jump to the UFC for two reasons—a shot at UFC gold and to end his storied career there.
This will be the first time these former Pride champions come face to face in the Octagon or anywhere else for that matter.
For some reason, their paths never crossed whilst they were tearing up Pride en-route to becoming household names.
I expect the fight to be a stand-and-bang affair, with Hendo attempting to end things early via “H-Bomb” detonation.
Shogun’s mission in this five-round bout will be to weather the early storm of the Greco-Roman style wrestler’s initial onslaught, whilst keeping him at bay with his numbing leg kicks.
Still, I expect the 41-year-old’s age and lack of cardio to become a factor if the fight goes into the latter stages.
Now, if that transpires, expect Shogun to take full advantage of the situation and go for broke.
Hendo is known for his cast iron chin, but a fatigued Hendo will wilt under the relentless assault of Shogun, and I see him losing via KO/TKO for the first time in his career.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Filed under: UFCThe peculiarities of the UFC’s recent schedule have kept the Fighter vs. Writer series on a bit of a hiatus, but now we’re back. In the last installment, I smoked Brendan Schaub with my UFC 137 predictions, though he didn’t exactly help…
Filed under: UFC
The peculiarities of the UFC’s recent schedule have kept the Fighter vs. Writer series on a bit of a hiatus, but now we’re back. In the last installment, I smoked Brendan Schaub with my UFC 137 predictions, though he didn’t exactly help himself out by refusing to pick a winner in the Roy Nelson-Cro Cop fight.
This time around, I visited one of UFC 139‘s prelim fighters to get his thoughts on his colleagues on the main card. Dear readers, I give you former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres, who now has two fights on his hands for Saturday night. And unlike Nick Pace, my weight is right where it’s supposed to be.
Let’s do this, Miguel.
Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
Torres: Rua via KO. “I love Henderson, love his style, I’ve seen a lot of his fights like. But I’ve been watching Shogun since the Pride days. Every time somebody kicks I scream because of him. So I have to go with Shogun. Somebody’s getting knocked out.”
Fowlkes: Henderson via KO. If he gets past the first round without being swarmed by Rua, I think he makes it a nasty, messy fight, wearing Rua down until he can put him away with that big right hand of his.
Torres: Le via KO. “I love Wanderlei, too. He’s another one of those guys I’ve watched for a long time. My heart says Wanderlei, but my mind says Cung Le. Cung Le’s knocked out a lot of his opponents, and Wanderlei’s been knocked out a lot lately. But I hope I’m wrong.”
Fowlkes: Le via KO. Silva’s power always gives him a decent chance in any fight, but it’s true, his chin ain’t what it used to be. Le can use those kicks to keep him at a distance and look for opening, and Silva probably won’t be able to get close enough to do much damage.
Torres: Faber via decision. “Bowles has broken his hand two or three times already, so it depends how healthy his hand is, and his mind. I know he hits hard, but if he gets a punch in and hurts his hand, it will kill his confidence. So I think Urijah takes it.”
Fowlkes: Faber via decision. I still think that, the odds being what they are, Bowles isn’t a bad underdog pick, but Faber’s a tough match-up for anybody in the bantamweight division. He has an impressive ability to figure an opponent out over the course of a fight, and he only gets stronger in the later rounds.
Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Torres: Bonnar via decision. “I’m going with Stephan. Stephan’s my boy, so I can’t go against him. He could be fighting Brock [Lesnar], and I’m still going to pick Stephan. Stephan’s a grinder, though. He’ll grind him out.”
Fowlkes: Kingsbury via decision. I have no such loyalty to Mr. Bonnar, and I think Kingsbury is underrated these days. He’s gotten a lot better in a very short time, and he could surprise a few people here, Miguel included.
Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story
Torres: Kampmann via TKO. “That’s a close one, but I like Kampmann. I like his style. He’s tough, and I think he takes it. That’s a fight where they’re going to go at it, and somebody’s getting finished.”
Fowlkes: Kampmann via decision. I don’t know if I can see this one ending inside the distance, and I agree that it’ll be a tight one, but I think Kampmann is a just a little bit better and a tad more well-rounded. In a fight this close, that could be all it takes.
Torres picks: Rua, Le, Faber, Bonnar, Kampmann
Fowlkes picks: Henderson, Le, Faber, Kingsbury, Kampmann
In less than 24 hours, UFC 139 will be live from San Jose, CA. Headlining the event will be former UFC light heavyweight champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua taking on former Pride and Strikeforce champ Dan Henderson.Henderson and Rua are perhaps th…
In less than 24 hours, UFC 139 will be live from San Jose, CA.
Headlining the event will be former UFC light heavyweight champ Mauricio “Shogun” Rua taking on former Pride and Strikeforce champ Dan Henderson.
Henderson and Rua are perhaps the last two Pride greats who have something left in the gas tank.
Despite being 41, Henderson has looked great since leaving Pride. He’s gone 6-3 with his only losses coming to Anderson Silva, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Jake Shields in title bouts.
Rua, on the other hand, has been hot or cold since leaving Pride.
With a UFC record of 4-3, all of Rua’s wins have come by knockout.
His losses, on the other hand, usually come after he’s been injured or on a long layoff.
The exception, of course, is his first title bout with Lyoto Machida.
On the other hand, Rua barely got past Mark Colman at UFC 93.
Rua faced the former UFC champion after being out for over a year to deal with a knee injury.
Despite picking up a TKO victory, Rua once again did not look like the Shogun from Pride.
Rua was visibly exhausted by the third round and could have easily lost to a man who was 17 years older than him, and two years removed from the sport.
Rua was in a similar situation when he faced Jon Jones earlier in the year.
Of course, that fight did not go so well for Rua.
His next bout against Forrest Giffin did though, as Rua came into the bout healthy and motivated as he was fighting in his home country of Brazil.
This is exactly how Rua will have to be if he is going to get past Dan Henderson.
Rua is one of the most dangerous fighters in MMA history.
But thus far in his UFC career he has shown that once he’s coming off of injury or a long layoff, he is a shell of his former self.
Thankfully for Rua and his fans, he is not dealing with either one. Rua should be healthy and ready to go.
And if history has taught us anything, a healthy Rua could mean a KO victory in his favor.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com