UFC 152 | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

UFC 152 Fight Card: Why Charles Oliveira Will Tap out Cub Swanson

Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira will attempt to improve his featherweight record to 3-0 at UFC 152 when he meets Cub Swanson in the opening bout of the PPV telecast.And he will.Do Bronx was 2-2 with one no-contest at lightweight. He looked to be a good pro…

Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira will attempt to improve his featherweight record to 3-0 at UFC 152 when he meets Cub Swanson in the opening bout of the PPV telecast.

And he will.

Do Bronx was 2-2 with one no-contest at lightweight. He looked to be a good prospect at that weight, but found himself outmatched against the bigger competitors. He remarked on that in a recent interview with Thomas Gerbasi on UFC.com:

“Sometimes at 155 pounds I was the smaller fighter, at 145 pounds I am more often the bigger fighter, and the taller fighter.”

Entering the UFC in 2010, his submission skills were quickly put on display. He quickly submitted Darren Elkins in 41 seconds in San Diego. His transition from the triangle to the armbar was quick and technically proficient.

Oliveira made his featherweight debut in January with a submission victory over Eric Wisely. The calf-slicer finish earned him the submission of the night. He followed that performance up with a submission win over Jonathan Brookins in June.

Against Swanson, he matches up well. Oliveira‘s ever-improving striking will receive a three-inch reach advantage against the Jackson’s Submission Fighting member, but it is on the ground where his true advantage lies.

Swanson will have the wrestling advantage at the Air Canada Centre, but Oliveira will find a way to get the fight to the mat.

Oliveira is a submission specialist, and three of the five losses on Swanson’s record come by way of tapping out. Most recently, Swanson submitted to Ricardo Lamas in November of 2011. Avoiding the submission is still problematic for the longtime featherweight contender.

Do Bronx will capitalize on the weakness at UFC 152.

This is an important fight. Not only for Oliveira, but for the featherweight division itself. The winner of the contest will be one of the top contenders alongside Chan Sung Jung and Frankie Edgar. A title shot will not be far off for the victor at UFC 152.

That fact will instill a sense of urgency in Oliveira. The 22-year-old will continue his quick ascent in the UFC.

The young Brazilian will be happy to play the striking game early on as long as he can utilize his reach, but should the opportunity arise he will look to take Swanson in to his world.

When it hits the mat it will only be a matter of time until Oliveira locks in a submission against Swanson. Oliveira excels at finishing fights on the ground. All four of his UFC victories have come via submission, and three of them have earned him submission of the night.

He will likely pick up another hefty check in the Air Canada Centre.

Stylistically, it is a bad matchup for the 28-year-old Swanson. His ground deficiencies will be highlighted by Do Bronx’s grappling brilliance. Oliveira will make the submission win over Swanson look effortless.

Oliveira will finish Swanson in Toronto. The victory will establish Oliveira as one of the next contenders to Jose Aldo’s featherweight crown.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson: The UFC 152 Title Fight That Nobody’s Talking About

(“Remember when we were the main event on this card? That was awesome.”)

By George Shunick

With all the talk surrounding UFC 152 focusing on Jon “Male Supermodel/Piece of Meat/Ring Boy/Bones” Jones and Vitor “The Young Dinosaur” Belfort, it seems the inaugural flyweight title fight between Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is flying under everyone’s radar. (Except, ironically, Michael Bisping’s.) It’s a shame, because unlike the fight everyone is talking about, this one actually has a chance to be competitive.

This isn’t to say Benavidez doesn’t deserve to be the clear favorite here; he does. He’s only lost twice in his career — both times by decision to current bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz — and has been consistently dominant in his fights since his last loss. Johnson’s record is less impressive of late. A suspect decision win over Miguel Torres was followed by a decision loss to Cruz, in which he was dominated so thoroughly that the aforementioned Torres would have been fired if he had tweeted about it. Since then, Johnson turned in a solid but not entirely impressive performance against the man with the best nickname in MMA which resulted in a draw marred by a scorekeeping controversy before finally putting to rest any doubt by defeating McCall three months later.

But while Johnson’s run hasn’t been as thrilling as Benavidez’s, he’s still a formidable challenge for any fighter. Aside from his two fights with McCall, he has fought opposition despite routinely giving up weight and reach advantages at bantamweight. He was tough enough to grit out the victory over Torres despite breaking his fibula in the second round. And despite getting outclassed by Cruz, he never let up the pace and continued to push forward. He learned from his mistakes against McCall and dominated their second meeting. Neither he nor Benavidez have ever been finished. Both appear to have limitless gas tanks, and fight at a speed that even a NASCAR driver on meth would admit is “fast.”

(“Remember when we were the main event on this card? That was awesome.”)

By George Shunick

In other words, this is going to be a good fight. The lighter divisions have always been —and continue to be — superior to the heavier divisions in terms of depth and talent. The skill and speed required to compete at these weights, where you can’t rely on power or strength, necessitates this. It also results in fights being more consistently engaging, technical, and competitive. The battle for the inaugural flyweight title should, by all accounts, be all of these things. If anything, some might perceive this as a criticism since Johnson and Benavidez are so technical that it’s unlikely either will get knocked out or submitted. (Though if it does happen, bet on it being the result of a Benavidez guillotine.)

But while a definitive finish is certainly preferable, I’ll settle for an exciting, competitive fight. Both fighters are going to attempt to implement their wrestling early and often in an attempt to slowly break the other fighter. However, don’t be surprised to see some serious exchanges. Both fighters love to throw the overhand right, but possess well-rounded striking as well. Johnson’s is a little more diverse, but it also leaves him open more often. Expect Benavidez to take advantage of that over the course of the fight, using small mistakes Johnson makes to secure takedowns and slowly wear Johnson down en route to a decision victory or a late submission after a high-octane bout.

Jon Jones’ Strengths and His Weaknesses

Jon Jones hasn’t made many friends in the past month. Not that he really had a lot to begin with, considering many fans couldn’t tolerate his sanctimony and general attitude towards his own excellence. But excellence it is, and as such thos…

But excellence it is, and as such those fans just plain have to live with Jones standing at his pulpit for now. He’s going to be around for a while, and based on the current crop of contenders, he’s likely going to hold the title for a while, too.

All one can do is accept it and stay away from his interviews and Twitter jabbering, both of which are pretty much this in either verbal or written form.

Jones does, however, have numerous strengths as well. He’s an imposing wrestler and a remarkable athlete, and his range and unorthodox striking throw opponents for a loop. It’s not the most powerful out there, but it gets the job done.

And then there’s that ground and pound. He’ll sit in someone’s guard all day and rain down elbows that have the force of leverage behind them in a way MMA has never seen. He doesn’t elbow to cut, he elbows to smash.

Yes, in the cage the strengths of the champion are numerous.

Away from it is where he’s weak, however.

As people have been quick to point out, the slightest jab ruffles the feathers of the young champ, to the point that he goes into a spiral of self-defense and excuses, each one building on the last.

He is, simply put, a guy who just doesn’t know when to shut up.

When he’s not trying to explain why he’s right and the world is wrong, he shifts gears from petulant to pompous, speaking of his time in the sport as a business, a source of income, a way to put food on the table and not understanding that nobody wants to hear it.

He’s certainly not a laid-off Michigan auto worker or a single mom working three jobs to feed the kids.

Sports is a business, but any man with the disposable income to wreck Bentleys at his leisure obviously doesn’t understand what financial hardships actually mean.

The reality is that what MMA has here is a real physical talent. He’s one of the sport’s first truly great athletes, not one of its great fighters. He demolishes the best 205-pounders the world has to offer, and he does it with almost frightening ease. That’s where his strength lies.

Outside of the cage, though, there may be no one weaker.

He’s obnoxious and abrasive, and what’s more is that he genuinely doesn’t see how anyone wouldn’t like him. He’s an obvious PR nightmare and a guy who believes he’ll change the sport by wearing a Nike swoosh and fighting with Dana White over his right shoulder to turn down fights. Therein lies his weakness.

Regardless, though, if you like violence, then he’s your guy. Strengths and weaknesses considered, he provides it with more consistency than anyone else in the sport not named Anderson Silva.

At the end of the day, that’s really the name of the game. Too bad he forgets that so often.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort: Preview, Odds and Predictions for UFC 152

After six long weeks of inactivity, the UFC is back on Pay-Per-View on Saturday night. With our imagination still wondering what could have occurred at UFC 151, it is time to move forward and enjoy a fight card that features two title fights, as well a…

In the main event, Jon Jones will defend his light heavyweight championship against former champion Vitor Belfort. Both men earned impressive victories in their most recent bouts. Jones has thrice defended his belt against, with an April victory over Rashad Evans. Belfort is returning to the division after a five-year absence and is currently riding the momentum of two stoppage victories.

Another battle for gold will take place in the evening’s co-main event. After winning bouts in the semi-final round of the inaugural flyweight championship tournament, Demetrious Johnson takes on Team Alpha Male’s Joseph Benavidez. Who will go down in history as the first UFC champion at 125 pounds?

The middleweight division will also see important action when Michael Bisping meets Brian Stann in a fight that could determine the next contender for Anderson Silva‘s gold. How will Britain’s top fighter do against an American war hero?

Also on the main card, we will see the return of popular Ultimate Fighter alumnus Matt Hamill. With his 36th birthday around the corner, Hamill feels that he has more that he can achieve in the sport. He takes on former Bellator fighter Roger Hollett in a light heavyweight collision.

Featherweights will come together when Cub Swanson and Charles Oliveira show us that the division is full of dangerous combatants who can be exciting no matter where the fight goes.

Here is the Bleacher Report MMA preview, odds and predictions for UFC 152.

Begin Slideshow

Jon Jones Wasn’t About to Give Chael Sonnen "the Opportunity of a Lifetime"

Former two-time UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen’s only chance to fight UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones may have been at UFC 151.”I don’t regret the decision,” Jones said on ESPN’s “Sportscenter” Tuesday, regarding decl…

Former two-time UFC middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen‘s only chance to fight UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones may have been at UFC 151.

“I don’t regret the decision,” Jones said on ESPN’s “Sportscenter” Tuesday, regarding declining a fight with Sonnen on just eight days’ notice.

“I pretty much had everything to lose in that situation. Chael Sonnen is a guy whose record is, I think, 6-5, which isn’t a very good record to even fight for a world title … I just thought it would be a bad decision to give a guy the opportunity of a lifetime like that.”

Jones is correct that Sonnen‘s UFC record is 6-5, which includes a 2-2 run in his past four fights. Both losses during that span were to his archrival, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

His more recent TKO loss to Silva at UFC 148 made Sonnen decide to move back up to 205 pounds. He currently has a rematch with Forrest Griffin scheduled for UFC 155 on Dec. 29, but that hasn’t stopped Chael for training for a grudge match with Jones.

As a result of Jones declining the fight with Sonnen, who was filling in for long-time friend and training partner Dan Henderson, UFC 151 was cancelled and Jones will now fight Vitor Belfort on Saturday at UFC 152.

In a fan chat hosted by ESPN Tuesday afternoon, “Bones” again let his fans know that he isn’t keen on a fight with “The American Gangster” anytime soon.

One fan who simply identified himself as “marc (work)” asked Jones, “Can we hope to see you close Chael‘s mouth in the future or does that fight not inerest (sic) you at all”

Jones responded, “The fight’s really not that intersting (sic). I’m only looking to fight the best.”

Right before the chat ended, a fan who identified himself as “Greg (DC)” asked the champion, “are you scared of Chael?”

Jones was not amused, but provided a quick and succinct answer: “I’m getting ready to fight my fifth world champion. Come on son.”

Between March 2011 (when Bones won the title at UFC 128) and April 2012, Greg Jackson’s MMA product notched victories over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Lyoto Machida and former teammate Rashad Evans.

While Belfort has not competed as a light heavyweight in five years, “The Phenom” did capture gold at 205 pounds when he defeated Randy Couture at UFC 46, back in January 2004.

The victory was considered a fluke cut TKO, and Couture, who already held a win over Belfort from UFC 15, avenged the loss in a one-sided TKO (doctor stoppage) victory at UFC 49.

Is Sonnen vs. Jones a heavily anticipated bout the fans are dying to see, or is this a matchup that should be reserved for the most dire circumstances only?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Charlie Brenneman: Welterweight Would Have Preferred to Fight at UFC 151

UFC 151 will go down in history as being the first event under the Zuffa umbrella that was cancelled. It was cancelled due to Dan Henderson, who was scheduled to square off against Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship suffered a pa…

Then former middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen was offered the fight against Jones. Sonnen accepted the fight, but when Jones was presented the fight, he declined. After Jones decided to turn down the fight, the UFC cancelled the card.

A lot of the fans were very upset at the cancellation, and that included a lot of the fighters that were supposed to fight on the card. Some fighters on the card have had their fights pushed back to far as December. Charlie Brenneman was one of the fortunate guys who didn’t have to wait to long to get back into octagon.

The welterweight returns three weeks later than originally anticipated as he will face Kyle Noke on the preliminary portion of the card this Saturday at UFC 152. The Brenneman vs. Noke fight can be seen on Facebook, starting at 6:30 PM ET.

It didn’t take Brenneman too long to figure something was up when he received a few curious messages.

“I was working out that morning at nine and then at noon,” Brenneman told Bleacher Report. “I got done with the noon workout and was getting ready to eat my meal. I saw that I had a couple missed calls, which is never good. One was from my brother and the other one was from my manager. Then I received a weird text and I put two and two together. I found out about an hour after everyone else did.”

Brenneman was in complete shock and utter disbelief at first, but after thinking about everything, he knew everything would be okay.

“My immediate reaction was disbelief,” Brenneman stated. “I couldn’t believe it. Then almost immediately, I thought myself, ‘crazy stuff has happened before and this is another step in the journey,'” Brenneman said.

“I was surprised on one hand, but at the same time I immediately thought, ‘I can sort of believe this happened,'” Brenneman said. “I just had to stay even keeled and realize one way or another, this is going to work itself out.”

Fighters across the board have said if they were in Jones’ exact situation, they would have taken the fight regardless of who the opponent was. You can add Brenneman to the list.

“I would have completely, hands down, one million percent said I would have accepted the fight,” Brenneman said. “I mean, you’re the best. If the rules were reversed and Jones was on his honeymoon and they (UFC) wanted him to defend his belt and he wasn’t training, then yea that would have completely made sense (in turning down the fight).”

Some people have said they have lost respect for Jones, but Brenneman isn’t one of them. He just doesn’t respect the decision the champion made.

“I have respect for a lot of people,” Brenneman said. “Those people have done good things and bad things. It balances itself out that way. I can’t say I don’t respect Jon Jones because he is the best in our industry. I just don’t respect his decision (of not fighting Sonnen).”

The fans only see the fighters when they are in the cage, making personal appearances, etc. They don’t see the blood, sweat and tears that go into preparation for a fight. Brenneman is grateful to be fighting so soon after the cancellation of UFC 151, but personally he would have preferred to fight three weeks ago.

“Fight wise, I’m of the lucky ones because I’m fighting Saturday,” Brenneman said. “To be honest, this gave me a full eight week (training camp), which is a typical camp for me. I would have had only about four and a half weeks to train for UFC 151. It may help me in that aspect, but I would have preferred to fight at UFC 151. I felt as great as I ever had.”

“From a personal standpoint, people don’t realize that this is my life. I had plans for September 1. The money I was going to make, I had to completely abort because of what happened and now fighting four weeks later.”

You can follow me on Twitter @fightclubchi.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com