UFC Betting Sites – The Best MMA Online Bookies
UFC best betting sites and the best MMA odds and gambling news
UFC 155 currently plays host to the last show of 2012—a heavyweight championship fight and an important lightweight bout between contenders Joe Lauzon and Gray Maynard.Currently, Lauzon and Maynard are among the several top contenders in the 155-…
UFC 155 currently plays host to the last show of 2012—a heavyweight championship fight and an important lightweight bout between contenders Joe Lauzon and Gray Maynard.
Currently, Lauzon and Maynard are among the several top contenders in the 155-pound division, including such other names as Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone and Nate Diaz. Styles make fights, and this one should be interesting.
Here is a head-to-toe breakdown of this key lightweight affair.
UFC 155 is already shaping up to be one of the best cards of the year; and it’s still four months away!Already featuring the Heavyweight Championship rematch between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez and the anticipated clash of Chael Sonnen and For…
UFC 155 is already shaping up to be one of the best cards of the year; and it’s still four months away!
Already featuring the Heavyweight Championship rematch between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez and the anticipated clash of Chael Sonnen and Forrest Griffin, now the UFC has added some top lightweights to the mix.
MMAFighting.com reports that Joe Lauzon and Gray Maynard will now be fighting at the year end show.
Maynard, who is best known for his rivalry with former Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar, is coming off a win against Clay Guida at UFC on FX back in June. The bout was noted for being very lackluster due to Guida seemingly running away from Maynard throughout the contest.
In the end, Maynard picked up a much needed decision victory as he was coming off a knockout loss to the then-champion Edgar.
Lauzon is coming off on what many considered to be the best fight of the year so far with his big submission win against Jamie Varner at UFC on Fox just two weeks ago.
Lauzon is a top med-tier fighter in the lightweight division, so a fight with former title contender Maynard is a nice step-up for “J-Lau” and a win would likely be the biggest of his career.
The bout is likely to serve on the main card at UFC 155 which is expected to take place on December 29th in Las Vegas.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
(Just bide your time, Chael, he’s gonna walk right into that kneebar any second now.)
The current betting line on Forrest Griffin vs. Chael Sonnen is downright insane.
Say what you want about how Griffin has looked in the octagon as of late (Seriously, do it. Here are a few adjective suggestions: sluggish, apathetic, hairy, manic-depressive), but even we couldn’t have seen this coming. When it was announced a few days ago that Sonnen would making his return to 205 lbs at UFC 155 against FoGriff after being tarred and feathered coming up short in his rematch with Anderson Silva, we expected that he would open as a small favorite with the former Light Heavyweight champ, if not even. Despite Griffin’s aforementioned lack of firepower lately, especially considering he was riding the TRT train for his last bout, Forrest is pretty massive for a light heavyweight, and you know, already beat Sonnen once before. There is also the fact that Sonnen’s last fight in the UFC at light heavyweight ended in submission (you know which one), and that Griffin managed to catch him with that exact same submission in their first, etc…
In either case, we were dead wrong.
Currently, BestFightOdds has Sonnen listed at an even -300 over Griffin, which must be based entirely on their respective performances against Anderson Silva, with Sonnen lasting roughly six and a half rounds and Griffin lasting roughly three and a half minutes. But those were a long three and a half minutes, you guys, like watching the puppy you got for Christmas fall through the ice in your Grandma’s pond and drown in slow motion…on that very same Christmas.
Needless to say, if this blatant disrespect doesn’t light a fire under Griffin’s ass, nothing will. We feel like we’ve typed that a lot lately.
Is that line as bad as we’re making it out to be? Join us after the jump for a good old fashioned head-to-head breakdown to see if our outrage is justified.
(Just bide your time, Chael, he’s gonna walk right into that kneebar any second now.)
The current betting line on Forrest Griffin vs. Chael Sonnen is downright insane.
Say what you want about how Griffin has looked in the octagon as of late (Seriously, do it. Here are a few adjective suggestions: sluggish, apathetic, hairy, manic-depressive), but even we couldn’t have seen this coming. When it was announced a few days ago that Sonnen would making his return to 205 lbs at UFC 155 against FoGriff after being tarred and feathered coming up short in his rematch with Anderson Silva, we expected that he would open as a small favorite with the former Light Heavyweight champ, if not even. Despite Griffin’s aforementioned lack of firepower lately, especially considering he was riding the TRT train for his last bout, Forrest is pretty massive for a light heavyweight, and you know, already beat Sonnen once before. There is also the fact that Sonnen’s last fight in the UFC at light heavyweight ended in submission (you know which one), and that Griffin managed to catch him with that exact same submission in their first, etc…
In either case, we were dead wrong.
Currently, BestFightOdds has Sonnen listed at an even -300 over Griffin, which must be based entirely on their respective performances against Anderson Silva, with Sonnen lasting roughly six and a half rounds and Griffin lasting roughly three and a half minutes. But those were a long three and a half minutes, you guys, like watching the puppy you got for Christmas fall through the ice in your Grandma’s pond and drown in slow motion…on that very same Christmas.
Needless to say, if this blatant disrespect doesn’t light a fire under Griffin’s ass, nothing will. We feel like we’ve typed that a lot lately.
Is that line as bad as we’re making it out to be? Join us after the jump for a good old fashioned head-to-head breakdown to see if our outrage is justified.
AGE
Griffin: 33 (but a nearing retirement 33)
Sonnen: 35
Advantage: Somehow Sonnen
SIZE
Griffin: 6’3″, 77 inch reach, walks around at 240 lbs
Sonnen: 6’1″, 74 inch reach, walked around at 205lbs 24 hours before fights at middleweight
Advantage: Griffin by an entire Wendy’s menu
LAST TWO FIGHTS RESULTED IN
Griffin: 1st round KO loss to Mauricio Rua, razor-thin SD win over Tito Ortiz
Sonnen: Razor-thin UD win over Michael Bisping, 2nd round TKO loss to Anderson Silva
Advantage: Sonnen, we guess
REMATCH RECORD
Griffin: 3-1
Sonnen: 3-3
Advantage: Griffin
FINISHING RATIO
Griffin: 52.6% (10 finishes in 19 victories)
Sonnen: 40.7% (11 finishes in 27 victories)
Advantage: Griffin
Disadvantage: The fans
SALARY
Griffin: $125,000 to show
Sonnen: $50,000 to show
Advantage: Griffin
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Griffin: Won inaugural season of The Ultimate Fighter in arguably the greatest MMA fight of all time. Defeated Quinton Jackson when he was still relevant to become UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Four time “Fight of the Night” winner and two time “Submission of the Night Winner”.
Sonnen: NCAA Division 1 All American. Defeated Paulo Filho at the exact moment he became irrelevant to unofficially win WEC Light Heavyweight Championship. Two time “Fight of the Night” winner. Headlined the highest live gate for a UFC event in the promotion’s history.
Advantage: Griffin, via accomplishments in the form of a belt
BOOK TITLES
Griffin: Be Ready When The Shit Goes Down: A Survival Guide to the Apocalypse and Got Fight?: 50 Zen Principles of Hand-to-Face Combat
Sonnen: The Voice of Reason: A VIP Pass to Enlightenment
Advantage: Sonnen via arrogance
WHO WORE TRT BETTER AT UFC 148
Griffin: Looked sloppy and spent by the third round, then decided to storm out of the cage shortly thereafter despite the fact that he had won
Sonnen: Managed to dominate Silva in the first round, then committed the biggest mental error of his career in the second
Advantage: Sonnen
ARREST RECORD
Griffin: None to our knowledge
Sonnen: Pled guilty to money laundering (don’t you dare call it mortgage fraud!!) and received two years probation and a $10,000 fine.
Advantage: Griffin
TWITTER PERSONA
Griffin: Rape advocate
Sonnen: Master Troller
Advantage: Sonnen
PREDICTION: Based on these completely valid, scientifically proven points, Griffin will keep Sonnen at a distance with his jab and defend just enough take downs to eek out a Split Decision victory.
Agree or disagree?
Former middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen announced on UFC Tonight last night that he would be moving up to light heavyweight and his first opponent will be Forrest Griffin.Chael Sonnen was ranked by many as the No. 2 middleweight for nearly tw…
Former middleweight title challenger Chael Sonnen announced on UFC Tonight last night that he would be moving up to light heavyweight and his first opponent will be Forrest Griffin.
Chael Sonnen was ranked by many as the No. 2 middleweight for nearly two years now and is 5-2 in his last seven fights, with his only losses coming at the hands of middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Griffin is coming off a win against Tito Ortiz at UFC 148 and is 3-3 in his last six bouts. So does this matchup makes sense?
I believe it does.
Although Forrest Griffin’s win against Tito Ortiz wasn’t spectacular, it was still a much-needed win for the former champion. The top of the division is already mainly booked, with the champion Jon Jones meeting No. 1 contender Dan Henderson in a couple weeks, Lyoto Machida waiting for the winner of that fight and Shogun Rua and Alexander Gustafsson just announced as likely candidates for the next title challenger.
That takes out the top five guys in the division. Chael Sonnen arriving in a new division coming off a loss isn’t a top-five light heavyweight, so the decision to match him with a 6-10 fighter is a great decision.
Not to mention the fact that Griffin actually holds a win over Sonnen way back in 2003, so there is even a little story to build the fight on.
Both men are likely looking at their final chance to purse one final run at a championship, so while this fight most likely won’t propel either man to a title shot, it’ll definitely get either Sonnen or Griffin closer and back into contention at 205.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Spending most of the last 30 months as the No. 2-ranked middleweight in the world, Chael Sonnen has officially made the move to light-heavyweight. His return to 205 pounds will take place on the UFC’s year-end show on December 29 against Ultimate Fight…
Spending most of the last 30 months as the No. 2-ranked middleweight in the world, Chael Sonnen has officially made the move to light-heavyweight. His return to 205 pounds will take place on the UFC’s year-end show on December 29 against Ultimate Fighter winner Forrest Griffin.
Now that Sonnen has made the move, we have to think about where he will rank among the elite fighters who already swim in light-heavyweight waters. How will Sonnen’s victories compare to those of fighters like Lyoto Machida or Dan Henderson, who have found sustained success in the division for years?
First, we need to look at the strengths and weaknesses of Sonnen, and how those attributes will be affected in a new weight class. Then, we’ll take a glance at the level of competition that Sonnen faced at middleweight. Finally, we need to find a fair place to rank Sonnen among his new peers.
Since returning to the UFC, Sonnen has won five of his eight bouts by utilizing a takedown-centric game plan that has rendered many opponents helpless. But how will Chael’s wrestling be impacted by fighting in a new weight class?
Optimally, Chael should be competing at 185 pounds, but he will be facing other fighters who are fighting in their proper division. Does Sonnen lose the strength advantage that has helped him work opponents to the canvas? Can he take down the large light-heavyweight wrestlers like Phil Davis, Ryan Bader, Rashad Evans or Jon Jones?
Size has played a big factor in the career of both Chael and his UFC opponents. Of Sonnen’s wins, his latest two have come over former light-heavyweights who are better suited for competition at 185 pounds. Another two were decision wins over combatants who have since dropped to welterweight, and his first loss came to current welterweight Demian Maia.
So where does Chael rank? It’s safe to say that Sonnen does not have victories on par with that of the division’s top five. That is a group of elite former champions who could all enter the Hall of Fame one day.
What about the bottom half of the top 10? The Oregonian’s takedowns would be neutralized against solid wrestlers like Bader and Davis, who possess a size advantage, although he would likely fare well against a striker like Alexander Gustafsson.
It’s a toss-up to predict Sonnen vs. Lil Nog, as Nogueira would be susceptible to the takedown, but he has the standup advantage and a solid chance to secure a submission.
Chael’s UFC 155 bout with Forrest Griffin gives him an opportunity to avenge a 2003 loss. It will tell us a lot about where he belongs in his new division, although Griffin has been on the decline for some time now.
For the sake of argument, I’m willing to make it public that I plan to rank Sonnen eighth on my ballot for the official B/R MMA light-heavyweight rankings. Where do you think he fits?
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
(Props: fueltv)
With his middleweight title hopes crushed once again by Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen has decided to return to his original home at light-heavyweight, where he’ll face off against Forrest Griffin on December 29th. Sonnen broke the news himself on yesterday’s edition of UFC Tonight. Watch the clip above to see Sonnen heap praise on Forrest as a future Hall of Famer and pioneer in the industry, before inevitably trashing 205-pound champion Jon Jones. (“I could take Jon Jones’s away belt the same as I could take his candy on Halloween, alright? He’s a little punk kid, I’d snatch it away all I want.”) The weight-class may be different, but the song remains the same.
This will be Sonnen’s first match at light-heavyweight since his UFC debut against Renato “Babalu” Sobral at UFC 55, which he lost by triangle choke. As for Griffin, he’s coming off a decision win (and post-fight meltdown) against Tito Ortiz at UFC 148, in a performance so unimpressive that Dana White suggested that he retire afterwards. Will FoGriff look any better against the Gangster from West Linn?
As Chael mentioned during the UFC Tonight segment, he and Forrest actually fought once before, in the first round of an eight-man IFC tournament in September 2003 that was eventually won by Babalu. Check out the video of Forrest Griffin vs. Chael Sonnen 1 after the jump. We’re not going to tell you how it ends, but prepare to be not surprised whatsoever.
(Props: fueltv)
With his middleweight title hopes crushed once again by Anderson Silva, Chael Sonnen has decided to return to his original home at light-heavyweight, where he’ll face off against Forrest Griffin on December 29th. Sonnen broke the news himself on yesterday’s edition of UFC Tonight. Watch the clip above to see Sonnen heap praise on Forrest as a future Hall of Famer and pioneer in the industry, before inevitably trashing 205-pound champion Jon Jones. (“I could take Jon Jones’s away belt the same as I could take his candy on Halloween, alright? He’s a little punk kid, I’d snatch it away all I want.”) The weight-class may be different, but the song remains the same.
This will be Sonnen’s first match at light-heavyweight since his UFC debut against Renato “Babalu” Sobral at UFC 55, which he lost by triangle choke. As for Griffin, he’s coming off a decision win (and post-fight meltdown) against Tito Ortiz at UFC 148, in a performance so unimpressive that Dana White suggested that he retire afterwards. Will FoGriff look any better against the Gangster from West Linn?
As Chael mentioned during the UFC Tonight segment, he and Forrest actually fought once before, in the first round of an eight-man IFC tournament in September 2003 that was eventually won by Babalu. Check out the video of Forrest Griffin vs. Chael Sonnen 1 after the jump. We’re not going to tell you how it ends, but prepare to be not surprised whatsoever.
(Props: fedemma91. Skip to the 3:10 mark for the finish.)