Tag: UFC 187

Gambling Addiction Enabler: ‘UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier’ Edition

(The UFC 187 open workout highlights, where Chris Weidman once again proves to be the most likeable human being ever. via MMAJunkie.)

By Dan George

This Saturday night, the UFC will be looking to rebound from a lackluster UFC 186 outing that was decimated  by a shocking drug testing failure, a judge changing his mind at the eleventh hour and an injury which forced the cancellation of the original main event. Thankfully, the UFC was able to roll it’s drugs, courts and cancellation issues into one fighter this time around, which allowed the stacked card to remain relatively intact.

Will Vitor Belfort roundhouse kick his way to becoming the new UFC middleweight champion? Will the winner of Johnson vs. Cormier be considered the true light heavyweight champion? How soon after the main event winner is announced will we see the predictable “I got next” tweet from Jon Jones that is immediately deleted?

The short answers to those questions: No, no, and 30 seconds. But join us anyway as we examine the UFC 187 betting lines (courtesy of 5dimes) and try to steer clear of the land mines known as the undercard while swinging for the fences on the main card.

The post Gambling Addiction Enabler: ‘UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier’ Edition appeared first on Cagepotato.


(The UFC 187 open workout highlights, where Chris Weidman once again proves to be the most likeable human being ever. via MMAJunkie.)

By Dan George

This Saturday night, the UFC will be looking to rebound from a lackluster UFC 186 outing that was decimated  by a shocking drug testing failure, a judge changing his mind at the eleventh hour and an injury which forced the cancellation of the original main event. Thankfully, the UFC was able to roll it’s drugs, courts and cancellation issues into one fighter this time around, which allowed the stacked card to remain relatively intact.

Will Vitor Belfort roundhouse kick his way to becoming the new UFC middleweight champion? Will the winner of Johnson vs. Cormier be considered the true light heavyweight champion? How soon after the main event winner is announced will we see the predictable “I got next” tweet from Jon Jones that is immediately deleted?

The short answers to those questions: No, no, and 30 seconds. But join us anyway as we examine the UFC 187 betting lines (courtesy of 5dimes) and try to steer clear of the land mines known as the undercard while swinging for the fences on the main card.

Stay the Hell Away From

Colby Covington (-275) vs. Mike Pyle (+235)

Covington will be facing his toughest opponent in his 7-0 career thus far and the ATT product is being picked by most to win over Mike Pyle. It feels like a few years ago when Rick Story was the heavy favorite against Pyle, and in the end, “Quicksand” stayed true to his name and managed to pull out the split decision win. Covington is an outstanding grappler, Pyle hasn’t been out grappled in 5 years, and we have yet to see Covington KO an opponent. Pyle almost makes the good dogs, but best to leave money out of this one and enjoy an entertaining ground fight.

Josh Burkman (+240) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (-280)

After being heralded for a new found dynamic offensive based style, the “Stun Gun” found out what can happen when you throw caution to the wind against the higher ranked welterweights like Tyron Woodley. Burkman may be in the ever dreadful position of fighting for his spot on the UFC roster here, but he may be able to catch a gunshy Kim early or use his superior boxing to eek out a decision. Kim is not easily outworked on the mat and is the right favorite, but with the high price it’s best to pass and see what happens.

The Good Dogs

Uriah Hall (-365) vs. Rafael Natal (+305)

Uriah Hall created quite the buzz during his stint on TUF and has fired off three straight wins coming into this bout with Rafael Natal, who is on a two fight win streak of his own. If Natal does not allow Hall to settle in and find his distance, he should be able to mix in some grappling and find a way to pull off the upset. If the bout stays on the feet for considerable amounts of time, however, Uriah almost certainly wins by some form of violent stoppage. This bout feels like more of a coin flip (Uriah is 3-2 in the UFC) then it’s being labeled as, and with that feeling in mind, why not take the side that will give you 3 to 1 on your money?

Chris Weidman (-525) vs. Vitor Belfort (+415)

The “All American” is looking for his third successful title defense, once again against a Brazilian legend in Vitor Belfort who is attempting to put a cap on his long MMA career by winning the middleweight title. Many feel Weidman will be able to take Vitor down and dominate him round after round until Belfort fades, eventually catching him with a submission or provoking a stoppage from the referee due to strikes. The other popular notion seems to be that a non-TRTor will look like a shadow of his former self, which seems to explain why “The Phenom” is coming in as the +415 underdog on Saturday.

Belfort has only lost to Jon Jones and Anderson Silva since returning to the UFC, and has always been proven to be a fast, powerful, and ever-dynamic striker. Unfortunately, Belfort has also shown a tendency to fade and freeze up as his fights enter the later rounds. If “The Phenom” hopes to capture the belt, it will most likely have to come early in the fight rather than later. Weidman has proven to be hittable and it would not be an overstatement to claim that he has yet to be hit by a striker with the power Vitor possesses. The +115 prop that this fight goes over 2 ½ rounds may be a nice option for the Weidman bettors, but a straight bet on Belfort to win early wouldn’t be the worst decision you can make.

Other Main Card Bouts

Joseph Benavidez (-650) vs. John Moraga (+475)

John Moraga is going to put up much more of a resistance than that ridiculous +475 line suggests. Both fighters ceilings are at the very top of the division, and against one another, we may be looking at a long fight that requires the judges to determine a winner. Moraga works well off his back and is quite aggressive with submission attempts, but this is a facet of MMA that is too inconsistently rewarded by judges. The -130 prop that Benavidez wins by decision, the -175 prop that the fight goes the distance, and the -210 prop that the fight goes over 2 ½” rounds are all much more lucrative options than the steep price for the favorite. Joseph Benavidez to win.

Travis Browne (-450) vs. Andrei Arlovski (+360)

Andrei Arlovski has enjoyed two straight wins since returning to the UFC and is coming off an impressive and surprising KO of Big Foot Silva, the same man who handed Browne his first loss in 2012. “Hapa” has improved at a higher rate than Arlovski over the past few years, though, and should vault back into the Heavyweight title mix with a stoppage of Arlovski reminiscent of the latter’s fight with Brett Rogers, as Browne generally wins inside the first round. Again, the -125 prop bet that this fight does not go past midway through the 2nd round and/or Browne wins in the 1st round at +150 pay the best. Travis Browne to win.

Donald Cerrone (-550) vs. John Makdessi (+425)

Makdessi is a beast, but he’s filling in on short notice here against a true elite lightweight in Cerrone. His height and reach disadvantage to “Cowboy” will be the determining factor in this fight, as Cerrone utilizes his length much better than Shane Campbell did. Makdessi has been bested by strikers with significant height and reach advantages (Njokuani) as well as capable grapplers (Hallman) in the past and Cerrone is of higher caliber than any opponent John has faced up until now. With 3 straight decision wins, +130 prop Cerrone wins inside the distance is another nice prop to look at as “Cowboy” will be hunting for another performance of the night bonus this time around. Cowboy to win.

Daniel Cormier (-135) vs. Anthony Johnson (+115)

Looking nothing less than stellar during his run to the light heavyweight title shot, Anthony Johnson will face former number one contender Daniel Cormier, who comes into Las Vegas with a second chance to claim the belt in as many fights. Cormier holds any and every grappling advantage on the mat, but it has been Johnson’s stellar takedown defense that has many wondering if Cormier will be forced to stand and trade with the heavy-handed “Rumble.” If DC can avoid the big kicks and punches of Johnson early on, he should be able to mix up his striking with pressure against the cage to break Johnson down over time and become the new light weight champ. Cormier to win.

Parlay 1

-Dodson+Browne+Cerrone

Parlay 2

-Cormier+Browne

Props

-Benavidez vs Moraga goes to decision

-Browne vs Arlovski under  1.5 rounds

Enjoy the fights and may the winners be yours!

The post Gambling Addiction Enabler: ‘UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier’ Edition appeared first on Cagepotato.

Johnson vs. Cormier: Odds, Comments and Predictions for UFC 187 Before Weigh-In

The weigh-in for the UFC 187 clash between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Daniel Cormier for the vacant light heavyweight championship is set for Friday night at 7 p.m. ET. The event will take place at the Grand Theatre at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
UFC…

The weigh-in for the UFC 187 clash between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Daniel Cormier for the vacant light heavyweight championship is set for Friday night at 7 p.m. ET. The event will take place at the Grand Theatre at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

UFC’s decision to strip Jon Jones of the belt due to a legal situation has opened the door for a new face of the light heavyweight division. It’s a golden opportunity for either Johnson or Cormier to really elevate his status within the promotion.

Let’s check out the latest odds for what should be a closely contested, highly entertaining bout on Saturday evening, followed by a preview of the action and a prediction for who will walk away with the title.

 

Fight Odds

 

Preview

As the odds illustrate, this is a tossup bout. It’s possible to make a strong case for either fighter doing enough to win the belt. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to which one is better able to execute his game plan in a pressure-packed situation.

Johnson wants to push the tempo to give himself as many striking opportunities as possible. It’s his power that allowed him to score first-round knockouts of Alexander Gustafsson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in his last two fights.

Cormier will prefer a more methodical pace, one where he can defend Rumble’s offensive forays and then counter. DC will prefer to get his opponent to the mat, where he can put his wrestling background on display.

Make no mistake: Cormier also has his fair share of pop. If for whatever reason this fight turns into an all-out brawl, he’ll still have a realistic shot of winning. But that’s not the best approach for him this time around, given Johnson’s recent success when coming out aggressively.

He’s also coming into the fight with a new attitude. Damon Martin of Fox Sports passed along the fighter’s comments about a recent talk with Oklahoma State coach John Smith that really changed his perspective on things:

In that statement, I said, ‘Coach, you’re right. I don’t have to win Saturday. I want to win.’ I want to win for myself, for my family and to accomplish this goal, but I don’t have to do nothing. I just have to go out and compete to the best of my ability and go out and represent my family, this organization, my sponsors, my team and everybody close to me as good as I can. I don’t have to do nothing.

Johnson knows Cormier represents a tough challenge. In fact, he told Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMA Junkie that it could be more difficult than a bout with Jones:

I really mean (this is a tougher fight). This is ‘DC’s’ second chance. When people get second chances they tend to go a little bit harder. He’s going to come at me like a bulldog and I expect that. The fact that I expect it means it won’t surprise me with anything he brings. I know what I’m getting myself into and so does he.

There are a lot of fights that don’t live up to the hype. This one has the feel of a battle that should live up to, and possibly exceed, the pre-match talk.

Zach Dunn of Last Word on Sports believes the end result will be a Cormier triumph:

I couple this “all or nothing” mindset with Cormier‘s brilliant fight psychology and I see him coming out victorious. I think Cormier pushes Rumble up and goes for the takedowns. Come round three or four Rumble will not have much left. He may be able to hold out for a decision loss but I imagine he folds again. I think the only way Rumble wins is to catch an aggressive DC coming in. Cormier is also very aware of this and I expect him to setup (sic) his shots.

It’s a solid argument, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if the fight plays out that way.

That said, Johnson is a star on the rise of late. He knows this is his chance to take a major leap in his career. Cormier had a similar opportunity last time out against Jones and fell woefully short. Whether he will be able to rebound with a top-tier performance is a mystery.

Look for Johnson to come out firing on all cylinders once again. He should be able to win a couple of early rounds, which will put the pressure squarely on Cormier‘s shoulders, and a comeback won’t be in the cards.

Prediction: Johnson by unanimous decision

 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 187: Are Fans Forgetting About Vitor Belfort?

Things are quiet on the middleweight front—perhaps a little too quiet. The eye of the storm hangs overhead, with distant rumbles of thunder periodically interrupting the spacious moments of silence.
Warm sunshine and endless skies of blue serve a…

Things are quiet on the middleweight front—perhaps a little too quiet. The eye of the storm hangs overhead, with distant rumbles of thunder periodically interrupting the spacious moments of silence.

Warm sunshine and endless skies of blue serve as a momentary utopia from the inevitable storm surging ahead.

Vitor Belfort, an ageless lion, has sat quietly in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to turn back time. It has been more than a decade since he last hoisted UFC gold. On Saturday night, his legendary career will come full-circle when he steps into the cage with the new lion, undefeated middleweight champion Chris Weidman.

UFC 187, the biggest pay-per-view card so far this year, has mostly been predicated around Jon Jones’ legal situation and the vacant light heavyweight title fight between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Daniel Cormier.

Occasionally, a question or two gets thrown Weidman’s way regarding future bouts against Luke Rockhold or Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. Being snubbed by the media is nothing new for Belfort. With nearly two decades of professional fight experience, the man has seen it all. He is devoid of emotional attachments to media gatherings.

Rockhold and Souza won’t be the ones stepping into the Octagon this weekend, though. When the cage door closes, Belfort will have 25 minutes to write the future to his liking.

Perhaps MMA fans have forgotten the way he knocked out Rockhold and Dan Henderson. Maybe people are sleeping on the way he torched Michael Bisping. Belfort’s jaw-dropping, vintage performances against three world-class fighters should be respected.

Weidman is a golden child in the new era of MMA. He made a mortal out of Anderson Silva, the greatest fighter in UFC history. There is no beating around the bush in terms of Weidman’s overwhelming talent.

The guy is a prodigy in the making, capable of surpassing Silva as the greatest middleweight of all time. His skill set is flawlessly rounded from top to bottom.

However, Belfort’s rare combination of speed and power has the potential to shred any paper comparison to pieces. Some would say, “same dog, old tricks.” Fighting has evolved over the years, but there has never been a replacement for speed and knockout power. More of the same is exactly what’s expected, and it’s exactly what Belfort needs.

Blue will turn to gray, and the skies will open Saturday night. The storm is nearly here. With one emphatic blow, Belfort can force the world to remember.

 

Jordy McElroy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 187 Weigh-in Results: Johnson vs. Cormier Fight Card

UFC 187 is just a day away. The stacked fight card will be made official today, as the 24 fighters tip the scale to make weight.
Two titles are up for grabs in Las Vegas. Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier headline the event for the vacant UFC light he…

UFC 187 is just a day away. The stacked fight card will be made official today, as the 24 fighters tip the scale to make weight.

Two titles are up for grabs in Las Vegas. Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier headline the event for the vacant UFC light heavyweight title, and Chris Weidman defends his middleweight crown against Vitor Belfort in the co-main event.

Those two premiere bouts are just the tip of the iceberg. Nine more top-10 fighters help fill out the fight card. Bleacher Report will be here to bring you all the happenings coming out of Vegas, and the weigh-ins begin at 7 p.m. ET.

Come back to see if everyone is on weight for Saturday’s spectacular event.

 

UFC 187 Fight Card

  • UFC Light Heavyweight Championship: Anthony Johnson vs. Daniel Cormier
  • UFC Middleweight Championship: Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort
  • Donald Cerrone vs. John Makdessi
  • Travis Browne vs. Andrei Arlovski
  • Joseph Benavidez vs. John Moraga
  • John Dodson vs. Zach Makovsky
  • Dong Hyun Kim vs. Josh Burkman
  • Uriah Hall vs. Rafael Natal
  • Rose Namajunas vs. Nina Ansaroff
  • Mike Pyle vs. Colby Covington
  • Islam Makhachev vs. Leo Kuntz
  • Justin Scoggins vs. Josh Sampo

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

With Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony Johnson on Tap, Chaos Reigns Among UFC Champs

It occasionally seems like becoming UFC champion is the worst thing that could ever happen to a professional MMA fighter.
It may be the biggest prize in the sport, but there is mounting evidence that UFC gold is bad for your health. Take Saturday night…

It occasionally seems like becoming UFC champion is the worst thing that could ever happen to a professional MMA fighter.

It may be the biggest prize in the sport, but there is mounting evidence that UFC gold is bad for your health. Take Saturday night’s UFC 187 for example, where Daniel Cormier and Anthony Johnson will vie to become light heavyweight champion only after the last light heavyweight champion’s life imploded.

If this were an isolated incident, you could just blame it on Jon Jones’ personal issues and move on. In truth, however, this weekend marks the third time since the beginning of 2014 that the UFC has had to crown a new champion under somewhat ugly circumstances.

It started with Georges St-Pierre’s public breakdown in the wake of his hard-fought UFC 167 victory over Johny Hendricks in November 2013. Seven years on top of the welterweight division had clearly taken their toll on the French Canadian phenom, and after he officially began an indefinite sabbatical from MMA in December of that year, it took three months to set Hendricks up with a bout against Robbie Lawler for the vacant title.

On January 6, 2014, just 24 days after St-Pierre announced his departure, the UFC also had to strip bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz in order to promote Renan Barao to “undisputed” titlist. Barao had been carrying around the “interim” championship for a year-and-a-half, so the change wasn’t necessarily earth-shattering, but just four months after his official promotion he dropped the strap to T.J. Dillashaw.

These days, the UFC is even having trouble getting Barao and Dillashaw together for a rematch. And Cruz? Let’s just say the narrative thread was lost a long time ago.

The most trying character of the bunch is Cain Velasquez. The heavyweight champion’s perennially injured status and the borderline cursed nature of the 265-pound title in general are both well-worn tropes for MMA fans. Velasquez’s on-again, off-again career trajectory finally became too much for UFC executives to bear last November, when they opted to put an interim title on Fabricio Werdum for defeating Mark Hunt at UFC 180.

Velasquez and Werdum are scheduled for a unification bout next month, and conventional wisdom says Velasquez could get stripped outright if he somehow doesn’t make the date.

And so, you see: All in all, there has been a lot of turmoil at the top.

The end of Jones’ reign as 205-pound kingpin was the most unceremonious of all, and the result may be a historically inauspicious start for either Cormier or Johnson.

We suspected all along that Jones would ultimately have to slip the knife between his own ribs—he’d been too dominant as champion for anyone else to do it. Cracks were long visible in his personal life, and they became chasms after a positive test for cocaine went public in the wake of his UFC 182 win over Cormier.

But Jones always seemed like too much of a control freak to lose the handle completely, so his April arrest on felony hit-and-run charges made for a surprising denouement. The UFC had little other choice than to put him on company-mandated timeout. Public scrutiny had simply grown too hot, too pointed.

Now, though, his absence puts Cormier and Johnson in an equally tough spot.

Cormier comes in as the favorite on paper and in most peoples’ hearts. The likable former Olympian is the kind of guy everybody wants to see succeed, but Jones just ran over him in January. That alone makes D.C.’s standing as a potential champion seem dicey.

Johnson, meanwhile, spent much of the lead-up to this fight mired in a domestic violence scandal of his own making. UFC President Dana White has not exactly painted himself as the most enlightened fellow on the subject during his own media appearances this week, either. Now, we’re all just holding our breath, waiting to see how the notoriously irascible company would handle the public relations quandary of Johnson becoming champ.

No matter which of them gets the belt wrapped around his waist at the end of Saturday night, there are going to be significant complications. It will be difficult to accept either guy as the light heavyweight’s new standard-bearer.

We’re accustomed to simpler, more linear storytelling in fight sports, so we’ll all just be waiting for Jones to return and reclaim the top spot—or legitimize the new champion with his blood.

It’s nobody’s fault. We’re just used to neat-and-tidy outcomes and resolutions free of ambiguity. It’s unfair to hang those expectations on Cormier, obviously, and Johnson’s considerable baggage is part of a more important but different discussion.

At this point though, it’s hard to ignore the instability at the top of the UFC pecking order. The cases of Velasquez and Cruz remind us of the physical toll of being the best, while Jones’ and St-Pierre’s expose the psychological pitfalls that await, as well. It’s one thing to get to the top—by any means necessary, in this sport—but it’s another thing entirely to stay there.

Meanwhile, Cormier and Johnson stand as examples that, when a great champion leaves or is forced out, you can’t just pick up where he left off.

There’s a lot of history to inherit along with that title, and not all of it is pretty.

Win at your own risk.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier Fight Card, TV Info, Predictions and More

UFC 187 is proof that consolation prizes get a bad rap.   
Initially, fans were to be treated with the latest title defense from Jon Jones. Instead, Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier will determine who sits atop the light heavyweight pecking…

UFC 187 is proof that consolation prizes get a bad rap.   

Initially, fans were to be treated with the latest title defense from Jon Jones. Instead, Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier will determine who sits atop the light heavyweight pecking order in a “Bones”-less light heavyweight division. 

That isn’t the only strap up for grabs, though. After 10 months out of the cage, Chris Weidman returns to defend his middleweight title against Vitor Belfort in the co-main event. 

With a double billing that features championship bouts in two of the UFC’s most marquee divisions, this isn’t a card to miss. Here’s a look at the complete slate with all the information you’ll need to take in the action and the top storylines to watch. 

 

Which Flyweight Will Stand Out?

Fresh off Demetrious Johnson’s dominant UFC 186 performance, two big flyweight fights are set to go down Saturday. No. 1 ranked flyweight John Dodson will square off against No. 9 Zach Makovsky, while No. 2 Joseph Benavidez will take on No. 5 John Moraga. 

For those keeping track at home that’s four fighters in the top 10 of the division. 

Mighy Mouse holds a win over everyone involved with the exception of Makovsky, but the fighter who puts on the most impressive performance of the quartet would have to be under consideration for a title shot. 

Dodson—who will look to earn the win over Makovsky—has already begun talking about Johnson, which could contribute toward a rematch between the two.

“I’m the savior of the division because Demetrious Johnson is so boring,” Dodson said, per Scott Harris of Bleacher Report “People want someone they love and they can cheer for. DJ is not that person. They say they like him. They say, ‘Oh, good job.’ Then they interview him, and it’s boring.”

If Dodson can be as entertaining as he claims, it will likely be him on the marquee beside Johnson. If Makovsky upends him and Benavidez shines, then the Team Alpha Male fighter might just get a trilogy shot. 

 

Can Vitor Belfort Halt Chris Weidman‘s Title Reign? 

This prediction isn’t for the faint of heart. Vitor Belfort‘s power could give Chris Weidman problems.

The challenger is a long shot. Odds Shark has him pegged as a 7-2 underdog against the champion. Given Weidman‘s wins over Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida, those odds are warranted. 

The problem is that Belfort is a different challenge. Where Silva and Machida are counterstrikers who waited on Weidman to be the aggressor, Belfort is an aggressive striker who is going to look to take the fight to Weidman from the opening bell. 

Of course, that approach also comes at a price. As Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics points out, the Brazilian is not only the most likely to score a knockdown at UFC 187; he’s also the most likely to get knocked down:

Weidman is the best 185-pound fighter in the world. His striking has come a long way to nearly match the impeccable ground game that he has used to impose his will before. However, in a fight that could become an all-out brawl, Belfort‘s power is hard to ignore. 

A shocking stoppage win for the challenger could be the setup to an epic rematch down the road. 

 

Who Will Be the New Face of 2015?

A new era of the light heavyweight division will begin at UFC 187. The only question that remains is who will lead the way without Jon Jones there to terrorize the rest of the division. 

With Daniel Cormier coming off a much-hyped loss to the former champion and Anthony “Rumble” Johnson shocking all of Sweden with his knockout win over Alexander Gustafsson, the UFC couldn’t have done a better job of picking the hottest fighters in the division. 

However, what this comes down to is one simple question. Is Johnson’s power alone enough to put the belt around his waist?

Astonishing knockout wins over Gustafsson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira say “yes”; however, neither of those men is as great at closing the distance and smothering opponents as well as DC. With his Olympic wrestling background and ability to ragdoll men even larger than him, Cormier‘s clinch game is well-known. 

Just as well-known are his heart and cardio. Despite clearly losing the bout to Jones, the challenger still picked the champion off the ground and scored an emphatic takedown in the fifth and final frame. The same display of cardio and heart can’t be found on Johnson’s resume. 

With Cormier able to close the distance early and wear on Johnson, expect him to slowly take over as the fight progresses and pick up a decision win. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com