OK boys and girls, lets get down to business. This is one of the most anticipated fights in as long as I can remember. I am definitely PUMPED for this one so lets go make.
OK boys and girls, lets get down to business. This is one of the most anticipated fights in as long as I can remember. I am definitely PUMPED for this one so lets go make some MONEY.
As for my FAVORITE FAVORITES, tonight there are 2.
1. Patrick Cote (-245) over Cung Le. Cote is younger and in better shape. The 40 year old Cung Le looks real good throwing all of his spin kicks, but Cote knows this and will be ready. Cote’s patience pays off and he gets the fight to the ground and finishes off Cung Le in the 3rd. 1 unit in the Cookie Jar!
2. Forrest Griffin (-290) over Tito Ortiz. Its time for Tito to start working on things again with Jenna Jameson. Forrest has the size and reach advantage, and Tito will get worn down in this one. I see this as a bit of a boring win for Forrest, unless Tito tries to open it up and go for the KO. Either way lay the 2.9 units here and give Tito a standing ovation in his swan song, even though it will be in losing fashion. Up 2 units going into the finale!
DOG OF THE NIGHT!!!
Yes, I’m sure you all see this coming. It’s shock the world time baby, Chael Sonnen (+250) over Anderson Silva. He did it once, and he’ll do it again (well sorta). Sonnen has Silva all hot and bothered by his comments and disrespect. He will use this strategy to frustrate Silva once again and get takedowns. The ground and pound will again be effective, but this time Sonnen will not get caught. Split decision goes to Sonnen and a 3rd and final fight between these 2 goes on the schedule. Add 2.5 units for a total of 4.5 on the night. Maybe part of me just wants to watch Sonnen talk smack about his next opponent.
Anderson Silva (-280) vs. Chael Sonnen (+240) Ryan Poli: I have to go with Silva on this one. He has the striking and jiu-jitsu advantage, plus plenty of time to work on his takedown defense..
Anderson Silva (-280) vs. Chael Sonnen (+240)
Ryan Poli: I have to go with Silva on this one. He has the striking and jiu-jitsu advantage, plus plenty of time to work on his takedown defense. I don’t see Sonnen being able to change his strategy and that will be his downfall. Although the odds were much less generous for all of Silva’s other opponents, I am somewhat surprised that the odds are as high as they are in Silva’s favor just based on the how their first fight played out. Winner: Silva
John Rivera: Anderson Silva wins by KO/TKO in the 2nd Round. “The Spider” will publicly execute Chael Sonnen….we know this because he is the greatest fighter in the history of the sport. Winner: Silva
Emily Kapala: I personally think that Chael Sonnen is being undervalued in the eyes of the oddsmakers. Not only would I pick Sonnen as the winner, but I think he is the highest value bet. While the odds are against him, I think he will be able to pull through with the victory this time around when he faces Silva in the octagon. Winner: Sonnen
Elise Kapala: In almost every fight with Silva, the opposing fighter is the underdog. However, the last matchup with Sonnen and Silva was so intense and draining on Silva, there truly is no underdog here. If I had to choose a winner, I would say Sonnen via knockout in the 3rd or 4th round. Winner: Sonnen
Alan Wells: If I’m picking a winner, I’m going with Silva but if I’m betting the money line, I’m going with Sonnen. I’m not interested in -280 odds and after Sonnen’s performance in the first fight, I’m willing to take a flyer on him. I’m not expecting to win but if I need action on this fight, I’m going with Sonnen. Winner: Silva
MMAFix Staff Pick: Silva (3-2)
Tito Ortiz (+255) vs. Forrest Griffin (-310)
Ryan Poli: I’m going with the favorite to win. Although I wasn’t impressed by either of them in their last fight, Shogun is a more dangerous opponent than Lil’ Nog. Plus I would say with the exception of wrestling, Forrest has every advantage (age, cardio, reach, striking, jiu- jitsu). Winner: Griffin
John Rivera: I think Forrest takes a unanimous decision this time around. As much as I love Tito, I think as a fighter, his best days are behind him. Rashad ravaged him, and Lil’ Nog took the rest…. Winner: Griffin
Alan Wells: I hate this line. I don’t understand why Griffin is such a significant favorite. I like him to win but -310 makes him a waste of money. Once again, if I feel the need to wet my beak for this fight, I’m going with the underdog but I don’t feel great about my chances of getting that money back. Winner: Griffin
MMAFix Staff Pick: Griffin (3-0)
Cung Le (+180) vs. Patrick Cote (-220)
Ryan Poli: Cung Le all the way. His striking is more diverse and Cote has been fighting against much lower level competition for quite some time. He just isn’t at Cung Le’s level. Winner: Le
John Rivera: The headline will read: ‘Cote KO’s ex Strikeforce Champ, Cung Le in the 2nd round due to the former’s punching power and the latter’s lack of cardio.’ Winner: Cote
Alan Wells: I think the oddsmakers are just screwing with me at this point. If MMA was a more popular sport, this line would be a lot closer because the public would be moving it toward Le. But the betting pool for MMA isn’t nearly as big as other sports so the line is right where it should be. I like Cote to win and that’s where my money is going if I have to bet. The odds aren’t great but at least they’re better than the two headliners. Winner: Cote
MMAFix Staff Pick: Cote (2-1)
Dong Hyun Kim (-155) vs. Demien Maia (+135) Ryan Poli: Despite a poor performance in his last fight, I’m picking Demian Maia to win. Stun Gun is at his best on the ground, which I.
Dong Hyun Kim (-155) vs. Demien Maia (+135)
Ryan Poli: Despite a poor performance in his last fight, I’m picking Demian Maia to win. Stun Gun is at his best on the ground, which I feel plays right in to Maia’s hand. Plus as long as Maia can showcase his improved stand up (like he did against Mark Munoz), he will also have the advantage on the feet. I disagree with the odds. It may be because of his last fight, but I still disagree. Winner: Maia
John Rivera: This fight can go one of two ways: Kim, uses a moderate kickboxing advantage and solid judo skills to keep the fight upright for a unanimous decision victory…. OR…Demian Maia submits the motherf*cker with his insane jiu-jitsu skills inside of round one. Even though I want the badass Brazilian to win via flying omaplata to reverse spinning heel hook, I got Kim with the decision this time. Winner: Kim
Alan Wells: I expect DHK to take a decision victory here. This will probably be another mediocre striking match right in line with Maia’s recent fights and Kim has the slight advantage in the striking. At -155, this is the first fight that feels worth a bet. Winner: Kim
MMAFix Staff Pick: Kim (2-1)
Chad Mendes (-640) vs. Cody McKenzie (+470)
Ryan Poli: Chad Mendes is too strong and too skilled for McKenzie. His only chance to win is with his signature guillotine choke which Mendes can easily avoid. Winner: Mendes
John Rivera: I got Chad Mendes via boring decision victory. Mendes is a good enough wrestler to keep McKenzie on his back for most of the fight but the latter is good enough on the ground to avoid any submissions from the Team Alpha Male product. As sick as he is with the guillotine (Dude has 12 submission victories all by guillotine) I don’t see McKenzie tapping out the NCAA All-American Wrestler. Winner: Mendes
Alan Wells: This fight is a joke. The only reason to bet here is to either take a flyer on McKenzie because of the ridiculous odds or to use Mendes as a parlay to get better odds on either Silva or Griffin. Parlaying is normally a sucker bet but I really can’t imagine Mendes losing this fight. Winner: Mendes
MMAFix Staff Pick: Mendes (3-0)
Ivan Menjivar (+105) vs. Mike Easton (-125)
Ryan Poli: I think Menjivar is overrated. He is extremely talented, but his last few fights have been against lower ranked competition that gave him a great deal of trouble and put him in some bad positions where I feel if Mike Easton had the same position, he would be able to put Menjivar away. Mike Easton brings it every fight and will get the TKO over Menjivar. Winner: Easton
John Rivera: We are in for a treat. First of all Menjivar fought GSP when he debuted at 170lbs—the guy is a monster, especially when you consider this fight is at bantamweight. Second, Mike Easton is a Lloyd Irvin black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu who PREFERS to fight standing up. I have no idea what is going to happen. Mike Easton is on a tear, killing guys left and right with very dangerous muay thai, but this is definitely a step up in competition. The UFC is testing Easton with this matchup. They want to see if he can make the leap from rising prospect to legitimate contender. A fourth victory against a high profile fighter such as Menjivar could sign Easton’s ticket to the title show. I think he will rise to the occasion for a very close split decision victory. Winner: Easton
Alan Wells: This is the closest fight of the night. It started as a pick ‘em but the line has now moved slightly in favor of Easton. I consider this a stay away for betting purposes because it’s too close. But if I have to pick a winner, I’m going with Easton. I’d love to pick Menjivar because I’ve been a fan of his game for a long time but I think Easton will be a bit too strong for him. Winner: Easton
MMAFix Staff Pick: Easton (3-0)
UFC Welterweight bout: Demian Maia vs. Dong Hyun Kim Odds: (+130 Maia /-160 Kim ) Betting Pick: Kim Bet on this fight at Bovada.Iv In a featured Welterweight matchup, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Demian Maia makes his 170 pound debut against well-rounded Korean Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim. Maia is without a doubt one of the […]
UFC Welterweight bout: Demian Maia vs. Dong Hyun Kim
In a featured Welterweight matchup, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace Demian Maia makes his 170 pound debut against well-rounded Korean Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim. Maia is without a doubt one of the UFC’s most prolific submission grapplers, but the once-beaten Kim is a dangerous all-around fighter with very few exploitable weaknesses. Maia has shown a tendency to struggle against guys that he can’t physically control and take down, and in that regard Kim is going to present a number of challenges for him. It also remains to be seen whether Maia’s weight cut will put him in a more natural place or if it is an over-reaction to recent mixed results in the Middleweight division.
Demian Maia’s jiu-jitsu skills are beyond question. From every position on the ground, he is a constant threat to finish fights, and his standup game has continued to evolve. It is unlikely he will ever be a dangerous striker, but his technique has continually improved so that he isn’t lost on his feet and can stand and trade long enough to try and intelligently set up his takedowns. What has really held Maia back from translating his jiu-jitsu skills into success at the highest levels of the UFC is his lack of dominant wrestling. A guy who depends so much on finishing opponents on the ground needs an effective way to force fights down, and Maia hasn’t really shown that up to this point. Against Kim, who has solid wrestling and great judo, it is likely that those struggles will continue, so he is going to have to fight very smart to find an opening to exploit.
Dong Hyun “Stun Gun” Kim is a rising star in the Welterweight division with a very impressive 15-1-1 professional record. His only loss came in a recent fight against Interim Welterweight champion Carlos Condit, where he was caught by a flying knee and put away with strikes. Kim is a very solid wrestler with good shoot takedowns and great judo-style throws from the clinch. His boxing is also very effective and he has a decent amount of punching power to go along with his technique. Against Maia, I think he will enjoy a sizable advantage on the feet and his superior wrestling and clinch game should allow him to dictate where the fight plays out. The most important thing for Kim is not to get foolhardy and try to take Maia down, playing into his strengths. Kim does have great submission defense, but against Maia trying to fight on the ground is playing with fire no matter how good you are.
I think this is going to be a rough entry to the Welterweight division for Maia. He is notorious for struggling against anyone who can outwrestle him or who he can’t easily get to the ground, and I don’t see a way for him to consistently force Kim to the mat. I think Kim should be able to use his wrestling and clinch game defensively to keep this fight standing, where he has more than enough to outpoint Maia for a relatively one-sided decision victory.
UFC Middleweight Title Fight: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen Odds: (-300 Silva / +230 Sonnen ) Betting Pick: Sonnen Bet on this fight at Bovada.Iv The main event of the evening features one of the most highly-anticipated rematches in the sport’s recent history, as Middleweight champion Anderson “Spider” Silva defends his title for the second […]
UFC Middleweight Title Fight: Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen
The main event of the evening features one of the most highly-anticipated rematches in the sport’s recent history, as Middleweight champion Anderson “Spider” Silva defends his title for the second time against brash challenger Chael Sonnen. The last time these two men met, Sonnen dominated four and a half rounds before succumbing to a triangle armbar in the closing moments. This time, though, Sonnen’s constant barrage of trash talk seems to have seriously gotten to the champion, who in a recent media call promised to break both of Sonnen’s legs, knock all of his teeth out, and break his face. This outburst from the normally-reserved champion has only served to heighten anticipation for an already exciting style vs. style matchup. Can Silva stay standing long enough to make good on his promises of physical destruction? Can Sonnen avoid the triangle choke from inside Silva’s guard that has plagued his entire career? All of that remains to be seen, but the style matchup here coupled with the legitimate bad blood that has been stirred up between these two guarantees that this is going to be an exciting and hard-fought main event.
Chael Sonnen has become one of the most controversial figures in the UFC. A consummate self-promoter, Sonnen has become as known for his over the top persona and never-ending supply of trash talk as he has for his wrestling, which is among the most dominant in the sport. Sonnen has always been one Mixed Martial Arts’ most prolific wrestlers, but he surprised a lot of observers the last time he fought Silva by sticking some very stern jabs into the champion’s face. Not even the most ardent Silva supporter can deny that, for the first four and a half rounds of their last meeting, Sonnen had his way with the champion and made it look easy. Sonnen scored takedowns at will and worked over Silva with vicious ground and pound for the entirety of the fight. Unfortunately for Sonnen, he was unable to close the deal, and his notorious lack of submission defense finally caught up with him when he was trapped in a Silva triangle armbar. Throughout his career, Sonnen has been woefully incapable of defending submissions, especially the triangle, which is beyond disastrous for a guy whose entire game plan is to take every opponent down, sit in their guard, and work his ground and pound. Until Sonnen either starts effectively passing the guard following his takedowns or learns to defend submissions, he is going to be severely limiting his success.
Anderson “Spider” Silva is undeniably the most dominant champion in the sport today. His last legitimate loss came all the way back in 2003, when he was still in the early stages of his career. Since then, he has used his effective jiu-jitsu and devastating striking to put together a long string of highlight-reel destructions. There is no way to deny that Silva is the most creative, dynamic, and effective striker in the sport, and anyone who is willing to stand with him is in for a huge amount of pain. The only hole in Silva’s game is, and always has been, his takedown defense. He is a very skilled grappler, and has great submissions off his back, but sometimes he looks like he is trying to defend takedowns wearing ice skates. He has absolutely no answer for Sonnen’s wrestling the last time they fought, and it was only his ability to keep Sonnen from posturing up by using his jiu-jitsu that kept him from getting finished during the first four rounds. I don’t think Silva can expect to take four rounds of punishment like that again without getting stopped, so if he wants to avoid dropping his title he is either going to have to find a way to keep this fight standing, where he could destroy Sonnen with relative ease, or be more aggressive off his back and try to submit Sonnen earlier in the fight.
Silva has never been good at stopping takedowns, and I see no reason to expect him to all of a sudden be able to prevent Sonnen from putting him on his back. As good as Silva’s striking clearly is, Sonnen showed in the first round of their last fight that he isn’t afraid of getting in the champion’s face and throwing some punches of his own. Clearly Sonnen is not even remotely on the same level as Silva on the feet, and in an extended standup fight Silva will eventually overwhelm him, but Sonnen has the luxury of being able to throw at will while even the smallest mistake from Silva is going to end up with him getting taken down. Clearly, as the last fight showed, Silva has the jiu-jitsu to make Sonnen pay for his one-dimensional ground game, but if he waits 4 rounds like he did last time I don’t think he is making it out of this fight with the belt. If Silva wins this fight, it will be by submission, but I don’t like his chances of surviving another ground and pound onslaught from Sonnen. At -260 I can’t imagine putting money on the off chance that Silva catches Sonnen in another triangle choke. I like Sonnen at +210 to control this fight from top position and overwhelm Silva with ground and pound for the T/KO and his first taste of UFC gold.
Prediction:Chael “The American Gangster” Sonnen via fourth round T/KO.
UFC Light Heavyweight bout: Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin Odds: (+250 Ortiz /-325 Griffin ) Betting Pick: Griffin Bet on this fight at Bovada.Iv In the semi-main event, two former Light Heavyweight champions will collide as newly-inducted Hall of Famer “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz will square off against perennial fan favorite Forrest […]
UFC Light Heavyweight bout: Tito Ortiz vs. Forrest Griffin
In the semi-main event, two former Light Heavyweight champions will collide as newly-inducted Hall of Famer “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz will square off against perennial fan favorite Forrest Griffin in a decisive rubber match. Twice before these two have fought, and while each has one win over the other, this series is interesting in that both of their wins came in decisions they did not deserve. In their first fight, Forrest clearly got the better of Ortiz but took a confusing split decision loss. The next time they met, Griffin was awarded the split decision in a fight Ortiz clearly controlled. Hopefully this third meeting will actually end with the best man winning and settle matters once and for all.
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz is a UFC legend well-deserving of his Hall of Fame induction, which will occur the night before what is likely his final fight in the Octagon. Ortiz was a pioneer of the modern sport, dominating the Light Heavyweight division with his mix of wrestling, ground and pound, and severely underrated jiu-jitsu. Age and a string of debilitating back and neck injuries, though, robbed him of some of the physicality that made him such a force to be reckoned with, and the fact that he has dropped six of his last eight with one draw clearly illustrates that his days as a top fighter are long since passed. Still, while his body may have betrayed him, he is still a savvy veteran with much underrated technical skills on the ground. He can’t change levels for takedowns as quick as he once did, but he still knows how to capitalize on an opening and can turn a mistake into a submission as well as he ever could, a lesson Ryan Bader learned the hard way. In many ways, Forrest is as good an opponent as exists for Ortiz, because he has such a reactive style and isn’t the kind of guy with any one overwhelming skill that lets him take a fight over. As long as Ortiz fights smart and doesn’t get too reckless, he has a great chance of finding his opening and leaving the sport on a victorious note.
Forrest Griffin, despite his mixed results of late, is one of UFC’s most popular fighters. His war with Stephan Bonnar on the finale of The Ultimate Fighter Season 1 paved the way for much of UFC’s current mainstream success, and his gregarious nature and self-deprecatory humor endear him to millions of fans. A big part of Griffin’s appeal is that he comes across as an everyman. He isn’t a dominant athlete and he doesn’t have one world-class skill, but his never say die fighting style and willingness to absorb huge amounts of punishment and keep pushing forward and fighting aggressively make him an easily relatable figure. While he is not one of the best in the world at anything, he makes up for it by not having any really huge holes in his game. He is a decent wrestler, a much underrated grappler, and what he lacks in punching power he makes up for in volume of punches and accuracy. It is unlikely that he will ever reach the top of the Light Heavyweight division again, but he is the kind of guy who you can put in the Octagon against anyone and expect an action-packed, competitive fight.
Put simply, neither of these guys is at the top of their game anymore, but Griffin is much closer than Ortiz. Neither man has the one dominant skill that will enable them to finish the other, but I think Forrest should be able to stop most of Ortiz’s slowed takedown attempts and score enough points with his superior boxing to take, for once, a clear-cut unanimous decision victory.
