This afternoon, the Target Center in Minneapolis hosted the fighter weigh-ins for UFC on FX 5, which boasts an excellent heavyweight contest as a main event, as well as a title eliminator in the flyweight division.Typically, this portion of fight prepa…
This afternoon, the Target Center in Minneapolis hosted the fighter weigh-ins for UFC on FX 5, which boasts an excellent heavyweight contest as a main event, as well as a title eliminator in the flyweight division.
Typically, this portion of fight preparation goes smoothly. The occasional dehydrated fighter shows up looking weakened, and fighters miss weight from time to time.
Today, something rare happened. Dennis “Superman” Hallman was a full seven pounds overweight and did not step onto the scale. Someone made the decision that a catchweight at 163 pounds, as ThiagoTavares made the announcement that he would not be fighting due to Hallman‘s failure to make weight.
Hallman has a solid background in wrestling and was already expected to have a size advantage going into the bout. Additionally, he is a user of testosterone replacement therapy, which allows him to boost his testosterone levels beyond what his body naturally produces.
Why should Tavares risk the momentum that he has built for himself? Since 2009, the Brazilian has lost only one of his six UFC contests, which includes notable wins over Spencer Fisher and Sam Stout. There is a reason that divisions were instituted.
Weight classes ensure that fighters compete on an even playing field and that their skills will determine the winner. Hallman was actually closer to the 170-pound division than to his lightweight goal. He did not deserve the opportunity to compete.
In my opinion, the league need to make an example of Hallman. This is his second consecutive failure to make weight, he has a history of competing with banned substances and the TRT is still controversial on all levels. His ugly Speedos don’t help his case, either.
I applaud ThiagoTavares for having the courage to decline this fight. He will likely be called a coward by some, but he undoubtedly made the correct decision.
For the pastseveralUFCevents, CagePotato reader/contributor Dan “Get Off Me” George has been holding down the Gambling Addiction Enabler’s with the poise and classiness of a 16th century Bolognese swordsman. Unfortunately for you, he only likes to bet on the big time PPV events, so you’re stuck with me for the time being. Fortunately for you, I write a lot less than he does and love to get reckless with my hard earned cash, so let’s do this! Listed below are the odds for UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot, courtesy of BestFightOdds, followed by my advice which simply put has never been wrong not once ever.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Yves Edwards (+175) vs. Jeremy Stephens (-225)
Danny Castillo (+130) vs. Michael Johnson (-160)
Dennis Hallman (+190) vs. Thiago Tavares (-250)
Shane Roller (+150) vs. Jacob Volkmann (-180)
Diego Nunes (-180) vs. Bart Palaszewski (+150)
Phil Harris (+230) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (-290)
Marcus LeVesseur (-105) vs. Carlo Prater (-125)
Mike Pierce (-170) vs. Aaron Simpson (+150)
Thoughts…
For the pastseveralUFCevents, CagePotato reader/contributor Dan “Get Off Me” George has been holding down the Gambling Addiction Enabler’s with the poise and classiness of a 16th century Bolognese swordsman. Unfortunately for you, he only likes to bet on the big time PPV events, so you’re stuck with me for the time being. Fortunately for you, I write a lot less than he does and love to get reckless with my hard earned cash, so let’s do this! Listed below are the odds for UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot, courtesy of BestFightOdds, followed by my advice which simply put has never been wrong not once ever.
PRELIMINARY CARD
Yves Edwards (+175) vs. Jeremy Stephens (-225)
Danny Castillo (+130) vs. Michael Johnson (-160)
Dennis Hallman (+190) vs. Thiago Tavares (-250)
Shane Roller (+150) vs. Jacob Volkmann (-180)
Diego Nunes (-180) vs. Bart Palaszewski (+150)
Phil Harris (+230) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (-290)
Marcus LeVesseur (-105) vs. Carlo Prater (-125)
Mike Pierce (-170) vs. Aaron Simpson (+150)
Thoughts…
As I previously mentioned, I am going to be short and sweet for this week’s enabler. That means no prop bets and no fight-by-fight analysis, just a straight look at who I think is being under/overvalued and a suggested parlay.
The Good Dogs: Your best chances at upsets in my opinion are heavily based around the grappling-oriented gameplans of several fighters on the card. Hallman vs. Tavares, Volkmann vs. Roller, and Castillo vs. Johnson will be determined by the abilities of Volkmann, Hallman, and Castillo to get the fight to the ground and grapple out a decision. In all three cases, you are looking at only a slight to moderate underdog hovering in the +150 to +200 range. Of these three matches, the person who stands the best chance of implementing this gameplan is Dennis Hallman, who holds a notable size advantage over most every lightweight out there including Tavares. Although he has looked great lately and has a solid Jiu-Jitsu base, I think Hallman should be able stay heavy on top of Tavares and avoid getting submitted long enough to score a close decision victory.
While we all know that Shane Roller is undoubtedly more well rounded than Jacob Volkmann, we also know that it takes a hell of a wrestler to deal with the grappling prowess of the Minnesotan. Roller, while being a talented grappler in his own right, does not lead me to believe that he can defend Volkmann’s takedowns when a wrestler like Danny Castillo couldn’t. Volkmann has shown that he can be submitted by an opponent with an offensive guard, but the key to a Roller victory here is going to be keeping the fight standing. Roller showed in the Thiago Tavares fight that he does pack some power, so if you think he’ll be able to fend off Volkmann’s takedowns for long enough to land a haymaker, I’d suggest a wager on him as well. Personally, I just don’t think that will be the case. Castillo vs. Johnson is in the same vein. Johnson will be looking to keep things on the feet, but Castillo is a stellar grappler who is strong on top and will probably be looking to exploit Johnson’s somewhat weak submission defense. If he is able to get Johnson to the mat in the first round, expect him to dictate the action for the rest of the fight.
There is one other option: Bart Palaszewski vs. Diego Nunes.
This fight is a little easier to gauge: Both men are primarily strikers, both are coming off losses, and both are 1-2 in their past 3. The difference in their striking lies in pure aggressiveness; Nunes is known for using his kicks to keep his opponents at bay and has shown little killer instinct in the past couple of years, whereas “Bartimus” loves to drag things into a good old fashioned brawl and let the fists fly. Bart should also hold an advantage in the grappling game, so expect to see him utilize some clinch work and dirty boxing to eek out a decision over Nunes if things get hairy on the feet.
Come to think of it, that was pretty much a fight-by-fight analysis. MOVING ON.
Stay the Hell Away From: The main event. Antonio Silva is not listed as a big enough dog to risk a bet on and Browne has notched impressive victories over Stefan Struve and Chad Griggs in between weak performances against Cheick Kongo and Rob Broughton. Browne should easily take this, but you don’t want to risk your parlay on whether or not he’ll have an off night.
Official CagePotato Parlay: Pierce – Stephens – Dodson – Ellenberger
Official CagePotato Parlay #2: Pierce – Hallman – Dodson
Jake Ellenberger struggled a long way to get to the top of the welterweight division, but things finally started coming together for the aggressive finisher last year.During 2011, Ellenberger passed a stiff test against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, picked apa…
Jake Ellenberger struggled a long way to get to the top of the welterweight division, but things finally started coming together for the aggressive finisher last year.
During 2011, Ellenberger passed a stiff test against Carlos Eduardo Rocha, picked apart Sean Pierson, then shocked the world by completely obliterating Jake Shields, a pound-for-pound standout just coming off a competitive loss against UFC champion Georges St. Pierre.
But much has changed in the time that Canada’s favorite son has been sidelined, and Ellenberger is once again looking at the long road back to the title hunt.
So what will it take to get “The Juggernaut” back to the top?
Actually, not much.
If Ellenberger plays his cards right, he’ll be back in title contention before the year is out.
One of the good things about GSP’s absence is that it’s given the welterweight title picture time to get interesting again. In the final stretch of 2011, the only people at the top of the mix were Jon Fitch, recently-imported Strikeforce star Nick Diaz, and Jake Ellenberger.
Now, recent defeats for all three men have pushed fighters like Johny Hendricks, Martin Kampmann, and Rory MacDonald to the top of the heap.
Even better, all three of them are fresh challengers that Ellenberger can target in order to vault back to the front of the line.
Just like Kampmann put all of Ellenberger’s win “in his back pocket” at The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale, Ellenberger can do the same with any of those three men.
(Although the prospect of a Nick Diaz vs. Jake Ellenberger fight could be just as enticing.)
Moreover, recent matchmaking will give Ellenberger a lot of options for title contention if he beats Jay Hieron on Friday night. There’s even a chance for some interesting rematches again Kampmann or Rick Story, provided both men win their next matches.
Yes, Jake Ellenberger can get back in the mix at 170 pounds, and he can do it very easily.
No matter what, all he really needs to do is put Jay Hieron away with authority and that trademark vicious tenacity. Then, people will remember why the Reign Training Center star was so feared in the welterweight division.
[McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.]
Diego Nunes has hit a bit of a rough patch in his mixed martial arts career.Since his UFC debut, Nunes has gone 2-2 winning fights against Mike Thomas Brown and Manny Gamburyan, while losing to Kenny Florian and Dennis Siver in his latest fight.Nunes a…
Diego Nunes has hit a bit of a rough patch in his mixed martial arts career.
Since his UFC debut, Nunes has gone 2-2 winning fights against Mike Thomas Brown and Manny Gamburyan, while losing to Kenny Florian and Dennis Siver in his latest fight.
Nunes always seems to be on the cusp of becoming a contender in the featherweight division before losing a fight that pushes him further down the ladder.
He has an excellent all-around game, and can excel wherever the fight takes place.
His opponent Bart Palaszewski is also coming off of a decision loss in his latest UFC fight to Hatsu Hioki. Both of these fighters need a win to stay relevant in the ever improving featherweight division.
With that being said, I believe Nunes wins this fight.
He will use his striking to control Palaszewski, and wear him down to win the decision. Question is will Nunes ever get back into title contention? At this moment it is too soon to tell. Nunes has all the right things going for him.
He is a well-rounded fighter and he trains with an excellent Black House team in Brazil. He just can’t seem to put it all together and string together a few wins.
Nunes would also need to work on his wrestling and takedown defense. In the past, those areas were his weakest facet of his game.
He needs to play to his strengths in the coming fight. He needs to use his excellent striking and footwork to keep Palaszewski off balance, before finding the right moment to attempt to finish the fight.
He could also bring the fight to the mat, where he could use his Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills to attempt a submission.
If he doesn’t begin to win fights on a consistent basis, he will most likely be destined for a gatekeeper role.
Friday’s UFC on FX 5 will have huge title implications for the flyweight division.Former The Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson will take on top-ranked 125-pounder Jussier Formiga (formerly Jussier da Silva) in a top contender matchup, with the winner…
Friday’s UFC on FX 5 will have huge title implications for the flyweight division.
Former The Ultimate Fighter winner John Dodson will take on top-ranked 125-pounder JussierFormiga (formerly Jussierda Silva) in a top contender matchup, with the winner set to face the newly crowned, inaugural champ Demetrious Johnson.
In such a young division, the flyweights actually have a ton of potential title challengers ready for their shot at UFC gold.
Let’s take a look at how the division’s contenders stack up.
Travis Browne, Antonio Silva, Jay Hieron, and all of the players in tomorrow night’s UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot card are set to hit the scales tonight from the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event will be broadcast live starting at 5 p.m. EST, and wouldn’t you know it, we happen to have TOTALLY EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE of the weigh-ins right here!
OK, so maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but we will be covering all the action, so make sure to swing by at 5 p.m. today for the staredowns and 8 p.m. tomorrow for all our liveblog coverage of UFC on FX 5.
Travis Browne, Antonio Silva, Jay Hieron, and all of the players in tomorrow night’s UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot card are set to hit the scales tonight from the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The event will be broadcast live starting at 5 p.m. EST, and wouldn’t you know it, we happen to have TOTALLY EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE of the weigh-ins right here!
OK, so maybe that’s a slight exaggeration, but we will be covering all the action, so make sure to swing by at 5 p.m. today for the staredowns and 8 p.m. tomorrow for all our liveblog coverage of UFC on FX 5.
MAIN CARD (FX 8 p.m.)
-Travis Browne (246) vs. Antonio Silva(266)
-Jake Ellenberger (170) vs. Jay Hieron (170)
-John Dodson (126) vs. Jussier Formiga (126)
-Josh Neer (171) vs. Justin Edwards (170)
PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook/FUEL 5 p.m.)
-Yves Edwards (156) vs. Jeremy Stephens (156)
-Danny Castillo (156) vs. Michael Johnson (156)
-Dennis Hallman ( ) vs. Thiago Tavares ( )**
-Shane Roller (156) vs. Jacob Volkmann (155)
-Diego Nunes (146) vs. Bart Palaszewski (147*)
-Phil Harris (125) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (125)
-Marcus LeVesseur (156) vs. Carlo Prater (156)
-Mike Pierce (171) vs. Aaron Simpson (171)
*Palaszewski has an hour to lose the pound.
**Apparently Hallman was seven pounds over and struck a deal with Tavares that if he could get down to three pounds over the fight would be on. He failed to do so and the fight was cancelled but Tavares will be getting his show money. Well, there goes that bet, and likely Hallman’s UFC career given the fact that he missed weight for his last fight as well and exposed his balls on TV before that.
This afternoon, the Target Center in Minneapolis hosted the fighter weigh-ins for UFC on FX 5, which boasts an excellent heavyweight contest as a main event, as well as a title eliminator in the flyweight division.
If he doesn’t begin to win fights on a consistent basis, he will most likely be destined for a gatekeeper role.