Tag: Uncategorized

UFC Fight Night 85 scheduled to be held at Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on March 20 will see former UFC heavyweight champ Frank Mir (18-10 MMA, 16-10 UFC) take on the famous slugger March Hunt (11-10-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC).

The match will be the headliner of UFC Fight Night 84 that will be aired in North America on March 19 due to the difference in time zones. A native of Samoa, Hunt has had his last two UFC bouts in Australia. He recouped after losing two fights against Stipe Miocic and Fabricio Werdum and knocked out Antonio Silva in the first round at UFC 193 in Melbourne’s Eithad Stadium last November. Currently, Hunt is at No. 11 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings,

On the other hand, Frank Mir had a dismal outing against Andrei Arlovski in UFC 191 although he defeated Todd Duffee and ‘Bigfoot’ Silva back to back prior to that fight.

The other highlight of the day is the co-main event where No. 9 welterweight Hector Lombard (34-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) takes on No. 14 Neil Magny (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC). Lombard returns after a 14-month break. He won his last bout at UFC 182 against Josh Burkman in a unanimous decision but the verdict was later ruled a no-contest. Later, 37 year old Lombard was suspended for 12 months when he tested positive for anabolic steroids. His suspension ended Jan. 3, this will be his first match since. Prior to the Burkman fight, Lombard had won two fights in a row, one against Jake Shields which was a decision win, and the other a KO against Nate Marquardt.

28 year old Neil Magny is on a winning spree having won 9 of his last 10 fights. His latest was a UFC Fight Night 78 split decision win over Kelvin Gastelum last November. His only loss was to Demain Maia last August.

Some of the additional bouts at UFC Night 84 include Steve Bosse (10-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC) vs. James Te Huna (18-8 MMA, 5-4 UFC), Antonio Carlos Junior (6-1-1 MMA, 2-1-1nc UFC) who takes on Daniel Kelly (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC), and Alan Jouban (12-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) who will square off with Brendan O’Reilly (6-1-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC).

 

UFC lightweight Nate Diaz may be on a high after winning UFC 196 against Conor McGregor but the star just received a medical suspension notice from the Nevada Athletic Commission. This means he won’t be able to get into the ring until April 20. The suspension follows a deep eyebrow laceration he sustained during the fight with McGregor.

Incidentally, April 20 is pot day, and Nate and his brother Nick are known proponents of medical marijuana. While there is no connection between Nate’s suspension and pot day,  Nick Diaz has been suspended thrice for testing positive for marijuana. He has been fined $100,000 and suspended for 18 months much to the chagrin of his fans who worked hard to have the suspension reduced from 5 years to 18 months. The petition from Nick’s fans even garnered a response from the White House.

UFC 200 – who our experts would like to see

However, all eyes are now on UFC 200 and who are potentially going to bag the coveted spots at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 9, 2011. While no fights have been announced as yet here’s what our experts have to say about the potential five-five main card.

Remember UFC 154 in 2012? There could possibly be another welterweight bout between Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit. The latter used wrestling to grab a unanimous decision last time around following a hiatus in 2013 he is back in training. Condit has hinted at hanging up his boots but a tussle with St. Pierre could have him back in action.

The UFC featherweight title bout according to our experts could be an interesting one where Frankie Edgar takes on Irishman Conor McGregor who would want to defend his featherweight title in which he last defeated Jose Aldo in December last year. Incidentally, Edgar lost to Aldo back in 2013 and this is a good chance to get a shot at the UFC featherweight title.

And then there’s the possibility of the UFC welterweight title being a tough contest between Nate Diaz and Robbie Lawler. Lawler has got the better of McGregor, Marcus Davis and Rory Markham but hasn’t been successful against Rory MacDonald and Dong Hyun Kim at 170. However, Lawler is alleged to want to fight big at 170.

Among the women it may likely be a Holly Holm vs. Amanda Nunes or a Rousey vs. Meisha Tate. Many bouts will depend on what happens at UFC 197 where Jon Jones takes on Daniel Cormier.

The main event at UFC 200 ought to be a cracker where a McGregor-St. Pierre or Edgar.

UFC lightweight Nate Diaz may be on a high after winning UFC 196 against Conor McGregor but the star just received a medical suspension notice from the Nevada Athletic Commission. This means he won’t be able to get into the ring until April 20. The suspension follows a deep eyebrow laceration he sustained during the fight with McGregor.

Incidentally, April 20 is pot day, and Nate and his brother Nick are known proponents of medical marijuana. While there is no connection between Nate’s suspension and pot day,  Nick Diaz has been suspended thrice for testing positive for marijuana. He has been fined $100,000 and suspended for 18 months much to the chagrin of his fans who worked hard to have the suspension reduced from 5 years to 18 months. The petition from Nick’s fans even garnered a response from the White House.

UFC 200 – who our experts would like to see

However, all eyes are now on UFC 200 and who are potentially going to bag the coveted spots at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 9, 2011. While no fights have been announced as yet here’s what our experts have to say about the potential five-five main card.

Remember UFC 154 in 2012? There could possibly be another welterweight bout between Georges St. Pierre and Carlos Condit. The latter used wrestling to grab a unanimous decision last time around following a hiatus in 2013 he is back in training. Condit has hinted at hanging up his boots but a tussle with St. Pierre could have him back in action.

The UFC featherweight title bout according to our experts could be an interesting one where Frankie Edgar takes on Irishman Conor McGregor who would want to defend his featherweight title in which he last defeated Jose Aldo in December last year. Incidentally, Edgar lost to Aldo back in 2013 and this is a good chance to get a shot at the UFC featherweight title.

And then there’s the possibility of the UFC welterweight title being a tough contest between Nate Diaz and Robbie Lawler. Lawler has got the better of McGregor, Marcus Davis and Rory Markham but hasn’t been successful against Rory MacDonald and Dong Hyun Kim at 170. However, Lawler is alleged to want to fight big at 170.

Among the women it may likely be a Holly Holm vs. Amanda Nunes or a Rousey vs. Meisha Tate. Many bouts will depend on what happens at UFC 197 where Jon Jones takes on Daniel Cormier.

The main event at UFC 200 ought to be a cracker where a McGregor-St. Pierre or Edgar.

This weekend is definitely going to be a cracker for MMA fans as Las Vegas plays host to one of the most awaited welterweight bouts at UFA 196. It’s Irish superstar Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz and both are looking good so fans can expect a tough bout.

The event was originally to be held at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil but was later shifted to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Originally, the event was supposed to be kickoff with a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between Rafael dos Anjos and Conor McGregor, the UFC Featherweight Champion. This would have been only the second time in UFC’s history where two different divisions vied for a title.

Unfortunately, Dos Anjos had to withdraw due to a broken foot while Jose Aldo, the former featherweight champion declined to be the replacement since he wouldn’t have time to prepare for the bout. Frankie Edgar, the top featherweight contender and former lightweight champion also suffered a groin injury and therefore declined.

However, it’s now The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner and former lightweight title challenger, Nate Diaz who will take on McGregor who is now stepping up to welterweight. Also gracing the ring in the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship bout is Holly Holm who will take on Meisha Tate, the former Strikeforce Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

Things have already heated up between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz who reportedly argued for an hour at the pre-match press conference. They almost came to blows according to press reports. However, everyone is looking forward to the fight, which some experts say suits McGregor who is said to have the upper hand in boxing even though Nate has a height and reach advantage. The Irish strongman’s current stats read 17 KO’s in 19 victories. So all said and done, Diaz would need to get the fight to the ground as soon as possible.

Nevertheless, one must salute Nate Diaz who has accepted the bout with just 11 days notice. What remains to be seen is if McGregor’s speed and movement will be affected due to the change in weight class. Some experts are of the opinion that McGregor can use his kicks on the outside to nullify Diaz’s reach advantage. There are also doubts about whether Diaz will be able to go through 5 championship rounds.

Stick around for more MMA news and all the juicy bits about the McGregor/Diaz standoff.

UFC Welterweight Bout:  Ben Henderson vs. Brandon Thatch

Odds:  ( -110 Henderson / -120 Thatch )

Betting Pick:  Thatch

Bet on this fight at Bovada

UFC Fight Night 60 brings us a match-up you will not want to miss, Benson Henderson vs. Brandon Thatch. The variables in this fight are actually quite interesting. First you have Benson coming off a recent loss to Donald Cerrone that many believe was quite controversial and he’s decided to move up a weight class and test the waters versus Thatch. Next you have Brandon Thatch who has made his  two UFC wins look easy, but due to an injury hasn’t won since December of 2013. The betting lines have this fight at nearly EVEN odds and in my opinion couldn’t be more accurate. This will be an exciting fight and the winner might just be able to grab enough footing to make a serious move up the UFC ladder.

Brandon Thatch (11-1)

The body of work for Brandon Thatch is quite low but if you have seen any of his UFC fights over the past few years, you know that this guy is a serious contender. Physically Thatch is more superior than Benson in this fight due to having always been prepared to fight in this weight class. He’s much taller and even though UFC has them weighing the same, its not. Thatch has proven that his striking capabilities are on par with some of the UFC’s elite. In my opinion Thatch needs to focus on finishing this fight quickly to have a chance. Benson is too smart for a 5-Round fight which means that Thatch needs to come out hot. Thatch from the opening bell needs to overwhelm Benson and make him feel cornered. Thatch needs use the striking skills he possesses and make work of Henderson.

Benson Henderson (21-5)

What can you say about Benson Henderson that hasn’t already been said. The amount of skill Benson possesses have made many of our jaws drop over the past few years. These two fighters possess many of the same skills and I expect that much of this fight is going to be on their feet seeing who’s striking will come superior. In my opinion, Benson can win this fight a few different ways. First, Benson can just pick him apart for 5 rounds making Thatch work for everything and introducing him to what a strategic 5-round bout feels like. Second, Benson can take Thatch to the ground. Benson over the years hasn’t shown us and magically ground game like some other fighters but with the body of work that we have on Thatch, Bensons ground game is much superior. Benson at any point in the fight can take Thatch to the ground, tire him and lock in a choke to finish it. Lastly, Benson can just knock him out. You’ll read and hear over the next few days about the striking capabilities of Thatch but lets not forget what we’ve seen from Benson over the years. Benson can shock you with his power and finish this fight quickly.

Like I said previously, this fight should spend most of its time with both fighters on their feet. Both of these fights have striking capabilities that we all pay to see, and to watch these two guy tire themselves out on the mat would be a waste. The sports books have this fight just about even, and I couldn’t agree more. The one thing that scares me about Thatch the most is the time spent away from the octagon, and that his mental toughness is nearly impossible to gauge because of a lack of work.  I expect Thatch (if healthy) to begin to climb the UFC ladder and in the near future secure spot near the top of the weight class.

Prediction: Brandon Thatch by Decision.

To Add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Bovada.Iv Odds. Check out my review of Bovada here…

These predictions are extremely early, but seeing as I’ll be wrapped up in other business in two weeks, I’m locking them in now. I know how much my predictions and predictions that create so much dissension, so I just couldn’t miss an opportunity to continue it. I’m crossing my fingers that no one gets injured before the fight, but we’ll cross that bridge only if we need to. Usually I give a pretty detailed breakdown before my official predictions for the winner, but I’m going the quick route on this one.
Main Card

 

Shawn Jordan defeats Pat Barry

Alexis Davis defeats Rosi Sexton

Roy Nelson defeats Stipe Miocic

Shogun Rua defeats Lil Nog

Dan Henderson defeats Rashad Evans

 

Preliminary Card
Tyron Woodley defeats Jake Shields

Sam Stout defeats James Krause

Ryan Jimmo defeats Igor Pokrajac

Sean Pierson defeats Kenny Robertson

Edwin Figueroa defeats Roland Delorme

John Maguire defeats Mitch Clarke

Yves Jabouin defeats Dustin Pague
– Ryan “Fight Freek” Poli

@FightFreek