November 16th, 2007
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I just started watching in time to see Bryson Kamaka get KO’d by a knee from Luke Stewart at 18 seconds into the 1st round. I missed the Sean Salmon/Jorge Santiago fight, I was hoping for Salmon to win, but it sounds like he got brutally KTFO by a flying knee from Santiago at 24 seconds into the match. According to reports, it took him several minutes to get up, and he was transported to the hospital after having a seizure in the ring. This dude should possibly consider retiring from MMA, he has been knocked out cold several times I think. It’s a shame, because I really liked watching Salmon fight, and I thought he was winning his UFC fight against Rashad Evans until he got knocked out by the kick. I hope Sean recovers quickly.
Next fight is Bobby Southworth vs. Anthony Ruiz. Most people remember Southworth from his days on “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show. Bobby scored a knockdown with a straight right hand to open up the fight. The guys fought through the first round, and Southworth got rocked with a 4 punch combination and suffered a fight-stopping cut. The doctor ended the fight in round 2. Winner: Anthony Ruiz
Next up is Lemont Davis vs. Brian Schwartz, atwo guys I don’t really know much about except that Lemont Davis fought for Chuck Norris’ WCL a few years ago I think. This is Brian Schwartz’ MMA debut, and he’s evidently a pretty good kickboxer, he landed a few strikes, then they went to the ground where Davis landed in a guillotine but Schwartz couldn’t finish it, now they’re back on their feet. Not much else happened in round 1, now we’re in round 2. Schwartz stomps Davis’ foot and Davis makes a face like WTF? then uppercuts Schwarts. There looks to be a small cut on Schwartz head, but nothing too serious, he still seems fine. He landed a couple of knees, including one to the balls of Davis. Round 2 is over. Round 3 was mostly all guilloting attempts by both guys, none were successful. Judges decision coming up. I’m not sure who they’ll give the win to, both guys held up well. The official decision is: LEMONT DAVIS (Unanimous Decision).
Next up is Paul Buentello vs. Alistair Overeem. Man I would love to see Buentello knock Overeem out tonight, but Overeem is a tough SOB… but where the hell is his sledgehammer? in PrideFC he always brought a damn sledgehammer to the ring with him. Overeem looks in great shape, Buentello has his usual beer gut, so +1 for Buentello.
Damn Overeem cracked him with a knee right off the bat and took Buentello to the ground. Buentello might get owned. Holy crap Buentello DID get heavily owned all throughout the first round, he’s lucky to make it to round 2. Overeem just kept nailing him with knees, near-guillotines, and various strikes.
Round 2 starts and Paul Buentello comes out swinging, he knows he needs to KO Alistair Overeem, Buentello is punching good and Overeem takes him back down. Now the crowd is booing because the fighters have been on the mat for awhile being rather uneventful. Referee stands them back up, more strikes, Overeem lands a knee to the ribs, Buentello falls and immediately taps, I imagine he has some cracked ribs. Damn, oh well, WAR Buentello anyway.
Between fights, Gary Millen announces Strikeforce 8 to take place on March 29th next year with a main event featuring Josh “The Punk” Thompson vs. Gilbert Melendez.
Next up for tonights event is Jorge Santiago vs. Trevor Prangley for the tournament final. Both guys won their 1st fights earlier tonight, obviously Jorge Santiago should be more rested since his first fight lasted only seconds.
Round 1 starts and they stay on their feet, Santiago lands the better strikes, he threw a Liddell-esque overhand right to Prangley’s dome and rocked him a little bit, then threw a nasty leg kick that knocked Prangley on his ass for a second. Prangley stood back up, but Santiago landed a couple of knees, one which went hard to Prangley’s midsection or ribs, ending the fight in similar fashion to the Buentello/Overeem fight.
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Welcome again to the Fantasy MMA Betting League tipsters panel!
The Odds
At the time of writing, the odds provided by BetOnFighting were as follows.
+215 Michael Bisping vs Rashad Evans -275
+125 Thiago Silva vs Houston Alexander -155
+120 Joe Doerksen vs Ed Herman -150
+275 Ryo Chonan vs Karo Parisyan -345
-115 Spencer Fisher vs Frank Edgar -115
+150 Chris Lytle vs Thiago Alves -180
+450 Jason Reinhardt vs Joe Lauzon -600
+350 Luke Caudillo vs Marcus Aurelio -450
+215 Tamdan McCrory vs Akihiro Gono -275
The Panel
Mike (me) - of mmagame.com. Full time MMA fanatic.
Doug - proprietor of zewkey.com - the mma betting site.
Boondock - Awesome highlights maker and high flying tipster in our betting league.
Boondock’s picks
UFC 78 is upon us! It’s been dubbed “Validation” which is a fancy word for “making something official.” I’m not quite sure what we’re making official with this card other than I swear it’s going to be the longest running commercial for UFC 79: Nemesis ever. I expect Dana to pull out all the stops in hyping the upcoming December event and Validation is a great way to start. I also hear that some of you are disappointed with the UFC 78 fight card, but let’s not let that get in the way of the amazing knowledge that I’m about to drop on you.
HOUSTON ALEXANDER vs THIAGO SILVA
Alexander is known for one thing, his power. Just ask Sakara. Or even ask The Dean of Mean, who woke up from his fight with Alexander in the rafters after catching a shoryuken uppercut to the chin. No one doubts that Alexander throws harder than most we’ve seen lately. Only problem is, we haven’t seen much of him and certainly we have no idea how good he really is on the ground.
That’s where Thiago Silva comes in. I think Silva will test Alexander and hopefully put Houston on his back so we can see what type of grappling pedigree he has. I actually like Silva in this fight and if he comes in with a good game plan, he has a great chance of answering the question of, “just how good is Houston Alexander?”
Then again, if Silva comes in and tries to trade punch for punch… well, let’s just say he won’t be the first Silva from Chute Boxe to take a canvas nap this year.
MICHAEL BISPING vs RASHAD EVANS
So here it is folks, a TUFfers delight. Two TUF champions finally getting into the cage to see who’s the toughest of the TUF.
Evans will be again trying to prove that he’s an exciting fighter and comes in with some added confidence and big fight experience after his draw with Tito.
Bisping, on the other hand, will be hungry for a win after coming off a recent loss to Matt Hamm…. wait a second, scratch that.
I’m not really sure who to pick in this match up and therefore I’ll do what I’ve always done in tough decisions like these… consult the great songs of Mary Poppins. And what would she tell us? “A spoonful
of Sugar helps the medicine go down.”
And therefore, Sugar puts the Count on the floor and works him. The judges might attempt to hand Bisping another victory but it’ll look strange seeing Big John trying to hold The Count’s hand up while Bisping lays flat on his back unconscious.
KARO PARISYIAN vs RYO CHONAN
Don’t expect a slugfest and don’t expect a knock-out in this one. This fight will go to the ground, stay there, and most likely the decision will be put in the judges hands. We could be in for some great judo throws and I expect to see some fireworks since Karo’s long-time best buddy, Nate Diaz, will be in “The Heat’s” corner to cheer him on.
As for Chonan… gravity defying sub aside, the Piranha’s in hot water in this one. I called Chonan personally to ask him to try another flying heel-hook but he didn’t return my phone calls, or my letters, or my notes
on his car, or even my late night visits. All I got was a letter from his lawyer and now I apparently can’t watch this fight within 30 yards of the Piranha.
Regardless, I see Karo winning this battle, and I do think it will be a war. Chonan was a good signing for the UFC and hopefully we’ll see him at his best, in which case both fighters will be in for a long night.
So there it is! Have fun watching the fights, tip your waitresses, and make sure and watch my new HL video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=FQeq9SLyFOI
Long Live MMA!
-Boondock
Doug’s picks
Unfortunately, I don’t see much profit to be made at UFC 78. None of the underdogs seem to have much of a chance, in my mind.
I like Spencer Fisher to beat Frankie Edgar. Edgar is solid fighter with recent victory over Tyson Griffin, which says alot about his ability. Griffin’s ground game is very good and he could end up with a decision, but I think that Fisher is just a better “fighter.” I have watched Fisher develop an interesting attack to go along with a very athletic-style defense, what does that mean? He simply does what it takes to get himself in position to control the fight. Fisher wins what should be a great fight to watch.
Thiago Alves and Chris Lytle are very similar fighters, in that they both have struggled when opposed by quality opponents. Thiago is still learning and he should benefit from each of those losses. He’s only 24, with his best fighting still ahead of him. Lytle is a true pro and we know what to expect from him on Saturday night, but he will struggle against the faster and stronger (read younger) Alves. Easy win for Thiago.
Rashad Evans should handle Bisping easily in what should be a replay of the Tim Sylvia vs Brandon Vera snoozefest. Bisping’s only true weapon is his ground n pound, but I cannot envision any scenario where he is able to take Rashad down and maintain control long enough to do any damage. Bisping’s punching is
too sloppy to give Evans trouble in the standup and Rashad will school him on the mat. Tough night to be “the Count.” The only thing I don’t like about Rashad are his odds.
Mike’s picks
Well, this is a great card with some “compelling matchups” as a lot of experts like to say. Even the main event is a good fight - I think the fact that it is not quite main event quality is distracting people from that fact.
Having said that, the matchups are all close and consequently pretty hard to bet on. The one bet that jumped out at me was Joe Doerksen at +120. Doerksen is a guy who ran Nate Marquardt and Joe Riggs close, whilst he’s beaten guys like Kang, Cote, McGivern etc. I thought this was a good pick before I heard
that he’d already beaten Herman once before, so that solidified it for me.
Apart from that, Thiago Alves looks a decent bet (although not a great one). Lytle is a tough, tough guy, who’s only been finished once. The thing is, he’s also lost 13 times by decision and I think that will likely happen again here. Alves is more active and more powerful and I see him just peppering Lytle with more shots and out muscling him.
Rashad looks good in the main event and considering how heavily favoured he is amongst the fans, that’s incredible odds. The thing is, Rashad is a very hit and miss fighter and is on my list of “never bet for or against these guys”. In short, I’m not touching it with Mauro’s 25cm pole.
I also think I’ll have a little dabble on Spencer Fisher. I love Frank Edgar but I just have a feeling that Fisher will out strike him and stuff the takedowns. Not a big bet on this one though.
And last but not least Thiago Silva can have some of my good lovin too. I am just not sold on Houston Alexander at all and even though I’m not sold on Silva either, I’m going with a small bet on him. As soon as someone employs something resembling a gameplan in a fight against Mr Alexander, it should be the end of the hype.
UFC 77 Betting Summary
Mike: $25 Silva, $75 Doerksen, $25 Fisher, $25 Alves
Boondock: $5 Caudillo, $5 Reinhardt, $50 Parisyan, $25 Silva, $50 Evans
Doug: Fisher $40, Alves $40, Rashad $40
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Nick “The Goat Thompson” will face off in a rematch with Eddie Alvarez when Bodog Fight presents HooknShoot at the Evansville Coliseum in Evansville, Indianna on November 24th.
This news comes from a Bodog press release, a copy of which can be found here.
These two fought for the welterwight title back in April at Bodog Fight: Clash of the Nations. “The Goat” would score a second round TKO and claim the title and also add the only blemish to Alvarez’s MMA record.
Alvarez is ready to avenge this lone loss and also settle a feud that begun back in April, after some alleged comments made about Alvarez’ son by Thompson in a post fight drunken rant.
“Nick got drunk after our fight and said some things he shouldn’t have,” said Alvarez. “He made some remarks about my son, Eddie Jr., and I plan to make him pay.”.
Should be interesting.
Read more on Fiveounceofspain.com
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Strikeforce will stream its middleweight tournament from the the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif., tonight LIVE on Yahoo! Sports at 11 p.m. ET.
To watch all the action tonight at 11 p.m. ET click HERE.
For more background and information on tonight’s Strikeforce card, which is being presented by BodogFIGHT, hit up this Web site.
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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The talented field of mixed martial artists who will compete tomorrow (Saturday), November 17 at UFC 78 “Validation” will all tip the scales today at 4pm ET.
The event will not be televised or streamed live over the Internet. However, the footage will appear on UFC.com later this evening for those who want to catch all the pre-fight hub-bub.
Fortunately, the MMAmania.com crew is live in Newark this afternoon and we will provide up to the minute weigh-in results right here:
205 lbs.: Rashad Evans (206 lbs.) vs. Michael Bisping (205 lbs.)
205 lbs.: Houston Alexander (203 lbs.) vs. Thiago Silva (204 lbs.)
170 lbs.: Karo Parisyan (170 lbs.) vs. Ryo Chonan (169 lbs.)
155 lbs.: Frank Edgar (154 lbs.) vs. Spencer Fisher (154.5 lbs.)
155 lbs.: Joe Lauzon (155 lbs.) vs. Jason Reinhardt (155 lbs.)
185 lbs.: Ed Herman (186 lbs.) vs. Joe Doerksen (185.5 lbs.)
170 lbs.: Chris Lytle (170.5 lbs.) vs. Thiago Alves (171 lbs.)
155 lbs.: Marcus Aurelio (156 lbs.) vs. Luke Caudillo (155.5 lbs.)
170 lbs.: Tamdan McCrory (170 lbs.) vs. Akihiro Gono (169 lbs.)
Update: Rashad Evans pushed Michael Bisping during the staredown
For more details check out our UFC 78 archive.
The televised portion of the pay-per-view (PPV) event begins Saturday, November 17, at 10 p.m. ET. We will provide LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the main card action at this time.
UFC 78 quick results, however, will begin to flow earlier than that here at MMAmania.com at about 8:30 p.m. ET with the prelim fights.
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com was on Steve Cofield’s radio show discussing the Randy Couture/Dana White situation.
Yesterday, Dana himself told Cofield that he was meeting with Randy Couture on Tuesday. Marvez says he has spoken with Matt Walker, Couture’s agent, and Walker has denied that there is a meeting scheduled for next Tuesday but that some kind of meeting may take place this weekend at UFC 78.
Click HERE to listen.
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Desert Dog here with tips and “Smart Bets” for UFC 78: “Validation” this Saturday, November 17, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
It’s been awhile since I passed along the lines — life has been busy. Therefore, I want to get right to the analysis. This card has some solid opportunities and we want you to take advantage of them before the lines narrow.
Let’s get to it.
Here are the “Smart Bets” for UFC 78:
Main card picks:
(Note: + = Underdog, - = Favorite)
Rashad Evans -320 (No Action)
Karo Parisyan -170 Over/Under (Bet $100 win $58.82)
Spencer Fisher +100 (Bet $100 win $100)
Houston Alexander -160 (Bet $100 win $62.50) -Or- +130 Over/Under option (Bet $100 win $130)
Ed Herman -170 (No Action)
Preliminary card picks:
Thiago Alves -200 (Bet $100 win $50)
Tamdan McCrory +220 (Bet $100 win $220)
Marcus Aurelio -500 (No Action)
Joe Lauzon -400 (No Action)
NOTE: MMAmania.com recommends BetUS.com to place wagers (FREE $75 play with a deposit of $50 or more … you actually make money). However, Bodog.com is also a good place to bet and compare odds.)
As always — if you are going to bet — only play with what you are willing to lose.
The best value on this card is Spencer Fisher at even money. A straight bet on Houston at -160 and the over/under for Parisyan to go past 1.5 rounds are both good, too.
The underdog bets to consider on this card are Tamdan McCrory at +205 and an over/under bet on the Alexander fight to go less than 1.5 rounds with odds of +130.
Now onto a more detailed breakdown of the fights for those bettors who require a little more reassurance:
Rashad Evans (-320) vs. Michael Bisping (+240)
This fight between is a more exciting match up than the original Evans vs. Tito Ortiz rematch that never materialized. The styles of these two fighters should provide for a very active fight. Honestly, anything would be better than what we saw from these two in their last bouts.
In betting terms the bookmakers seem to be putting much more weight on Bisping’s last showing than Rashad’s. Both were tentative and slow to initiate their game plans and not up to their expectations. Unfortunately for Bisping his win was probably because of poor judging, which left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans.
My initial take on this fight is that Rashad has the advantage in size, wrestling and aggression. Skill wise it’s close in the standup, but if Bisping is on his bike in fear of the takedown it will be a painful one to watch. On the ground both prefer to ground and pound, but Bisping has a more dangerous guard.
In this particular fight Bisping will not want to be on his back – slick submission attempts will just get him some big hammer fists to the face. Rashad has the overall advantage and should win this fight, but the odds are not worth it.
I would say that the probability should be about 67/43. In other words Evans isn’t a good buy unless he’s around -200.
Prediction: Evans via decision
Karo Parisyan (-350) vs. Ryo Chonan (+250)
Karo Parisyan is best known for making every fight a war and this match up sets the stage for another fast paced, technical battle. Karo’s 17-5 record doesn’t tell his story on it’s own, but a closer look defines his fighting style.
First, he’s only lost to three people Sean Sherk (three times, 2000-1), Georges St Pierre (2004), and most recently to Diego Sanchez (2006).His showing at both of his UFC losses were very respectable.
Second, Karo wins almost all of his fights via decision because of his relentless and technical style. Unfortunately, it also shows he’s not known for his stand up power or his ability to finish. “The Heat” has the core strength you hear about with all top level grapplers and a pitbull mentality, which is what wins fights for him and that’s what makes him fun to watch.
Ryo Chonan is forever known as the guy who took out Anderson Silva with a flying scissor heel hook … just remember he was getting his ass kicked for most of that fight. He has lost to several other big names in the 185-pound division like Filho, Henderson, and Baroni.
Now for his move to the UFC he’s dropped down to the welterweight division in hopes that he won’t have to deal with being overpowered. He’s also been training with Team Quest and his new hero Dan Henderson. He believes this has really improved his striking style and wrestling skills.
A short comings against some of his opponents has been his standup and very short reach we’ll see what some Team Quest time has done for him. Once things hit the ground he is dangerous from all positions. His submissions are slick and unorthodox, much like Karo’s style. Now he just has to get use to the UFC crowds, the cage, and elbows in a match up with Karo sounds like fun huh.
Look for Karo to actually work his standup in the first part of this fight. By round two Chonan will be closing the distance and Karo will shift to his favorite standby – the Judo throws. Round two will probably decide this fight if Karo can control and ground and pound he will continue this through the third round and win via decision. If Ryo is going to win, it will be due to greater strength and ground control or maybe catching Karo with an unusual submission.
Overall Karo’s pace and ever improving skill set should be enough to out slick the “Piranha.” The odds have Karo as a heavy favorite (-350), not the numbers I wanted to see for a bet on Karo. There’s value on a Parisyan bet if the odds get below -300 and on Ryo if the Odds get to +300.
With the odds where they are a better bet would be the over/under for this one to go past 1.5 rounds (-160).
Prediction: Karo via decision
Spencer Fisher (+100) vs. Frankie Edgar(-130)
Here’s a good candidate for fight of the night. These two epitomize what makes the lightweight division so exciting.
Edgar made an impressive UFC debut against Tyson Griffin, winning a hard fought decision. He’s also showed that he can handle submission specialists as well in his second UFC win against Mark Bocek.
His game is very well rounded and athletic, but he hasn’t shown a consistent ability to finish his opponents. He’s definitely got the edge in wrestling. His striking style very sound boxing but he’s lacking a bit in his kickboxing and outside striking because of his reach.
Fisher continues to find himself in wars in the Octagon. His Muay Thai striking and knees are his best weapons and although he claims to have a weakness in wrestling, he’s proven to be very dangerous on the ground in all positions.
Edgar will be able to get the takedown, but I don’t think he will be able to maintain control on the ground. Look for a great stand up war with Fisher holding the edge in terms of striking power and overall technique. Edgar’s takedowns will result in some quick transitions and scrambles, but nothing more. Fishers striking power will overwhelm Edgar in later rounds. Anything that puts Fisher in as the underdog or even money is a great bet.
Prediction: Fisher via technical knockout
Houston Alexander (-160) vs. Thiago Silva (+130)
Houston Alexander has quickly become a ticket seller after his quick and impressive technical knockouts of Keith Jardine and Allesio Sakara. At 35 years old, Houston has suddenly found himself exactly where he wants to be – in the UFC aiming for the top of his division.
His fighting style was best described by Mike Goldberg at UFC 75I “That dude is violent!”
His first two UFC fights were so short it’s hard to say much else. His boxing and Muay Thai looked very good, especially against the slower paced Sakara. His ground game, however, is completely untested on the UFC stage. His game plan for this fight is to keep it standing and work his inside game. Hopefully we’ll get to see his conditioning in this fight.
Thiago Silva (11-0) holds a black belt in Brazilian jui jitsu and comes out of the ChuteBoxe team and has been training with Team Link. As with most of this Brazilian teammates, his Muay Thai is very strong and he likes to keep it standing, with nine of his wins coming by way of technical knockout. As long as he doesn’t let his emotions take over, the first point of his game plan will be to test Alexander’s ground game.
Although Thiago is 2-0 in the UFC his bouts have slid under the radar, especially the win over James Irvin (who blew his knee out early in the first round). His last fight against Tomasz Drwal showed his ability to stand with a heavy puncher. What was lacking was his energy in the second round and his takedowns didn’t look that sharp. His pace in all of his fights is methodical, but he puts a lot of power behind his punches and knows when to pour it on.
On paper these two match up pretty tight with no significant size or reach advantages. Silva holds an advantage in terms of training and overall skill set. Houston’s only visible advantage is his “violence.” His aggression will be an immediate test for Thiago and if that storm is weathered, we’ll all finally get a good look at the rest of his game.
My pick in this fight is Houston and he is a good value for a straight bet, but if the lack of info on him scares you this is another good candidate for an over/under bet with this fight not likely to make it much past round 1 (+130).
Prediction: Houston via technical knockout
Joe Doerksen (+140) vs. Ed Herman (-170)
Another fight of the night here … Okay, that’s a load of crap. I’ll be drinking a beer and then getting several more during this 15 minutes of fun. Doerksen is the ideal opponent for Herman because his standup is lackluster and his wrestling, submissions and ground and pound are not as good as Herman’s.
Plain and simple as long as Doerksen hasn’t found some significant new standup skills he’ll be outpointed in yet another decision. I won’t be betting on this fight because of both a lack of interest and a lack of value on either side.
Prediction: Herman via decision
Preliminary Bouts:
Thiago Alves (-200) vs. Chris Lytle (+160)
Alves is gaining great confidence and showing some fantastic aggressive abilities in all parts of his game. Still training with American Top Team, this young powerhouse poses a threat to opponents in all positions. His strength is in his standup and ground and pound.
Although he’s matching up against someone who’s never been stopped he’s going to be the toughest competition Lytle has seen yet.
Yes, tougher than Matt Hughes.
Chris has been on a real rollercoaster ride over the last three years with losses in all of his “big” fights. Chris has some respectable standup but his forte is definitely his submission game. Unfortunately, Alves’ strength and technical knowledge on the ground will nullify this possible advantage.
There is always a chance that Alves will make the same mistake he made against Fisher back in 2005. I’d say the chance of that is about 1 in 5.
Prediction: Alves via technical knockout
Akihiro Gono (-280) vs. Tamdan McCrory (+220)
This line is a steal.
Tamdan (8-0) may be a self proclaimed geek but he’s also a 6′4″ freak in the cage. He won his first six fights via technical knockout and his last two by submission, including Pete Spratt in his UFC debut.
Now I’m not singing him in as the next WW champion, but he is in a very winnable fight with Gono and has zero sense of fear.
Gono is very seasoned (27-12-7), but he is 5′9″, making his UFC debut, and has not fought in a year. Yes, Gono has seen it all and is basically fighting a kid, but when you combine Tamdan’s reach with Gono’s incredibly upright posture in the stand up and you’ve got a recipe for a another geek attack win.
He is following Ryo in stepping down from 183 to 170 pounds, but he’s also said that his ideal fight weight may be 155.
Hmm … very interesting.
This is a huge test for Tamdan but I the current line is only giving him a little better than a 30 percent chance. With the physical match up and Gono making his Octagon debut, Tamdan’s odds should be much closer to even money.
Prediction: Tamdan via technical knockout
Marcus Aurelio (-500) vs. Luke Caudillo (+350)
Hmmm … A 5 to 1 favorite on a three-fight losing streak. Yes, his losses were to a couple of very good PRIDE FC fighters and Clay Guida in his UFC debut. Normally, odds this out of whack would inspire a dog bet.
Not this time.
Luke Caudillo does have solid hands but his biggest weak point has been his tendency to get submitted. Not to mention that he hasn’t faced anyone of Aurelio’s caliber. No reason to put any cabbage on either side of this one.
Prediction: Aurelio via submision
Joe Lauzon (-400) vs. Jason Reinhardt (+280)
Not much to say on this one.
Jason is moving up from about 135 pounds to make his UFC debut. He is unbeaten but all of his competition was no where near Lauzon’s caliber.
Joe has been training with BJ Penn and is another large lightweight with a very strong aggressive fight style. This will likely be a quick walkthrough for Joe. No value for a bet at these odds.
Prediction: Lauzon via technical knockout
That about does it for this installment of betting tips and advice. UFC 78 is a solid (not spectacular) card that does offer some intriguing betting options.
Remember to bet smart.
Betting is not for everyone. But if you want to take a stab at it head over to BetUs.com (with a deposit you get a $50 free play) or to compare competitive MMA lines visit Bodog.com.
Enjoy the fights and good luck.
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Michael Bisping and Thiago Alves and Thiago Silva and Tamdan McCory and Akihiro Gono and UFC 78 and UFC betting tips from Desert Dog and Frank Edgar and Spencer Fisher and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Rashad Evans and UFC Pay Per View (PPV) Events and Houston Alexander and Chris Lytle and MMA.
Frankie Edgar gives a solid interview to fellow Jersey native Mr. Sunshine, Steve Cofield.
LISTEN Here!!
He talks about his transition from college wrestler to UFC fighter, where he’s training in the area, and goes into detail about his fight prep. Edgar also discusses being a wrestling coach at Rutgers University. And how he plans on using his superior wrestling skillz to exploit Spencer Fisher’s weaknesses.
It’s a 13+ minute interview and its worth your time. Cofield asks great questions and Edgar can hold a conversation (read: he’s not a meathead)
Check out tons of UFC 78 content on FiveOuncesofPain.com
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UFC 78: “Validation” is set for tomorrow (Saturday) night on November 17 from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The pay-per-view (PPV) event airs at 10 p.m. ET.
Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates and blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action throughout the telecast. It promises to be a great discussion as usual for an interesting line up of fights.
To get us pumped for the festivities MMAmania.com contributor Jesse Holland and site veteran “MMA Dude,” went toe-to-toe below to try and predict the fighters who will leave the Octagon with their hands raised tomorrow evening.
It’s important to note for the predicitions that while someone may be lauding a certain fighter, he isn’t necessarily the guy who he thinks is going to win. Basically, we never want this to come out sounding repetitive. At the end of each analysis, therefore, you will see the individual picks.
Let’s get to it:
“Sugar” Rashad Evans (10-0-1) vs. Michael “The Count” Bisping (14-0)
MMAmania reader “MMA Dude:” As much as Rashad would like to think that Bisping only wins because he “thinks” that he’s good (and not because he really is good) is simply not the case. When Bisping hits, it hurts. Just look at all of his opponents’ faces after the fact. They aren’t pretty no matter how short the fight was. Bisping is in the right frame of mind for this fight. He learned in his fight with Hamill that he isn’t invincible. He also got a glimpse of what it is like to go to the judges scorecards for the first time in his career … and he didn’t like it. I see Bisping coming out with fire in his eyes and overwhelming Rashad. There’s no question that Rashad will be able to take Bisping down at some point in the fight, but he won’t keep him there. Both fighters are good enough not to get submitted by the other. This fight will be won or lost standing up, where Bisping will be the aggressor of the two. Will he be able to put Rashad to sleep? No. Rashad is too athletic to get into heavy danger, but there definitely will be fireworks if Rashad is willing to engage. Some people think this fight is not main event worthy, I disagree. I will only agree if neither fighter engages (see Evans vs. Ortiz), or if the rounds are interrupted by J-Lo commercials.
Jesse Holland: Michael “The Count” Bisping should be counting the number of days until his undefeated streak comes to an end. By my calculations that day is Saturday when he faces “Sugar” Rashad Evans. When I compare the two fighters I see a marked difference in their UFC tenure. Whereas Evans continues to improve, Bisping seems to be stuck in neutral. Compare the Evans who fought Brad Imes to the Evans of today and you have two very different fighters. Rashad has always been an outstanding wrestler, but now his striking has become just as lethal (ask Lambert and Salmon). Yet if you compare the Bisping who slaughtered a bloated but determined Josh Haynes to the Bisping of today you have, well the same fighter. It seems like every fight Bisping has a scare. He got rocked by the King of Rock ‘n Rumble, he was nearly submitted by Eric Schafer and he got tooled by an inconsistent Matt Hamill. While those past names may not have been able to capitalize on the Brit’s mistakes, he won’t get away with them against Evans. Rashad will strike early but it’s only a matter of time before he starts the wrestling clinic. Bisping is going to get punished for three rounds.
Final Predictions:
MMAdude: Bisping via unanimous decision
Jesse Holland: Evans via unanimous decision
Houston Alexander (8-1) vs. Thiago Silva (11-0)
MMAmania reader “MMA Dude:” I don’t expect any surprises in this fight. Both are heavy hitters and both are going for the knockout. Houston will come out with guns blazing like his prior UFC fights. I am every bit convinced that this fight will be determined in the clinch. It’s Houston’s heavy handed upper cuts versus Silva’s ChuteBoxe Muay Thai. Either way, I don’t see this fight going past the first round. Neither can take the other one’s power for too long, so who ever can connect clean first will be the winner. If the fight does for some reason go to the ground, it will be because Silva wants it there. Judging by Houston’s fight with Sakara, this will be a task in itself. I see Alexander getting off first and Silva crumbling after a few unanswered shots to the temple. Houston may even yell at him while he’s unconscious.
Jesse Holland: Houston Alexander may be getting all the press lately for his rock ‘em-sock ‘em finishes, but Thiago Silva is no stranger to stoppages himself. With 9 of his 11 wins ending by (T)KO including six straight, Silva has left a trail of bodies in his wake. Silva has also trained with the killers at Chute Boxe, the same camp responsible for Shogun Rua and Wanderlei Silva. With that resume it’s going to take more than Alexander’s two quick KO’s to rattle him. If Silva can come out and not try to end it with one punch he has a very good chance of outstriking Alexander. He has to be patient and initiate the clinch on the inside. Alexander might be too strong to keep against the cage, but Silva should be able to fire off some strikes and disengage. It’s going to be a war and I’m sure someone is going out. I happen to think its Alexander.
Final Predictions:
MMAdude: Alexander via KO
Jesse Holland: Silva via TKO
Ed “Short Fuse” Herman (13-5) vs. Joe Doerksen (39-10)
MMAmania reader “MMA Dude:” Ed Herman is getting a chance for redemption. After losing to Joe Doerksen three years ago, I can only assume that Ed’s game has vastly improved. Redemption is plausible. Herman is the superior wrestler with good ground and pound. Doerksen is as wily as they come on the ground and has a list of submission wins over tough opponents to prove it. This will be a ground war unless Ed decides to win the fight standing, and do to Doerksen what Filho did to him in his last outing. Ed Herman needs to watch for the triangle if and when he takes Doerksen down. This is Doerksen’s bread and butter, and it also happens to be Herman’s Achilles heel. I don’t know if it’s up to Frank Trigg/rear naked choke status quite yet, but it is definitely something Ed has to be aware of. Ed’s fighter mentality is what will pull him through this fight. Ed won’t give up if he finds himself in a bad spot. I don’t think I can say the same for Doerksen.
Jesse Holland: Unfortunately for Ed Herman history has a way of repeating itself. “Short Fuse” was submitted by Doerksen a little over three years ago and that’s got to be in the back of Herman’s head. While some fighters might use that as a springboard for revenge, I think Herman has a way of beating himself mentally in some fights and this one will be no exception. Doerksen has the edge in experience (fight #50!) and despite Herman looking good in his past two fights, he has a habit of leaving himself exposed. That partly explains why he’s lost 80% of his fights by submission. By contrast Doerksen has won 80% of his fights by submission and you don’t have to be a betting man to like those numbers. This fight is just as sure to go to the ground as the Alexander/Silva fight is to stay on the feet. That’s bad news for Herman. I hope he’s working on his sub-defense.
Final Predictions:
MMAdude: Herman via technical knockout
Jesse Holland: Doerksen via submission
Karo “The Heat” Parisyan (17-5) vs. Ryo ”Piranha” Chonan (14-7)
MMAmania reader “MMA Dude:” Karo vs. Ryo has the makings to be another three round war for Karo. Both guys are hard as nails and slick as snot. Both have been in many long competitive fights. But in all honesty, somewhere down the line Karo will have to start putting people away in order to seal a title shot. This will start on Saturday. The “Heat” and the “Piranha” will go toe-to-toe in an exciting war, leaving no corner of the Octagon untouched. Once the third round gets underway, Karo will still be ready to bring it, Ryo will not. Fatigue will be Chonan’s downfall, just like other fighters in their UFC debut. Karo will end him in the third round after a viewers choice style fight. Simultaneously, a monkey will jump off of Karo’s back. Don’t be alarmed if the monkey then runs over to hang out with Joe Rogan, ala the movie “Grandma’s Boy”. Also don’t be alarmed later, like during the Herman/Doerksen fight, if you hear Rogan say “That’s right monkey, play my head.”
Jesse Holland: Ryo Chonan is called the “Piranha” not because he nibbles at you ferociously but because he actually resembles a fish. That used to be his claim to fame until he pulled off one of the most spectacular submissions you’ll ever see (flying scissor heel hook) against Anderson Silva back at Shockwave 2004. Aside from that Chonan is a difficult fighter to prepare for. He has a very unconventional style and is not afraid to mix it up inside the cage. That could cause problems for Parisyan who is very methodical in his approach relying heavily on his judo. If Chonan wants the “W” he has to keep his distance and stay away from the takedowns/throws. Lately Karo’s had difficulty finishing people and also has a sizable chip on his shoulder for not being in title contention. Combined that could make him a little overanxious and ripe for a Chonan offense. I see this one going the distance.
Final Predictions:
MMAdude: Parisyan via technical knockout
Jesse Holland: Parisyan via unanimous decision
Frank “The Answer” Edgar (7-0) vs. Spencer “The King” Fisher (20-3)
MMAmania reader “MMA Dude:” Anytime Frankie Edgar or Spencer Fisher are on the card, there is a good possibility they will be the front runners for the “fight of the night.” With Karo/Ryo and Alves/Lytle on the same card, they will have their work cut out for them to accomplish this. However, it’s a good possibility. Both fighters have great technical boxing and very good cardio. But, with Spencer’s heavy hands and southpaw stance, it will be in Edgar’s best interest to opt not to bang and use his superior wrestling to get the fight to the ground. Fisher has already been trying to bait Edgar into a stand up war through his interviews. Spencer also self-admittedly “sucks” at wrestling. I expect Edgar to be able to take Spencer down, be active through transitioning and ground and pound, ultimately wearing Fisher out. I don’t see Frankie finishing Spencer anywhere on the mat, on account of Spencer being one tough bastard. But, I do see Edgar doing enough damage on the ground to win on the cards, hands down.
Jesse Holland: Frankie Edgar might be 7-0 and climbing the lightweight ladder, but he’s not going to have an answer for Spencer Fisher. “The King” has made a career out of beating up-and-coming lightweights including Josh Neer, Thiago Alves and Sam Stout. At 20-3 he’s leaps and bounds ahead of Edgar in experience and if the show he put on at Fight Night 10 is any indication, Edgar is going to be popping a lot of Motrin on Sunday morning. I think that Edgar’s undefeated streak will actually hurt him, as it has a tendency to create a sense of invincibility within fighters. That leaves them prone to mistakes like an exposed jaw or a flailing limb – both of which will not escape a veteran like Fisher. Edgar will be sure to look for the takedown and if Fisher can stuff him then he can pretty much control the fight. I have no doubt this will be a candidate for fight of the night.
Final Predictions:
MMAdude: Edgar via unanimous decision
Jesse Holland: Fisher via unanimous decision
What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for UFC 78.
For the complete UFC 78: “Validation” fight card click here.
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC 78 and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.
It seems like former “Ultimate Fighter” contestant Rob Emerson grew up as a spoiled rich brat in southern California, and tried to be a gangster. LOL. Unfortunately, some of his victims didn’t think it was so funny. Rob Emerson likes to gang up on unsuspecting kids on the street and beat them nearly to death. This took place in the year 2000, but in fact, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Deptartment website, Rob Emerson was arrested again on Sep 19 of this year and was sent to the Musick Jail in Irvine California.
Check out the video below for the original news story about Rob “rich boy” Emerson.
Written by admin on November 16th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC and The Ultimate Fighter and MMA.
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