SuperBad: MMAmania.com Exclusive Interview with Dustin Hazelett

Now that I’m fully rested from my Canada trip (and then some), I got back in touch with UFC welterweight fighter, Dustin “McLovin” Hazelett.

I had spoken several times with Hazelett over the last few weeks, trying to get him to comment on his upcoming fight with Josh “The People’s Warrior” Burkman. As instructed by the UFC, Hazelett wouldn’t comment on his next opponent until the fight was made official.

But this didn’t stop Burkman from throwing in his two cents in an interview with MMAWeekly.com. You can find those comments here.

Now that the fight is official, Hazelett opened up about the upcoming fight, responded to Burkman’s “I’ll even retire if it does go to a decision” comments, and even addressed his new nickname. The following interview is a conglomerate of our three previous conversations.

Dustin Hazelett faces Josh Burkman at The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 Finale on June 21.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I’ve been trying to get you to comment on your upcoming fight with Josh Burkman at The Ultimate Fighter 7 Finale on June 21, but you wouldn’t budge. This didn’t stop Burkman from talking about it, though, including saying that he would retire if the fight goes to a decision. Do you find this disrespectful?

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah, I found it pretty insulting. I think it shows a lack of respect for myself. But also, he might be concerned with the UFC cutting so many people. With his last five fights going to decision, he might be worried about getting cut if he loses or goes to a decision. So I think that might be why he said that.

To me, I don’t think it matters if a fight goes to a decision, as long as it’s an exciting fight. Of course everybody wants to finish, but if it’s an exciting decision, I don’t think the UFC cares about that. So I think it was still a pretty insulting comment.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Word is that Burkman left his camp in Utah to go train with Xtreme Couture in Vegas for this fight.

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah, I heard that.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Given that it is one of the top MMA camps in the world, does that draw up any additional concerns for you?

Dustin Hazelett: No, that doesn’t add any additional pressure. You know, Burkman’s a tough opponent. I’m not taking this lightly by any means. But it doesn’t add any additional pressure that he’s going there.

A lot of times when you go to a camp, especially your first time going there, sometimes it doesn’t work out well — people don’t know you, so it can be hard to get the adequate help you need. So it’s hard to tell whether or not it’s going to be that much more beneficial for him or not.

I don’t know how they do things there, I’ve never been there. But I’m not going to worry any extra about that, I’m just going to worry about what I have to do — worry about my training.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Burkman was quoted as saying that he wasn’t going to try to clinch or take this fight to the ground. He said, “I’m going to try and knock this dude out. So much for not giving away a game plan … there’s my game plan.”

Dustin Hazelett: (Laughs)

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Personally, I’m not buying it. I find it hard to imagine a Burkman fight without him trying for one of his trademark slams. What’re your thoughts on it? Do you think he’s afraid to go to the ground with you?

Dustin Hazelett: I don’t know, I mean, he might be. I don’t know if he’s afraid to take me to the ground, but I would say that he probably realizes that he stands a much better chance of winning if he keeps it standing.

Personally, I think people kind of over-estimate my ground game. You know, I’m not even a black belt. But I’ve pretty much been fighting all wrestlers lately, so I’ve looked really good (on the ground).

I think (Burkman) realizes his best chance to win is to keep it standing. But I don’t like to commit to things like that, to saying, “I’m not going to do this,” or “I’m not going to do that,” or “I’m going to do this.” You know, because what if he gets rocked and decides, hey, I need a little time to recuperate. A takedown would give him that opportunity, or a clinch, but then it looks like he’s going back on his word.

So personally I think saying stuff like that is a bad idea. Whether or not he’ll actually follow through with it, I don’t know. I didn’t think Koscheck was going to stand as much as he did, but he did, even when I rocked him, he just started firing back more instead of taking me down. So it’s hard to say exactly what (Burkman) is going to do.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How do you think you’ll fare in a stand-up battle with Burkman?

Dustin Hazelett: I think I’ll do well with him in a standup battle.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well you did with Koscheck, you caught him with a kick.

Dustin Hazelett: I feel very confident in my standup abilities. I’ve been working extremely hard on my standup because I know I’m getting to that point where everyone worries about my ground game and realizes that it’d be easier to fight me standing than take me down, because if you put me on my back, that’s where I’m strongest. So I realize that everyone’s going to want to start standing with me. Plus, I love doing kickboxing anyway. So I always do a lot of that. But I’ve been working really hard on it.

You know, I did really well with Koscheck standing until he caught me. And Burkman fights a lot like Koscheck, only he’s not as explosive. So I think (the Koscheck) fight was a really good experience for me, because now I know exactly what I have to do. I knew going into that fight not to paw my jab, but I did it anyway, and that’s when he caught me. But that’s a mistake I won’t make twice.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Burkman has lost two of his last three fights and desperately needs a win. He also hasn’t finished a fight since January 2006. However, 10 of your 14 fights have ended in the first round—a complete 180 from Burkman. Given that he needs a win—and, as he’s stated, not a win via decision—he could act in desperation to try and finish you. Do you think that presents an opportunity and has it played into your preparation at all?

Dustin Hazelett: I realize that he’s probably going to come out really hard. Even in a lot of his fights that have gone to decision, he’s actively tried to finish people. Looking at his last couple of fights, especially in the UFC, his opponents haven’t been cans and nobodies. One of his least known recent opponents was Forrest Petz, who’s a really tough guy. He’s from around the same area that I train in. (Burkman) beat (Petz) in a decision, and I thought it was an exciting fight.

I definitely think he’s going to come out hard in this fight. And I always come out hard and come out aggressive. So I think it’s going to be a hard clash in the first couple rounds. You know, I’m not gonna really, you know, pace myself too much, because if I’m trying to pace myself and he’s going full go, then I’m gonna lose. It doesn’t matter how much energy I have if I get finished.

I think it’s going to be a really exciting first round, for sure. But like I said, it’s hard to tell exactly what he’s going to do, but in the past, he’s always come out very aggressive in the first round.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): …Which sometimes has worked to his detriment, because he has, in the past, gassed a bit by the third round. Do you think that conditioning will be a factor at all?

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah, I’m working my conditioning extremely hard for this fight. I know he comes in shape, and like you said, sometimes he gasses in the third, but the pace in the first and second is pretty high. Anybody at that pace is going to gas out, it’s just a matter of time. So I’m really hitting my conditioning hard so that I can keep up a very high pace for this fight.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): You’re now 3-2 in the UFC (10-4 overall). It’s safe to say you need a win. How many fights do you have remaining on your contract?

Dustin Hazelett: Three.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): I was at your UFC 82 fight against Josh Koscheck. You looked impressive and seemed to have won the first round. Your striking looked much improved. How much had you worked on your stand up?

Dustin Hazelett: I worked on my standup a lot for that fight. I realized that taking (Koscheck) down would be extremely hard, so I had to be able to win the standup. So that was my first priority for that fight: to win the standup. I did a lot of work on it.

I made a lot of mistakes, though. They weren’t really obvious mistakes, they were smaller mistakes. But where I was fresh in the first round, I was getting away with them. But in the second round, it kinda looked like I lost the standup…I don’t really remember much of the second round, but it looked like my pace slowed a little bit, and with a fast guy like (Koscheck), if you’re making a mistake, you can’t get away with it. And he caught me. But if I would’ve done it like I was supposed to, it would have been much better.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): In the second round, Koscheck caught you with a head kick to set up the win. How badly were you rocked?

Dustin Hazelett: What happened was, he threw a big right hand. I blocked it, but it knocked me down to my right some. It knocked me down to my right a little bit—just a bend to the upper body. Then he threw the head kick. So the right hand knocked me right into the head kick. I had my hand up to block the head kick, but his foot still caught me behind my hand and rocked me. It knocked me down. I started to stand back up, but he kinda jumped on me and started hitting me. It didn’t look like I was out, but like I said, I don’t really remember the second round.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well in the first round, it looked like you were close to submitting Kos. How close were you?

Dustin Hazelett: The triangle was decently close. I messed up — I got preoccupied with underhooking the leg so he couldn’t slam me, and ended up letting the arm go, so he had some room to move around there. If I had kept the arm trapped, and then underhooked the leg, it would have been a lot closer, but I messed up there.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): The loss snapped your 3-fight win streak inside the Octagon, but the fight also placed you on the map for a lot of fans who might not have been aware of you before that fight. And you’re also, what, just 21, 22 years old?

Dustin Hazelett: Just turned 22 in April.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How’s it feel to be fighting in the UFC and to have seen so much success so early in your career?

Dustin Hazelett: I mean it feels really good, but I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I’m not too thrilled coming off a loss like that. But the thing about that loss…the same thing that makes me feel better about it is the same thing that really pisses me off about it. And that’s that I messed up, and that’s why I lost. It’s not like he was better than me and he was beating me the whole time. I could have won that fight, but I messed up.

I learned a lot from it. The reason I wanted that fight was because I want to fight tougher guys, I wanted hard fights; I want to fight the best out there. I don’t regret wanting that fight or taking that fight. I definitely learned a lot from it. The next time I fight, I’m not going to make the same mistake.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How did you first get into fighting?

Dustin Hazelett: When I was in middle school and early in high school, I got bullied a lot. I had my head shoved in the toilet a couple times. So I got into martial arts more as a necessity, more of a survival thing. Then I just fell in love with it and wanted to train all the time.

I was originally doing traditional jiu-jitsu, and then I saw the UFC and I was like, “Ah man, that’s what I want to do, I gotta do that.” I then realized that the traditional jiu-jitsu that I was taking wasn’t effective for mixed martial arts and it wasn’t that effective in general. So I quit that, and I started training in my garage for a little bit because I didn’t have my license yet. I was learning off of Maurice Smith instructional tapes.

Then finally I got my license, and I started driving to Huntington, WV, which was a 45 minute drive from the part of Kentucky I lived in, and started training Brazilian jiu-jitsu there. They didn’t teach striking there, so they said, “If you want to fight, you gotta get really good at jiu-jitsu first, because we don’t teach any striking.” I was like, “Alright.” So I started doing jiu-jitsu in the gi, no gi, doing tournaments almost every weekend, and fell in love with jiu-jitsu.

And then one day, they were just like, “Hey, you wanna fight?” And I was like, “Hell yeah, I wanna fight.”

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): And now you’re with Team Gurgel.

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah, the gym I was at was an affiliate of Jorge Gurgel.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): How do you like training there?

Dustin Hazelett: Oh, I love it. It’s a really great place to train. They got everything you need to make it big. Plus you got a lot of good guys to work with, and you know all the guys there are highly motivated and all really want to be there. So it’s a really good atmosphere.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Have you thought about training outside of Ohio?

Dustin Hazelett: I planned on travelling around a little bit and learning from different places, but I would never leave the team. You know, just to go somewhere just to learn for a couple weeks to learn, maybe a month or so. Definitely. But the problem with that is funding and timing. I don’t want to go right before a fight. And funding is kinda limited for fighters. But eventually I’d like to travel around and learn some stuff from some different people.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): What’s the story with your new nickname “McLovin”? Are you a fan of SuperBad?

Dustin Hazelett: (Laughs) Yeah, it was probably two or three days before I fought (Jonathan) Goulet. We were out at the Palms — that’s where they had us staying because that’s where we were fighting at. They had a movie theater downstairs. So Jorge and I just kept going down to watch movies out of boredom.

We watched SuperBad and we were walking out, and I said, “McLovin’s an awesome name, I’m gonna change that to my nickname,” just jokingly. And he was like, “Ha! Now you can’t go back on it.” So he called Bruce Buffer and had him put it on my card. I was kinda worried about it at first, but he was like, “Ah, don’t worry, it’ll be cool.”

Then my mom watched the movie, which she wasn’t a huge fan of the movie because she’s a pretty strict Christian. If you’ve seen the movie you’ll know that there’s some pretty bad scenes in it.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Yes, there are.

Dustin Hazelett: But she watched the McLovin parts and was like, “That was just like you in middle school.” I didn’t realize it was that much like me, I just thought it was a cool nickname, but apparently it was pretty similar to me.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Back when you were getting swirlies?

Dustin Hazelett: Yeah.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Did you ever go back and kick those bullies asses?

Dustin Hazelett: No, I wanted to, but I realized if I went back and kicked their asses, then I’d be the bully. I went to a really small school. I’m from a very rural part of Kentucky. It’s Lawrence County in eastern Kentucky. It’s a town supported mainly by coal mining. My dad and my brother are both coal miners.

Adam Wagner (MMAmania.com): Well Dustin, I really appreciate you taking the time to talk with us. Would you like to thank any sponsors, and do you have any parting words for your fans?

Dustin Hazelett: Thanks for the support. Sorry for the poor performance in my last fight, but it won’t happen again.

Written by admin on May 6th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Josh Burkman and Dustin Hazelett and TUF 7 Finale and UFC Fighter Interviews and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and UFC The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.

Gray Maynard broken hand, out 4 to 6 weeks

Gray Maynard is on the shelf for four to six weeks because of a broken hand sustained during his lightweight bout against Frank Edgar at UFC Fight Night 13 at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colo., on April 2.

“The Bully” used a distinct size advantage to dominate the undefeated New Jersey native en route to an impressive unanimous decision win.

It’s an achievement that raised the stock significantly for the former contestant on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 5 in the deep 155-pound class. In fact, it’s possible that he will next lock horns with Nate Diaz sometime in 2008.

Diaz submitted Maynard in the semifinals of the 16-man tournament, going on to claim the championship with a technical knockout win over Manny Gamburyan in the finals. Both fighters have shined since their stints in the mixed martial arts reality series.

Let’s hope Gray gets well soon and we see the rematch. If not, Tyson Griffin has been discussed as possible next opponent for Diaz.

Either way … win-win. Both are solid match ups.

Written by admin on April 9th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Frank Edgar and UFC Fight Night 13 and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Gray Maynard and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Nathan Diaz and MMA.

UFC Quick Quote: James Irvin on the 8 second Houston Alexander knockout

“He didn’t block any of the punches … when he hit the ground he wasn’t even looking at me. He had his hands down and he was looking out into the crowd…. He was bleeding out of both nostrils. He never looked at me or tried to block a single punch. Any longer and my best shot probably would have been the sixth one so I think they jumped right in. I think when people see it on TV again they’ll understand that he wasn’t even looking at me.”

– James Irvin details during the UFC Fight Night 13 post-fight press conference what he was looking at alongside referee Steve Mazzagatti when he dropped Houston Alexander with a Superman punch just seconds into their 205-pound fight. It was stopped in eight seconds, tying the record (Don Frye vs. Thomas Ramirez at UFC 8 ) for the shortest fight in the history of the promotion.

Written by admin on April 3rd, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC on SpikeTV and James Irvin and UFC Fight Night 13 and Houston Alexander and UFC Quick Quotes and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and MMA.

Kenny Florian vs. Roger Huerta: Hottest fight right now in the lightweight division

Props: UFC.com

(Note that Huerta has indicated that he will not compete until at least September 2008 to finish college. Let’s hope that changes.)

Written by admin on April 3rd, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Kenny Florian and UFC on SpikeTV and UFC Fight Night 13 and UFC Lightweight Division and UFC Videos and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Roger Huerta and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and MMA.

UFC Fight Night 13 results, coverage and winners LIVE tonight!

Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of UFC Fight Night 13.

Quick results of the prelim action are FLOWING RIGHT NOW and LIVE blow-by-blow, round-by-round coverage of the main card action will begin promptly at 7 p.m. ET with the three-hour SpikeTV telecast.

If you’re going to leave comments and discuss the fights with all the other MMAmania.com readers be sure to do it on the main UFC Fight Night 13 results post and not this one.

Written by admin on April 2nd, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Anthony Johnson and George Sotiropoulis and Tim Boetsch and Kurt Pellegrino and Matt Hamill and Josh Neer and Tommy Speer and James Irvin and Jeff Cox and Ryan Roberts and Samy Schiavo and UFC Fight Night 13 and Roman Mitichyan and Thiago Alves and Din Thomas and Manny Gamburyan and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Gray Maynard and Nathan Diaz and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Joe Lauzon and Karo Parisyan and Houston Alexander and Marcus Aurelio and Clay Guida and UFC on SpikeTV and Frank Edgar and Kenny Florian and MMA.

Live High, Train Low: Altitude Training Systems to make difference at UFC Fight Night 13?

When Kenny Florian and Joe Lauzon meet tonight at the Broomfield Event Center for the UFC Fight Night 13 main event, there just might be one area where Lauzon has the edge: An ability to adjust to the change in altitude in the “Mile High City.”

That’s because Lauzon has been using an altitude training system.

Intended to help an athlete adjust to changes in elevation, altitude sleeping and workout systems are growing in popularity — especially in the world of mixed martial arts.

You might have seen tape of Wanderlei Silva working out with a crazy mask and tube strapped to his face in preparation fight against Chuck Liddell at UFC 79. Strikeforce/EliteXC fans heard the ringside announcers comment on how both Frank Shamrock and Cung Le utilize similar devices.

The UFC 80 Countdown show featured B.J. Penn — who helped prepare Lauzon for tonight’s fight with Florian — in an altitude sleeping chamber. Penn swears by this device, which helps him and his fighters adjust from the near-sea level altitude of Hilo, Hawaii, where they train, to higher altitudes like Denver, Colo., as well as providing an intense workout.

I spoke with Matt Formato of Hypoxico Altitude Training Systems —the leading distributor of such devices, which has provided training systems for Penn, Lauzon, Shamrock, Le, Din Thomas and a host of other top athletes — to find out how it all works.

It’s actually fairly simple.

“By sleeping at altitude and by prolonged exposure to an altitude environment,” Formato told MMAmania.com, “the body naturally releases EPO (or Erythropoietin), which triggers the kidneys to produce more red blood cells. More red blood cells in the blood equates to a higher oxygen-carrying capacity, and the more oxygen carried within the blood, within the body, the more oxygen that is able to be delivered to the body when it is under duress.”

“That being said, an increased oxygen-carrying capacity within the body leads to an overall greater conditioning level and greater cardiovascular stamina.”

Hypoxico offers Altitude Sleeping Systems that include tents for your bed; Altitude Workout Systems, such as the masks work by Shamrock and Le that were featured on Goldberg’s Toe to Toe segment (you can find it here); and even Altitude Wellness Systems that can be used in a relaxed state in the treatment of asthma, allergies, diabetes, sleep disorders and other degenerative or chronic diseases.

If you can’t afford one of these training systems on your own, you might be able to find a local fitness center that offers altitude training. More and more gyms, especially on the west coast, are beginning to offer altitude chambers, which enclose several fitness machines and are ventilated with hypoxic air, allowing for multiple simultaneous users.

In fact, you can even convert an entire room, if you’re so inclined.

These devices actually lower the oxygen level from about 21 percent at sea level down to about 13 percent, which simulates a 12,500 feet altitude environment.

Take that, you Nepalese sherpas.

While altitude training has received a lot of notoriety from fighters like Tito Ortiz and Rampage Jackson, who have trained in Big Bear, Calif.(elevation 6,752 feet, or 2,058 meters), you might ask yourself, how do you benefit from merely sleeping at altitude?

Let’s say you have a foot race with a Kenyan long distance runner coming up in four to six weeks. Let’s face it, unless you do something drastic, you’re going to get creamed. After all, this dude’s Kenyan.

Sleeping in an altitude tent — which is to say, sleeping in a low-oxygen environment — will help acclimatize your body so you won’t get altitude sickness if your race runs through the Rockies.

And even if your event takes place at sea level, the fact that your body has been working to produce more red blood cells, increase capillary growth (which means greater oxygen delivery to tissues, muscles and the brain) and enhance production of mitochondria (the cells’ power plant for aerobic energy production) means that you’ll see amplified pulmonary oxygen absorption and more efficient use of oxygen for energy production.

In short, you’ll smoke the Kenyan.

Other signs your money was well spent include decreased average heart rate and blood pressure, increased production and release of Human Growth Hormone (do I have your attention now?) and stimulation of fat metabolism. That’s right, fatties, you can actually lose weight easier on these machines. Sure beats Lean Cuisine.

Plus, if you plan to spend four weeks in Big Bear without first preparing yourself for the change in altitude, it might take you several weeks to adjust, meaning that you might not be able to push yourself as hard as you normally would until your body has had a chance to acclimatize to the elevation. That can eat into precious time.

Basically, if you could live in Big Bear while training at sea level, you might have even better results than what Team Punishment swears by.

As Formato put it, “The basic philosophies are to live high and train low. What that means is for athletes who are trying to get in their speed work or their intense conditioning work, they want to be doing that as close to sea level as possible.”

Hypoxico suggests “sleeping high and training low” for some athletes, and for others they suggest sleeping high while also incorporating three or four, 30- to 40-minute high-altitude workouts each week.

Besides those fighters already mentioned, Dan Henderson reportedly used altitude training equipment to prepare for his UFC 82 fight with Anderson Silva. Other fighters using these devices include Marcus Aurelio, Nick “the Goat” Thompson and the WEC’s John Alessio.

Interestingly enough, Din Thomas might not see the same edge from his use of altitude training systems in tonight’s fight with Josh Neer. That’s because Neer reportedly has been using these same devices. If the fight goes into the third round, don’t expect either of these guys to let up early.

And more and more fighters might not have that edge for much longer thanks to the emergence altitude training systems.

Written by admin on April 2nd, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC Fight Night 13 and UFC on SpikeTV and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.

UFC Fight Night 13 predictions, preview and analysis

UFC Fight Night 13 is set for later on today, Wednesday April 2, from the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colorado. The three-hour SpikeTV special will begin at 7 p.m. ET, leading in to the debut of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7 series 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. As usual, it promises to be a great discussion during an exciting line up of fights.

To get us pumped for the festivities, MMAmania himself will try and reverse his editorial atrophy by going toe-to-toe with site contributor and turgid egomaniac Jesse Holland with predictions for the upcoming show.

The mission: Forecast which fighters will leave the Octagon with their hands raised later on during the featured fights of the evening.

It’s important to note for the predictions 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 at the conclusion of the write ups.

Let’s get to it:

Kenny Florian (7-3) vs. Joe Lauzon (16-3)

Jesse Holland: Kenny Florian is by now one of the elder statesmen of the TUF generation. He happens to match up very well with Joe Lauzon but his advantage in this fight comes from experience. Ordinarily you wouldn’t give that advantage to a competitor who has fewer total fights than his opponent, but KenFlo is battle tested. In addition to headlining Ultimate Fight Night 11, Florian went five rounds for the lightweight championship at UFC 64 against Sean Sherk. Pressure will not be an issue for the Boston native. I’m also giving Florian a slight edge in the striking and I think he’s a little too wily to be submitted by Lauzon if it goes to the ground. I don’t predict an early finish here, but if Kenny can keep Joe off balance and flustered like he was against Manny Gamburyan (and even land a few of those trademark elbows), it’s going to be Florian for all three rounds.

MMAmania: Joe Lauzon has been here before: The underdog in a bout that is supposed to help determine a worthy challenger to the 155-pound crown. In his Octagon debut, he ruined the triumphant return of former division champion, Jens Pulver, in less than one minute. It remains one of the greatest upsets in the short history of the promotion. No one gave the “creepy” kid from the Boston area much of a chance, and while the odds are not stacked as high this time around, most feel that he is in over his head. Lauzon has finished all three of his professional fights under the UFC banner and will look to make it four straight against perhaps his toughest opponent to date. He boasts a solid ground game, which can now only be better thanks to training exclusively with BJ Penn since his stint on TUF. Florian has a marked edge on the feet; therefore, look for Lauzon to set up the takedowns and work top position for the better part of this fight. He could very well steal this one if he can execute his gameplan.

Final predictions:
Jesse Holland — Florian via unanimous decision
MMAmania — Florian via technical knockout

Karo Parisyan (18-4) vs. Thiago Alves (13-3)

Jesse Holland: There has been some criticism as of late regarding Karo’s ability to finish fights. While I do agree that a man with his talent goes to the scorecards way too often, it shouldn’t overshadow the fact that he is a very dangerous fighter. Save for the airborne towel at RSF 2, Parisyan has not been knocked out or submitted in 22 fights. Alves doesn’t have enough confidence in his hands to get inside on Karo, and if he did it would likely become a Judo clinic courtesy of “The Heat.” Karo may not have looked his best against Ryo Chonan at UFC 78, but neither did Alves, who squeaked out a TKO after cutting Chris Lytle at the same event. The biggest advantage for Karo is his proven track record. He’s outlasted some tough competitors including Nick Diaz and Matt Serra. Alves in contrast has trouble with some of the better names in his weight class like Jon Fitch and Spencer Fisher. After Wednesday night you can add Karo Parisyan to that list.

MMAmania: Thiago Alves has some of the most improved stand up in the welterweight division. He uses blistering kicks (see Hironaka, Kuniyoshi) and knees (see DeSouza, Tony) to either soften up his opponents or take them out completely. “The Pitbull” trains with probably the best camp in all of mixed martial arts, American Top Team (ATT), which means that he is going to come well prepared for wherever this fight ends up. In addition, ATT wisely enlisted the services of Rhadi Ferguson — a four-time national Judo champion and former Olympian — to help prepare Alves for the showdown. It’s not the lifetime of experience that Parisyan brings to the table; however, it could be just enough to get Alves over the top. He’s young, hungry, powerful and willing to do what it takes to win this fight. That’s far from an easier opponent, Karo — careful what you wish for.

Final predictions:
Jesse Holland — Parisyan by unanimous decision
MMAmania — Karo via Parisyanimous decision

Matt Hamill (3-1) vs. Tim Boetsch (7-1)

Jesse Holland: Matt Hamill has enjoyed a pretty successful run so far in his UFC career, winning his first three and then taking a moral victory against Michael Bisping at UFC 75. Unfortunately things are going to get ugly when he faces Tim Boetsch, who isn’t called “The Barbarian” because he likes to spend his nights online playing Diablo 2. All seven of Boetsch’s wins have come by way of knockout or submission. Ordinarily short notice can affect a fighter’s performance, but after seeing what Boetsch did to David Heath at UFC 81, I’m throwing that theory right out the window. Hamill is an average striker at best and will probably rely on his excellent wrestling to try and keep Boetsch on the ground. Unfortunately I’m not sure if Hamill has yet figured out what to do once he gets there. The Boetsch strategy should be to avoid the takedown and fire at will. Tim Boetsch, 2-0 in the UFC.

MMAmania: Coming into this fight, all the buzz is engulfing not the former TUF star (Hamill), but his very game and eager opponent (Boetsch). Can lightening strike twice inside the Octagon? Sure, Boetsch can come in and knock Hamill senseless. But to do that he needs to create space, which is a tall order against such an accomplished and determined wrestler like Hamill. In the fight with Michael Bisping, it was clear that Hamill had refined his boxing skills considerably. He was content to sit in the pocket, pick the Brit apart and shoot for the takedown when the opportunity presented itself. He also demonstrated that he is not scared to absorb punches. Boetsch claims that his wrestling is on par if not better than Hamill’s — I tend to disagree. Hamill is freakeshly strong and will be able to, at the very least, take the fight down to the floor and keep it there for some time. His cardio is a bit of concern, especially a mile high, as well as his recently repaired knee. Then again, those two factors alone could mean that Hamill decides to play it safe and coast to a boring decision.

Final predictions:
Jesse Holland — Boetsch via technical knockout
MMAmania — Hamill via decision

Nate Diaz (8-2) vs. Kurt Pellegrino (11-3)

Jesse Holland: Kurt Pellegrino is a great submission fighter and a powerful lightweight. His striking may not be as refined as some of the other talent in his weight class (Diaz included), but when you can choke like he can, it really doesn’t matter. Eight of his eleven wins have come by submission. Pellegrino may keep it standing long enough to feel things out, but no question this fight will be decided by grappling. As we’ve seen, Diaz can fight from his back and fight well, but Pellegrino will be too strong and too busy to take any damage on top. Having said that, Kurt needs to stay out of the triangle and force Diaz to make a mistake in positioning. His best strategy is to try and keep a relentless pace that Diaz does not handle well. Despite winning, Diaz was overwhelmed against Manny Gamburyan at the TUF 5 finale and against Hermes Franca in his loss at WEC 24. Pellegrino should be studying those tapes and approaching with the same aggressive offense.

MMAmania.com: Nate Diaz is truly a treat to watch when he competes — he is constantly working for some fight-ending maneuver. He transitions seamlessly from submission to submission with seeming ease. Kind of like Jesse and all those obscure references to “Blood Sport.” Diaz is on a six-fight win via submission streak of which three came inside the Octagon. But can he do it against an experienced veteran and Brazilian jiu-jitsu player such as Kurt Pellegrino? Diaz has all the tools to become a major force at 155 pounds in the near future. He’s up against a guy this time around, however, who is comfortable on the ground and is better when upright. This is a big test for Diaz … one that I don’t think he passes. The future, however, is bright.

Final predictions:
Jesse Holland - Diaz via submission
MMAmania - Pellegrino via unanimous decision

Houston Alexander (8-2) vs. James Irvin (13-4)

Jesse Holland: Good news travels fast in these parts, and I think the scouting report on Houston Alexander is a simple one: Shoot and strike. Alexander could probably KO an elephant and I don’t think Irvin is interested in testing his chin this time around. Alexander (by his own admission) does not train much jiu-jitsu and his ground defense against Thiago Silva at UFC 78 was surprisingly inept. Irvin needs to exploit that weakness not by stopping Alexander’s power but by avoiding it. Irvin has only two submission wins to his credit but if he can put Houston on his back or stomach - two places he may not be comfortable fighting from - strikes from top position will do the job as well. Unless of course he wants to just go for broke and try another flying knee to open the round like he did against Terry Martin back at UFC 54.

MMAmania: Houston Alexander is a bad dude to get locked inside a cage with — he fights balls out almost to a fault. He has insane power in both fists that can lift a grown man off his feet when he connects just right. Irvin, on the other hand, either pulls flash knockouts out of his ass (Terry Martin and Hector Ramirez, respectively) to escape with wins or gets hurt moments into his fights (Luis Cane and Thiago Silva). Based on his track record in the UFC, there’s nothing good to like about “The Sandman” in this fight. In fact, it’s not going past the first round because either Alexander turns his lights out almost immediately or Irvin pulls a Wanderlei Silva-esque UFC 79 blooper, rolling his ankle during the prefight hooplah. Only this time Irvin snaps his limb in two, crashes to the canvas in a screaming heap and knocks himself out with his own flying knee as he reaches to grasp his shredded hoof. Take that to the bank.

Final predictions:
Jesse Holland — Alexander via knockout
MMAmania — Alexander via knockout

Swing bout: Frank Edgar (8-0) vs. Gray Maynard (4-0)

Jesse Holland: Frank Edgar has gotten himself into lightweight title contention not just by going undefeated (3-0) in the UFC (8-0 overall), but by doing it against tough competitors like Tyson Griffin and Spencer Fisher. Opponents still have not been able to figure out how to stop Edgar’s wrestling and his offense in round three is just as relentless as it was in round one thanks to his incomparable cardio. On paper both Edgar and Maynard match up very well with similar styles, but I see Edgar as Maynard 2.0 in that he is more refined in every aspect. Edgar has been vocal about showcasing his striking which we haven’t gotten to see much of during his UFC tenure but when you can wrestle like he can, why bother? In order to avoid a lay ‘n pray label which some critics are anxious to give him, he knows he needs a stoppage - especially against a fellow wrestler like Maynard. Look for Edgar to take his game to the next level and finish it with a TKO.

MMAmania: I agree with everything Jesse just wrote — mark this day as an MMAmania historical moment because it doesn’t happen often. Edgar is indeed Maynard 2.0 and his boxing is terribly underrated. He just needs to let them go and hit Gray in the face with bunches of punches. He will go down. Sorry, Gray … but it’s late and I don’t want to beat around the bush.

Final predictions:
Jesse Holland — Edgar via technical knockout
MMAmania — Edgar via knockout

That’s a wrap, folks.

Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and our coverage of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7.

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 Fight Night 13.

Written by admin on April 2nd, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC Fight Night 13 and UFCmania event preview analysis and predictions and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.

Joe Lauzon: Expect violent and aggressive finish at UFC Fight Night 13 (Video)

(Thanks to BloodyElbow.com for the assist.)

Written by admin on April 1st, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Kenny Florian and UFC on SpikeTV and UFC Fight Night 13 and UFC Videos and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Joe Lauzon and MMA.

UFC Fight Night betting odds for Kenny Florian vs. Joe Lauzon fight card

Desert Dog here and back with some quick tips and smart bets for UFC Fight Night 13 tomorrow night (April 2) at the Broomfield Event Center in Broomfield, Colo.

The sportsbooks were slow this time around, releasing their numbers a bit late. However, it has no impact on getting some action before the showtime — there are some juicy betting opportunities in this unbelievably packed fight card.

Not to gloat, but I will be in Colorado to enjoy this one live, which means I’m heading out in eight hours.

Therefore, I’m going with a reduced analysis this time around and just cover the fights on which I’m betting. This truncated format will allow me to run through how I come up with my own probabilities for fights to decide if there is value in each bet.

Besides, I doubt most of you want to read about 12 different match ups!

It’s definitely tough to pick the strongest bet on this card. There are obviously some lopsided match ups, but of course the odds on those are -600 to -800, which is not what I’m looking for.

I’ve picked three fights to bet on below, but remember that there are numerous betting options from which to choose. Just do your research, shop the odds (BetUS.com or Bodog.com are nice places to start) and, as always, wager only with what you are willing to lose.

Let’s get to it:

Desert Dog’s smart bets for Ultimate Fight Night 13:
(Note: + = Underdog; - = Favorite)

Alves (+150) bet $100 to win $150
Edgar (-165) bet $100 to win $60.61
Thomas (-180) bet $100 to win $55.56

NOTE: MMAmania.com recommends BetUS.com to place wagers (FREE $75 play with a deposit of $50 or more if you join today — you actually make money!). However, Bodog.com is also a good place to bet and compare odds.

Let’s now move on to a more detailed breakdown of the fights for those bettors who require a little more reassurance.

Karo Parisyan (-180) vs. Thiago Alves (+150)

Decision: 50 percent chance of happening, Alves wins this outcome 51 percent of the time.
When it comes to action and control there’s a reason Karo has won so many fights, even if it is usually by decision. His throws, takedowns and ground work keep his fights very interesting and entertaining. This time out, however, he just seems to be effusing the same confidence (unheard of for Karo). I think Thiago will actually push the pace in this fight and if he can’t put Karo out, his wicked leg kicks and fast hands will score him the win.

Technical knockout: 35 percent chance of happening, Alves wins this outcome 90 percent of the time.
Karo’s record says it all … he’s NEVER had a technical knockout and it’s real unlikely he’s going to get his first one against Alves. This is, however, the way Thiago finishes the majority of his fights.

Submission: 15 percent chance of happening, Parisyan wins this outcome 80 percent of the time.
Karo is an excellent grappler and has very strong submissions, but he just hasn’t been able to finish with them. Thiago’s strength will likely keep him safe in this fight.

Alves should win this fight about 60 percent of the time, so odds of -145 or better would have value.

Prediction: Alves via technical knockout (CLICK TO BET NOW)

Frankie Edgar (-165) vs. Gray Maynard (+145)

Decision: 65 percent chance of happening, Edgar wins this outcome 65 percent of the time.
There’s a pretty good chance this ones going the distance and it will be a battle between Edgar’s superior standup and Gray’s wrestling. Edgar takedown defense and amazing scrambling gives him a slight edge over the distance.

Technical knockout: 20 percent chance of happening, Edgar wins this outcome 65 percent of the time.
Edgar’s advantage here is in technique and speed, but Maynard does have better power. After rewatching Edgar vs. Fisher, as well as the fight against Mark Bocek, it’s clear that “The Answer” is adept on his feet.

Submission: 15 percent chance of happening, Edgar wins this outcome 50 percent of the time.
Neither fighter is really strong in the submission department, but both have excellent defenses. When this one is on the ground you’re more likely to see ground and pound than a triangle.

Edgar should win this fight about 62.75 percent of the time, so odds of -165 or better would have value.

Prediction: Edgar via decision (CLICK TO BET NOW)

Din Thomas (-180) vs. Josh Neer (+150)

Decision: 40 percent chance of happening, Thomas wins this outcome 70 percent of the time.
Din has better hands, kicks, footwork, takedown defense, and jiu-jitsu. Neer will have the strength advantage, but in the end Din will be working for the finish both on the feet and on the ground and it will show on the scorecards at the end of each round.

Technical knockout: 20 percent chance of happening, Thomas wins this outcome 55 percent of the time.
Din definitely has better hands and much better kicks, but Neer’s power, strong chin, and brawler attitude make him dangerous on the feet.

Submission: 40 percent chance of happening, Thomas wins this outcome 80 percent of the time.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt against a brawler — not hard to come up with a number for this one.

Thomas should win this fight about 71 percent of the time, so odds of -245 or better would have value.

Prediction: Thomas via submission (CLICK TO BET NOW)

That about does it for this installment of betting tips and advice. Remember to bet smart.

Betting is not for everyone. But if you want to take a stab at it head over to BetUs.com (Sign up today and get a FREE $75 play) or to compare competitive MMA lines visit Bodog.com.

Enjoy the fights and good luck. Feel free to leave UFC Fight Night 13 predictions and other thoughts in the comments section below.

Written by admin on April 1st, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on UFC betting tips from Desert Dog and UFC Fight Night 13 and UFC on SpikeTV and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and MMA.

Thiago Alves plans to put hotter heat on Karo Parisyan at UFN 13

Props: MMAWeekly.com

Quoteworthy:

“I’m looking for ‘Knockout Of The Night’ and the ‘Fight Of The Night’ … both…. I’ll try to knock him out, like always. Pressure, I know he’s going to bring ‘The Heat,’ I’m going to be even hotter. So, it’s going to be really fun. I can’t wait. I’m really excited. The game plan is going to be to stay in his face the whole fight … and knock him out.”

An excited and pumped up Thiago Alves talks about his fight tomorrow night (April 2) against Karo Parisyan at UFC Fight Night 13 in Broomfield, Colo., at the Broomfield Event Center. The American Top Team (ATT)-trained product has an opportunity to vault himself to the top of the 170-pound division with a win over the “Heat” — widely considered the top 170-pound title contender.

Written by admin on April 1st, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Thiago Alves and UFC Fight Night 13 and UFC on SpikeTV and Karo Parisyan and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and UFC Ultimate Fight Night (UFN) and MMA.

« Older articles

No newer articles