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| UFC 89: Diego Sanchez vs Thiago Alves not happening in England Posted: 18 Jul 2008 08:47 AM CDT
Props: WrestlingObserver.com Quoteworthy:
Dave Meltzer reports that the welterweight showdown between Sanchez and Alves is not going to happen in Birmingham as previously reported. The good news is that is doesn’t mean it is off altogether — hopefully it’s just postponed until a later date. To check out the most recent UFC 89 card, which still looks sharp, click here. |
| UFC 90 set for Allstate Arena in Chicago October 25 Posted: 18 Jul 2008 08:05 AM CDT The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will continue its assault on new markets, heading to Chicago, Ill., for the first time ever with UFC 90 at the Allstate Arena on October 25, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. It will also mark the first-ever sanctioned mixed martial arts bout in the “Prairie State.” Here’s a snip from UFC President Dana White:
Chicago joins Atlanta, Ga. (September), Omaha, Neb. (September) and Boston, Mass. (likely November) as fresh places within the United States that the promotion is heading as the sport continues to grow. Portland, Ore., and Honolulu, Hawaii, too, have been discussed as potential destinations stateside. That’s of course in addition to the international expansion that Lorenzo Fertitta is now spearheading, eying far-off spots like the Philippines, India, Germany, Italy, Brazil and Japan in the near future. There’s no word yet on possible UFC 90 participants; however, if “Windy City” resident Stephan Bonnar is healed from knee surgery he’ll be a shoe-in for the card. Stay tuned for more details. |
| Affliction ‘Banned’ odds and betting tips for Fedor Emelianenko vs Tim Sylvia July 19 Posted: 17 Jul 2008 08:01 PM CDT
Desert Dog back with the second installment of tips and "Smart Bets" for this Saturday, July 19; however, this time we’ll cover Affliction: "Banned" at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The first thing that struck me about this card is how many big name heavyweights it holds. This is something that's really been lacking in the UFC of late and I'm looking forward to the show. Secondly, many fights on this card feature 4 to 1 favorites. That can make for some sizeable risks if you like the favorites or you can bundle your picks into parlays to limit any potential for loss. Regardless, the big spreads mean that there is money to be made for those mixed martial arts fans who like to spice up the action that much more on fight night by laying down some cheddar. Here are the "Smart Bets" for “Banned:”
(Note: + = Underdog; - = Favorite) Main card picks: Fedor Emelianenko -400 (Bet $100 to win $25) Remember the parlay bet is intended to be used instead of three separate bets. NOTE: MMAmania.com recommends BetUS.com to place wagers (FREE $75 play with sign up). However, Bodog.com is also a good place to bet and compare odds.)
Arlovski is the most solid bet on the card and I would use it to cover either a parlay or a bet on Whitehead. Whatever your bets are for Affliction, make sure you look at the realistic outcomes and remember you don't have to bet on them all … just stick to the fighters you know and match ups that give that best probability to make some dough. Now onto a more detailed breakdown of the fights for those bettors who require a little more reassurance. Fedor Emelianenko (-400) vs. Tim Sylvia (+300) Fedor Emelianenko (27-1) was the last Pride heavyweight champion and is widely regarded as the most dominant fighter in MMA. Emelianenko has not lost a fight since early 2000. It's been quite some time since we've seen the Russian Cyborg in action against a serious competitor, however, and many people wonder if the Fedor of old will show up. His typical style is a fast combination to get into the clinch, take the opponent down and pound away or secure a submission. His Sambo fighting background lends itself to quick sweeps leading into great submissions. His hands are nothing to be trifled with, either. Fedor's weakness I suppose has been his propensity to get cut and his occasional decision to coast when he's fighting off his back. With such fast submissions from his back he’s been guilty in the past of hanging out a bit too much. And if he were to not finish a fight he could end up dropping a decision spending too much time in that position. That said Tim Sylvia is not the guy who's going to get Fedor on his back. Tim "The Maine-iac" Sylvia (24-4) still trains as a Militech fighter. He has been the UFC heavyweight champion twice and absolutely loves having a belt around his waste. Although he dropped two of his last three fights, I'd have to say his loss to Nogueira was his best looking performance in some time. It's exactly the tactic he'll need to employ with Fedor, staying outside cracking away with big jabs and quick combinations and avoiding the takedowns. There's no big secret to this fight: Tim will brawl and sprawl as usual and if he connects he can put any one to sleep … even “The Last Russian Emperor.” Fedor will stalk and circle with a style that's a mix of Couture and Nogueira, looking to chop his way in and topple the tree. The difference is Fedor has proven that he can use his style to beat everyone, while Tim has been hit or miss. Fedor wins this fight three out of four times, which translates to the odds being pretty close to correct. I'm placing a standard size be on Fedor, but if Tim's odds get above +350 it's worth a serious thought. Prediction: Fedor via submission (Bet: $100 to win 26.67)
Josh Barnett (-400) vs. Pedro Rizzo (+300) Josh "The Babyfaced Assassin" Barnett (22-5) is yet another former UFC heavyweight champion and is the current Pancrase open-weight champion. His most recent victories are over Jeff Monson and Hidehiko and his last loss was to Big Nog. Josh has remained active and in excellent condition since Pride closed its doors and looks to still be performing at a top level. His catch wrestling background has led to a great clinch and ground game, with the vast majority of his wins come by way of submission. Pedro "The Rock" Rizzo (16-7) fights out of Ruas Vale Tudo. Pedro was a long time fixture in the UFC with 14 fights in our favorite promotion. He has a laundry list of great knockouts with one of his best and most memorable happening seven years ago when he knocked the bejesus out of Barnett. During the first part of his career great wrestlers like Couture and Randleman were the ones who gave him trouble. But, over the last portion of his career it's been his chin and stamina that's let him down. There aren't many questions about Barnett's current condition or skill level … he looks great. Most of the questions are centered on Pedro's condition, chin and desire. He's not shown the fire of old and it's going to take a great performance to deny Josh his revenge. Basically, this is a Muay Thai striker versus a submission wrestler, but Barnett is an angry man in the cage who would love to beat Pedro at his own game. To be honest, looking at Rizzo's standup of late it could easily happen. This tactic would of course leave Josh much more open to getting caught himself, but the man loves to put on a show. I believe Barnett's strength, conditioning and aggression will easily overwhelm Rizzo where ever the fight goes. Much like the headline fight, I think Josh wins this 75 percent of the time and the odds are close to true. These "chalk" bets aren't exciting but they keep the account green, just don't get carried away, stay with a standard size bet or smaller. Prediction: Barnett via technical knockout (Bet: $100 to win 28.57)
Andrei Arlovski (-300) vs. Ben Rothwell (+200) So this is where all the heavyweights have gone to play Former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski (12-5) was last seen at UFC 82, where he took out previously undefeated Jake O’Brien. Arlovski — who is still one of the most popular fighters in the world — fell out of favor with the UFC after losing to Sylvia twice. Although he came back and won his next three fights, his contract was not renewed and has now found a new home. Best known for his devastating strikes, Arlovski is an athletic wonder at 6'4" and 240 pounds. It's been said about a few other fighters, but he truly moves like a middleweight. Rothwell (33-5) is running with a 13-fight win streak, including his most recent victory over Ricco Rodriguez in the IFL. Rothwell has spent the last two years dominating the heavyweights of the IFL (not sure how big a compliment that really is), but it's what he's got. Rothwell has never fought anyone at Arlovski's level and I haven't seen anything from him that suggests he's ready. I don't mean to sound harsh, but Ben is a slow flat footed fighter who presents an easy target for a fighter like Andrei. Ben's best shot is to get the fight to ground and Pillsbury squish Arlovski. I'd give Ben a 10 percent chance of being able to control the fight long enough to get a decision. Odds haven't been released by the books yet but early numbers look like Arlovski might come in at a very tasty -300. Not great profits but a great value. Prediction: Arlovski via murder (Bet $200 to win $66.66)
Renato Sobral (-260) vs. Mike Whitehead (+200) Renato "Babalu" Sobral possesses a solid record (29-7) and has been a long time fan favorite with an up and down career. His submission game is fantastic, especially if he latches on during the first round while he's fresh. When every round starts, though, he looks like Larry of the three stooges with wind mill arms and his head down like a ram. OK I'm exaggerating, but standup is definitely his weakness. Mike Whitehead (21-5) is on a 12-fight win streak holding notable wins over Vernon White and Ben Rothwell. He also has losses to Keith Jardine, Brandon Vera and Tim Sylvia. His style is very comparable to Jason lambert, with solid standup but a preference for ground and pound and submissions So here it is Whitehead has his chance to show his chops against a big name. He has a slight size advantage, as well as advantages in stand up technique and power. If he uses his wrestling abilities to maintain control he's got a great shot at winning this fight. In betting terms I see this fight as a true coin toss and the odds offered on Whitehead provide a very nice value. I'm putting a half size bet down on this one. Prediction: Mike Whitehead via decision (Bet: $50 to win $107.50)
Matt Lindland (-420) vs. Fabio Negao (+350) Matt Lindland (20-5) has a loss to Fedor Emelianenko, and wins over Carlos Newton and Jeremy Horn in his last three fights. He's the perennial "almost" guy who will never go away. This guy just keeps coming back for more. He's a very well rounded analytical fighter who focuses on exactly what needs to be done to win. I keep thinking that at some point soon uncle Fester's conditioning has to give out, but it hasn't really happened yet. Fabio Negao (8-3) is an unknown for me. He's a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and has a Muay Thai background. He's yet to face any reputable competition and so I don't have anything to base a bet on. If you have some personal knowledge of Fabio's skills and why he could beat Lindland please share it. Otherwise this is a full on no bet for me. Prediction: Lindland via submission (Bet: None)
Aleksander Emelianenko (-350) vs. Paul Buentello (+250) And the big boys just keep on coming. Aleksander Emelainenko (13-3) is Fedor's "little" 6'6" brother. Alek is best known for his striking and surprisingly light feet for a big guy. He's remained fairly busy since the close of Pride with his most recent win coming in April of this year with a technical knockout of Silvao Santos … a bit of a nobody. When fights have stayed on the feet his only loss was to Cro cop. His only other troubles have been with excellent grapplers, not to worry in a fight with "The Headhunter" it seems pretty obvious where this fight will be. Paul "The Headhunter" Buentello (25-10) trains with the American Kickboxing Academy. He's best known for his two of his fights in the UFC where he first annihilated Justin Eilers and was then quickly knocked out by Arlovski. After losing to Arlovski he went on a four fight win streak scoring technical knockouts over each opponent. Then he stepped back up in competition and got in the ring with Alistair Overeem … who kneed him into submission. Although I really like seeing all of these big name heavyweights, this one is a mismatch in the overall level of competition. Paul is a very seasoned veteran with over ten years in the fight game, but he's shown over time that he is just not up to this level. Emelianenko has the advantage in every aspect of this fight as well as physical stature and condition. The current line has Emelianenko winning this about 76 percent of the time and in my opinion this is another chalk bet that has to be made. Now maybe you're thinking I don't want to risk three full bets on these fights, I only want to risk one bet. Well cards like this that are filled with this many heavy favorites offer good three-fight parlays. With the current odds on Fedor, Aleksander, and Barnet you could get parlay odds of +101; if this is your preferred play, remember the only book offering parlays is BetUS. Prediction: Aleksander Emelianenko via technical knockout (Bet: $100 to win 28.57)
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 predictions and other thoughts in the comments section below.
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| Elite XC video CBS ‘Saturday Night Fights’ July 26 promo Posted: 17 Jul 2008 07:15 PM CDT |
| Posted: 17 Jul 2008 07:11 PM CDT In a chat with the Las Vegas Sun today UFC Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, Marc Ratner, said the company was “still gathering information” on Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s strange behavior over the past several days. In the two days since the 30-year-old fighter was arrested following a hit and run accident in California the UFC has been virtually mum. However, several media outlets reported that UFC President Dana White flew to California to bail out the former champ. And while in the “Golden State” White was interviewed by a radio station called KLOS. Here’s what he had to say via Yahoo!Sports.com:
A day after the arrest (and White’s interview), Jackson was involved in another situation with police that led to him being taken to see mental health professionals. UFC.com has no mention of the arrest. In addition, in an ESPN.com chat today Tim Sylvia fielded a question about the recent legal problems encountered by Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Both Sylvia and Jackson are former UFC champions.
Sylvia also spoke about his training and preparation for his Saturday fight with Fedor Emelianenko at Affliction: “Banned.” Former UFC light heavyweight champion, Chuck Liddell, also weighed in on the topic in a recent TMZ.com interview. Jackson defeated Liddell to capture the 205-pound crown. Here are his thoughts:
Finally, his good friend and training partner, Michael Bisping, also shared his thoughts via The Sun on the bizarre string of events that have transpired in the last 48 hours. Here’s what “The Count” had to say:
Join the club. |
| Who’s Giboo? Iowa fighter/science teacher chronicles first UFC experience (Part IV) Posted: 17 Jul 2008 06:44 PM CDT Editor's note: James sent this along today (Thursday); however, it is from his experience on Wednesday … he's a little busy. Well, it is day two of my first UFC experience in Las Vegas. The day started out with me getting up and going to the spa to workout. It was one of those workout where you just want to get in a good sweat. Therefore, I divided my time between the treadmlll, bike and elliptical. I was there for about an hour. While I was in there several of the greatest basketball players from my childhood were also in there working out. There are summer leagues in Vegas for teams and a lot of the coaches and players naturally stay at the Palms because the Mahoof’s also own the Sacramento Kings. I have never seen so many tall men in my life than I have the past two days. At noon the UFC took us to a grocery store to get some food. Only three of us went, which was a surprise to me because I know I sure can’t eat the food around here and make weight. One thing that I got was a small cooler to keep food cold since there are no fridges like I told you before. Now I have the food that will help me make weight on friday. At about 3 p.m. I was starting to get stir crazy just sitting in my room so I had to go walk around for awhile. Most of the fighters were out walking around so they also must have had the same feeling. Kevin [Burns] finally arrived today around that time, but he had to go and do an interview right away, so I stopped in and said a quick “Hi” before he was rushed off. I went back to the spa this time just to sit in the steam room and hot tub. It was pretty cool … I was in one hot tub and Anderson Silva was in the other. For people who don’t know, spas can be kind of weird because there is usually a lot of old naked guys walking around. I guess everyone has the right to do what they want, … it is a free country. At 6 p.m. I finally had to go do some more work for the UFC. The first thing was get my pictures taken that they will use on flyers and posters. When you get there they have a girl, Leslie, who puts this white cream all over you to give you a shine. Then you go into a studio to have your pictures taken. I was waiting for another fighter to finish, so I got a chance to look through the photographers book. Let me tell you it was amazing. The whole book was action shots from past fights and they were unbelievable. It was finally my turn and they take like 50 different pictures but it is done really fast. The guy definitely knows what he is doing and does his job well. After that is was back to Leslie to get oiled up for the video. Shooting the video was pretty cool, it gives you a chance to see how they get all those great shots you always see right before two guys fight. Trust me when I say it isn’t as easy as you may think, it is a workout in itself. You have to do a lot of shadow boxing to make sure they get the right shot. It really gives you an appreciation for the work that they do, knowing that they have to do this stuff all day long for two days to get everyone done. As soon as I got back to the room I changed my clothes and it was off to the training room to meet Kevin and get in a good workout. We probably spent an hour and half in there just getting in a good sweat working on every part of the game. I was able to meet Brandon Vera — he was coming in as we were finishing. He definitely seemed like a very cool cat. Kevin already knew him since they both fought on the UFC 85 card in London last month. We basically sat there and talked about our weight and stuff. This is really the first time Brandon has had to worry about it since he is fighting at 205 pounds this time. I won’t tell you what I weighed but I will tell you that I was able to eat a real meal tonight because it was lower than expected. Well it is off to bed for this guy — sleep is just as important as training and I have a hard time getting enough. James Giboo (11-2) is a professional mixed martial artist and Iowa science teacher who will make his Octagon debut against Brad Blackburn at UFC Fight Night 14 on July 19. He has competed extensively (and successfully) in the Midwest circuit, which has earned him a rare opportunity to now put his skills to the test against the top fighters in the world under the UFC banner. James will frequently detail his journey to the big time right here at MMAmania.com this week, providing our readers and his fans with a behind-the-scenes account of what it's like to fight for the biggest mixed martial arts promotion on the planet for the first time. To check out more from James here at MMAmania.com click here. |
| Andrei Arlovski: ‘How taste my pee-pee,’ Tim Sylvia? (Video) Posted: 17 Jul 2008 04:19 PM CDT Quick background: Andrei Arlovski and Tim Sylvia fought three times under the UFC banner — “The Maine-iac” won two of those contests. Arlovski dated Patrycja Mikula for quite some time but the couple recently broke up. And when the two split rumors began to surface that Mikula and Sylvia were getting cozy when the pair was seen together at the Adrenaline MMA debut last month. Neither side confirmed or denied the rumors and Mikula is reportedly now dating Binas Begovic. Oh yeah, Arlovksi is set to face Ben Rothwell at Affliction: “Banned” on July 19 — the same night Sylvia is set to take on Fedor Emelianenko. Fun stuff. |
| WEC 36 at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Florida September 10 Posted: 17 Jul 2008 04:01 PM CDT
"The California Kid" Urijah Faber (21-1) will put up his Featherweight strap against Florida's hometown favorite Mike Brown (19-4). The co-featured bout is the highly anticipated rematch between WEC Middleweight Champion Paulo Filho (16-0) and Chael Sonnen (21-9-1). The remaining bouts for WEC: "Faber vs. Brown" have not yet been officially announced. The championship doubleheader will be held at Hard Rock Live at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, and will air on the VERSUS network at 9:00 p.m. ET. Tickets go on sale this coming Monday, July 21 at noon, and range from $50 – $175. Faber has gone on an absolute tear since his March 2006 WEC debut and is ranked the #1 Featherweight in the world today by most media. Since beating Cole Escovedo (11-4) for the strap, Faber has defended his title with dominant submission victories over Joe Pearson (30-11-1), Dominic Cruz (11-1), Chance Farrar (7-2) and Jeff Curran (34-10-1). Most recently, Faber outpointed former UFC Lightweight Champion Jens Pulver (25-10-1) on all three judges' scorecards in front of 13,000 fans. American Top Team's Mike Brown is on a seven-fight win streak, including wins over Yves Edwards (34-14-1) and Jeff Curran. The seven-year veteran has solid submissions and will surely have the support of much of his hometown crowd. Since capturing the WEC Middleweight belt by defeating Joe Doerksen back in August 2007, Paulo Filho has forced many to consider him the number two ranked middleweight in the world (second only to his friend and training partner Anderson Silva). However, since then, Filho has had his share of challenges. He successfully defended his belt at WEC 31 by way of second round submission (armbar) over Chael Sonnen with just five ticks left on the clock. However, the win was highly controversial, as Sonnen insisted that he was not verbally tapping (although he was screaming in pain). Sonnen was certainly ahead on the judges' scorecards leading up to the stoppage, and Filho was not looking like his normal, dominant self. An immediate rematch was slated for WEC 34; however, Filho pulled out of the bout, citing depression, and checked into a substance abuse rehab facility. The rematch has remained highly anticipated since then. Team Quest's Chael Sonnen rebounded from his loss to Filho with a dominating unanimous decision victory over Bryan Baker (6-2). The six-year veteran holds wins over Jason Miller (23-6), Jason Lambert (23-8), Trevor Prangley (17-5), Amar Suloev (24-7) and The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) Season 7's Tim Credeur (9-2). |
| Posted: 17 Jul 2008 02:04 PM CDT UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva making his light heavyweight debut against James Irvin in a non-title bout on Spike TV for free …
… or former UFC heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia taking on the last man to hold the Pride FC heavyweight strap, Fedor Emelianenko, on pay-per-view (PPV).
What are YOU going to do this Saturday, July 19? Tell the world in the comments section below. Reminder: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates and results from both events here (UFC Fight Night 14: “Silva vs. Irvin”) and here (Affliction: “Banned”). |
| Jeremy Horn vs Wilson Gouveia UFC Fight Night 15 fight confirmed Posted: 17 Jul 2008 01:59 PM CDT
Jeremy Horn (80-18-5) and Wilson Gouveia (10-5) have been booked to go toe-to-toe at UFC Fight Night 15 from the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Neb., on September 17, according to UFC.com. There’s currently no confirmation under which weight class the two will compete — Horn has most recently seen action at middleweight and Gouveia typically takes care of business at light heavyweight. However, it’s likely that this will take place at 185 pounds. And if that’s the case, Gouveia is a fine addition to a category that needs talented and experienced fighters. The American Top Team-trained product has a five-fight win streak snapped vie technical knockout when he last stepped inside the Octagon against Goran Reljic at UFC 84: “Ill Will” back in May. It was the first loss for Gouveia under the UFC banner since his debut against Keith Jardine back in 2006. His UFC record stands at 4-2. Horn is on a two fight skid since returning to the promotion, losing to Dean Lister and Nate Marquardt, respectively, via submission (guillotine chokes). In fact, “Gumby” has won just two of his last six fights. He’s a journeyman and a legend in the sport at just 32-years-old, however, which means that he has the ability to win a fight every time he competes. It’s not going to be easy — Gouveia is very well-versed in submissions and can hit hard. To check out the latest UFC Fight 15 card and rumors click here. (Thanks to MMAmania.com reader “BNF” for the assist.) |
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