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- Mike Brown 'touched' by ovation at WEC 46 for Anthony Morrison fight (Video)
- Urijah Faber vs. Jose Aldo coming soon ... possibly WEC on PPV?
- WEC 46 bonuses and awards for 'Varner vs Henderson'
- WEC 46 results recap from last night for 'Varner vs Henderson'
- WEC 46 results and coverage LIVE tonight (Jan. 10) for 'Varner vs Henderson!'
- UFC Fight Night 20 weigh in photos gallery for 'Maynard vs Diaz'
- UFC Fight Night 21: Brandon Vera vs Jon Jones official for Versus on on March 21
- WEC 46 results: Deividas Taurosevicius deals Mackens Semerzier minor setback
- MMA Quick Quote: Murilo Bustamante wants to return to fighting in 2010
- Anderson Silva back in the gym training with Paulo Thiago and Rafael Feijao (Video)
- UFC Fight Night 20 weigh in results LIVE from Fairfax for 'Maynard vs Diaz'
- UFC Fight Night 20 predictions, preview and analysis
- UFC 113: Marcus Davis vs Jonathan Goulet on tap for May 1
- WEC 46: Ben Henderson ready for the fight of his life against Jamie Varner (Video)
- Life is good for Forrest Griffin -- he's healthy, white and moderately wealthy
| Mike Brown 'touched' by ovation at WEC 46 for Anthony Morrison fight (Video) Posted: 11 Jan 2010 04:21 AM PST |
| Urijah Faber vs. Jose Aldo coming soon ... possibly WEC on PPV? Posted: 10 Jan 2010 10:41 PM PST
Urijah Faber rolled into Sacramento on Sunday night and proceeded to roll through Raphael Assuncao at WEC 46: "Varner vs. Henderson," finishing the super talented Brazilian with a third round rear naked choke. Not only did "The California Kid" pick up a "must" win and a $10,000 bonus check, but he also earned an opportunity to fight WEC Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo, in the very near future. WEC General Manager Reed Harris made the announcement during the WEC 46 post-fight press conference. It's an opportunity, as Faber put it, "to get his belt back." And he may get the chance to do it in front of a pay-per-view (PPV) audience, which would mark the first foray for the promotion into the paid arena after a successful run on the Versus network. Harris wanted the WEC to make the move to the PPV scene for sometime now, but has had the discipline to wait for the right moment. It would appear based on his comments this evening that the moment is now, considering it would be a difficult task to find two better fighters to make the transition a success. Faber would certainly be the man for a PPV event -- the way the Sacramento crowd (and just about every other) welcomes should be proof enough that fans will show up to the venue and tune in to watch "The California Kid" operate. Aldo is no slouch, either. The electrifying Brazilian is an extremely popular fighter, mostly because of his highlight reel knockouts. Aldo battered Brown at WEC 44 to capture the belt at WEC 44 in Nov. 2009. Faber would be his first challenger for the coveted 145-pound title. It's safe to say that Faber and Aldo together, along with a solid supporting cast, could bring in considerably large numbers. Would you pay to see it? |
| WEC 46 bonuses and awards for 'Varner vs Henderson' Posted: 10 Jan 2010 09:56 PM PST
World Extrem Cagefighting (WEC) rolled into Sacramento, Calif., last evening (Jan. 10) with "Varner vs. Henderson," which aired live on Versus from ARCO Arena. The card was headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between reigning champion, Jamie Varner, and interim titlist Ben Henderson. "Smooth" went on to sink-in a surprise guillotine choke in the third round to become the undisputed 155-pound champion; however, neither of the main event fighters ran home with bonuses. Former featherweight champion and hometown product, Urijah Faber, as well as Will Campuzano and Coty Wheeler, meanwhile, left Sac-town with a little extra jingle in their pockets. $10,000 bananas each, to be precise. Campuzano and Wheeler ran away with "Fight of the Night" in the opening match of the evening, which Campuzano won via unanimous decision after three thrilling rounds. "The California Kid" walked with the "Submission of the Night" for his lighting-fast rear naked choke victory over Raphael Assuncao. No knockouts were recorded, meaning that a "Knockout of the Night" bonus was not dished out. The list of bonuses given out for WEC 46 is below:
As stated before, each fighter won an extra $10,000 extra for their performances in addition to their respective base salaries, which we will pass along as soon as possible. For complete WEC 46 results and blow-by-blow coverage of the main card action click here and here. |
| WEC 46 results recap from last night for 'Varner vs Henderson' Posted: 10 Jan 2010 09:21 PM PST
WEC 46: "Varner vs. Henderson" has come to a close from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California, and the first official event of the new year is in the books for the sister promotion to the UFC. Lightweights Jamie Varner and Ben Henderson -- the reigning lightweight champion and interim lightweight champion, respectively -- met in the main event to unify the two titles and to determine who the division's champion really is. Varner looked to have control of the fight heading into the third round, controlling "Smooth" with takedowns and the more effective striking. However, the resilient Henderson hung in there and continued to look for openings, both on the ground and in the stand up, despite falling behind on the scorecards through the first 10 minutes. With little more than a minute left in the third round, he found that opening. Varner charged forward with a big takedown attempt, leaving his neck exposed. Henderson capitalized by locking in a fight ending guillotine choke. It was quick, it came out of nowhere, and it was impressive. And now Ben "Smooth" Henderson is the undisputed WEC lightweight champion. One time featherweight king, Urijah "The California Kid" Faber, made his return from injury in the co-main event, putting on a show for his hometown fans by overcoming a slow start to finish off one of the division's top contenders, Raphael Assuncao, with a third round rear naked choke. Faber had a difficult time figuring out the Brazilian in the first round, and Assuncao capitalized by controlling him with a lot of clinching and more aggressive striking. However, rounds two and three were completely different as the hometown favorite turned the tides with takedowns, ground and pound, and aggressive striking of his own. Eventually, Faber's athleticism and cardio prevailed as he secured the late third round submission victory. After the fight, it was announced that "The California Kid" will indeed be getting the first crack at Jose Aldo's title. Faber sounded confident, vowing to reclaim is belt. However, Aldo had some words of his own for the former champ, warning that he wasn't going to be giving up his title anytime soon. I don't know about anybody else, but I believe him. Fellow ex-featherweight champ, Mike Thomas Brown, who was coming off a loss as well, also made his return to the cage tonight, dominating WEC newcomer Anthony Morrison en route to a first round submission finish. "Cheese Steak" looked like he wanted to establish himself in the stand up early on in this fight, but once Brown grabbed him, the fight was out of his control. Brown took him right to the mat and within seconds he had a rear naked choke locked in. After the seemingly easy victory, the American Top Team trainee talked about wanting to get his title back, but he seemed pretty content with the fact that Faber will get the first shot at Aldo. Kamal Shalorus stayed unbeaten in his mixed martial arts career and moved to 2-0 inside the WEC cage tonight with a clear cut decision win over the previously undefeated Dave Jansen. "The Prince of Persia" demonstrated some really nice takedown defense, stifling the accomplished American wrestler's attack throughout the three rounds. Afterward, he claimed that nobody could take him down and that his wrestling is at a "world class" level. It certainly looked like both statements were true tonight. Jansen is considered a very good wrestler, and he couldn't get anywhere with countless takedown attempts tonight. If Shalorus can tighten up his striking technique, he could become a player in the WEC lightweight class. International Fight League veteran Deividas Taurosevicius opened up the Versus telecast by winning his second straight fight under the WEC banner, taking out Miguel Torres' training partner Mackens Semerzier with a hard fought unanimous decision. The Lithuanian fighter took the first two rounds of the fight on the judge's scorecards by controlling the youngster with takedowns and ground and pound. Semerzier hung in there and battled back to steal the third round, but he came up short in following up his impressive upset over Wagnney Fabiano with another win. That's a wrap from the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California. To check out the full results for WEC 46 and our coverage of the event click here. Up next for the promotion is a trip to the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio for WEC 47: "Bowles vs. Cruz" on Saturday, March 6. Freshly healed from injury, new bantamweight champion Brian Bowles will defend his title for the first time against number one contender Dominick Cruz. Former 135-pound king Miguel Torres, rising star Joseph Benavidez, MMA pioneer Jens "Lil’ Evil" Pulver and others are also expected to be in action on the card. Make sure you keep it locked to MMAmania.com for all your WEC news and notes. The floor is now yours, Maniacs |
| WEC 46 results and coverage LIVE tonight (Jan. 10) for 'Varner vs Henderson!' Posted: 10 Jan 2010 08:37 PM PST
Click the banner above or right here for up-to-the-minute results and blow-by-blow coverage of WEC 46: "Varner vs. Henderson." 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 WEC 46 results post and not this one. |
| UFC Fight Night 20 weigh in photos gallery for 'Maynard vs Diaz' Posted: 10 Jan 2010 08:36 PM PST
For complete UFC Fight Night 20: "Maynard vs. Diaz" weigh in results click here. Check out
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| UFC Fight Night 21: Brandon Vera vs Jon Jones official for Versus on on March 21 Posted: 10 Jan 2010 07:20 PM PST
It's official. Exciting light heavyweights Brandon Vera and Jon Jones will indeed collide at UFC Fight Night 21 at the Odeum Colorado in Broomfield, Colo., on March 21, 2010. The announcement was made today during the WEC 46: "Varner vs. Henderson" broadcast on the the Versus network. As part of a recent renewal deal, the network will air two live UFC events in 2010, marking the first time that live UFC events will air on a national sports cable network. And the promotion intends to kick things off with a bang. Vera is coming off a razor thin decision loss to Randy Couture in their UFC 105 match back on Nov. 14. The Muay Thai striker was confident he had done more (and more damage) during his battle with "The Natural" in Manchester but it wasn't to be for the former heavyweight. Prior to the Couture scrap, Vera threw hands at UFC 102 back on August 29 in Portland, battering former TUF contestant Krzysztof Soszynski on the main card en route to a judges decision. If he can do the same to Jones, it will go a long way in re-establishing him as a force in the light heavyweight division. "Bones" has been anything but brittle since making his UFC debut back UFC 87: "Seek and Destroy." In addition to pounding on Stephan Bonnar en route to a UFC 94 unanimous decision win, the collegiate wrestling standout submitted Jake O'Brien at UFC 100 on July 11. In fact, Jones was on a one-way ticket to super-stardom until a controversial disqualification loss against Matt Hamill at the TUF 10 Finale ended his perfect winning streak at nine. "The Hammer" was nailed with a series of ruthless elbows, until a few 12-6ers found their way through and prompted the Mazzagatti ruling. Jones has formally appealed the decision, but could do more to erase those bad memories with a convincing stoppage over Vera. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on UFC Fight Night 21 event as they develop, including more additions to the card, which will likely feature a great lightweight clash between Clay Guida and Sean Sherk, as well as a welterweight war between John Howard vs. Anthony Johnson, |
| WEC 46 results: Deividas Taurosevicius deals Mackens Semerzier minor setback Posted: 10 Jan 2010 07:18 PM PST Relative unknown prospect Mackens Semerzier burst onto the scene with a first round submission victory over jiu-jitsu wizard Wagnney Fabiano at WEC 43. Three months removed from the incredible upset, however, the Miguel Torres protege found himself on the losing end for the first time in his professional career, dropping a unanimous decision to Deividas Taurosevicius tonight (Jan. 10) at WEC 46: "Varner vs. Cerrone." The experienced Lithuanian dominated Semerzier for the first 10 minutes of the evening's main card opener. Down two rounds, Semerzier headed into the third with the mindset of a finisher. However, it was not meant to be as Taurosevicius was able to avoid several submission attempts and survived the late surge of "Mack da Menace" to impress all three judges sitting ringside. The loss is a step back for Semerzier, who had been carrying a lot of momentum since tapping out Fabiano at WEC 43. The American was considered one of the featherweight division's top prospects, and while he is still certainly one of the most promising young 145-pounders in the WEC, this loss robs him of a lot of the momentum to start 2010. While tonight is anything but the end of the world for Semerzier, his inability to defeat Taurosevicius and continue his rampage at featherweight sets "Mack da Menace" back in a stacked division full of contenders. His win over Fabiano displayed his ability to roll with the big boys, but his loss tonight shows he need to improve on his game and develop consistency at the highest level. The good news is that the 29-year-old has time, as well as the right work ethic and training partners, in his corner. |
| MMA Quick Quote: Murilo Bustamante wants to return to fighting in 2010 Posted: 10 Jan 2010 03:08 PM PST
-- Former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante is back in Brazil from United States where he has expanded the Brazilian Top Team headquarters. The veteran explains Renzo Gracie’s return to the action excites him to also get back in the saddle in 2010. But can the 43-year-old -- who defeated Dave Menne in 2002 to capture the 185-pound belt and then defended it once (Matt Lindland) before bolting to the "Land of the Rising Sun" -- still compete at the highest level or has the sport passed him by after more than two years on the sidelines? |
| Anderson Silva back in the gym training with Paulo Thiago and Rafael Feijao (Video) Posted: 10 Jan 2010 11:29 AM PST Anderson Silva back in the gym training with Paulo Thiago and Rafael Feijao (Video) |
| UFC Fight Night 20 weigh in results LIVE from Fairfax for 'Maynard vs Diaz' Posted: 10 Jan 2010 10:44 AM PST
The official weigh-in event for UFC Fight Night 20: "Maynard vs. Diaz" is now on the books, having taken place today (Sun., Jan. 10, 2010) at the Patriot Center on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. All 22 fighters made weight without incident. In fact, other than two fairly fierce staredowns between headliners Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz and between welterweights Jesse Lennox and Rick Story, there were very few incidents to speak of. Of course, then there was Tom Lawlor somersaulting his way onto stage wearing a rocker's wig, wife beater and karate pants, complete with blackbelt. "Filthy" continues to prove his worth in the entertainment department. UFC Fight Night 20 features the headline rematch between former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) contestant Gray Maynard (8-0) and eventual winner Nate Diaz (11-4), who sent "The Bully" packing on season five of the cable TV reality show. In addition, TUF 8 champion Efrain Escudero (12-0) takes on fellow undefeated lightweight Evan Dunham (9-0). Here’s the complete "Maynard vs. Diaz" fight card:
It’s going to be a fun night of fights so don’t miss it. And remember to check us out for all the pre, during and post-fight UFC Fight Night 20 coverage you can handle. |
| UFC Fight Night 20 predictions, preview and analysis Posted: 10 Jan 2010 08:52 AM PST
UFC Fight Night 20: "Maynard vs. Diaz" is set to go down this Monday, January 11, 2010 from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, VA, live via Spike TV. Remember: MMAmania.com will provide LIVE updates with blow-by-blow, round-by-round commentary of the main card action on fight night, which is slated to air on the cable television network at 9 p.m. ET. To get us pumped for the event, MMAmania.com Editor and Senior Writer, Jesse Holland (that’s me), has once again rallied the troops for a breakdown of the televised main card fights. All your favorite contributors are here, bringing you an in-depth look at each contest. One of the big stories coming into this event is of course the headlining fight between Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz. Will "The Bully" be able to avoid a repeat of his TUF 5 loss to the wily submission specialist? Or is he too one-dimensional to make it to the promised land? And does a victory for Diaz give Frankie Edgar the next crack at BJ Penn in Abu Dhabi? There are also a lot of unanswered questions regarding the future of Efrain Escudero. Is the undefeated lightweight being overlooked in this division? Or does he still have something to prove? And is beating Evan Dunham a stiff enough test for "Hencho en Mexico?" There will certainly be a lot to talk about on Monday morning. I’ve also included the current betting lines for each fight so that you can get a feel for what the money has to say about the chances of each combatant. Now, enough with the formalities … let’s get cracking: 155 lbs.: Nate Diaz (11-4) vs. Gray Maynard (8-0) Derek Bolender predicts: Lightweights Gray Maynard and Nate Diaz square off in the main event of the evening on January 11. This fight is technically a rematch as the pair squared off in the semifinals on The Ultimate Fighter season five show. Diaz recorded the second round submission victory and went on to defeat Manny Gamburyan in the finals to be crowned the season five lightweight champion. The victory over Maynard, however, did not count on either man's record as the NSAC does not recognize them as professional bouts. It has now been 3 - 4 years since they first met as very green, very one dimensional martial artists. The matchup is essentially useless when trying to predict an outcome today as both men have developed into well-rounded mixed martial artists with very few weaknesses. In other words, take of sip from your favorite UFC sponsor Mickey's and erase that brain cell from your dome. Flash forward to current day and Maynard is arguably the best wrestler in the UFC lightweight division and a former three-time All-American at Michigan State University. He is also one of the biggest 155-pound fighters in the world, which earned him the nickname "The Bully," as he is known for imposing his superior size and strength on his opponents. His jiu-jitsu is largely average although he did almost pull off a kimura in his last fight against Roger Huerta at UFN 19. His standup is also a work in progress, but he did show much improvement in his recent fight with Jim Miller at UFC 96. Regardless, when push comes to shove he would much rather take you down and try to maul you on the mat. Diaz, on the other hand, is a jiu-jitsu black belt under Cesar Gracie and one of the best submission artists in the division. His boxing is pretty technical and hard to deal with as his punches tend to be loopy and arrive from odd angles. His reach is also a nice advantage as his body type is very tall and lean. When putting these two side by side I immediately point to two of Diaz's previous fights for guidance; specifically, his losses to Clay Guida at UFC 94 and Joe Stevenson at the TUF 9 finale. Both men were able to largely dictate those fights with their superior wrestling skills. I think Maynard will adopt a similar approach as his wrestling is even better than that of Guida and Stevenson. He is also bigger and stronger than those two men. Once he gets his hands on Diaz and secures a few takedowns all he will have to worry about is a couple submission attempts from an exhausted Diaz. When he shrugs off the submission attempts or powers out of them it will be his hand that is raised after the bell sounds at the conclusion of the third round. Make not mistake about it. This is the most important fight of Maynard's career as a potential title shot against the current UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn is likely on the line. If he sustains too much damage in a win or is defeated the man who he previously dominated at UFN 13, Frankie Edgar, would likely get the nod against Penn. A win over Diaz would also make it seven in a row in the UFC for Maynard. Only three fighters in the history of the UFC have won eight or more consecutive fights; Royce Gracie, Jon Fitch, and Anderson Silva. Finishing Diaz would go a long way in cementing his status as the #1 contender as well, but Diaz has never been knocked out or submitted in his UFC career. He is very good off his back and has a very good guard. It has helped him avoid serious damage on the ground in the past. It would be in Maynard's best interest to try to finish the fight at all costs as Edgar is the more marketable of the two. Securing a finish is easier said than done of course, and I don't think he gets it. Personally, I feel Maynard deserves the title shot with a victory, even if it's a mildly impressive decision due to the head-to-head victory over Edgar and his current win streak. It only seems fair, even though fair rarely has anything to do with it. Either way, neither man has a prayer in hell against the Hawaiian kingpin Penn -- so what are we even arguing about? Betting lines (as of Jan. 10): Maynard: -300 ((Bet Now)) Diaz: +220 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Maynard via unanimous decision 155 lbs.: Evan Dunham (9-0) vs. Efrain Escudero (12-0) Adam Wagner predicts: Since making his professional debut in 2007, Evan Dunham (9-0) has earned impressive victories over Marcus Aurelio and Per Eklund, along with a submission win over 2008 no gi world champion Cleber Luciano. A brown belt in jiu-jitsu, Dunham showed improved striking and solid submission defense in his split decision victory over Aurelio. There isn’t a whole lot of tape on Dunham and that might be to his advantage heading into this fight. That submission defense is going to come in handy and we’ll see how good his chin is, which Escudero will look to test. Whether or not he deserves to be in the co-main event is yet to be seen, but Dunham is looking to make a name for himself and no better way than with a win over Escudero. Efrain Escudero (12-0) is the season 8 winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF), with his unanimous decision over Phillipe Nover, aka the fainting nurse. But it was his first round smashing of Cole Miller, a seven-fight UFC veteran, that showed just how dangerous Escudero can be. The word on the street is Escudero’s the real deal, and I personally feel he shows more promise than any TUF winner since Rashad Evans. With both fighters being new to the UFC, it’s difficult to say who has the better jitz, stand-up, etc., but it’s difficult to bet against Escudero in this fight. I expect 2010 to be a good year for the TUF champion. Betting lines (as of Jan. 10): Escudero: -260 ((Bet Now)) Dunham: +200 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Escudero via technical knockout 185 lbs.: Tom Lawlor (6-1) vs. Aaron Simpson (6-0) Nate Lawson predicts: Tom "The Filthy Mauler" Lawlor has quickly become a UFC fan favorite. Whether it was his antics on The Ultimate Fighter 8, or his highly entertaining entrance at UFC 100, Lawlor is a character the fans genuinely seem to enjoy. However, it is not only his antics and attitude that have the fans on his side, but his skill inside the cage. Lawlor is one of the toughest, roughest fighters in the UFC and has the look of an absolute brawler. His wrestling and submission game have led him to success during his short time in mixed martial arts, and he is going to need both on Jan. 11. While he may have the fans on his side when he walks out to the octagon on Monday night, along with his skill in on the ground, Lawlor will have to look across the cage at a very dangerous Aaron Simpson, who will be his biggest test yet. Simpson has been nothing short of a wrecking ball since arriving on the mixed martial arts professional scene in Oct. of 2007 at Proving Grounds 2. Since his technical knockout debut victory, Simpson has improved his record to 6-0 with every fight ending in knockout. "A-Train" looked phenomenal in his fight against Ed Herman at UFC 102 this past August. After a completely dominant first round, Herman needed just 17 seconds in the second round before the referee stopped the fight, calling it a technical knockout due to injury. There is really no question which way each fighter wants this fight to go. Lawlor needs the fight to hit the floor in order to utilize his submission game, while Simpson will prefer a "stand and bang" type of fight. Unfortunately for Lawlor, come Monday night he will run into a guy with heavy hands, effective stand up, and the wrestling pedigree to make sure he is able to keep the fight where he wants it. Look for Simpson to avoid the takedown and initiate a stand up war with Lawlor. "The Filthy Mauler" is tough as nails, so a finish from Simpson may be tricky, but unless Lawlor can get the fight to the ground early and often, he has little chance at victory on Jan. 11. Look for Simpson to outclass Lawlor on the feet and avoid the takedown en route to a unanimous decision victory. Betting lines (as of Jan. 10): Lawlor: +330 ((Bet Now)) Simpson: -250 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Simpson via unanimous decision 170 lbs.: Amir Sadollah (2-1) vs. Brad Blackburn (15-9-1) Akimitsu Kuwabara predicts: The Ultimate Fighter Season Seven winner, Amir Sadollah returns to the Octagon against a respectable IFL veteran, Brad "Bad" Blackburn after a thorough thrashing of Phil "New York Bad Ass" Baroni at UFC 106. Sadollah's recognition comes from his stint in TUF, but the luster from his Cinderella run in the series has been fading fast after a year-long layoff and 29-second TKO loss to Johnny Hendricks at UFC 101. While he rebounded with a dominant decision victory over an effete Phil Baroni at UFC 106, he is still an unknown quantity trying to prove his worth. A victory over Blackburn should give him a jolt of momentum in the ongoing quest to cement his foothold in UFC. Blackburn cut his teeth in IFL and joined UFC after the dissolution of the former. He has been plagued with inconsistency throughout his career but is finally on a steady track: Aside from one no-contest, he has five victories over the likes of Jay Hieron and Ryo Chonan in his last six fights. After a split decision victory over Edgar Garcia at TUF 9 finale last June, he was sidelined by an injury that delayed his return to the Octagon. This fight promises firework on the feet, as both fighters share affinity for striking. Sadollah boasts precise striking with a good repertoire of knees and kicks, thanks to his muay thai background. Blackburn is also technically sound with his striking. He moves well and is capable of piecing together accurate punching combinations. Having earned eight of his fifteen victories via T(KO), Blackburn has the edge in power and poses a palpable threat to Sadollah whose defense is hardly air-tight. Sadollah's willingness to charge in with punches against Johnny Hendricks was met with a hard left hook that wobbled him. Phil Baroni also managed to tag him with punches from the clinch before running out of gas. For a fighter with only three professional fights and little amateur experience, facing a veteran fighter like Blackburn with both power and technique is a daunting task. Sadollah has shown flashes of submission savvy but not the ability to force his opponent into grappling via takedown or guard-pulling. One glaring hole in Blackburn's game has been his conditioning. His tendency to lose steam after the first round was a critical factor in many of his career losses. In his last two fights -- decision victories over Edgar Garcia and Ryo Chonan -- he slowed down in the second and third round, leaving himself vulnerable in the striking exchange. Through his TUF run, Sadollah has proven to be a clutch performer who can rise from the jaws of defeat: If he can demonstrate the same tenacity against Blackburn, he may take home another exhilarating, comeback victory. Sadollah will weather early storm and take over the fight in the later rounds for a close decision victory. Betting lines (as of Jan. 10): Sadollah: -160 ((Bet Now)) Blackburn: +130 ((Bet Now)) Prediction: Sadollah via unanimous decision That’s a wrap, folks. Remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of UFC Fight Night 20: "Maynard vs. Diaz." What do you think? Now it’s your turn … let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for Monday’s event. |
| UFC 113: Marcus Davis vs Jonathan Goulet on tap for May 1 Posted: 10 Jan 2010 08:09 AM PST
With Phil Baroni wanting to take more time between fights to get things right, Marcus Davis will likely stay busy with a welterweight match up against Jonathan Goulet at UFC 113 from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, on May 1, 2010. MMAmania.com was aware that both fighters were approached about the bout, and now MMAFighting.com reports that they have verbally agreed to get down inside the Octagon. "The Irish Hand Grenade" detonated unexpectedly in his match against Ben Saunders at UFC 106: "Ortiz vs. Griffin 2" just last month. The former boxer perhaps did not give the "Killa B" enough respect in the size department and the Muay Thai striker made him pay for it dearly with a barrage of knees that pulled the pin on Davis' title aspirations. It was his second straight loss after coming up short against Dan Hardy at UFC 99: "The Comeback" last June. The "Road Warrior" was anything but what his nickname suggests in 2009, taking the entire year off because of various injuries. In fact, Goulet was in talks to face Tamdan McCrory at UFC 97 in April 2009; however, the bout was nixed because he couldn't get medical clearance after getting knocked silly by Mike Swick at UFC Fight Night 16: "Fights for the Troops" on Dec. 10, 2008. That was the last time he competed, getting scratched from a bout against Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 100 back in July. Prior to the Swick loss, the Canadian was riding back-to-back wins, finishing Kuniyoshi Hironaka via technical knockout of at UFC 83: "Serra vs. St. Pierre," which earned "Fight of the Night" honors. He'll have his hands full with the hard-hitting Davis after such a long layoff. UFC 113 features the much-anticipated rematch between 205-pound division champion, Lyoto Machida, defending his belt against fellow Brazilian Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the main event of the evening. Stay tuned to MMAmania.com for more on the still-developing UFC 113 fight card. |
| WEC 46: Ben Henderson ready for the fight of his life against Jamie Varner (Video) Posted: 10 Jan 2010 07:42 AM PST
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| Life is good for Forrest Griffin -- he's healthy, white and moderately wealthy Posted: 10 Jan 2010 07:41 AM PST
Props: MMA Fighting Quoteworthy:
Forrest Griffin shares his good fortunes with Ariel Helwani after an up-and-down fight campaign in 2009 that saw him rebound from a devastating loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 101 to exact revenge on Tito Ortiz at UFC 106 last November. The former light heavyweight champion is hoping to make another run at 205-pound gold but a bevvy of hungry contenders are right there alongside him. Where do you rank him in this division? And who should he fight next? |
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