Strikeforce: Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum Fight Card

If you want to add a little excitement to your fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds. Or Betus.com Odds if you want to play some parlay bets. They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Written by Pat · Filed Under General MMA betting

UFC 114: Mike Russow vs. Todd Duffee Prediction

May 25, 2010

Heavyweight bout: Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow

Odds: ( -450 Duffee / +325 Russow)

In the third bout of the show, undefeated prospect Todd Duffee will look to take another step toward a future title shot against dangerous contender Mike Russow in a classic striker versus grappler matchup. Duffee has completely shellacked all his opponents in the very first round, but Russow’s ground game is really good for a heavyweight, and he has a big experience advantage, so this should be a great fight.

Todd Duffee is one of the hottest up and coming prospects in the Heavyweight division. He is still early in his career, so his level of competition has not been very high thusfar, but he has handled every step up in spectacular fashion. In his UFC debut, he blasted tough fighter Tim Hague into unconsciousness in a mere seven seconds. Clearly, his standup is formidable, to put it mildly, since not one of his opponents has made it out of the first round. The question is how well his takedown defense and ground game have been coming along. It’s hard to tell how good, or bad, his wrestling and ground game might be, because he has so thoroughly overwhelmed his opponents that it has never really been tested. Considering that he trains out of Randy Couture’s camp, there is reason to believe he at least has some wrestling, but Russow is a great opponent to test how complete Duffee’s game really is at this point.

Russow, who is coming off a nice decision win over Justin McCully in his UFC debut, has an extremely dangerous ground game and one of the highest rates of wins by submission in the heavyweight division. There is no question that his standup is worse than Duffee’s, but he is very good at securing takedowns, controlling the fight on the ground, and exploiting tiny openings to lock up the submission. Russow will also enter this fight with a big edge in experience, both in terms of number of fights and quality of opposition.

I think that Russow is in a great position to play spoiler. Duffee is a considerable betting favorite for this one, but it’s hard to simulate the kind of bad positions Russow can put him in during training sessions. Clearly, Duffee has the tools to knock Russow into a coma, but he has never had to deal with adversity at any point in any of his pro fights, and Russow has the perfect style to put him in bad spots.

Prediction: Mike Russow via second round submission.

At +325, I think Russow is a great underdog pick, and he should take this one by submission.

To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds. They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Written by Pat · Filed Under UFC betting

Info For UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans

May 24, 2010

Here I have put together all the fight information you will need for UFC 114. Read up on fight predictions, odds, videos, and look to place some smart bets on your favorite fighters.

Fight Odds & Betting Lines

UFC 114 Fight Card

Full UFC 114 Fight Card

Pat’s Expert Predictions

Quick UFC 114 Predictions Page

Detailed Fight Predictions

UFC 114 Fighter Profiles

UFC 114 Video Promos

Written by Pat · Filed Under General MMA betting, UFC betting

UFC on Versus 2: Jon Jones vs. Vladimir Matyushenko Fight Card

May 24, 2010

Event: UFC on Versus 2 – Jones vs. Matyushenko

Date: Sunday, August 1, 2010

Venue: EnergySolutions in Salt Lake City, Utah

Broadcast: Free Live on Versus

UFC on Versus 2 Betting Odds

Main Card:

Jon Jones (10-1) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (24-4) - (Main Event)
Yushin Okami (24-5) vs. Mark Munoz (8-1)
John Howard (14-4) vs. Jake Ellenberger (22-5)
Joe Stevenson (31-11) vs. Takanori Gomi (31-6-1)

Preliminary Card:

DaMarques Johnson (14-7) vs. Matt Riddle (4-1)
James Irvin (14-6-1) vs. Igor Pokrajac (21-7)
Brian Stann (8-3) vs. Mike Massenzio (11-3)
Rob Kimmons (22-5) vs. Steve Steinbeiss (4-3)

Written by Pat · Filed Under Schedule

UFC 114: Rampage Jackson vs. Rashad Evans Prediction

May 23, 2010

Light Heavyweight bout: Quinton Jackson vs. Rashad Evans

Odds: ( -115 Jackson / -115 Evans )

The main event of the evening is a highly anticipated grudge match between two former UFC Light Heavyweight champions. Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson have absolutely no love for each other after their stint as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter, and with Rampage’s film commitments film commitments finally behind him, the two are finally set to have it out in the Octagon.

Rashad Evans, while not at all a fan favorite, is an extremely dangerous fighter with very good wrestling and a quickly developing stand up game. Technically, his boxing is still coming along, but he has a huge amount of power in his hands that helps fill the holes in his technique. His combination of wrestling, top control, and power punching, coupled with his top-notch gameplanning courtesy of fight guru Greg Jackson, make him one of the most formidable opponents at 205 pounds.

Quinton Jackson, like Rashad, has got a surplus of punching power and a very dominant wrestling game, although he uses it quite differently. Whereas Rashad is more traditional, with a textbook double leg being the bread and butter of his wrestling, Rampage uses his wrestling more defensively, keeping fights standing and punishing opponents with his world-class boxing, and then occasionally punctuating the action with a vicious slam.

The big difference between Rashad and Rampage is their technique, especially on the feet. Rashad relies on huge, lunging power shots, whereas Rampage has just as much power but also has an excellent technical boxing game to complement it. Furthermore, while Rashad is a great wrestler, so is Rampage, and stylistically I think Rampage comes out ahead in that department, too. Unless Rampage is totally crippled by a ring rust, which is a possibility considering his lengthy absence to film the A-Team movie, I think he will absolutely punish Rashad on the feet and deny him takedowns repeatedly. Cardio could become an issue for Rampage if this fight goes into the later rounds, but I don’t see that happening. Expect Rampage to make quick work of Evans, and return to the UFC wit a T/KO victory.

Prediction: Rampage Jackson via first round T/KO.

Bet on Rampage at Sportsbook.com @ +115 for the Win and a BIG pay out.

Rashad Evans fan’s can take him at Sportsbook.com @-115.

To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds. They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Written by Pat · Filed Under General MMA betting

UFC 114: Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller Prediction

May 21, 2010

Middleweight bout: Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller

Odds: (-180 Bisping /+150 Miller )

In the semi-main event, tough Brit Michael “The Count” Bisping will take on Dan Miller in what should be a very competitive Welterweight matchup. Both men are coming off decision losses, and Miller has dropped two bouts in a row, so this is a must-win for both guys, which adds an extra layer of anticipation.

Michael Bisping, who is beloved in England for his success and widely loathed in America for his attitude, is nonetheless a very skilled fighter with underrated jiu jitsu and very good boxing and muay thai. While he lacks the kind of explosive power some other top strikers have, his technique is excellent and he can pile it on guys with rapid fire blows, both boxing and in the clinch. His ground game is underrated, but there is little question that he can’t hang with Miller, who is extremely proficient, in the grappling game, so he is going to need to show great takedown defense and crisp punching to take this.

Dan Miller, one of the famous fighting Miller Brothers, is really excellent on the ground. His standup is coming along, but he will not win a striking match against Bisping, so he is going to have to try to outwrestle him and make him work off his back. If he can execute that strategy, he has a very good chance of controlling Bisping on the ground or even submitting him, because his jiu-jitsu is a lot better.

I think Miller is a great pick in this one. Bisping is clearly the better striker, but his lack of one-punch power gives Miller a lot of breathing room to set up takedowns and try to control the fight on the ground. Bisping’s wrestling is not horrible, but Miller has the edge, and I think he should be able to do enough to earn a decision here. Considering that he will likely be an underdog when the odds are posted, Miller is a great choice, in my opinion.

Prediction: Dan Miller via unanimous decision.

Bet on Miller @ +130 for the Win.

To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds. They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Written by Pat · Filed Under General MMA betting

UFC 114: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Jason Brilz Prediction

May 21, 2010

Light Heavyweight bout: Antônio Rogério Nogueira vs. Jason Brilz

Odds: (-800Nogueira /+500 Brilz )

The second bout of the evening is a Light Heavyweight contest pitting tough Nebraskan Jason “The Hitman” Brilz against top 10 contender Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Brilz is tough, well-rounded, and notoriously hard to finish, but Little Nog is one of the most dynamic and dangerous fighters in the division, so he is going to have his hands quite full in this one.

Brilz, a veteran of over 20 professional fights, has only been finished once in his career, by submission. A tough fighter with bruising boxing, a granite chin, and a very underrated ground game, Brilz is a tough opponent for anyone. That toughness is going to be a huge asset in this fight, because from a technical standpoint, he is not better than Little Nog at anything besides possibly wrestling.

Little Nog is an absolute monster. Of the most accomplished grapplers in the Light Heavyweight division, he has proved that his hands are also an extremely formidable weapon. He has excellent technique both standing and on the ground, and his hands are fast, accurate, and powerful.

Brilz is a tough guy and a good fighter, but he is completely overmatched here. Little Nog will easily pick him apart on the feet and easily handle him on the ground. I doubt we will see Nog push for a takedown, since he can outbox Brilz with relative ease. Nog by T/KO.

Prediction: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira via third round T/KO.

To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds. They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Written by Pat · Filed Under UFC betting

UFC 114: Diego Sanchez vs. John Hathaway Prediction

May 21, 2010

Welterweight bout: Diego Sanchez vs. John Hathaway

Odds: ( -200 Sanchez / +160 Hathaway )

In the opening bout of the evening, Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez will make his return to the Welterweight division to face off with undefeated British prospect John “The Hitman” Hathaway. Sanchez briefly dropped down to Lightweight, but was completely lambasted in his last fight by BJ Penn, and he is going to have his hands full in his first fight back at 170 with the versatile and dangerous Hathaway.

John Hathaway is not the most famous or flashy of the recent wave of British fighters in the UFC, but he is one of the most effective. While lacking the over the top personality that helped make Michael Bisping, Dan Hardy, and others household names, Hathaway has quietly assembled an unblemished professional record of 12-0, mainly with his fierce striking, solid takedowns, and vicious ground and pound. He hasn’t shown much of his submission game, but he is competent on the ground if not world-class. He will almost definitely enter this fight with an advantage in the striking department and a disadvantage on the ground, so if he wants to keep his momentum he is going to need to try and keep this fight vertical.

Diego Sanchez is also a very versatile fighter, with solid wrestling and submissions, a smothering top game, and one of the most aggressive styles in the UFC. Many felt that a drop to 155 would help him break through to the very top level of the sport, but instead he looked underwhelming and like he lost a step when he cut weight. Hopefully a return to Welterweight will also be a return to form for Sanchez, who has the tools to put a quick halt to Hathaway’s winning streak with his superior wrestling and ground game.

Hathaway is a very tough fighter with a bright future ahead of him, but I think Sanchez is too much for him at this point in his career. Sanchez represents a huge step up in competition for Hathaway, especially in terms of the wrestling and grappling games. I expect Sanchez to control this one with clinch work, wrestling, and ground and pound for a lopsided unanimous decision.

Prediction: Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez via unanimous decision.

To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Sportsbook.com Odds. They allow you to start with as little as $20, and you can bet on all of the fights for the night. Check out my review of Sportsbook here…

Written by Pat · Filed Under General MMA betting