Category: UFC (Page 31 of 55)

      Top 10 Light-Heavyweight Rankings

      June 9, 2011 /

      nullThe Light Heavyweight Division is currently led by a young phenom with a bunch of hungry sharks ready to take a bite out of him.

      Here is a look at how I see the top 10 in the 205-pound division in MMA. (Click here to see other weight class rankings)

      1. Jon Jones (13-1): Jones is still the leader of the pack but now seems to finally have his next opponent finalized. It looks to be Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, in what will be a very tough fight. Jones may struggle to move the large Jackson and in punch-for-punch power, he probably doesn’t have the edge against his veteran opponent.

      2. Rashad Evans (15-1-1): Rashad Evans is still the No. 1 contender in my eyes as he disposed of Jackson in his last fight and was set to challenge for the title before suffering a minor knee injury. Now set to face rising star, Phil Davis, Evans will have to prove that he can still hang with the best after more than a year away form action.

      3. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (32-8): Rampage looked good but not great in his decision win over Matt Hamill. He landed some good punches on Hamill and stuffed each of his takedown attempts. While Hamill has a good wrestling background, he lacked the explosive takedown attempts that Jackson will see against the likes of Evans, Jones, or even a Ryan Bader.

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      Fighters, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC

      UFC 131 Preview: Demian Maia vs. Mark Munoz

      June 8, 2011 /

      nullCan Mark Munoz become a legit contender in the UFC middleweight division?

      That is the question facing “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” as he gets set to face Demian Maia at UFC 131 on Saturday. Both men are on the verge of being a top-5 contender in the division. But, Maia has been here before, while Munoz has yet to truly break through.

      Here is a look at both fighters heading into this contest.

      Demian Maia (14-2) – Maia is coming off a pair of wins and working his way back toward a title fight in the UFC. Maia has some of the slickest submission grappling moves in the world. He has submitted the likes of Chael Sonnen and Jason MacDonald and he has the capability of submitting Munoz. Maia does struggle with his striking, as he would much rather be fighting off his back than fighting on his feet.

      Mark Munoz (10-2) – Munoz is on a nice run in the UFC, winning five of his last six, with his lone loss a split decision to current No. 1 contender, Yushin Okami. Munoz is a tremendous wrestler with improving striking and a lot of heart. Munoz likes to push the action, even if he doesn’t quite have the condition to do so. He enters this fight with better striking than his opponent, but his wrestling could play into Maia’s hands, as Maia is one of the best submission fighters in the world.

      Who Will Win: I like the effort Munoz puts forward, but I think Maia will be too skilled for him. Munoz isn’t a good enough striker to truly dominate a fight with his boxing. At some point I see this fight going to the ground, and when it does, I expect Maia to show off his talents and secure a submission.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      UFC 131 Preview: Kenny Florian vs. Diego Nunes

      June 7, 2011 /

      nullThe complex of the UFC featherweight division could take an interesting turn on Saturday at UFC 131.

      Accomplished lightweight, Kenny Florian, will make his debut at 145 pounds when he takes on Diego Nunes. The featherweight division is in need of some star power and Florian can provide that if he looks solid in his debut on Saturday against a legit contender in Nunes.

      Here is a look at both fighters heading into this contest.

      Kenny Florian (13-5) – Florian is a solid muay thai fighter and a great submission specialist. Known for finishing fights, Florian has had his last three victories in the octagon come by choke. Despite being one of the best at 155 pounds, Florian hasn’t been able to make it over the championship hill, and now looks to find his gold at 145 pounds. Florian should have a size advantage in the weight class, but it has yet to be seen if he can match the speed of fighters like Nunes. Florian is also coming off a knee injury that could play a factor in his conditioning.

      Diego Nunes (16-1) – Nunes has just one loss in the UFC, but is somewhat unknown because he hasn’t been heavily profiled on television. His last three wins are over Mike Thomas Brown, Tyler Toner, and Raphael Assuncao. They all came by decision, and in fact, his last six bouts have gone to a decision. A grinding wrestler, Nunes will try to get Florian to the ground and control, similar to how Gray Maynard beat Florian. Nunes may struggle with the size of Florian and this will be the most technical striker he has fought in the octagon.

      Who Will Win: I think this is a tough first test for Florian at 145 pounds as Nunes is a grinder, but I expect Florian’s experience and poise to pull him to a victory. After a tough couple of rounds, I look for Florian to gain a advantageous position on Nunes and secure a victory by choke in the third round.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      Early Betting Odds for UFC 131

      June 6, 2011 /

      nullUFC 131 is set to go down this Saturday and BetOnFighting.com has the early odds for this weekend’s event.

      10 bouts have odds thus far and in the main event, Junior dos Santos is a slight favorite at -180 against Shane Carwin, who has a money line of +150. This matchup is a battle of two powerful strikers and will likely end up with a brutal KO one way or another. The question of the bout will be about which fighter can take a punch better than the other.

      In the co-main event, Kenny Florian is a clear favorite at -280 for his featherweight debut against Diego Nunes, who has odds of +200. Florian is a veteran of the octagon and one of the top lightweights in the world, but is now making the drop to 145 pounds. Nunes is a bit of an unknown to UFC fans, but a very tough challenge for Florian to open with.

      For the rest of the odds to UFC 131, check out the jump.

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      Events, Fighters, UFC

      UFC 131 Preview: Junior dos Santos vs. Shane Carwin

      June 6, 2011 /

      nullThe UFC heavyweight division should clear up on Saturday night when two of the top contenders face off in the main event of UFC 131.

      Both men are powerful strikers and hard to get to the ground with their strength and size. It is likely this fight ends in the first five minutes with a brutal KO. The question is, which fighter will land the big punch.

      Here is a look at both fighters heading into this contest.

      Shane Carwin (12-1) – Carwin was a collegiate wrestler and he arguably has the most powerful hands in the division. His four wins in the octagon have all come by first round KO in under four minutes. He had Brock Lesnar reeling before gassing out in the second round in his last UFC fight. Now, coming off of back surgery, it will be interesting to see if Carwin has lost anything in his time off. Can he still supply the same power and will he have the cardio to go more than five minutes in need be? We haven’t seen Carwin tested on the ground, but that is because nobody has been able to get him to the ground.

      Junior dos Santos (12-1) – Junior is also 12-1 in his MMA career and he is 6-0 in the UFC with four wins by KO. Dos Santos has big hands and a lot of quickness, and he is supposed to be a very sound jiu-jitsu fighter as well, but he has never had his fights go to the ground due to his dominance in the striking game. Junior has been taken past the first round twice in the UFC and still held up strong. He did start to fatigue against Roy Nelson, but it was more from throwing so many punches rather than being in danger of losing. Junior probably feels he is the better striker in this matchup, but that has yet to be determined.

      Who Will Win: I actually like the underdog, Carwin, in this matchup. I think he can match dos Santos in striking and he won’t be taken to the ground where he could be submitted. Junior has yet to face someone with the skill set and size of Carwin, and I think that will be the deciding factor in this fight. Carwin can take a punch, and he can certainly dish them out. One big strike from Carwin will rattle dos Santos and open the door for another first round TKO for Carwin.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

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