Tag: UFC 131 (Page 2 of 3)

      UFC 131 Weigh-In Results: All Fighters On Target

      June 10, 2011 /

      nullThe biggest heavyweight clash since Lesnar vs. Velasquez is official.

      Both Junior dos Santos and Shane Carwin stepped on the scales for UFC 131 weigh ins on Friday and Carwin came in at 245 pounds while dos Santos weighed in at 239.

      Carwin looked healthy after nearly a year away from competition due to back surgery while dos Santos looked solid and trim, as he is somewhat of a lighter heavyweight.

      The big question at the weigh in was how Kenny Florian would look as he makes his 145-pound debut. Florian came in at 146 pounds and is official to take on Diego Nunes, who weighed in at 145 pounds.

      Check out the rest of the weigh-in information after the jump.

      Continue reading »

      Events, Fighters, News, UFC

      UFC 131 Preview: Jon Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman

      June 10, 2011 /

      nullIf you find yourself scratching your head during UFC 131 when the graphic for the John Olav Einemo vs. Dave Herman fight comes up, you probably won’t be the only one.

      Both men are making their UFC debuts in the heavyweight division but are being put on the main PPV card. Interesting choice, but obviously the UFC must know something about these guys that we don’t.

      Regardless, here is a look at both fighters heading into this contest.

      John Olav Einemo (7-1) – Originally scheduled to face Shane Carwin, Einemo now gets Herman. Despite significantly less fights in his MMA career than his opponent, Einemo has faced some tough competition, including Fabricio Werdum, who was his lone loss back in 2006. He hasn’t competed in MMA since 2006 but is a world BJJ champion and a tremendous submission fighter. Hopefully he will come into the fight with some striking ability and now be like Marcio Cruz.

      Dave Herman (20-2) – A veteran of Sengoku, Herman is young with a lot of MMA experience. He is in good shape and can push a solid pace. His one recent loss was by DQ for an illegal knee to Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, a former UFC light heavyweight contender. Herman does most of his damage with his striking, earning 14 KO finishes with five submissions. He has had just one win go to a decision.

      Who Will Win: It’s one thing to be good at jiu-jitsu, it is another thing to be good at it in MMA. If Einemo can’t get Herman to the ground, he isn’t going to win. When someone is so one dimensional, it doesn’t tend to make for good results. I like Herman to fight through some early takedown and pulled-guard attempts and earn a KO over a tired Einemo in the third round.

      Events, Fighters, 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.

      Continue reading »

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2025 MMA Blitz

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑