Tag: Vitor Belfort (Page 3 of 3)

      UFC 133 Opening Odds: Evans favored over Ortiz

      July 31, 2011 /

      nullUFC 133 will take place this upcoming Saturday, and despite the number of changes in the lineup, the card still has some interesting fights.

      Our friends at BetOnFighting.com have released their odds for UFC 133 and there aren’t many surprises.

      In the main event, Rashad Evans is a clear favorite at -430 to beat Tito Ortiz, who has a money line of +330. These two fought back at UFC 73 to a draw where Ortiz was penalized a point, or else he would have won the contest.

      Still, Evans has evolved a lot over the years and has a great combination of striking and wrestling. Ortiz seems to have a new fire with his submission win over Ryan Bader, but he is taking this fight on very short notice, with just a few weeks to prepare.

      In the co-main event, Vitor Belfort is favored at -300 to beat Yoshihiro Akiyama, who has a money line of +240. These two middleweights are fighting for position in the division. Belfort is coming off a KO loss to Anderson Silva while Akiyama hasn’t fought since a decision loss to Michael Bisping last October and is currently on a two-fight losing streak.

      For all of the odds available for UFC 133, check out the jump.

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      Betting Odds, Events, Fighters, News, UFC

      MMA Game Changers: Anderson Silva

      July 25, 2011 /

      nullIt’s not hard to figure out which UFC middleweight has changed the face of MMA.

      The middleweight champion of nearly five years, Anderson Silva, quickly established himself as a game changer when he made his debut with the promotion back on June 28, 2006.

      His opponent was current middleweight contender, Chris Leben. The fight didn’t last long as Silva seemingly landed every punch and kick he threw, knocking Leben out in just 49 seconds.

      From there, Silva stamped his credibility by running through UFC champion, Rich Franklin, in just three minutes.

      Since then, Silva has continued to be a dominant force in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.

      His striking was something unlike anything we’d ever seen. Chuck Liddell was considered a striker back then, but Silva was on another wavelength.

      Silva uses all four of his appendages in a beautiful mix of strikes. His fists, feet, and knees are all deadly.

      Since his arrival in the UFC, only Chael Sonnen has put up a fight against the champion, but that still wasn’t enough. Silva used his jiu-jitsu black belt to submit Sonnen and retain his title.

      His highlight reel KO’s are stuff of legend as he has made Franklin, Leben, Vitor Belfort, and Forrest Griffin look like amateurs in the cage.

      What also makes Silva so special is that you could see him being successful 10 years from now, even as MMA continues to evolve.

      There may never be another Anderson Silva again.

      Events, Fighters, UFC

      Top 10 Middleweight Rankings

      June 15, 2011 /

      nullThis week the rankings move back to the middleweight division.

      The 185-pound weight class had some interesting developments over the last few months as Chael Sonnen has had his return to the UFC pushed back and one of the top fighters, Nate Marquardt, is moving down to 170 pounds.

      Nonetheless, here is what the top 10 in this weight class looks like.

      1. Anderson Silva (28-4) – Silva is not only No. 1 on this list, but also on my pound-for-pound list. I think he has a tough test ahead of him in Yushin Okami at UFC 134, as Silva has shown a weakness against big wrestlers. Still, many of Silva’s opponents show him too much respect, which plays right into his hands.

      2. Yushin Okami (26-5) – I am moving Okami up to number two because Sonnen’s future is in question and he seems to be losing steam with each passing day. Okami has beaten many of the best in the UFC, but he now has a chance to face the very best in Silva. Okami is a grinder, and that is what will be the most dangerous opponent for Silva to face.

      3. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) – Sonnen has a good skill set, but his mouth and his poor choices have caused him to have a questionable future. Despite the fact that he pushed Silva to his limit, Sonnen still was unable to come through with a win. Sonnen has a clear weakness against submission specialists, but he has easily handled some of the top fighters in this division.

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      Events, Fighters, Rankings, Strikeforce, UFC

      Fighters react to news of Osama Bin Laden’s death

      May 2, 2011 /

      nullGiven the historical significance of last night’s announcement from President Barack Obama that 9/11 mastermind, Osama Bin Laden, was found and killed; I thought it would be insincere to focus on UFC 129 this morning.

      I will get back to some follow up thoughts on Saturday’s event later today, but for now, I thought I would post some tweets from last night on fighter’s reactions to the President’s announcement.

      @BrianStann (Brian Stann) – Bin Laden is dead, I hope this continues the movement towards more freedoms for the people in the middle east and an end to ops for our forces

      @danhardymma (Dan Hardy) – One less murdering lunatic in the world. Always good news.

      @aaronsimpson (Aaron Simpson) – Go F yourself Osama.

      @TimKennedyMMA (Tim Kennedy) – I find myself kind of sad that Osama Bin Ladin is dead. I have fantasized about killing him almost as much as zombies… I will have to find a replacement.

      @NateRockQuarry (Nathan Quarry) – This just in: Steven Seagal kicks Osama Bin Laden with front kick

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      Fighters, News, UFC

      Top 10 Middleweight Rankings

      April 20, 2011 /

      nullThis week I turn my rankings to the middleweight division.

      Really, the field is Anderson Silva and everyone else.

      Still, here is my take. If you need to go back and find my pound-for-pound, heavyweight, or light heavyweight rankings, click on the links.

      1. Anderson Silva (28-4) – Silva is my top fighter in any weight class, let alone middleweight. “The Spider” is like an artist in the cage. He rarely throws a strike that doesn’t land and he doesn’t waste energy while fighting. Everything he does has a purpose and thought to it. Chael Sonnen may have found a small hole in his game with his takedown defense, but he still managed to submit Sonnen and then bounce back with a devastating front kick to Vitor Belfort in the first round of his last title defense. Up next is Yushin Okami, had poses the right skill set to give Silva problems.

      2. Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) – Sonnen is almost here by default. The other top guys in the group have either lost to him, or lost to someone that he has beaten. Sonnen is a grinder and a tremendous wrestler, but he has a clear weakness in his submission defense. Eight of his 11 losses have come by submission. Sonnen is also coming off a long layoff from a steroid suspension and legal issues. We will see if he can get back to being the fighter that nearly dethroned Silva.

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      Fighters, Strikeforce, UFC

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