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UFC on Versus: Brandon Vera vs. Jon Jones Predictions
by Luke Thomas on Mar 21, 2010 12:14 AM EDT
in News
33 comments
UFC on Versus
March 21, 2010
First Bank Center
Broomfield, Colorado
Main card:
Jon Jones vs. Brandon Vera
Luke Thomas: Vera is incredibly durable and defensively very strong. Whatever criticisms one has of Vera, poor defense is rarely a charge that's levied. The problem has always an inability to pull the trigger, at least since his year long layoff. Vera told USA Today his plan was to time Jones, pick his spots and attack in the tiny opening he thinks Jones will leave. To me that sounds a lot like more of the same. Jones will find Vera won't go away unless there's a bad ref stoppage, but being offensive in the clinch, getting time to reset and use speed to his advantage, Jones will take a hard fought decision. Jones by decision.
Kid Nate: A very very tough fight to call because Brandon Vera on paper and Brandon Vera in the Octagon are two entirely different propositions. On paper, Vera's polished Muay Thai game should be able to overcome Jones' unpolished improvising. And his Greco-Roman skills should allow him to (mostly) keep the fight standing and even if it goes down, Vera's jiu jitsu advantage should be manifest. But alas, Vera has a bad habit of coasting through fights, getting sucked into pointless clinch battles and not going for the kill. If he loiters in Jones' clinch, he'll go flying. Jones by decision.
Brent Brookhouse: Vera is extremely talented, so it's a real shame to see so many people think this is a gimmie fight for Jones. Still, Vera did it to himself with his reluctance to use his full talents against the better fighters he has faced. If he can find the desire to fight his fight it could turn into a very long night for Jones. Jon has unorthodox (and relatively unpolished) striking, and a very good wrestling game, it's just a matter of him being able to use it effectively against someone with more experience and a well rounded game. I'm going with the mild upset here. I think the fight is mostly contested standing where Vera is better and can work his way to a decision win. Brandon Vera by decision.
Mike Fagan: Jon Jones will steamroll Brandon Vera. We've been waiting for that "old Brandon Vera" to come back for the last three years with no sign of a reemergence. Instead, Vera fights with the aggressiveness of a 13 year old kid on his first date, too scared to make any move at all. Jones is a monstrous beast at 205, and if Vera's standup gives him any problems, he'll ragdoll Vera as he's done with everyone else so far. Vera's crafty enough to survive, but this won't be close. Jon Jones by super unanimous decision.
Chris Nelson: This has the potential to be a stinker or a raging battle - and, despite my better instincts, I'm leaning toward the latter. Jones won't let Vera play the counter style he's been prone to in recent bouts. Instead, "Bones" will feel out the striking situation for a round before putting Vera on the mat, taking mount, and finishing. Jones via TKO, round two.
Nick Thomas: Jones has been phenomenal and this fight will be a interesting test to see if Jones can hang with the big boys. Jones will have the reach and wrestling advantage here. Going with Jones by decision.
Leland Roling: Brandon Vera needs to prove that he can implement a solid gameplan and inflict damage before I'll ever pick him again. He's burned me too many times. Jon Jones has stated he may try to stand in order to beat Vera at his strengths, and I imagine if that's true -- that's a huge mistake. Jones should be working for the takedown and using his strength to maul Vera, so I'm holding my breath as to whether Jones can produce a win. Jon Jones via decision.
Junior Dos Santos vs. Gabriel Gonzaga
Luke Thomas: Dos Santos' power is so alarming that it's hard to see a way he doesn't win here. I don't blame anyone for picking JDS and I agree with the criticisms that Gonzaga overvalues his own striking. But there is still a lot we don't know about dos Santos' ground development, which is a relevant question at the UFC level. I'll gamble here and suggest Gonzaga tells us a lot about JDS' game that we need to know. Gonzaga by submission.
Kid Nate: Dos Santos really hasn't been tested on the ground in his UFC career. If Gonzaga can focus on what he does best, he should be able to take Dos Santos down and submit him. But Gonzaga thinks he's a stand up warrior so I expect he'll try to trade with Dos Santos to disastrous effect. Dos Santos by TKO.
Brent Brookhouse:If I trusted Gonzaga to try for a takedown I'd really like him at the current odds, but I don't trust him to do anything but stand and bang. Junior is better at that. So it's an easy pick. Gonzaga will last one round and then wilt and get stopped. Junior Dos Santos by TKO, round 2.
Mike Fagan: Gonzaga looks good for about two minutes before his mind shuts off again. Dos Santos is the worst kind of fight for Gonzaga - a guy that can brutalize you with punishment over fifteen minutes. Dos Santos's ground game is the X-factor, but unless Gabe can submit him within the first few minutes, I'm not sure it matters. Junior dos Santos by TKO, round 2.
Chris Nelson: I have no doubt that Gonzaga has the far superior ground game here, but Cigano has honest-to-goodness dynamite in his fists and Napao's chin remains a huge liability. Dos Santos via TKO, round one.
Nick Thomas: You just can't pick against Dos Santos, especially when you have him against someone that isn't scared to stand and trade. Dos Santos by TKO.
Leland Roling: Dos Santos is probably going to win... and I've battled with this pick for days. Gonzaga's camp is saying he's being highly undervalued, and I think he is to an extent. While he has some striking capabilities, Dos Santos is strong, speedy, and works a nice, strong jab in combination with his overhand. Gonzaga's ground game might give Dos Santos problems, but I don't see it being the x-factor. Sadly, I will pick Dos Santos, but I'll be pulling for a bettor's upset. Dos Santos via TKO
Cheick Kongo vs. Paul Buentello
Luke Thomas: This is going to look similar to the vicious beating Overeem handed Buentello. Too bad. With "El Rey" he's got the best entrance song in MMA. Kongo by TKO.
Kid Nate: Kongo has a nice arsenal of standing strikes. Buentello has a hard right straight punch. Kongo should be able to beat Buentello standing or take him down and pound him out on the ground. Buentello snuck back into the UFC because they were in a defensive signing mode. He'll be gone very soon. Kongo by TKO.
Brent Brookhouse: I'm not really sure where the idea that Buentello was doing great against Struve came from, but fighting a bigger striker who has more power, more diverse striking and more technique is going to make for a really long, really bad night for Paul. Cheick Kongo by KO, round 2.
Mike Fagan: This is an awful matchup for Buentello. Kongo's bigger, longer, and more technical standing up, which is bad news in an ultimate kickboxing fight. Cheick Kongo by TKO, round 2.
Chris Nelson: Buentello is one of the best characters in MMA, but he just isn't going to be able to hang with the next-gen heavyweights. Kongo isn't Velasquez or Lesnar, but I see him pummeling the burrito eater nonetheless. Kongo via TKO, round three.
Nick Thomas: Kongo is going to be hungry after going 0-2. Kongo by decision.
Leland Roling: Kongo should be the winner here as he has length, power, and a solid Muay Thai background. Buentello can provide one punch knockout power, but Kongo's length is going to be an absolute nightmare trying to wade through. Cheick Kongo via TKO, Round 1.
James Irvin vs. Alessio Sakara
Luke Thomas: Jesus. I don't really know what to say here. Two troubled fighters with defensive liabilities. At this weight class Irvin for sure has the better power, but what about the stamina? He seemed badly dehydrated at the weigh-ins. Sakara is nothing to write home about in terms of UFC level either, but he's got enough hand technique to make it competitive. I don't know, this is a coin flip, really. I'll go Sakara.
Kid Nate: Battle of the weak chins here. Whoever connects first could well be putting the other guy to sleep. I'm tempted to go with Sakara here because he's been improving and Irvin is cutting a lot of weight to make 185lbs. But Irvin just has way more power than Sakara. Irvin by TKO.
Brent Brookhouse: Without the long layoff coupled with his first cut to 185 lbs I'd probably pick Irvin. Those two factors are rough on their own, but combined? That seems like a recipe for disaster. Alessio Sakara by TKO, round 2.
Mike Fagan: At the risk of putting faith in Alessio Sakara's chin, Irvin's drug problem, weight cut, and knee injury is not a storm I want to weather. Alessio Sakara by TKO, round 1.
Chris Nelson: I was picking Sakara here anyway, but after seeing the living corpse of James Irvin weigh in this afternoon, I'm double-picking Sakara. Sakara via TKO, round one.
Nick Thomas: Irvin is a risky pick with a long layoff and a debut at 185. As long as Sakara doesn't get caught in the stand up, it's Sakara by decision.
Leland Roling: Long layoff, new weight cut to 185 pounds, and a propensity to blow out knees while stepping up stairs... it's tough to pick Irvin here. He's exciting, has a lot of power, but for some strange reason -- I feel like Sakara is beginning to come into his own as a middle-of-the-road veteran who can, at the very least, outlast Irvin. Definitely a wishful pick here in Alessio Sakara via TKO, Round 2.
33 comments | 0 recs |
Jon Jones: "I really don't like Brandon as a person. I just think he's disrespecful. He's really arrogant. I think he's full of himself... He's a talker, and I guess I let his arrogance got under my skin a little bit."
HT: cagewriter
UFC on Versus: Vera vs. Jones Weigh-in Results
by Nick Thomas on Mar 20, 2010 5:54 PM EDT
in News
82 comments
Make sure to join us at BloodyElbow.com for today's "UFC on Versus: Vera vs. Jones" weigh-ins at 6:00 PM EST: (video stream here)
Main Bouts:
Jon Jones (206) [Num. 23] vs. Brandon Vera (204) [Num. 18]
Junior Dos Santos (238) [Num. 6] vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (255) [Num. 13]
Cheick Kongo (237) [Num. 25] vs. Paul Buentello (246)
James Irvin (185) vs. Alessio Sakara (185) [Num. 20]
Preliminary Bouts:
Clay Guida (155) vs. Shannon Gugerty (155)
Vladimir Matyushenko (205) vs. Eliot Marshall (204)
Duane Ludwig (155) vs. Darren Elkins (155)
John Howard (170) vs. Daniel Roberts (169)
Brendan Schaub (245) vs. Chase Gormley (265)
Mike Pierce (170) vs. Julio Paulino (170)
Jason Brilz (205) vs. Eric Schafer (205)
Image via Sherdog.com
82 comments | 0 recs |
Bellator First Round Lightweight Tournament Match-Ups Announced
by Brent Brookhouse on Mar 20, 2010 5:00 PM EDT
in News
10 comments
From the most recent Bellator press release here are the first round match-ups for the lightweight tournament:
April 8th (Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Hollywood, Fla.) Roger Huerta (20-3-1) vs. Chad Hinton (6-0) and Janne Tulirinta (12-3) vs. Carey Vanier (7-2)
April 15th (Chicago Theatre – Chicago, Ill.) Pat Curran (9-3) vs. Mike Ricci (5-0)
April 22nd (Mohegan Sun Resort – Uncasville, Conn.) Toby Imada (20-13) vs. Ferrid Kheder (16-5)
Clearly Huerta/Hinton is the marquee fight here but Imada/Kheder is very interesting and Ricci/Curran will be taking place on Curran's turf.
Other announced fights for the promotion include:
April 8
Joe Warren vs. Eric Marriott (FW Tournament)
Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Bao Quach (FW Tournament)
April 15
Ben Askren vs. Ryan Thomas (WW Tournament)
Wilson Reis vs. Shad Lierley (FW Tournament)
Patricio "Pitbull" Freire vs. William Romero (FW Tournament)
April 22
Dan Hornbuckle vs. Sean Pierson (WW Tournament)
Jacob McClintock vs. "Judo" Jim Wallhead (WW Tournament)
Steve Carl vs. Brett Cooper (WW Tournament)
May 20:
Paulo Filho vs. Hector Lombard (non-tournament)
Eddie Alvarez vs. Josh Neer (non-tournament) was also announced for a May date.
10 comments | 0 recs |
Quote of the Day: Jon Jones Talks Fickle UFC Fans
by Kid Nate on Mar 20, 2010 3:58 PM EDT
in News
47 comments
"After (the Thales Leites) fight people talked so much trash about (Anderson Silva)," Jones says. "About how he's not that good, how he doesn't finish fights, and I'm thinking, oh my God, there's all these forums talking about how great is before this, but now since he doesn't knock the guy out he's horrible and he sucks? That was a first-hand experience of how brutal fans can be."
Jon Jones talking to Ben Fowlkes about the fickleness of the fans.
47 comments | 1 recs |
DREAM 13 Preview: Quality Match-ups Kick Off New Year With Exciting Action
by Leland Roling on Mar 20, 2010 10:13 AM EDT
in Events
21 comments
The UFC isn't the only major show on the radar of the hardcore mixed martial arts fans this weekend. DREAM will hold their first event of the new year on Monday, March 22nd from the Yokohama Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The card will feature some great lighter weight class match-ups including a championship bout between Bibiano Fernandes and Joachim Hansen. You won't want to miss this action on Monday morning, and it will be presented in HD LIVE on HDNet at 3:00 AM EST. Make sure you set the alarm clock!
The main event of the evening will pit the 2009 DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix champion Bibiano Fernandes (7-2, 4-0 DREAM) against the 2008 DREAM Lightweight Grand Prix champion Joachim "Hellboy" Hansen (19-8-1, 3-2 DREAM) in a championship showdown for the DREAM Featherweight title. Fernandes is currently enjoying a four-fight win streak with the promotion that includes his 2009 DREAM Featherweight Grand Prix wins over Takafumi Otsuka, Masakazu Imanari, Joe Warren, and Hiroyuki Takaya. Hansen is coming off a loss to Shinya Aoki at DREAM 11 in a lightweight championship battle.
There are a number of factors that make this battle very interesting. First and foremost, this will be Joachim Hansen's first cut to featherweight. While some may believe that's a cause for concern in the lead-up to the fight, Hansen regularly tipped the scales at roughly 150 pounds in his lightweight contests, and he weighed 150.3 pounds at the DREAM 11 weigh-in.
With the weight concern likely a non-issue, we can focus on the tools Hansen possesses that will provide some unique challenges for Bibiano Fernandes. At 5'10", Hansen will be nearly 3" taller than Fernandes with a good reach advantage over the Brazilian. That may signal a propensity for Hansen to try to maintain this fight on the feet, but Bibiano's Brazilian jiu-jitsu credentials combined with Hansen's horribly lacking takedown defense have probably formulated that strategy for Hansen already.
Bibiano's primary offensive weapon is his highly-decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu background. He's a multi-time Brazilian Mundials and Pan-Am Games champion, but he's also managed to improve his striking ability over the last couple of years as well. In fact, Fernandes has been able to become a fairly impressive specimen in the featherweight division as he's rather bulky in his build and can produce solid power in his boxing. With a little refinement in his accuracy and form, Fernandes could become a double threat with a solid ground and striking skill-set.
Hansen's takedown defense is the huge question mark in this fight. Trainer Jack Hermanson has been helping Hansen with the cut down to featherweight, but he also happens to possess a strong Greco-Roman wrestling background. If Hansen can solidify his weakness in being taken down, he'll have a good chance to bomb Fernandes with his dynamic striking skills on the feet. If not, Fernandes could take this fight to the ground repeatedly and control Hansen on his way to a decision victory.
While I believe Hansen has the tools to win here, Fernandes may have the complete toolbox if his striking has continued to progress. He won't provide the dynamic abilities in the stand-up game that Hansen possesses, but Hansen's aggressiveness combined with his poor takedown defense will give Fernandes ample opportunities to put Hansen on his back. Hansen is good enough to avoid the submission, but Fernandes will control and damage enough from the top to win. I'll take Bibiano Fernandes via decision.
21 comments | 0 recs |
Jake Shields training at AKA for Dan Henderson.
Josh Thomson predicts a 3rd round knockout for Gilbert Melendez vs. Shinya Aoki.
Chiquerim, Bananada Victorious at Shooto Brazil 15
by Chris Nelson on Mar 20, 2010 2:32 AM EDT
in News
5 comments
Shooto's Brazilian subset put on its first show of 2010 in Rio de Janeiro on Friday night, and the evening's main event saw a new South American lightweight champion crowned. Paulo "Bananada" Goncalves of Tata Fight Team captured the vacant 155-pound strap, claiming a unanimous decision victory over local favorite Giovani Diniz of Nova Uniao and avenging a loss from January of '09.
In the co-main event, current Shooto World Lightweight ace and previous South American title holder, Willamy "Chiquerim" Freire, fought on home soil for the first time since becoming champion last October. Unable to put away durable Finn Mikael Lahdesmaki over the course of 15 minutes, Freire settled for a unanimous decision and extended his current win streak to 10 straight.
Full results via Tatame:
Shooto South America Lightweight Title Bout
Paulo "Bananada" def. Giovani Diniz via unanimous decision
Willamy "Chiquerim" Freire def. Mikael Lahdesmaki via unanimous decision
Miguel Duran def. Rafael Farias via TKO (retirement)
Rick def. Leandro Paulista via TKO (punches) R1 3:32
Fernando Bruno def. Fernando Peixeiro via submission (guillotine choke) R1 1:35
Aquiles Campos def. Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision
Otto Rodrigues def. Filipinho via unanimous decision
Fabiano "Jacarezinho" def. Jamil Silveira via unanimous decision
5 comments | 0 recs
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Georges St-Pierre - "[Mousasi] He's amazing, he's a great fighter, he's an even greater human being than a fighter. He's a great guy. We plan to train together."
Gegard Mousasi - "Maybe [St-Pierre] he will come to Holland to work on his stand-up, cause we have good K-1 stand-up fighters in Holland, and maybe I'd join him one time in his training camp when he has a fight so we can help each other."
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