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Gambling Spotlight: UFC 96

1011_medium

Quinton Jackson

#2 Light Heavyweight
Former UFC LHW Champ

Keith Jardine

#7 Light Heavyweight

-310 (5D) Best Line +260 (BOOK)
30 Age 33
6'1" Height 6'2"
29 - 7 - 0 Record 14 - 4 - 1
14 / 7 TKO / SUB 6 / 2
Wolfslair Academy Camp Jackson's Submission Fighting
W - Silva (KO)
L - Griffin (UD)
W - Henderson (UD)
Last 3 Fights W - Vera (SD)
L - Silva (KO)
W - Liddell (UD)

I suspect the most repeated analysis of this fight will be this: Quinton Jackson struggled with Forrest Griffin's leg kicks and Keith Jardine loves to throw leg kicks.  It will be overstated.  Yes, Griffin did effectively use leg kicks in his fight with Jackson, but we have to look at the context of the overall fight.  For starters, Jackson arguably won the fight anyway.  Second, the whole nature of the fight changed 30 seconds into round two when Griffin landed a perfect (i.e. lucky) kick to the outside of Jackson's knee.  And still, after Jackson recovered from the effects, he fought effectively.

The leg kick can be an effective means of immobilizing an opponent.  Just look at Thiago Alves or vintage Mirko Filipovic.  Jardine utilizes his leg kicks more like jabs though.  And as we saw in the Alexander and Silva fights, he has little means for stopping an opponent from getting inside and busting his face up.

That leads us to the next big issue in the fight: Jardine's glass chin.  A much smaller Wanderlei Silva and a green brawler named Houston both not only knocked him out, but devastated him with their fists.  Jackson's run in the UFC has been filled with highlight KO's over Silva, Chuck Liddell, and Marvin Eastman.  Jackson only needs to land a clean hook or uppercut to Jardine's chin to end the fight.

That said, the line is fairly well adjusted at this point.  For all his problems with his chin, Jardine is still a tough guy and Greg Jackson has a now legendary ability to gameplan for fights.  If you're aggressive, I might play Jackson up to -350.

Star-divide

1010_medium

Matt Hamill

#17 Light Heavyweight

Mark Munoz

-165 (DOG) Best Line +150 (5D)
32 Age 31
6'1" Height 6'0"
5 - 2 - 0 Record 5 - 0 - 0
4 / 0 TKO / SUB 3 / 0
Team Punishment Camp Ultimate Fitness
W - Andy (TKO)
L - Franklin (TKO)
W - Boetsch (TKO)
Last 3 Fights W - Barros (TKO)
W - Grigsby (TKO)
W - Rubalcava (UD)

This fight reminds me of the Hazelett/McCrory bout from UFC 91 in the sense that you have two very similar fighters, though one's a bit better and has more experience. Both guys are big, strong wrestlers with sloppy standup. Hamill, however, should have a pretty significant edge on the feet.

There's not a lot of tape on Munoz, so the analysis can't go much deeper. However, from what I've heard and seen from Munoz, I think Hamill's good for a unit here. Munoz may be a better pure wrestler (he certainly has a better pedigree), but I think their MMA wrestling will cancel each other out. Technically, Hamill's standup is awful (in particular he drops his hands far too often), but he has shown it to be effective when he needs it to be.

Gabriel Gonzaga

#9 Heavyweight

Shane Carwin

#24 Heavyweight

-155 (DOG) Best Line +150 (5D)
29 Age 34
6'2" Height 6'4"
10 - 3 - 0 Record 10 - 0 - 0
4 / 6 TKO / SUB 5 / 5
Team Link Camp Jackson's Submission Fighting
W - Hendricks (KO)
W - McCully (SUB)
L - Werdum (TKO)
Last 3 Fights W - Wain (TKO)
W - Wellisch (KO)
W - Pendergarst (TKO)

I'm really lost in handicapping this.  If size weren't an issue, I think Gonzaga's a fairly big favorite.  Gabe's a big dude, but Carwin's a BIG DUDE.  Factor in Carwin's wrestling, lack of quality opposition, and enormous power and Gonzaga's gas tank and willingness to give up in a fight, and we have lots of questions that need answers.  

Carwin is a Jackson fighter, and there's no doubt Greg's been studying the Couture fight.  The more I think about the fight, the more I picture Carwin using his size and wrestling to wear out Gonzaga over the first five to eight minutes.  At that point, Gonzaga gasses and Carwin either ground-n-pounds his way to victory or lands a big shot on the feet.  

It's also easy to forget that outside of Mirko Filipovic (which, in retrospect, is a very good style matchup for him), Gonzaga hasn't beaten anyone of notable caliber either, though he certainly looked good in spots against Couture and the second fight with Werdum.

I like a small half-unit play on Carwin, and a full unit if he moves up to +170.  You'll be wading through Carwin's unknowns (How good is his ground game?  Can he go past 2:30?), but I think his size, wrestling, and power are going to give Gonzaga problems here.

Gray Maynard

#15 Lightweight

Jim Miller

#18 Lightweight

-170 (5D) Best Line +155 (DOG)
29 Age 25
5'8" Height 5'8"
6 - 0 - 0 1 NC Record 13 - 1 - 0
1 / 0 TKO / SUB 1 / 9
Xtreme Couture Camp AMA Fight Club
W - Clementi (UD)
W - Edgar (UD)
W - Siver (UD)
Last 3 Fights W - Wiman (UD)
W - Baron (SUB)
W - Palaszewski (UD)

In a battle between two lightweight wrestling prospects, I like the more well-rounded fighter from Jersey.  Maynard's mostly gotten by with his size and wrestling, and I think Miller can neutralize him in the wrestling department, if not stifle him with his BJJ if it does hit the floor.  If nothing else, Maynard's one dimensional enough that he has to rely on winning a decision, and it's worth a small play on Miller that he can edge out two of three rounds.  Take Miller for half a unit.

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Hamill, however, should have a pretty significant edge on the feet.

I dont think ive EVER heard anyone say that about hamill..
And i dont think its even possible for hamil to have a pretty significant striking advantage on anyone.. Something tells me, munoz is gonna surprise some people here..

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Mar 6, 2009 1:20 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

It's strange

sometimes effective. He basically outstruck Bisping on the feet despite his style. It is pretty ugly but it works. He was cut vs Reese Andy out of all things…

AWmusic - mp3 blog on independent music..

by achengy on Mar 6, 2009 1:28 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

ya, he did hit bisping, but that was only on the first round.

so i dont know, i cant really call him a good striker just because of the first round advantage with bisping. Maybe he caught him off guard or something.. i dont know.. he has power, but recently, his striking has been too slow and sloppy. I think even if munoz isnt a good striker, i dont think hamill will have a significant advantage (i wouldnt be surprised if munoz owns him on the feet)..

and with the wrestling, i havent seen hamil use it much recently to say that he will be better than or at par with munoz.. The only thing going for hamil is that munoz is a lot smaller than him and that he has more experience than him..

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Mar 6, 2009 1:44 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Did you see the last two rounds of the Bisping fight?

Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

by Richard Wade on Mar 6, 2009 5:49 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

He basically did

outstrike Bisping. Bisping was off in that fight.

AWmusic - mp3 blog on independent music..

by achengy on Mar 6, 2009 8:08 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah, in round one.

Bolts from the Blue // "Game over." - Jamal Williams
Bloody Elbow // "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit upon his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." - H.L. Mencken

by Richard Wade on Mar 8, 2009 8:14 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Everyone has a glass chin.

Everybody fightin' bout a spoonful...

by plastict on Mar 6, 2009 1:24 AM EST reply actions   1 recs

For starters, Jackson arguably won the fight anyway. Second, the whole nature of the fight changed 30 seconds into round two when Griffin landed a perfect (i.e. lucky) kick to the outside of Jackson’s knee.

Really? You’re still going with Rampage was robbed and the kick was lucky? Come on. I expect more than that.

by jebushchrist on Mar 6, 2009 1:45 AM EST reply actions   1 recs

the kick he was mentioning was the kick that did him in.. But before that, page was already putting more weight on the other leg, and you could see that the first few leg kicks are already starting to take its toll.. So i wouldnt really call that kick ‘lucky’..

Its not like the first leg kick forrest threw busted it up already.

http://weoweoweo.deviantart.com/

by Anton Tabuena on Mar 6, 2009 1:51 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

a “lucky kick” is like a “lucky punch” in that there is no such thing. i guess one could say it was lucky where it landed, like serra was lucky his punch landed behind the ear of gsp, or marbe gsp was lucky it did’nt land square on the chin….nahhh, even i don’t buy it. forrest meant to kick him as hard as he could and he did. no luck invovled. he broke a reporters leg once by accident for showing up late, or was it an accident? hmmmmm. :-)

by bdw on Mar 6, 2009 11:54 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I’m with you 100%. What is with that nonsense? I had actually copied the same section as you to reply before I read your comments.

It wasn’t a lucky kick. Griffin meant to throw his leg out there to strike Rampage. And Rampage didn’t win. not arguable at all, just like the fighters say, “If you don’t finish and you leave it to the judges, you get what you get.”

by Amsterdaam on Mar 6, 2009 2:11 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

You guys need to read it within the context it's given.

From a betting perspective, Jardine won’t be able to land something so perfect at will. That’s all. It’s lucky in that it is rare, not in that he doesn’t deserve credit for landing it.

by starvin on Mar 6, 2009 4:52 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Thank you.

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Mar 6, 2009 9:36 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

What is the point of half units? Shouldn’t the units just be smaller?

by MonkeyCHops on Mar 6, 2009 1:50 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Research the Kelly Criterion.

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Mar 6, 2009 10:32 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

What is the point of using complex economic models that rely on a guess at the odds of winning?
A guess is a guess whether or not you break it down that way.

by MonkeyCHops on Mar 6, 2009 12:08 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

It’s not a “complex economic model.” The first line from the wiki page:

In probability theory, the Kelly criterion, or Kelly strategy or Kelly formula, or Kelly bet, is a formula used to determine the optimal size of a series of bets.

Please do the research before commencing an argument.

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Mar 6, 2009 9:37 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Mike...

Honestly, is that all the spotlight is? There are some solid values on the undercard, but they are risky, but just as risky as these fights. Seriously, this thing needs to be much more in-depth.

The undercard ALWAYS has a value bet.

Editor-in-chief of MMA-Analyst.com

by Leland Roling on Mar 6, 2009 9:45 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

Honestly, with a 9-6 job, I just don’t have the time to watch tape on 9-10 fights and do write ups for them. Would you rather see me do the main event and the best 3-4 value fights instead?

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Mar 6, 2009 10:32 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I wish you had more time for this one...

The Gambling Spotlight has consistently been my favorite post on this site.

I'm just a dude who's trying to put it together.

by mma_dude on Mar 6, 2009 10:35 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

As much money as you have made from your gambling spotlight, Mike, I postulated that you didn’t even need a job.

I always enjoy your gambling spotlights, and you spend a hell-of-a-lot more time breaking them down than I do.

by Heenan on Mar 6, 2009 10:51 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

My bankroll start at $150, and I’ve double it over the past year, which is fairly impressive. I’ve been thinking about looking for a stake.

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Mar 6, 2009 10:58 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Unless I’m mistaken, you don’t tell us your exact plays (and I assume you don’t bet everything you discuss). You could definitely get away with it.

by Heenan on Mar 6, 2009 11:00 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

I’ll send you the spreadsheet if you’d like it.

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Mar 6, 2009 9:38 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Pretty nice return for the first year. I started roughly 3 years ago… but I won’t get into my overall total as I hear nothing but people calling bullshit. I’ve had some HUGE event payouts, but it wasn’t until late into the second year. Slowly building a bankroll is the best thing to do, then you can start pushing some bigger money bets.

Parlays have been unbelievable great for me, as well as max betting Min Soo Kim over Minowa. Anthony Johnson over Speer along with an underdog parlay bet at that UFN was the biggest single amount of money I’ve ever made in my life.

Editor-in-chief of MMA-Analyst.com

by Leland Roling on Mar 6, 2009 12:09 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

By the way, “all in” on Carwin at my place.

by Heenan on Mar 6, 2009 10:53 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Well, if you don’t have the time for a thorough analysis of all the fights, I understand. It can be daunting, but the payoff can be huge. I’d much rather see value bets, but I do my own analysis. I’m just speaking from a standpoint of casual fans and those who don’t bet much, so in that sense, main events would be the better I suppose.

Editor-in-chief of MMA-Analyst.com

by Leland Roling on Mar 6, 2009 12:06 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

Look at JArdine in the pick...

He looks like he is trying to get a fist pump like Obama does and Rampage is all like, “:bitch I dont want to fist pump you!”

by Bandaka on Mar 6, 2009 10:50 AM EST reply actions   0 recs

haha. you’re totally right.

"It's like a flying knuckle sandwich." --Rogan
"And many men have eaten it." -- Goldy

by thetakeover on Mar 6, 2009 11:29 AM EST up reply actions   0 recs

hey Jardine won a split decision over vera not a unanimous Dec

by bsmithinc on Mar 6, 2009 1:19 PM EST reply actions   0 recs

Thanks.

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Mar 6, 2009 9:38 PM EST up reply actions   0 recs

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