MMA Gospel Staff Predictions: UFC 140

 Posted by at 7:10 PM  UFC  5 Responses »
Dec 092011
 
(Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

Tomorrow night the Ultimate Fighting Championship takes aim at Toronto, Ontario, Canada for its second offering to the city’s ravenous MMA community with UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida. Leading the way on the live Pay-Per-View broadcast is a featherweight battle between two former WEC stand-outs “The Machine” Mark Hominick (19-8) and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (11-3). Then, hometown fighter Claude Patrick (14-1) squares off with the always eccentric personality and often underrated skill set of Indiana native Brian Ebersole (43-14-1). Renowned light heavyweights “The People’s Champion” Tito Ortiz (16-9-1), previously dubbed “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy”, and “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-5) take to the cage in an effort to revive their once lucrative careers. The co-main event features a heavyweight rematch between former champion Frank Mir (15-5) and “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1). Finally, the marquis event pits together two of the most technical strikers in the UFC, “Bones” Jon Jones (14-1) and “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (17-2), with Jones’ 205lbs. title up for grabs.

Below, the MMA Gospel staff takes a stab at determining how the UFC’s most recent effort may unfold in front of its ever-growing, worldwide audience. Continue reading »

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UFC 140 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Frank Mir vs. “Big Nog” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira

 Posted by at 3:24 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Dec 092011
 

Frank Mir (red gloves) has developed speed, power, and technique in his boxing in recent years, making him a serious threat anywhere the fight takes place. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The UFC is dropping anchor for a second time in Toronto, Ontario, Canada after a successful debut with UFC 129 in April. UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Bones” Jon Jones (14-1) will make his second title defense against former 205lbs. champion “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (17-2). Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (16-9) will enter the cage under the new moniker ”The People’s Champion” against the younger twin of the Nogueira brothers, “Min0tauro” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-5). Welterweight dark horse Brian Ebersole (44-14) will take on Claude Patrick (14-1) who is looking to keep his 13-fight win streak alive with a win over a talented veteran. Former title challenger and supreme striker “The Machine” Mark Hominick (19-8) will return to fight in front of his hometown against the tough and seemingly unstoppable “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (11-3) in a 145lbs. match-up that could easily make “Fight of the Night”. Serving as the co-main event for UFC 140 is a rematch between former UFC Heavyweight Champions Frank Mir (15-5) and “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6), finally taking place after their first meeting at UFC 92 in December of 2008 as each man seeks a return to title contention. Continue reading »

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UFC 140 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Tito Ortiz vs. “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

 Posted by at 7:03 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Dec 082011
 

Although Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (white shorts) has solid Jiu-Jitsu credentials, wrestlers have given him trouble in the past and with Tito Ortiz, it will be no different. Unless Nogueira can outlast the ground assault, his best chances of winning will lie in his boxing skills. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The Ultimate Fighter serves as a chance to quicken the careers of promising mixed martial artists but UFC  140 will display what the top of the food chain has to offer come Saturday night from Toronto, Ontario, Canada’s Air Canada Center. The light heavyweight title is up for grabs when current champ “Bones” Jon Jones (14-1) tries to cap off his year in spectacular fashion against the former 205lbs. king “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (17-2). A heavyweight rematch is set when Frank Mir (15-5) takes on “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1) in the co-main event.  Hometown heroes “The Prince” Claude Patrick (14-1) and “The Machine” Mark Hominick (19-8) will try to make their country proud when they meet Brian Ebersole (44-14-1) and “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (11-3), respectively. In the middle of all the action, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (16-9-1) tries to make good of his 2011 when he meets an equally dangerous fighter in “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Both posses the hands and the grappling credentials to get the job done and with each returning with a loss behind them,  they will go at whatever lengths possible to break back into the winning circle. Continue reading »

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Spilled Bag of Fights: UFC 140 Psychic Play-By-Play

 Posted by at 4:25 PM  Spilled Bag of Fights  3 Responses »
Dec 082011
 

As UFC 140 approaches this Saturday, I’m asked by MMA Gospel as well as the millions of Icemigos around the world (give or take millions) to give my picks on the main card. Now, sometimes I have a clear and definite opinion on how I think a fight will go. This is usually a pleasure because all I have to do is explain what I think and why and hope that I will be able to gloat and say “I told you so” rather than shrug and say “the fuck do I know?”.

However, many times I have no real concrete opinion on the potential outcome. In these instances, I’m forced to look carefully at the fighters’ strengths and weaknesses and how they match up against each other. I also look at past fights and allow for momentum and progression by giving more weight to more recent fights. Then I consider various X factors like heart and toughness, how long since their last fight, whether they’ve trained with a new gym with new coaches, if they’re moving to a new weight for the fight, any possible injuries that may be hindering them, and so on.

I consider all of this very carefully for about ten minutes and then I forget all that shit and pretty much fucking guess. My success rate in such instances is about 60%. Here’s my main problem with these damn picks: the odds aren’t factored in. They are when you bet money, why not in accessing the accuracy of picks? For example, if in Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader you picked Ortiz via first-round submission that should be worth at least 25x more on the accuracy points as say, picking Couture via first-round TKO against James Toney. But if we’re going to indulge in prognostication why not go balls out? So, here’s how the main card of UFC 140 will go down. Exactly. If you don’t want spoilers, I suggest not reading any further but instead waiting until after UFC 140 and coming back and being completely amazed by my psychic powers. Continue reading »

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UFC 140 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Brian Ebersole vs. Claude Patrick

 Posted by at 6:21 AM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Dec 072011
 

Brian Ebersole (black trunks) may not take himself seriously, but that has proven to be a mistake his more well known opponents couldn't afford to make. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

On December 10, the UFC will bring together two of its most storied light heavyweights of the new era when “Bones” Jon Jones (14-1) defends his title against the last fighter before him to successfully defend the belt, “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (17-2). Also taking the stage are Frank Mir (15-5) and “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1) in a rematch of their 2008 heavyweight battle. In another light heavyweight tilt, former champion “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (16-9-1) and “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-5) will square off with different things to prove as the twilight of their careers descends. Opening the main Pay-Per-View card, “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (11-3) pits his granite jaw against the steel hands of former WEC stand-out “The Machine” Mark Hominick (19-8). Not to be lost in the midst of so many exciting, high profile fights, welterweight warriors Brian Ebersole (43-14-1) and Claude Patrick (14-1) will face each other with a possible title contention berth on the line.   Continue reading »

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UFC 140 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Mark Hominick vs. Chan Sung Jung

 Posted by at 4:39 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Dec 062011
 

Though he is known as an unstoppable slugger, Chan Sung Jung's (blue gloves) ground game is the most dangerous variable in his bout with Mark Hominick. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

The UFC will return to Canada, arguably the place where its most ravenous fans reside, to present UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida, headlined by the seemingly unstoppable UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Bones” Jon Jones (14-1) and the man many experts feel is his biggest threat in the division, former champion “The Dragon” Lyoto Machida (17-2). Shoring up the card is a pair of bouts featuring old guard fighters in battles to remain part of the title contention pictures of their weight classes as Frank Mir (15-5) rematches fellow former heavyweight king “Minotauro” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (33-6-1) and “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz (16-9-1) faces the aforementioned Nogueira’s twin brother “Little Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-5). Brian Ebersole (43-14-1) will help fill in the middle of the event with a bout against rising Canadian star Claude Patrick (14-1), and two former WEC fan favorites will open the night as “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (11-3) pits his iron chin against the devastating power of “The Machine” Mark Hominick (19-8). The two featherweights are known for their exciting styles and willingness to stand in the pocket and throw leather and will certainly open the Pay-Per-View card with a bang. Continue reading »

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UFC 133: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 2:40 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Aug 072011
 

Young gun Rory MacDonald (red gloves) impressed UFC 133 viewers with a dominant performance over Mike Pyle (blue gloves), finishing him via TKO in the opening frame. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

Despite a laundry list of substitutions and injuries, UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz still made good on their delivery of entertaining fights. Philadelphia saw “age” meet “experience” in the card’s opener. An upcoming middleweight stepped up to the main card to face a veteran in his quest to establish himself in the UFC. Two seasoned fighters in the welterweight division added another notch in their combined 100+ fight career. The co-main event truly played into the phrase, “don’t blink” as two 185lbs. contenders collided. In the main event, two former light heavyweight champions met again after their first fight in 2007, only this time with serious title implications for the victor. Now that all has been said and done, here is a recap of UFC 133’s main card and possible match-ups that could be seen for those who had their hand raised. Continue reading »

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UFC President Dana White Talks Tito Ortiz, Alistair Overeem, Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix

 Posted by at 10:16 AM  MMA News, Strikeforce, UFC  No Responses »
Jul 242011
 


(Video courtesy of AOL and MMA Fighting)

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UFC 132: The Aftermath

 Posted by at 3:56 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Jul 032011
 

Former WEC Welterweight Champion Carlos Condit (black/red trunks) staked his claim in the UFC's 170lbs. division with a stunning KO over Dong Hyun Kim (white trunks) to open up the UFC 132 main card. (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

UFC 132 is in the books and can largely be considered one of the greatest cards of the five the UFC presented in the past six weeks. Two welterweights battled it out in order to draw closer to their much wanted title shot. The lightweight rankings were shaken when two contenders-to-be battled in a three-round war. A former king of the light heavyweight pride went head to head with a young lion in order to keep his job with the UFC. The co-main event saw an icon of the sport take on one of his kind when two brawlers met with explosive results. The main event had all the makings of the perfect fight: well-rounded fighters, five rounds to perform, a belt, and the subplot of a rivalry underneath to heighten the tension. Now that the fights are in the books and the damage has been dealt, here is a brief recap of the action that took place this Fourth of July weekend as well as potential fights that could be coming up soon in their future. Continue reading »

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120 Minutes with “TUF 13″ Wrestling Coach Lew Polley, Part I

 Posted by at 8:18 PM  Features, MMA Gospel Exclusives, MMA News, UFC  3 Responses »
May 132011
 

“The Titan” Lew Polley talks to MMA Gospel about his stint on “The Ultimate Fighter” as Team Dos Santos’ wrestling coach, which has caused quite a stir in the MMA community. (Photo courtesy of Rebecca Lee)

“The Titan” Lew Polley (10-4) is a name that, up until just a couple of months ago, may not have been particularly well known among many MMA fans. The ability to fly under the radar certainly changed for Polley once he accepted the role as wrestling coach for Team Dos Santos on the most recent installment of Spike TV and Zuffa’s hit reality show, The Ultimate Fighter. An otherwise relatively mellow season has been a roller coaster ride of highs and lows for “The Titan”, whose own experience on TUF 13 left much to be desired; ultimately, after several weeks of back-and-forth conflict and escalating tension levels between Polley and “Cigano” Junior Dos Santos (12-1), Polley was asked by the Black House fighter to leave the show. It was a first for The Ultimate Fighter.

Following the controversial dismissal, MMA Gospel Editor-in-Chief Mallory Mejia spent 120 minutes talking to Lew and getting his take on The Ultimate Fighter 13. This two-part interview explores Polley’s own credentials in respect to MMA, his favorite previous seasons and coaches of The Ultimate Fighter, changes he would make to the TUF program, who he found to be the most viable contenders among the Season 13 fighters, his response to both the shit talkers and the supporters, and of course, a whole lot about the highly publicized feud between himself and his friend,  TUF 13 head coach opposite Brock Lesnar (5-2), Junior Dos Santos. Continue reading »

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Spilled Bag of Fights: Simmer Down, Canadians!

 Posted by at 5:18 PM  Spilled Bag of Fights  18 Responses »
May 022011
 

Let me start this column off by saying, all the combinations of Steven Seagal, Osama Bin Laden, and MMA jokes have been done. In most cases a thousand times by a thousand people who thought they were really coming up with gold. Check your timeline, homie. Seriously. Go to Twitter and put Seagal Bin Laden in the search bar. I’ll wait… See? I hope we’ve learned something.  Okay, you want a Seagal, Bin Laden joke? An ORIGINAL one? If I give you one, can we move on? Okay… What do Steven Seagal and Osama Bin Laden have in common? No one knew where the fuck they were for the last ten years and now people won’t shut the fuck up about them… and neither one of them invented the front kick.  You’re welcome. Now for the love of all that is holy, stop it. Thank you. Continue reading »

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Spilled Bag of Fights: Twister PWND!

 Posted by at 5:08 PM  Spilled Bag of Fights  5 Responses »
Mar 282011
 

So, I’m moving this week. It sucks. I don’t own a lot of stuff but when you have to pack it up, you suddenly wish you were a monk…. Okay, maybe a monk with a really kick ass laptop but still. Anyway, I’m still writing my column just for you guys. I hope you appreciate it. I also won’t be able to attend to my normal MMA Gospel Radio show co-hosting duties this Wednesday but before you start weeping, relax – your buddy, your hero, yours truly has arranged for a very special treat for you in my absence. Filling in for me will be none other than the man who saved us from communism at WEC 53 and is so witty that he has been featured in UFC’s Tweets of the Week column for over four months running, UFC lightweight bad ass “Dannyboy” Downes! You’re welcome. I give and I give and I’m still as poor as a monk but with a lot more shit – as I believe I mentioned. So, enough of my whining… there are a lot of fights to get to. UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis, Bellator 38, Titan Fighting Championship 17, and M-1 Global’s debut Challenge show on Showtime. Continue reading »

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UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis Live Results

 Posted by at 6:11 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Mar 262011
 

Tonight's UFC Fight Night 24 co-main event pits British slugger "The Outlaw" Dan Hardy (left) against the behemoth "Rumble" Anthony Johnson (right) in what is sure to be a candidate for "Fight of the Night". (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

—MAIN CARD (on Spike TV)—

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis: Davis via Unanimous Decision, Round 3, 5:00

Dan Hardy vs. Anthony Johnson: Johnson via Unanimous Decision, Round 3, 5:00

Amir Sadollah vs. Damarques Johnson: Sadollah via Submission (Strikes), Round 2, 3:27

Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung: Jung via Submission (Twister), Round 2, 4:59 Continue reading »

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UFC Fight Night 24 Pre-Fight Breakdown: Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Phil Davis

 Posted by at 9:02 PM  MMA News, UFC  No Responses »
Mar 252011
 

"Lil' Nog" (black trunks) has some of the best boxing in the division and is very experienced, but is that enough to beat the ultra talented "Mr. Wonderful" Phil Davis? (Photo courtesy of Zuffa, LLC.)

In just over 24 hours from now, UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs. Davis comes to Seattle’s Key Arena for the organization’s first foray into the Pacific Northwest. For the Washington fans’ viewing pleasure, UFC President Dana White and matchmaker extraordinaire Joe Silva have slated four stellar main card bouts to be aired free on Spike TV. The night opens with a “Fight of the Year” rematch between the wild brawling “Bad Boy” Leonard Garcia (15-6-1) and the featherweight “The Crippler” Chris Leben (21-8) clone “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung (10-3) then continues with an Ultimate Fighter showdown between “Darkness” Damarques Johnson (15-8) and Amir Sadollah (4-2). The co-main event of the evening features a hard hitting battle between welterweight top contenders “The Outlaw” Dan Hardy (23-8) and “Rumble” Anthony Johnson (8-3). However, with the recent emergence of “Bones” Jon Jones (13-1) as a dominant force in the light heavyweight division, all eyes are on “Mr. Wonderful” Phil Davis (7-0), the undefeated prospect who has drawn parallels with Jones from many pundits in the past, as he takes on PRIDE superstar “Lil’ Nog” Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (18-4). While perhaps on a smaller scale, the bout mimics the title fight that preceded it by only a week. A blue chip prospect who is largely untested at the higher levels takes on a PRIDE old guard stalwart who has seen it all in the main event of a UFC card. The thought of it is surreal, but the fight will certainly be an entertaining affair nonetheless. Continue reading »

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