WEC 47 Predictions

Posted on 01. Mar, 2010 by moneybags.

Main Card

(WEC Bantamweight Title Bout)

Brian Bowles (8-0-0) vs Dominick Cruz  (14-1-0)
Bowles too much strength on the feet for Dominick Cruz. Cruz is a great don’t get me wrong, Bowles is very strong for his division.

Its more common for these lower weight fights to go to a judges decision, but I think Bowles has enough to finish Cruz.

Miguel Torres (36-2-0) vs. Joseph Benavidez  (11-1-0)
Torres good on his feet and on the ground. I don’t see this fight going anywhere, but to the judges. Benavidez has excellent submission defense, and can handle the boxing just fine. He is not as good as a technical striker as Torres, which may give Torres a slight edge on the feet. However, expect Benavidez to take Torres down, Benavidez to avoid the submission, and potentially take a decision. If the fight doesn’t hit the mat, then Torres should win based on number of strikes. Expect kicks and long jabs from Torres.

Jens Pulver ( 22-12-1)vs Javier Vazques (13-3-0)
Another great fight that has a high chance of going to the judges.
Pulver has trouble against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blackbelts and Vazques has had trouble against good strikers.

I lean towards Jens Pulver in this fight. I think Jens is a good commentator, hope he fills that role when he is done fighting.

L.C. Davis ( 15-2-0) vs. Deividas Taurosevicius (12-3-0)
Fight of the night?

As long as the odds aren’t heavily skewed I like LC Davis in this one. If they get crazy, Taurosevicius.

Karen Darabedyan ( 9-1-0) vs. Bart Palaszewski (32-13-0)
This guy Darabedyan looks like a banger with Judo skills. I always go with that is my background as well. Darabedyan.

Preliminary Card

Diego Nunes (13-1-0) vs. Leonard Garcia (13-5-0)

Scott Jorgensen (8-3-0)  vs. Chad George (11-3-0)

Chad Mendes (5-0-0)  vs. Erik Koch (9-0-0)

Anthony Pettis (7-1-0) vs. Danny Castillo (8-2-0)

Courtney Buck (6-2-0) vs. Fredson Paixao (8-3-0)

Bendy Casimir (19-5-2) vs. Ricardo Lamas (7-1-0)

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WEC Varner vs Henderson Predictions

Posted on 08. Jan, 2010 by moneybags.

January 10th people. If you have Versus you can watch this one free.

Jamie Varner vs Ben Henderson

So excited for this fight. I picked Ben Henderson to beat Donald Cerrone a great striker and ground guy and that fight gave Henderson, a relative unknown, the interim belt. Now Varner and Henderson fight to make it undisputed. Varner has had alot of injury issues in 2009 and the reason why the fight is pushed to this weekend.

Varner is a very well rounded fighter with a sharp standup game that gave Rob McCullough a TKO sandwich. Henderson is a crafty slick tough guy who will tire you out and pull out a win when you are about to vomit. He does it all the time.

I don’t know if there is enough edge here to take Henderson, even though I think he is going to win. Well I take that back. I want him to win. I’m biased this fight so I will avoid making a pick.

BETUS has Varner @ -145 and Henderson @ +115

Urijah Faber vs Raphael Assuncao

Assuncao doesn’t possess the stand up firepower to put Faber out. Maybe on the ground though something could happen as Assuncao is good there. I think Urijah Faber will win, but with these ridiculous odds its an avoid.

With these odds, Assuncao is almost worth a play here in a hope he catches Faber in an arm bar or something.

BETUS has Faber @ -400 and Assuncao @ +300

Mike Brown vs Anthony Morrison

Mike Brown is on the comeback trail after being demolished by Jose Aldo. Considering that Morrison has lost to Micah Miller, Jim Miller, and the majority of his losses have been due to submission, you have to think American Top Team stud Mike Brown can give Morrison problems all over that cage.

Therefore, Mike Brown to win, but the odds are ridiculous.

BETUS has Brown @ -800 and Morrison @ +500

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WEC 45 Predictions

Posted on 19. Dec, 2009 by moneybags.

Donald Cerrone (155) vs Ed Ratcliff (155)

The cowboy, Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone takes on hard puncher Ed “9mm” Ratcliff. Cerrone has faced hard punching before, but has Ratcliff faced a guy as tough as Cerrone? Not sure about that. Cerrone is a heavy favorite for a reason.

I like Cerrone to sub Ratcliff in round 2.

Bodog has Cerrone @ -500 and Ratcliff @ +300

Anthony Njokuani (156*) vs Chris Horodecki (155)

I think this is a fair line as Njokuani has shown some stiff KO’s lately. In this fight Njokuani is going to be a big problem in terms of height and reach. A really big problem that is. Horodecki kicks likely won’t be able to find their target. However, Njokuani has been shown to be susceptible to submissions due to his tunnel vision like overcommitment to the striking.

If there was ever a time to pick against Njokuani, I think this is a good time. Horodecki goes through a tough battle, but eventually secures an arm bar to win.

Bodog has Njokuani @ -180 and “The Polish Hammer” Horodecki @ +150

Joseph Benavidez (135) vs Rani Yahya (135.5)

Rani Yahya is a really great submission specialist, while Benavidez is great virtually everywhere. However, Yahya as a submission specialist is a level above. If Benavidez can just avoid getting submission he will likely win because he is the better striker.

I like Yahya to secure the submission and win in the 3rd.

Bodog has Joseph Benavidez @ -200 and Rani Yahya @ +160

Takeya Mizugaki (135*) vs Scott Jorgensen (135)

Jorgensen is a tough fighter who has been through some bad periods in fights and has hung in where he was in very precarious situations. So Joregensen is a tough guy, but does he have the tools to beat Mizugaki? I don’t think so.
I like Mizugaki to win.

Bodog has Mizugaki @ -175 and Jorgensen @ +145

*Both Mizugaki and Njokuani missed weight at the first weigh in, and came back and made weight for the 2nd weighing. Also skipping the rest of the fights on this card.

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WEC Cerrone vs Henderson

Posted on 09. Oct, 2009 by moneybags.

Donald Cerrone vs Ben Henderson

Cerrone a very good striker and ground player. Ben Henderson is a wrestling minded fighter with a tough chin, who is excellent at escape submissions.

This is a tough match to figure out. Cerrone and Henderson will end on the ground and I think if Henderson can avoid getting out struck, Henderson can stay on top of Cerrone and pound out a victory. I’ve seen Henderson fight some wars in the MFC and the guy is as tough as they come. Don’t let the nerdy glasses and long hair fool you.

The winner of this fight will face the current champion, Jaime Varner. The Cerrone / Varner fight was a really good one.

Usually the WEC cards are really lopsided in terms of talent between their favorites and their underdogs. This one is no different with many favorites at the -500 range+. However, these favorites are more likely to win than in other cards.

Bottomline: At +285, I like Ben Henderson here as a dog bet. This should be a great fight.

For the rest of the fight card, I would take the favorites across the board.

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Odds For WEC 41

Posted on 06. Jun, 2009 by moneybags.

These odds are from Intertops, the online sportsbook that has been online since 1996 and accepts both US and Canadian players as well as players outside these two countries. To open an account to bet on MMA you can do so by clicking here.

*Mike Brown +100
Urijah Faber -125

*Donald Cerrone -556
James Krause +350

*Jose Aldo -500
Cub Swanson +330

*John Grispi -167
Jens Pulver +115

Rolando Perez -115
Seth Dikun -115

Frank Gomez -167
Noah Thomas +125 (Noah Thomas is best known for being kicked off the ‘TUF’ show for fighting outside the ring and is a late replacement for Eddie Wineland)

*Manny Gamburyan -250
John Franchi +185

Rafael Rebello -140
Kyle Dietz +185

*Mike Campbell -357 (Mike Campbell was featured in the Tapout show that aired on Versus Network).
Anthony Pettis +250

*My picks.

Remember, these are the odds from Intertops, but there are lots of places to bet on mma, but some shops won’t allow US or Canadian customers. Find out which ones will and won’t accept you.

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Brown vs Faber 2 WEC

Posted on 28. May, 2009 by moneybags.

Mike Brown vs Urijah Faber

The rematch has Mike Brown putting his title on the line, against the old title holder, in his backyard, Urijah Faber. Now in their first meeting I picked Faber thinking his wrestling would give the upper hand and I underestimated Mike Brown’s strength. Brown’s standup has been nothing short of stunning in his last two fights. Early round KO’s over Faber and Leonard Garcia were really amazing considering those two can take a beating.

Faber is fighting in his hometown, but I like the belt to stay with Mike Brown this time.

Odds @ 5Dimes have Mike Brown +105 and Urijah Faber -125

Odds @ Bodog have Mike Brown +105 and Urijah Faber -135

Odds @ BetUS have Mike Brown +100 and Urijah Faber -140

Odds @ Bookmaker have Mike Brown -115 and Urijah Faber -115

Odds are not out for the fights below yet.

Jose Aldo vs Cub Swanson

Jose Aldo is a sensation only known to people who know the sport in a detailed fashion. I like Aldo here without worry.

Donald Cerrone vs James Krause

I like the Cowboy, Donald Cerrone, against a guy, who I’m not familiar with, but has a 10-10 record. The Cowboy takes this.

Josh Grispi vs Jens Pulver

This one should be a good one. I’m leaning towards picking Grispi here, but I’ll avoid it.

Mike Campbell vs Anthony Pettis

Mike Campbell – too strong and big.

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WEC Miguel Torres vs Takeya Mizugaki

Posted on 24. Mar, 2009 by moneybags.

WEC Torres vs Mizugaki takes place April 5th and can be seen on Versus live on DirecTV @ 9pm est.

*Miguel Angel Torres vs Takeya Mizugaki

I’ve watched what I could on YouTube for Mizugaki. Torres should win this one. Mizugaki, although having a tough chin, a gas tank, and a great sprawl, he swings wildly without covering his chin and his footwork at least in the past wasn’t very good. You compare that to Torres who has excellent footwork and boxing and you got yourself trouble. There is very little chance Mizugaki will tap Torres. The only chance Mizugaki has of winning this fight is a lucky punch connecting.

I like Miguel Torres to win despite being a huge favorite in his hometown!

Jeff Curran vs *Joseph Benavidez

Jeff Curran the 30-10-1 veteran is dropping down in weight to meet rising bantamweight star and Urijah Faber training partner, Joseph Benavidez. I think Curran is going to have a tough tough fight here. Benavidez has shown to have ridiculous wrestling, power punching, and submission escapes. If Curran can keep Benavidez from taking him down and keeping Joe on the end of his fists then I can see Curran maybe getting the TKO, but more likely a decision.

Curran is a real veteran fighting professionally almost as long as I’ve been an MMA fan. Will he have trouble making the weight, no, will it effect his gas tank in the fight. Yes. This will be how Benavidez will catch Curran. Joseph will put on a fast pace as usual, Curran will tire and either get subbed, or overrun enough to where Benavidez gets the Judge’s decision.

I like Joseph Benavidez to win.

Shane Roller vs *Ben Henderson

I’ve seen Shane Roller fight, I just can’t remember….checking YouTube….Nothing. I guess from previous WEC fights. I’ve seen Ben Henderson on the MFC fights on HDNET and I like what I’ve seen.

I’m picking Ben Henderson to win.

Eddie Wineland vs Rani Yahya

Rani is too much in the grappling/ground department for Wineland. Rani will sub Eddie.

Looks to be a great card with quite a few showcase matches.

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WEC Varner vs Cerrone

Posted on 21. Jan, 2009 by moneybags.

WEC takes place in San Diego, CA, but is viewable live on Versus @ 9:30pm EST.

Jamie Varner vs Donald Cerrone

Varner should have the advantage on the feet and maybe the ground as well due to his skillset, but Cerrone has won all of his fights via submission so he focuses on winning that way. Varner is a very balanced fighter that comes out at a high pace. Most fighters have trouble with the pace he sets and Cerrone may tire out fast. Its going to be interesting to see how The Cowboy handles that pace in his first serious main event.

I like Varner to keep his belt in this matchup.

Urijah Faber vs Jens Pulver

Faber absolutely dominated Pulver in every way in their last bout. I picked Pulver in that he would figure it out and get a victory. However, I’m not going to go this route again. Faber has Pulver’s number and I am picking him to win this matchup as well, however the odds are likely to be waaay too skewed to bother placing anything on this.

Edgar Garcia Vs. Hiromitsu Miura

It looks like Garcia has several KO’s on his record. Miura likes stand in the pocket and trade so one can assume this is going to be a great fight. No pick just excited to see it.

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WEC 37 Manny Tapia vs Miguel Torres Predictions

Posted on 01. Dec, 2008 by moneybags.

This fight is the main event and on the line is the Bantam Weight Title. WEC 37 can be seen live on Versus Network, Wednesday December 3rd.

Tapia is a stand up banger and will likely want to keep this one off the mat as that is where Miguel earns his bread. Torres is an outstanding jiu-jitsu player and has some of the most dyanmic submission victories in the WEC thus far. Tapia will no doubt attempt to avoid going down.

However, I think Torres will eventually get the sprung Tapia on the ground at some point and secure a lock/submission that takes a hard punching Tapia out. Look at the Maeda fight for a blueprint of how this fight could go down.

My prediction is for a Torres victory in the 2nd round.

Fight odds for this fight can be found @:
BetUS
Intertops
Bookmaker
Bodog
Sportsbook.com

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WEC 37: Torres vs Tapia Fight Card and Odds

Posted on 01. Dec, 2008 by moneybags.

Miguel Torres vs Manny Tapia

Check our Torres vs Tapia predictions post.

Some or all of the fight odds for these fights can be found @:
BetUS
Intertops
Bookmaker
Bodog
Sportsbook.com

Brian Bowles vs Will Riberio

I like Bowles here. Too much power.

Waggney Fabiano vs Akitoshi Tamura

The IFL standout should take this one. I’m looking for this fight to NOT go to a decision with Fabiano as the victor.

Bart Palaszewski vs Aelx Karalexis

Two things will matter in this fight. Range and kicks. Something Karalexis does not possess. What Alex has in equal to Palaszewski is heart. Karalexis throws every punch with steam behind it and has KO’d several opponents, again similar to Bart. The difference will without a doubt be Bart’s range and kicking ability. On the ground I expect Bart to also have an advantage as well.

I predict Bart wins this one, just have no idea if it will go to the judges or not.

Other fights on the WEC 37 Card

Joseph Benavidez vs Danny Martinez
Johny Hendricks vs Justin Haskins
Mark Munoz vs Ricardo Barros
Blas Avena vs Kevin Knabjian
Diego Nunes vs Cole Province
Hiroyuki Takaya vs Cub Swanson
Shane Roller vs Mike Budnik

Some or all of the fight odds for these fights can be found @:
BetUS
Intertops
Bookmaker
Bodog
Sportsbook.com

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