Tag: UFC 157

Live ‘Dog Alert: Dan Henderson Is a 2-1 Betting Underdog Against Lyoto Machida


(By the way, he’s supposed to be Danny Zuko from Grease. I’m guessing these costumes were not his idea.)

Dan Henderson fans, get your cash out. MMA Mania gives us the heads-up that Hendo is as high as a +196 underdog for his UFC 157 fight against Lyoto Machida on February 23rd. (In other words, a $100 bet on Henderson would return $196 in profit if he wins.) Considering that Henderson is coming back from a knee injury, it’s understandable that the oddsmakers don’t have complete faith in him. But considering how dangerous Henderson has looked in his last four fights — the epic war with Shogun Rua at UFC 139, and his knockouts of Fedor, Feijao, and Babalu in Strikeforce — it still feels like he’s being sold short.

Then again, you have to consider how Henderson matches up with Machida specifically. Sure, Hendo can turn your lights off with that H-Bomb if you stand in front of him, but he might have a problem with Machida’s skill at evasion and his perfectly-timed attacks from unorthodox angles. Are the odds juicy enough to warrant a bet on the old ‘dog?

In a related story, Ronda Rousey — who opened as a ridiculous -1500 favorite against Liz Carmouche — is currently sitting at a still-ridiculous -1050.


(By the way, he’s supposed to be Danny Zuko from Grease. I’m guessing these costumes were not his idea.)

Dan Henderson fans, get your cash out. MMA Mania gives us the heads-up that Hendo is as high as a +196 underdog for his UFC 157 fight against Lyoto Machida on February 23rd. (In other words, a $100 bet on Henderson would return $196 in profit if he wins.) Considering that Henderson is coming back from a knee injury, it’s understandable that the oddsmakers don’t have complete faith in him. But considering how dangerous Henderson has looked in his last four fights — the epic war with Shogun Rua at UFC 139, and his knockouts of Fedor, Feijao, and Babalu in Strikeforce — it still feels like he’s being sold short.

Then again, you have to consider how Henderson matches up with Machida specifically. Sure, Hendo can turn your lights off with that H-Bomb if you stand in front of him, but he might have a problem with Machida’s skill at evasion and his perfectly-timed attacks from unorthodox angles. Are the odds juicy enough to warrant a bet on the old ‘dog?

In a related story, Ronda Rousey — who opened as a ridiculous -1500 favorite against Liz Carmouche — is currently sitting at a still-ridiculous -1050.

UFC Primetime Rousey vs Carmouche Debuts Thursday Night

Ronda Rousey, the UFC’s first female champion, and Liz Carmouche, the UFC’s first openly gay fighter, will be the subject of UFC Primetime: Rousey vs. Carmouche, the most recent installment in the UFC’s regular program hyping big fights and fight …

Ronda Rousey, the UFC’s first female champion, and Liz Carmouche, the UFC’s first openly gay fighter, will be the subject of UFC Primetime: Rousey vs. Carmouche, the most recent installment in the UFC’s regular program hyping big fights and fight cards, will premiere Thursday night. 

East Coast denizens may have to stay up past their bedtimes to catch the mini-series debut, as it airs tonight at midnight on Fuel TV.

Rousey will defend her title for the first time in the first women’s fight in the UFC, set for the co-main event of UFC 157, taking place Feb. 23 in Anaheim, Calif.

According to MMA reporter Ariel Helwani, the program also will air on select Fox Sports Net channels.

Rousey is unquestionably the biggest star in women’s MMA. She might be the biggest star in the entire sport. But Rousey is more than just a pretty face; she has a pro MMA record of 6-0, with all six fights ending in the first round by armbar submission.

Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche (8-2) is primarily a stand-up fighter, having garnered five wins by knockout or technical knockout. She is also a Marine and a combat veteran.

Carmouche’s two most high-profile fights—against Marlos Coenen and Sarah Kaufman—both ended in losses for Carmouche. When she was signed in December, UFC president Dana White implied that Carmouche was the only fighter willing to face Rousey. However, other accounts, including that of Rousey victim and rival Miesha Tate, have disputed that implication.

Carmouche, a heavy underdog coming into UFC 157, previously said she believes the UFC may be rooting for her to lose, in the name of preserving the mystique around Rousey, the face of women’s MMA. 

As the hype for Rousey vs. Carmouche kicks into high gear with UFC Primetime, the hype is already in overdrive for a potential showdown between Rousey and Cristiane Santos, considered by many the only fighter who could dethrone Rousey.

Also on the UFC 157 card, light heavyweights Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson do battle in what could determine the next challenger for Jon Jones’s championship. 

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UFC 157: Video Preview of Ronda Rousey vs. Liz Carmouche, Full Card and More

Ronda Rousey steps underneath the brightest lights in mixed martial arts Feb. 23 when she co-headlines UFC 157 in Anaheim, Calif. The pay-per-view card also features a critical light heavyweight matchup between Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson.Ronda Rou…

Ronda Rousey steps underneath the brightest lights in mixed martial arts Feb. 23 when she co-headlines UFC 157 in Anaheim, Calif. The pay-per-view card also features a critical light heavyweight matchup between Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson.

Ronda Rousey, though, is the biggest and brightest name on the UFC 157 marquee. Perhaps you’ve heard a thing or two about Rousey, the first woman champion in UFC history. The Olympic judo bronze medalist is 6-0 in her pro MMA career, never going past the first round. Some believe her fighting blueprint makes her a bit of a one-trick pony. Given the results, though, Rousey’s trick—throw woman down, force woman to tap to armbar, attend press conference—is the equivalent of watching a pony hurdle a barn. Repeatedly. It’s not something that’s going to get old right away.

There’s also the fact that Rousey, for good and ill, is not exactly parsimonious with her opinions. Oh, and there’s the small detail that she possesses a few of the physical attributes often said to be prized by the superficial man.

Her UFC 157 opponent, Liz Carmouche (8-2), is largely being treated as a warm pair of arms for Rousey’s contorting pleasures. But she has her own story to tell. A Marine and war veteran, Carmouche is the first openly gay fighter to sign with the UFC. She has her work cut out for her in the cage, at least if the pundits and oddsmakers have it right; she’s currently a huge underdog on the big betting boards.

In the co-main event, Machida (18-3) looks to make it two in a row in the light heavyweight division against Dan Henderson (29-8), who has won four straight and, at age 42, might be making one last run at the belt. The winner will be well positioned to challenge champion Jon Jones this year. Machida previously faced Jones in 2011. He arguably won a round from Jones—a major accomplishment in itself—before losing in the second by guillotine choke. Henderson and Jones have never fought.

Here’s the full fight card for UFC 157:

 

Pay-per-view card:

Women’s bantamweight: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Liz Carmouche (championship bout)

Light heavyweight: Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida

Bantamweight: Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar

Featherweight: Chad Mendes vs. Manny Gamburyan

Welterweight: Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler

 

Preliminary card (airing on FX network):

Heavyweight: Brendan Schaub vs. Lavar Johnson

Lightweight: Michael Chiesa vs. Anton Kuivanen

Welterweight: Court McGee vs. Josh Neer

Lightweight: Sam Stout vs. Carlos Fodor

 

Preliminary card (broadcast on Facebook):

Featherweight: Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice

Welterweight: Kenny Robertson vs. Brock Jardine

Welterweight: Jon Manley vs. Neil Magny 

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Photo of the Day: Lyoto Machida Brings In New Training Partner, Hendo’s Knee Already Suffering the Consequences


(“Lyoto, we’re friends and all, but if I catch you crouched beside the urinals with a chalice one more time, there are going to be some serious problems.” Photo courtesy of Machida’s Twitter.)  

Well, we can pretty much put any doubt to rest in regards to Lyoto Machida’s strategy for his upcoming UFC 157 fight with Dan Henderson. The former champion recently Tweeted the above photo of himself training alongside Melvin Manhoef, the world renowned Muay Thai kickboxer who possesses legs so destructive that they are capable of implosion, so expect a Machida gameplan of “Leg kick, evade, repeat” heading into this one. This is not good news for Hendo, who will be stepping back into the ring for the first time since blowing out his knee and setting into motion a series of events that would culminate in the cancellation of UFC 151 and an absolutely brutal public backlash aimed at champion Jon Jones. So yeah, it wasn’t all bad.

Since going winless during his Strikeforce and DREAM runs in 2010-2011, Manhoef has put together three wins and a no-contest in MMA competition, including a first round destruction of Denis Kang on New Year’s Eve at DREAM 18. Machida, on the other hand, recently rebounded from a failed title bid against Jones at UFC 140 with a second round KO of Ryan Bader at UFC on Fox 4 last August.

After the jump: A video testament to Manhoef’s otherworldly striking power. Seriously, he and Rousimar Palhares must be like the Freddy and Jason of the ACL dimension.


(“Lyoto, we’re friends and all, but if I catch you crouched beside the urinals with a chalice one more time, there are going to be some serious problems.” Photo courtesy of Machida’s Twitter.)  

Well, we can pretty much put any doubt to rest in regards to Lyoto Machida’s strategy for his upcoming UFC 157 fight with Dan Henderson. The former champion recently Tweeted the above photo of himself training alongside Melvin Manhoef, the world renowned Muay Thai kickboxer who possesses legs so destructive that they are capable of implosion, so expect a Machida gameplan of “Leg kick, evade, repeat” heading into this one. This is not good news for Hendo, who will be stepping back into the ring for the first time since blowing out his knee and setting into motion a series of events that would culminate in the cancellation of UFC 151 and an absolutely brutal public backlash aimed at champion Jon Jones. So yeah, it wasn’t all bad.

Since going winless during his Strikeforce and DREAM runs in 2010-2011, Manhoef has put together three wins and a no-contest in MMA competition, including a first round destruction of Denis Kang on New Year’s Eve at DREAM 18. Machida, on the other hand, recently rebounded from a failed title bid against Jones at UFC 140 with a second round KO of Ryan Bader at UFC on Fox 4 last August.

After the jump: A video testament to Manhoef’s otherworldly striking power. Seriously, he and Rousimar Palhares must be like the Freddy and Jason of the ACL dimension.

So Nation, is Manhoef the final Jenga piece that brings Hendo’s title aspirations crumbling to the ground? Also, Jenga-based metaphors: Ye or nay?

–J. Jones

Ronda Rousey: Dana White Is Spot-on About Her Diaz-Like Persona

Unbeaten UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey almost always smiles when a news camera turns her way.Perhaps Rousey’s just akin to her occasional training partners, Nick and Nate Diaz, who enjoy voicing their bold opinio…

Unbeaten UFC women’s bantamweight champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey almost always smiles when a news camera turns her way.

Perhaps Rousey‘s just akin to her occasional training partners, Nick and Nate Diaz, who enjoy voicing their bold opinions equally as much as they revel in demoralizing their opponents. Or maybe Rousey simply possesses a competitive gusto that makes her unique in the realm of women’s mixed martial arts.

Regardless of what sets her apart, Rousey‘s blend of raw talent and undeniable charisma were characteristics that apparently seemed irresistible to UFC president Dana White.

White proved his confidence in the soon-to-be 26-year-old Californian by awarding her a six-fight contract and a championship belt before Rousey ever graced the Octagon.

White’s since defended his decision to create a women’s division based solely on Rousey‘s exploits on numerous occasions. He’s also denied the rumor that a sexual attraction to the former Strikeforce champion spurred the signing.

In an interview with MMA Weekly, White explained his reasoning behind making Rousey the centerpiece of women in the UFC.

I’ve said this a million times and I’ll say it again. Everybody’s thinking it’s because she’s attractive and this and that, (but) that’s all great. When you here the way this girl talks; she is a Diaz brother inside. She’s like, “After I beat her ass, I’d like to take her out surfing, and whatever.” She’s the real deal. She’s a fighter. She likes to finish people.

Besides continuing to evolve in the fight game, Rousey will also dedicate some focus to honing her linguistic skills while simultaneously promoting her first title fight at UFC 157 against Liz Carmouche.

In typical Rousey fashion, she offered some colorful sentiments regarding Carmouche via an interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani.

She (Miesha Tate) said after the last Strikforce show that she didn’t want it (a fight with Rousey). And then (Sara) McMann said she wants another fight to build herself up first, and then Cyborg said she needs more time for the weight. And Liz was the only one that was like, “Me, I’ll do it. I don’t give a s***. Put me in there.” And I’m like, “You know what, I like you. After I beat your ass, we can be friends.”

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Dana White: No Women Will Be Booked Until After UFC 157

Months ago, the UFC made headlines when Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was added to the UFC and booked to headline a card opposite Liz Carmouche. That bout, however, is the only fight involving women that the UFC has scheduled t…

Months ago, the UFC made headlines when Strikeforce women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey was added to the UFC and booked to headline a card opposite Liz Carmouche. That bout, however, is the only fight involving women that the UFC has scheduled to this point.

With that in mind, the MMA media has been clamoring for more details on women’s MMA in the UFC and, at long last, Dana White opened up a little bit on the sport’s future. The news is not great.

Dana White, Nick Diaz and Georges St-Pierre are currently in Montreal hyping UFC 158. While no video is up yet, Mike Bohn from MMAMania.com posted a critical note from the festivities on Twitter:

That is big news for a few reasons.

While Ronda Rousey is the only woman booked for a fight, she is not the only woman employed by the UFC. Miesha Tate announced the same day as Rousey that she was now a part of the UFC. This has led many fans to wonder if White was waiting to see how UFC 157 panned out before booking any other fights.

Those rumblings seem to be true.

While UFC 157 has gotten a great deal of hype from the MMA media, there are several hurdles to overcome. In addition to the fact that the general receptiveness of MMA fans to women fighting is still unknown, the venue is not a surefire sellout, either. With this in mind, the text between the lines here is clear.

If Ronda Rousey loses, and/or if UFC 157 flops, it will likely be the end of women’s MMA in the UFC.

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