Shawn Tompkins
Aug 17th
In a prior post about UFC Live on Versus 5: Results and Notes, I made a mention about the passing of Shawn Tompkins, the famed MMA trainer and coach. Following an MMA event that Shawn attended in Ontario on Saturday night, he passed away over night from a heart attack. At 37 years old, it was a shock to everyone. My condolences goes out again to his family (Emilie) and friends.
MMA fans may not be familiar with Shawn Tompkins but he was responsible for training many MMA fighters from the likes of Randy Couture, Vitor Belfort, Sam Stout, Mark Hominick and Chris Horodecki but who was Shawn Tompkins?
I found this outstanding video of Shawn Tompkins that was just released by TapoutTVTC.com
Take a few minutes to watch this video it is really well done:
UFC to be broadcast on Fox or will it?
Aug 16th
In breaking news, Sports Business Daily broke the news that the UFC have signed a deal with Fox for a multi-year deal.
As stated in the article, this would represent a major push into the mainstream for the UFC. The deal will see as many as four MMA events per year starting in January 2012. This would include The Ultimate Fighter series. This is a major move for the UFC which is moving away from its current broadcasters Spike TV and Versus. UFC fights will likely continue to be broadcast on Spike TV until the end of 2012 as they have rights to the UFC library until that time. This would mean that new events would be broadcast on Fox where shows like “UFC Unleashed” that show old fights would continue to be shown on Spike TV.
Note: As reported by mmafighting.com the news may be premature as neither the UFC or Fox have denied or confirmed the news. At the UFC 136 press conference, Dana White did not deny or confirm the deal but when news had come out about the UFC purchasing G4, Dana had quickly rejected the notion.
I am sure the news will be confirmed at some point in the near future as a deal with a major broadcaster is where the UFC would like to go next.
“I think it’s time,” he said. “I think we do fit into the sports world with the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, etc. And I’ve always said that what would take it to the next level is a broadcast deal, being on one of the major networks. But to do that, you have to have the right deal.”
This would indeed be a major step for the UFC to continue to increase its popularity and fan base. We all know that MMA and the UFC will continue to grow as more and more people get the MMA bug! This is a great sport and its about time that more people notice it.
Kudos to the UFC to continue to be leader in the growth of this great sport.
Guy
UFC Live on Versus 5: Hardy vs Lytle Results and News
Aug 15th
UFC Live on Versus 5 : Hardy vs Lytle occured last night on August 14th and what an event it was! The fights were outstanding, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
Here are the quick results from the event.
Preliminary Card:
- Bantamweight Bout: Edwin Figueroa defeated Jason Reinhardt via TKO (elbows and punches) at 0:50 of round 2.
- Lightweight Bout: Jacob Volkmann defeated Danny Castillo via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).
- Lightweight Bout: Cole Miller defeated TJ O’Brien via submission (guillotine choke) at 2:28 of round 2.
- Featherweight bout: Jimy Hettes defeated Alex Caceres via submission (rear naked choke) at 3:12 of round 2.
- Light Heavyweight Bout: Ronny Markes defeated Karlos Vemola via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
- Middleweight Bout: Ed Herman defeated Kyle Noke via submission (inverted heel hook) at 4:15 of round 1.
- Bantamweight Bout: Joseph Benavidez defeated Eddie Wineland via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).
- Middleweight Bout: Jared Hamman deafeated C.B. Dollaway via TKO (punches) at 3:38 of round 2.
Main Card
- Welterweight Bout: Duane Ludwig defeated Amir Sadollah via unanimous decision (29–28, 29–28, 29–28).
- Lightweight Bout: Donald Cerrone defeated Charles Oliveira via TKO (punches) at 3:01 of round 1.
- Lightweight Bout: Ben Henderson defeated Jim Miller via unanimous decision (30–27, 29–28, 30–26).
- Welterweight Bout: Chris Lytle defeated Dan Hardy via submission (guillotine choke) at 4:16 of round 3.
Best Bets:
- Best bet last night would have been on Duane Ludwig (+355) underdog, a $10 bet would have netted a profit of $35.50
- Notable mention would have been Jared Hamman (+220) underdog, a $10 bet would have netted a profit of $22.00
MMAFLEX.COM bets:
Ouch! MMAFLEX.COM had its worse night yet for bets losing all 3 bets on Oliveira, Miller and Hardy. I will need to
Notes and Thoughts from the event:
- Of first note, this was Chris “Lights Out” Lytle’s last fight in the UFC as prior to the fight he announced his intention to retire following this event. And what a fight Chris put on, talk about going out with a BANG! After 3 rounds of a striking war with Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy, Hardy shot for a take down attempt but got caught in a guillotine choke. Lytle put the pressure on and Hardy had to tap. For his oustanding performance, Lytle won Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night bonuses.
- Although Dan Hardy has now lost 4 fights in a row, the UFC have stated that they will not be releasing him from the organization because the UFC likes Hardy’s aggressive fighting style. I tend to agree, Hardy comes to fight and his performances are entertaining to watch.
- WEC fighters rule the day. Ben Henderson and Donald Cerrone are both victorious in their bouts. Ben took it to Jim Miller for a 3 round battle, Miller kept trying for submissions but Ben had excellent submission defense. I personally think that Henderson / Miller should have one an award also since this was a great fight and battle. Meanwhile Cerrone took out Charles Oliveira in short order with a 1st round KO and won Knock Out of the knight honours.
- Ben Henderson’s win against Jim Miller ended Miller’s consecutive win streak at 7. Which was an impressive run to say the least. Prior to this fight, Miller looked unstoppable and I thought he was incredibly close to getting a title shot.
- MMA fans are now calling for a Lightweight eliminator bout between Ben Henderson vs Clay Guida! What a fight that would be, a definite fight of the night. The winner would face off against either Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard who are set to fight at UFC 136 (October 8 2011).
Of other sad note:
- News was flowing through-out the MMA community as the main card was set to start that Shawn Thompkins famed MMA trainer was reported to have passed away at 37 years old. It was sad to hear such shocking news last night. May he rest in peace and my condolences to his family and friends.
UFC Live on Versus: MMAFLEX.COM BETTING
Aug 13th
UFC Live on versus 5 is tomorrow! Sorry for the late post on this event, it has been a busy and hectic week. Anyhow, here are my bets for this coming Sunday August 14th.
1) Oliveira (-130): Oliveira’s only loss in his entire MMA career comes at the hands of Jim Miller. I just love seeing Oliveira in action he moves very quickly and is constantly trying for BJJ submissions. I think this will be handing Cowboy Cerrone second submission loss.
Bet amount: $13 to win (profit) $10
2) Hardy (-105): Dan Hardy has been on a slide ever since he got a title shot with Georgse St-Pierre (GSP). Since that loss with GSP, Hardy has lost an additional two fights and now has a 3 fight losing streak. How fortunes have changed since March 2010 as this is a must win fight for Hardy. Hardy’s opponent is Chris “Lights Out” Lytle, who I believe will try to strike with Hardy. Hardy will be desperate here and will do everything to stay in the UFC.
Bet amount: $10.50 to win (profit) $10
3) Miller (-180): Jim Miller will extend his win streak to 8 and will eventually get a title shot in the Lightweight division. Jim Miller will win this hands down. I wasn’t going to bet on this one since the odds aren’t great but I had $113 cash in my account and figured I would even it out.
Bet amount: $13 to win (profit) $7.22
Notable mentions:
- I really thought of placing a bet on Ed Herman, Herman at +115 odds is considered an underdog and I think he has a really good shot. The only twist is Ed is replacing Tom Lawlor so has not had a full camp. Ed is facing Kyle Noke who I believe he has a very good shot at beating.
- Jim Hettes (-500) is a sure thing against Alex Caceres, he is a beast in BJJ which is also Alex’s weaknesses. I thought of placing a bet on Alex (+300) as an underdog but I don’t see him having a chance.
There you have that’s it for today. A short post since I am short on time.
Guy
Joe Stevenson released from UFC
Aug 8th
As the rush was happening for UFC 133, Joe “Daddy” Stevenson was cut from the UFC on August 5th 2011. You may have missed this news item in the UFC 133 buzz and I wanted to highlight it to my readers.
So yes, after 4 losses in a row it was time for the UFC to part ways with Joe Stevenson. Joe “Daddy” Stevenson has been a UFC fighters since winning Ultimate Fighter Season 2 back in November 2005. Joe has fought at a high level in the UFC and fought BJ Penn for the Lightweight championship back at UFC 80 (January 2008). His achievements and awards include winning the Ultimate Fighter Season 2 welterweight championship and 3 fight of the night awards. His UFC record stands at 8 wins and 8 losses with 4 of those losses coming in his last 4 fights.
Joe “Daddy” Stevenson will always be remembered in his fight against BJ Penn, it was quite the blood bath (Joe was on the receiving end). In that fight, Joe Stevenson did not give up when he was bloodied, he kept on fighting however ultimately BJ Penn was able to get his back and sink a rear naked choke.
It is not surprising that the UFC has cut Joe Stevenson, the writing was on the wall however at 29 years old he will likely be picked up quickly by another MMA promotion, it will be interesting to see who does pick him up. I hope that Joe “Daddy” Stevenson can battle his way back to the UFC, he is young enough to make a comeback! Let’s see it happen!!!
Can Joe “Daddy” Stevenson make his way back? Who will pick up this talented fighter? Will it be Bellator?
UFC loses Matt Hamill to retirement
Aug 8th
In breaking news, Matt “The Hammer” Hamill announced his retirement from MMA earlier today via his web site www.matthamill.com. At 34 years old, Matt has made the decision to step away from fighting. In his post on his web site, Matt says it is time to give his body some much needed rest and that his heart was not in it in his last couple of fights.
Matt Hamill, a light heavyweight fighter, has been a fixture in the UFC ever since he participated in the third season of the Ultimate Fighter back in 2006. Matt is and has always been a unique fighter as he is deaf but that has not affected his performances in the Octagon. You would think that this would be a disadvantage as a big part of MMA fights is receiving instructions from your coach or trainers from the sidelines as the fight happens but Matt Hamill’s heart and determination was his true big advantage.
Matt Hamill is a well recognized name for UFC fans and has fought many top 10 fighters during his career in the UFC. His UFC record stands at 9 wins and 4 losses, which is a great record considering that he fought at a very high level against several top 10 fighters. Although Matt lost his last two fights, this announcement comes as a surprise since Matt had just fought to become the number 1 contender for the Light Heavyweight title eliminator against Rampage Jackson at UFC 130 (May 28, 2011).
It is sad to see such a good fighter go. I wish Matt Hamill all the best in his future endeavours. Matt will continue to be involved in MMA as a trainer and a coach and will also be involved in a movie about his life story entitled ”Hamill”. I for one will be out to see it on opening night which is set to be released in the Fall 2011
You can watch the preview right here, right now:
For more news on the movie, please go to http://hamillthemovie.com
Post UFC 133: News and MMAFLEX Betting update
Aug 7th
UFC 133 that occurred last night was an interesting event. Although my two straight up bets did not go as planned, I was still able to come out ahead (in profit) from UFC 133 betting.
My first bet was a $5 bet on Tito Ortiz, I knew this would be a long shot bet and I lost the $5 bet. I have to give props for Rashad Evans since he was in prime fighting condition, he was fast, lethal and deadly. There was absolutely no ring rust from Rashad Evans when he stepped into the Octagon after a 14 month absence. Tito came out of the 1st round battered and bruised, the 2nd round was more of the same and Rashad really dominated it. I also have to give props to Tito Ortiz for taking the fight on such short notice. The way Rashad looks he will really give Jon Jones a run for his money when they meet. I personally don’t think Jones will have any difficulty with Rampage Jackson. Sadly, Tito’s Cinderella story comes to an abrupt end in the face of Rashad Evans. During the post fight press conference Tito mentioned that he wants to take a month off but would like to fight again this year. It will be interesting to see who is opponent will be and if frankly he can compete at a top 10 level.
My second bet that I lost was a $10 bet on Matt Hamill. I thought for sure Matt Hamill would be able to secure the win against Alexander Gustaffson but it was not meant to be. Unfortunately for Hamill, prior to this fight he was asking for a top 10 fighter but with this loss, Hamill will not have that opportunity.
Now onto the bets that I did win!
The first bet I won was on Rory MacDonald while Rory was a big favorite, the odds makers gave very good odds for “MacDonald wins inside distance”. What that means is basically that Rory would finish the fight (the fight would not go to a decision). I was pretty much positive that Rory would finish this fight since this kid is a beast! MacDonald did not disappoint Rory finished Mike Pyle via TKO in the 1st round. On this Rory MacDonald fight, I bet $10 and at +220 odds, my return or profit was $22. This one win covered my other two losses above plus more.
The second bet I won was on Vitor Belfort, again I bet $10 on “Belfort wins inside distance”. I was again pretty positive that Belfort would be able to finish Akiyama within the 3 rounds. Again I was not disappointed, Vitor Belfort looked to be in top shape (ala Vintage Belfort!!) and finished Akiyama in the 1st round. For this fight the odds were not as good as the Rory MacDonald odds but at -110 odds, this was not bad odds. So on my $10 bet, my profit was $9.09.
So with that here is my summary for the night:
- Total Lost = $15
- Total Won = $31.09
- Profit for the night = $16.09
Here is my current account summary: (note I started with $100)
- Cash Balance = $136.50
- Pending Bets = $20
- Total Worth = $156.50
With a starting balance of $100 and a total worth of $156.50, my percentage increase is +56.5% since June 11th. Not a bad return for a little less then two months.
Thanks for reading!
Guy
UFC 133: Betting summary
Aug 6th
The following are UFC 133 odds that I have pulled from my Sportsbook:
- Ivan Menjivar -185 vs Nick Pace +155
- Mike Brown -210 vs Nam Phan +170
- Paul Bradley -145 vs Rafael Natal +115
- Alexander Gustafsson -165 vs Matt Hamill +135
- Johny Hendricks -150 vs Mike Pierce +120
- Chad Mendes -650 vs Rani Yahya +450
- Brian Ebersole -120 vs Dennis Hallman -110
- Jorge Rivera -150 vs Costantinos Philippou +120
- Rory MacDonald -300 vs Mike Pyle +240
- Vitor Belfort -350 vs Yoshihiro Akiyama +275
- Rashad Evans -500 vs Tito Ortiz +300
What do these odds mean? Where the number is negative, the corresponding fighter is the favorite to win the fight. For example, if you take Mike Brown at -210, you would have to bet $21 in order to win a $10 profit on your bet. However if for example you take Nam Phan at +170, if you bet $10 then your profit is $17 on the bet.
So with all that, what did I bet on for tonight’s fights?
My first bet for UFC 133 is with Tito Ortiz, I only placed a nominal amount. Tito is a long shot I know but I believe he does have a very good chance to win this – I really hope that he does. My bet on Tito is $5, if he defeats Rashad I win $15.
My second bet for UFC 133 is with Matt Hamill, I was surprised that Matt was considered an underdog here. Matt has fought at a higher level of competition then Gustaffson and I believe he will win this fight. I think Matt will defeat Gustaffson so I placed $10, if he wins I win $13.50.
The other fights that I wanted to place money on were Rory MacDonald and Vitor Belfort. I did not bet on these fights since both these fighters are heavy favorites (i.e. the juice is too high). However, I did notice that my sportsbook had additional bets for the final decision outcome. I really think that the Rory MacDonald vs Mike Pyle fight will not go the distance, the odds my sportsbook offers is “MacDonald wins inside distance” +220 so I decided to place $10 on that fight also. So my $10 bet would ultimately net me a $22 profit.
If I win on all three of my bets here are the results:
- Total wagered: $25
- Total potential winnings: $50.5 (profit)
I’m crossing my fingers, if you want to join me, please let me know.
P.S. I’m on the research for a new sportsbook, my current sportsbook does not offer any referral bonus or affiliate income. If you have a good company that you recommend please let me know. My email address is mmaflex (at ) gmail.com.
Thanks,
Guy
UFC 133: Weigh in highlights
Aug 6th
UFC 133 is just hours away! Tonight at 9pm eastern!
Check out the following two videos with highlights of the weigh in that occurred yesterday:
Dana White explains Golden Glory cuts
Aug 4th
As first reported by MMAFighting.com, Dana White provides an explanation for why the Golden Glory fighters were cut.
Here is Dana White’s explanation:
This is actually a pretty simple explanation,” he said. “If you look back throughout history, we haven’t had any Golden Glory guys fight with us since Semmy Schilt, right? And the reason is we have very different business practices. It’s tough to do business with them. The bottom line is the way they do business is, you have to pay them, not the fighters. We don’t work that way. It’s not the way we do business. It’s not how it works in the United States with the athletic commissions. You don’t pay the managers and the managers pay the fighters. You pay the fighters and the fighters pay the managers.
There you have it the issue is related to a business issue and not due to the individual fighter performances’. The post also mentions that Golden Glory are unlikely to make any changes to their business practices.
Only one Golden Glory fighter remains in Strikeforce and that is Sergei Kharitonov who is fighting in the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. Kharitonov is in the semi-finals and will next fight Josh Barnett. It is quite likely that if Sergei Kharitonov loses his next match that he will be cut from Strikeforce. Talk about fighting for your job/life! Should make for an interesting fight.