Posts filed under 'MMA Betting News'
Welcome again to the Fantasy MMA Betting League tipsters panel!
The Odds
At the time of writing, the odds provided by BetOnFighting were as follows.
+180 Rich Franklin v Anderson Silva -220
+150 Tim Sylvia v Brandon Vera -180
+190 Jason MacDonald v Yushin Okami -240
+110 Alan Belcher v Kalib Starnes -140
+275 Eric Schafer v Stephan Bonnar -345
+280 Matt Grice v Jason Black -350
+140 Alvin Robinson v Jorge Gurgel -170
+265 Forrest Petz v Josh Burkman -325
-210 Demian Maia v Ryan Jensen +170
The Panel
Mike (me) - of mmagame.com.
Doug - proprietor of zewkey.com - the mma betting site.
TheGarv - MMA prophet and funny man of YouTube fame.
Boondock - Awesome highlights maker and high flying tipster in our betting league.
TJ DeSantis - of Sherdog Radio fame.
TheGarv’s picks
UFC 77 promises to be explosive, and there are two fights that are a lock if you want to bet. The first lock is Vera over Sylvia. This is a fight you need to bet the farm on. Bet the farm, bet your house. Hell even bet your wife, because you can’t lose. Vera truly is the second coming of Fedor and he’s going to show the world on October 20th. I expect him to chop down Tim with leg kicks and overhand rights. Vera by KO round 2.
The second lock is Anderson Silva over Rich Franklin. I love Rich, he is one of my favorite fighters but he just doesn’t match up well with the Spider. After the brutal ownage in their first fight, I don’t see any way possible for Rich to win this. I think the second fight is going to look similar to the first, with Anderson dominating on the feet, and Rich unable to get it to the ground. I think Rich will last into the second or third round before being KO’d.
Those are TheGARV’s picks.
Boondock’s picks
UFC 77 is upon us and I have to admit that this is one of the harder cards when it comes to making my picks. Vera vs. Sylvia: I’d have to say this fight is a virtual crap shoot as to who’ll win… and as we all know, when it comes to crap shooting, never doubt Sylvia. However, I’m not so sure this time and neither fighter steps into the octagon with any momentum. Vera has been out of the cage for quite a while as has Sylvia after recovering from a back injury (that I’m sure was a result of not having the belt strap around to support him through his daily routine). So Ring rust vs. Back injury? I’ll take Vera but I don’t think it’ll be the walk in the park some are telling us. And Vera’s not the second coming of Fedor… only Fedor is good enough to be the second coming of himself.
Last time we saw Franklin vs. Silva we were shocked to see Rich going down faster than Tito’s girlfriend. And while I see Silva winning this fight I don’t see another Tyler Durden style beat down like we saw last time. What made that fight the train wreck that it turned into was Silva’s skill and an absolutely horrible game plan by Franklin’s corner… unless blocking Thai knees with your ribs and nose is some sort of Krav Maga defense gone wrong. All the same, I still think Silva wins this but I would bet someone else’s life (not mine) that Rich takes it to the ground to use his size to try and gNp a victory. He could get one. Then again, Rich could very well be getting another kneecap instead of a nightcap to help him sleep on fight night.
And finally the lock of the night: Okami.
Long Live MMA!
Boondock
TJ’s Picks
UFC 77 isn’t the strongest card of the year. Nevertheless, a few fights definately have the ingredients to make for some wars.
In the main event Rich Franklin looks to get his title back against current champion Anderson Silva. The first time these guys met Franklin was over-whelmed. The Ohio based fighter walked in to the clinch thinking he would find success there. Instead of success he found hard knees to the face.
For Rich to win he needs to fight smart. Franklin is a smart fighter and I expect him to look to trade at first and then get on the inside with underhooks. “Ace” needs to stay away from the knees and kicks of Silva. If he can do this I think that he can wear Anderson down and get the fight to the floor.
Unfortunatly for Franklin, Silva doesn’t allow that. Anderson will utilize the clinch again. Silva will land shots to the body and this will hurt Rich in the later rounds. I expect Anderson to hurt Rich through out the first couple of rounds. In the third Rich will score a takedown, get stood up, and Silva will stop Franklin again via TKO.
Sylvia Vera is a pickem in my opinion. Vera will look to land low kicks and use his speed. If he is successful I expect him to win a decision. One hard punch from Sylvia could end this fight. But I think Vera is smart enough and wins a decision.
UPSET PICK: Matthew Grice over Jason Black.
Black looked zapped in his fight with Thiago Tavares. If Black is anything like that Saturday night look for Grice to take this fight. At +240 you’re silly not to throw at least 50 on this fight
Mike’s picks
For me, the big pick of UFC77 is Brandon Vera. Now first off, let me say this is a pick that does leave me doubting myself somewhat. My justification is basically that he’s a lot more skilled than big Tim but then so (supposedly) was Andre Arlovski. Still, I am putting my doubts aside and going for the Truth, because after a pretty uninspiring debut against Fabiano Scherner, I have been very impressed. He’s polished off two of Sylvia’s former opponents (Mir and Silva) in 4 minutes combined and in general, I think he’s a superior fighter. REMEMBER, you don’t need to KO or sub someone to win a fight - you just need to beat them. Vera decision : leg kicks.
Secondly I’m going for Okami over McDonald. He’s just bigger and better with more power. I can’t see McDonald winning by sub (his only chance) and I can see Okami winning by either sub, decision or KO.
Silva over Franklin. I really don’t know how Franklin could win the fight. He’s just outmatched in every area. Sorry Rich but I don’t see any way you win and considering the way the last fight went, I can’t believe Silva is only -220.
Doug’s picks
I think UFC 77 is the best event for betting I have seen in a long time. If you are a true MMA fan, then the 4 main fights are all intriguing matchups.
I have strong opinions on three of the four, the exception being Starnes vs Belcher. Although I favor Starnes, both guys are talented but unproven in my eyes. So, I will take a pass on this one and invest in the other three.
Let’s start with the Championship fight. Here’s the deal. If you think Rich Franklin is the same fighter he was before the first fight (just as good now as he was then,) you have to bet him. 2-1 is a dream. I, however, believe that the beating Silva gave him that night ended the career of the championship level Rich Franklin. Silva has moved forward in his development as a complete fighter, while Franklin has fought to regain his confidence. You can make a case that Franklin is bigger and will take him down etc… but I see it as Silva is at a completely different level than Franklin, physically and mentally. I’m taking Spider.
Everyone hates Tim Sylvia, but I don’t get it. Sylvia is one of the most resilient fighters we have ever seen, he uses his strengths better than any fighter I can think of, and he’s a hard working fool. No way Vera should be favored over big Timmy. Even if you buy into all the Vera hype, that should make him about even up with the former champion-at best! Tim’s loss to Couture looks a lot better now that Randy tore through Gonzaga. Fighting styles will matter in this one. Expect Vera to have a similar plan that Couture used to defeat Sylvia, except more knees in close. Sylvia will be ready for it, and you can bet your last tater that he won’t fall into that trap again. Look for Sylvia to use his size effectively as he controls the pace. Sylvia will frustrate Vera and take him off his game. Easy win for Sylvia. Big Bet!!!
Okami is physically superior to Jason MacDonald. MacDonald lacks the crisp, effective punching that he will need to keep the Japanese mauler off him. The combination of a physically stronger fighter facing a submission fighter is a profit machine. Okami will bull his way to MacDonald’s chest whenever he feels like it, where he can take him down and gnp as long as he wants. Some say that Okami is a slow starter, but here’s the secret…Okami knows he’s strong enough to escape submission attempts once the fighter start getting sweaty. He keeps himself out of trouble until everyone’s good a warm, then goes to work. Bet Okami with confidence.
Best Bet: Tim Sylvia
Good Bets: Okami and Silva
Records (Starting balance $200)
TheGarv: 0-0 (0%) Balance $200 - making his debut
Mike: 42-18 (80%) Balance $390.52, Total Amount Bet $3690
Boondock: 32-43 (44%) Balance $1977.75, Total Amount Bet $3911
Doug: 19-13 (59%) Balance $233.85, Total Amount Bet $436
TJ DeSantis: 9-8 (53%) Balance $632, Total Amount Bet $1990
(see more stats in game)
UFC 77 Betting Summary for the Fantasy Betting League
Note: These bets don’t necessarily correspond to who the tipsters have picked in their summaries above.
TheGarv: $50 Silva, $50 Vera
Mike: $200 Silva, $80 Vera, $50 Okami
Boondock: $500 Okami, $50 Franklin, $25 Belcher, $150 Sylvia
Doug: $100 Sylvia, $50 Okami, $50 Silva
TJ DeSantis: $100 Sylvia, $100 MacDonald, $100 Grice
With thanks….
Thanks to the tipsters for taking part - please show them some love and visit their respective ventures.
Doug - visit zewkey.com for betting news.
TheGarv - check him out on YouTube .
Boondock - visit his myspace page
TJ DeSantis - check out the Sherdog Radio network Monday through Friday.
October 18th, 2007
Welcome again to the Fantasy MMA Betting League tipsters panel!
Just a quick one for UFC Fight Night 9, with the regular deadly duo but no guest tipsters this time around.
Our Panel
Regular tipsters
Mike (me) - of mmagame.com. Full time MMA fanatic but mediocre tipster.
Doug - proprietor of Zewkey.com. Top tipster and MMA betting expert.
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The Odds
+130 Melvin Guillard vs Joe Stevenson -150
+385 Justin McCully vs Antoni Hardonk -465
+170 D Mishima vs Kenny Florian -200
+110 Forrest Petz vs Kuniyoshi Hironaka -130
+200 Seth Petruzelli vs Wilson Gouveia -240
+140 Keita Nakamura vs Drew Fickett -160
+235 Naoyuki Kotani vs Thiago Tavares -275
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Predictions
So on to the picks…
Doug’s picks
UFN 9 has some competitive fights on the card. There are a lot of lesser known fighters mixing it up and the true MMA geeks, surely, have the opportunity to make some money. All these fights have playable numbers. I’m going to stick to the headliners on this event. Joe Stevenson vs Melvin Guillard:
It’s the classic matchup of the striker vs the wrestler, and the “showboat†against the “blue-collar†guy. Any half-ass MMA fan/bettor can make a case for either fighter to win this bout. Styles are important, sure, but this fight will be determined by which fighter can impose his style on the other. Guillard is the faster, quicker fighter without doubt. I don’t like Joe at 155, and I think that he will be surprised to find Guillard holding the strength advantage too. Melvin will dominate the fight standing and when/if Stevenson gets the takedown Guillard will be able to gain control of the ground game too. Guillard’s powerful combination of strength and quickness will be too much for Joe. Note: I am aware of the “Melvin’s not training hard†rumors, I don’t buy it.
Dokonjonosuke Mishima vs Kenny Florian
Kenny Florian steps back into the ring for the first time since his loss to Sherk. Florian is a dedicated professional and he will be a better fighter when he takes on Doko Mishima tonight. Mishima is not one of physically strong fighters that present problems to Florian. He does not have enough power earn Kenny’s respect. Florian should be able to control the stand up and overwhelm Mishima with his striking, softening him up enough to set up a submission.
Drew Fickett vs Keita Nakamura
Wrestling war. Both fighters prefer the submission game; Fickett has a slight edge in striking. Fickett has faced much better competition with several solid wins. K-Taro struggled against Larson, another wrestler, last time out and this could very well be deja vu all over again for him. Take it easy on this one, definitely could go either way. I like Fickett to earn a decision.
Mike’s picks
I think you could make a nice profit on this event if you knew what you were doing… Unfortunately I don’t think I’m quite there yet to risk the real mulah!
Seth Petruzelli vs Wilson Gouveia.
I’m picking Gouveia in this fight as my big bet for the evening. He’s only around -240 and at those odds I think he’s a great pick over Seth. He gave Keith Jardine a run for his money and as far as I can remember, Seth has not really showed anything at all in the UFC.
D Mishima vs Kenny Florian
I’m going with Florian here. I’m just not seeing how Mishima wins the fight apart from a UD and I think Kenny has just as much chance of winning a decision. Again I’m going for a favourite here but I’m aiming to prove that you shouldn’t always bet on the odds if you want to win some money! And to round that theory off….
Melvin Guillard vs Joe Stevenson
I’m taking Stevenson here at -150. Seems like good odds to me… I have to admit that I have been swayed somewhat (or more accurately I’ve had my opinion re-affirmed) by the messageboards and tales of Melvin training with kickboxers and being taken down at will by rookies. I’m going with Joe but I think it’s going to be a good fight!
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Summary of picks
The following bets have been placed in our MMA Fantasy Betting League. All users start with a fantasy balance of $200. You can join for free here.
Doug from Zewkey.com
Current Balance $223.50
$10 Florian
$10 Melvin
$10 Fickett
Mike from MMAGame.com
Current Balance $284.74
$100 on Gouveia
$25 on Stevenson
$25 on Florian
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Last event - WEC
Both Mike and Doug went 100% in the last event
Mike: $77.70 profit off $130 of bets
Doug : $23.50 profit off $20 of bets
April 5th, 2007
Welcome to the inaugural Fantasy MMA Betting League tipsters panel!
We have a selection of top (and not so top) tipsters from around the net, ready to preview WEC 26 -
Our Panel (more to follow shortly)
Regular tipsters
Mike (me) - of mmagame.com. Full time MMA fanatic but mediocre tipster.
Doug - proprietor of Zewkey.com. Top tipster and MMA betting expert.
Guest Tipsters
marlon - mmagame.com member and currently a in a positive balance in our betting league of $236.25
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The odds
John Alessio +115
Carlos Condit -145
Dominick Cruz +550
Urijah Faber -750
Chase Beebe +185
Eddie Wineland -225
Hiromitsu Miura +400
Joe Riggs -550
Eric Apple +200
Brock Larson -250
Tommy Lee +130
Cub Swanson -160
Charlie Valencia +200
Antonio Banuelos -250
Micah Miller +165
Jesse Moreng -205
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Predictions
So on to the picks - let’s start off with one of the expects - Doug, how do you see this event going down?
Doug’s picks
WEC 26 is good card, most of these fights can go either way.
Best bet of the night is Cub Swanson to take out Tommy Lee. Swanson is a focused improving fighter that has a good all around attack led by a solid ground game. Cub will be able to get Lee to the mat whenever he wants and will have a huge advantage there. Tommy Lee is a striker and has a “puncher’s chance,” but I’m not sure he has the power needed to take out Swanson. Swanson will be the best fighter Lee has seen.
I don’t like Diesel Riggs, something about his style that looks awkward to me. But… he bangs out everyone that he has an edge on, his only recent losses are to Diego, Swick and Hughes. Looks like Miura is right in Rigg’s wheelhouse. He’s got some wins sure, but he’s only beaten 1 dude with a winning record and it looks like instead of moving up in competition, Muira is finding easier fights. Riggs rolls in an easy win.
Alessio vs Condit is a match that most people have a clear favorite and nothing will change that view. Anyone can make a good case for either fighter, it’s really a tossup. I’m going to give the edge to Condit, I think has is a more effective finisher if given the opportunity.
I can’t see Cruz with any chance against Faber, don’t waste you money.
Beebe and Apple are both tempting underdogs, here’s what I think. Beebe is the better bet. Apple is a very good striker, which could be nullified by Larson’s wrestling ability. Larson’s wrestling is better than Apple’s striking. Beebe, on the other hand should get some submission attempts on Wineland, who’s been submitted several times.
Mike’s picks
Uh oh, public humiliation time for me! OK, so let me first say that although I’ve heard of a lot of these guys by name I have haven’t really seen many of them fight. With that said I’m just going to go with a tip on the big fight and just listen to the other experts when it comes to the undercard fights.
My tip for the main event is also Condit. Neither guy has been KO’d, whilst both guys have an even spread of KO and submission victories in their respective win columns. That makes for a great fight and a close one at that. I just think Condit has the intangibles to eek out the victory. Perhaps a bit more aggressive and perhaps even just a bit more skilled all round. Condit has lost to grapplers and I’d have thought Alessio is going to want to stand with Condit. Condit has faced top opponents in pure kickboxing matchups and held his own (according to Condit himself), so I’m just not seeing where Alessio takes this fight to ensure the victory.
Other picks? I have no idea to be honest. I tell you what, I’ll stick a whole $20 on Faber just because there’s no way he’ll lose and $40 on Riggs for the same reason.
Marlon’s picks
JOHN ALESSIO vs CARLOS CONDIT
Close fight, should be a war. Alessio will look to take this fight to the ground and control the tempo utilizing his Strong Wrestling advantage. Condit will try and keep this one standing where he has a clear edge in striking. Condits groundgame is solid as well. Much respect to Alessio but I see Condit being the Busier fighter and his ability to scramble and get back to his feet should come into play. PICK = Condit
DOMINICK CRUZ vs URIJAH FABER
Faber is the defending WEC Featherweight Champion. One of the best in the world at that weight without question. Cruz is a solid up and coming prospect but taking a huge step up in competition. Faber is better in all areas and should get be the clear winner here. PICK = Faber
CHASE BEEBE vs EDDIE WINELAND
Very interesting matchup. Wineland is the defending WEC Champion and has the experience edge. Beebe is a submission wizard and will be very dangerous when this fight hits the ground. Although 3 of Winelands 4 losses have come by submission, I think his groundgame is under-rated and should be able to stay out of trouble. He should get the Win over the less experienced Beebe. PICK = Wineland
HIROMITSU MIURA vs JOE RIGGS
I’ll keep this one short and sweet. Riggs by TKO. If Riggs loses this fight, he should seriously think about retirement. PICK = Riggs
ERIC APPLE vs BROCK LARSON
This one has the potential to be the fight of the night. Larson is a tremendous Wrestler that dominates most opponents. His only carreer loss was to one of UFC’s best, Jon Fitch. Apple is taking a big step up in this fight. He is more well rounded than Larson, and will have a clear advantage standing in this one. My head tells me Larson will once again control this fight and win by decision, but my gut is tells me otherwise. I have a feeling the more well rounded Apple will escape with the an upset win, possibly by late TKO. PICK = Apple
TOMMY LEE vs CUB SWANSON
Great fight. Tommy Lee is a solid vet & a powerhouse that seems to be improving with every fight. Cub Swanson has been tearing it up recently in KOTC. He’s got a ton of potential and could be a Star in the making. He can’t look passed Lee in this one. Lee will give Swanson all he can handle, but I still see Cub, getting the Win. PICK = Swanson
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Media
John Alessio talks to sherdog.com about his bout with Carlos Condit
Also check out More pre fight interviews on the official WEC site
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Summary of picks
The following bets have been placed in our MMA Fantasy Betting League. All users start with a fantasy balance of $200. You can join for free here.
Doug from Zewkey.com
Current Balance $200
$10 on Swanson
$10 on Beebe
Mike from MMAGame.com
Current Balance $185.64
$60 on Condit
$20 on Faber
$40 on Riggs
(and $50 on Swanson because I’m trusting Doug!)
Marlon
Current Balance of $236.25
$30 on Condit
$30 on Riggs
$30 on Larson
$30 on Swanson
$30 on Wineland
$30 on Faber
March 23rd, 2007
MMA fans! Do you rock at predicting fights? If you do, we want to hear from you.
If you’ve got a proven track record at MMA betting / predicting, how would you like to join our panel of predictors?
In the week running up to big events we’re going to run a blog entry asking our panel who they’re picking and what odds take their fancy. If you’d like to take part, please email us and we’ll add you to the shortlist!
Thanks,
The MMA Game Team
March 19th, 2007
At mmagame.com we have created the MMA Fantasy Betting League - a brand new concept in Fantasy MMA!
Our game has nothing to do with US gambling legislations banning online gaming - this isn’t real online wagering, this is fantasy MMA gaming, so we welcome US residents!
So, if you’re a gambling junkie looking to get your fix, you’ve come to the right place! This is fun and it’s risk free, plus we give away prizes for the best predictors at the end of each season and also for each event.
How it works
After you sign up, you’ll get a fantasy budget of $200. You then place bets on real life Mixed Martial Arts events from organisations such as Pride and the UFC. But unlike most fantasy MMA pick’em leagues, we don’t just feature the big two orgs. We also feature the IFL, Cage Rage, K-1 Hero’s, WEC, BodogFight, and many other MMA promotions - if there’s a bookmakers offering odds, we’ll have a fantasy event based on it!
Once you’re in you’ll also get access to some great features such as betting stats and statistics, to see where you won and lost your fantasy millions!
So, sign up, join in and have fun! We hope to see you soon in the MMA Fantasy Betting League at MMAGame.com!
March 18th, 2007
