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GSP on New Calender
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Betting Lines: UFC Champions vs. Contenders
By: Jason Probst
D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
For a breakdown on betting lines and future UFC title bouts, Sherdog.com consulted Joey Oddessa, one of the game’s preeminent oddsmakers and wagering experts:
Lightweights
Diego Sanchez is next in line for a shot at the title and hopefully presents a better challenge than the near 3-to-1 odds indicate. Gray Maynard has improved with every appearance, but champion B.J. Penn has shown himself to be head and shoulders above the lightweights. Maynard would scale in around the same odds as Sanchez against Penn. Shinya Aoki might be the most appealing matchup for Penn outside the current UFC roster. Other non-UFC roster fighters Tatsuya Kawajiri and Eddie Alvarez are also compelling matchups for Penn, but the Hawaiian would be somewhere around a 2-to-1 favorite against any of them. Read more -
Backlash Begins: Koscheck Knocks Hardy’s Title Opportunity
By: Jake Rossen
If there are twelve steps to coping with Dan Hardy getting a title shot against Georges St. Pierre in 2010, Josh Koscheck is still somewhere around number one: denial.
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Speaking to Heavy.com, Koscheck -- who lost to St. Pierre in 2007 and trains with Mike Swick, whom Hardy defeated last weekend -- discredited the opportunity, alleging that promoters are “just trying to get someone for St. Pierre to beat up.”
“He doesn’t deserve a title shot,” Koscheck said. “It’s simple, but I don’t make those decisions.” -
On the UFC’s Winter Meltdown: Who’s the New Draw?
By: Jake Rossen
D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
The thing about promoting conflict resolution through violence: your talent pool is going to take a beating.
Since October, an alarming number of the UFC’s box office attractions have been sidelined due to injury or illness. Anderson Silva had bone spurs removed from his elbow; Georges St. Pierre’s injured groin kept him out of the gym; Shane Carwin is suffering MCL strain; Lyoto Machida needed hand surgery following his last bout; Quinton Jackson is in Hollywood exile; most alarmingly, Brock Lesnar -- the UFC’s single biggest draw, and a peer of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather as the biggest draws on pay per view -- collapsed in Canada. Dana White tells TMZ.com that Lesnar may need “major surgery” to correct an ambiguous intestinal disorder. Read more -
UFC 105 Post-Mortem: Halt Couture, St. Pierre’s Standstill, More
By: Jake Rossen
Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
In trying to come up with a metaphor for Randy Couture’s current physical abilities, you can’t do much better than a boat anchor. If he gets a lock on your body, he will either drag you down or exhaust you with your own resistance, swimming against the current he creates. It’s an ugly way to go.
Against Brandon Vera Saturday in Manchester, England, Couture clung to Vera while landing few effective strikes. The biggest moments in the bout came only when Vera had the distance to land body shots, which Couture’s creaky reflexes allowed through. Despite Vera delivering the damage of the fight, including a knockdown, judges figured Couture’s lone takedown and pressing Vera into the fence trumped it.
If the fight were scored as a whole, Vera would probably win. As it is, they appeared to split two rounds and stalemate a third. A draw would have made the most sense. Increasingly, we should not expect judges to do the sensible thing. Read more -
Buy Georges: St. Pierre Signs Major Endorsement Deal
It’s a slow burn, but the sport and its participants are increasingly being perceived as something other than Neanderthals: Georges St. Pierre, who recently signed a deal with Gatorade, is now a spokesfighter for apparel brand Under Armour. The company had previously outfitted Frank Mir for his UFC 100 weigh-in.
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What took them so long? St. Pierre is what the sport could use more of: a respected, respectful athlete who looks and moves like he comes from a different genetic area code. It’s good for St. Pierre, but it’s better for other athletes in the sport who may now benefit from the me-too companies following UA’s lead. Randy Couture gets his Wheaties box soon. It’s inevitable. -
5 Questions: UFC 104
By: Jake Rossen
D. Mandel/Sherdog.com
I don’t have the answers. Watch the show.
Is muay Thai the right answer for Lyoto Machida?
In 15 career fights, the UFC’s light-heavyweight champion -- or as pronounced by Lyoto Machida himself, champeeon -- has rarely been tested by a high level of muay Thai. Thiago Silva has good stand-up, but few wins against top opposition; Sam Greco, virtually a pure kickboxer, took Machida the distance in 2004, but also outweighed him considerably. There’s not much precedence to draw on.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua is a muay Thai Tasmanian devil -- all arms and legs. Aggression and accuracy could be a proper solution to Machida’s head movement. So could a hammer. Rua can only pick one Saturday. Read more -
GSP Discusses Future, Return to Octagon
By: Sherdog.com Staff
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Lesnar, GSP Lead UFC 100 Bounty
By: Jake Rossen
The Nevada Commission’s peek into the UFC’s bank ledgers are out for Saturday’s UFC 100 event, and both Brock Lesnar and Georges St. Pierre made out nicely -- even if Lesnar was slightly irritated he didn’t get a Bud Light bonus.
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Each man earned $400,000 for their victories over Frank Mir and Thiago Alves, respectively, though it’s Lesnar who stands to earn considerably more: His percentage of pay-per-view profits has been speculated to be worth somewhere in the range of $3 million. It’s likely St. Pierre enjoys the same profit-sharing perk, though specific percentages for each are not disclosed by the company. -
UFC 100 Post-Mortem: New Questions, Etc.
By: Jake Rossen
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Q: Is Georges St. Pierre big enough to challenge Anderson Silva?
A: St. Pierre’s fight shape is typically 185 pounds: Silva’s is probably closer to 200. GSP needs a muscle masonry expert to help him add a solid 10 pounds of mass: He would be well-advised to consult with Mackie Shilstone, who added enough quality beef to both Roy Jones and Michael Spinks that they won boxing titles in heavier weight classes.
