UFC 137 Betting Odds & Fight Card
Posted by Drew Ellis (10/26/2011 @ 2:31 pm)
The UFC has two legendary welterweights facing off in the main event of UFC 137 on Saturday night as B.J. Penn takes on Nick Diaz.
Penn is a former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion while Nick Diaz was the Strikeforce welterweight champion prior to leaving the organization for greener pastures.
Penn (16-7-2) comes into this three-round contest as the favorite over Diaz (26-7-1), as Penn has odds of -125 to top Diaz, who has a money line of -105. Both fighters have similar styles as each relies on boxing and jiu-jitsu to win fights. Penn may have the edge in regards to wrestling, but Diaz will have a big size edge in terms of mass and reach. Both fighters will be sure to leave everything in the octagon, which makes this fight very interesting.
The co-main event also has a very competitive contest as heavyweights Cheick Kongo (26-6-2) and Matt Mitrione (5-0) face off with the winner emerging as a top-10 contender in the division.
Mitrione is the slight favorite, with a money line of -140 while Kongo has odds of +110 to win. Both fighters are primarily strikers, but Mitrione packs the harder punch and is more mobile while Kongo has a slightly better ground game. Mitrione will look to keep the fight standing and stick-and-move while Kongo will look to utilize leg kicks and takedowns to finish the fight with ground-and-pound.
For complete UFC 137 betting odds, check out the jump.
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Posted in: Mixed Martial Arts, News, UFC
Tags: B.J. Penn, bart palaszewski, Brandon Vera, Cheick Kongo, chris carmozzi, Clifford starks, danny downes, Dennis Siver, Donald Cerrone, dustin jacoby, Eliot Marshall, francis carmont, George Roop, Hatsu Hioki, Jeff Curran, kongo vs. mitrione, Mandalay bay events center, Matt Mitrione, mirko crocop, Nick Diaz, penn vs. diaz, pepsi center, Roy Nelson, Scott Jorgensen, Tyson Griffin, Ultimate Fighting Championship
WEC Bantamweight No. 1 Contender Joseph Benavidez chats with The Scores Report
Posted by Drew Ellis (08/16/2010 @ 6:30 pm)
A year ago, few knew who Joseph Benavidez was. Even the hardcore MMA fans knew little about the 5-foot-4, 135-pound bantamweight that trains out of Ultimate Fitness in Sacramento, California.
On Aug. 9, 2009, Benavidez suffered his lone loss of his career to Dominick Cruz and since then has rattled off back-to-back wins, including a second round submission win over Miguel Torres on March 6 that put him on the map.
Now, with the MMA eye clearly on him, Benavidez looks to avenge his loss to Cruz this Wednesday at WEC 50 when he challenges Cruz for the WEC Bantamweight title from the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. The event can be seen live on Versus starting at 9PM ET.
I got the chance to speak to Benavidez and ask him about his title match, having his teammate Urijah Faber drop down to his weight class, and his sponsorship with AMP.
The Scores Report: Joseph, thanks for your time. I know you have a busy schedule.
Joseph Benavidez: Not a problem.
TSR: Tell me about when you found out you were getting the title fight and a chance to face Cruz again.
JB: I kind of felt like I was going to get the fight after I beat Miguel Torres and shortly after the WEC 48 Pay-Per-View event, I found out I was getting it. It was 50-50 at one point but I knew I deserved the fight and I pleaded my case some what and the WEC made their choice to have the rematch and the feeling was just unreal. Becoming champion is the reason most people fight and I felt like I took the right steps to get this opportunity. I remember when I got the contract to sign, I had this feeling that I was going to become champion. That really means everything to me. My goal is to be the best and the hardware will be cool to have, but the recognition that you are the best in the world is really what I am after. When I win that fight, my name will be in history forever.”
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Posted in: Interviews, Mixed Martial Arts, UFC, WEC
Tags: AMP Energy, Dominick Cruz, Jeff Curran, Joseph Benavidez, Miguel Torres, Mixed Martial Arts, Urijah Faber, Versus, WEC, WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber, WEC 50: Benavidez vs. Cruz 2, World Extreme Cagefighting