UFC MMA archive

Following Saturday evening's featherweight contest between former UFC lightweight Leonard Garcia and Sengoku veteran "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung, I was filled with a misconception that the judges would easily score the fight in favor of Jung. It seemed fairly apparent that during many of the exchanges, Garcia simply didn't land his booming overhand while Jung countered with a blistering array of straight punches to Garcia's face.

I was wrong. Judge Steel and Hamilton both scored the bout 29-28 in favor of Garcia, giving him both the second and third rounds. Judge Belardo scored the contest 29-28 for Jung, although he scored the first and second round in favor of Jung.

Interestingly enough, most of the scoring from fans and writers was completely different. As Mike Fagan pointed out in the FightMetric scoring post, there were plenty of MMA sites who also pointed in the direction of Jung.

Why aren't monitors in place at events? I couldn't tell you, but I do know that many of these close fights in which one fighter wins by consensus opinion, but loses on the judges' scorecards is frustrating to watch. For such an epic war between two great competitors, the rightful winner should have his hand raised.

:dirol

The results are in following Saturday's UFC 113 "Machida vs. Shogun 2″ event at the Bell Centre in Montreal. You sure you're ready for this?

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida

This one lasted a whopping 3 minutes and 35 seconds, folks. Talk about sweet revenge, right? He endured a few body shots and a couple of takedowns, but Mauricio "Shogun" Rua fought back with a flurry of punches (10 in total) to knock out Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida in the first round to capture the UFC light heavyweight title.

Josh Koscheck vs. Paul Daley

Josh Koscheck won by unanimous decision with scores of 30-27 across the board from all judges. Koscheck, btw, is set to coach season 12 of "The Ultimate Fighter" vs. UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.

And if you're still with me…

Jeremy Stephens vs. Sam Stout ended in a split decision. Matt Mitrione vs. Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson was stopped in the second round, with Mitrione doing all the damage in a matter of 4 minutes & 24 seconds.

Bodog's got all your MMA odds. But then you knew that, right? Right.

Mixed martial arts again takes over the fight focus from boxing at Bodog’s online sportsbook this weekend with UFC 115 taking place Saturday night in Vancouver, a card headlined by a light heavyweight matchup between Chuck Liddell against Rich Franklin. It’s the fourth UFC event to be held in Canada but the first in Vancouver after the city council passed a two-year "trial" period to regulate MMA. The Vancouver Athletic Commission previously sanctioned five MMA events prior to 2007, but then was instructed by the city council to cease sanctioning events.

Originally Liddell (21-7) was supposed to fight Tito Ortiz at UFC 115, but Ortiz pulled out with a neck injury. And clearly Liddell still hasn’t gotten over his anger at that.

“I respect Rich and I think he’s a bigger challenge than Tito for sure. So that motivates you more to get in the gym and I’ve got to be prepared for him, he’s going to show up in shape,” Liddell said. “He’s going to be there to fight so I better show up ready to go or I’m going to pay for it.”

Of course Liddell is one of the legends of the octagon. He won the light-heavyweight title at UFC 52 with a first-round KO against Randy Couture and went on to defend it in four consecutive bouts. But he has won only once in five bouts (decision over Wanderlei Silva at UFC 79) since beating Ortiz at the end of 2006.

Franklin (27-5) is a former middleweight champion who has lost two of previous three fights, including his last time in the octagon in September by TKO to Vitor Belfort at UFC 103. A week before Liddell crushed Couture at UFC 52, Franklin had arguably his signature win by knocking out Ken Shamrock in the main event of the finale of the inaugural season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Expect a bruising fight between these two. According to UFC, nearly 70% of Liddell’s UFC wins end with his opponent defeated on the canvas. That number jumps to nearly 90% during fights in the past six years. Franklin has a better knockout ratio than Liddell when comparing their UFC wins -- 75% to 70%. Liddell should have the advantage if the fighters get on the ground as he is legendary on takedowns and that’s probably the weakest part of Franklin’s game.

As far as what betting trends we are seeing at Bodog’s MMA betting lines, Liddell is currently the +120 underdog to Franklin’s -150. It’s the first since UFC 79 in 2007 against Silva that Liddell has opened in a bout as an underdog. One interesting note about Saturday’s fight is that bettors don’t seem to believe there is any bad blood between Liddell and Franklin and thus not much of a rivalry (just look at that complimentary Liddell quote above). Because of this, the bout is seeing less action than usual for a UFC main event because fans don’t seem to really know what to make of the fighters. With so little action, the sharp money on Franklin moved him from an open of -140 to its current number.

Author - Richard Gardner Bodog Sportsbook Manager

Court McGee won the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 2010 finale at the Pearl inside the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas on Saturday, June 19. The “Ultimate Fighting Championship” 2010 Season 11 reality show crowned him as the winner with a six figure multi fight UFC contract after he defeated Kris McCray. :thumbsup

He's a cool guy.

Guys you saw that Bobby Leshley was defeated by K.O. by his younger oponent Chad Griggs ? :eek:

Who will watch saturdays UFC event ?

The most talked about fights for UFC118 is between B.J Penn vs. Frankie Edgar and Randy Couture vs. James Toney

The later match consists of 2 oldies among MMA fighters - Randy Coutore born 1963 (age 47), will he be able to knock his opponent James Toney born 1968 (age 42)?

More about the UFC 118 event and odds on ixgames blog.

Who will watch saturdays UFC event ?

The most talked about fights for UFC118 is between B.J Penn vs. Frankie Edgar and Randy Couture vs. James Toney

The later match consists of 2 oldies among MMA fighters - Randy Coutore born 1963 (age 47), will he be able to knock his opponent James Toney born 1968 (age 42)?

More about the UFC 118 event and odds on ixgames blog.

Where I can see this event ?

Who did win the fights want to know totaly forgot about that pay-per-view danm wish i watched it

Rampage vs. Machida at the Palace of Auburn Hills in November.....

gonna be my first live event....can't wait...

Rampage vs. Machida at the Palace of Auburn Hills in November.....

gonna be my first live event....can't wait...

Nice man ! 😁 You will enjoy it , I'm sure.

It’s been a rough journey but, somehow, UFC Fight Night 22 is here. The card has been shuffled and reshuffled after numerous injuries, but now middleweights Nate Marquardt and Rousimar Palhares headline the card. Marquardt is a -210 favorite on Bodog’s MMA odds, while Palhares checks in at +170.

Marquardt will bring a healthy mix of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and boxing to the ring. The American is 29-9-2 in his mixed martial arts career, and he’s won in a variety of ways; 15 of those victories came via submission, and another seven wins by knockout. He’s coming off a loss, however, after dropping a decision to Chael Sonnen (Sonnen went on to fight and lose to Anderson Silva for the championship). It was a great bout, though, earning Fight of the Night honors.

Before that, Marquardt had captured his last three UFC events. He’s been doing most of the damage with his fists, winning with a TKO, TKO and knockout, respectively. Two of those victories came in the first round.

Palhares owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He’s not quite as experienced as Marquardt, but he still has 13 fights under his belt — 11 of them victories. The Brazilian is an expert tactician and eight of those 11 victories have come via submission (he has just one career knockout, which came against Claudio Mattos in November 2006).

Palhares hasn’t lost since a unanimous decision to Dan Henderson in September 2008. Since then he’s ripped off three consecutive victories, including a first-round submission over Tomasz Drwal at UFC 111.

The other fights on the main card are Efrain Escudero (-180 MMA odds) vs. Charles Oliveira (+150); Jim Miller (-155) vs. Gleison Tibau (+125); and Ross Pearson (-270) vs. Cole Miller (+210).

Bodog Sportsbook always offers the most MMA odds and props

UFC 119 odds continue with Chris Lytle and Matt Serra; it’s a rematch of a fight that took place in 2006, which Serra won.

Serra (+110 odds to beat Lytle) is 11-6 in his career. He’s lost two of his last three fights, though he wasn’t exactly going toe-to-toe with slouches; he lost to Georges St. Pierre and Matt Hughes. Serra got back on track in February, when he knocked out Frank Trigg in the first round at UFC 109.

The fight serves as a strong example that Serra can win in a variety of ways; not only does he have some knockout out power, he’s also an elite submission artist. The New York native was the first American to ever be awarded a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by MMA legend Renzo Gracie. Serra has four career victories via submission.

Lytle is the favorite with -140 odds. The Indiana native has a wealth of experience — he’s appeared in 51 mixed martial arts fights (winning 29 of them), not to mention another 15 boxing matches (he is 13-1-1).

Lytle is riding a three-fight winning streak. He was last seen at UFC 116, when he submitted Matt Brown with a straight armbar. It was the 19th career submission by Lytle; like Serra, he owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. In fact, it was his second consecutive victory via submission.

Serra and Lytle last met on The Ultimate Fighter 4, where they hooked up in the welterweight finale. Serra earned a split decision despite Lytle being the more active fighter on his feet. Serra made every effort to make takedowns, where he’d then become the more active fighter. Lytle, on the other hand, often waited to be stood up by the referee.

Get all your UFC 119 odds and props at Bodog Sportsbook

Brock Lesnar all the way, anyone disagree? Why?

Mixed martial arts takes another step forward in the development of the sport this weekend as MMA Panama Top Team and the International Jiu-Jitsu Association prepares to welcome participants from Costa Rica for the very first time.

Ronald Ortis, vice-president of the Costa Rica Jiu Jitsu Commission, along with two referees and 30 top MMA athletes from different academies across the country, will be competing against fighters from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas for the right to represent Central America in the 2011 World Tournament of Jiu-Jitsu in Peru.

Among those chosen to make Costa Rican history and compete in this rather prestigious tournament is Carlos Vargas (aka Charlie), a 33-year-old jiu-jitsu heavy weight representing the Big Dragons Academy.

Charlie has been studying and practicing mixed martial arts for over 25 years. In addition to his hand to hand combat skills, Charlie is also an extremely skilled marksman with a pistol… and a rock solid bodyguard out at the Bodog compound (in Costa Rica).

Charlie does a great job as a security escort for the compound's VIP guests, but it's his commitment towards making this team (and his love for jiu-jitsu) that made it easy for the 'powers that be' at Bodog to sponsor him as he embarks on this once-in-a-lifetime journey.

This invite-only jiu-jitsu and submission grappling tournament for the International Jiu Jitsu Association takes place on Nov. 12-14 in Panama City. On behalf of Bodog, the Beat wishes Charlie every success.

UFC 123 betting is headlined by a fantastic light heavyweight bout, as Lyoto Machida takes on Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Machida enters the fight as a -280 favorite, but he’s also licking his wounds after losing his light heavyweight belt to Shogun Rua. Machida, who had topped fellow Brazilian Rua in their previous fight, was knocked out on punches in the first round of UFC 113 (May 2010).

It was the first loss of Machida’s career, ending a streak of 16 consecutive victories. He’s an absolute load to handle, mixing a karate striking style with his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Two of “The Dragon’s” last three victories have come via knockout, though he also has a pair of submission victories under his belt.

The list of names Machida has beat in his career is impressive, including Shogun, Rashad Evans, Thiago Silva and Tito Ortiz. Machida is considered by many to be an “elusive” fighter, if not a sometimes boring one.

Jackson, on the other hand, is pretty exciting when you consider his nickname, brief flirtation with Hollywood, and so on. Unfortunately, his dominance in the ring has slipped. Rampage is a +220 underdog on UFC 123 odds, largely because he’s lost two of his last four fights.

He lost his last bout, a third-round unanimous decision to Evans at UFC 114 in May. It was particularly disappointing since the winner was given a shot at the light heavyweight championship. Now, Jackson has some work ahead of him.

Jackson remains an impressive 30-8 in his career, though. He’s a very strong striker; he has 14 career knockouts to his credit. Rampage has seven career submission victories under his belt, but that won’t play a factor against Machida — he hasn’t submitted an opponent since June 2003, a span of 18 fights.

Bodog Sportsbook has dozens of odds and props for UFC 123

Saturday’s MMA betting will open with a fight between Johny Hendricks and Rick Story. Hendricks has -225 odds to win; Story is a +185 underdog. Both fighters are enjoying winning streaks entering the bout.

Hendricks is a two-time NCAA wrestling champion from Oklahoma State, not to mention a four-time All-American. Obviously, he’s going to try to take this fight to the ground. It’s worked so far in his career, as Hendricks is a perfect 9-0. Five of those wins came via knockout, and he has just one submission to his credit.

Hendricks was last seen in August, when he beat Charlie Brenneman with punches at UFC 117. He’s received some criticism over his last few fights, though, for losing rounds to Brenneman and T.J. Grant. Brenneman, for example, took Hendricks down twice in the first round alone before he recovered for a second-round victory.

Story enters with a healthy winning streak of his own. He’s won four straight, improving his career record to 11-3. Two of those defeats came in Story’s first three fights, so he’s on a nice little roll. He also fought at UFC 117 in August, where he earned a knockout over Dustin Hazelett on punches.

While he’s a tough fighter, Story hasn’t exactly been overwhelming to start his UFC career. Three of his five UFC fights have gone to the scorecard, yet Story hasn’t earned a single unanimous decision; he lost, split, and won by majority decision. He’ll have to be a little busier to hang with Hendricks.

At least he has an underrated wrestling background that could take Hendricks by surprise. Obviously, Story doesn’t have the same pedigree, but he should be able to at least hold his own or get out of some trouble when necessary.

Bodog Sportsbook always has the most unique MMA props of any site!

Next up on MMA betting is a scrap between Demian Maia and Kendall Grove. Maia is the big favorite at -500 odds, while Grove is a +300 underdog at Bodog.

Maia is a master in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu; he owns a second-degree black belt. There’s a great chance this fight will hit the floor, at least if Maia gets his way. The Brazilian is 13-2 in his career, and eight of his wins have come via submission (two came via knockout).

He was last seen earning a unanimous decision over fellow Brazilian Mario Miranda at UFC 118 in August. The victory helped Maia get back on track, as both his career losses have come in his past four fights.

It’s not like Maia was losing to cupcakes, though — he went down to Anderson Silva and Nate Marquardt. Maia made a mistake against Marquardt and took a vicious blow, resulting in a knockout loss. Against Silva, he at least hung around for five rounds before losing a unanimous decision. Sandwiched between the losses was a victory over Dan Miller.

While Maia may be an expert in Jiu-Jitsu, Grove is just going to get up there and brawl. He’s been working on his Jiu-Jitsu but admits there’s no way he can catch up to Maia. If Grove is going to win this fight, it will be on his feet and delivering a knockout blow.

Grove is 12-7-1 in his career, with five victories coming via knockout. Like Maia, two of his losses have come in the past four fights, though Grove is coming off a win. He beat Goran Reljic in a split decision at UFC 116 in July.

If Grove does have one major advantage, it’s reach. His standup could give Maia a few problems as he stands 6’6 with a 79-inch reach; Maia is just 6-feet with a 72-inch reach.

Bodog Sportsbook always has the most unique MMA props of any site!

The season finale of Ultimate Fighter 12 gets underway this weekend, and there’s no shortage of great fights. First up on MMA betting is a battle between Stephan Bonnar and Igor Pokrajac.

Bonnar, a member of the first Ultimate Fighter season, is the favorite with -210 odds to win. Bonnar has made a solid little career for himself since being runner-up on the show back in 2005. He’s 12-7 in his career, though he’s suffered a ton of setbacks lately.

The “American Psycho” is coming off a win over Krzystof Soszynski, whom he beat via knee and punches at UFC 116 back in July. It avenged a loss to Soszynski in Bonnar’s previous fight — Bonnar was knocked out — and ended a three-fight losing streak for the light heavyweight. The victory was a great battle and won Fight of the Night honors.

Bonnar owns black belts in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do (which, impressively, he earned at age 16). He’s very dangerous when it comes to submissions; seven of his 12 career victories have come via submission. It’s been a while since he won that way, however. Bonnar hasn’t submitted an opponent since UFC 73 in July 2007, when he beat Mike Nickels with a rear naked choke.

Pokrajac is a +170 underdog. He has 29 career fights under his belt, but he’s a baby when it comes to UFC, having fought just three times inside the octagon. Pokrajac lost his first two fights (to Vladimir Matyushenko and James Te-Huna) before beating James Irvin with a rear naked choke at UFC Live in August.

That’s a little disconcerting; Pokrajac has fought — and lost — to some pretty uninspiring names. Bonnar, meanwhile, has faced Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans and Jon Jones, among others, in his career.

Pokrajac is 22-7 in his career. His victories have been a healthy mix; 11 via knockout, eight via submission. He’s a wrestler with some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Bonnar suspects Pokrajac will try bringing the fight to the ground.

Bodog Sportsbook always has the most unique MMA props of any site!

Well, if you set your DVR to record The Ultimate Fighter finale, I feel your pain. Because there were technical difficulties during Joe Rogan's interview with Josh Koscheck and Georges St-Pierre, the show ran long, cutting off the crucial turn-around moment in the Main Event fight between lightweights Jonathan Brookins and Michael Johnson. Unbelievable!

Johnson dominated the first round, handing out amazingly powerful blows to Brookins' face and head, dropping him twice. It looked like Brookins, who curiously fought with his chin up and hands slacked, was done for. During the second round, however, Brookins was able to take Johnson down delivering some serious blows before Johnson got back to his feet. Brookins was able to get him down on the ground again, where he began dominating… and this is where my DVR cut off and cut over to Mark Wahlberg huffing and puffing in Boogie Nights. Yes, it was tragic. However, our friends over at USA Today can fill in the gap for us, saying, "The last 10 minutes of the fight saw Brookins repeatedly take Johnson to the floor and keep him there. Brookins landed elbows to the face and body, though he never truly threatened with any submissions."

In a unanimous decision, judges scored the fight in favor of Brookins: 29-28, 29-28 and 29-27 and Brookins', who was on Georges St-Pierre's team during this season of The Ultimate Fighter, was crowned the winner. Johnson, who was also on Team St-Pierre, was a tough, tough competitor and will surely have a successful UFC future.

"My game still has a lot to improve on," Brookins told Rogan after the fight. "I just want invite everybody to come along for the ride with me because I got a lot of improvements to do. If they're willing, I love for you guys to watch it."

Brookins added that Johnson beating him in the first round didn't surprise him. "Even in the house, he was the best athlete, hands down on the whole season. He's going to have a long career."

The Fight of the Night Award went to the controversial featherweight fighters, Leonard Garcia vs. Nam Phan. For Phan's UFC debut, he dominated Garcia in every round, but judges shockingly awarded the win to Garcia, drawing loud boos from the crowd and infuriating Joe Rogan, who proclaimed that although there were a few good judges, the majority of them were "incompetent morons" and that the UFC needed to "clean house." Those be fightin' words, Joe!

Even with the bogus call by the judges, the fight between Garcia and Phan was an action-packed spectacle to behold, with Garcia being more of a wild scrapper against Phan, a technical fighter.

Next week, put some money on Georges St-Pierre wiping that smirk off Koscheck's face! Or vice versa! Will St-Pierre take the win? Or will Koscheck send Montreal fans home crying? Get your MMA odds in the Bodog Sportsbook today.