All posts by Chris Blain

Robert Easter Jr. vs. Javier Fortuna Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , , ,

Robert Easter Jr. will defend his IBF lightweight title against Javier Fortuna on January 20th, 2018 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

One of the sport’s rising stars, Easter is unbeaten in 20 bouts with 14 KOs. The Toledo, Ohio native is coming off back to back successful title defenses against Luis Crus and Denis Shafikov. He will be looking to repulse a third challenger in the person of Javier Fortuna, who is making the leap from 130 pounds to challenge for the world title.

The 28-year old Fortuna briefly held the WBA (regular) 130-pound title before relinquishing it to Jason Sosa in the only loss of his professional boxing career. The Dominican Republic born fighter also held the interim WBA featherweight belt in 2012 but lost it on the scales in his first title defense.

Big Size Advantage

Easter is the favorite here at -400 while Fortuna is the underdog at +340. The champion has a huge 5 inch advantage in height and an eight inch reach advantage over his challenger. For someone like Fortuna who is moving up in weight for this fight, that difference may be too much.

But it’s not just the physical advantages that make Robert Easter the betting choice here. The champ also has excellent hand speed, footwork and a proven chin. With his athleticism, Easter is most probably the best lightweight in the world today and that’s no easy assignment for Fortuna.

Make Or Break Fight

It’s safe to say that Fortuna is over his 2016 loss to Jason Sosa because he hasn’t lost since that bout. But he hasn’t faced a marquee name in his last four bouts and is coming off a September win over unknown Nicolas Polanco.  

Like Easter, Fortuna has power in both hands. He has great movement and has an explosive offensive attack. But he’s known as someone who’s great against lesser known foes. He will have to step up his game big time to match Easter’s game.

You’ve got to like Fortuna’s spunk and energy but against the best lightweight in the world, he will need more than what he’s shown so far. It’s going to be a make or break fight for Fortuna. If he wins, he belongs to the elite. If not, he is just a gatekeeper.

Fighting At A Distance

Easter’s size advantage is too much to make up for, especially if the champ can move out of harm’s way and box intelligently from the outside. There’s not much that Fortuna can do if Easter chooses to keep the fight at a distance. If that’s what happens, it will be easy picking, with Easter running away with a wide unanimous decision victory.

But if somehow Easter falls into the trap of brawling, then things could get exciting. Easter has a bad reputation for making easy fights more complicated. He can’t do that against Fortuna because he might be surprised. However, given all things, it’s safe to bet on Robert Easter.

We’re picking Robert Easter to win by a wide decision here.

UFC 220 Odds and Prediction: Daniel Cormier vs. Volkan Oezdemir

Sports News & Picks, , , , , , ,

Daniel Cormier will defend the UFC light heavyweight title against Volkan Oezdemir on January 20th, 2018 at UFC 220 in Boston’s TD Garden.

Cormier was recently reinstated as the UFC’s 205-pound king after Jon Jones failed yet another drug test. Prior to that, Jones stopped Cormier cold during their rematch at UFC to reclaim the UFC light heavyweight crown. The loss was Cormier’s second to Jones and only the second loss of his MMA career.

Volkan Oezdemir is one of the fastest rising fighters in the UFC. A winner of three straight bouts, Oezdemir is coming off a victory over the highly touted Jimi Manuwa in July. Prior to that, Oezdemir scored a first round KO of Misha Cirkunov and came away with a split decision win over Ovince St. Preux.  

Untested Ground Game

DC is the favorite here at -300 while Oezdemir came back at +240.

Oezdemir has that one punch knockout power in him so he always has a shot to win any fight. But against Cormier, he’ll be fighting an opponent who has seen it all inside that Octagon. Cormier is one of the sport’s best grapplers owing to his collegiate and Olympic wrestling background. Against a powerful striker like Oezdemir, you bet he’s going to take this fight to the ground.

Oezdemir has real knockout power and is primarily a striker because of his kickboxing background. On his feet, he averages 6.12 significant strikes per minute landed but in three UFC fights, he has zero takedowns landed.

This is going to be his problem against Cormier who is a supreme wrestler. DC averages just 1.81 takedowns per 15 minutes but he doesn’t need to many of them. Once he gets his opponent to the ground, it’s going to be a grind.

DC is Too Smart

There is no denying that Volkan Oezdemir has the power to knock out anybody. While Cormier has a granite chin, we saw him get knocked out by Jon Jones due to voluminous strikes. Oezdemir is well capable of doing the same, that is if he withstands Cormier’s ground attack early in the fight.

We’ve seen this in many of DC’s older fights. He takes his opponents down early and punishes them on the ground. In the later rounds, his opponents get weary and Cormier begins to take over. Looks like this will be how this fight unfolds.

DC is too smart to stand and trade with Oezdemir. He’s going to take away his punching power by forcing him to the ground early. Once Oezdemir’s pop is gone, DC’s going to take care of this fight.

We’re picking Daniel Cormier to win this bout by decision.

UFC Fight Night 124: Kamaru Usman vs. Emil Meek Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , ,

Meek has issues with his visa, prompting the UFC to postpone this bout which was originally scheduled for UFC 219 on December 30th, 2017. Initially, it was believed that this welterweight contest was headed to Boston’s UFC 220 on January 20th, 2018 but the UFC finally decided to add it to the Missouri event headlined by Jeremy Stephens and Doo Ho Choi.

Up and Comers Locking Horns

Usman is a perfect 6-0 in UFC competition. He is currently tied with Santiago Ponzinibbio for the longest winning streak in the welterweight division at six. Usman is coming off a first round knockout victory over Sergio Moraes where he called out (but in vain) Rafael Dos Anjos after the fight. Instead of RDA, Usman gets to lock his horns against a fellow up and comer.

Meek defeated Jordan Mein in his UFC debut via unanimous decision at UFC 206. Valhalla has not competed since then. The charismatic Norwegian was booked to fight Nordine Taleb last May but withdrew from the bout because of an injury. Meek has won four fights in a row and is best known for his TKO victory over Rousimar Palhares at Venator FC.

Size Could Be A Factor

Usman is the heavy favorite here at -550 while Meek the underdog at +425. While both are relative newcomers, Usman has already logged in six fights and has won all impressively. Although Usman is known for his striking accuracy and power, he also has a very decent ground game. In fact, he’s already produced 20 takedowns in six UFC bout.

Meek looked sharp against Mein in his UFC debut, landing 96 strikes and surviving three takedown attempts. He probably has more punching power than Usman but the latter has the advantage in size. Usman is a couple of inches taller and two inches longer than Meek so that could play a factor in this bout. In a fight that is expected to be a striking war, size advantage could be a factor.

Another drawback for Meek is that he hasn’t fought opponents in Usman’s level and the fact that he hasn’t fought in a year. Ring rust may become a factor here as the fight goes longer. Regardless of the outcome of this fight, we’re going to learn a lot about what Meek is all about. If we were to pick a winner though,  we’re going with more experienced guy here and that’s Usman. We’re picking Usman to win a close decision.

UFC Fight Night 124: Jeremy Stephens vs. Doo Ho Choi Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , ,

A barn burner of a fight is expected when resident featherweight contenders Jeremy Stephens and Doo Ho Choi square off in the main event of UFC Fight Night 124 on January 14th, 2018 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri.

Hit or Miss

Stephens has been hit or miss lately, winning six of eleven bouts since moving down from lightweight to featherweight in 2013. Currently ranked 8th in the UFC’s 145 pound division, Stephens owns notable wins over former UFC bantamweight Renan Barao, Dennis Bermudez and Darren Elkins. Li’l Heathen is coming off an impressive Fight of the Night performance over Gilbert Melendez at UFC 215.

Choi has not fought since his Fight of the Year worthy slugfest with Cub Swanson at UFC 205 last December. During that fight, Swanson handed Choi his first ever MMA loss and stopped a string of KO wins by the Korean SuperBoy. Choi was scheduled to face Andrei Fili at UFC 214 but was forced to pull out of that contest because of an injury. He is currently the 12th ranked featherweight in the UFC despite his inactivity.

Stephens’ Inconsistency

The Korean Superboy is the slight favorite in this bout at -185 while Li’l Heathen came back as the underdog at +160. Stephens has not recorded back to back wins since since 2014 and his inconsistency is perhaps the reason why he is the underdog in this fight.

When he is in good form, Stephens is an aggressive striker who can take a beating and yet pull off a victory. He’ll his hands full against an equally dynamic striker who most probably has more punching power than him. Choi is both a violent and accurate striker. Despite being one of the young fighters in the division, he can hold his own against veteran opponents.

Avoiding The Canvass

No question Jeremy Stephens cam match Choi in a striking battle. Not only does he have the striking arsenal to match the Korean Superboy, he is also the more well rounded fighter here. Stephens may opt to take this fight to the ground, where he has recorded a total of 27 takedowns in his UFC career.

The Korean isn’t as good on the ground as his opponent. If Choi avoids getting taken down, he’s got a good shot at an upset here. If not, it may be tough to beat a savvy veteran like Stephens. Stephens is well aware of Choi’s limitations on the ground. He’ll drag Choi to the floor early and wear him down before taking it to the Korean late in the fight. We’re picking Jeremy Stephens to win via unanimous decision.

Milan Melindo and Ryoichi Taguchi To Unify Light Flyweight Belts

Sports News & Picks, , ,

Two of boxing’s light flyweight world champions are going to unify their world titles on New Year’s eve.

IBF champion Milan ‘El Metodico’ Melindo from the Philippines will face the WBA king Ryoichi Taguchi on December 31st, 2017 at the Ota City General Gymnasium in Japan. The winner of the bout will start the brand new year with two of the four jewels in boxing’s 108 pound division.

Knows How To Win Rounds

Melindo won the IBF belt with a shocking first round knockout of three weight world champion Akira Yaegashi last May 21st, 2017 in Japan. He successfully defended his title with a close split decision win over Hekkie Budler last September 16th, 2017 at Cebu City, Philippines.

Prior to beating Yaegashi, Melindo was 0-2 in world title fights. El Metodico lost to Juan Francisco Estrada in 2013 and to Javier Mendoza in 2015. Since suffering that defeat though, Melindo has won five fights in a row and has established himself as one of the top light flyweights in the business.

The 29-year old Filipino doesn’t have the most power in the business but he certainly knows how to win rounds with his effectiveness and accuracy. Melindo has excellent combinations and a strong left hand. Instead of trying to knock his opponent out, he likes to put the pressure an outwork them.

Seventh Title Defense

Taguchi is coming off a July win over Robert Barrera. He’s won eight of his last nine bouts and has not lost since being defeated by Naoya Inoue in 2013. Taguchi will be making his 7th title defense against Melindo. He is a pressure fighter with good defense. Taguchi has an aggressive style and he waits for his opponents to make mistakes. He loves to work the body and and can hurt with his body shots although like Mellindo, he doesn’t have knockout power.

Taguchi has the home court advantage here and both fighters will look to dictate the tempo of the fight with their work rate. Without a solid knockout punch, the difference here should be Melindo’s fight IQ and hand speed. The Filipino boxer should be able to play off Taguchi’s aggressiveness and nail him with counter shots.

Taguchi will have his moments too in what should be a back and forth affair between high output fighters. In the end though, it should be Melindo who’s going to come out victorious in a close contest.

Francis Ngannou Opens As Favorite Against Stipe Miocic

Sports News & Picks, , , ,

UFC Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic will defend his belt against #1 contender Francis Ngannou at UFC 220 in Boston on January 20th, 2018.

The UFC made the bout official last week:

Winning The Belt Easier Than Keeping It

Since losing to Junior Dos Santos in 2014, Miocic has won five fights in a row – all by knockout. After his five round war with Mark Hunt at UFC Fight Night 65, Miocic has not let any opponent get past round one.

Miocic became the #1 contender by dusting Andrei Arlovski in just 54 seconds. Then he won the belt by knocking out Fabricio Werdum in 2:47. Miocic then successfully defended the belt twice, stopping Alistair Overeem in 4:27 and avenging the loss to Dos Santos in 2:22 during his last octagon appearance at UFC 211.

Winning the UFC heavyweight belt is easier than keeping it, though. No champion in the history of the UFC’s heavyweight division has ever defended the title more than twice. Should he go on to defeat Ngannou, the 35-year old Miocic will set the record for most consecutive title defenses. But, of course, that’s easier said than done.

A Fellow Knockout Artist

Like Miocic, fellow knockout artist Francis Ngannou has been on a tear. Since joining the UFC two years ago, the Cameroonian born striker has built a record of 6-0 with five victories coming by knockout and one by submission.

Of his five KO wins, four have come in the very first round. In his most recent Octagon appearance, Ngannou literally put Alistair Overeem to sleep at UFC 218 last December 2nd by knocking out the former Strikeforce and K-1 champion in just 1:47.

With that scintillating performance against Reem, the UFC’s backing (Dana White said he’s going to be champion someday) and otherworldly punching power, Ngannou has opened as a rather surprising favorite over the champion at -150. The reigning champion came back at +120 in what is going to go down as one of the most exciting heavyweight title bout in years.

Who Lands Big First

Ngannou appears to be the more powerful puncher but let’s not forget that Miocic may be the best technical striker in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The champion is excellent in controlling the distance of the fight, enabling him to dictate the pace and the terms of engagement.

Miocic is also a former D-1 wrestler so you’ve got to think that he’s got the edge in grappling over his challenger. But when you got two very powerful punchers squaring off against each other, that or any other technical aspect of the game will hardly matter. It’s going to go down to who lands his big bomb first.

UFC 219: Cris Cyborg vs. Holly Holm Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , , , , , , ,

Cris Cyborg will defend the UFC women’s featherweight belt against Holly Holm at UFC 219 on December 30th, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

The bout has been declared as the main event for UFC 219, ending speculation that Irish superstar Conor McGregor is going to make an appearance at the UFC’s final event of the year.

Odds Favor Cyborg

Cyborg won the featherweight belt after easily outclassing Tonya Evinger at UFC 214. The two fought for the vacant title after Germaine De Randamie forfeited the crown after beating Holly Holm at UFC 208. Holm, meanwhile, rebounded from the loss and defeated Bethe Correia in her next fight.

Cyborg is the favorite here at -334 while Holm is the underdog at +250. The line may look surprising to some especially those who say that Holm is moving up in weight to face a bigger Cyborg. But then Holm has fought before at higher weights. She fought as junior welterweight and welterweight as a boxer and kickboxer.

Two Elite Strikers

In MMA, Holly Holm fought as a bantamweight but she moved up to featherweight to face Germaine De Randamie at UFC 208 for the inaugural UFC women’s featherweight title. Holm lost that bout but controversially so, because she was on the receiving end of punches after the bell at the end of rounds two and three.

Cyborg vs. Holm is a battle between two elite strikers and when you have two powerful ladies like these squaring off against each other, all it takes is one strike to win the fight. Holm is the more disciplined fighter between the two and is slightly longer in reach. She has never been knocked out in her MMA career, but she also has never faced a monster like Cris Cyborg before.

On Another Level

Cyborg puts on a relentless pace and won’t stop until she sees her opponent down and out.

We saw some of her striking weaknesses when she sparred Olympic champion Claressa Shields and knowing that Holm is a world champion boxer you think she’d have Cyborg’s number in the stand up. Not only does Cyborg have to watch out for Holm’s punches, but she also has to be wary of Holly’s kicks. Holm uses leg kicks better than any fighter in the sport.

But Cyborg is on another level in terms of power and aggression. It’s these that’s going to make the difference here. Both fighters are going to land their shots in this fight. Each will have her moments and despite the power between these two, it’s hard to see a quick ending.

Both are durable and have good defense so this fight is likely going to go past round three. After the midway point though, Cyborg’s power and pressure should wear down Holm. If she doesn’t get a late stoppage, Cris Cyborg is going to win this by unanimous decision.

UFC Fight Night Night: Robbie Lawler vs. Rafael Dos Anjos Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , , , ,

Robbie Lawler and Rafael Dos Anjos collide at the main event of UFC on Fox 26 on December 16th, 2017 at the Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Lawler is coming off a victory over Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone at UFC 214, while Dos Anjos is has won two fights in a row since moving up to welterweight. The former UFC lightweight king defeated Tarec Saffiedine by unanimous decision in his welterweight debut and then submitted Neil Magny at UFC 215 in his most recent bout.

To sweeten the pot, UFC President Dana White has announced that the winner of this contest will get the next title shot against Tyron Woodley.

Tough Call

Lawler opened as the -160 favorite while Dos Anjos was the underdog at +120 when the lines opened. Since then, the line has gotten closer at -120 for Lawler and even money +100 for Dos Anjos.

This is a tough call really and should be a pick ‘em fight. Lawler has the sure advantage in size and punching power but to his credit, Dos Anjos has managed to keep up with the big boys at 170. RDA was able to hang with Saffiedine for three rounds and he showed that he can use his submission skills against bigger foes like Magny.

Statistically, both are even in the striking department with Lawler averaging 3.57 significant strikes landed per minute and Dos Anjos at 3.37. In terms of accuracy, Lawler also has the slight edge at 45% against 42%. Defensively, RDA’s strike defense is a little better at 65% against Ruthless’ 61%.

Going To The Ground

On the ground, Dos Anjos has a huge edge in offense. He averages 2.23 takedowns per 15 minutes while Lawler only has a 0.78 takedowns per 15 minutes. Dos Anjos also averages 0.9 submissions per 15 minutes while Lawler’s submission game is almost non-existent.

With this advantage, it’s wise for Dos Anjos to take his chances against Lawler on the mat rather than on his feet. Sure, RDA is no slouch as a striker but Lawler has otherworldly punching power and durability. He’s faced much bigger men and withstood their punches, while at the same time dishing out his own punishment.

One thing going for Dos Anjos, though, is that Lawler’s last defeat was a first round KO against Tyron Woodley. So, perhaps because Ruthless has aged, his armor may not be what it once was. However, it’s still risky to try if that is indeed the case. You know that if Lawler connects with his punches, it’s going to be a quick night for Dos Anjos.

Power and Durability

Having said those, it’s Robbie Lawler’s punching power and durability that should stand out here. Dos Anjos has fought only twice as a welterweight and he’s never seen a big power hitter like Robbie Lawler.

Lawler’s takedown defense isn’t really elite at 69% but against a smaller guy (Lawler is three inches taller and four inches longer), he should stuff RDA’s takedown attempts. Dos Anjos does have excellent striking and can match Lawler’s firepower. But it remains to be seen how he will be once Lawler connects one clean punch.

It’s going to be a chess match early with Dos Anjos using his smarts to avoid Lawler’s bombs. But eventually, Lawler is going to catch up with Dos Anjos. He’s going to swarm RDA and make him back pedal. In the championship rounds, Lawler is going to connect that one big punch that will decide the outcome of this contest. We’re picking Robbie Lawler to win by knockout after three rounds.

Billie Joe Saunders vs. David Lemieux Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, , , , ,

The WBO middleweight title fight between Billie Joe Saunders and David Lemieux will take place on December 16th, 2017 in Montreal, Canada.

The undefeated Saunders is coming off back to back title defenses of the WBO belt he won from Andy Lee in 2015. In his standout career, Saunders defeated Chris Eubank Jr., Gary Sullivan and Willie Monroe Jr.

Huge Motivation

Lemieux captured the IBF middleweight title by knocking out Hassan N’Dam in 2015. Since his loss to Gennady Golovkin, Lemieux has won four in a row including a knockout of the year candidate against Curtis Stevens.

According to promoter Oscar De La Hoya, Lemieux would be in line to fight Canelo Alvarez if the latter’s rematch with Golovkin fizzles. That’s of course if he beats Saunders convincingly so that’s a huge motivation for the Canadian slugger.

Tough Fight

Saunders is the mild favorite here at -120, while Lemieux is at even money (+100). This is going to be a very tough test for Billie Joe Saunders not only in terms of the quality of the opponent but because he is fighting outside his home country for the first time in his career.

Lemieux meanwhile will be fighting in front of his countrymen. And although Lemieux  has two losses in Canada, both of those fights were in 2011. Lemieux has racked nine consecutive wins in Canada and with the crowd behind him, it’s got to play a big factor here.

More Punching Power

But given Lemieux’s shaky chin, Saunders has a good shot at winning this bout by knockout. Two of Lemieux’s three losses were by knockout so given his high work rate and combinations, he may be able to topple Lemieux.

However, Lemieux has more punching power and has the ability to walk down his opponents and personally, that should be what decides this fight. Both men are going to land their shots but Lemieux will hit and land harder.

This is a battle between two aggressive fighters and the one who has more power should be victorious. We’re picking David Lemieux to win this fight by stoppage.

UFC 218: Max Holloway vs. Jose Aldo Odds and Prediction

Sports News & Picks, ,

UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway defends his title belt against the man he won it from. Blessed is set to face Jose Aldo a second time this year at the main event UFC 218 at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, Michigan on December 2nd, 2017.

Second Chance

Aldo gets a second chance at beating Holloway after Frankie Edgar withdrew from the event with an injury. It can be recalled that Aldo lost the UFC featherweight belt to Holloway via third round TKO and he has since talked about pursuing a career in boxing after finishing his UFC contract.

Scarface was scheduled to fight Ricardo Lamas on December 16th but he will now have to cut his camp short by two weeks to face Holloway. Aldo has never lost a rematch in his entire MMA career but he may be facing an even tougher Max Holloway this time around.

Holloway’s remarkable winning run has put him on top of the heap. Since losing to Conor McGregor in 2013, Holloway has been a machine piling up win after win in impressive fashion. He is without a doubt the most exciting featherweight to watch and perhaps the most dangerous man in the business.

Not The Same Aldo

The champion Holloway is favored at – 325 while former champion Aldo is the underdog at +265. This is the second fight between these combatants and it’s hard to forget that Holloway knocked out Aldo during their first encounter at UFC 212.

Aldo is still probably the greatest featherweight champion of all-time but the times have changed. After his long reign was ended by Conor McGregor at UFC 194, Aldo has not been the same fighter. Sure, he beat Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 but he didn’t look like the Jose Aldo we used to know. Sure enough, when he defended the belt against Holloway last June, Holloway dispatched him like a has-been fighter.

Aldo claims he wasn’t motivated enough for that fight but what makes him think he’s motivated for this one? Holloway has risen from the ranks and has now won a remarkable 11 consecutive fights. Not only does he have the momentum on his side, but he also has the tools to beat Aldo and he’s going to show that on fight night.

More Firepower

Holloway has a four-inch height advantage and he lands at least two significant strikes per minute than Aldo. Aldo’s a low risk counter punching genius but Holloway is just going to swarm him with his pressure style. As in their first bout, he’s not going to keep pace with the younger, faster and more accurate striker.

Aldo’s got superb takedown defense but Holloway isn’t going to take this fight to the ground. He’s going to fight fire with fire and the bad thing for Aldo is that Blessed has more firepower. At this stage of their careers, it Holloway who’s younger by six years. Aldo is still good but he’s looked old recently. Expect Holloway to come out firing and be more aggressive again. There may be no knockouts here but Max Holloway is going to win this fight convincingly, via unanimous decision.