Tag Archives: UFC 205

UFC 205 Betting Odds: Can Raquel Pennington Take Down Miesha Tate?

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Former UFC womens bantamweight champion Miesha Tate returns for the first time since losing her belt to Amanda Nunes at July’s UFC 200. Tate’s UFC 205 opponent will be The Ultimate Fighter alumnus Raquel Pennington who is currently on a three fight winning streak. Coincidentally, Pennington was a member of Miesha’s team in the TUF 18 show.

Odds on Cupcake

Miesha Tate opened as a -275 favorite against Raquel Pennington’s +215. That’s the highest opening odds for Tate since fighting Rin Nakai in 2014. Currently, Tate’s worst-best numbers are -190 to -170 while Pennington’s are +145 and +164, respectively.

Oddsmakers have given this fight a -165 to go the full route and a +165 not to go the distance. That’s despite the fact that Pennington’s last two wins were by decision and four of Tate’s last five victories reached the final horn.

Big Step Up

Having said Tate was Rocky’s coach in the TUF says a lot about the difference in experience between these two female bantamweights. Cupcake Tate is a veteran of 24 fights while Pennington has fought 13 times. But that’s not really the big difference between the two.

It’s the quality of opposition that they’ve faced. Sure, Pennington has faced (and lost to) the likes of Holly Holm and Cat Zingano in the past. But Miesha Tate has almost exclusively fought the upper echelon ladies in the past five years. She’s even captured both the Strikeforce and UFC bantamweight titles along the way.

Having said that, Rocky is a downgrade in opposition for Tate and Tate a big step up for Pennington. This is just an intangible though but one that’s hard to ignore.

Striking Edge

The difference in experience doesn’t mean Pennington cannot win this bout. By all means, Rocky has the edge in the striking department, averaging twice as many strikes per minute as Miesha Tate does at 3.96 versus 1.98.

That difference is huge considering Tate’s 51% striking defense isn’t the best in the business. However, Tate makes up for that with the better grappling game. Cupcake averages 2.15 takedowns per 15 minutes against Pennington’s 1.5. That’s not much but once the fight gets down and ugly, we know that’s where Miesha Tate thrives. At 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, Tate is the more active and aggressive fighter on the ground.  

That said, Pennington has to keep the fight on her feet to maintain her advantage. Not only will she be content with striking from a distance, she’d love to brawl with Tate whom she can easily overpower. That will backfire, though, as Tate is going to put her down as many times as she can and win round after round on top position.

UFC 205: Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez Betting Odds and Prediction

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Conor McGregor continues to chase history as he challenges Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight title at the main event of UFC 205.

Currently the UFC’s 145-pound kingpin, McGregor hopes to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two world titles at the same time. To do that, he has to take out the tough and durable Philly native in Alvarez on Saturday, November 12th.

Six in A Row

For the sixth fight in a row, McGregor opened as the betting favorite. He’s lost just once during that period and that was to Nate Diaz at UFC 196.

Against Alvarez, the Irishman opened at -125 against the Underground King who was initially pegged at -105. Now that the fight is barely a week away, McGregor’s numbers have improved although not by much. The Irishman is walking the lines at the  -145 to -160 range. Alvarez, meanwhile, has fallen back +120 to +133 although those odds still say this one’s nearly a pick’em fight.

Not Going The Distance

As for the fight, the oddsmakers have installed a line of -260 for the fight not going the distance and a +200 it goes to a decision. Eighteen of McGregor’s 20 wins have been by stoppage and 17 of those by knockout. On the other hand, Alvarez has 15 knockouts and 7 submissions in 28 total wins. Because of this, the oddsmakers have installed a line of -260 for the fight not going the distance and a +200 it goes to a decision.

Length Matters

Conor McGregor’s left hand is legendary. Even Alvarez admits that it’s his main weapon. But McGregor isn’t just a one-armed bandit. He’s sensational on his feet. Notorious has power, timing and accuracy. Eddie Alvarez himself is an excellent boxer and that makes this an exciting striking affair. But McGregor’s five inch reach advantage should be the difference here.

In his seven UFC fights prior to Nate Diaz, he had the reach advantage. He won all of those bouts.

No Wrestling Disadvantage

McGregor’s perceived weakness is his ground game. But if you take a look at his second bout with the bigger Nate Diaz, the Irishman stuffed 6 of 7 takedown attempts. Many people also forget that during his 2013 bout with Max Holloway, Mystic Mac nailed down 4 of 5 takedown attempts. Fans betting on Alvarez point to his wrestling as his advantage. After all, Alvarez beat Gilbert Melendez and Anthony Pettis by dragging the fight to the ground. But if you take a look at the stats, Alvarez has landed only 29% of his total takedowns in 4 UFC bouts. That’s not gonna be good enough.

Take away McGregor’s advantages, Eddie Alvarez is a solid fighter coming off a first round KO over Rafael Dos Anjos. That’s impressive. However, McGregor not only is the better technical striker, he’s also much longer. Once he feels Conor’s power, he will try to bring the fight to the ground. McGregor’s 70% takedown defense will hold and eventually, Alvarez will either get knocked out in the first 8 minutes or have his face re-arranged after 5 rounds as McGregor promised.

One way or another, the bet is Conor McGregor this weekend, and history awaits.

Conor McGregor Could Have Hands Full vs. Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205

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After all was said and done, the UFC turned to its most bankable superstar to headline its highly anticipated New York debut.

Can’t Wait

Dubbed as “Can’t Wait”, the announcement of McGregor vs. Alvarez made UFC 205 perhaps the most highly awaited event of all-time.

Earlier, the UFC had announced two title fights for its Madison Square Garden debut. Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley will defend his belt against top contender Stephen Thompson while womens’ Strawweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk will face fellow Karolina Kowalkiewicz in an all-Polish showdown.

But despite those two title fights, UFC 205 seemed lacking luster. On Monday, the UFC added the crown jewel:

Back and Forth

The confirmation of the McGregor-Alvarez Lightweight title bout came as a surprise because the week before, UFC President Dana White had said that he would prefer that McGregor defends his 145-pound title against nemesis Jose Aldo.

Prior to that, there were rumors that the Irishman’s foot injury hadn’t healed yet and that he would not be ready to fight in New York. White also tweeted to a fan that it would be Khabib Nurmagomedov who would be facing Alvarez in the latter’s first title defense. But as fate would have it, UFC 205 would not be the blockbuster that it is expected to be without the UFC’s main man.

Two-Division Champion

When Conor McGregor  began 2016, his goal was to win a second world title. But when Rafael Dos Anjos pulled out of their UFC 196 bout with an injury, McGregor went on to face Nate Diaz at UFC 196. McGregor lost and spent the next couple of months redeeming himself from the loss that derailed his plans to take over the UFC.

The Notorious King got his revenge at UFC 202, beating Diaz by decision. Now that he’s on track once again, the quest to become the third man to win two weight classes in the UFC has continued. A win by McGregor will not only let him join the company of B.J. Penn and Randy Couture, it will make McGregor the first man to hold two title belts concurrently.

Philly’s Pride

Beating Alvarez won’t be a walk in the park, though. The former two-time Bellator Lightweight champion is on a roll. After losing to Donald Cerrone in his UFC debut, he’s racked up three consecutive victories. Those wins weren’t just ordinary ones. They  came at the expense of Gilbert Melendez, Anthony Pettis and Rafael Dos Anjos.

For his part, Alvarez got his wish. After sensationally knocking out Dos Anjos last July 7th, Alvarez demanded a big money fight with the winner of McGregor-Diaz. He got it, and what follows is without a doubt one of the best UFC fight cards we’ve ever witnessed.

UFC 205 will be held on November 12th, 2016 at the fabled Madison Square Garden in New York. Naturally, we can’t wait.

UFC 205: Miesha Tate Returns to Take on Raquel Pennington

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The women are also coming to New York.

As the fight card for the UFC’s maiden appearance in New York slowly unfolds, two high profile women’s bouts have been added to the Madison Square Garden affair as UFC women’s flyweight queen Joanna Jedrzejczyk will defend her title against compatriot Karolina Kowalkiewicz and former UFC womens bantamweight champion Miesha Tate will face Raquel Pennington in a three round affair.

An All Polish Affair

The title bout between Jedrzejczyk and Kowalkiewicz will be the first ever all european bout inside the UFC Octagon. It will also be the biggest MMA match in Poland’s history as both undefeated combatants are Polish. Jedrzejczyk ( 12-0 ) is coming off a thrilling fight of the year candidate against Claudia Gadelha last July.

She is the undisputed queen of the UFC’s 115 women’s division, having won all of her 6 bouts inside the Octagon including four title bouts and three successful title defenses. Former KSW champion Kowalkiewicz (10-0 ) herself is unbeaten in 3 UFC bouts and is coming off an impressive win over Rose Namajunas at UFC 201 to earn this title bout. The two have fought before as amateurs in 2012 and it was Jedrzejczyk who won that bout by submission.

The UFC initially thought of taking this title bout to Poland but with the big event in New York on November 12th and UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes reportedly being eyed for UFC 207, this all Poland title bout was booked to New York instead to give the women a strong representation in the event.

The Jedrzejczyk vs. Kowalkiewicz bout is the second title bout booked to the event. Earlier, the men’s welterweight title will be on the line when Tyron Woodley faces top contender Stephen Thompson.

Return of Cupcake

In the second announced women’s bout, former UFC bantamweight Miesha Tate ( 18-6 ) will make  a quick turnaround following her stunning UFC 200 defeat to Amanda Nunes. Prior to her defeat, Tate won accolades in her come from behind title winning performance against Holly Holm at UFC 196.

The return of Cupcake will be against veteran Raquel “Rocky” Pennington ( 8-5 ) who has won three fights in a row. Pennington was last seen at UFC 202 where she beat Elizabeth Phillips. Coincidentally, Pennington was a member of Team Tate during the Ultimate Fighter 18 in 2013. Now Rocky goes up against her former coach as both fighters look to move up in the women’s bantamweight standings with a big win in Madison Square Garden.

UFC 205 will be on November 12th at the Madison Square Garden in New York. Several bouts have been confirmed for the event although no headliner has been booked yet.

UFC 205: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Donald Cerrone Odds and Preview

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Kelvin Gastelum will be stepping in to face Donald Cerrone at UFC 205 after Cerrone’s original bout with Robbie Lawler fell off:

 

A Sudden Twist

After beating Johny Hendicks at UFC 200, Kelvin Gastelum wanted to fight either Robbie Lawler or Donald Cerrone. Unfortunately, he was booked to a fight against Jorge Masvidal for UFC Mexico. Lawler and Cerrone would later be booked to a UFC 205 date. But in a sudden twist of fate, Robbie Lawler pulled out of the bout, leaving Cerrone without an opponent for the UFC’s New York Debut. With the UFC intent on keeping Cerrone at the event, they scrambled to find an opponent. And Kelvin Gastelum was the perfect choice.

Fresh off beating former champion Hendricks, Gastelum is the former The Ultimate Fighter Season 17 winner. He has a record of 12-2 with 4 knockouts and 4 submissions. Although he is only 2-2 in his last 4 bouts, his victory over Hendricks pushed him up to #5 in the current UFC welterweight rankings.

After winning his first 10 bouts, Gastelum suffered a split decision loss against current welterweight champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 183. Two fights later, Gastelum again lost by split decision to Neil Magny before rebounding with a resounding win over Hendricks last July. Dubbed as Mini Cain for his resemblance to former UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, Gastelum owns notable victories over Uriah Hall, RIck Story, Jake Ellenberger, Nate Marquardt and Hendricks.

Riding High

Gastelum will be facing a red hot Donald Cerrone at UFC 205. Since moving up to welterweight, Cowboy has been riding high up in his saddle. Cerrone’s won three in a row all by stoppage. In his last two victories, Cowboy became the first fighter to stop both Patrick Cote and Rick Story on strikes. Cerrone’s success jumped him to #7 in the UFC welterweight rankings and he was looking to challenge Lawler to get a shortcut to the top.

Although there hasn’t been any official statement on Lawler’s withdrawal, rumors are saying Robbie wanted to take more time off from his 1st round KO loss to Woodley. If that is the case then it’s a little ironic because it was Lawler himself who was literally begging UFC President Dana White a quick turnaround fight after UFC 203.

Odds on Favorite

Cerrone opened as a -175 favorite against Gastelum’s +135. That may sound surprising given Cerrone has only fought thrice as a welterweight and the 5th ranked Gastelum has been fighting at that weight class much longer. However, Cerrone has looked very impressive as of late and has shown little or no weakness during his welterweight run.

Of the four matches officially booked for UFC 205, The Cerrone-Gastelum bout has the closest odds. Inside the Octagon, it is also likely to be a back and forth bout as well.

Rashad Evans To Make Welterweight Debut Vs. Tim Kennedy at UFC 205

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The UFC 205 fight card is beginning to shape up.

After Dana White’s confirmation earlier this week that the papers for the Robbie Lawler-Donald Cerrone welterweight bout at UFC 205 has been signed and delivered, another blockbuster matchup is reportedly close to being put to paper:

Third Weight Class

Former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Rashad Evans talked about moving down to middleweight following back to back losses to Ryan Bader and Glover Teixeira. The Niagara Falls, New York native had been campaigning for a welterweight debut at the UFC’s first ever card in New York at UFC 205. Now Sugar has gotten his wish granted. The 36-year old Blackzilians standout will be facing Tim Kennedy at UFC 205 and will be making his appearance in a third UFC weight class.

It can be recalled that Evans first fought as a heavyweight in the UFC, winning the Ultimate Fighter Season 2 Heavyweight tournament despite being the second smallest contestant in the show. But Evans became a household name in the light heavyweight division, knocking out Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 to capture the UFC’s 205 pound title. One fight earlier, Evans scored the Knockout of The Year when he stopped legend Chuck Liddell in the second round of their UFC 88 bout in 2008. Since then, injuries have played a big role in Evans’ career.

Former Teammate

Welcoming Evans to the middleweight division will be former Jackson Wink teammate Tim Kennedy:

The former US Special Forces member and ranger hasn’t fought since losing a controversial bout to Yoel Romero in 2014. Since that defeat, Kennedy has flirted with retirememt and is coming off a gig in a documentary show in the History channel called “Hunting Hitler”. He is also slated to appear in an indie movie called Ranger 15 later this year.

Kennedy is currently ranked 11th in the UFC’s middleweight division. He has an MMA record of 18-5 with 6 knockouts and 8 victories by submission. His last Octagon victory was a unanimous decision win over current UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping during the Ultimate Fighter: Nations finale in 2014.

New Yorkers in 205

Evans thus becomes the third New Yorker confirmed for the UFC 205 event. Earlier, Al Iaqunita was added to the New York card and  will be facing Thiago Alves. Heavyweight Gian Villante, also from New York, will be fighting Marcos Rogerio De Lima on the November 12th event in Madison Square Garden. Another New Yorker in former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is likely going to be added too. Weidman is rumored to be facing Yoel Romero in a possible title contender match up.

Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone Could Headline UFC 205

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It all started out with the all too familiar Donald Cerrone tweet. Now the fight everybody’s wanting to see is said to be close to fruition.

I know A Guy

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is the UFC’s busiest fighter, having fought at least four times each year since 2013. As such, Cerrone is no stranger to calling out people in the spur of the moment. Like when the news of Georges St. Pierre’s rumored comeback was first heard, Cerrone quickly tweeted “I know a guy”, in obvious reference. Then when Tony Fergusson got hurt for his UFC on Fox bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov last April, Cerrone once again offered his services to face Khabib by saying again “I know a guy.”

Most recently, when Conor McGregor was pulled out from UFC 200, Cowboy once again threw his hat in the arena, offering to face Nate Diaz. Cerrone has been known to save events from being cancelled but during those three instances, he didn’t get the call. Undeterred, Cerrone once again came up with another offer:

This time though, Cerrone may get his wish. As reported by ESPN, the UFC is close to booking a fight between Cerrone and former UFC Welterweight champion “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler, who is dying to return to the octagon after being dethroned by Tyron Woodley at UFC 201 last July:

Return of The Ruthless Reign

Robbie Lawler was on a ruthless reign as UFC Welterweight champion when he got knocked out in the first round by Tyron Woodley at UFC 201. With the UFC targeting Woodley versus #1 contender Stephen Thompson, Lawler has decided to go for a quick turnaround fight to remain relevant in the title picture. But with nobody seemingly eager to face one of the most brutal and hardest hitting punchers in the sport, Lawler is still left without a next bout. When Cowboy heard of that however, he immediately sent feelers about wanting to take on Ruthless.

At 34, Lawler doesn’t have the luxury of time to wait if he is to return to the ruthless reign. He knows that there are plenty of worthy challengers in the mix, waiting for their chance to fight for that 170-pound title. With that in mind, Lawler is asking for a slot in the UFC’s debut in New York this November.

Cerrone meanwhile, just broke into the Top 10 of the UFC welterweight division with a dominant win over Rick Story at UFC 202. That victory was his third straight since moving up to welterweight. Cerrone has won all three fights by stoppage and a win over a highly ranked welterweight like Lawler could easily merit a title shot.

Expecting A Barnburner

A Lawler vs. Cerrone matchup should be a blockbuster MMA fight, considering both fighters possess some of the UFC’s best offensive games. Lawler is known as an explosive brawler while Cerrone owns some of the best striking combinations in the game. With both men eager to take on challenger, fans are expecting a barn burner if this one is officially booked.

There are no fights yet booked for UFC 205 which takes place at the legendary Madison Square Garden in New  York on November 12th. The event will mark the first time the UFC holds an event in the state of New York since UFC 7 in Buffalo. Virtually every fighter in the UFC roster has begged for a slot at the historic event. However, only a few will be privileged to fight there. Robbie Lawler and Donald Cerrone are likely going to be two of them.