Mir has been training with, a former professional kickboxer and a coach in striking He has been in a position to instruct Mir to be more specialized with his striking which has greatly increased his ability, proof of which was apparent when Frank dismantled Big Nog and a UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez against Cheick Kongo . At present within the UFC heavyweight division, Mir has the greatest 1-2 combination with his jab cross or jab upper becoming pretty awesome.

Carwin has better wrestling but it is improbable he will be able to use them in this battle. In his NCAA wrestling days Carwin was twice the Div 2 runner up, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association II Wrestling Heavyweight National Champion in 1999. In addition to he was also a 2-time All-American in football for Western State. Currently he tries to keep his skills at par as a volunteer coach . Given his depth on the wrestling mats Mir will make an effort to nullify Carwin’s strategy by keeping this battle standing up.

On power alone he is a blue belt but in comparison to someone like Mir, he is certainly out matched—especially when it comes to grappling. Mir is at this time one of the grapplers in the Ufc and only after 5 years of training, he gained his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Ricardo Pires, a fourth degree black belt under Sergio Penha—this was right after his win over Sylvia at UFC 48: Payback. He presently trains under Osvaldo Alves but began his jiu-jitsu under Marcos Soares . As Soares is one of the most technical instructors in the world, his fundamentals has given Frank a great top game, merged with his tutelage under Alves and Pires, Frank has also been able to perfect his bottom game into something to be reckoned with. Despite his qualifications on the mats, it is less likely Carwin will have a likelihood on grappling. Frank is very well known on the bottom and wants to attack the legs and ankles. Mir favours several submissions and Shane just will not have the necessary expertise to steer out of Frank Mir’s assaults.

Carwin is a big and powerful MMA fighter who might be UFC champ one day, having said that, at the present he must confront Frank , a focused and committed MMA fighter. Mir has trained hard to get himself back to the top of the UFC. Gone are the days when his work ethic and training practices were questioned and he has since committed himself to being the optimum mixed martial arts martial artist he can be in preparation for a re-match with Brock Lesnar. Though Shane is in greater condition, however he has yet to be in a struggle further than the very first round. Shane’s physique requires more oxygenated blood or else fatigue sets in rapidly.

When it comes to UFC sports betting Frank -160 is a steal. Logically, I would have thought the online betting lines would have been -180 or -190 in favour of Frank. The key to this fight is Frank Mir’s improving stand-up power and technique. He will use quick striking combos to eastablish takedowns and once on top, he will out-match Carwin in a situation he doesn’t want to be in.

Stan Leung provides MMA handicapping previews for fighting-mma.com

If you read your MMA matchup report we staed that

This fight will eventually go to the ground and Cain will try to maintain top position but Nogueira will bait him into one position and Velasquez will over commit and that is when Minotauro will submit him.

UFC betting wise the -120 lines for Nogueira is a good price to wager at. I would have set the Nogueira betting lines a bit higher, so to be this is a high value bet.

To bet view the online betting lines or bet on these fights go to 5 Dimes which is the best online sports book for UFC betting because they allow UFC props bets as well as parlays inadditon to money bets and over/under bets. 
 
 

Michael Bisping +115
Wanderlei Silva -135

Bisping/Silva goes 3 round distance +155
Fight won’t go 3 round distance -195
Bisping wins inside distance +255
 Not Bisping inside distance -365

Bisping wins by 3 round decision +329 
Not Bisping by 3 round decision -485

Silva wins inside distance +135
Not Silva inside distance -175

Silva wins by 3 round decision +417
Not Silva by 3 round decision -640

Bisping/Silva draw +7500
Fight not a draw -20000

George Sotiropoulos +220 
Joe Stevenson -260

Sotiropoulos/Stevenson goes 3 round dist +125 
Fight won’t go 3 round distance -165

Sotiropoulos wins inside distance +423
Not Sotiropoulos inside distance -665

Sotiropoulos wins by 3 round decision +466
Not Sotiropoulos by 3 round decision -797

Stevenson wins inside distance +109
Not Stevenson inside distance -149

Stevenson wins by 3 round decision +239 
Not Stevenson by 3 round decision -319

Sotiropoulos/Stevenson draw +7000
Fight not a draw -18500

Keith Jardine +120 
Ryan Bader -140

Jardine/Bader goes 3 round distance -140
Fight won’t go 3 round distance +100

Jardine wins inside distance +266
Not Jardine inside distance -386

Jardine wins by 3 round decision +331
Not Jardine by 3 round decision -492

Bader wins inside distance +295 
Not Bader inside distance -415

Bader wins by 3 round decision +167
Not Bader by 3 round decision -222

Jardine/Bader draw +5500
Fight not a draw -13500

Ben Rothwell +115
Mirko Filipovic -135

Rothwell/Filipovic goes 3 round distance +300
Fight won’t go 3 round distance -420

Rothwell wins inside distance +163 
Not Rothwell inside distance -213

Rothwell wins by 3 round decision +6322 
Not Rothwell by 3 round decision -1295

Filipovic wins inside distance +110
Not Filipovic inside distance -150

Filipovic wins by 3 round decision +526 
Not Filipovic by 3 round decision -977

Rothwell/Filipovic draw +9000
Fight not a draw -25000

Cain Velasquez -1151.870 
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira -105

Velasquez/Nogueira goes 3 round distance -120
Fight won’t go 3 round distance -120

Velasquez wins inside distance +240
Not Velasquez inside distance -320

Velasquez wins by 3 round decision +255
Not Velasquez by 3 round decision -365

Nogueira wins inside distance +262 
Not Nogueira inside distance -382

Nogueira wins by 3 round decision +253 
Not Nogueira by 3 round decision -357

Velasquez/Nogueira draw +6500 
Fight not a draw -16500 
 
 

Bet on UFC 110 at 5 Dimes

Nick Penner was happy with getting the win but not by the methods with which it came.

He learned a lesson about preparation, and is taking it to heart as he prepares for his next fight which comes with another test of its own. Penner (9-1), one of the top prospects in the Maximum Fighting Championship, puts his six-fight winning streak on the line at MFC 24: Heat XC when he takes on Chris “The Exorcist” Price (15-3). The fight will be Penner’s first at light heavyweight, moving down from the heavyweight ranks, but it is a transition he expects will benefit him in a big way.

“I feel good about the drop - I’m just not big enough to fight at heavyweight. My training has changed a lot as a light heavyweight with working more on endurance and explosiveness,” said Penner, who has a good all-around game with skills in both stand-up, thanks to a background in kick-boxing, and on the ground as evidenced by five wins coming via submission.

Penner’s last outing, which was his final hurrah as a heavyweight, was a successful one albeit not as impressive as many insiders has expected. He took too much punishment early on and the fight was in danger of being stopped due to a nasty gash along his eyebrow, but Penner still prevailed, ultimately finishing off Ryan Fortin with a second-round rear-naked choke.

“I let many people down in that fight. Even though I won, I wasn’t happy with my performance. I took Fortin far too lightly,” admitted Penner. “I thought he was just a big lumbering guy but he’s definitely a proficient fighter. I think I need to get punched in the head and cut to wake up. The positive out of that fight is that it strengthened my belief that when faced with adversity, I can break through and come out on top.”

Penner won’t be given a second chance to test his resolve against Price. The Edmonton, Alberta, product will need to be sharper, faster, and more intense if he hopes to proceed in his quest to face the upper echelon in the MFC’s 205-pound ranks.

“The fight will be a trial by fire as an introduction into the light heavyweight division,” said Penner. “I think a win over Price will be a statement to everyone. He’ll be a stiff test - he’s been around and he has a great record. But my coaches and I have watched tape on him and we’ve seen a few holes that we can exploit.

“It should be fun and I expect to finish him off in the third round by TKO.”

Tickets for MFC 24: Heat XC are going fast and are available through the MFC Ticket Hotline at (780) 504-2024 as well via Ticketmaster at (780) 451-8000, www.ticketmaster.ca, and Ticketmaster outlets. MFC 24: Heat XC will air live via streaming webcast - check out www.maximumfighting.com

Half of Leben’s $60,000 came in the form of a win bonus, which he earned with a decision victory over Jay Silva in the featured bout of the seven-fight preliminary lineup. Other top earners all came from the main card, including main-event winner Gray Maynard ($40,000), Amir Sadollah ($30,000) and Nate Diaz ($24,000). The totals do not include the UFC bonuses. The UFC Fight Night 20 bonuses were worth $30,000 and awarded to Harris (Knockout of the Night), Dunham (Submission of the Night), and Simpson and Lawlor (Fight of the Night).

The full list of paydays included:

Gray Maynard: $40,000 ($20,000 win bonus)
Nate Diaz: $24,000

Evan Dunham: $18,000 ($9,000 win bonus)
Efrain Escudero: $15,000

Aaron Simpson: $22,000 ($11,000 win bonus)
Tom Lawlor: $10,000

Amir Sadollah: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
Brad Blackburn: $13,000

Chris Leben: $60,000 ($30,000 win bonus)
Jay Silva: $6,000

Rick Story: $10,000 ($5,000 win bonus)
Jesse Lennox: $7,000

Thiago Tavares: $15,000*
Nick Lentz: $7,000*

Rory MacDonald: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
Mike “Joker” Guymon: $6,000

Rafael dos Anjos: $16000 ($8,000 win bonus)
Kyle Bradley: $8,000

Gerald Harris: $12,000 ($6,000 win bonus)
John Salter: $6,000

Nick Catone: $14,000 ($7,000 win bonus)
Jesse Forbes: $6,000

NFL Football Legend Herschel Walker to Appeear on Fox and Friends and Howard Stern

Walker will discuss his latest athletic endeavor-mixed martial arts (MMA) fighting. Walker will make his MMA debut with world championship promotion STRIKEFORCE on Saturday, January 30 at BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise, Florida, LIVE on SHOWTIME® (10 p.m. ET/PT). 

The 47-year-old Walker will compete in the cage the night before the ProBowl and one week prior to the Super Bowl. The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner and two-time NFL Pro Bowl competitor, is wrapping up a 12-week MMA training camp at the world renowned American Kickboxing Academy (A.K.A.) in San Jose, California in preparation for the challenge. 

A 1999 College Hall of Fame inductee who was also selected to Sports Illustrated’s NCAA All-Century Team that year, the 6-foot 1-inch, 220 pound Walker holds a fifth degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and boasts additional training in the combat disciplines of Muay Thai and Kenpo. Walker recently re-emerged in the spotlight as a contestant on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice reality series.

The best fight of the night will be the co-main event between Nate Marquardt and Chael Sonnenn. The most interesting fight of the night will be Matt Serra and Frank Trigg. Both fighters are big talkers and the trash talking has already begun. Both are in the late half of their thirties, have UFC careers on life-support, coming off losses, had memorable battles with two of the divisions elites, and neither are strangers to hyping a fight with verbal strikes As Trigg was quoted as saying

Both are in the late half of their thirties, have UFC careers on life-support, coming off losses, had memorable battles with two of the divisions elites, and neither are strangers to hyping a fight with verbal strikes.

For hard core UFC fans the fight everyone is waiting for is the return of a Gracie to the UFC. Rolles Gracie Jr. is a 2nd degree black belt in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and the son of one of the pioneers of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Rolls Gracie who is considered the best BJJ fighter in history before he died tragically in a kite flying accident. Rolles Gracie Jr. He will make his UFC debut versus Mostapha Al-turk in a heavyweight fight. Gracie has been working with Greg Jackson at Jackson’s fighting submission and will have a complete MMA game by the time he enters the octagon.

The early UFC 109 betting lines have been put by 5 Dimes but the lines for the Paulo Thiago  versus Josh Koscheck  will be replaced due to an injury but Koscheck. Josh Koscheck was scheduled to face Paulo Thiago, but was forced off the card with an injury. Thiago is now expected to face Mike Swick. A Middleweight Championship bout between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort was confirmed by UFC President Dana White but called off due to Silva’s slow healing from elbow surgery. Antônio Rogério Nogueira had to withdraw from his bout against Brandon Vera due to a fractured ankle and Vera will face Jon Jones on March 21, 2010 at UFC Fight Night 21 insterad.

  For all UFC 109 betting lines go to 5 Dimes

Mark Coleman  +320
Randy Couture  -390

Paulo Thiago  +340
Josh Koscheck  -425

Frank Trigg  +105  
Matt Serra  -125

Dan Miller  +270
Demian Maia  -330

Chael Sonnen  +260  
Nate Marquardt  -320

To view the entire fight card see the matchups below

Main Card

Light Heavyweight bout: Randy Couture vs. Mark Coleman
Middleweight bout: Nate Marquardt vs. Chael Sonnen
Middleweight bout: Demian Maia vs. Dan Miller
Welterweight bout: Matt Serra vs. Frank Trigg

Preliminary Card

Lightweight bout: Mac Danzig vs. Justin Buchholz
Lightweight bout: Melvin Guillard vs. Ronnys Torres
Lightweight bout: Phillipe Nover vs. Rob Emerson
Light Heavyweight bout: Brian Stann vs. Phil Davis
Heavyweight bout: Tim Hague vs. Chris Tuchscherer
Heavyweight bout: Mostapha Al-turk vs. Rolles Gracie

Announced Matchups

These matches have been reported as finalised by reliable sources, but not yet added to the official card.

Welterweight bout: Paulo Thiago vs. Mike Swick

For all UFC 109 betting lines go to 5 Dimes

Bet on mixed martial arts at BetCRIS

Dynamite!! is Japan’s biggest annual combat sports event, and Dynamite 2009 is finally upon us. The New Year’s Eve event takes place Thursday night in Japan, which means the wee hours of Thursday morning in the United States, and we’ll have live results right here at MMAFighting.com.

MMA betting wise there was some good betting upsets like Melvin Manhoef beating Kazuo Misaki, Masanori Kanehara beating former pound for pound top ten fighter  Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto. Yamamoto seems to be slipping as will have to focus on his training a little better. Another betting dog that won was Akihiro Gono beating top ten lightweight Hayato Sakurai by armbar.

All the results of the 11 MMA fights (including nine featuring Dream fighters taking on Sengoku Raiden Championship fighters) and the seven K-1 fights are below.

 K-1 MAX, bout: Masato def. Andy Souwer via unanimous decision

  Sengoku Heavyweight bout: Hidehiko Yoshida def. Satoshi Ishii via unanimous decision

  DREAM vs SRC: Shinya Aoki def. Mizuto Hirota via armbar stoppage

  DREAM, Heavyweight bout: Gegard Mousasi def. Gary Goodridge via first-round TKO

  DREAM vs SRC: Alistair Overeem def. Kazuyuki Fujita via first-round KO

  DREAM vs SRC: Masanori Kanehara def. Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto via unanimous decision

  DREAM vs SRC: Tatsuya Kawajiri def. Kazunori Yokota via unanimous decision

  DREAM vs SRC: Hideo Tokoro def. Jong Man Kim via unanimous decision

  DREAM vs SRC: Melvin Manhoef def. Kazuo Misaki via first-round TKO

  DREAM vs SRC: Akihiro Gono def. Hayato Sakurai via second-round armbar submission

  DREAM vs SRC: Michihiro Omigawa def. Hiroyuki Takaya via first-round TKO

  DREAM vs SRC: Hiroshi Izumi def. Katsuyori Shibata via unanimous decision

  K-1 KOSHIEN, Final: Masaaki Noiri def. Shota Shimada via unanimous decision

  K-1 Heavyweight bout: Ray Sefo def. Yosuke Nishijima via unanimous decision

  DREAM, Super Hulk Final: Ikuhisa Minowa def. Rameau Sokoudjou via third-round TKO

  K-1 KOSHIEN, Semi-Finals: Shota Shimada def. Katsuki Ishida via majority decision

  K-1 KOSHIEN, Semi-Finals: Masaaki Noiri def. Hiroya via unanimous decision

  K-1 KOSHIEN, Reserve Fight: Tsukasa Fuji vs. Tatuya Kusakabe

Though it was the second edition of the award show, sponsored by Fighters Only Magazine, the ceremony will mark the first time MMA will have a televised award show. Though the entire 1-hour, 40-minute ceremony aired live on Versus.com, a one-hour taped version will air on Versus on Jan. 6 at 9 pm.

Other winners include The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale bout between Diego Sanchez and Clay Guida won Fight of the Year, and Cris Cyborg won Female Fighter of the Year. A Special Achievement Award was bestowed upon the recently deceased co-founder of TapouT, Charles “Mask” Lewis, who tragically died in a car accident earlier this year.

Presenters included MMA personalities including Randy Couture and Dan Henderson and celebrities including poker legend Phil Hellmuth, action sports star TJ Lavin and actor Quinton Aaron (star of the current box office hit “The Blind Side”). The show was hosted by comedian John Heffron.

Full Awards List

Best MMA Gym: Greg Jackson’s Submission Fighting

Best gloves: UFC

Best MMA clothing: Tapout

Breakthrough Fighter of the Year: Brock Lesnar

Coach of the Year: Greg Jackson

Best MMA Brand: Tapout

Best Journalist: John Morgan, MMAJunkie.com/Dallas Morning News

Female Fighter of the Year: Cris “Cyborg” Santos

Leading Man of the Year: Dana White

Best MMA shorts: Tapout

Submission of the Year: Toby Imada

Best Promotion: UFC

Best MMA Media Coverage: MMAJunkie.com

Ring Girl of the Year: Arianny Celeste

European Fighter of the Year: Gegard Mousasi

Fight of the Year: Diego Sanchez vs. Clay Guida

Fighter of the Year: Georges St. Pierre

Special Achievement Award: Charles “Mask” Lewis

Bet on mixed martial arts at BetCRIS

Dynamite!! 2009

5 Dimes has put out the online better odds for Dynamite!! 2009. Kid” Yamamoto who was once a top ten pound for pound fighter opens up at -425 versus Masanori Kanehara but the lines are pretty steep to wager on Yamamoto. A better bet would be to lay a MMA bet on Melvin Manhoef who comes in as the underdog versus Kazuo Misaki at +130. Manhoef has KO power and if he catches Misaki with a high leg kick it will be over. I like Manhoef to KO Misaki, so best a lot on the underdog.

Hayato Sakurai is he favorite in his fight with Akihiko Gono and his betting line at -215 is worth the price to lay a wager on. Gegard Mousasi   opened up with a -1350 MMA line versus Gary Goodridge  (+650 ). This is pretty much a sure thing and if I have a huge amount of money I would shell out the price to lay on Mousasi  since there is absolutely no way Goodridge  will win this fight. 

To view all Dynamite!! 2009 betting lines go 5 Dimes and place a bet.

Masanori Kanehara (SRC)  +320
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (DREAM)  -425

Mizuto Hirota (SRC)  +285 
Shinya Aoki (DREAM)  -375

Kazuyuki Fujita (SRC)  +600
Alistair Overeem (DREAM)  -1050

Melvin Manhoef (DREAM)  +130  
Kazuo Misaki (SRC)  -160  

Kazunori Yokota (SRC)  +320  
Tatsuya Kawajiri (DREAM)  -425

Akihiko Gono (SRC)  +170
Hayato Sakurai (DREAM)  -215

Michihiro Omigawa (SRC)  -105 
Hiroyuki Takaya (DREAM)  -125 

Hiroshi Izumi (SRC)  +120 
Katsuyori Shibata (DREAM)  -150  

Jong Man Kim (SRC)  +160  
Hideo Tokoro (DREAM)  -195

Ikuhisa Minowa  +250  
Rameau Sokoudjou  -325

Hidehiko Yoshida  +210  
Satoshi Ishii  -270

Gary Goodridge  +650  
Gegard Mousasi  -1350  

Andy Souwer  +120  
Masato  -150 

Yosuke Nishijima  +325 Ray Sefo  -435

To see the full kickboxing and MMA card see full schedule below Official Fight Card (MMA)

DREAM Heavyweight bout:  Gary Goodridge vs.  Gegard Mousasi
DREAM vs SRC, Middleweight bout:  Melvin Manhoef vs.  Kazuo Misaki
DREAM vs SRC, Lightweight bout:  Shinya Aoki (DREAM Champion) vs.  Mizuto Hirota (SRC Champion)
DREAM vs SRC, Lightweight bout:  Tatsuya Kawajiri vs.  Kazunori Yokota
Sengoku Raiden Championship Heavyweight bout:  Satoshi Ishii vs.  Hidehiko Yoshida
DREAM vs SRC, Heavyweight bout:  Alistair Overeem vs.  Kazuyuki Fujita
DREAM vs SRC, Featherweight bout:  Norifumi Yamamoto vs.  Masanori Kanehara (SRC Champion)
DREAM vs SRC, Welterweight bout:  Hayato Sakurai vs.  Akihiro Gono
DREAM vs SRC, Heavyweight bout:  Katsuyori Shibata vs.  Hiroshi Izumi
DREAM vs SRC, Featherweight bout:  Hiroyuki Takaya vs.  Michihiro Omigawa
DREAM vs SRC, Featherweight bout:  Hideo Tokoro vs.  Jong Man Kim
DREAM Super Hulk Grand Prix 2009 Final:  Ikuhisa Minowa vs.  Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou

Official Fight Card (K-1)

K-1 MAX bout:  Masato vs.  Andy Souwer
K-1 Heavyweight bout:  Ray Sefo vs.  Yosuke Nishijima
K-1 KOSHIEN 62 kg Class Tournament Semi-Finals:  Shota Shimada vs.  Katsuki Ishida
K-1 KOSHIEN 62 kg Class Tournament Semi-Finals:  Hiroya vs.  Masaaki Noiri
K-1 KOSHIEN 62 kg Class Tournament Reserve Fight:  Tsukasa Fuji vs.  Tatuya Kusakabe
K-1 KOSHIEN 62 kg Class Tournament Final:  Hiroya/ Masaaki Noiri vs.  Shota Shimada/ Katsuki Ishida

To view all Dynamite!! 2009 betting lines go 5 Dimes and place a bet.

Strikforce Evolution

True MMA and jiujutsu lovers love Jacare who is a grappling wizard and is one of the best grapplers in the world. He has won such prestigious title like 2009 ADCC Super fight winner, 2008 Dream Middleweight GP runner up, 2004 Open weight World Jiu-Jitsu Champion, 2005 Openweight World Jiu-Jitsu Champion, 2005 ADCC 77-87KG Division winner and 2005 ADCC Absolute Division runner-up.

However, he still has to work on his stand up skills but with a 10 and 2 record he will draw some bets. Opening up at +220 is worth a small bet on Lindland who is not the greatest standup striker and is getting older.  If this goes to the ground look for a pretty good beating by Jacare but he is fighting a Olympic caliber wrestler. We saw how hard it was for Jacare to beat Randy Couture in a grappling match.  We think the lines should be much closer than people think but the smart money bet is still on Jacare.

Scott Smith has good hand but he will totally be confused with the awkward fighting skills of Cung Le . Smith will not be able to handle the kicks of Le and he will eventually get KO’ed. This bet is a no brainier but the fight will be very entertaining to watch. Look for Le to easier retain his Middleweight title.

The main event has former champion Gilbert Melendez taking on current champion Josh Thomson. The challenger opens up as a slight underdog at -110. He was surprised by Thomson in his first fight and I expect him to put on a better show for the once top ten pound for pound MMA fighter in the world. Take Melendez  to win a decision with a tougher work ethic in this fight. 

For all Strikeforce betting lines go to BetUS

Matt Lindland  +220 
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza  -280 

Mike Whitehead  +405  
Muhammed Lawal  -560

Scott Smith  +270  
Cung Le  -360

Gilbert Melendez  -110
Josh Thomson  -120

All other main fights and preliminary fights include: Main Card

Preliminary Card

Light Heavyweight bout:  Scott Lighty vs.  Antwain Britt
Lightweight bout:  Daisuke Nakamura vs.  Justin Wilcox
Featherweight bout:  Luis Mendoza vs.  Juan Nunez
Lightweight bout:  Alex Trevino vs.  Bobby Stack
Lightweight bout:  Alexander Crispim vs.  AJ Fonseca

For all Strikeforce betting lines go to BetUS