TUF Finale Predictions
TUF FINALE PREDICTIONS
The last time that I wrote about the UFC, which just happened to be earlier this week, my picks went 4-0. I feel pretty strongly about keeping that streak alive for Saturday’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ live finale on Spike TV. By the way, if you missed Wednesday’s Fight for the Troops event, you escaped one of the most brutal nights of MMA ever. To recap quickly, Josh Koscheck knocked out Yoshida twice in a five second span, Razak Al-Hassan didn’t tap and his arm went the wrong way, Ben Saunders almost murdered a guy with non-stop knees to the head, and poor Corey Hill’s shin snapped in half. The fights were good, but the injuries were almost too much for even the most rabid fan to stomach. Then I remembered that I just went 4-0 and everything was OK in Bread’s world.
That brings us to The Ultimate Fighter’s eighth season’s finale. As usual I watched every single episode. This was not the most entertaining season by a long shot, but it could produce three or four household names for the UFC. That’s not bad considering that the last four installments have created maybe 4 or 5 recognizable fighters. On to some winning picks! All lines posted are from 5dimes.
Phillipe Nover -375
Efrain Escudero +313
I will always remember Nover (6-0-1) for three things: Passing out when he first earned his way into the house, eating some Filipino delicacy that involved cooking a nearly hatched bird inside its shell, and completely dominating anyone he faced en route to the finals. It is safe to say that Nover’s career as a nurse has come to an end as there is a bright future for him in MMA. I personally find it magical that he can snap your arm, and then put it in a sling for you. Good guy.
Nover is a huge favorite over Escudero (11-0-0), and rightfully so. He looks like the guy to beat coming out of the lightweight division. Efrain’s legacy on the show was his rivalry with dirtbag Junie Browning. To earn his way into the finals, he had to beat him, and he handled the overhyped head case with ease. Thank God. The path to the UFC contract just got about a million times tougher facing Nover.
I’m looking forward to this matchup more than any other on the card, and I’m taking Efrain for the money. I know Nover is talented. Dana White has even referenced him as his next Anderson Silva. That’s pretty heavy stuff. But in Escudero I have seen tons of potential. He handled some tumultuous situations with poise, and looked pretty savvy himself in the octagon. Nover will become a household name win or lose tonight. I think Escudero has a decent chance to pull of this upset and will be looking to cash on those nice odds.
Vinicius Magalhaes -180
Ryan Bader +158
I originally predicted that Vinny Magalhaes (3-2-1) would be a -550 favorite. I was wrong. If you were on the ball, he actually started out as a +200 dog. His odds have been catapulting, and I expect by fight time, they may be closer to -300. We’ll see. Either way, I’m all over this world class jiu-jitsu star waiting to happen. My reasoning has just as much to do with Vinny, who seems to show off during his fights with his vast tactical array of moves, as it does with his opponent, Ryan Bader.
Bader (8-0-0) is Dana White’s nightmare. He is a pure wrestler with little room for improvement on other parts of his game. In his semifinal victory over Eliot Marshall, he wrestled his opponent to the ground and kept him pinned for almost the entire three rounds. Gee, that’s great if you’re fighting Hulk Hogan, but boring is not what got the UFC where it is today. Throw in the fact that this clown is nicknamed “Darth” (get it? Darth Bader? Get it?!?!), and there is no way I’m betting against Vinny here. This might be the easiest fight I’ve ever seen. Have at it.
Wilson Gouveia -125
Jason MacDonald +105
One of two fights on the card with nothing to do with the reality show. And wouldn’t you know it, they gave me the ultimate Pink Hamster! Jason MacDonald! MacDonald (22-10-0) has been busting out the fights, as this will be his fourth battle of 2008. That equals four times that he has been lit up like a giant pink Christmas tree. What a great year.
I’m not really sure why Gouveia (11-5-0) is getting the slight edge here. MacDonald has the much more impressive resume, losing to Rich Franklin, Yushin Okami and Demian Maia. He has beaten established fighters Ed Herman, Chris Leben and Jason Lambert. Gouveia did beat the guy who beat up Kimbo Slice though. Whoop dee doo. I will be taking MacDonald to represent the Pink Hamster Army.
Junie Browning -340
Dave Kaplan +280
Do you know what I love about UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer the most? Not his magical hair or his sneak attack intros. It’s his ability to get me pumped up for the most asinine fight in the history of mankind. Buffer could get me excited for Dustin Diamond vs. Willie Bee. I don’t care. With that being said, it would be really cool if Buffer could intro this fight like this:
“Introducing…in this cor-nerr, (sudden Buffer misdirection) we have Junie Browning (2-1-0), the biggest dirt bag in the history of the YOO EFF SEE-YAH. He should be in prison for his bottle throwing antics. He has no cardio, but more importantly, he has no heart. He’s all talk and alcohol fumes. I don’t know why he’s still here, but here he is…JUNIE BROWNING-AHHH!!”
“And in this cor-nerr, (Buffer misdirection) we have Dave Kaplan (3-1-0). He’s not as hated, but hated all the same. The only man who has never been knocked out, even though we all saw it happen, who just happens to be the greatest fighter of all time in his own mind…DAVE!! KAPLAN-AAAHHHH!!”
That would make me very happy. Browning is a punk. I don’t know how he remained on the show after his numerous escapades, but here he is. Nothing that he ever did on the show impressed me. I don’t care that he’s been training with Xtreme Couture. I see this as a 50-50 chance fight. And for that very reason I’ll be on Kaplan at +280. Keep your kids away from the TV in fear that they might catch something from Junie.
John Polakowski -125
Rolando Delgado +105
Buried way at the bottom of the undercard you will find this nugget. Polakowski (2-1-0) is up against Delgado (7-3-1). This fight will generate the least interest of the lot, no doubt. But I think that Polakowski is a gem at these odds.
First of all, the comedy factor alone will be reason enough to hope that this one somehow gets aired. Polakowski was a serial hugger on the show. Nobody was safe. At times it looked like coach Frank Mir was going to snap from his man-hug homophobia taking him over. Oh, this serial hugger’s nickname is “Buckets of Blood”. Good stuff.
Delgado’s nickname is “The Crazy Cuban”, even though this guy looks about as Latin as Conan O’Brien. Unreal.
Delgado was the worst fighter on the show. He will be telling his grandkids one day about how he went a full three rounds with an out of breath Junie Browning. It was just pitiful. Polakowski was the second-worst fighter on the show, but that still ranks miles ahead of Delgado’s game. He can even claim some fights in the WEC. Polakowski will win this fight, and hug everyone in Las Vegas. I hope Mir is nowhere to be found.
The last time that I wrote about the UFC, which just happened to be earlier this week, my picks went 4-0. I feel pretty strongly about keeping that streak alive for Saturday’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ live finale on Spike TV. By the way, if you missed Wednesday’s Fight for the Troops event, you escaped one of the most brutal nights of MMA ever. To recap quickly, Josh Koscheck knocked out Yoshida twice in a five second span, Razak Al-Hassan didn’t tap and his arm went the wrong way, Ben Saunders almost murdered a guy with non-stop knees to the head, and poor Corey Hill’s shin snapped in half. The fights were good, but the injuries were almost too much for even the most rabid fan to stomach. Then I remembered that I just went 4-0 and everything was OK in Bread’s world.
This pretty much sums up the last event’s violence
That brings us to The Ultimate Fighter’s eighth season’s finale. As usual I watched every single episode. This was not the most entertaining season by a long shot, but it could produce three or four household names for the UFC. That’s not bad considering that the last four installments have created maybe 4 or 5 recognizable fighters. On to some winning picks! All lines posted are from 5dimes.
Phillipe Nover -375
Efrain Escudero +313
I will always remember Nover (6-0-1) for three things: Passing out when he first earned his way into the house, eating some Filipino delicacy that involved cooking a nearly hatched bird inside its shell, and completely dominating anyone he faced en route to the finals. It is safe to say that Nover’s career as a nurse has come to an end as there is a bright future for him in MMA. I personally find it magical that he can snap your arm, and then put it in a sling for you. Good guy.
Nover is a huge favorite over Escudero (11-0-0), and rightfully so. He looks like the guy to beat coming out of the lightweight division. Efrain’s legacy on the show was his rivalry with dirtbag Junie Browning. To earn his way into the finals, he had to beat him, and he handled the overhyped head case with ease. Thank God. The path to the UFC contract just got about a million times tougher facing Nover.
I’m looking forward to this matchup more than any other on the card, and I’m taking Efrain for the money. I know Nover is talented. Dana White has even referenced him as his next Anderson Silva. That’s pretty heavy stuff. But in Escudero I have seen tons of potential. He handled some tumultuous situations with poise, and looked pretty savvy himself in the octagon. Nover will become a household name win or lose tonight. I think Escudero has a decent chance to pull of this upset and will be looking to cash on those nice odds.
Vinicius Magalhaes -180
Ryan Bader +158
I originally predicted that Vinny Magalhaes (3-2-1) would be a -550 favorite. I was wrong. If you were on the ball, he actually started out as a +200 dog. His odds have been catapulting, and I expect by fight time, they may be closer to -300. We’ll see. Either way, I’m all over this world class jiu-jitsu star waiting to happen. My reasoning has just as much to do with Vinny, who seems to show off during his fights with his vast tactical array of moves, as it does with his opponent, Ryan Bader.
Bader (8-0-0) is Dana White’s nightmare. He is a pure wrestler with little room for improvement on other parts of his game. In his semifinal victory over Eliot Marshall, he wrestled his opponent to the ground and kept him pinned for almost the entire three rounds. Gee, that’s great if you’re fighting Hulk Hogan, but boring is not what got the UFC where it is today. Throw in the fact that this clown is nicknamed “Darth” (get it? Darth Bader? Get it?!?!), and there is no way I’m betting against Vinny here. This might be the easiest fight I’ve ever seen. Have at it.
Vinny Magalhaes is good
Wilson Gouveia -125
Jason MacDonald +105
One of two fights on the card with nothing to do with the reality show. And wouldn’t you know it, they gave me the ultimate Pink Hamster! Jason MacDonald! MacDonald (22-10-0) has been busting out the fights, as this will be his fourth battle of 2008. That equals four times that he has been lit up like a giant pink Christmas tree. What a great year.
I’m not really sure why Gouveia (11-5-0) is getting the slight edge here. MacDonald has the much more impressive resume, losing to Rich Franklin, Yushin Okami and Demian Maia. He has beaten established fighters Ed Herman, Chris Leben and Jason Lambert. Gouveia did beat the guy who beat up Kimbo Slice though. Whoop dee doo. I will be taking MacDonald to represent the Pink Hamster Army.
Full Pink Hamster fashion
Junie Browning -340
Dave Kaplan +280
Do you know what I love about UFC ring announcer Bruce Buffer the most? Not his magical hair or his sneak attack intros. It’s his ability to get me pumped up for the most asinine fight in the history of mankind. Buffer could get me excited for Dustin Diamond vs. Willie Bee. I don’t care. With that being said, it would be really cool if Buffer could intro this fight like this:
“Introducing…in this cor-nerr, (sudden Buffer misdirection) we have Junie Browning (2-1-0), the biggest dirt bag in the history of the YOO EFF SEE-YAH. He should be in prison for his bottle throwing antics. He has no cardio, but more importantly, he has no heart. He’s all talk and alcohol fumes. I don’t know why he’s still here, but here he is…JUNIE BROWNING-AHHH!!”
“And in this cor-nerr, (Buffer misdirection) we have Dave Kaplan (3-1-0). He’s not as hated, but hated all the same. The only man who has never been knocked out, even though we all saw it happen, who just happens to be the greatest fighter of all time in his own mind…DAVE!! KAPLAN-AAAHHHH!!”
Bruce Buffer is not impressed
That would make me very happy. Browning is a punk. I don’t know how he remained on the show after his numerous escapades, but here he is. Nothing that he ever did on the show impressed me. I don’t care that he’s been training with Xtreme Couture. I see this as a 50-50 chance fight. And for that very reason I’ll be on Kaplan at +280. Keep your kids away from the TV in fear that they might catch something from Junie.
John Polakowski -125
Rolando Delgado +105
Buried way at the bottom of the undercard you will find this nugget. Polakowski (2-1-0) is up against Delgado (7-3-1). This fight will generate the least interest of the lot, no doubt. But I think that Polakowski is a gem at these odds.
First of all, the comedy factor alone will be reason enough to hope that this one somehow gets aired. Polakowski was a serial hugger on the show. Nobody was safe. At times it looked like coach Frank Mir was going to snap from his man-hug homophobia taking him over. Oh, this serial hugger’s nickname is “Buckets of Blood”. Good stuff.
Delgado’s nickname is “The Crazy Cuban”, even though this guy looks about as Latin as Conan O’Brien. Unreal.
Delgado was the worst fighter on the show. He will be telling his grandkids one day about how he went a full three rounds with an out of breath Junie Browning. It was just pitiful. Polakowski was the second-worst fighter on the show, but that still ranks miles ahead of Delgado’s game. He can even claim some fights in the WEC. Polakowski will win this fight, and hug everyone in Las Vegas. I hope Mir is nowhere to be found.
Not the fight of the night...unless you’re gambling on it
!" to the Octagon girls whenever they walk by the camera. That would be a deal breaker for me.
