[Ron_Paul_2012]

All in that shit pal

Perhaps Bendo will emerge victorious. However, I would strongly advise you against going ALL IN on that particular match. In fact ALL IN plays are something that someone with your lack of intellect & experience should stay away from altogether. If you've already pulled the trigger on Bendo then I wish you luck.

[Vaughany]

lol he's not being serious brah, he's taking the piss!

[Vaughany]

Anyone else see a ton of value in ryan couture?

nope, think line is about right

[Thor4140]

So based on your theory. Am I to understand that you are betting on Henderson.

this one is a tough one. People look to be on both sides of this fight but it is early yet. Lets see if the odds makers make one of their fake moves to get people on one side like they did with Machida Davis making people actually think there was money coming in on Davis.

[Educ8d Degener8]

this one is a tough one. People look to be on both sides of this fight but it is early yet. Lets see if the odds makers make one of their fake moves to get people on one side like they did with Machida Davis making people actually think there was money coming in on Davis.

Thor, do you keep your savings buried in the ground in the form of precious metals bullion?

[Vaughany]

lol

[mirinquads]

2u Not Henderson Inside the distance -405

[Grabaka]

Perhaps Bendo will emerge victorious. However, I would strongly advise you against going ALL IN on that particular match. In fact ALL IN plays are something that someone with your lack of intellect & experience should stay away from altogether. If you've already pulled the trigger on Bendo then I wish you luck.

I was trying to sway you to penetrate up man

[mmaed]

Anyone else like Ryan Couture to win this one? I think he did pretty well against KJ Noons . He also won the first round against Ross Pearson. Conor Huen and Joe Duarte aren't bad fighters either. Huen is a solid wrestler himself and Pearson is a good all around fighter with solid takedown defense. Al Iaquinta was taken down and submitted in the first round against Michael Cheisa. Audinwood tapped him out too. I haven't seen that fight yet though.

[mirinquads]

Have 1 u on him. Better style matchup, a fighter on his level or below. Think the line is off a bit.

And you gotta love playing a fighter whos not afraid to grind on the cage

[mmaed]

Have 1 u on him. Better style matchup, a fighter on his level or below. Think the line is off a bit.

And you gotta love playing a fighter whos not afraid to grind on the cage

Yeah exactly.

[mmaed]

Anyone else like Ryan Couture to win this one? I think he did pretty well against KJ Noons . He also won the first round against Ross Pearson. Conor Huen and Joe Duarte aren't bad fighters either. Huen is a solid wrestler himself and Pearson is a good all around fighter with solid takedown defense. Al Iaquinta was taken down and submitted in the first round against Michael Cheisa. Audinwood tapped him out too. I haven't seen that fight yet though.

I did a little research and it turns out iaquinta is not a bad wrestler. I still think couture can take it though but i probably wont be betting it unless someone else can convince me otherwise.

[mmaed]

Liking bendo to win, mendes, eric koch, sao palelei, and rothwell.

anyone think theynlose?

[Vaughany]

Vera only needs to land a couple heavy leg kicks or a body kick and Rothwell will be in big trouble. Rothwell isnt exactly fleet-of-foot, if he plods along then Vera should land with ease, and I wouldnt be confident that Rothwell has good enough wrestling to take Vera down, and Vera should have better cardio. SO I guess what Im saying is that stylistically it favours Vera, but who knows what kind of condition Vera is in - both physically and mentally

[Vaughany]

It was the momentum killer of all momentum killers, but after a career-resurrecting fight against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in August of 2012, Brandon Vera had a yearlong layoff, yet didn’t fall into a funk. He used it to reinvent himself.

As a heavyweight.

Again.

“I started eating correctly, started staying away from high fructose corn syrup and all the processed foods, and started going more organic,” said Vera of his transformation back to the division he competed in from 2002 to 2008. “I started finding out about food, I was having grass-fed beef and staying away from all the hormones and stuff that they put in beef, and my body started changing. I started lifting, I ended up with a strength and conditioning coach full-time, not just for camp; I ended up with a yoga coach and a lot of new coaches on top of my other coaches, and I kept growing and growing. And I was like ‘I don’t like cutting to 205. I don’t like cutting weight.’ (Laughs) Camp used to start out pretty good when I was about 230, 240, and then when I had to start cutting weight I started feeling weaker and weaker and camp just seemed to get harder and harder as it went on.”

Eventually, he spoke to his manager Matt Stansell and asked him to reach out to UFC management about a move back to heavyweight. They agreed. Brandon Vera was back with the big boys, and he couldn’t be happier, not just because he can eat again, but because he doesn’t have to deal with the torture weight cutting can put your brain through.

“For me, the mental part of the game was a huge piece, and having to cut weight and having to stress out about that for the last three, maybe four weeks just sucked,” he said. “Every time I went out and every time I ate I had to make sure of what I was eating and had to weigh what I was eating. I’m not that guy. It took me so long to get to doing that, and when I had to start doing that regularly, it sucked bad. I was just over it.”

It’s the latest reinvention of the 35-year-old Vera, who many believe was at his best as a heavyweight, and the numbers prove it. Just 4-4 with 1 NC as a 205er, Vera was 8-2 in the heavyweight division, and while the level of competition was higher for him at light heavyweight over the years, there’s no denying that he was more dynamic and more of a finisher when he had the extra pounds on. Just ask Frank Mir, who Vera demolished in 69 seconds in 2006. You could even make a ‘what if’ case for him being unbeaten in his time with the big boys, as his 2007 loss to former heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia came after a nearly yearlong layoff due to managerial issues, and his 2008 defeat to Fabricio Werdum saw him be the recipient of what many believe was a quick stoppage.

Five years later though, none of that really matters.

“I only look back at those ‘what if’ conversations when I need motivation to keep my ass moving forward,” he chuckles. “That’s the only time I look back. It’s a brand new chapter, and I know a lot of guys say that, but it’s just different. Since I started fighting in the UFC I’ve never just continued to train. I never had the fire in me, and I think a lot of it stems from Shogun knocking it back into me and me finding out a lot about myself.”

In the Rua fight, Vera didn’t win, but he showed why everyone was so excited about his potential for all those years. “The Truth” left it all in the Octagon that night, drawing praise from all corners for his effort. A quick turnaround would have kept the momentum going, but injuries to his back, hand, and ribs put him on the shelf. In between though, he stayed in the Alliance MMA gym in San Diego.

“I did not stop training after that Shogun fight,” he said. “I maybe took one month off for my lower back, and after that I just got back in there to train. The only time I took anytime off is if I had an injury. If I hurt my rib or broke my hand or anything like that, I would take off, but I would only take off to get it casted, and I kept training.”

On Saturday, Vera finally returns against veteran Ben Rothwell, who the San Diegan describes as “a Midwest country boy who’s strong and likes to test his chin every fight.”

And Vera would love to be the next to test it, with a spectacular knockout win likely to make him an instant player in the division he left five years ago. But he claims that wasn’t the reason for his move.

“I never really thought that. I just thought I was tired of cutting weight.”

He laughs, but despite his affable nature, he’s got to know that at 35, he needs to make a move if he’s ever going to reach the championship circle.

“Some people could say he’s 35 and it’s hard on his body to cut weight and doesn’t like to cut weight anymore,” he said, “but I’m taking it as I’m 35 and I should have told the UFC a long time ago that I’m over being at 205. But I’m hard-headed, man. You can’t tell me anything, and I am that guy. I’m sad that it took this long, but I’m not surprised. It’s me.”

Better late than never though, right?

“I think so. We’re not done yet. Not by a long shot.”

[Vaughany]

I did a little research and it turns out iaquinta is not a bad wrestler. I still think couture can take it though but i probably wont be betting it unless someone else can convince me otherwise.

Iaquinta is the better wrester and more powerful striker IMO. Only way Couture wins is by a dodgy decision again or if he takes Iaquinta's back in a scramble and gets the rear-naked. TeamSerraLongo guys are not to be faded tho!

[Vaughany]

my boy Vera tappin that ass and that's the truuuuth!

[plekz]

Liking bendo to win, mendes, eric koch, sao palelei, and rothwell.

anyone think theynlose?

I'm on Pettis because he actually goes for finishes instead of point fighting. And Pettis is better standing, plus Bendo doesn't really have the explosiveness that say Guida has, people expect Bendo to just be able to get Pettis down at will, he did for like one round in the first fight then Pettis said no thanks.

[FightFightFight]

...

[FightFightFight]

this one is a tough one. People look to be on both sides of this fight but it is early yet. Lets see if the odds makers make one of their fake moves to get people on one side like they did with Machida Davis making people actually think there was money coming in on Davis.

Because who in their right mind could find value in Davis.

[PunisherIND]

mir looking kinda tubby, albeit with a shirt on

[PunisherIND]

[plekz]

mir looking kinda tubby, albeit with a shirt on

Yeah, he sure is looking 'tubby' man.

[Tommy Blingshyne]

this one is a tough one. People look to be on both sides of this fight but it is early yet. Lets see if the odds makers make one of their fake moves to get people on one side like they did with Machida Davis making people actually think there was money coming in on Davis.

i was on machida and felt it was a bogus decision but you really dont think people thought davis had a shot due to his wrestling and machidas propensity to make fights a lot closer then they should be to his detriment? clearly this is hindsight analysis from me, but i dont doubt other people werent on that frame of thinking going into the fight...think thats a reasonable angle

[Vaughany]

Yeah, he sure is looking 'tubby' man.

He went on a McDonalds binge after this photo

[PunisherIND]

Yeah, he sure is looking 'tubby' man.

Lol, must be wearing one of them fatback shirts.

[The iron sheik]

I'd say that looks like a man just barely surviving on his own testosterone production

[Thor4140]

It was the momentum killer of all momentum killers, but after a career-resurrecting fight against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in August of 2012, Brandon Vera had a yearlong layoff, yet didn’t fall into a funk. He used it to reinvent himself.

As a heavyweight.

Again.

“I started eating correctly, started staying away from high fructose corn syrup and all the processed foods, and started going more organic,” said Vera of his transformation back to the division he competed in from 2002 to 2008. “I started finding out about food, I was having grass-fed beef and staying away from all the hormones and stuff that they put in beef, and my body started changing. I started lifting, I ended up with a strength and conditioning coach full-time, not just for camp; I ended up with a yoga coach and a lot of new coaches on top of my other coaches, and I kept growing and growing. And I was like ‘I don’t like cutting to 205. I don’t like cutting weight.’ (Laughs) Camp used to start out pretty good when I was about 230, 240, and then when I had to start cutting weight I started feeling weaker and weaker and camp just seemed to get harder and harder as it went on.”

Eventually, he spoke to his manager Matt Stansell and asked him to reach out to UFC management about a move back to heavyweight. They agreed. Brandon Vera was back with the big boys, and he couldn’t be happier, not just because he can eat again, but because he doesn’t have to deal with the torture weight cutting can put your brain through.

“For me, the mental part of the game was a huge piece, and having to cut weight and having to stress out about that for the last three, maybe four weeks just sucked,” he said. “Every time I went out and every time I ate I had to make sure of what I was eating and had to weigh what I was eating. I’m not that guy. It took me so long to get to doing that, and when I had to start doing that regularly, it sucked bad. I was just over it.”

It’s the latest reinvention of the 35-year-old Vera, who many believe was at his best as a heavyweight, and the numbers prove it. Just 4-4 with 1 NC as a 205er, Vera was 8-2 in the heavyweight division, and while the level of competition was higher for him at light heavyweight over the years, there’s no denying that he was more dynamic and more of a finisher when he had the extra pounds on. Just ask Frank Mir, who Vera demolished in 69 seconds in 2006. You could even make a ‘what if’ case for him being unbeaten in his time with the big boys, as his 2007 loss to former heavyweight champion Tim Sylvia came after a nearly yearlong layoff due to managerial issues, and his 2008 defeat to Fabricio Werdum saw him be the recipient of what many believe was a quick stoppage.

Five years later though, none of that really matters.

“I only look back at those ‘what if’ conversations when I need motivation to keep my ass moving forward,” he chuckles. “That’s the only time I look back. It’s a brand new chapter, and I know a lot of guys say that, but it’s just different. Since I started fighting in the UFC I’ve never just continued to train. I never had the fire in me, and I think a lot of it stems from Shogun knocking it back into me and me finding out a lot about myself.”

In the Rua fight, Vera didn’t win, but he showed why everyone was so excited about his potential for all those years. “The Truth” left it all in the Octagon that night, drawing praise from all corners for his effort. A quick turnaround would have kept the momentum going, but injuries to his back, hand, and ribs put him on the shelf. In between though, he stayed in the Alliance MMA gym in San Diego.

“I did not stop training after that Shogun fight,” he said. “I maybe took one month off for my lower back, and after that I just got back in there to train. The only time I took anytime off is if I had an injury. If I hurt my rib or broke my hand or anything like that, I would take off, but I would only take off to get it casted, and I kept training.”

On Saturday, Vera finally returns against veteran Ben Rothwell, who the San Diegan describes as “a Midwest country boy who’s strong and likes to test his chin every fight.”

And Vera would love to be the next to test it, with a spectacular knockout win likely to make him an instant player in the division he left five years ago. But he claims that wasn’t the reason for his move.

“I never really thought that. I just thought I was tired of cutting weight.”

He laughs, but despite his affable nature, he’s got to know that at 35, he needs to make a move if he’s ever going to reach the championship circle.

“Some people could say he’s 35 and it’s hard on his body to cut weight and doesn’t like to cut weight anymore,” he said, “but I’m taking it as I’m 35 and I should have told the UFC a long time ago that I’m over being at 205. But I’m hard-headed, man. You can’t tell me anything, and I am that guy. I’m sad that it took this long, but I’m not surprised. It’s me.”

Better late than never though, right?

“I think so. We’re not done yet. Not by a long shot.”

What i get out of this story is that Vera is just lazy. He say's he got right back to training after Shogun but then the next breath he admits to taking a month off lol. MOst guys take a week or two off.

[brokenbrain]

My one account has these plays:
- R. Couture for the win at +EV
- T. Buffalo Bill Elliot FTW at -EV
- Parlay; Mendes ftw/Henderson/Pettis v Henderson start rnd 2/j. Jones FTW
My secondary account has these dog Parlays playing by twos;
Gaudinot/Porier/Hyun Guy

GL chaps!

*yeah, saw the mistake*

[MD]

My one account has these plays:
- R. Couture for the win at +EV
- T. Buffalo Bill Elliot FTW at -EV
- Parlay; Mendes ftw/Henderson/Pettis v Henderson start rnd 1/j. Jones FTW
My secondary account has these dog Parlays playing by twos;
Gaudinot/Porier/Hyun Guy

GL chaps!

I think you're on to a winner. <3

[Crassus]

The audacity of having a bud light sponsored event in Milwaukee is keeping me from betting any fight. That and it's move-out hell in Boston and I'll probably be hit by a truck in the next two days anyway. Hopefully I can watch it though. Cheering for Rothwell and Pettis, hometown boys for sure.

[mmaed]

What i get out of this story is that Vera is just lazy. He say's he got right back to training after Shogun but then the next breath he admits to taking a month off lol. MOst guys take a week or two off.

I would be lying if I knew what to think about this Sh&tshow.

[snapperman2]

I don't see how anyone could bet on Pettis at even money against Henderson when Pettis got beaten so badly by Guida recently. The blueprint for beating Pettis has been exposed by Guida. Henderson will just use his wrestling to take Pettis down all fight long and win a unanimous decision. Furthermore, Pettis had to pull out of a fight with Aldo recently due to injury and he may be still injured. Hendo will roll in this fight.

[rocky16]

I don't see how anyone could bet on Pettis at even money against Henderson when Pettis got beaten so badly by Guida recently. The blueprint for beating Pettis has been exposed by Guida. Henderson will just use his wrestling to take Pettis down all fight long and win a unanimous decision. Furthermore, Pettis had to pull out of a fight with Aldo recently due to injury and he may be still injured. Hendo will roll in this fight.

Pal, you are trolling, correct?

[mmaed]

What i get out of this story is that Vera is just lazy. He say's he got right back to training after Shogun but then the next breath he admits to taking a month off lol. MOst guys take a week or two off.

That is exactly what i got.