Vaughany's MMA Picks...

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  • PunisherIND
    SBR MVP
    • 02-24-11
    • 4980

    #4411
    Originally posted by Vaughany
    Adding:


    13.335 units on Kongo at -210 to win 6.35 units.

    damn you V! i dont know how you manage to nail these openers all the time. lol.

    i took kongo at -290. i figure i can always hedge with hunt by tko.
    Comment
    • Vaughany
      SBR Aristocracy
      • 03-07-10
      • 45563

      #4412
      Chandella released!...

      Comment
      • cheeese
        SBR Wise Guy
        • 02-22-11
        • 784

        #4413
        It's dumb how they trot these women around in as little clothing as they can get away with, encourage them to pose for playboy, and then fire this chick because she shot some noods a while back.
        Comment
        • Rubber Guard
          SBR MVP
          • 06-22-11
          • 1550

          #4414
          You like Kongo? Maybe at -210. I'm thinking Hunt upset here. If Kongo stands for any length he is probably going to bed. Hunt's overall game looked improved last time out. I know it was Rothwell, but. Hunt should be preparing more than ever for this fight in Japan, he actually can get excited for his MMA career for once.
          Comment
          • Hannibal
            SBR MVP
            • 05-15-11
            • 1055

            #4415
            hunt is ******. totally outmatched. Obviously his best chance is on the feet, but even that isnt much of a chance. Kongo doesnt really get into reckless exchanges. He keeps a large distance and moves very well. Uses kicks from the outside and straight punches. Even barry had trouble getting in on him until he leap in with that left hook. Mittrione had no success at all. Even with his reach and punching technique he couldnt get off anything. I dont recall any of mitrione's trademark flurries.
            I see hunt getting picked off on the feet, until kongo manages to clinch or take him down... then its all over.
            Last edited by Hannibal; 02-16-12, 01:17 PM.
            Comment
            • Hannibal
              SBR MVP
              • 05-15-11
              • 1055

              #4416
              Do you see the closing line for bader... close to +300?
              I've been loading up on rampage...expecting to buy out a significant portion. If bader gets even close to +300... should be able to turn it into a nice play on rampage at about @-170

              actually.. i dont even know how bader wins. His boxing technique is inferior. His hands are pretty much his only standing offense..wont be enough to hurt jackson, and his limited techniques means he wont be outpointing page either. is bader a much better wrestler than hamil? Does bader only have a doubleleg?? Never see rampage fail to stuff a double
              Comment
              • Rubber Guard
                SBR MVP
                • 06-22-11
                • 1550

                #4417
                Originally posted by Hannibal
                hunt is ******. totally outmatched. Obviously his best chance is on the feet, but even that isnt much of a chance. Kongo doesnt really get into reckless exchanges. He keeps a large distance and moves very well. Uses kicks from the outside and straight punches. Even barry had trouble getting in on him until he leap in with that left hook. Mittrione had no success at all. Even with his reach and punching technique he couldnt get off anything. I dont recall any of mitrione's trademark flurries.
                I see hunt getting picked off on the feet, until kongo manages to clinch or take him down... then its all over.
                I think you are overrating Kongo. But we can agree to disagree. Obviously Hunt has his problems and weaknesses. Will depend largely on how good of a camp he has. He got up a few times from underneath a massive Ben Rothwell. Kongo is good at pressing guys up to teh cage and kneeing them in the balls, but not sure if he will be able to control Hunt.

                On the feet Kongo isn't going to KO Hunt. And Hunt can totally KO Kongo. If I was Kongo I wouldn't test the standup for that long.
                Comment
                • Beelzebubzy
                  SBR Hall of Famer
                  • 06-06-11
                  • 6995

                  #4418
                  Originally posted by Hannibal
                  Do you see the closing line for bader... close to +300?
                  I've been loading up on rampage...expecting to buy out a significant portion. If bader gets even close to +300... should be able to turn it into a nice play on rampage at about @-170

                  actually.. i dont even know how bader wins. His boxing technique is inferior. His hands are pretty much his only standing offense..wont be enough to hurt jackson, and his limited techniques means he wont be outpointing page either. is bader a much better wrestler than hamil? Does bader only have a doubleleg?? Never see rampage fail to stuff a double
                  Rashad took Page down!
                  Comment
                  • Beelzebubzy
                    SBR Hall of Famer
                    • 06-06-11
                    • 6995

                    #4419
                    Im on the Hunt side here, if he hits +300. Tired of failing fading against him
                    Comment
                    • Hannibal
                      SBR MVP
                      • 05-15-11
                      • 1055

                      #4420
                      Rashad is a lot faster and kept page worried with his hands. As well, rashad is shorter and shoots the traditional double. Bader has short legs but shoots kind of a weird double where his upper body is kinda high. Dont think bader will be nearly as effective as rashad.
                      Comment
                      • Vaughany
                        SBR Aristocracy
                        • 03-07-10
                        • 45563

                        #4421
                        Originally posted by Hannibal
                        Do you see the closing line for bader... close to +300?
                        I've been loading up on rampage...expecting to buy out a significant portion. If bader gets even close to +300... should be able to turn it into a nice play on rampage at about @-170

                        actually.. i dont even know how bader wins. His boxing technique is inferior. His hands are pretty much his only standing offense..wont be enough to hurt jackson, and his limited techniques means he wont be outpointing page either. is bader a much better wrestler than hamil? Does bader only have a doubleleg?? Never see rampage fail to stuff a double
                        Yee I'd be surprised if Bader doesnt reach +275 or something by fight time. And I agree, the more I think about it the more harder I find it to imagine Bader winning. He may well have better takedowns than Hamill - Im pretty sure he's more athletic and slightly quicker, but he isnt great at setting up takedowns with his striking which is something that you have to be able to do in order to have a chance of getting Rampage down IMO. Rashad could do it because aside from being a solid wrestler and very athletic he is also one of the best a dropping levels after throwing a combination, or countering an aggressive attack by an opponent with a takedown...his judging of timing is very good - something that Bader doesnt seem to be very adept at. Add to that Bader's questionable cardio, although I dont think it's as bad as many make out, I do think he'll tire considerably and quickly if his strategy is to keep looking for the takedown. Wont help that he's fighting in a different country and time-zone. The nail in the coffin for me is Bader's propensity to kind of panic when he gets hit. I dont think he'll be able to take as much damage as Hamill took, he doesnt seem to have the recovery ability/composure that guys like Rashad have when they get hit. We should also bare in mind that Rampage fought tht fight against the Hammer with a fractured hand. I see Rampage TKO'ing him in the first or second, and will probably play Rampage KOTN on top of my straight-up play as I dont foresee many TKO/KO's on this card.
                        Comment
                        • Vaughany
                          SBR Aristocracy
                          • 03-07-10
                          • 45563

                          #4422
                          Originally posted by Beelzebubzy
                          Rashad took Page down!
                          Originally posted by Hannibal
                          Rashad is a lot faster and kept page worried with his hands. As well, rashad is shorter and shoots the traditional double. Bader has short legs but shoots kind of a weird double where his upper body is kinda high. Dont think bader will be nearly as effective as rashad.
                          Yeah not sure if Beelze is just stating a fact or saying that as if to imply that if Rashad can take Page down then Bader surely can?! As I said above, Rashad's speed, timing and ability to change levels is on a whole different level to likes of Hamill and Bader
                          Comment
                          • Rubber Guard
                            SBR MVP
                            • 06-22-11
                            • 1550

                            #4423
                            Bader had trouble taking Lil Nog down. Actually Nog stuffed what? 75% of them?
                            Comment
                            • Beelzebubzy
                              SBR Hall of Famer
                              • 06-06-11
                              • 6995

                              #4424
                              Just staing the facts.

                              He asked whom and I answered his question
                              Comment
                              • Vaughany
                                SBR Aristocracy
                                • 03-07-10
                                • 45563

                                #4425
                                Ah right thought so
                                Comment
                                • Beelzebubzy
                                  SBR Hall of Famer
                                  • 06-06-11
                                  • 6995

                                  #4426
                                  Page can be brought down. Do I think bader can do it for three rounds without gassing? No
                                  Do I think bader can finish page? No page still has a great chin.

                                  2u page -240

                                  Will play page ko of the year
                                  Comment
                                  • NunyaBidness
                                    SBR Hall of Famer
                                    • 07-26-09
                                    • 9345

                                    #4427
                                    Originally posted by Beelzebubzy
                                    Will play page ko of the year

                                    Never seen odds for that before.
                                    Comment
                                    • Beelzebubzy
                                      SBR Hall of Famer
                                      • 06-06-11
                                      • 6995

                                      #4428
                                      Doesn't exist. Bad attempt at a joke by me.
                                      Fail
                                      Comment
                                      • MMAbetMASTA
                                        SBR MVP
                                        • 05-24-11
                                        • 1931

                                        #4429
                                        Originally posted by caveira
                                        Well, if you are looking for brazilian crazy fu*** bodies, must google or youtube Juju Salimeni and Nicole Bahls, 2 of the best bodies we have here by now. For what i can remember, Belfort has a very hot wife "feiticeira", she is not so hot now (comparing with her best days, but still very nice) and Ricardo Arona already "went to the ground" with Nicole Bahls, lucking bastard...
                                        Word.... Thanks, gonna go look them up and peep on them now like a creep hahaaaa!

                                        I still think vitor's lady is bangin', but definitnely aged since her prime days as you said. I'd be a very happy man if I were vitor and had that tang to come home to! Don't tell my old lady that

                                        Cheers
                                        Comment
                                        • Vaughany
                                          SBR Aristocracy
                                          • 03-07-10
                                          • 45563

                                          #4430
                                          On the Rampage: Still motivated despite loss to Jones
                                          By Quinton "Rampage" Jackson/Special to Yahoo! Sports
                                          Feb 15, 7:53 pm EST

                                          Editor’s note: This is the first of three exclusive Yahoo! Sports blogs from Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as he trains for his UFC 144 fight against Ryan Bader in Japan.


                                          Quinton Jackson's loss to Jon Jones at UFC 135 marked the first time "Rampage" had been finished in a UFC fight.
                                          (Getty Images)
                                          Nothin’ is promised to no one. I should beat Ryan Bader at UFC 144 in Japan next Saturday – and I plan on knocking his ass out in front of my Japanese fans – but I’ve put in the work in the gym to make sure I do that.

                                          I worked so hard for the Jon Jones fight in September. I trained my ass off. As I said before the fight, I was in the best shape of my life, but in the Octagon I didn’t perform like I should have done. It is frustrating for me, and I felt bad for all my team who got me ready for that Jon Jones fight.


                                          I still think I can win my title back, and I still think I can even win it back from Jon Jones, but I would have to execute the game plan. Jones was very good on the night; he did what he had to with style and stopped me doing what I needed to do. Respect to him.

                                          But I still want my belt back before I retire. I will always think of that belt as mine, even when I’m an old, bald wrinkled ass man. I’m very, very proud of unifying that UFC belt with the PRIDE belt and for that reason a little bit of me will always think of that belt as belonging to me.

                                          But in this fight on February 25, I get the next best thing: I get to fight in Japan for the first time in six years. It’s no secret I love Japan. Japan is where I became a MMA fighter, it is where I made a name for myself and learned how to kick ass. The fans there are so respectful, I can’t wait to perform for them again. I really, really want a sick knockout for them, and maybe even I’ll do my powerbomb if Bader is dumb enough to give me the chance.

                                          I’m not going to lie, I still don’t like training too much. Getting sweaty with other dudes? Not really my thing. There’s other things I can think of which are a lot more fun to do. But I train a lot harder than I used to, and a lot smarter. I’ve even opened up my own gym, the Rampage Fitness Academy in Mission Viejo, CA, which was something I thought I’d never do.

                                          Some haters have said now that I didn’t get my belt back after three years of waiting for my shot, I’m not going to be motivated in my fighting career. That is what my English friends call “bollocks”. I am very motivated to kick Bader’s ass. I was a little pissed off and disappointed that I didn’t get my belt back and I was upset with my performance. I’m going to take that out on Ryan Bader and – in front of the Japanese fight fans – put on a great fight.
                                          Comment
                                          • Beelzebubzy
                                            SBR Hall of Famer
                                            • 06-06-11
                                            • 6995

                                            #4431
                                            How many times will Joe Rogan say "I wish Rampage would throw more leg kicks"

                                            I have the over at 5.5
                                            Comment
                                            • Vaughany
                                              SBR Aristocracy
                                              • 03-07-10
                                              • 45563

                                              #4432
                                              Lil Heathen joined Alliance...



                                              Comment
                                              • Vaughany
                                                SBR Aristocracy
                                                • 03-07-10
                                                • 45563

                                                #4433
                                                Jay Silva chokes out Kendall Grove... Didnt expect tht outcome!



                                                Comment
                                                • Vaughany
                                                  SBR Aristocracy
                                                  • 03-07-10
                                                  • 45563

                                                  #4434
                                                  TUF advert...



                                                  Comment
                                                  • caveira
                                                    SBR Wise Guy
                                                    • 08-07-11
                                                    • 532

                                                    #4435
                                                    I am not so confident about Rampage's motivation, i agree that he was in the best shape of his life last fight, but i am afraid now he is just trying to make more money before to retire, just like Cro Cop saying that "the fire is back" everytime he was going to fight.
                                                    Comment
                                                    • Rubber Guard
                                                      SBR MVP
                                                      • 06-22-11
                                                      • 1550

                                                      #4436
                                                      You liking Frankie Vaugh? Hard to tell with the hedges and multiple plays. I think people continue to underrate him. It is getting down to an even -110 split in some places. That seems pretty ridiculous. Not many champs are favored so little. And is it safe to say Bendo isn't some future of the sport, division changing prospect?

                                                      I just think Frankie is being undervalued...yet again... and I highly doubt the line gets any better.
                                                      Comment
                                                      • fosho14
                                                        SBR Wise Guy
                                                        • 01-25-12
                                                        • 554

                                                        #4437
                                                        don't think it's a wise choice to bet on frankie or bendo. That fight could not be more of a coin flip as each fighter holds DIFFERENT strengths over the other.

                                                        Is there any reason that I shouldn't bet the ranch on Page? Him and Okami are going to be my 2 big plays.
                                                        Comment
                                                        • Beelzebubzy
                                                          SBR Hall of Famer
                                                          • 06-06-11
                                                          • 6995

                                                          #4438
                                                          Happy to see Lil Heathen in an accomplished camp.
                                                          I think sparring with Cruz will help him alot especially with movement.

                                                          I wonder who is fighting next. I am hoping Tavares but I know Tavares is off a win and Stephens is off a loss
                                                          Comment
                                                          • gabe
                                                            SBR Hall of Famer
                                                            • 09-12-11
                                                            • 7405

                                                            #4439
                                                            Originally posted by Beelzebubzy
                                                            Happy to see Lil Heathen in an accomplished camp. I think sparring with Cruz will help him alot especially with movement. I wonder who is fighting next. I am hoping Tavares but I know Tavares is off a win and Stephens is off a loss
                                                            I'm hoping Barboza gets Tavares - Brazilian vs Brazilian

                                                            Should be Stephens vs Guida
                                                            Comment
                                                            • Rubber Guard
                                                              SBR MVP
                                                              • 06-22-11
                                                              • 1550

                                                              #4440
                                                              Originally posted by fosho14
                                                              don't think it's a wise choice to bet on frankie or bendo. That fight could not be more of a coin flip as each fighter holds DIFFERENT strengths over the other.

                                                              Is there any reason that I shouldn't bet the ranch on Page? Him and Okami are going to be my 2 big plays.
                                                              I'm not finding any advantages that Bendo has other than size. And Frankie has dealt with being the smaller man for his whole career. I really don't see one aspect that Bendo is better than Frankie in.

                                                              If we get away from the on paper stuff, I feel Frankie has beat some top LWs already in Penn and Maynard. He seems to get better each time too. I think -115 is a great price on a champ as well-rounded as Frankie.
                                                              Comment
                                                              • Vaughany
                                                                SBR Aristocracy
                                                                • 03-07-10
                                                                • 45563

                                                                #4441
                                                                They'll probably do Guida vs Maynard. I'd rather see Lil Heathen fight somebody who he can knock out!
                                                                Comment
                                                                • Vaughany
                                                                  SBR Aristocracy
                                                                  • 03-07-10
                                                                  • 45563

                                                                  #4442
                                                                  Cage Warriors 45 plays:



                                                                  6.316 units on Chris Fields at +135 to win 8.527 units;




                                                                  My biggest degen play of the night...Chris "The Killing" Fields! I've been a fan of this guy since I saw his fight with Tony Moran (Wolfslair fighter) back in 2010. Apart from being a fan of Fields, I also like to fade Mason as I just don't think he is very good. So I wouldn't tail on this as I could easily be over-rating Fields and under-rating Mason here! At last weeks Cage Warriors event I thought that most of the dogs where under-valued and put SBR points on all of them. 4 out of 5 ended up winning so was pretty p*ssed that I didnt have the balls to bet real dollar on them! So all four favourites will probably go and win tonight now that I've bet on three dogs! I also have a risk-free play on Peter Markusson in the boxing that will net me 9 units profit so hopefully have that as back-up in case these go up!

                                                                  Fields fights out of SGB in Dublin, the premier camp in Ireland. His main coach is the very well respected John Kavanagh, who happens to be the first ever Irish man to get a black-belt in BJJ. Despite starting out as a striker, Fields has evolved nicely over past 3 years in to a decent grappler as well thanks to working with Kavanagh and Matt Thornton. Kavanagh is one of the most respected coaches in Europe, and has been one of the main coaches along with Thornton involved in developing Gunnar Nelson's ground game (the best grappler in Europe and one of the biggest prospects in MMA). Thornton awarded Gunnar his blue and purple-belts, while he was awarded his brown belt from Kavanagh, and since then gone on to get his black belt from Renzo. Along with Owen Roddy who is another decent prospect in Ireland, he and Fields have developed decent ground games for professional Ireland/UK standards thanks to the work of John Kavanagh and now actually like to take fights to the ground rather than keep them standing.

                                                                  Fields although not particularly bulky is still quite a big middleweight being 6ft 3 and cuts from 213-215lbs. As mentioned above, he comes from a striking background, but due to having Kavanagh as head coach and mentor, he has naturally become more grappling orientated, and tends to look to take the fight to the ground rather than keep it standing. However, his shot is very average. He'll often look for double legs but do it without any set-up and shoot from too far out without fully committing so is often stuffed easily. If he tries this he may struggle against the experienced Mason, and end up in a bad position, despite Mason being very flat-footed. Fields' takedowns from the clinch are were his strengths lie. He has solid body lock and inside trips which often lead to him ending up in side-mount or mount, or at worse in opponents half-guard. Even when struggling to get the takedowns from the clinch which he probably will early on against Mason, he has great perseverance. The fact that he has a decent height advantage in this one means that if he does get in the clinch with Mason he'll also be able to look for the plum and work knees to the liver and chin of Mason. Fields isnt one to settle for getting a takedown and lying in guard stealing rounds. He'll work ground and pound and look to be aggressive moving to full mount. His specialty is arm-bars, and also has proficient chokes such as d'arce and brabos. A great strength of Fields' is his ability to listen to Kavanagh in his corner and follow his instructions. He credits a lot of his wins due to Kavanagh telling him what to do during fights and altering game-plans.

                                                                  Mason meanwhile trains at the Tsunami gym, Cambridge with UFC fighter John "The One" Maguire. He also has up and coming prospect Luke Barnatt who is 6’ 6” and a similar body-type to Fields so the combination of Barnatt and Maguire (who is a solid grappler for UK MMA standards) means that he'll be well prepared for what Fields brings. Mason clearly has a big experience advantage over Fields which is probably the main reason why he is favourite in this fight. He's fought the likes of Zaromskis, Hathaway, Paraisy, and most recently Brian Foster. Coincidentally though, he happened to get dominated in all of those fights! He most recent win was against 0-4 Miguel Bernard, who was also 0-2 as an amateur so hell knows why he has been getting fights against likes of Mason and Tim Radcliffe! Losing to likes of Zaromskis and Hathaway is nothing to be ashamed about, I highly doubt Chris Fields would have a chance against them either. But the Paraisy fight for me was very telling of Mason's abilities. In tht fight he looked downright awful! His takedown attempts were slow and predictable, his striking was stiff with no combinations, his footwork was non-existent - just completely flat-footed, and he ended up getting caught by a glancing knee and pretty much giving up in the third round. Both guys seemed to gas out by end of the second round despite the fact that they'd barely done anything in the first or second round! Maybe that was just an off day for Mason, he might come out in this fight looking completely different, but I'll take my chances against an underdog in Fields who is well-rounded, hungry, and gritty. Another thing about Mason is that he doesnt like taking punishment. Aside from the embarrassing finish to the Paraisy fight where it hardly looked like the knee connected, he also tapped to strikes from Hathaway after Hath slammed him Rory Mac style a few times and landed a couple of punches from his back. Finally, one more point to consider is that Fields trains MMA full-time, he spends his life in the gym, while as far as I'm aware Mason still works a full-time job as well as training. Something to consider, as it's difficult for a guy like Mason to evolve when he's only training a couple hours a day, and has to focus on other things while guys like Fields sacrificed a career in banking (also was an auctioneer) where he could of earned a lot more money to fully focus on MMA career.


                                                                  3.158 units on Brents at +275 to win 8.685 units;

                                                                  Lloret looked in good shape and obviously has a big advantage in BJJ. But Brents is experienced and powerful, and tough to finish. He may be able to keep this standing long enough to hurt Lloret. At +275 he's worth a stab as I think he should be closer to +200.


                                                                  1.263 units on Wheeler at +200 to win 2.526 units.

                                                                  Wheeler is another prospect I like a lot as he has solid grappling and aggressive striking, and is very tough. He recently got his purple-belt in BJJ and is very comfortable off his back so may be able to cause Reese some trouble of his back. Reese is a high-level NCAA wrestler so undoubtedly Wheeler will end up on his back at some point. Wheeler is adept at transitioning from different positions and will look for kneebars, heel-hooks, armbars and triangles straight away - he isnt the type to just let his opponent sit in his guard or get lay n prayed. He should also have a slight size advantage, especially in terms of height which I hope he'll use to his advantage standing in the clinch by using his knees which he has used to good effect in previous fights such as the Enty rematch. Reese being a ATT fighter and high level wrestler should be able to beat Wheeler who is still very raw and has holes in his game defensively, however I think Wheeler is worth a stab at +200, seeing as Reese is stepping in on short notice and fighting abroad and in differetn time zone for first time. This is particularly significant as he slowed down and tired considerably mid-way during the Bobby Greene fight, so doesnt bode well when you're stepping in on short notice and in a different time zone, unusual surroundings etc agaisnt a guy with an aggressive game, who is very durable and has reasonable cardio.

                                                                  Last edited by Vaughany; 02-18-12, 01:36 PM.
                                                                  Comment
                                                                  • Hannibal
                                                                    SBR MVP
                                                                    • 05-15-11
                                                                    • 1055

                                                                    #4443
                                                                    tailed you on fields for some action!
                                                                    Comment
                                                                    • Beelzebubzy
                                                                      SBR Hall of Famer
                                                                      • 06-06-11
                                                                      • 6995

                                                                      #4444
                                                                      The degen in me is tailing you on Fields.

                                                                      .25u +125
                                                                      Comment
                                                                      • Vaughany
                                                                        SBR Aristocracy
                                                                        • 03-07-10
                                                                        • 45563

                                                                        #4445
                                                                        Originally posted by Vaughany
                                                                        Cage Warriors 45 plays:



                                                                        6.316 units on Chris Fields at +135 to win 8.527 units;




                                                                        My biggest degen play of the night...Chris "The Killing" Fields! I've been a fan of this guy since I saw his fight with Tony Moran (Wolfslair fighter) back in 2010. Apart from being a fan of Fields, I also like to fade Mason as I just don't think he is very good. So I wouldn't tail on this as I could easily be over-rating Fields and under-rating Mason here! At last weeks Cage Warriors event I thought that most of the dogs where under-valued and put SBR points on all of them. 4 out of 5 ended up winning so was pretty p*ssed that I didnt have the balls to bet real dollar on them! So all four favourites will probably go and win tonight now that I've bet on three dogs! I also have a risk-free play on Peter Markusson in the boxing that will net me 9 units profit so hopefully have that as back-up in case these go up!

                                                                        Fields fights out of SGB in Dublin, the premier camp in Ireland. His main coach is the very well respected John Kavanagh, who happens to be the first ever Irish man to get a black-belt in BJJ. Despite starting out as a striker, Fields has evolved nicely over past 3 years in to a decent grappler as well thanks to working with Kavanagh and Matt Thornton. Kavanagh is one of the most respected coaches in Europe, and has been one of the main coaches along with Thornton involved in developing Gunnar Nelson's ground game (the best grappler in Europe and one of the biggest prospects in MMA). Thornton awarded Gunnar his blue and purple-belts, while he was awarded his brown belt from Kavanagh, and since then gone on to get his black belt from Renzo. Along with Owen Roddy who is another decent prospect in Ireland, he and Fields have developed decent ground games for professional Ireland/UK standards thanks to the work of John Kavanagh and now actually like to take fights to the ground rather than keep them standing.

                                                                        Fields although not particularly bulky is still quite a big middleweight being 6ft 3 and cuts from 213-215lbs. As mentioned above, he comes from a striking background, but due to having Kavanagh as head coach and mentor, he has naturally become more grappling orientated, and tends to look to take the fight to the ground rather than keep it standing. However, his shot is very average. He'll often look for double legs but do it without any set-up and shoot from too far out without fully committing so is often stuffed easily. If he tries this he may struggle against the experienced Mason, and end up in a bad position, despite Mason being very flat-footed. Fields' takedowns from the clinch are were his strengths lie. He has solid body lock and inside trips which often lead to him ending up in side-mount or mount, or at worse in opponents half-guard. Even when struggling to get the takedowns from the clinch which he probably will early on against Mason, he has great perseverance. The fact that he has a decent height advantage in this one means that if he does get in the clinch with Mason he'll also be able to look for the plum and work knees to the liver and chin of Mason. Fields isnt one to settle for getting a takedown and lying in guard stealing rounds. He'll work ground and pound and look to be aggressive moving to full mount. His specialty is arm-bars, and also has proficient chokes such as d'arce and brabos. A great strength of Fields' is his ability to listen to Kavanagh in his corner and follow his instructions. He credits a lot of his wins due to Kavanagh telling him what to do during fights and altering game-plans.

                                                                        Mason meanwhile trains at the Tsunami gym, Cambridge with UFC fighter John "The One" Maguire. He also has up and coming prospect Luke Barnatt who is 6’ 6” and a similar body-type to Fields so the combination of Barnatt and Maguire (who is a solid grappler for UK MMA standards) means that he'll be well prepared for what Fields brings. Mason clearly has a big experience advantage over Fields which is probably the main reason why he is favourite in this fight. He's fought the likes of Zaromskis, Hathaway, Paraisy, and most recently Brian Foster. Coincidentally though, he happened to get dominated in all of those fights! He most recent win was against 0-4 Miguel Bernard, who was also 0-2 as an amateur so hell knows why he has been getting fights against likes of Mason and Tim Radcliffe! Losing to likes of Zaromskis and Hathaway is nothing to be ashamed about, I highly doubt Chris Fields would have a chance against them either. But the Paraisy fight for me was very telling of Mason's abilities. In tht fight he looked downright awful! His takedown attempts were slow and predictable, his striking was stiff with no combinations, his footwork was non-existent - just completely flat-footed, and he ended up getting caught by a glancing knee and pretty much giving up in the third round. Both guys seemed to gas out by end of the second round despite the fact that they'd barely done anything in the first or second round! Maybe that was just an off day for Mason, he might come out in this fight looking completely different, but I'll take my chances against an underdog in Fields who is well-rounded, hungry, and gritty. Another thing about Mason is that he doesnt like taking punishment. Aside from the embarrassing finish to the Paraisy fight where it hardly looked like the knee connected, he also tapped to strikes from Hathaway after Hath slammed him Rory Mac style a few times and landed a couple of punches from his back. Finally, one more point to consider is that Fields trains MMA full-time, he spends his life in the gym, while as far as I'm aware Mason still works a full-time job as well as training. Something to consider, as it's difficult for a guy like Mason to evolve when he's only training a couple hours a day, and has to focus on other things while guys like Fields sacrificed a career in banking (also was an auctioneer) where he could of earned a lot more money to fully focus on MMA career.


                                                                        3.158 units on Brents at +275 to win 8.685 units;

                                                                        Lloret looked in good shape and obviously has a big advantage in BJJ. But Brents is experienced and powerful, and tough to finish. He may be able to keep this standing long enough to hurt Lloret. At +275 he's worth a stab as I think he should be closer to +200.


                                                                        1.263 units on Wheeler at +200 to win 2.526 units.

                                                                        Wheeler is another prospect I like a lot as he has solid grappling and aggressive striking, and is very tough. He recently got his purple-belt in BJJ and is very comfortable off his back so may be able to cause Reese some trouble of his back. Reese is a high-level NCAA wrestler so undoubtedly Wheeler will end up on his back at some point. Wheeler is adept at transitioning from different positions and will look for kneebars, heel-hooks, armbars and triangles straight away - he isnt the type to just let his opponent sit in his guard or get lay n prayed. He should also have a slight size advantage, especially in terms of height which I hope he'll use to his advantage standing in the clinch by using his knees which he has used to good effect in previous fights such as the Enty rematch. Reese being a ATT fighter and high level wrestler should be able to beat Wheeler who is still very raw and has holes in his game defensively, however I think Wheeler is worth a stab at +200, seeing as Reese is stepping in on short notice and fighting abroad and in differetn time zone for first time. This is particularly significant as he slowed down and tired considerably mid-way during the Bobby Greene fight, so doesnt bode well when you're stepping in on short notice and in a different time zone, unusual surroundings etc agaisnt a guy with an aggressive game, who is very durable and has reasonable cardio.


                                                                        Forgot to mention that Mason has actually been looking to move down to Welterweight. He barely cuts any weight to make 185, he was going to go to WW before the Foster fight but settled for that at catch-weight of 180 then he was offered a spot in the MW tournament so couldnt resist.
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