pride fighting....crocop vs barnett

[sphincter]

anybody have a feeling here?....crocop is the striker....hands and feet....i have to think that barnett will want to ground and pound...

the odds are very do-able....crocop-125....barnett even....

royler....anybody else have an opinion?....

does crocop have a slight homefield advantage being that this is a pride show and barnett made his bones at ufc?.....

thanks.

 

[Royler]

I would put my money on Barnett.

Filipovic is a very one-dimensional fighter. He's got the high kick and the stand-up accuracy. Good sprawl, but he turns into a spaz on the mat, meaning his gas tank will take a hit.

Barnett is far more tactical, experienced, and well-rounded. He's only been handed one loss in a seven-year pro career. It took Pedro Rizzo ten minutes to KO him in a fight where Barnett didn't even attempt one takedown. He wanted to stand and got a little too bold. Live and learn.

He's had to deal with heavy hands before in Rooze, Schilt, Hoffman, and Rizzo.

Mirko has looked dangerous KOing a long line of ill-equipped Japanese. Waterman gave him a lot of trouble and Nogueira - Barnett's equal in submission grappling - armbarred him the second it hit the ground.

I'd be nervous about Barnett's inactivity, but then again, Cro fighting six times this year may be more of a strain than a benefit.

Outside the ring? Barnett is representing New Japan Pro Wrestling and the angle isn't one of a UFC fighter coming in to Pride. He's signed to multiple fights and Filipovic is open to offers to work K-1 shows, meaning that any bogus reffing or judging (if one is inclined to worry about that) would logically swing Barnett's way.

Josh believes he has the high kick defense figured out. I think his absence from the US MMA scene has led some people to forget how good the guy really is. Barring any severe ring rust, Barnett via armbar in round one.

 

[JOddessa]

Best 2 way action bout on the card, followed by Rampage vs Silva. Tough bout to call, but I am leaning towards Cro.

 

[JOddessa]

As of 10 mins ago you could lay -345 on Hunt and take +400 on Bobish. I like Hunt, but its free money if Blobish gets lucky.

 

[sphincter]

i`m leaning barnett now myself after hearing from some guys that supposedly know mma....

15-1....only 1 decision...beat couture....and from what i`ve been informed,only lost to rizzo because he wanted to stand up with the guy...

taking bobish.....looking hard at silva...

 

[hardcorecap]

When you look at barnett you wouldnt think he is as good as his record shows. But when the fight starts he will impress you. He has a ton of skills and is very versitile. He isnt somebody that i would bet against

 

[Royler]

If you guys like taking a shot with the big 'dogs, take a good look at Hirotaka Yokoi over Heath Herring at around +300.

Herring has been on the wane lately and hasn't looked so hot. Yokoi is 10-1 in MMA and gave Rodrigo Nogueira a lot of trouble in their April 2004 fight. I fully expect him to be able to toss Herring around and maybe grind out a decision win if his gas tank holds up. The odds are about right, as Herring has the size and name value over him. Yokoi may also be a little injured, from what I hear. But he's definitely live.

Still waiting for all the Cro Cop backers (where are you?) to bring Barnett's number up a little bit.

Overeem (-144) over Kanehara is also very enticing. He has a tremendous 6" reach advantage and should be able to score with solid strikes early. Overeem was beating the tar out of Liddell until Chuck turned it around. (And was on a 12-fight win streak up until then.)

Kanehara has been around the block a few times and is pretty weathered. He's never beaten a name fighter in full-bore MMA; only in RINGS, where striking on the ground isn't allowed. And he hasn't won any fights of any kind in three years.

Line is likely so low due to Kanehara going the distance with Filipovic awhile back: it was an off night for Mirko.

If you're really feeling lucky, it wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to take a shot with James Thompson (+490) over Aleksander Emelianenko. On paper, Emel is by far the more skilled fighter, but he just fought to a decision on 10/9 and may not be peaking properly. If it weren't for Pride's paydays, I doubt he'd want to fight again so soon. Could come into play.

Jackson (+155) can beat Silva, no question. I've always been of the opinion that Silva has been pampered a great deal and has yet to actually face a top-ranked light heavyweight who didn't get pummeled two hours prior. When Silva has had to face a fresh contender, he's been KOed (Belfort) and lost a decision (Ortiz). In a 50/50 fight, I think you have to go with the value.

Best Bets:
Yokoi Over Herring +360
Barnett Over Filipovic +102
Overeem Over Kanehara -144

 

[sphincter]

like overeem ,too...saw him twice..the liddell fight was going overeem`s way until the bomb dropped.....he`s a tough guy....a big guy....

g.l.

 

[_wheredatreezat]

Whend does this stuff happen? I want to get in on the fun too.

 

[Superhero]

LOL, Treez, I'm w/ ya. Love following these guys w/ knowledge in the "off-the-beaten-path" sports. I see you in the Guru and Madcapper tennis and soccer threads quite a bit, gotta love MC's soccer run eh?

Wondering the same, are these fights tonight? Pinnacle must have lines on UF no?

 

[Royler]

Fights will start around 3 or 4 AM ET on Sunday morning, the 31st. Pinny and Sportsbook will probably take down lines at 12 midnight on Saturday.

The PPV will air at 9 PM ET on Sunday evening...just a short delay.

 

[SoCalBaseball]

It's taking all my will power not to bet on this card. My pick would be with Barnett (now at +113 at Pinny). I just think he's gonna take him. Royler, I think Hearring is a little too much for Yokoi, but I have to agree that the price is a little out of whack. Maybe worth a try.

I also think for the dog lovers that Bobish could "possibly" give Hunt a battle (now at +330 at Pinny).

Personally, my lock is with Dan Henderson. But at -247 I'll stay away.

Also, I like Silvia in the main event, but I wouldn't lay the chalk there either (currently -158). IMO opinion you just can't take his losses too seriously. It's been simply too long (years) since he's been beaten and he's really done nothing but improve in a sport where a long winning streak is hard to come by. Sure there have been a few controversial decsions, but not enough to merit a whole lot of attention.

Good luck to all the bettors. This card is going to be epic.

 

[Royler]

Just for laughs...

Jackson over Silva (Stronger, better wrestler)
Barnett over Filipovic (Too well-rounded for Mirko)
Yokoi over Herring (Can stay busy enough top or bottom to win the decision)
Arona over Ignashov (Arona wins ugly, but he wins)
Hunt over Bobish (Laughable: Bobish is a quitter and Hunt hits like a hammer)
Henderson over Nakamura (Tough decision, but Hendo's hands make the difference)
Overeem over Kanehara (Heavy hands vs. a overworked "young old man")
Emelianenko over Thompson (Thompson big and tough, but not a skill match)
Palelei over Mu Bae (Bigger, heavier hands)

 

[bombay24]

You said there is a small delay? It goes off at around 4 AM and PPV isnt until around 9 PM? or am I somehow mistaken? Will these be graded before PPV goes off?

 

[RDavis1]

Maybe Silva will start getting the respect he deserves from every MMA fan/observer. He's undoubtedly the best in the world at 205 (and lower) under Pride rules.

Too bad about the Barnett/Cro Cop fight. Hopefully they can rematch at the next event.

 

[sphincter]

barnett needs to do "a little" weight room work....i`ve never seen a shoulder dislocated like that...it certainly didn`t look like anything out of the ordinary.....unless it happened when they went to the ground....

and nobody was more surprised than crocop.....he did nothing special to cause it...

and royler called it with bobish....when he couldn`t finish hunt on the ground,it was over....the guy needs to get a job.....

 

[franks]

Where is the best source for results to be found on-line?

Almost like trying to find Bin-Laden!

 

[SoCalBaseball]

Shame about the Barnett and Herring fights. Would have liked to see more.

Actually thought Bobish did an o.k. job against Hunt, but he just used way too much gas with ineffective knees and punches he kept throwing. He dominated the fight (for what it's worth). With his wrestling skills he should have tried to keep Hunt under control longer. He looked a little better with the weight loss, but he just doesn't have the gas to fight 20 minutes. Hunt looked awful himself but you can't deny that he has a head like a rock and one good kick to the side is all he needs to beat a gased Bobish. I honestly don't expect much in the future from either of those two guys. Hunt isn't going to beat a whole lot of heavyweights down the road fighting like he did tonight, and he doesn't seem to have the all-around package necessary to be a top flight NHB fighter. Should stick to K-1. Far from impressive.

Silva on the other hand is simply the greatest champion Pride or the UFC has ever seen. Coture has been a great heavywieght champion for UFC, but IMO nothing close to Silva. His longevity combined with his ring savy and ever improving skills are phenomenal. Simply the best. Rampage was commendable and had him in trouble near the end of the first, but Silva was just too much. Don't think I like his idea of going up to fight Fedor too much, probably a bad idea.

Overall the card was a bit of a disapointment due to the injury factor. Silva and Jackson really salvaged the card with their fight. Can't wait to see the card for Shockwave on Jan. 2.

Royler, sorry for the terrible circumstances involving Filipovic and Yokoi. Hope you went heavy on Overeem. That fight was over before it started. Kanehara has heart, but really didn't belong in the ring with Overeem.