This is Why It's Called Gambling (UFC 184: Rousey vs Zingano and I guess some other non-PPV worthy fights)

There's not much of a polite way to put this so I'll just put it like it, in fact, is: the co-main event for a $60 PPV was a woman who was making her UFC debut. Male or female, that's just not acceptable. Selling that as a co-main event even to a purist of the highest hardcore fan/devotee of the sport order is nigh impossible.


Much like paying to see a Tyson in his heyday execution blowout finish in a minute, the card just felt like less than even most of the fight nights or UFC on FOX events I've seen. The other main card fights involved two guys both coming off of 3 losses apiece, and two guys who slugged for less than round who both were coming off of losses (questionable judging or whatever).


It is about impossible to do anything but question the value of such a card when asking for $60.



I've gone 37-29 for picks across the last 6 events with only 2 nights where I took some bad beats. 

In the past 6 events, 4 of them I've picked 60+ % of the fights or more correctly. I took a bad beat (as did most oddsmakers on the Mir/Bigfoot card (10 underdogs won) and went 4-7 on the Silva/Diaz card. Other than that I've had nights where I went 9-3, 9-2, and 8-4 among others.


There's money to be had if you keep an eye on intangibles.




 I felt like Gleison Tibau would be flatter than normal fighting just a month removed from his last appearance and having heard what an insane amount of weight he cuts. I also thought his largely stand-up affair with N. Parke would have him overrate his stand-up skills and a short right hand in mid-range led to the submission loss against T. Ferguson last night. Munoz I believe would be a big gun shy coming off of 3 high profile losses and Carneiro I felt was hungry coming up from the big leagues but minus some of the usual Octagon jitters as he's been in the big show before this go round.

At any rate, I also made money at Draft Kings with all 3 of the contests I entered and I'm up a fair bit from my initially meager investment of $25.

How/Why Judo Led me to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Some people will disagree. Sure. That's life.
Was my groundwork more than rudimentary at best before I began training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Nope, barely.

What you'll see below has been pretty much my experience in the efficacy of Judo matwork overall.
I think Jiu-Jitsu could learn some aggression and insistence from Judo because who wants to watch two guys play footsie for ten minutes and call it a black belt match for the world championship, y'know?

Beyond that, however, Judo's matwork and lack of diligence in training it, and clear lack of some solid fundamentals for a lot of otherwise competent Judoka out there is a problem. Pure and simple. I don't expect Judoka who can win with a single throw to be as adept on the ground due to the confines of the rules of the sport.
I do expect that they not have poor fundamentals and understand basics of things like not reaching back to put themselves in a triangle or stacking up and putting themselves in armbar position, or as they love to do: freely giving away the underhook.

This is over at BJJEE.com HERE.

So, Frank Mir Won a Fight (This is Why it's Called Gambling)

Last week was one of those times....you know, the night where I'm reminded even a broken clock is right twice a day. Guys like Khabilov and others lost fights that on paper they should have won. Even the oddsmakers had a number of fights pegged wrong....if you can call it that.

I'm 29-27 for picks over the course of the last 5 UFC events. This last event really did a number on my picking %.







The betting lines weren't very favorable to make money off the "sure things" and we were reminded that in the fight game there is no such thing as a sure thing unless someone is on the fix.


At any rate, Khabilov, Andrade, and Silva just didn't get the memo. I did pick the Sam Alvey fight because I saw the startling number of TKO's on his record.




I'm reminded of the UFC Sweden/Stockholm card where almost none of the Swedes won.

I switched up some of my picks for Draft Kings as my thinking shifted a bit the closer I looked at some of the records of the guys fighting by picking Mike de la Torre but overall I went 2-9 on the card with my original picks.





Andrade blew it. Mir pulled the rabbit out of the hat. Iuri blew it. Barboza started strong with a lot of kicks and some well-timed knees but Johnson stayed on the walking him down game play. Dwyer pulled out a superman punch for KO, I mean...you can't predict that *&$@, y'know?



This upcoming weekend we have a Bellator card Friday and the hopelessly understaffed Rousey/Zingano PPV with Holly Holm (seriously?) as what I assume is the co-main event. Koscheck fights Ellenberger as both guys try to make some money but we all know neither will fight for the belt again.


I actually met Josh Koscheck in Vero Beach, Florida a couple years ago while there for my mom's wedding. Super nice guy in person.

At any rate, the card is full of a ton of guys who are almost total unknowns to me which makes betting problematic to say the least.



Tony Ferguson faces Gleison Tibau who is a gatekeeper extraordinaire but depending on the line, I may do some gambling. Roan Carneiro returns to the UFC after blazing it up out in the minor leagues against Mark Munoz who has only faltered against top flight guys like Machida which makes it hard to say if Munoz' better days are behind him or if he's a Ryan Bader who only falters against the best? 
Kid Yamamoto is fighting God knows why? but I'd sooner bet on Frank Mir to pull out a win than Kid Yamamoto at this point.



In Bellator's Bush League neck of the woods Emmanuel Newton defends his strap and as the guy is hittable with some come from behind wins, he's always entertaining, King Mo fights Cheick Kongo in what I think will be entertaining for as long as it lasts unless Kongo presses King Mo against the fence for 3 rounds as he does sometimes.

Reminder: Durham, NC - Toro Cup Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Invitational 1pm EST - Streaming Live

Saturday is the day.


I'm part of a Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Invitational Event put on by Cageside MMA at their warehouse/location in Durham, NC (also the location for Triangle Jiu-Jitsu Durham.
Come see it live or watch from the comfort of home:
The stream will be embedded HERE and begins at 1pm EST.

Jiu-Jitsu Purple through Black belts will compete with guys from predominantly North Carolina but a few hailing from as far away as California. Active Jiu-Jitsu competitors, professional and amateur MMA fighters, Judo black belts....but all of whom actively train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

......and your truly representing Zenith BJJ  before I kick off another busy month grinding it out at purple belt in various tournaments.

Berimbolo-Pedia: Standing, Sitting, & to the Inside

Versus Standing:













Versus Sitting:












To the Inside:

UFC 184: Rousey vs Zingano UFC Gambling Picks & Such

Ah...what was to be....at any rate, maybe one day in a land of cupcakes and rainbows Weidman will fight non-TRT Belfort.



As it is, Saturday I'm competing at the Toro Cup as part of an invitational day of Gi matches, you can watch here at Cageside MMA's website where the stream should be embedded. After that, I'll be eating something delicious, and celebrating after a lot of weeks of hard training.
I'll eat, watch the UFC, get some rest and be back at it training Sunday morning.


March is a busy month of competing with the Toro Cup (technically the last day of February), the Ultimate Grappling event the 7th of March in Norfolk, Hayastan Grappling Challenge the 14th in Charlotte, and the Submission Only event for US Grappling March 21st in Virginia Beach.

I think there are some great betting lines for the upcoming UFC, not so much for the female fights where due to Rousey obliterating everyone of her gender in her division in each title defense and because Holm needs to be groomed as a payday/match-up for the under-challenged Rousey we have some heavy favorites.

I think the Roan Carneiro, Tim Means, and Koscheck fights are all good options.



I don't like betting against Munoz, because he's only lost to guys with names like Machida, Weidman, et al, but I think Roan Carneiro may be on the upswing and Munoz' lost to Machida so quickly he has me doubting if he's a top tier guy/for much longer if at all.

I also find it odd the bookies have Walsh as such a heavy favorite over Jouban. I think the Ferguson fight is tough to pick as well in that Tibau just seems to almost always gut out the decision, and I definitely had him picked to win over N. Parke but not via the picking apart stand up style hemployed over the course of the 3 rounds.



Yamamoto is in Frank Mir territory with me wondering how the dude even gets fights any longer and I just can't bet on him to not find a way to lose because he's gotten real good at doing that these days/years/whatever. Krause should pull out the W against a guy I've never heard of and the last fight is two complete unknowns so on paper, it's anyone's fight come Saturday.

Countdown to UFC 184: Holly Holm vs Pennington

Y'know, the times they are a changin'.


Injury aside, this weekend's UFC is both main and co-event'd by women MMA bouts/fights.