WTA Doha Championships: Safina vs. Wozniacki

Doha, Qatar – According to the rankings, Safina is the best player in the game, but who the “best” really is seems more a function of how well they play at the big events than any kind of tennis proficiency.

On Monday this week, Safina reclaimed the No.1 ranking and according to the numeric system that is a compilation of points gained over the season she has the highest tally right now, making her the top standard in the women’s game. But you will be hard pressed to find many who think she is the best.

The case against Safina is that she has not played her best on the big stage – at least not at the final moment, when it counts the most. Her losses in the Aussie Open final (to Serena Williams) and French Open final (to Svetlana Kuznetsova), as well as her loss in the Wimby semis (to Venus Williams), are held by her detractors as proof of why she isn’t the best. Not because she lost those matches, mind. Any player, even the best player, can lose a match on any given day. It is the way she lost, totally capitulating, that stands heavily against her claim to be the best in the game.

Yet, she played some of her best tennis to get to those moments and she has one last chance to redeem herself on the big stage this season when she gets her Doha bid underway against Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

Tennis Betting Line: Dinara Safina -160 Caroline Wozniacki +120

Match Time: 10:00 A.m. Eastern Time Wednesday October 28, 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: The only time Dinara Safina and Caroline Wozniacki met was at the Madrid final earlier this season. Safina beat Wozniacki rather easily that day, in straight sets 6-2, 6-4 to capture the coveted title. A lot has happened to both players since then however. Safina saw her star fizzle while Wozniacki’s star enjoyed a spurt and their contrasting back-stories make this rematch even more compelling.

Because of the Danish teenagers’ positive trend over the summer, understandably she is getting nods in the market. She is tipped modestly at the disadvantage in this match at +120, making her a good play for the win. However, she has been struggling on form and fitness these last few weeks and you can’t make allowances for that in a tournament where you come up against top-tenners right away and don’t have time to work yourself into the proceedings.

Wozniacki leads the tour with most match wins at 65-22 but as impressive her mark is, if she has picked up more serious injuries over her busy year than we are aware of (she retired last week in Linz with visible back pains) she won’t get too far in Doha. [Might want to rethink her schedule for next year.]

Safina enters the Tour Championships with a 55-15 mark on the season and she should be well rested after omitting to enter any tournaments since her second round loss at Beijing early October. Safina gets the favourite nod from the bookies and enters at a reasonably low price of -160.

I think Safina is good value at this price point for the win. She has every opportunity to win this match and she should win. Don’t be surprised if it is a painful lopsided three-set victory.

Tennis Free Picks: Safina in three sets

ATP St Petersburg First Round Picks: Youzhny and Kunitsyn in action

St. Petersburg, Russia – Moscow Champion Mikhail Youzhny opens his bid for a second-consecutive Russian title in St. Petersburg on Wednesday against Andrey Golubev. Meanwhile, Russian Igor Kunitsyn begins his quest for a title on home soil against Pablo Cuevas.

Tennis Betting Line: Pablo Cuevas -125 Igor Kunitsyn -115

Match Time: 09:30 A.M. Eastern Time Wednesday October 28, 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: World No. 103 Igor Kunitsyn failed to defend his Moscow title last week when he crashed in the first round to compatriot Evgeny Korolev 6-7(6), 3-6. Kunitsyn slipped to 13-29 on the season on the back of that result. He will be aiming to open a better account for home fans in St. Petersburg when he takes on Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas. Cuevas currently weighs in at No. 49 in the world and boasts a modest 18-12 mark on the season. He is after a quarterfinal showing in Moscow wherein he lost to Mikhail Kukushkin.

Cuevas is only marginally favoured over Kunitsyn for the outright win but there is no doubt in my mind he, Cuevas that is, is the better play by a long shot. Kunitsyn has been off-from all season long and his woes are far from being over. Kunitsyn has home edge and as a result, a perceived shot in this match, hence his favourable odds a t -115. However, Cuevas has been playing better so Kunitsyn can’t rely on fans carrying him to victory but rather he would have to come up with something special.

Tennis Free Picks: Cuevas in three sets

Tennis Betting Line: Mikhail Youzhny -450 Andrey Golubev +275

Match Time: 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time Wednesday October 28, 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Mikhail Youzhny enters the St. Petersburg Open on the heels of a title victory in Moscow. Youzhny has seen massive improvement in his game over the last month with a runner-up finish in Tokyo prior to winning the title in Moscow – with these encouraging results he is up to world No. 25 this week.

He enters as the top seed in this tournament and the decided favourite to sweep up both Russian titles. Naturally, Youzhny is a solid favourite to win his opening match against No. 139 Andrey Golubev. Youzhny takes an 11-3 mark since the US Open into his first-ever clash against Golubev. Considering Youzhny is hot right now; he is the smart play to win outright. Moreover, there is little to suggest Golubev has enough game to upset Youzhny.

Tennis Free Picks: Youzhny in straight sets

Isner and Monfils begin their bid in Vienna

Vienna, Austria – American John Isner and Frenchman Gael Monfils are amongst several to open their bid for the Bank of Austria title on Wednesday. Isner takes on Moscow runner-up, Serbian Janko Tipsarevic in his opener, meanwhile Monfils takes on Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Tennis Betting Line: John Isner +110 Janko Tipsarevic -150

Match Time: 06:00 am Eastern Time Wednesday October 28, 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Serbian Janko Tipsarevic is enjoying a positive trend lately. The 25-year-old Serbian is after winning a challenger event a fortnight ago and a runner-up finish in Moscow at the weekend wherein he lost to home favourite Mikhail Youzhny 7-6(5), 0-6, 4-6. Overall, No. 46 Tipsarevic is 26-23 on the season.

John Isner arrives in St. Petersburg with a 25-15 mark on the season and a career high ranking of No. 39. Isner enjoyed a standout US Open wherein he reached the last 16 after taking out Andy Roddick in the R32. Isner followed up with a quarterfinal appearance in Bangkok and seemed poised to continue his good form through the Asian swing. Instead, he crashed in the first round of Tokyo and Shanghai.

It is the first-ever clash between Isner and Tipsarevic. Tipsarevic has been on a good run lately and it is reflected in his favourite odds at -150 at BetOnline. But the gruelling two weeks of play has to be catching up to him. Keep in mind he has never been known for exceptional fitness. Meanwhile, Isner is well-rested having not played since the Shanghai Masters and in that he has a slight edge over Tipsarevic.

Tennis Free Picks: Isner in straight sets

Tennis Betting Line: Guillermo Garcia Lopez +400 Gael Monfils -700

Match Time: 06:00 am Eastern Time Wednesday October 28, 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Frenchman Gael Monfils is an almost untouchable favourite in this match, listed at -700 to win outright at BetOnline Sportsbook. Monfils has had a lopsided season in which he enjoyed a brief stint at world No.9 before slipping to No.15. He arrives in Vienna with a 35-16 mark highlighted most recently by a quarterfinal finish in Kuala Lumpur, a semi-final finish in Tokyo and a R16 finish in Shanghai.

Head-to-head Monfils owns the 1-0 edge over No.45 Guillermo Garcia Lopez after beating the Spaniard last year in Casablanca. Lopez has enjoyed a good week here and there this term but overall his season has been average. He is 26-25 on the season. Really, Garcia-Lopez has little to hope for in this match.

Tennis Free Picks: Monfils in straight sets

WTA Sony Ericsson Championships Group action: Dementieva vs. Venus Williams

Doha, Qatar – Defending champion Venus Williams begins her Tour title defence campaign in round robin action against No.5 Elena Dementieva. The American world No.7 enters the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships on rather generous short odds to win a second consecutive Tour title; listed at +600 on the Doha futures market at BetOnline Sportsbook, she is the third favourite in line for the title (behind Serena at +200 and Svetlana Kuznetsova at +500), sharing the mark with No. 8 Jelena Jankovic.

The market cast is more a reflection of the fact she is the defending champion rather than any real clout she might have. The fact of the matter is Venus Williams has been fluctuating in the rankings this season, reaching a tipping point at No.3 before sliding down to No.7. More significantly, Venus has not won a title since winning back-to-back events in Dubai and Acapulco in February. The closest she came to a third title on the season was at Wimbledon and Stanford. However, she lost both finals to Serena Williams and Marion Bartoli, respectively. Overall, Venus Williams is 36-13 on the season.

Elena Dementieva is down to world No.5 after reaching a career high ranking of No.3 this season. Dementieva has had a standout year by her standards, picking up three titles – Auckland, Sydney and Toronto. She also finished in the semis at the Australian Open and Wimbledon Championships.

Dementieva enters the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships also rather generously priced, tipped at +650 in the futures market to win outright. The market cast is in stark contrast to her recent momentum drop off. Although Dementieva takes an impressive 54-16 mark to Doha, she totted up the bulk of the tally ahead of the US Open. Since Flushing when she crashed in the second round to Melanie Oudin, she has been on a conspicuous negative trend that spilt into the subsequent fall term. Including the US Open, Dementieva has hauled a 4-3 mark in the last few months ahead of the Tour championships.

Tennis Betting Line: Elena Dementieva +120        Venus Williams     -160

Match Time: 11:00 a.m. Eastern time Tuesday October 27, 2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: That all said Venus Williams takes a commanding 9-2 head-to-head lead over Elena Dementieva into their opening round robin match. The all-time record includes a convincing 2-0 edge over Dementieva in 2009, having thoroughly beaten the Russian in the Dubai quarters 6-3, 6-3 and the Stanford semis 6-0, 6-1.

As you might expect, Venus Williams enters this match therefore as the favourite to win, listed at BetOnline at -160. However, Dementieva’s modest underdog price at 120 stands out more as it is in contrast to her abysmal H2H against Venus.

The tight tennis betting line underscores Venus’s declining game more than Dementieva’s capabilities over the American. Venus has had bizarre losses over the season to unheralded players such as Sabine Lisicki, Agnes Szavay, Alisa Kleybanova and Kateryna Bondarenko. More recently, she suffered back-to-back defeats by Anastasia Pavyluchenkova.

The concerning trend in Venus’s game sets up the real possibility Dementieva might finally get another into the win column. Making her, Dementieva, the value pick in my opinion.

Tennis Free Picks: Dementieva in three sets

UFC 104 Recap – Shogun is Robbed but Rematch is Promised

Shogun Bloodies Machida In Loss

Machida was a heavy -450 favorite heading in to his first title defense. But the karate specialist, who is touted as the most untouchable fighter in UFC history, was beaten down by Rua through five rounds, getting bloodied, battered and bruised by his Brazilian opponent. The judges handed the fight to Machida unanimously and the crowd let them know what they thought of that by raining boos down on to the octagon.

Rua claims his corner assured him that he was leading the fight on the judges’ score cards. So when the fight entered the later rounds, Rua claims he didn’t feel the need to escalate the fight to the next level. Maybe when you’re in the octagon fighting a champion, you’ll seek objective opinions about the fight instead of listening to the dudes in your corner.

Machida’s body language conceded the bout. He sagged his head as if he had lost the fight, and showed an unheralded level of humility after being declared the winner. Always the classy champion, Machida insisted that he would face Rua in a rematch whenever Shogun desired…and that fight will only build up to be one of the bigger draws in the coming months.

The fight not only reaffirmed Shogun’s return to the elite ranks, despite the loss, but it also served to prove that Machida will not back down from any challenge…even if it’s a challenge he may very well lose. Could you ask for a better champion?

Forget Everything I Said About Cain Velasquez

Ok, so maybe a 265-pound ball of hostile energy can out punch a seasoned veteran like Ben Rothwell. Velasquez improved to 7-0 SU and cashed in big winnings for those that sided with him on the UFC betting line. Velasquez now has every right to face the winner of Lesnar-Carwin, and if Lesnar wins you can expect this to be the most hyped heavyweight fight since Lesnar took on Couture.

Rothwell is a bum. Seriously. He fought like a drunk that had stumbled six blocks in the wrong direction and was left dazed when the bus driver wouldn’t make out with him. Who let this guy in to the UFC? A mid-card match is Rothwell’s next bout, and nobody will care, let alone bet on it.

Stevenson Dominates Fisher

It wasn’t even close. Joe “Daddy” Stevenson leveled Spencer Fisher with strikes and heavy blows in the opening round, then dismantled his opponent on the mat to earn the victory. Crippling Fisher in a tight leg lock, Stevenson threw elbows like he was at a Ludicrous concert leading to a referee stoppage in the second round.

Anthony Johnson Pound Yoshida Despite Weight Advantage

Johnson’s victory is even more curious than Rua’s loss. The thunder and lightning striker weighed in at 176-pounds for a 170-pound weight class fight. Shouldn’t he have been disqualified or something? Maybe I don’t understand how these things work.

Yoshido was beaten down in a matter of 41-secondds and was never able to put his Judo skills to the test. He went to the canvas, but didn’t take Johnson with him, as his face was rearranged by a series of blistering punches from Johnson. The fight was waste of time for Johnson, who needs to stay in welterweight division and pick up some steam against bigger fighters.

Lesnar Withdraws from UFC 106

After coming down with an undisclosed sickness that has left him unable to train for the past three and a half weeks, Brock Lesnar decided to pull out of his UFC 106 matchup with Shane Carwin for the heavyweight title in Las Vegas.

UFC President Dana White told Yahoo Sports first about the cancellation, and Carwin, Lensar’s opponent, posted on his Twitter page that he was “very disappointed” by the news.

The fight was scheduled to take place on November 21 but will now likely be re-scheduled for January 2nd at UFC 108. The cancellation and the reasoning behind it has even sparked some question as to whether or not Lesnar was advised to drop out in order to maximize pay-per-view profits for the UFC.

The main event for UFC 106 now will likely be Forrest Griffin vs. Tito Ortiz and both are big-time fan favorites. Their rematch could still do quite well as a pay-per-view draw in many fans’ eyes and moving the Carwin vs. Lesnar fight to the day after New Year’s Day is absolutely guaranteed to be a massive money maker through both PPV buys and at the gate.

Considering that Lesnar has known about this fight for so long and that he still would have almost a month to train, his justification for withdrawing doesn’t seem to be sufficient enough on paper.

That’s without knowing exactly what Lesnar’s illness is, of course, and the UFC would do well to release more details of the sickness soon to avoid a PR problem, assuming it is indeed something debilitating.

Carwin was expected to be a fairly big betting underdog going into the Lesnar fight and likely will remain so again by the time they will in for their much-anticipated title bout.

In the meantime, fans can still look forward to a ton of MMA action in the next month including the conclusion of the popular Ultimate Fighter heavyweights TV show. The finale will also include live fights as well. Strikeforce will show perhaps the biggest free MMA card in the history of network television as Fedor Emelianenko battles Brett Rogers, and UFC 105 will air live on Spike TV on November 14 from London, England, featuring Randy Couture vs. Brandon Vera.

For more on these fights and other MMA event betting information, check out the BetOnline.com Sportsbook today and get ready to watch the madness unfold.

WTA Sony Ericsson Championships – Azarenka vs. Jankovic

Doha, Qatar – World No. 6 Victoria Azarenka and World No.8 Jelena Jankovic are in the White Group along with World No.1 Dinara Safina and World No.4 Elena Dementieva. This group is considered by many wide open what with both Safina and Dementieva – the two higher ranked players in the group – not measuring up in the market after leaving their game behind on the Tour somewhere and arriving in Doha with question marks hanging over their heads.

The opportunity for either or both Azarenka and Jankovic to step up in Doha is real and that they are set to open their campaign against one another on Tuesday makes their billing even more compelling.

World No.8 Jelena Jankovic only just qualified into Doha beating out Vera Zvonareva for the coveted spot; yet despite the late entry, she enters the Tour Championships as third favourite (co-favourite with Venus Williams) for the title, listed at BetOnline Sportsbook at +600. Meanwhile, up-and-coming Azarenka is the outsider for the title, listed long at +1200.

Jankovic takes a 3-1 edge over Azarenka into their opening match. The all-time mark also includes a 1-0 edge in 2009, having beaten Azarenka in the R16 at Cincinnati 7-5, 7-6(4).

Tennis Betting Line: Victoria Azarenka +110 Jelena Jankovic -150

Match Time: 09:00 a.m. Eastern Time Tuesday October 27 ,2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Jelena Jankovic ranks slightly below Azarenka but comes into this match as the solid favourite to win outright. Recommending her odds, listed at -150 at BetOnline, is her H2H edge over Azarenka and her experience at this level.

However, Jankovic is far from her best form right now. She fell in the second round of the US Open, completing a disappointing 2009 Grand Slam turnout on a rather fitting note. She then finished runner-up in Tokyo when she retired in the final down 5-2 in the opening set to Maria Sharapova; and immediately afterwards, she was a first round casualty in Beijing, losing to Shuai Peng of China. In Moscow last week, she finished in the quarters after she was dumped by Alisa Kleybanova –she knew she had qualified to Doha by then….

Azarenka is making her debut at the Tour Championships. She has had a good season, deserving props for reaching a career-high ranking of No.6. However, her rise has been helped by the fall of others. Truth be told, though, she hasn’t done much since Wimbledon when she reached the quarters and lost to Serena Williams 6-2, 6-3. During the American hard court swing, Azarenka slowed down considerably and seemingly lost some of her edge . She fell in the early rounds of four tournaments, including the US Open. Her best finish was a quarterfinal at Tokyo.

In many respects, this match is a tossup. I have been largely unimpressed by both all season long – save for a few random turnouts by each player. More importantly, neither has been convincing lately. If there were an edge in this match, it would be experience, which goes to Jankovic. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Azarenka beat Jankovic – which would be an upset in terms of the market but a result in tune to their rankings.

Tennis Free Picks: Azarenka in three sets

WTA Sony Ericsson Championships – Serena Williams vs. Svetlana Kuznetsova

Doha, Qatar – According to the WTA ranking order, Serena Williams enters the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships behind top seed and world No.1 Dinara Safina but in the eyes of many Serena is at the head of the queue on account of winning the Aussie Open and Wimby and the top favourite to win the prestigious season-ending title.

World No.2 Serena Williams opens her campaign against No.3 Svetlana Kuznetsova. Head-to-head, Serena owns the 5-2 all-time edge; however, they are 1-1 on 2009. Serena opened their account this year with a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 victory in the Aussie Open quarters while Kuznetsova avenged the loss with a 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-5 victory at the French Open quarters.

Serena comes in as the top favourite to win the Sony Ericsson title, listed at +200 on the Doha futures market at BetOnline Sportsbook. Meanwhile, French Open champion Sveta is second in line, tipped at +500.

Tennis Betting Line: Serena Williams -190 Svetlana Kuznetsova +145

Match Time: 12:30 a.m. Eastern Time Tuesday October 27 ,2009

Tennis Betting Verdict: Given the futures market on the Tour Championships and Serena’s overall head-to-head edge over Sveta, one cannot fault tennis bettors naturally leaning towards Serena to take the opening match over Sveta.

Tennis bettors looking to back Serena will find her tipped reasonably at -190 to win outright; meanwhile, Kuznetsova comes in at +145. However, Kuznetsova is the value bet and not only on the market on this match but for the tournament proper.

Why you might ask? Well, there is the fact that Kuznestova is arguably one of the most organically talented players in the women’s game. But more importantly, she took down her second Grand Slam title at the French Open this year, beating Serena along the way. And more recently, she took down the Beijing title.

Of all the players that are competing in Doha, she, Kuznetsova, is the only player that looks to be completely on form and comes into the tournament with the most momentum. If I were to bet house money, I would bet on Kuznetsova. And if she beats Williams in the opening round (as I believe she will), tennis bettors should jump on her futures price quickly because it will only shorten.

Tennis Free Picks: Kuznetsova in three sets

Breeders Cup Preview – Changes to make note of

Breeders’ Cup Firsts in the Cards for 26th Renewal

Breeders’ Cup officials, not to be outdone by President Obama, have decided this is the year of change for the 26th renewal of the World Thoroughbred Championships.

Early on two fan friendly changes were made. First, tickets to the BC races at San Anita Park during the Oak Tree meeting were made available online for the first time.

Secondly, those hard-to-read purple saddlecloths were pulled in favor of the more sensible variety of colors used at North American tracks. Naturally, the purple saddlecloth with the traditional No. 10 remains. In addition, sponsors of specific races will still display their logos.

The switch was made, BC officials said, after consulting with a fan advisory council and bettors across the U.S. and Canada.

There’s also a new betting wrinkle involving the Pick 6. There will be another one on the first BC program. The $500,000 Marathon was shifted to Friday, Nov. 6, to lead off five consecutive contests for females while the Pick 6 ends with the $2 million Ladies’ Classic.

The Pick 6 on Saturday, Nov. 7, starts with the third of eight BC races, the $1 million Dirt Mile, and ends with the $5 million Classic.

“We believe that the schedule of six championships races on Friday and eight on Saturday will provide better balance to the program and greater betting opportunities for the fans,” said Kenneth Kirchner, president of FalKirk International and BC wagering consultant.

There are two possible firsts invloving female runners committed to BC races.

 “I’m going to run Lethal Heat in the Ladies’ Classic on Friday and down the hill on Saturday," Barry Abrams told BloodHorse.com. “They do it in other countries.”

But no horse has attempted two races since the BC expanded to two days in 2006. Lethal Heat did race twice within seven days in early October, finishing second both times in routes at Santa Anita.

On Oct. 3, she ran against the boys in the $200,000 California Cup Classic, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Bold Chieftain at 1 1/8 miles. On Oct. 10, she was 1 ¼ lengths behind undefeated Zenyatta in the $300,000 Lady’s Secret at 1 1/16 miles.

The 4-year-old California-bred daughter of Unusual Heat, has a record of 6-2-5 in 16 starts, but hasn’t won on the grass in four outings since July in ’2008. She was third against the girls back in January at Santa Anita at the same distance as the $1 million Turf Sprint, about 6 ½ furlongs, against males on Nov. 7.

Abrams is counting on Zenyatta going in the Classic against the boys on that Saturday giving Lethal Heat a better chance of winning the Ladies Classic 24 hours earlier.

But the Zenyatta camp is keeping every one guessing about whether the 5-year-old will defend her Ladies Classic title or opt for the Classic on Nov. 7. The daughter of Street Cry would make history if triumphed in the big one. She’d become the first to take two different BC races.

Asked if Zenyatta could compete with males in the richest BC race after taking the Lady’s Secret, trainer John Shirreffs said, “I don’t think there’s any indication that she couldn’t. But there’s absolutely no reason to rush into that decision now.”

The decision will be made by Shirreffs along with Jerry and Ann Moss, who own Zenyatta, and Shirreffs’s wife, Dottie, racing manager for the Mosses. She likely will be pre-entered in both contests. Final entries are due on Nov. 3.

Shogun Rua vs. Lyoto Machida UFC 104 Recap

With Fight of the Night a foregone conclusion, all of the talk about the Lyoto Machida-Shogun Rua title fight at UFC 104 should be focused on whether or not it should walk away with Fight of the Year honors for 2009.

But the unfortunate part now is that virtually all of the talk will be about whether or not Machida’s unanimous decision win (48-47 on all three scorecards) was deserved.
Most fans and even the main analysts including commentators Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg seemed convinced that Shogun won the fight after he landed flurry after flurry of devastating leg kicks on Machida along with some solid shots to his ribs.
By the end of the fight Machida wasn’t anywhere near his usual elusive self and continued to try his best to avoid Shogun.

Machida, the huge betting favorite (-450) at BetOnline got in some shots of his own, including some heavy knees to the body, but Shogun definitely landed more significant strikes and seemed to take control in the later rounds.

Now, the talk is that the two should have an immediate rematch, and both seemed to agree to it in the Octagon. We can only hope that both fighters heal up fast enough to have it by UFC 108 at the latest.

In other UFC 104 main card results, Cain Velasquez took out Ben Rothwell via TKO in the second round. Some might argue that the stoppage was premature but Rothwell wasn’t able to defend himself pinned against the cage and was eating some serious shots to the face. Velasquez dominated the fight the whole was and was just a better athlete in the cage as he appeared to be just quicker and stronger.

Gleison Tibau also won a unanimous decision over Josh Neer by scoring repeated takedowns earlier in the night.

The Spencer Fisher-Joe Stevenson fight was very similar to the Rothwell/Velasquez as Fisher was outclassed all fight. Stevenson was able to get Fisher pinned in a crucifix type position and rained down elbows until the ref was forced to stop it.

The first fight of UFC 104 main card was another knockout loss for Yoshiyuki Yoshida as Anthony Johnson put him to sleep just 41 seconds into round one. Johnson came in six pounds overweight for the fight, however, drawing the ire of some fans.

While the undercard action and the final result of the Shogun-Machida fight left many fans feeling cheated in some way, watching the muay thai master in Shogun go up against the karate expert Machida for five rounds was well worth the price of admission for UFC 104 on pay-per-view.

The only people who didn’t enjoy the fight were Shogun’s fans and perhaps the people who bet on the underdog to win. They have every right to feel cheated out of a big win by what could go down as one of the worst decisions in the history of the UFC.

But to Machida’s credit, he was humble in victory and said he didn’t mind setting up a rematch.

The fans deserve it and so does Shogun Rua.

« Previous Page — Next Page »