Frankie Edgar hopes to begin a new chapter of his career following a decisive win over rival Gray Maynard. With the win Edgar ended, at least for the time being, a three fight series with Maynard, along with bring to a close a near 2 year period that saw the Lightweight title tied up between Edgar, Maynard and former champ B.J. Penn. During this run, Frankie Edgar has defied the odds literally, with odds makers ranking him in as the underdog in both Penn fights, and his first defence against Maynard. Not until the his second title matchup with Gray did Frankie finally move into the role of favourite, and at UFC 144 not much has change with the champ only a slight betting fav over his opponent.

Former WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson lost his original opportunity to challenge for the UFC strap when he dropped his belt to Anthony Pettis at the final WEC event. Since that fight Ben has been on a mission, starting his UFC career with three consecutive wins over Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and finally Clay Guida to solidify his spot at UFC 144.

Edgar and Henderson are two of the most talented fighters in arguably the most competitive division in the UFC and this fight is shaping up to be a five round classic. Bolstering this world class main event will be a start studded card featuring a number of Japanese star and former members of the Japan based Pride Fighting Championships.

UFC 144 Priview and Predictions

In an interesting format change, UFC 144 will feature a seven fight main card. Former Pride superstar Rampage Jackson got his wish to return to Japan and will square off with Ultimate Fighter winner Ryan Bader in the co-main event. Yoshiro Akiyama makes his welterweight debut against former Strikeforce title holder and UFC title challenger Jake Shield in front of what will certainly be a deafeningly pro-Akiyama crowd. Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis and Joe Lauzon will provide a stiff challenge to any other pair of fighters with a desire to earn Fight of the Night Bonus in their Lightweight clash. Hopeful 135 pound contenders Hatsu Hioki and Bart Palaszewski will meet and Tim Boetsch tries to build on a 2-0 start at Middleweight when he takes on top ranked Yushin Okami.

The prelims are highlighted by Japanese superstars Kid Yamamoto, Takanori Gomi, and Takeya Mizugaki. Yamamoto will attempt to grab his first UFC victory in his bout with the talented Vaughn Lee, Gomi meets fellow countryman Eliji Mitsuoka, and in potentially one of the more exciting but lesser talked about fights Mizugaki battles the ultra durable Chris Cariaso.

Top to bottom UFC 144 is a star studded event that even the most casual MMA fan should mark down on their calendar. Edgar/Henderson is almost certainly a classic the making and the rest of the card has a tonne of potential for both MMA action and betting opportunities with a couple of big time underdogs waiting to pay dividends. Do not miss UFC 144 and make sure you check out the latest episode of Kamikaze Overdrive here at mmabettingodds.com and visit kamikazeoverdrive.net for all of your UFC 144 prediction needs.

Ellenberger is fresh off an impressive knockout win over former title challenger Jake Shields that vaulted him into title contender status. Diego Sanchez returned to the 170lb division after failing to capture Lightweight gold and is currently riding a two winning streak with wins over Paulo Thiago and Martin Kampmann.

With the top of the division in flux, both have an opportunity with a win to move one step closer to an allusive title shot. Both Sanchez and Ellenberger have past history with the two men (Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit) currently at the top of the Welterweight ranks.

The co-main event will be a battle of behemoths as 6’11” Dutch trained kick boxer Stefan ‘Skyscraper’ Struve hooks it up with 6’4” Dave ‘Peewee’ Herman. Herman won an entertaining matchup via TKO in his UFC debut, while the UFC’s tallest competitor earned another submission victory in his last trip to the cage. Both fighters currently rest outside of the top 10 Heavyweight rankings, but a dominant victory in this contest will propel the winner into the upper echelon of the division.

UFC Middleweights will be put on notice as Ronny Markes will try to build on his successful promotional debut when he defeated Karlos Vemola while fighting at Light Heavyweight. First up will be tough and talented veteran Aaron ‘A-Train’ Simpson. This fight will be a matchup of grapplers; Simpson a former NCAA Division I wrestler and Markes a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Simpson has been a staple of the middleweight division, but a win for the young Brazilian would be a great starting point as he begins his Octagon career at 185lbs.

UFC on Fuel TV Priview and Predictions

The rest of the main card will be occupied by an encounter of undefeated heavyweights as Britain’s own Philip De Fries squares off with Stipe Miocic both fresh off of successful Octagon debuts. Starting the main card Ultimate Fighter finalist T.J. Dillashaw will try to rebound from his first career defeat when he takes on Walel Watson in a Bantamweight bout.

The prelims will be headlined by a Featherweight matchup featuring submission artist Vagner Rocha meeting Ultimate Fighter winner Jonathan Brookins. Also on the undercard, another TUF alum John Albert battles talented Canadian Ivan Menjivar in another matchup that displays the improving depth of the UFC’s lighter weight classes.

UFC on Fuel TV: Ellenberger vs Sanchez is a must see and do not forget that this event takes place on a Wednesday night, so mark it down on the calendar and don’t miss out. This card has some interesting betting potential with a few potential underdogs looming large. Make sure you check out the latest episode of Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions here mmabettingodds.com for all of your prediction needs for UFC on Fuel TV and don’t be left in the dark.

This is not the first time the UFC has crowned an interim-Welterweight champion; in fact St-Pierre’s current title run began when he himself won the interim-170lbs title in a series of events eerily similar to scenario the division currently finds itself in.

• UFC 69: underdog Matt Serra shocks the world by defeating Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre.

• UFC 79: with newly crowned champion Matt Serra injured, Georges St-Pierre steps in and defeats Matt Hughes to capture the Interim-Welterweight Championship.

• UFC 83: St-Pierre recaptures the 170lbs title via TKO when he defeats Matt Serra in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec.

Since April 2008, the French-Canadian has dominated the UFC welterweight division with six successful title defences. On February 4th, 2012 a new name will move to the top of the Welterweight ranks as former Strikeforce champion Nick Diaz battles former WEC Champion Carlos Condit for the UFC interim-Welterweight Championship.

Many people are already projecting this Welterweight clash as a Fight of the Year Candidate. Despite a stacked division, these two competitors are easily the most deserving challengers having combined for record 27-2-1 over their last 30 fights.

In their last trips to the Octagon, Diaz made a triumphant return to the UFC with a dominant performance against former Champion BJ Penn, while Carlos Condit stopped Dong Hyun Kim in the first round with a perfectly timed flying knee. Each man is a proven finisher with incredible cardio and heart and neither will be denied their spot at the top of the division. Whether this fight goes one minute or 5 rounds it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

UFC 143 Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz – MMA Predictions Video

In the co-main event Roy Nelson welcomes Fabricio Werdum back to the UFC Heavyweight Division. Nelson is fresh off a win over Pride Legend Mirko Cro Cop while Werdum is only one fight removed from his upset of the year submission victory over another Pride legend in Fedor Emelianenko. With the talent in UFC Heavyweight roster at an all-time high this is a huge fight for both men as they look to remain in the hunt for the UFC Heavyweight Championship.

The rest of the main card will feature former Welterweight title challenger Josh Koscheck taking on rising contender Mike Pierce, a Bantamweight title eliminator bout between Scott Jorgensen and Brazilian Renan Barao, and middleweights Ed Herman and Clifford Starks getting the main card started.

The preliminary card line-up is headlined by the return of top ranked Featherweight Dustin Poirier, a Bantamweight bout between Edwin Figueroa and Alex Caceres, and a matchup between Ultimate Fighter Alumni Matt Brown and Chris Cope.

Along with determining potential future title challengers in the Heavyweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight divisions, UFC 143 will lay the ground work for one of the biggest fights in MMA history. With GSP eyeing a return in late 2012, one of either Nick Diaz or Carlos Condit will earn the right to attempt to unseed arguably one of the most dominant champions in the promotions history. This is one event that should not be missed and make sure to check out all of your UFC 143 predictions on the latest episode of Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions.

On January 28th, the Fox Network and the UFC have put together the second major event of their broadcasting deal with UFC on Fox 2: Evans vs Davis. Building upon the success of the first UFC on Fox, this event will feature 3 main card fights; including two title eliminator bouts and a matchup of a talented veteran and a fighter on the rise. (UFC Prop Betting Odds), they usually go live shortly after the UFC weigh-ins – select the Preview Tab to continue reading and view the video)

In the main event, former Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans battles undefeated Phil Davis with a shot at the reining UFC 205lbs Champ Jon Jones on the line. Evans’s lone defeat came in his first title defence, but an impressive run has re-established Rashad at the top of the division. A long desired matchup with former teammate turned bad blood adversary Jon Jones has been in the works for the better part of a year, but injuries in both camps has prevented the fight from materializing.

Phil Davis, a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler has dominated his opposition with a 5-0 record inside the Octagon. He submitted fellow prospect Alexander Gustafson with an Anaconda Choke, tapped Tim Boetsch with a modified kimura, and earned a three round decision victory over highly respected veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

With a win and injury free performance Rashad Evans will get another shot at the title, while Davis may still need another top level victory, but if he were to finish Evans in impressive fashion it would be hard for the UFC brass to overlook him as a legitimate title challenger.

UFC on Fox 2 Preview and Predictions Video

The co-main event will have similar implications as Chael Sonnen attempts to get a rematch with Anderson Silva, the man that he dominated for almost a full 5 rounds before being tapped out. Opposing Sonnen will be England’s own Michael Bisping, who has felt his shot at the title is long overdue. This matchup could be the show stealer, and should provide some excellent trash talk in the week leading up to the fight.

Opening the main card Demian Maia and Chris Weidman will clash, as these two grappling aces will put their talents on display. Maia has already been to the top of the division and was forced back down the ranks while Weidman will be looking to use a win in this fight as his ticket up to the next level.

The eight fight preliminary line-up, includes a potential fight of the night between heavyweight scrappers Joey Beltran and Lavar Johnson, the Featherweight debut of the always exciting Charles Oliveira, a clash of lightweight grapplers Evan Dunham and Nik Lentz, the return of Jon Olav-Einemo as he attempts to end Mike Russow’s 10 fight winning streak, a battle between Featherweight contenders George Roop and Cub Swanson, and a whole host of other matchups including a few with betting underdog potential.

Make sure you check out Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions and MMAbettingodds.com for all of your UFC on Fox 2 betting needs.

The co-main event will feature a pair of veteran welterweights looking to extend their winning streaks. Duane Ludwig put on a Muay Thai clinic against Amir Sadollah out striking his counterpart and hurting him several times. Josh Neer was equally as impressive winning his return to the using a series of elbows that resulted in a large laceration on his opponent’s forehead and a TKO victory. This matchup is an early favourite for Fight of the Night and will certainly be a fan favourite.

Rounding out the main card, Mike Easton welcomes Jared Papazain to the UFC Bantamweight division. Easton picked up an impressive victory in his own promotional debut, but Papazain is never one to shy away from a fight and will go toe to toe with the Hulk looking to his own UFC career off to a good start.

Kicking off the main card, Heavyweight striker Pat Barry crosses paths with Christian Morecraft. Despite recent setbacks both men always bring their best effort to the cage and there is no reason not to expect the same here. Will it be the elite level striking skills of Barry that carries the day or Morecraft’s crushing ground control and submission skills? We will have to wait until Friday to find out.

UFC FX 1 Preview and Predictions Video

The prelims will be highlighted by a middleweight battle between veteran’s Eric Schafer and Jorge Rivera in another instalment of the stylistic clash of grappler versus striker. Kamal Shalorus struggled in his UFC debut and will try to get on track in his second trip to the cage, but his opponent is debuting and undefeated Russian prospect Khabib Nurmagomedov who will provide a stiff test for the WEC vet. Grappling aces Charlie Brenneman and Daniel Roberts will engage in the welterweight division, along with a series fights consisting of up and coming prospects to help fill out the preliminary card.

UFC on FX 1 will provide an excellent first event for the FX network, from top to bottom this card is stack with fighters who always come to war with no exceptions. Don’t forget that this event will take place on a Friday night and make sure to check out Kamikaze Overdrive MMA for all of your prediction needs.

Jose Aldo has been dominating the competition earning victories over the likes of Mike Brown, Urijah Faber, Mark Hominick, and Kenny Florian. Aldo returns to Brazil where he holds a 7-1 record, but he hasn’t fought in his homeland since 2007. Whether losing the title or not Aldo’s time in the Featherweight division could be drawing to a close as the champion could go in search of bigger challenges at 155.

The California powerhouse Chad Mendes, has used his almost unstoppable wrestling skills to control his opponents, rarely if ever appearing at danger in his young career. Mendes has completed almost 4 takedowns per fight, and opponents have found it difficult to get out from under Money Mendes when he gets on top.

Chad Mendes has made the claim he will be leaving Brazil with the 145lbs strap, but Jose Aldo will have other ideas and history has proven that beating a Brazilian on their home soil is not an easy task.

UFC 142 Predictions – Video by Scott Johnson

The co-main event will feature the middleweight debut of former gargantuan welterweight contender Anthony Johnson as he tangles with arguably the most popular Brazilian fighter in all of MMA, the Phenom Vitor Belfort.

Anthony Johnson has long struggled with the weight cut involved in fighting at the Welterweight maximum and has decided to make the change to 185lbs. Vitor Belfort spent less than a round in the cage with the 185lbs champ Anderson Silva and it ended quite badly, but he feels with a win over Johnson he deserves another shot at the Spider. These two knockout artists promise an explosive battle that most likely won’t go the distance.

Filling out the rest of the main card, submission machine Rousimar Palhares tangles with fellow BJJ Black Belt Mike Massenzio in a middleweight battle. Attempting to build on his victorious debut, Erick Silva welcomes former WEC fighter Carlo Prater to the Octagon. Starting the PPV, Terry Etim and Edson Barboza clash in an early Fight of the Night candidate that will propel the winner into the upper echelon of the Lightweight division.

The undercard is highlighted by a clash between Canadian striker Sam Stout and Thiago Tavares, the return of former Heavyweight title challenger Gabriel Gonzaga, and appearances by Brazilians Yuri Alcantara, Ricardo Funch, and Felipe Arantes. Opposing the Brazilian trio will be Michihiro Omigawa, Mike Pyle and Antonio Carvalho.

UFC 142 will be the first event for the promotion in 2012 and will kick off this jam packed year of MMA action. The last time the UFC set up the Octagon on Brazilian soil it was one of the most exciting cards of the year highlighted by 6 knockouts, 4 of which coming on the main card. Make sure you don’t miss this event and make sure to check out Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions for all your UFC Pro Predictions.

Originally, Tim Kennedy was granted the title shot but an injury forced him to withdraw. Luke Rockhold is fresh off his impressive 5 round battle with former champion Jacare Souza, in which Rockhold put on display an impressive striking arsenal. Keith Jardine made his Strikeforce debut as an injury replacement, battling Gegard Mousasi to a draw. Following the fight Jardine made good on his promise to drop to 185. This matchup will serve as an excellent test for the young champion as Rockhold will be forced to deal with the unconventional style of the challenger.

Strikeforce Predictions – Video by Scott Johnson

In the co-main event the Ruthless one Robbie Lawler will tries to re-establish himself as a title contender in the Middleweight division. Opposing Lawler, Adlan Amagov, fresh off a first round knockout and a 2-0 start to his Strikeforce career has an opportunity to garner immediate title contender status with a victory. With both men primarily relying on their striking this bout has the potential for fireworks!

The rest of the card features a number of the promotions biggest stars. Wrestling superstar and former 206lbs Champ King Mo Lawal takes on wicked striker Lorenz ‘Monsoon’ Larkin. In two fights that could determine the competitors to battle for the vacant Welterweight title; Tarec Saffiedine meets Tyler Stinson and Tyron Woodley and Jordan Mein clash.

Saffiedine dominated veteran Scott Smith in his last appetence, while Tyler Stinson needed lest then 20 seconds to announce his arrival with a vicious knockouts win in his debut. Arguably, the best fight of the night Tyron Woodley has impressed with 9-0 record and is the odds on favourite to claims Welterweight gold, but Jordan Mein has been dominating the competition including back to back wins over the last two men to challenge for the Strikeforce 170lbs title.

Strikeforce: Rockhold vs Jardine is the first of many Strikeforce events to come under the promotions new 2-year deal with Showtime, so expect fantastic results and epic battles as the roster of fighters attempt to reach their goal of MMA supremacy. Make sure you watch Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions for all of your Strikeforce Predictions.

Stylistically, this contest brings together a world class striker and a decorated collegiate wrestler. Alistair Overeem was the 2010 K-1 Kickboxing World Grand Prix Champion, he has 14 career MMA knockouts, and is one of the most feared strikers in the Heavyweight division.

Brock Lesnar was a Two Time All-American and won the 2000 NCAA Wrestling Championship in the Heavyweight Division. Despite limited MMA experience, Lesnar rose to prominence in the UFC wining the Heavyweight Championships in only his fourth career fight. He has battle the elite of the division including wins over Heath Herring, Randy Couture, Frank Mir and Shane Carwin.

Brock has been plagued by a serious bout of Diverticulitis, which has prevented him from competing and certainly has the potential to impact is in cage performance. Alistair Overeem has had his own distraction, forced to deal with the illness of his Mother and licensing issues. The winner of this bout will earn themselves a shot at the new Heavyweight Champion; Junior Dos Santos probably inside the first half of 2012. The UFC Heavyweight division has been recently bolstered by the addition of the Strikeforce 265lbers and this fight is a perfect way to close 2011 and kickoff 2012 which could well be the year of the Heavyweight.

UFC 141 Preview and Predictions

The co-main event will feature Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone battling for position in the ultra-competitive Lightweight division. Cerrone has been climbing up the ranks and is riding a 6 fight winning streak, while Diaz put on potentially the best performance of his career returning to the division with a submission win over Takinori Gomi. The winner of this fight could earn themselves a title shot in 2012 or the very least an opportunity to compete in a number one contender’s bout. This matchup has Fight of the Night potential as each man never fails to bring their A-game to the cage.

Rounding out the rest of the card perennial Welterweight counter Jon Fitch battles rising star Johny Hendricks in a fight that has increased meaning with the reining Welterweight Champ Georges St-Pierre on the shelf due to injury for the foreseeable future.

Experience and youth collide in the Light heavyweight division as veteran Vladimir Matyushenko and Alexander Gustafsson meet in the octagon with both attempting to improve their standing in the 205lbs division. Kicking off the card, one of the most underrated strikers in the business Nam Phan locks up with submission machine Jimy Hettes, who has 9 submission wins in 9 career fights.

The prelims will be headlined by the Featherweight debut of Ultimate Fighter Winner Ross Pearson, along with WEC veterans Danny Castillo and Anthony Njokuani squaring off. Dong Hyun Kim searches for a win in order to re-establish himself in the Welterweight division. Jacob Volkmann, undefeated since dropping to lightweight welcomes TUF Winner Efrain Escudero back to the octagon. To kick start the show, former Featherweight title challenger Manny Gamburyan takes on the always dangerous Diego Nunes in a battle of top ranked featherweights.

UFC 141 presents an excellent card that will drop the curtain on what has been a fantastic year for Mixed Martial Arts. Make sure you don’t miss out on your last opportunity to make some cash before the New Year by checking out the latest edition of Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions. Here at MMABettingOdds.com and Kamikaze Overdrive MMA we would like to wish you and yours Happy Holidays and all the best in 2012.

The reigning champion Gilbert Melendez has been dominating the competition. Smashing through Tatsuya Kawajiri in his last appearance, El Nino has won 5 consecutive fights and has his eyes firmly fixated on the UFC 155lbs title.

Opposing Melendez will be Jorge Masvidal, the challenger has a perfect 4-0 record in Strikeforce and has turned some heads doing it. In his last appearance he defeated former Elite XC Lightweight Champion KJ Noons. Masvidal out-boxed the vaunted striker; he scored a first round knockdown as the result of a head kick, and left Noons bloody while winning a dominant decision.

This could be the last time we seen Melendez inside the Strikeforce Cage, but with a recent number of top level Lightweight contenders suffering defeats could El Nino be the next competitor ripe for an upset?

Strikeforce Melendez vs Masvidal Preview and Predictions

The co-main event will feature the return of the Woman’s Featherweight Champion Chris ‘Cyborg’ Santos as she takes on Japanese star Hiroko Yamanaka. Cyborg has dominated her opposition, including a dominant first round victory over Gina Carano. Hiroko Yamanaka has put together an impressive win streak and has an overall record of 12-1, including a victory over grappling ace Hitomi Akano. Cyborg will be in search of another dominant performance, but her time away from the cage is a concerning factor that could level the playing field for the Challenger, but will it be enough?

Rounding out the main card former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion and current Dream Champion Gegard Mousasi locks horns with rising star and Strikeforce Challengers graduate Ovince St. Preux. These two title contenders have a combined 11-0-1 mark in their last 12 bouts, St. Preux is a perfect 5-0 in Strikeforce while Mousasi has an almost equally as impressive record of 3-1-1 but against higher competition.

Lightweights Billy Evangelista and KJ Noons with start of the card in a matchup that is sure to entertain. On the prelims Lightweight prospects Justin Wilcox and Caros Fodor will engage in a contest that could help determine the next top contender. Roger Bowling returns to action in the Welterweight division and veteran heavyweight Devin Cole will battle submission artist Gabriel Salinas-Jones.

Strikeforce makes a solid return to the main stage with this line-up and with the recent news of the Showtime Contract renewal you can expect more action packed events from the promotion. Make sure you check out all of your prediction needs with Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions along using the various tools here at mmabettingodds.com to make sure you make the most out of your online betting experience.

Jon Jones will attempt to be the first man to successfully defend the 205lbs title on multiple occasions since Chuck Liddell did it four times between 2005 and 2006. Lyoto Machida rode a wave of dominance to the top of the division; winning the title from Rashad Evans, defending it against Shogun Rua in a controversial battle before dropping the belt via knockout to Shogun in Montreal.

This matchup will prove to be the biggest test of Jon Jones’s young career and despite the heavy betting odds favouring the champion there are a lot of questions surrounding this bout and who will emerge victorious.

UFC 140 Video Preview and Predictions

The co-main event will feature a rematch from UFC 92 as heavyweight Frank Mir and Minotauro Nogueira collide. Frank Mir became the first man to successfully knockout out the Pride FC legend in their first meeting. The former UFC champ has won 3 of his last 4 fights and could be one win away from earning another shot at UFC gold. Big Nog made a triumphant return in his home country of Brazil, knocking out Brendan Schaub at UFC Rio. After a prolonged absence from the cage, Nogueira quickly dispatched his opponent and silenced the critics that questioned his ability to compete with the upper echelon of the division.

Rounding out the main card former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz will make another and potentially final appearance in the octagon as he battles Rogerio Nogueira. Ortiz has hinted at retirement, but that decision will most likely hinge on the outcome of his UFC 140 fight. Little Nog began his career with back to back wins but has since dropped two consecutive fights.
The always entertaining Brian Ebersole will battle Canadian Claude Patrick in a welterweight matchup, while fellow countrymen Mark Hominick will square off with Chan Sung Jung in a featherweight contest that has fight of the night potential.

The prelims will be highlighted by Krzysztof Soszynski taking on Igor Pokrajac, Jarred Hamman attempting to earn another fight of the night bonuses against Constantinos Philippou. Canadian strikers John Makdessi and Yves Jabouin will also make appearance. Canadian BJJ Black Belt Mark Bocek meets Nik Lentz in the lightweight division and Rich Attonito welcomes Jake Hecht to the UFC.

UFC 140 helps to kick off the final month of 2011 and is surely to provide another epic night of fights. Make sure you check out Kamikaze Overdrive MMA Predictions for UFC 140 for all of your fight breakdowns and picks along with all of the betting tools here at MMABettingOdds.com.