Photo Courtesy: Everlast
Early odds point to Frankie Edgar being B.J. Penn’s opponent in an April title defense, but Gray Maynard has racked up six consecutive wins in the promotion. (Diego Sanchez’s 155-pound wins before getting Penn? Two.) If he can avenge his only loss -- a 2007 exhibition against Nate Diaz in the “Ultimate Fighter” house -- in more spectacular fashion than the decisions he’s accrued, it might be enough to regulate Edgar (a guy he beat) back to the bench.
Is Varner worried about all the wrong things?
In delivering quotes for his fight with Benson Henderson Sunday, Jamie Varner has gotten heated over everything from rival Donald Cerrone to the WEC’s unwavering advocacy of Urijah Faber. Shouldn’t his mentality be focused squarely on Henderson, who possesses the dog/pants-leg tenacity to drag him down in later rounds?
Is Sadollah very good, or very lucky?
Amir Sadollah gives hope to any athletically-challenged 20-something who didn’t grow up on a wrestling mat: he won an “Ultimate Fighter” season despite owning no pro bouts prior, and he’s bested unlikely victims C.B. Dollaway and Phil Baroni. Against Brad Blackburn, he’ll be getting the raw end of a muay Thai match-up. If he can overcome Blackburn’s aggression and experience, Sadollah might recruit a few more believers.
Is Roop cutting it too close?
George Roop, a former 155er who had one short trip at 145, plans on making 135 pounds for a fight with Eddie Wineland: to do it, he says he’s taking in between 500-800 calories a day. That kind of energy intake wouldn’t satisfy someone in hospice, let alone a professional athlete. If you need to measure your lettuce consumption to make a weight class, you probably don’t belong there.
Is MacDonald worth the hype?
Few viewers on Monday will have seen Canadian Rory MacDonald fight, but he’s been talked up by everyone from Georges St. Pierre to coach David Lea as a crucial entry in the next era of the sport. Possible roadblock: Mike Guymon, a 36-year-old veteran who might be able to suffocate MacDonald’s developing 20-year-old frame by using the core power of a middle-aged man for detention.