UFC 101 Betting - Does Griffin Stand a Chance Against Silva?
In NFL betting, will the Detroit Lions have a winning record this season?
That's the equivalent question to "Will Forrest Griffin defeat Anderson Silva at UFC 101?" In other words, no one in the betting predictions community thinks Forrest Griffin has a chance. Even Griffin himself said he expects to get seriously hurt. The UFC 101 odds reflect the feeling, as Silva is a -330 favorite and Griffin is a +255 underdog.
Silva's scouting report reveals a fighter with no real weaknesses. He's considered by many to be the Muhammad Ali of MMA; he's lightning quick, able to pull never-before-seen moves out of a hat, like spinning punches and punching his opponents' knees, and he's so evasive that he dodges strikes without his hands, simply bobbing and weaving out of trouble like Ali did. Griffin is one of the faster light heavyweights out there but he can't compare to Silva. Griffin is certainly not an evader, as he opts more for a Rocky Balboa approach of brawling and taking big shots. Luckily he has a good chin.
In terms of striking power, there's no contest. It's a major misconception in MMA that Griffin is powerful; he's big and tough, yeah, but he has no finishing ability with his hands. Just two of his 16 career wins came via knockout. Silva doesn't have one-punch KO ability but he can get TKOs with devastating flurries of kicks, elbows and especially knees from the Muay Thai clinch.
On the ground, Griffin uses Jiu-Jitsu and can submit the odd fighter, but he's still inferior. Silva is extremely comfortable on the ground and can submit opponents, as he did the mighty Dan Henderson.
Where, then, does Griffin stand a chance? I see only two opportunities. The first is his aggression. In Silva's last two fights, he didn't engage his opponents, staying tentative and picking them apart from the perimeter. I don't blame him; he did it because his opponents, Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, respected him so much that they wouldn't go near him. The fearless Forrest Griffin should be a different story, as he'll come at Griffin with everything he has. Griffin is the bigger and probably stronger man, so who knows? Maybe he can smother Anderson.
The other strategy Griffin could try is to use his leg kicks -- which are as good as anyone's -- to tenderize Silva's legs and limit his mobility. In the end, though, an aggressive Forrest should simply bring out the best in Silva, just as Henderson did. Good luck, Forrest -- you'll need it. At least you'll make the fight worth the price per head.
In NFL betting, will the Detroit Lions have a winning record this season?
That's the equivalent question to "Will Forrest Griffin defeat Anderson Silva at UFC 101?" In other words, no one in the betting predictions community thinks Forrest Griffin has a chance. Even Griffin himself said he expects to get seriously hurt. The UFC 101 odds reflect the feeling, as Silva is a -330 favorite and Griffin is a +255 underdog.
Silva's scouting report reveals a fighter with no real weaknesses. He's considered by many to be the Muhammad Ali of MMA; he's lightning quick, able to pull never-before-seen moves out of a hat, like spinning punches and punching his opponents' knees, and he's so evasive that he dodges strikes without his hands, simply bobbing and weaving out of trouble like Ali did. Griffin is one of the faster light heavyweights out there but he can't compare to Silva. Griffin is certainly not an evader, as he opts more for a Rocky Balboa approach of brawling and taking big shots. Luckily he has a good chin.
In terms of striking power, there's no contest. It's a major misconception in MMA that Griffin is powerful; he's big and tough, yeah, but he has no finishing ability with his hands. Just two of his 16 career wins came via knockout. Silva doesn't have one-punch KO ability but he can get TKOs with devastating flurries of kicks, elbows and especially knees from the Muay Thai clinch.
On the ground, Griffin uses Jiu-Jitsu and can submit the odd fighter, but he's still inferior. Silva is extremely comfortable on the ground and can submit opponents, as he did the mighty Dan Henderson.
Where, then, does Griffin stand a chance? I see only two opportunities. The first is his aggression. In Silva's last two fights, he didn't engage his opponents, staying tentative and picking them apart from the perimeter. I don't blame him; he did it because his opponents, Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, respected him so much that they wouldn't go near him. The fearless Forrest Griffin should be a different story, as he'll come at Griffin with everything he has. Griffin is the bigger and probably stronger man, so who knows? Maybe he can smother Anderson.
The other strategy Griffin could try is to use his leg kicks -- which are as good as anyone's -- to tenderize Silva's legs and limit his mobility. In the end, though, an aggressive Forrest should simply bring out the best in Silva, just as Henderson did. Good luck, Forrest -- you'll need it. At least you'll make the fight worth the price per head.
