Pros Pick: Weidman VS Silva 2

Every UFC PPV Sherdog runs Pros Pick, an article in which pro fighters are polled for their opinion on the outcome of the upcoming PPV's main event.  Jason Dent is a frequent contributor to these polls.

From Sherdog.com:

For one, the rematch represents a shot at validation. For the other, it serves an opportunity to enhance an already historic legacy.

Chris Weidman will defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight crown against former titleholder Anderson Silva in the UFC 168 main event on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Weidman captured the 185-pound championship a little less than six months ago, when he ended the reign of “The Spider” with a stunning second-round knockout at UFC 162.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 168 headliner:

Jason Dent: Who I want to win and who I think will win is definitely different here. My brains say Weidman while my heart is with Silva. I hope I end up being wrong, but I believe Chris’ wrestling and Brazilian jiu-jitsu skills will be too much for Anderson. When you couple Chris’ ground skills with his heavy hands and willingness to get right in your face, it makes him the worst possible matchup for Anderson. I believe Weidman will find a way to submit Anderson before the fight is over after Anderson gets frustrated by Chris’ takedowns and ground-and-pound. Again, I really hope to be wrong on this pick because I’m a really huge Silva fan.

The rest of the article is HERE

Adapted by: Bob Donaghy

Pros Pick Hendricks vs St. Pierre

Every UFC PPV Sherdog runs Pros Pick, an article in which pro fighters are polled for their opinion on the outcome of the upcoming PPV's main event.  Jason Dent is a frequent contributor to these polls.

From Sherdog.com:

Georges St. Pierre has held sway over the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s welterweight division for more than five years.

St. Pierre will defend his title against the once-beaten Johny Hendricks in the UFC 167 main event on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The 32-year-old champion will enter the Octagon on a career-best 11-fight winning streak, having already established himself as the greatest welterweight in UFC history in the minds of many.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 167 headliner: 

Jason Dent: Pulling for GSP to retain his title yet again. I believe GSP is more well-rounded and a smarter, more technical fighter than Hendricks. Even if Hendricks keeps GSP standing, I still think GSP can pick him apart with this being a five-round fight.

The rest of the article is HERE

Adapted by: Bob Donaghy

Pros Pick Aldo v Jung

Every UFC PPV Sherdog runs an article which asks a number of pro fighters to give their prediction on the main event.  Jason Dent is a frequent contributor to the series.

From Sherdog.com
Since Nov. 26, 2005, 15 men have tried and failed to beat Jose Aldo. Now comes Chan Sung Jung’s turn.

Aldo will defend the Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight crown against “The Korean Zombie” in the UFC 163 main event on Saturday at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 26-year-old Brazilian has finished eight opponents by knockout or technical knockout during his 15-fight winning streak, including Team Alpha Male’s Chad Mendes, “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 5 finalist Manny Gamburyan, former World Extreme Cagefighting featherweight champion Mike Thomas Brown and Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts mainstay Cub Swanson.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 163 headliner:

Jason Dent: Aldo wins any way it ends up. I believe he will finish “The Korean Zombie,” but if it goes the distance, I still think Aldo has this one.

For the rest of the story on Sherdog, click HERE

Adapted by: Bob Donaghy

Pros Pick: Silva vs. Weidman

From Sherdog.com

Chris Weidman had not yet appeared in a professional mixed martial arts match when Anderson Silva captured the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight crown on Oct. 14, 2006. Nevertheless, their paths will cross in the UFC 162 main event this Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas -- Silva the venerable champion, Weidman the hungry challenger.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 162 headliner:

Jason Dent: Can’t pick against Anderson; I don’t believe I ever have. Win or lose, he is a living legend at this point. I believe Anderson will win by TKO because if it stays on the ground, I’m not sure Anderson can catch Weidman.

To read the other picks, click HERE

Adapted by Bob Donaghy

Pros Pick: Jones vs. Sonnen

One of MMA’s top pound-for-pound fighters meets its premier self-promoter, as Jon Jones defends his Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight crown against Chael Sonnen in the UFC 159 main event on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The two men coached opposite one another on Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 159 headliner

Jason Dent: I’m picking Jones in this one. Jones is too skilled and athletic for Sonnen.

For the rest of the article, click HERE

Edited by: Bob Donaghy

Pros Pick – Aldo v Edgar

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight titleholder Frankie Edgar will downshift to 145 pounds to challenge Jose Aldo for his featherweight crown in the UFC 156 main event this Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 156 “Aldo vs. Edgar” headliner:

Jason Dent: I believe Aldo will win this fight. He is just so accurate and deadly with his knees, elbows and low kicks. Frankie will have the wrestling advantage, but Aldo is a finisher. Aldo wins by TKO by or before the end of round four.

Read the rest of the article on Sherdog HERE

Edited by Bob Donaghy

Pros Picks JDS v Velasquez

The Ultimate Fighting Championship’s year-end events are typically anchored by a tremendous main event. That is certainly the case at UFC 155 on Saturday, as Junior dos Santos defends his heavyweight crown against Cain Velasquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Dos Santos captured the championship with a first-round technical knockout against Velasquez at UFC on Fox 1 in November. Can the American Kickboxing Academy standout turn the tables and avenge the only defeat of his professional career?

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 155 “Dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2” headliner

Jason Dent: JDS will win again. I’d say by TKO late in round three.

The rest of the article is HERE

Adapted from Sherdog.com by: Bob Donaghy

Jason Dent on Sherdog Pros Pick - Henderson v Diaz

Many think the UFC lightweight title tilt between champion Benson Henderson and challenger Nate Diaz has “Fight of the Year” potential. The two top-shelf 155-pounders will meet in the UFC on Fox 5 main event this Saturday at the Key Arena in Seattle.

Henderson has recorded 15 wins in his past 16 outings, including five in a row since joining the UFC as part of the World Extreme Cagefighting merger. The 29-year-old MMA Lab export last appeared at UFC 150 in November, when he took a split decision from former champion Frankie Edgar in their rematch at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

Diaz used wins over Takanori Gomi, Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller as a springboard to title contention. The 27-year-old Cesar Gracie protégé won Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter” and has been a mainstay inside the Octagon ever since. Diaz has secured more than half (11) of his 16 professional victories by submission.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC on Fox 5 “Henderson vs. Diaz” main event:

Jason Dent: Diaz wins by submission in round four.

Click HERE for the rest of the Pro's Picks

Adapted by: Bob Donaghy

Jason Dent on Sherdog's Pros Pick Henderson v Edgar

Frankie Edgar held the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight crown for 687 days -- until Benson Henderson did what B.J. Penn and Gray Maynard could not and dethroned the man they call “The Answer” in a spirited five-round encounter at UFC 144 in February.

Henderson and Edgar will meet for the second time in six months when they collide in the UFC 150 main event on Saturday at the Pepsi Center in Denver. This time, “Smooth” stars in the role as champion, eager to prove his first victory over Edgar was no aberration.

Sherdog.com touched base with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 150 “Henderson vs. Edgar 2” headliner:

Jason Dent: I’m pulling for Frankie in this one. Frankie always comes back stronger and smarter in all the other rematches he has had in the past. Either way, no matter who wins, I hope both guys have a great showing and represent the lightweight class.

Click HERE for the rest of the Pros Picks

Adapted by:  Bob Donaghy

Jason Dent on Sherdog Pros Pick UFC 149

A knee injury to Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight kingpin Dominick Cruz set in motion the events that led to an interim title bout between Urijah Faber and Renan “Barao” Pegado in the UFC 149 headliner on Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Faber has recorded three wins in his past four outings. The 33-year-old Team Alpha Male founder last appeared at UFC 139 in November, when he submitted Brian Bowles with a second-round guillotine choke. A former WEC champion at 145 pounds, Faber wrestled collegiately at the University of California at Davis. In 31 professional appearances, he has never been submitted. Faber views “Barao” as a different kind of threat than the man he was originally booked to meet....

Jason Dent: Picking and pulling for Faber. To be honest, I’m not that familiar with Renan just yet. I have to believe Faber has fought the tougher competition, though.

Click Here to visit Sherdog and read the rest of the article

Written by: Bob Donaghy

Jason Dent on Sherdog Pros Pick: UFC 147 Silva vs. Franklin 2

Sherdog has a recurring article in which they poll professional fighters on upcoming events.  GR's Jason Dent is a frequent contributor. 


Edited From Sherdog:

A once-magnificent bomber who used to instill fear opponents like no other, Silva was viewed as a spent force, a shell of the man who for years dominated the Pride Fighting Championships promotion in Japan. “The Axe Murder” has fought only three times since, sandwiching victories over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping and former Strikeforce champion Cung Le around a 27-second knockout defeat to Chris Leben.

Franklin has enjoyed a terrific career in his own right but never seemed to fully recover from the beatings he sustained in two ill-fated encounters with middleweight king Anderson Silva. Now 37, the man they call “Ace” has not competed since he dropped a unanimous decision to Forrest Griffin 16 months ago, as shoulder surgery has kept him away from the Octagon for an extended period....


Jason Dent: I believe Rich will pull it off. Wanderlei fights a little too wild these days, whereas Rich seems to fight with a good game plan every time. I love watching Rich fight and all, but I’m super bummed that Vitor got hurt because I really wanted to see that rematch.
 
Link to the rest of the article on Sherdog


Written by: Bob Donaghy

Jason Dent and George Comer Added to Fight Night in the Flats 8

Jason Dent and George Comer suit up the same night for GriffonRawl to take on tough opponents at NAAFS 8^th annual Fight Night in the Flats.

Comer makes his second outing as a pro against the 2011 lightweight amateur champion, Khama Worthy (8-2) who is on a 4 fight winning streak. Those 4 fights have all been in NAAFS, surprisingly, they have no opponents in common. This will be Worthy's pro debut, and Comer's first fight since August 2011.

Jason makes his first appearance in a NAAFS cage since last June, and will take on a very dangerous striker named James Warfield (22-10). Warfield makes his NAAFS debut looking to reverse a 3 fight losing streak (all decisions) and get back in the win column going against the most accomplished opponent of his career in UFC vet in Jason Dent.  Look for Warfield to try and escape the 'decision to a loss' pattern and return to the 10 fight winning streak of KO's that opened his pro career with an aggressive first round attack.

Tickets for the event are available at GriffonRawl from either Jason or George. We encourage you to buy from them, it's an important part of how they get paid. Please support the fight team! (440-358-9371 )

For the full fight card, event time & date and maps, please see the Event listing

James Warfield v Ted Worthington

Video streaming by Ustream

Written by: Bob Donaghy

Dent Drops a UD in PA Show

After winning in Iowa on 4/7, Jason Dent was looking forward to a fast turn around with a 4/20 debut fight in Bellator. When his opponent withdrew within days of the event, there was no time to locate a replacement and the fight was scratched from the card.  In keeping with his resolve to keep busy in 2012, Jason quickly located an alternative.

Pure MMA, a fledgling promotion in Eastern, PA, had a show coming up in 10 days.  His opponent would be Rustam Khabilov, a complete unknown here. Some research showed Khabilov had more than just a 12-1 record, he was also the 2009 M-1 Challenge World Lightweight champ, and the World (and Russian National) Combat Sambo champion. His last MMA fight was a UD win against Rodrigo Roberio (World Lightweight BJJ champion) in Jakarta, Indonesia. What was this guy doing in a small show in Wilkes-Barre, PA? Ask his coach, Greg Jackson.

Khabilov has been a Greg Jackson special project for about 6 months. In that time he's fought and won three times. This was his US debut and Jason Dent was his first outing against a UFC vet.  Like most Greg Jackson game plans, it went well.

Jason came out fast and pushed the pace hard in all three rounds, but his pressure was met with precise strikes and Sambo trips. All three rounds went to the ground quickly and ended with Jason on the bottom defending strikes. The judges saw it as a Unanimous Decision for Khabilov.

Written by: Bob Donaghy

New Jason Dent Interview up on YouTube

Jason completed a very frank and revealing phone interview on April 19th with Mike Radich. He talks about his time in TUF in detail, and the effect it had on his fight career. He covers his fights with George Sotiropoulos, Chris Lozano, Paul Bird and goes into his fight plans for 2012 and beyond.

If you want to know what's going on in the head of GR's Head Coach, give a listen




Thanks to Mike Radich for posting the interview. See Mike's other interviews here:




Written by: Bob Donaghy

Jason Dent on Sherdog Jones v Evans

Sherdog has a recurring article in which they poll professional fighters on upcoming events.  GR's Jason Dent is a frequent contributor. 

Edited from Sherdog:

On Saturday night in the Philips Arena down in Atlanta, the UFC’s most marketable grudge match will finally take place. Former training partners Jon Jones and Rashad Evans haven’t exactly been the closest of friends over the years, and after multiple postponements and a landfill worth of trash talk, the two light heavyweights will be able to prove which is superior.

Champion Jones has been on an absolute tear ever since his debut in the UFC, and there appears to be no sign of him slowing down. However, Evans, a former champion at 205, is going to be Jones’ stiffest challenge to date. An illustrious wrestler who has become an upper echelon-level striker, Evans could be the lone man thus far to not only give the champion problems -- he could beat him.

Jones is a terrific wrestler in his own right, and his unorthodox striking -- coupled with his tree branch-like reach – makes hi m the slight favorite entering the contest. He’s determined to keep the title around his waist and prove that it is he, not his adversary, who is the king of the light heavies. The bout’s outcome realistically is a toss-up, but Sherdog.com has found quite a few experts on the subject. Read on to see how dozens of professional fighters and trainers picked Jones vs. Evans:

Jason Dent: I'm picking Jon Jones to win by referee stoppage in round three. I would love to see an upset here, and my heart is with Rashad, but my mind says Jones. Jones is just too gifted in every aspect. He has the height and the reach advantage on just about everyone in the division and his confidence is at an all time high, which makes him very dangerous as well. Plus, he trains out of Jackson’s.

Link to the article on Sherdog

Written by Bob Donaghy

UFC Encyclopedia: 2012 Edition

The new edition of the UFC Encyclopedia is out. GriffonRawl's Jason Dent is mentioned three times:

• Fight of the night against Huerta (UFC 63)
• Submission of the night over Dollar (The Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale)
• Semi finalist on season 9 of the Ultimate Fighter. 

 Written by: Bob Donaghy

Josh Neer Seminar a Huge Success

The Josh Neer seminar drew a capacity crowd Saturday afternoon, filling GR's mat space almost to overflowing. The three hour seminar saw rounds of one on one training with Josh, free rolling and even some sparring to test technique.

The seminar had dozens of attendees who paid $50.00 to learn techniques from Neer. According to Jason the attendees raged in age from 18 to 35 with "a few over 40." He stressed it was much more than an autograph session.
 "He (Neer) taught stand-up and wrestling techniques," Dent said. "He also went over the ground game."
There was a "meet and greet" near the end of the seminar that was open to the public.
"It was a big seminar that was attended by amateur and pro fighters," Dent said. "It was hands-on instruction. It was really good. It was really successful."

Everyone who attended the seminar got a lot of training tips, techniques, and a great workout to boot. The seminar flew by even though it was 3hrs long.

Josh Neer's website HERE

Written by:  Bob Donaghy

Below is a video taken and edited by GR Team Member Juice Ververka for his Blue Collar MMA Series on YouTube. Thank you to Juice for the use of the video:

Jason Dent on Sherdog Pros Pick: Edgar v Henderson

Sherdog has a recurring article in which they poll professional fighters on upcoming events.  GR's Jason Dent is a frequent contributor. 

Edited from Sherdog:

For the first time in more than a decade, the world’s leading mixed martial arts promotion will return to the Land of the Rising Sun.

UFC 144 on Saturday features a five-round lightweight title bout between champion Frankie Edgar and the surging Ben Henderson at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Many have already pegged it as a potential “Fight of the Year” candidate.

Sherdog.com caught up with a number of professional fighters and trainers to gauge their opinions on the UFC 144 headliner:

Jason Dent: I’ll take Edgar by TKO in round four.

Link to the article on Sherdog

Written by Bob Donaghy

Caged Fury 15: Dent v Straus & Burbol v Lastafka

Daniel Straus v Jason Dent
On October 15^th, 2011 Jason Dent ended his record setting NAAFS Lightweight title reign with a Unanimous Decision loss to Interim title holder Daniel Straus after 5 rounds of action.

The title unification bout was a long time coming. The Interim belt was created when Dent left NAAFS for the UFC after a successful run on The Ultimate Fighter resulted in a UFC contract. Shortly after winning the interim belt, Straus signed a contract with Bellator, and left NAAFS with the understanding that he would return and defend the belt in Dent's absence.

When Dent's time in the UFC ended, the unification fight was scheduled, then set aside in favor of a super fight between Dent and NAAFS Middleweight Champion Chris Lozano. Dent suffered a fractured arm in that fight, and the unification fight was again delayed, this time for over a year.

Straus has been called one of the best wrestlers in Ohio who never won a title. He showed those skills in this fight getting takedowns in every round and controlling the action with a strong top ride. Dent did a lot of damage to Straus from the ground, but not enough to convince the judges that he was in control of the fight.

Straus said in interviews before the fight that he wanted to test Dent's stand up and find a way to finish him. After the fight he said after eating some solid shots he decided to go back to wrestling and get the win that way.

The judges score sheets show the final total: 50-45, 50-45, 48-47. All judges favoring Straus.

John Burbol v Dave Lastafka

John Burbol's night ended early as he was dropped with a short right seconds into the first round. Sitting up to shoot he was caught in a tight guillotine, and was forced to tap.

The video (courtesy of Inside MMA) shows hightlights of the Caged Fury show. Dent v Strauss starts at the 1:00 mark

UFC Fight Night New Orleans 9/17/2011

The Fight Night in New Orleans was Donny Walker's second UFC appearance in 2011. This time he was matched up with strong wrestler Ken Stone.

The fight opened with Donny showing some standup advantage. A leg kick from Stone lands low and they restart. Walker continues to show advantage standing. They close and Stone takes the action to the cage wall. Stone traps Donny's arm and trips him. Donny briefly stands up and is tripped again. Stone gets his hooks in and secures a Rear Naked Choke . Walker refuses to tap and is choked out

Written by Bob Donaghy