UFC 125 picks, Vegas-style: The champ gets no respect on the odds board

There's little chance Frank Edgar is going to get cocky anytime soon. Sure, the UFC lightweight champ is closing out a year where he beat the legendary B.J. Penn two times, but he's still trying to satisfy a lot of doubters. Many say Edgar is too small for the division and others believe Penn was simply unmotivated in 2010 and used a horrible gameplan against Frankie. There's also that one loss on his record back in 2008.

Edgar (13-1) was overpowered at times by Gray Maynard in their fight at Ultimate Fight Night 13. Maynard took a unanimous decision, handing Edgar his first and only career defeat.

Maynard (10-0) is still the bigger fighter with more powerful takedowns. He's a solid favorite in Las Vegas and offshore. Who's added more to their game in the last 32 months? Damon Martin from MMAWeekly.com and Larry Pepe from ProMMARadio.com join me to pick the fight based on the odds. 

UFC 125 betting odds: 
Official plays in bold 

Gray Maynard (-145) vs. Frank Edgar (+115) -- UFC lightweight championship
Brian Stann (+140) vs. Chris Leben (-170) -- Middleweight
Brandon Vera (+115) vs. Thiago Silva (-145) -- Light heavyweight
Dong Hyun Kim (-130) vs. Nate Diaz (+100) -- Welterweight
Clay Guida (-150) vs. Takanori Gomi (+120) -- Lightweight
Marcus Davis (+190) vs. Jeremy Stephens (-250) -- Lightweight
Brad Tavares (-210) vs. Phil Baroni (+170) -- Middleweight
Mike Brown (-265) vs. Diego Nuñes (+205) -- Featherweight
Josh Grispi (-290) vs. Dustin Poirier (+230) -- Featherweight
Antonio McKee (-250) vs. Jacob Volkmann (+190) -- Lightweight
Greg Soto (-125) vs. Daniel Roberts (-105) -- Welterweight

Here are the straight picks from the entire Yahoo! Sports MMA crew

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You tell us: The best fight finishes of 2010

As much fun as it is to watch a three- or five-round scrap, one of the best things about MMA is that fighters can have control of their own destiny by finishing their fights. What were the best ones in 2010? You tell us. Winners will be announced on Dec. 30.

Paul Daley's KO of Scott Smith -- At the Strikeforce St. Louis event in December, knockouts were the order of business. Robbie Lawler and Dan Henderson both won with impressive first-round KOs, but it was Daley's sickening KO of Smith that stood out. With a left hook, Daley sent Smith directly to the canvas.

Fabricio Werdum's triangle armbar of Fedor Emelianenko -- This ending was impressive both for the interesting submission and the fact that Werdum ended Emelianenko's incredibly dominant run of win after win. 

Scott Jorgensen's guillotine of Chad George -- It wasn't in a title fight or a main event, but for sheer awesomeness, you have to love this one. At WEC 47, Jorgensen locked on a guillotine, and squeezed it so tightly that George's feet left the ground. George tapped in just 0:31.

Cain Velasquez's TKO of Brock Lesnar -- Velasquez took the UFC heavyweight championship with a perfect combination of speed, power and wrestling skills. He took advantage of Lesnar's biggest weakness -- his inability to take punches. Velasquez broke Lesnar with strike after strike, winning by TKO in the first round. 

Takanori Gomi's KO of Tyson Griffin -- Gomi had lost his UFC debut to Kenny Florian, an uninspired start for the PRIDE star. He made up for it with a quick right hand in his bout with Griffin, which stiffened Griffin and laid him out in the first round.

Anderson Silva's triangle armbar of Chael Sonnen -- Sonnen dominated this championship bout for 23 minutes, taking down and striking the previously invincible Silva at will. Sonnen seemed destined for a decision win and the UFC middleweight belt, until he got sloppy and gave up an arm in the fifth round. Silva took advantage and tapped Sonnen out at 3:10 in the fifth round.

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Always learning

Even though it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been in the air, skydiving continues to teach me a thing or two. I’m one of those people who will watch videos and read articles on skydiving (and any other adrenaline sport for that matter) any chance I get. I’m also the girl who waits not-so-patiently [...]

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Snowporning: The "10th" Movie - Czech Snowboarding Documentary

From the Czech online magazine Freeride.cz and LIP Production comes this full-length look at the Czech snowboarding scene. Filmed over the past year in Sweden, Hungary, Czech Republic and the U.S., the film strikes a great balance between documenting the unique Czech community, and letting the riding speak for itself. Don't let the "documentary" tag or the subtitles turn you off, this video is packed with solid shredding, including some of the most unique urban spots we've seen in awhile.

Snowporning The "10th" Movie - FULL VERSION from Freeride.cz on Vimeo.

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North Coast Promo

This quick promo for the video North Coast has me pretty stoked to see what's next from these guys.

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Adieu Varner and Horodecki: Lightweight heads roll after final WEC

Not exactly the parting shot Varner was hoping for.

Jamie Varner and Chris Horodecki are the latest victims of one of the few downsides of the UFC/WEC merger: The promotion can only have so many fighters on a roster at once. The merger means the traditional post-fight cuts will be brutal, particularly in the lightweight division, which was supported by both the UFC and WEC.

Varner lost the WEC lightweight to Ben Henderson at the beginning of the year via a third-round submission that Varner mocked. The rest of 2010 was just as tough, as he fought to a draw with Kamal Shalorus, lost a grudge match to bitter rival Donald Cerrone and then was submitted by Shane Roller. Still, it's shocking to see a fighter go from the champ to unemployed in a year's time. From PunchDrunkGamer.com on Tuesday:

Jamie stated, “I am ready for 2011, there will be some changes in my game. It has been a nice ride with the WEC but its time for a change. Perhaps UFC will be in my future down the road...We shall see!”

Less shocking is Horodecki's cut. Though he was 2-2 in the WEC, his losses were spectacular. "The Polish Hammer's" debut in the WEC was wrecked by Anthony Njokuani's highlight-reel kick to the face. Horodecki won his next two, but then was submitted by a Cerrone triangle choke at WEC 53.

This is the reality of the post-merger UFC. In the past, a fighter would only be concerned about being cut if he lost two in a row, but now, every performance counts. Adieu, Polish Hammer and Varner. Horodecki, we'll miss that Goonies-esque face, and Varner, what will MMA be without you and Cerrone calling each other unsavory names? 

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Wild and Scenic Film Festival

Local film makers (as in from right here in the Coloma-Lotus Valley) Todd and Janice Stanley have had their film “Saving a River“�chosen for the 9th annual�Wild and Scenic Film Festival! The film documents the history and efforts of our local conservancy group the American River Conservancy.� You can check it out on the Conservancy [...]

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