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While the entire card is stacked this weekend, nothing is as exciting as the title fight between champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Jake Shields. St-Pierre is a -500 favorite on UFC 129 welterweight championship odds, while Shields checks in as a +300 underdog.
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St-Pierre, of course, is one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts—and considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. “GSP” has faced very few speed bumps on the road to superstardom, going 21-2 in his career. The 29-year-old Quebec native has won eight consecutive fights, almost all of them in dominant fashion.
St-Pierre was last seen taking care of business against Josh Koscheck. The Canadian earned a unanimous decision over Koscheck, his third straight victory that has gone to the judges’ card. Just because his fights are going five rounds doesn’t mean St-Pierre isn’t controlling the action, however. Against Koscheck, for example, St-Pierre landed 55 jabs to his opponent’s head. Though Koscheck lasted all five rounds, he paid for it with a completely swollen eye and broken orbital bone.
Stylistically, St-Pierre is as dangerous as they come. He owns three black belts, is an expert wrestler, and can strike with the best of them. He has eight victories via knockout and five victories via submission.
Shields is a relative newcomer to UFC, but he’s hardly a rookie on the mixed martial arts circuit. The American has over 30 fights to his credit, going 26-4-1. His only UFC fight came last October, when Shields won a split decision over Martin Kampmann. The lack of UFC fights shouldn’t put off MMA fans, as Sherdog ranks Shields as the No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Shields has won 15 consecutive fights. After an eight-fight stretch from 2006-2009, when he won each bout via knockout or submission, Shields has won three straight via submission. Eleven of Shields’ 26 career wins have come via submission, and just three via knockout.
Stick around the Bodog Beat this weekend for more UFC 129 betting lines. Does Randy Couture have anything left in the tank? How about featherweight championship odds?
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St-Pierre, of course, is one of the biggest stars in mixed martial arts—and considered by many to be the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. “GSP” has faced very few speed bumps on the road to superstardom, going 21-2 in his career. The 29-year-old Quebec native has won eight consecutive fights, almost all of them in dominant fashion.
St-Pierre was last seen taking care of business against Josh Koscheck. The Canadian earned a unanimous decision over Koscheck, his third straight victory that has gone to the judges’ card. Just because his fights are going five rounds doesn’t mean St-Pierre isn’t controlling the action, however. Against Koscheck, for example, St-Pierre landed 55 jabs to his opponent’s head. Though Koscheck lasted all five rounds, he paid for it with a completely swollen eye and broken orbital bone.
Stylistically, St-Pierre is as dangerous as they come. He owns three black belts, is an expert wrestler, and can strike with the best of them. He has eight victories via knockout and five victories via submission.
Shields is a relative newcomer to UFC, but he’s hardly a rookie on the mixed martial arts circuit. The American has over 30 fights to his credit, going 26-4-1. His only UFC fight came last October, when Shields won a split decision over Martin Kampmann. The lack of UFC fights shouldn’t put off MMA fans, as Sherdog ranks Shields as the No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Shields has won 15 consecutive fights. After an eight-fight stretch from 2006-2009, when he won each bout via knockout or submission, Shields has won three straight via submission. Eleven of Shields’ 26 career wins have come via submission, and just three via knockout.
Stick around the Bodog Beat this weekend for more UFC 129 betting lines. Does Randy Couture have anything left in the tank? How about featherweight championship odds?
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The biggest event in UFC history takes place Saturday as 55,000-plus fans will cram into the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada. To get things started, Randy Couture will take on Lyoto Machida, which Machida coming in as a -325 favorite.
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Machida is trying to get his career back on track. The Brazilian ripped through just about everybody on his way to the light heavyweight championship, winning the first 16 fights of his career. Machida has since lost back-to-back fights, however.
First, Machida was dropped in May 2010 by Shogun Rua. Shogun earned the victory with a knockout via punches, stealing Machida’s light heavyweight belt. Then Machida lost a split decision to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson last November. The fight was marred by controversy, as many observers believed Machida actually won the fight. Even Rampage said after the fight he thought Machida deserved an immediate rematch.
Machida uses a unique mishmash style in the octagon. It’s mostly a mixture of karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (he owns black belts in both). Machida is often described as anything from cautious to elusive to boring thanks to his back-pedaling style.
Couture faces Machida as a +250 underdog. The 47-year-old fighter is the textbook definition of “veteran,” as he has a whopping 29 fights under his belt. The American is 19-10 in that span, and he’s recently gained some momentum. Since a rocky 1-3 run in 2006-2009, in which Couture was knocked out twice, he’s won three consecutive fights.
The most recent victory was a bit of a sideshow, though, as Couture faced former pro boxer James Toney. Couture easily beat Toney with an arm triangle in the first round at UFC 118 (August 2010).
The winning streak has coincided with Couture’s return to the light heavyweight division. Machida will easily be the toughest challenge yet, as he’s faced Toney, Mark Coleman and Brandon Vera.
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Machida is trying to get his career back on track. The Brazilian ripped through just about everybody on his way to the light heavyweight championship, winning the first 16 fights of his career. Machida has since lost back-to-back fights, however.
First, Machida was dropped in May 2010 by Shogun Rua. Shogun earned the victory with a knockout via punches, stealing Machida’s light heavyweight belt. Then Machida lost a split decision to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson last November. The fight was marred by controversy, as many observers believed Machida actually won the fight. Even Rampage said after the fight he thought Machida deserved an immediate rematch.
Machida uses a unique mishmash style in the octagon. It’s mostly a mixture of karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (he owns black belts in both). Machida is often described as anything from cautious to elusive to boring thanks to his back-pedaling style.
Couture faces Machida as a +250 underdog. The 47-year-old fighter is the textbook definition of “veteran,” as he has a whopping 29 fights under his belt. The American is 19-10 in that span, and he’s recently gained some momentum. Since a rocky 1-3 run in 2006-2009, in which Couture was knocked out twice, he’s won three consecutive fights.
The most recent victory was a bit of a sideshow, though, as Couture faced former pro boxer James Toney. Couture easily beat Toney with an arm triangle in the first round at UFC 118 (August 2010).
The winning streak has coincided with Couture’s return to the light heavyweight division. Machida will easily be the toughest challenge yet, as he’s faced Toney, Mark Coleman and Brandon Vera.
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That's right, you read the sportsbook correctly — UFC 129 featherweight championship odds. Thanks to a merger with World Extreme Cagefighting, UFC now boasts a featherweight division. Champion Jose Aldo will defend his belt against hometown hero Mark Hominick. You can bet on the fight with Bodog.
UFC fans are going to want to get to know Aldo very, very fast. The Brazilian is a -550 favorite on Saturday and should see his profile climb quickly now that he’s joined UFC. Aldo’s career is off to a brilliant start, with an 18-1 record to date.
Aldo, who owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has won 11 consecutive fights—and most of them have come in impressive fashion. The 24-year-old fighter knocked out Armenian Manvel Gamburyan last September, giving him seven knockout victories in his past eight fights. Clearly, Aldo is one of the best strikers in mixed martial arts; he has 12 knockouts wins in his 18 career victories, with just two wins coming via submission.
Though Aldo is unquestionably one of mixed martial arts’ rising stars, he won’t have the crowd on his side this weekend. That distinction belongs to Canadian Mark Hominick. The Ontario native, 28 years old, is a fairly talented veteran. He has 28 career fights under his belt, including 20 victories.
Hominick is riding a five-fight victory streak. His last win was a knockout victory over American George Roop; the Canuck finished off his opponent with punches to earn a shot at Aldo’s title. Hominick has a kickboxing and Muay Tai background, and he has a mixed back of tricks.
Nine of his 20 victories have come via knockout, while another seven wins came via submission. Only one of his last five wins went to the judges’ scorecard, and two of his last three wins came via knockout.
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UFC fans are going to want to get to know Aldo very, very fast. The Brazilian is a -550 favorite on Saturday and should see his profile climb quickly now that he’s joined UFC. Aldo’s career is off to a brilliant start, with an 18-1 record to date.
Aldo, who owns a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, has won 11 consecutive fights—and most of them have come in impressive fashion. The 24-year-old fighter knocked out Armenian Manvel Gamburyan last September, giving him seven knockout victories in his past eight fights. Clearly, Aldo is one of the best strikers in mixed martial arts; he has 12 knockouts wins in his 18 career victories, with just two wins coming via submission.
Though Aldo is unquestionably one of mixed martial arts’ rising stars, he won’t have the crowd on his side this weekend. That distinction belongs to Canadian Mark Hominick. The Ontario native, 28 years old, is a fairly talented veteran. He has 28 career fights under his belt, including 20 victories.
Hominick is riding a five-fight victory streak. His last win was a knockout victory over American George Roop; the Canuck finished off his opponent with punches to earn a shot at Aldo’s title. Hominick has a kickboxing and Muay Tai background, and he has a mixed back of tricks.
Nine of his 20 victories have come via knockout, while another seven wins came via submission. Only one of his last five wins went to the judges’ scorecard, and two of his last three wins came via knockout.
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Fight fans will be treated to one of the most exciting boxing betting bouts of the year this Saturday, as Manny Pacquiao will put his Welterweight championship on the line against Shane Mosley. Pacquiao is a -800 favorite in the highly-anticipated fight, while Mosley checks in as a +500 underdog.
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Pacquiao, of course, is one of the greatest fighters of his generation. The 32-year-old Filipino owns a fantastic 52-3-2 record, including 38 victories by knockout. Pacquiao hasn’t lost a fight since 2005, when he lost a unanimous decision to Erik Morales. Since then, he’s won 13 consecutive fights.
Mosley, 39 years old and another living legend, is a former champion himself. He owns a 46-6-1-1 record, including 39 victories via knockout. Age has caught up to the American, however, and he has two losses and a draw in his last five fights. Mosley hasn’t tasted victory since January 2009, when he topped Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a unanimous decision.
Most pundits are expecting Mosley to come out hard and aggressive, so Pacquiao is expected to keep his distance early in the fight. Once Mosley settles down, Pacquiao will try picking apart Mosley. He’s definitely the faster fighter of the two, so the longer this fight goes—and the more tired the older Mosley gets—the more it favors Pacquiao.
Mosley has the usual “puncher’s chance” to win the bout, but he’s also a very smart fighter, and fans shouldn’t be too quick to count him out. Yes, his declining fitness and speed are concerns, but Mosley is certainly clever enough to pick Pacquiao apart—whether or not his body allows him to is another question.
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Pacquiao, of course, is one of the greatest fighters of his generation. The 32-year-old Filipino owns a fantastic 52-3-2 record, including 38 victories by knockout. Pacquiao hasn’t lost a fight since 2005, when he lost a unanimous decision to Erik Morales. Since then, he’s won 13 consecutive fights.
Mosley, 39 years old and another living legend, is a former champion himself. He owns a 46-6-1-1 record, including 39 victories via knockout. Age has caught up to the American, however, and he has two losses and a draw in his last five fights. Mosley hasn’t tasted victory since January 2009, when he topped Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a unanimous decision.
Most pundits are expecting Mosley to come out hard and aggressive, so Pacquiao is expected to keep his distance early in the fight. Once Mosley settles down, Pacquiao will try picking apart Mosley. He’s definitely the faster fighter of the two, so the longer this fight goes—and the more tired the older Mosley gets—the more it favors Pacquiao.
Mosley has the usual “puncher’s chance” to win the bout, but he’s also a very smart fighter, and fans shouldn’t be too quick to count him out. Yes, his declining fitness and speed are concerns, but Mosley is certainly clever enough to pick Pacquiao apart—whether or not his body allows him to is another question.
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We're willing to bet that a match between St-Pierre and Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz could prove to be the ultimate challenge for GSP and therefore set new gate and attendance records.
*****
Past and Future UFC Events in Canada:
UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre 2 (April 19, 2008 – Bell Centre – Montreal, Quebec – Attendance: 21,390)
UFC 97: Redemption (April 18, 2009 Bell | Montreal | 21,451)
UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 (May 8, 2010 | Montreal | 17,6470)
UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin (June 12, 2010 | Vancouver | 17,669)
UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields (April 30, 2011 | Toronto | 55,724)
UFC 131: Lesnar vs. dos Santos (June 11, 2011 – Vancouver | TBA)
*****
Immediately following GSP’s win against Shields UFC president Dana White told the press that he is interested in staging a bout between Diaz, a winner of 10 straight matches, and St-Pierre. Official confirmation has not been made by either fighter, however, nor has the location of said fight been announced. With UFC 131: Lesnar vs. dos Santos set for Vancouver on June 11, a fall date in either Montreal or Toronto would make a lot of sense (and dollars).
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*****
Past and Future UFC Events in Canada:
UFC 83: Serra vs. St-Pierre 2 (April 19, 2008 – Bell Centre – Montreal, Quebec – Attendance: 21,390)
UFC 97: Redemption (April 18, 2009 Bell | Montreal | 21,451)
UFC 113: Machida vs. Shogun 2 (May 8, 2010 | Montreal | 17,6470)
UFC 115: Liddell vs. Franklin (June 12, 2010 | Vancouver | 17,669)
UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields (April 30, 2011 | Toronto | 55,724)
UFC 131: Lesnar vs. dos Santos (June 11, 2011 – Vancouver | TBA)
*****
Immediately following GSP’s win against Shields UFC president Dana White told the press that he is interested in staging a bout between Diaz, a winner of 10 straight matches, and St-Pierre. Official confirmation has not been made by either fighter, however, nor has the location of said fight been announced. With UFC 131: Lesnar vs. dos Santos set for Vancouver on June 11, a fall date in either Montreal or Toronto would make a lot of sense (and dollars).
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UFC betting often involves assessing a contrast of styles, and that’s definitely the case for the main event at UFC 130 on Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The headliner is a light heavyweight bout between Quinton Jackson (31-8-0) and Matt Hamill (10-2-0), and by styles, we mean that these are two fighters with different caches.
Jackson is a movie star, and has been a featured performer ever since he stepped into the Octagon for Dana White. Hamill, it seems, has never been considered an elite fighter even if he won the Ultimate Fighter 10 finale over Jon Jones (by disqualification, of course).
If Hamill can win on Saturday, it goes without saying it would be the biggest win of his career. It would also represent a nice little payday for bettors. Hamill is priced as a +215 underdog against Jackson, who’s on the board at Bodog as a -275 favorite.
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Does Hamill have a shot on Saturday? Yep. But that doesn’t mean Rampage won’t be motivated. When Jackson is quiet before a fight (as is the case this week), that usually means he’s focused.
Also on the main card, Frank Mir is a -140 fave against Roy Nelson (+110) for their heavyweight tilt, but is the former just a little overvalued?
Sure, Nelson was waxed by Junior dos Santos in his last fight at UFC 117, but he’s still a better all-around fighter than Mir. Nelson might look like a cross between a fat Kid Rock and Zach Galifianakis, but the man can move.
In the welterweight division, Thiago Alves is -250 chalk against Rick Story (+190), while middleweight Brian Stann (-145) is likely to get past Jorge Santiago (+115)
In the other heavyweight affair, Travis Browne is a -140 favorite against Stefan Struve (+110).
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The headliner is a light heavyweight bout between Quinton Jackson (31-8-0) and Matt Hamill (10-2-0), and by styles, we mean that these are two fighters with different caches.
Jackson is a movie star, and has been a featured performer ever since he stepped into the Octagon for Dana White. Hamill, it seems, has never been considered an elite fighter even if he won the Ultimate Fighter 10 finale over Jon Jones (by disqualification, of course).
If Hamill can win on Saturday, it goes without saying it would be the biggest win of his career. It would also represent a nice little payday for bettors. Hamill is priced as a +215 underdog against Jackson, who’s on the board at Bodog as a -275 favorite.
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Does Hamill have a shot on Saturday? Yep. But that doesn’t mean Rampage won’t be motivated. When Jackson is quiet before a fight (as is the case this week), that usually means he’s focused.
Also on the main card, Frank Mir is a -140 fave against Roy Nelson (+110) for their heavyweight tilt, but is the former just a little overvalued?
Sure, Nelson was waxed by Junior dos Santos in his last fight at UFC 117, but he’s still a better all-around fighter than Mir. Nelson might look like a cross between a fat Kid Rock and Zach Galifianakis, but the man can move.
In the welterweight division, Thiago Alves is -250 chalk against Rick Story (+190), while middleweight Brian Stann (-145) is likely to get past Jorge Santiago (+115)
In the other heavyweight affair, Travis Browne is a -140 favorite against Stefan Struve (+110).
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Good thing Clay Guida is nicknamed “The Carpenter” because he has a lot of work to do to cash a winning UFC betting ticket against Anthony Pettis in the main event of the Ultimate Fighter 13: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos on Saturday night.
When Guida (28-11-0) steps into the Octagon at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas it’ll be his 40th professional mixed martial arts fight and 14th in the UFC alone, and he’ll need all of that experience against Pettis (13-1-0).
Based on reports coming out of Vegas, Guida seems to think Pettis hasn’t “paid his dues” because he’s yet to fight in the UFC, but the WEC star has the pedigree to be a huge stud in the UFC lightweight division.
Pettis last fought at WEC 53 last December, when he took a unanimous-decision win over Dan Henderson, while Guida is coming off a second-round submission victory over Takanori Gomi at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day.
Guida has certainly fought his fair share of great fighters – Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, and Tyson Griffin among them – but he also lost all of those bouts. The veteran is a stepping stone for Pettis, and there’s no doubt most sharps would be stone cold stunned if Guida wins on Saturday.
Also on the main card, Kyle Kingsbury (10-2-0) and Fabio Maldonado (18-3-0) meet in a light heavyweight attraction, while middleweights Ed Herman (21-9-0) and Tim Credeur (12-3-0) also get into the Octagon at the Palms.
Expect some ring rust in the Herman-Credeur tilt: Both fighters haven’t thrown down since summer of 2009. Herman has lost three of his last four bouts.
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When Guida (28-11-0) steps into the Octagon at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas it’ll be his 40th professional mixed martial arts fight and 14th in the UFC alone, and he’ll need all of that experience against Pettis (13-1-0).
Based on reports coming out of Vegas, Guida seems to think Pettis hasn’t “paid his dues” because he’s yet to fight in the UFC, but the WEC star has the pedigree to be a huge stud in the UFC lightweight division.
Pettis last fought at WEC 53 last December, when he took a unanimous-decision win over Dan Henderson, while Guida is coming off a second-round submission victory over Takanori Gomi at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day.
Guida has certainly fought his fair share of great fighters – Kenny Florian, Diego Sanchez, and Tyson Griffin among them – but he also lost all of those bouts. The veteran is a stepping stone for Pettis, and there’s no doubt most sharps would be stone cold stunned if Guida wins on Saturday.
Also on the main card, Kyle Kingsbury (10-2-0) and Fabio Maldonado (18-3-0) meet in a light heavyweight attraction, while middleweights Ed Herman (21-9-0) and Tim Credeur (12-3-0) also get into the Octagon at the Palms.
Expect some ring rust in the Herman-Credeur tilt: Both fighters haven’t thrown down since summer of 2009. Herman has lost three of his last four bouts.
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Probably the best matchup outside of the Junior dos Santos-Shane Carwin heavyweight bout at UFC 131 in Vancouver on Saturday night is the featherweight showdown between Kenny Florian and Diego Nunes. Florian opened as the -275 favorite on Bodog’s MMA odds, with Nunes at +215. The most likely result is Florian winning by three-round decision at +130. The least likely result is Nunes winning inside decision at +550.
UFC president Dana White has already told Florian that if he wins this bout that he likely would get a title shot against Jose Aldo in the 145-pound class. The one-time lightweight will make his debut at 145 pounds on Saturday. A knee injury sidelined Florian from taking his last scheduled fight in January against Evan Dunham. During the time off he decided to drop down to featherweight.
Florian (13-5) fought the majority of his career at 155 pounds. He fell short in two previous bids for the UFC lightweight title, dropping a unanimous decision to Sean Sherk in October 2006 and a fourth-round submission loss to B.J. Penn in August 2009. He enters off a unanimous decision loss to Gray Maynard at UFC 118. Florian will become the only UFC fighter in history to compete in four different classes.
Even though Florian has been a favorite of UFC fans since his Octagon debut as a middleweight on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, he will be the villain tonight because he is from a Boston suburb. There’s obviously no way fans in Vancouver cheer someone from Boston with the heated Stanley Cup Finals going on between the two cities.
Nunes (16-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) might be relatively unknown to UFC fans considering he has only one fight with the organization. But he’s one of the top contenders in the division and is coming off his biggest career win, over former featherweight champion Mike Brown at UFC 125. Nunes was 6-1 in the WEC, losing only to L.C. Davis at WEC 44 in November 2009.
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UFC president Dana White has already told Florian that if he wins this bout that he likely would get a title shot against Jose Aldo in the 145-pound class. The one-time lightweight will make his debut at 145 pounds on Saturday. A knee injury sidelined Florian from taking his last scheduled fight in January against Evan Dunham. During the time off he decided to drop down to featherweight.
Florian (13-5) fought the majority of his career at 155 pounds. He fell short in two previous bids for the UFC lightweight title, dropping a unanimous decision to Sean Sherk in October 2006 and a fourth-round submission loss to B.J. Penn in August 2009. He enters off a unanimous decision loss to Gray Maynard at UFC 118. Florian will become the only UFC fighter in history to compete in four different classes.
Even though Florian has been a favorite of UFC fans since his Octagon debut as a middleweight on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, he will be the villain tonight because he is from a Boston suburb. There’s obviously no way fans in Vancouver cheer someone from Boston with the heated Stanley Cup Finals going on between the two cities.
Nunes (16-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) might be relatively unknown to UFC fans considering he has only one fight with the organization. But he’s one of the top contenders in the division and is coming off his biggest career win, over former featherweight champion Mike Brown at UFC 125. Nunes was 6-1 in the WEC, losing only to L.C. Davis at WEC 44 in November 2009.
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The remaining quarterfinals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix go on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, and anytime a fighter is a 3-to-1 underdog against a guy he’s beat before it’s worth a look on the MMA betting board.
Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem is a huge -500 favorite at Bodog against Fabricio Werdum (+300) on Saturday night, but lost in the shuffle of the hype machine is the fact the challenger submitted the current champ in their only meeting back in 2006.
Sure, a lot has changed since then, but if past fight history means anything, Overeem is overvalued heading into Saturday night. Besides, Werdum is the only fighter ever to have submitted Fedor Emelianenko – and that came in his last bout in June of last year.
Werdum (14-4-1) is 5-1-0 in his last six fights, and if he upsets Overeem (34-11-0), he’ll meet Antonio Silva – a fighter he beat by unanimous decision in November 2009 in the Grand Prix semifinals.
Overeem, of course, is the hottest heavyweight in the sport not named Cain Velasquez. The 6-foot-5, 253-pound Dutchman has won nine consecutive bouts since his loss to Sergei Kharitonov in September 2007.
Kharitonov, incidentally, is set to clash with the winner of Saturday’s other Grand Prix quarterfinal bout between Josh Barnett (29-5-0) and Brett Rogers (11-2-0).
Bodog has Barnett as a whopping -500 favorite, while, like Werdum, Rogers is a +300 pup. Barnett has won six straight fights, although he won’t have the natural size advantage against Rogers.
Rogers has lost two of his last three, but those defeats came against the big boys of the sport in Fedor and Overeem.
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Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem is a huge -500 favorite at Bodog against Fabricio Werdum (+300) on Saturday night, but lost in the shuffle of the hype machine is the fact the challenger submitted the current champ in their only meeting back in 2006.
Sure, a lot has changed since then, but if past fight history means anything, Overeem is overvalued heading into Saturday night. Besides, Werdum is the only fighter ever to have submitted Fedor Emelianenko – and that came in his last bout in June of last year.
Werdum (14-4-1) is 5-1-0 in his last six fights, and if he upsets Overeem (34-11-0), he’ll meet Antonio Silva – a fighter he beat by unanimous decision in November 2009 in the Grand Prix semifinals.
Overeem, of course, is the hottest heavyweight in the sport not named Cain Velasquez. The 6-foot-5, 253-pound Dutchman has won nine consecutive bouts since his loss to Sergei Kharitonov in September 2007.
Kharitonov, incidentally, is set to clash with the winner of Saturday’s other Grand Prix quarterfinal bout between Josh Barnett (29-5-0) and Brett Rogers (11-2-0).
Bodog has Barnett as a whopping -500 favorite, while, like Werdum, Rogers is a +300 pup. Barnett has won six straight fights, although he won’t have the natural size advantage against Rogers.
Rogers has lost two of his last three, but those defeats came against the big boys of the sport in Fedor and Overeem.
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For a card that completely lost its main event, UFC 132 looks pretty stacked. Even with B.J. Penn and Jon Fitch both injured, there’s no shortage of talent in any of the five matches on Saturday’s main card, especially in the Bantamweight title bout between champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Urijah Faber. Putting these two guys in the Octagon is like putting two motorcyclists in the Globe of Death. Our MMA lines at press time have Cruz favored at –150.
This won’t be their first rodeo, either. Faber was the WEC Featherweight champion and that promotion’s most popular fighter in 2007; he successfully defended his title against Cruz at WEC 26 by locking on a guillotine choke halfway through the first round. Not long afterwards, Cruz dropped from 145 to 135 pounds and found his groove, rattling off seven straight victories and winning the WEC Bantamweight title. That belt and the entire division are now property of the UFC thanks to the company takeover.
Faber held onto the WEC Featherweight belt (also now under UFC jurisdiction) until late 2008, when he lost it to Mike Brown, and failed to get it back in title matches against Brown and current champion Jose Aldo. So Faber also dropped down in weight class last year, beating Takeya Mizugaki in his final WEC performance and Eddie Wineland in his UFC debut this past March. Which brings us to this Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Faber has a great track record for a +120 underdog, and the clash of styles in this matchup could favor the challenger. The emphasis will likely be on wrestling, with Faber the aggressor and Cruz relying on speed, takedown defense, and quick striking. It should be a great fight to wrap up a great evening. Bodog Sports is your source for all the UFC 132 betting lines and beyond.
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This won’t be their first rodeo, either. Faber was the WEC Featherweight champion and that promotion’s most popular fighter in 2007; he successfully defended his title against Cruz at WEC 26 by locking on a guillotine choke halfway through the first round. Not long afterwards, Cruz dropped from 145 to 135 pounds and found his groove, rattling off seven straight victories and winning the WEC Bantamweight title. That belt and the entire division are now property of the UFC thanks to the company takeover.
Faber held onto the WEC Featherweight belt (also now under UFC jurisdiction) until late 2008, when he lost it to Mike Brown, and failed to get it back in title matches against Brown and current champion Jose Aldo. So Faber also dropped down in weight class last year, beating Takeya Mizugaki in his final WEC performance and Eddie Wineland in his UFC debut this past March. Which brings us to this Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Faber has a great track record for a +120 underdog, and the clash of styles in this matchup could favor the challenger. The emphasis will likely be on wrestling, with Faber the aggressor and Cruz relying on speed, takedown defense, and quick striking. It should be a great fight to wrap up a great evening. Bodog Sports is your source for all the UFC 132 betting lines and beyond.
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So we know Dominick Cruz and Urijah Faber are in the main event for Saturday’s UFC 132 show at the MGM Grand. That should be a hell of a fight; Cruz, by the way, has steamed from –130 to –155 on the MMA betting lines. But don’t forget about the undercard. You want big names? How about Tito Ortiz vs. Ryan Bader? Or Wanderlei Silva vs. Chris Leben? This card is so stacked, George Sotiropoulos is in the prelims on Spike TV, and he’s one of the better lightweights in the business.
Talk about getting thrown to the wolves. Ortiz (15-8-1 lifetime) is on his last legs at age 36; he has four losses and a draw in his last five fights, while Bader is 12-1 and in the prime of his career at age 28. That one loss was this past February to Jon Jones – now the Light Heavyweight champion. Bader is favored at –575 to send Ortiz (+375) out to pasture this Saturday night.
Silva (33-10-1, 1 NC) isn’t exactly a young pup at age 34, but he’s breathed new life into his MMA career by dropping down from 205 to 185 pounds, beating Michael Bisping (+160) by unanimous decision last year at UFC 110. Before making the move to Middleweight, Silva had lost five of his previous six fights. Leben (25-7) is the younger fighter at 30, but he’s coming off a first-round loss to Brian Stann (+140) on New Year’s Day. He’s also the +150 underdog in this matchup against Silva. That makes Leben a value pick for Saturday, given his payouts at +180 over Yoshihiro Akiyama and +280 over Aaron Simpson.
The main card also includes Carlos Condit (–120) versus Dong Hyun Kim and Dennis Siver (–135) versus Watt Wiman. Sotiropoulos has a date with Rafael dos Anjos, an injury replacement for Evan Dunham.
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Talk about getting thrown to the wolves. Ortiz (15-8-1 lifetime) is on his last legs at age 36; he has four losses and a draw in his last five fights, while Bader is 12-1 and in the prime of his career at age 28. That one loss was this past February to Jon Jones – now the Light Heavyweight champion. Bader is favored at –575 to send Ortiz (+375) out to pasture this Saturday night.
Silva (33-10-1, 1 NC) isn’t exactly a young pup at age 34, but he’s breathed new life into his MMA career by dropping down from 205 to 185 pounds, beating Michael Bisping (+160) by unanimous decision last year at UFC 110. Before making the move to Middleweight, Silva had lost five of his previous six fights. Leben (25-7) is the younger fighter at 30, but he’s coming off a first-round loss to Brian Stann (+140) on New Year’s Day. He’s also the +150 underdog in this matchup against Silva. That makes Leben a value pick for Saturday, given his payouts at +180 over Yoshihiro Akiyama and +280 over Aaron Simpson.
The main card also includes Carlos Condit (–120) versus Dong Hyun Kim and Dennis Siver (–135) versus Watt Wiman. Sotiropoulos has a date with Rafael dos Anjos, an injury replacement for Evan Dunham.
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The UFC 133 card, set for Aug. 6 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, has lost one of its main event fighters as Phil Davis has pulled out of his fight against Rashad Evans.
Davis has been sidelined by a knee injury, leaving the UFC a little over three weeks to find a replacement for what essentially is a title eliminator. Davis (9-0-0) had accepted the fight against Evans on short notice following his unanimous decision win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in March.
Evans, a former light-heavyweight champion, knows he earns a title shot against Jon Jones with a victory. Before Davis was named as his opponent, Evans (15-1-1) was planning to face the current light-heavyweight champion Jones. But Jones pulled out of the bout after three doctors recommended that he have surgery to repair ligaments in his right hand. Jones is now scheduled to face Rampage Jackson at UFC 135 in September. Evans hasn’t fought since beating Jackson at UFC 114 last May.
UFC’s first choice to replace Davis reportedly is Lyoto Machida. But he just fought at the end of April, beating Randy Couture by second-round knockout at UFC 129. Machida would be taking a big risk by fighting with such little time to prepare so he might pass, although he would likely get a shot at Jones with a win. Machida already has faced Evans, brutally knocking him out in the second round of UFC 98 in May 2009.
Tito Ortiz has already turned down the chance to replace Davis. Hard to blame him since he fought less than two weeks ago, submitting Ryan Bader in the first round of UFC 132.
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Davis has been sidelined by a knee injury, leaving the UFC a little over three weeks to find a replacement for what essentially is a title eliminator. Davis (9-0-0) had accepted the fight against Evans on short notice following his unanimous decision win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in March.
Evans, a former light-heavyweight champion, knows he earns a title shot against Jon Jones with a victory. Before Davis was named as his opponent, Evans (15-1-1) was planning to face the current light-heavyweight champion Jones. But Jones pulled out of the bout after three doctors recommended that he have surgery to repair ligaments in his right hand. Jones is now scheduled to face Rampage Jackson at UFC 135 in September. Evans hasn’t fought since beating Jackson at UFC 114 last May.
UFC’s first choice to replace Davis reportedly is Lyoto Machida. But he just fought at the end of April, beating Randy Couture by second-round knockout at UFC 129. Machida would be taking a big risk by fighting with such little time to prepare so he might pass, although he would likely get a shot at Jones with a win. Machida already has faced Evans, brutally knocking him out in the second round of UFC 98 in May 2009.
Tito Ortiz has already turned down the chance to replace Davis. Hard to blame him since he fought less than two weeks ago, submitting Ryan Bader in the first round of UFC 132.
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The main event features the legends, the co-main event features the ladies.
Strikeforce Fedor vs. Henderson pits legendary battlers Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko in the main event on Saturday night at Sears Centre.
Oddsmakers at the Bodog Sportsbook have made Emelianenko, who will have a 30-pound weight advantage over 202-pound Hendo, a -225 moneyline favorite on the MMA odds. Henderson, the reigning Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, is currently sitting as a +185 underdog.
If you subscribe to the theory that ‘bigger is always better,’ then you are probably leaning toward The Last Emperor. Emelianenko had been unbeatable for a decade until he slipped up badly in his past two fights, losing both of them to inferior foes.
If you believe heart and technique can overcome a size disadvantage, you have the perfect battler in Henderson. The only man to hold belts in two different weight classes (205 and 185 of PRIDE) says he is comfortable moving up to face the heavyweight Emelianenko.
His last three victories have come via strikes. A smaller man can still hit a bigger man, and at 202 pounds Hendo is hardly a 90-pound weakling.
Right before these two MMA legends step into the ring, the ladies will do battle for the welterweight strap currently held by Marloes Coenen. This battle is sitting at even odds on the MMA betting lines at the Bodog Sportsbook with Miesha Tate looking to turn her wrestling abilities into an upset.
Coenen will patiently look for submission attempts, but she runs the risk of getting overpowered by the tough Tate.
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Strikeforce Fedor vs. Henderson pits legendary battlers Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko in the main event on Saturday night at Sears Centre.
Oddsmakers at the Bodog Sportsbook have made Emelianenko, who will have a 30-pound weight advantage over 202-pound Hendo, a -225 moneyline favorite on the MMA odds. Henderson, the reigning Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, is currently sitting as a +185 underdog.
If you subscribe to the theory that ‘bigger is always better,’ then you are probably leaning toward The Last Emperor. Emelianenko had been unbeatable for a decade until he slipped up badly in his past two fights, losing both of them to inferior foes.
If you believe heart and technique can overcome a size disadvantage, you have the perfect battler in Henderson. The only man to hold belts in two different weight classes (205 and 185 of PRIDE) says he is comfortable moving up to face the heavyweight Emelianenko.
His last three victories have come via strikes. A smaller man can still hit a bigger man, and at 202 pounds Hendo is hardly a 90-pound weakling.
Right before these two MMA legends step into the ring, the ladies will do battle for the welterweight strap currently held by Marloes Coenen. This battle is sitting at even odds on the MMA betting lines at the Bodog Sportsbook with Miesha Tate looking to turn her wrestling abilities into an upset.
Coenen will patiently look for submission attempts, but she runs the risk of getting overpowered by the tough Tate.
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Tito Ortiz had everything to fight for at UFC 132. Rashad Evans has everything to fight for at UFC 133. If motivation and desperation count for anything in the UFC (and they do), Evans should have the upper hand and should have his upper hand raised at the end of the night.
Evans hasn’t fought in 14 months since getting the decision against rival Rampage Jackson at UFC 114. Ortiz hasn’t fought in five weeks, since his astonishing first-round submission of Ryan Bader (which paid out at +300 on the UFC betting lines for underdog bettors).
Ortiz is a +300 underdog again on the MMA odds at the Bodog Sportsbook in this rematch of a controversial 2007 draw. Judges gave Ortiz two of the three rounds but took away a point for repeatedly grabbing the Octagon fencing. This gives Evans (-400) a revenge opportunity as well as a title shot opportunity.
After being in line for a title shot last year (only to see it slip away because of injuries), it’s hard to imagine a win here would not elevate Suga to No. 1 contender status.
The rest of the UFC 133 card is stacked with excellent battles and title ramifications at several weight classes. Included on the card is a bout between Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama – with Belfort the big -370 favorite on the MMA odds at the Bodog Sportsbook, and Akiyama the +280 underdog.
As well, Chad Mendes is a huge -650 favorite in his matchup against Rani Yahya (+425), with Rory MacDonald a -275 favorite against Mike Pyle (+215).
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Evans hasn’t fought in 14 months since getting the decision against rival Rampage Jackson at UFC 114. Ortiz hasn’t fought in five weeks, since his astonishing first-round submission of Ryan Bader (which paid out at +300 on the UFC betting lines for underdog bettors).
Ortiz is a +300 underdog again on the MMA odds at the Bodog Sportsbook in this rematch of a controversial 2007 draw. Judges gave Ortiz two of the three rounds but took away a point for repeatedly grabbing the Octagon fencing. This gives Evans (-400) a revenge opportunity as well as a title shot opportunity.
After being in line for a title shot last year (only to see it slip away because of injuries), it’s hard to imagine a win here would not elevate Suga to No. 1 contender status.
The rest of the UFC 133 card is stacked with excellent battles and title ramifications at several weight classes. Included on the card is a bout between Vitor Belfort and Yoshihiro Akiyama – with Belfort the big -370 favorite on the MMA odds at the Bodog Sportsbook, and Akiyama the +280 underdog.
As well, Chad Mendes is a huge -650 favorite in his matchup against Rani Yahya (+425), with Rory MacDonald a -275 favorite against Mike Pyle (+215).
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Mauricio Shogun Rua has only lost five times in his career, and he quickly avenged two of those losses (Lyoto Machida and Mark Coleman).
In order to avenge his most celebrated loss (to Jon Jones in March at UFC 128), he must first avenge another one when he takes on the UFC 134 betting odds this week – his 2007 upset loss to Forrest Griffin in his UFC debut.
Rua is at -250 on the UFC 134 betting odds menu at the Bodog Sportsbook and most observers feel he will rebound from his battering at the hands of Jones to claim an eventual title rematch. The former PRIDE champion’s last four wins have all come via strikes as he cemented his reputation as one of the light heavyweight division’s premier punchers.
Griffin (+195 on the MMA lines) looked like his career was on the rocks after losing to Anderson Silva at UFC 101. It was his second straight one-sided loss, but he rebounded with wins over Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin.
Griffin’s game plan is to come forward and force Rua to backpedal, but that is easier said than done. Reports also have Griffin considerably overweight and facing a tough weight cut to make 205 pounds. If that happens, his stamina will be affected and his game plan of blitzing Shogun for three rounds will be in peril.
This card is UFC’s first run to Brazil since 1999 and features a primarily Brazil vs USA theme. A Rua win moves him back into position to fight for the title (Rashad Evans gets the next title shot, and Rua would likely have to add another win against a top contender to merit the rematch with Jones).
The popular Griffin may hopelessly fall down the rankings with a loss and face an uphill struggle to regain the light heavyweight belt he won at UFC 86 against Quinton Rampage Jackson.
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In order to avenge his most celebrated loss (to Jon Jones in March at UFC 128), he must first avenge another one when he takes on the UFC 134 betting odds this week – his 2007 upset loss to Forrest Griffin in his UFC debut.
Rua is at -250 on the UFC 134 betting odds menu at the Bodog Sportsbook and most observers feel he will rebound from his battering at the hands of Jones to claim an eventual title rematch. The former PRIDE champion’s last four wins have all come via strikes as he cemented his reputation as one of the light heavyweight division’s premier punchers.
Griffin (+195 on the MMA lines) looked like his career was on the rocks after losing to Anderson Silva at UFC 101. It was his second straight one-sided loss, but he rebounded with wins over Tito Ortiz and Rich Franklin.
Griffin’s game plan is to come forward and force Rua to backpedal, but that is easier said than done. Reports also have Griffin considerably overweight and facing a tough weight cut to make 205 pounds. If that happens, his stamina will be affected and his game plan of blitzing Shogun for three rounds will be in peril.
This card is UFC’s first run to Brazil since 1999 and features a primarily Brazil vs USA theme. A Rua win moves him back into position to fight for the title (Rashad Evans gets the next title shot, and Rua would likely have to add another win against a top contender to merit the rematch with Jones).
The popular Griffin may hopelessly fall down the rankings with a loss and face an uphill struggle to regain the light heavyweight belt he won at UFC 86 against Quinton Rampage Jackson.
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Legendary Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fights for the first time in his native Brazil this weekend, and the bout is attracting heavy action on the UFC 134 betting odds.
But the homecoming has other factors which weigh heavily on the odds at the Bodog Sportsbook for his fight against Brendan Schaub.
The 35-year-old former PRIDE champion is a +195 MMA underdog against the improving Schaub, mainly due to oddsmaker uncertainty over his long layoff from the sport. Schaub has fought four times since Nogueira’s last action on Feb. 20, 2010, when he was battered by Cain Velasquez at UFC 110.
In the meantime, training and injuries have kept ‘Minotauro’ out of the Octagon and the betting public continues to side with ‘The Hybrid,’ who is now a -250 favorite on the MMA odds.
In fact, Nogueira has fought just three times since 2008, bookending losses to Velasquez and Frank Mir around a decision win over Randy Couture at UFC 102. Still, he’s 32-6-1 overall in his career with 20 wins coming via submission.
Schaub was the best athlete in the Ultimate Fighter Season 10, but lost in the finale to Roy Jones. Since then, he has won four straight, including wins over dangerous foes in Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko Cro Cop.
At 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Schaub will be the slightly bigger dog in this fight but Nogueira has enlisted the training help of wrestling coach (and MMA competitor) Josh Janousek to help deal with Schaub’s size.
MMA experts have been impressed with Schaub’s evolution and many peg him as a championship contender in 2012 if he can get past Nogueira. That adds pressure to the big American, who will be looking to vanquish his third straight big-name foe.
Schaub’s background is boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, while Big Nog (expected to weigh in closer to 240 pounds) is a BJJ specialist.
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But the homecoming has other factors which weigh heavily on the odds at the Bodog Sportsbook for his fight against Brendan Schaub.
The 35-year-old former PRIDE champion is a +195 MMA underdog against the improving Schaub, mainly due to oddsmaker uncertainty over his long layoff from the sport. Schaub has fought four times since Nogueira’s last action on Feb. 20, 2010, when he was battered by Cain Velasquez at UFC 110.
In the meantime, training and injuries have kept ‘Minotauro’ out of the Octagon and the betting public continues to side with ‘The Hybrid,’ who is now a -250 favorite on the MMA odds.
In fact, Nogueira has fought just three times since 2008, bookending losses to Velasquez and Frank Mir around a decision win over Randy Couture at UFC 102. Still, he’s 32-6-1 overall in his career with 20 wins coming via submission.
Schaub was the best athlete in the Ultimate Fighter Season 10, but lost in the finale to Roy Jones. Since then, he has won four straight, including wins over dangerous foes in Gabriel Gonzaga and Mirko Cro Cop.
At 6-foot-4, 245 pounds, Schaub will be the slightly bigger dog in this fight but Nogueira has enlisted the training help of wrestling coach (and MMA competitor) Josh Janousek to help deal with Schaub’s size.
MMA experts have been impressed with Schaub’s evolution and many peg him as a championship contender in 2012 if he can get past Nogueira. That adds pressure to the big American, who will be looking to vanquish his third straight big-name foe.
Schaub’s background is boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, while Big Nog (expected to weigh in closer to 240 pounds) is a BJJ specialist.
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In a poll of professional MMA fighters at Sherdog, only four of 35 picked Yushin Okami to beat Anderson Silva when the two clash on the UFC 134 betting odds this weekend. And one of them picked him for ‘giggles.’
For the math-inclined, that’s 88% picking Silva. For the MMA betting-inclined, that’s pretty close to the percentage of UFC 134 bettors who are backing The Spider at Bodog (84% according to Bodog Sportsbook manager Richard Gardner).
The middleweight champion has won 14 straight fights since losing to Okami back in 2006 and opened as a -500 UFC favorite. But he had been bet up to -625 as of Wednesday. That makes the Japanese challenger, who is 26-5 for his career, a +425 underdog.
And even at those prohibitive odds, bettors continue to back Silva in UFC’s return to Brazil (for the first time since 1999).
Some experts see Okami as a clone of Chael Sonnen, who battered Silva on the ground for five rounds before losing by a late triangle submission at UFC 117. Other experts think Okami won’t get close enough to touch Silva in front of his hometown crowd.
Vitor Belfort tried to get close to Silva at UFC 126 and ate a front kick when he got within distance. That fight was over within two minutes and Okami could suffer a similar fate if he engages the sport’s consensus pound-for-pound king.
But the sport is exciting because anyone can win. A lucky punch or a sloppy takedown attempt can make the biggest underdog a huge winner. Tito Ortiz was a +350 underdog at UFC 132 and pulled off the huge submission upset of Ryan Bader. Anything can happen.
Okami comes in on a three-fight win streak and is 10-2 in his UFC career. His losses came to the aforementioned Sonnen and to Rich Franklin via decision back at UFC 72.
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For the math-inclined, that’s 88% picking Silva. For the MMA betting-inclined, that’s pretty close to the percentage of UFC 134 bettors who are backing The Spider at Bodog (84% according to Bodog Sportsbook manager Richard Gardner).
The middleweight champion has won 14 straight fights since losing to Okami back in 2006 and opened as a -500 UFC favorite. But he had been bet up to -625 as of Wednesday. That makes the Japanese challenger, who is 26-5 for his career, a +425 underdog.
And even at those prohibitive odds, bettors continue to back Silva in UFC’s return to Brazil (for the first time since 1999).
Some experts see Okami as a clone of Chael Sonnen, who battered Silva on the ground for five rounds before losing by a late triangle submission at UFC 117. Other experts think Okami won’t get close enough to touch Silva in front of his hometown crowd.
Vitor Belfort tried to get close to Silva at UFC 126 and ate a front kick when he got within distance. That fight was over within two minutes and Okami could suffer a similar fate if he engages the sport’s consensus pound-for-pound king.
But the sport is exciting because anyone can win. A lucky punch or a sloppy takedown attempt can make the biggest underdog a huge winner. Tito Ortiz was a +350 underdog at UFC 132 and pulled off the huge submission upset of Ryan Bader. Anything can happen.
Okami comes in on a three-fight win streak and is 10-2 in his UFC career. His losses came to the aforementioned Sonnen and to Rich Franklin via decision back at UFC 72.
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This Saturday night in his Strikeforce semifinals matchup against hard-striking Sergei Kharitonov, Josh Barnett gets another chance to prove to MMA fans that he’s still one of the top Heavyweights in the world. The Strikeforce odds on this fight have Barnett as a heavy favorite to make it to the finals against the winner of the other Grand Prix fight between Antonio Silva and Daniel Cormier.
The Bodog Sportsbook currently has MMA odds of -325 on Barnett. That number has steadily dropped from the line of -225 first set on the former UFC champ. Most of the MMA betting on this fight has been on Barnett and his wrestling abilities, which has driven up the payout on the Kharitonov.
Kharitonov has been the underdog at the Bodog Sportsbook since the lines on this fight were first set. The original line of +175 has steadily risen to the current +250 and could be even more by Saturday night. More fans seem think that Kharitonov will not be able to keep this fight standing, which he will most likely need to do in order to win the bout, and are opting to put their action behind Barnett instead.
The threat of Kharitonov upsetting Barnett will become greater as the fight goes on. Barnett was obviously gassed after the first round of his quarterfinal fight against Brett Rogers, and if he comes into this fight in poor condition against a skilled striker the likes of Kharitonov he could find himself in a tough spot in the last round of the bout.
And let’s not forget that with a striker like Kharitonov there’s always the possibility that he could land a big power shot for a KO victory.
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The Bodog Sportsbook currently has MMA odds of -325 on Barnett. That number has steadily dropped from the line of -225 first set on the former UFC champ. Most of the MMA betting on this fight has been on Barnett and his wrestling abilities, which has driven up the payout on the Kharitonov.
Kharitonov has been the underdog at the Bodog Sportsbook since the lines on this fight were first set. The original line of +175 has steadily risen to the current +250 and could be even more by Saturday night. More fans seem think that Kharitonov will not be able to keep this fight standing, which he will most likely need to do in order to win the bout, and are opting to put their action behind Barnett instead.
The threat of Kharitonov upsetting Barnett will become greater as the fight goes on. Barnett was obviously gassed after the first round of his quarterfinal fight against Brett Rogers, and if he comes into this fight in poor condition against a skilled striker the likes of Kharitonov he could find himself in a tough spot in the last round of the bout.
And let’s not forget that with a striker like Kharitonov there’s always the possibility that he could land a big power shot for a KO victory.
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The fight that’s handicapped the closest on this Saturday’s Strikeforce Grand Prix semifinals card is the Muhammed Lawal vs. Roger Gracie matchup. The MMA betting lines on this fight began at near even odds, with only a slight edge going to Lawal.
Initial MMA betting lines at the Bodog Sportsbook on Lawal were set at -120. The action on the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion over the last few weeks has now moved the price up to -155. It seems that many MMA fans think his kickboxing and elite wrestling skills could be the right combination against the world-class jiu-jitsu skills of Gracie.
The Strikeforce odds at the Bodog Sportsbook on the undefeated Gracie have also been on the move. The initial MMA betting line on the underdog Brazilian was +105; that now sits at +125. That’s a decent payout if you think that Gracie’s elite jiu-jitsu will be enough against a very well-rounded opponent.
The question going into this fight is whether Lawal can keep this fight standing and use his kickboxing skills to outpoint or beat-down his opponent. His NCAA Division I wrestling background may be enough to keep Gracie from turning this fight into a grappling match, but if he can’t do that he will have next to no chance of beating Gracie on the ground.
Gracie will surely face his toughest opponent to date when he steps into the cage against Lawal and we’re likely to find out if Gracie is the real deal or not when Lawal brings swift hard strikes and displays a solid takedown defense. But as one of the best ground fighters in the world for many years, Gracie can end the fight in ways that Lawal won’t even see coming.
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Initial MMA betting lines at the Bodog Sportsbook on Lawal were set at -120. The action on the former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight champion over the last few weeks has now moved the price up to -155. It seems that many MMA fans think his kickboxing and elite wrestling skills could be the right combination against the world-class jiu-jitsu skills of Gracie.
The Strikeforce odds at the Bodog Sportsbook on the undefeated Gracie have also been on the move. The initial MMA betting line on the underdog Brazilian was +105; that now sits at +125. That’s a decent payout if you think that Gracie’s elite jiu-jitsu will be enough against a very well-rounded opponent.
The question going into this fight is whether Lawal can keep this fight standing and use his kickboxing skills to outpoint or beat-down his opponent. His NCAA Division I wrestling background may be enough to keep Gracie from turning this fight into a grappling match, but if he can’t do that he will have next to no chance of beating Gracie on the ground.
Gracie will surely face his toughest opponent to date when he steps into the cage against Lawal and we’re likely to find out if Gracie is the real deal or not when Lawal brings swift hard strikes and displays a solid takedown defense. But as one of the best ground fighters in the world for many years, Gracie can end the fight in ways that Lawal won’t even see coming.
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Diaz checks into the fight as a -225 favorite. The American is just 27 years old, but he’s already enjoyed a colorful career, going 24-7-1 in 32 career fights. Diaz is currently enjoying the best run of his career, as he’s won nine consecutive fights. His last win was an armbar victory in the second round over Brazilian Evangelista Santos in January.
Diaz’s submission skills were on full display against Santos. It was the second time in three fights he’s won via submission, both times with an armbar. Eight of his 24 career victories have come via submission, which isn’t exactly surprising considering Diaz has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. The welterweight isn’t hurting for power, though, as he also has 12 career victories via knockout. Diaz’s last knockout victory was in January 2010, when he took down Marius Zaromskis in the first round.
Daley, 28 years old, enters Saturday’s fight as a +185 underdog. The Englishman has 38 career fights under his belt, going 27-9-2 in that span. He’s won eight of his past nine bouts, though, including four consecutive victories. Daley was last seen at BAMMA 5, where he earned a first-round knockout over Yuya Shirai in February.
The fight wasn’t without controversy, though. Daley could have won the BAMMA welterweight championship, but he weighed in over the 170-pound limit. This isn’t the first time Daley has struggled to make weight—in fact, he’s gone over in five of his last 11 bouts.
The extra weight probably helps with Daley’s impressive power. Of his 27 wins, 20 have come via knockout, including two straight.
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