UFC Welterweight Bout: Ben Henderson vs. Brandon Thatch
Odds: ( -110 Henderson / -120 Thatch )
Betting Pick: Thatch
Bet on this fight at Bovada
UFC Fight Night 60 brings us a match-up you will not want to miss, Benson Henderson vs. Brandon Thatch. The variables in this fight are actually quite interesting. First you have Benson coming off a recent loss to Donald Cerrone that many believe was quite controversial and he’s decided to move up a weight class and test the waters versus Thatch. Next you have Brandon Thatch who has made his two UFC wins look easy, but due to an injury hasn’t won since December of 2013. The betting lines have this fight at nearly EVEN odds and in my opinion couldn’t be more accurate. This will be an exciting fight and the winner might just be able to grab enough footing to make a serious move up the UFC ladder.
Brandon Thatch (11-1)
The body of work for Brandon Thatch is quite low but if you have seen any of his UFC fights over the past few years, you know that this guy is a serious contender. Physically Thatch is more superior than Benson in this fight due to having always been prepared to fight in this weight class. He’s much taller and even though UFC has them weighing the same, its not. Thatch has proven that his striking capabilities are on par with some of the UFC’s elite. In my opinion Thatch needs to focus on finishing this fight quickly to have a chance. Benson is too smart for a 5-Round fight which means that Thatch needs to come out hot. Thatch from the opening bell needs to overwhelm Benson and make him feel cornered. Thatch needs use the striking skills he possesses and make work of Henderson.
Benson Henderson (21-5)
What can you say about Benson Henderson that hasn’t already been said. The amount of skill Benson possesses have made many of our jaws drop over the past few years. These two fighters possess many of the same skills and I expect that much of this fight is going to be on their feet seeing who’s striking will come superior. In my opinion, Benson can win this fight a few different ways. First, Benson can just pick him apart for 5 rounds making Thatch work for everything and introducing him to what a strategic 5-round bout feels like. Second, Benson can take Thatch to the ground. Benson over the years hasn’t shown us and magically ground game like some other fighters but with the body of work that we have on Thatch, Bensons ground game is much superior. Benson at any point in the fight can take Thatch to the ground, tire him and lock in a choke to finish it. Lastly, Benson can just knock him out. You’ll read and hear over the next few days about the striking capabilities of Thatch but lets not forget what we’ve seen from Benson over the years. Benson can shock you with his power and finish this fight quickly.
Like I said previously, this fight should spend most of its time with both fighters on their feet. Both of these fights have striking capabilities that we all pay to see, and to watch these two guy tire themselves out on the mat would be a waste. The sports books have this fight just about even, and I couldn’t agree more. The one thing that scares me about Thatch the most is the time spent away from the octagon, and that his mental toughness is nearly impossible to gauge because of a lack of work. I expect Thatch (if healthy) to begin to climb the UFC ladder and in the near future secure spot near the top of the weight class.
Prediction: Brandon Thatch by Decision.
To Add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on this fight at Bovada.Iv Odds. Check out my review of Bovada here…