UFC 128: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCOn Thursday night I stood in the lobby of the UFC’s host hotel in Newark and watched as Jon Jones demonstrated the new tricks he’d taught his dog, a German Shephard mix named B.J. As I watched him roll over and shake hands (the dog, tha…

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On Thursday night I stood in the lobby of the UFC’s host hotel in Newark and watched as Jon Jones demonstrated the new tricks he’d taught his dog, a German Shephard mix named B.J. As I watched him roll over and shake hands (the dog, that is; Jones just shook hands), I couldn’t help but think that if this were a movie, that’s when you’d know for sure that Jones is the protagonist, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua the glowering villain.

I mean, the guy likes dogs. Of course he’s the hero, right?

Only this is not a movie, and when the cage door closes it doesn’t matter if you hate kittens and children, as long as you can fight. Everything we know about Rua suggests that he’s going to be Jones’ toughest test ever, and his team is right to be a little peeved that he’s being overlooked. He’s a great fighter. The question is, will he still be the champ on Sunday morning?

Join me below as we take a look at the UFC 128 lineup and figure out what oddsmakers think is going to happen in Newark, New Jersey this weekend.

UFC 128: By the Odds

Filed under: UFCOn Thursday night I stood in the lobby of the UFC’s host hotel in Newark and watched as Jon Jones demonstrated the new tricks he’d taught his dog, a German Shephard mix named B.J. As I watched him roll over and shake hands (the dog, tha…

Filed under:

On Thursday night I stood in the lobby of the UFC’s host hotel in Newark and watched as Jon Jones demonstrated the new tricks he’d taught his dog, a German Shephard mix named B.J. As I watched him roll over and shake hands (the dog, that is; Jones just shook hands), I couldn’t help but think that if this were a movie, that’s when you’d know for sure that Jones is the protagonist, and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua the glowering villain.

I mean, the guy likes dogs. Of course he’s the hero, right?

Only this is not a movie, and when the cage door closes it doesn’t matter if you hate kittens and children, as long as you can fight. Everything we know about Rua suggests that he’s going to be Jones’ toughest test ever, and his team is right to be a little peeved that he’s being overlooked. He’s a great fighter. The question is, will he still be the champ on Sunday morning?

Join me below as we take a look at the UFC 128 lineup and figure out what oddsmakers think is going to happen in Newark, New Jersey this weekend.