The main event at UFC 145 will feature a true grudge match as light heavyweight champion Jon Jones defends his title against his his former friend and teammate Rashad Evans.
Given Jones’ dominance in the cage against other top opponents in recent bouts, it should come as no surprise that the champion currently sits as a betting favorite to walk out of Saturday’s fight card with another win on his record and the title secured around his waist. Vegas odds-makers are playing it safe by picking Jones to win, but the disrespect they are showing to Rashad Evans is shocking.
BetOnFighting.com first opened the betting lines in late January at minus-600 in favor of Jon Jones.
For those who are unaware of how betting lines work, this would mean that for someone to win $100 by betting on Jon Jones, they would need to wager $600. In other words, Jones was a six-to-one favorite.
The odds have since leveled out some, but with just days remaining before these two battle in the center of the cage, Jones is still listed at as much as a five-to-one (-500) favorite on sites such as BetUS.
As great as Jon Jones is, this number is completely outlandish.
The truth is that Jones is as good as it gets in the sport today. His incredible combination of power, technique and innovative striking make him a nearly impossible opponent to prepare for. But if there is someone who has a chance of beating Jones, it has to be Rashad Evans.
Evans’ history of training with Jones gives him the kind of insight that no other opponent has had against him. The innovative striking and long limbs that Jones possesses are something that Evans has firsthand experience working against.
And it’s not just that he has trained against Jones—Rashad Evans is also the most skilled fighter that Jones has ever battled.
Since winning the heavyweight division on The Ultimate Fighter in Season 2, Evans has put together an absolutely amazing resume of wins in the 205-pound division.
Victories over the likes of Michael Bisping, Stephan Bonnar, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Forrest Griffin, Thiago Silva, Rampage Jackson and most recently Phil Davis prove that not only is Evans’ 17-1-1 career record impressive on its surface, but it has been accumulated against a who’s-who at light heavyweight.
Had it not been for his one career loss, a brutal second-round knockout to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 in his first and only UFC title defense, Evans would very likely be considered one of, if not the greatest 205-pound fighter in the history of the sport.
So when odds-makers such as SportsBetting opt to make him as high as a plus-415 underdog, those who are placing money on the fight should take notice of the opportunity.
This isn’t the first time that Evans will come into a fight as the underdog, and it likely won’t be the last. But those who are willing to put $500 on Jon Jones for the measly payoff of $100 are certifiably insane.
Meanwhile, a small investment in Evans as the underdog could yield huge profits for someone willing to take a chance on a guy who has only ever lost one fight in his entire career.
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