Following the conclusion of tonight’s UFC welterweight title unification bout, the focus will change quickly to the next title bout which pits UFC lightweight champ Benson ‘Smooth’ Henderson who stands as the -150 odds favorite, against +120 challenger Nate Diaz, in the main event of UFC on FOX 5.
Find more sportsbook review information by clicking here. Picking a winner will certainly be anyone’s guess as oddsmakers are only giving Henderson the edge as the slight favorite at -150. For those who aren’t familiar with betting lines, a $100 bet on ‘Smooth’ will earn you $66.67 while a $100 bet on Diaz (at +120) will earn you a total of $120. Close odds indeed!
Henderson comes in as the defending champ, having earned a split decision over former title holder Frankie Edgar last August at UFC 150 in back-to-back fights. The win gave ‘Smooth’ his fifth straight victory, all of which have happened inside the Octagon, and puts his record at 15-1 over his last sixteen matches.
Diaz has won three straight, having submitted Jim Miller in a title eliminator bout in the headliner for UFC on FOX 2 this past May. It was his third win at lightweight since returning to the 155-lbs division after a short stint at welterweight. Those other wins for Diaz include a decision over Donald Cerrone at UFC 141 and a submission victory against Takanori Gomi at UFC 135.
Another key-matchup on the Dec. 8, 2012 card, which is scheduled for the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington, is a light heavyweight bout between former champ Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua ( +170 ) and ‘The Mauler’ Alexander Gustafsson ( -210 ). This bout will certainly have an impact on the standings among fighters competing in the 205-lb divsion, as the winner could see himself in line for a title shot after the winner of the Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida bout, or catapulted ahead by putting in a solid finish next month.
With so much on the line for all of the fighters in each bout, fans tuning in to watch the FOX television event will certainly find some entertaining action.