The prelims for UFC on Fox 7 may be underway, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to get your picks in for the stacked main card in store on Saturday night.
Headlined by a lightweight title fight between Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez, there are plenty of awesome fights for fans to get excited about. For those who like to put a little extra stake in the action, there are plenty of interesting options to choose from.
Here’s a quick look at the latest odds and predictions for each of the fights on the main card.
All odds via Bovada.
Matt Brown (+245) vs. Jordan Mein (-315)
Jordan Mein comes in as a pretty heavy favorite here.
A lot of that probably has to do with the fact that his impressive first-round victory over Dan Miller should be fresh in the minds of bettors. He won his UFC debut just last month on March 16.
Brown, on the other hand, has spent much of his career as a sub-.500 fighter. He’s on a four-fight win streak and has claimed wins over the likes of Mike Swick and Stephen Thompson.
Brown has neutralized good strikers before, but Mein is on a roll. He was mighty impressive in his debut and could end this one early.
Prediction: Mein by TKO in Round 2
Nate Diaz (-155) vs. Josh Thomson (+125)
Nate Diaz makes his return to the Octagon for the first time since losing his lightweight championship bid against Benson Henderson. Thomson will be making his UFC debut after losing a split decision to Henderson’s next opponent, Gilbert Melendez.
This is an interesting bout to say the least.
Diaz has all the name recognition among casual fans. His high-volume boxing style makes him a fan favorite to watch but Thomson is no opponent to take lightly. He has wins over Melendez, K.J. Noons and Pat Healy on his record and should give Diaz a run for his money.
In the end, Diaz might be a bit too much for Thomson in his debut. He’s just as well-rounded as Thomson and has fought slightly better competition recently.
Prediction: Diaz by Unanimous Decision
Daniel Cormier (-380) vs. Frank Mir (+290)
Former Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix champion Daniel Cormier makes his long-awaited UFC debut against one of the better heavyweights in UFC history, Frank Mir.
Cormier is an exciting addition to the UFC’s heavyweight division, and his favored status over a well-known name like Mir is an indication of that.
He mixes an accomplished wrestling background with serious knockout power on the feet.
He’ll be facing an extremely dangerous submission artist in Mir, but overall, this is a matchup that favors him. Mir is coming off a TKO loss to Junior dos Santos and was rocked by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in his fight previous to that one.
Mir can always catch a submission, but if Cormier catches him, it could be over quickly.
Prediction: Cormier by TKO in Round 3
Benson Henderson (c) (-300) vs. Gilbert Melendez (+230)
Gilbert Melendez joins Daniel Cormier as another former Strikeforce star making his UFC debut. Unlike Cormier, he’ll be a decent underdog against lightweight champion Benson Henderson.
Bendo will be making his third title defense since winning the belt against Frankie Edgar back in February of 2012. His mix of strong kicks and dynamic wrestling has made him a difficult champion to dethrone thus far, and he’ll need all the diversity he can muster to remain champion against Melendez.
The former Strikeforce lightweight champion is a serious contender who hasn’t lost a bout since 2008.
Expect this to be a close bout, but Henderson is the favorite for a reason.
Expect his kicks to be enough to ward off Melendez’s boxing game and his wrestling to be the difference.
Prediction: Henderson by Unanimous Decision
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