Tag: General MMA betting

UFC Middleweight Title Bout: Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida

Odds:  ( -185 Weidman / +150 Machida )

Betting Pick:  Weidman

Bet on this fight at Bovada

In the main event of UFC 175, UFC Middleweight champion Chris Weidman will look to defend his title against former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. Weidman clearly cemented himself as the UFC’s top 185 pounder with emphatic back-to-back wins over former pound for pound #1 Anderson Silva, and now he’s looking to cement his legacy as one of UFC’s most dominant young champions. Standing in his way is Machida, the notoriously slippery counterpuncher who can turn the slightest mistake into an embarrassing knockout. If Weidman wants to put together the kind of reign Silva once had, he can’t rest on his laurels and take this fight lightly.

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida is one of the most off-kilter but effective fighters in the UFC. His style is defensive almost to the point of absurdity, right up until he figures out a pattern or sees an opening, at which point he counterattacks quickly and accurately. Machida is a dangerous striker with all four limbs, and is a master at sneaking strikes through at odd angles so that they are difficult to guard against. His best attribute, as anyone who has ever seen Joe Rogan call one of his fights could tell you, is his famed “elusiveness”. Machida is hard to hit, hard to pin against the cage, and hard to get a hold of. He’ll slip right out around the side of you, and for good measure he’ll land two punches on his way out.

As Ric Flair once said, “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man.” By that rubric, Weidman is definitely “the man” following consecutive victories over long-time Middleweight king Anderson Silva. Weidman is still a young fighter who hasn’t even come close to realizing his full potential, but when you add wins over Mark Munoz and Demian Maia to the two against Silva, his resume already stacks up with anyone else in UFC’s 185 pound division. Weidman is the future of MMA in more ways than one. Not only is he a young champion with a lot of room to grow, his style is such a mix of every fighting discipline that it’s hard to identify his strengths and weaknesses. His background is grappling and he trains with Matt Serra and Ray Longo, but he also knocked out the UFC’s best striker in highlight reel fashion. If he continues to grow and evolve as a fighter, it’s scary what he could be in five years.

Put simply, Machida, even as a former champion at a higher weight class, is out of his element here. Weidman is a way better wrestler and grappler than he is and has more punching power, to boot. Machida will score his points and dance around like he always does, but in a five-round fight he can’t keep Weidman from catching him and punishing him eventually. Machida is slippery and resilient, so this one should go the distance, but I see Weidman retaining his title with a hard-fought unanimous decision.

Prediction:  Chris Weidman by Unanimous 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…

Current UFC Fight Night 44 Betting Lines – On Saturday, June 28, 2014, UFC Fight Night 44 will hit the airwaves live from the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. In the main event of the evening, long-time veteran Cub Swanson will square off against heavy-handed slugger Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens in a featured Featherweight matchup. Stephens has won three fights in a row after an unfortunate three-fight win streak and will be looking to keep that momentum going. Standing in his way is Swanson, a dangerous, well-rounded veteran on a five-fight win streak. This has all the makings of a spectacular main event, so be sure to tune in.

Main card:

Cub Swanson vs. Jeremy Stephens

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Swanson  (-260)
• Stephens  (+200)

Betonline.com Odds

• Swanson   (-250)
• Stephens  (+210)

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nicholas Musoke

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Gastelum  (-400)
• Musoke     (+300)

Betonline.com Odds

• Gastelum  (-380)
• Musoke     (+315)

Cezar Ferreira vs. Andrew Craig

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Ferreira  (-190)
• Craig         (+155)

Betonline.com Odds

• Ferreira   (-184)
• Craig          (+159)

Ricardo Lamas vs. Hacran Dias

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Lamas  (-200)
• Dias       (+160)

Clint Hester vs. Antonio Braga Neto

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Hester  (+125)
• Neto      (-155)

Joe Ellenberger vs. James Moontasri

• Ellenberger  (-235)
• Moontasri     (+185)

Preliminary Card:

Colton Smith vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Smith       (+175)
• Ferreira  (-225)

Johnny Bedford vs. Cody Gibson

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Bedford  (-250)
• Gibson    (+195)

Marcelo Guimaraes vs. Andy Enz

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Guimaraes  (+150)
• Enz                 (-185)

Ray Borg vs. Shane Howell

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Borg       (-450)
• Howell  (+325)

Oleksiy Oliynyk vs. Anthony Hamilton

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Oliynyk     (-150)
• Hamilton  (+120)

In the semi-main event, undefeated prospect Kelvin Gastelum will look to keep his momentum going as he faces athletic veteran “Nico” Musoke in a Welterweight bout. The rest of the card features Cezar Ferreira against Andrew Craig, Ricardo Lamas squaring off against Hacran Dias, and Client Hester against Antonio Braga Neto.

UFC Middleweight Bout:  James Te Huna vs. Nate Marquardt

Odds:  (-225 Te Huna / +175 Marquardt )

Betting Pick:  Te Huna

Bet on this fight at Bovada

In the main event of UFC Fight Night 43, Nate “The Great” Marquardt will look to halt his three-fight skid in a featured Middleweight showdown against James Te Huna. With both of these guys coming off multiple losses in an increasingly crowded UFC Middleweight division, a win here is vital if they want to guarantee their future employment. Despite their recent poor results, both of these guys are dynamic and effective fighters who should put on a competitive and entertaining main event.

Nate “The Great’ Marquardt was once one of UFC’s most formidable Middleweights, but his career has been on a marked decline for the last few years. He’s lost his last three fights and is coming off two straight ugly knockouts. Clearly, his chin is a weakness, and one that Te Huna is more than capable of exploiting. Marquardt has good boxing and footwork, and he’s going to need them to keep himself out of trouble. I don’t think this is a fight that he is likely to finish, so if he’s smart, he will fight for points and try to clinch and control the action.

James Te Huna is making his debut at 185 pounds after getting finished in his last two fights at Light Heavyweight. Te Huna is something of a one-dimensional striker with good punching power but suspect grappling and submission defense. Against Marquardt, he will definitely be the better and more powerful striker. The question is whether dropping down a division will give him the size and strength advantage he needs to nullify Marquardt’s superior grappling technique.

Ultimately, I like Te Huna’s chances here. He’s the better striker, and I think Marquardt, who isn’t the world’s most dominant wrestler, is going to have a hard time taking him down if things go poorly in the standup. I expect some back and forth action, but eventually I think Te Huna will catch Marquardt with a big punch to ensure a successful Middleweight debut. Te Huna by T/KO.

Prediction:  James Te Huna by second round T/KO.

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…

UFC Flyweight Title Fight:  Demetrious Johnson vs. Ali Bagautinov

Odds: (-650 Johnson / +425 Bagautinov)

Betting Pick:  Johnson

Bet on this fight at Bovada

In the main event of UFC 174, UFC Flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson will look to defend his title against Ali “Puncher” Bagautinov. Johnson has firmly cemented himself as the best fighter in the world at 125 pounds, but Bagautinov is riding an eleven-fight win streak and has the kind of versatile skill set that can give anyone problems. Will Johnson continue to thrive at his natural weight and build a pound-for-pound case for himself, or will Bagautinov prove that he is the future of the UFC Flyweight division?

Ali “Puncher” Bagautinov has put together an impressive eleven-fight win streak with a mix of effective grappling, good submissions, and solid striking. In terms of talent and technique, there is no question that he is a formidable opponent for anyone. The question is how well he will handle such a huge step up in competition. Despite his long win streak, this is only his fourth UFC fight and Johnson is the toughest fighter he has faced by a very wide margin. If he keeps his head and performs up to his abilities, he can make this a really good fight, but the pressure has proven too much for other contenders before.

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is a long-time veteran who has really found a natural home at 125 pounds. He has beaten every other top Flyweight UFC has to offer, and none of the fights were all that close either. Johnson began his career fighting bigger, stronger opponents and still putting together a nice record for himself. Now that he is fighting guys his same size, he’s not only the faster and more technical fighter in the Octagon, he’s also frequently the strongest. The big obstacle for Johnson is going to be complacency. When you’ve already handled most of the world’s best Flyweights, it’s easy to look past your opponents or not always train as hard, and Bagautinov has got more than enough skills to capitalize on that mistake.

Ultimately, Bagautinov is not ready for this fight. He should be tempering himself against some of UFC’s other top Flyweights, but Johnson’s domination of the division has left open a spot for a title challenger and so Bagautinov is being thrust into the spotlight. He’s too talented and too athletic to get steamrolled, but I don’t think there’s anywhere he is really going to be able to put Johnson in trouble. Expect Johnson to control the action in a fast-paced bout, retaining his title by unanimous decision.

Prediction:  Demetrious Johnson by Unanimous 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…

UFC Lightweight Bout:  Ben Henderson vs. Rustam Khabilov

Odds:  ( -250 Henderson / +195 Khabilov )

Betting Pick:  Henderson

Bet on this fight at Bovada

In the main event of UFC Fight Night 42, former UFC Lightweight champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson squares off against surging young prospect Rustam “Tiger” Khabilov. Henderson has been a staple at the top of the Lightweight division for a while now between WEC and UFC, while Khabilov is trying to push the momentum of his six-fight win streak into a spot in the title picture. There’s no question that this is Khabilov’s toughest test as a professional, so this should be a good litmus test to see just how ready he really is.

Rustam “Tiger” Khabilov has yet to taste defeat in the UFC and has won his last six fights overall. Khabilov has never faced an opponent on Henderson’s level, but he has continually increased his level of competition and has handled every step up remarkably well. Khabilov has a very dangerous offensive skill set, with solid punching power, very effective submissions, and a shockingly dangerous wrestling game. Khabilov has the odd distinction of having won two fights with his wrestling, once with a T/KO via slam and once with a suplex that he turned into ground and pound. The biggest thing for Khabilov, I think, is just to fight smart and remember that this is just another fight. If his nerves get to him, he could leave openings that Henderson is more than equipped to exploit.

Benson “Smooth” Henderson is a former WEC and UFC Lightweight champion with a shocking mix of technique and athleticism. He’s a very skilled striker with solid wrestling and good submissions, but he is also an extremely quick and explosive athlete. His ability to blend that explosiveness with superb technique make him uniquely capable of capitalizing on the smallest mistakes from his opponent. Against Khabilov, he should be able to utilize his reach advantage and his solid jab to make it harder for Khabilov to get in the pocket with power punches.

Ultimately, I just don’t think Khabilov is ready for this kind of test. He has an extremely bright future in the UFC, but it’s going to take some growing pains for him to realize his potential. I just think Henderson is too similar stylistically, to physical, and too experienced for him at this point. This should be a close, competitive fight but ultimately I see Henderson taking the unanimous decision victory.

Prediction:  Ben “Smooth” Henderson by Unanimous 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…

 

On Saturday, June 7, 2014, UFC Fight Night 42 will hit the airwaves live from the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In the main event of the evening, former UFC Lightweight champion Benson “Smooth” Henderson will look to make it two wins in a row as he squares off with once-beaten prospect Rustam “Tiger” Khabilov. Khabilov has yet to taste defeat inside the Octagon and is riding an impressive six-fight win streak, but Henderson is a massive step up in competition for him. If Khabilov wants to earn a shot at the belt Henderson once held, he’s going to need a career performance here.

Main Card:

Ben Henderson vs. Rustam Khabilov

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Henderson  (-250)
  
• Khabilov      (+195)
  

Betonline.com Odds

• Henderson  (-240)
  
• Khabilov     (+205)
  

TopBet.com Odds

• Henderson  (-240)
  
• Khabilov     (+200)
  

Diego Sanchez vs. Ross Pearson

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Sanchez  (+135)
  
• Pearson  (-165)
  

Betonline.com Odds

• Sanchez  (+138)
  
• Pearson  (-158)
  

TopBet.com Odds

• Sanchez  (+140)
  
• Pearson  (-160)
  

John Dodson vs. John Moraga

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Dodson  (-450)
  
• Moraga  (+375)
  

Betonline.com Odds

• Dodson  (-550)
  
• Moraga  (+420)
  

Rafael Dos Anjos vs. Jason High

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Dos Anjos  (-300)
  
• High           (+230)
  

Yves Edwards vs. Piotr Hallmann

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Edwards     (+140)
  
• Hallmann   (-170)
  

Erik Perez vs. Bryan Caraway

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Perez        (-130)
  
• Caraway  (+100)
  

Preliminary Card:

Yaotzin Meza vs. Sergio Pettis

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Meza  (-550)
  
• Petts  (+375)
  

Bobby Voelker vs. Lance Benoist

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Voelker  (-125)
  
• Benoist  (-105)
  

Scott Jorgensen vs. Danny Martinez

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Jorgensen  (-230)
  
• Martinez     (+180)
  

Jon Tuck vs. Jake Lindsey

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Tuck        (-155)
  
• Lindsey   (+125)
  

Patrick Cummins vs. Roger Narvaez

Bovada.Iv Odds

• Cummins  (-325)
  
• Narvaez     (+250)
  

In the semi-main event, local favorite Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez will square off against Britain’s Ross “The Real Deal” Pearson in a featured Lightweight matchup. Sanchez has dropped three of his last four and five of his last eight, so it is entirely possible that he is fighting for his roster spot here. Pearson is a tough, versatile opponent, so Sanchez is gonna need to perform flawlessly to avoid an embarassing third straight loss. The rest of the card features John Dodson squaring off with John Moraga and Rafael dos Anjos taking on Jason High.

Be sure to Check back with us closer to fight night as I will have updated UFC Fight Night 42 Betting Lines plus Fight Predictions.  To add a little excitement on fight night, you can bet on these fights at Bovada.Iv Odds