UFC Betting Sites – The Best MMA Online Bookies
UFC best betting sites and the best MMA odds and gambling news
Thiago Alves, the former welterweight top contender, has lost three straight to some very experienced wrestlers.The “Muay Thai Wrecking Machine” is getting another chance to to fight—and this time it might be for his job.At UFC 138, Papy Abedi an…
Thiago Alves, the former welterweight top contender, has lost three straight to some very experienced wrestlers.
The “Muay Thai Wrecking Machine” is getting another chance to to fight—and this time it might be for his job.
At UFC 138, Papy Abedi and Thiago Alves will face off in what promises to be an exciting fight. This is what Thiago must do to win and return to the path toward being a top contender once again.
Before we’ve even had time to clear out the cobwebs from UFC 137, this Saturday already promises to bring us more bone crushing action with UFC 138, featuring a showdown between middleweight sluggers Chris Leben and Mark Munoz. And since we will be treated to a free card this weekend, why not turn that extra cash…into more extra cash? Check out the betting lines below, courtesy of BestFightOdds, along with our advice, which should have already netted you some extra dough this month.
Before we’ve even had time to clear out the cobwebs from UFC 137, this Saturday already promises to bring us more bone crushing action with UFC 138, featuring a showdown between middleweight sluggers Chris Leben and Mark Munoz. And since we will be treated to a free card this weekend, why not turn that extra cash…into more extra cash? Check out the betting lines below, courtesy of BestFightOdds, along with our advice, which should have already netted you some extra dough this month.
Main Card
Mark Munoz (-265) vs. Chris Leben (+225)
Renan Barao (-135) vs. Brad Pickett (+115)
Thiago Alves (-345) vs. Papy Abedi (+285)
Terry Etim (-600) vs. Edward Faaloloto (+450)
Cyrille Diabate (-375) vs. Anthony Perosh (+285)
Undercard
Michihiro Omigawa (-340) vs. Jason Young (+250)
Philip De Fries (-135) vs. Rob Broughton (+100)
Che Mills (-225) vs. Chris Cope (+175)
Chris Cariaso (-175) vs. Vaughan Lee (+145)
Justin Edwards (-125) vs. John Macguire (-105)
The Main Event: Mark Munoz makes sense here as a pretty decent favorite; he has the kind of solid wrestling background that could easily grind out a decision over Leben, plus enough power in his hands to finish the fight, granted Leben shows up sick that night. Then again, it’s tough to bet against someone like “The Crippler,” who shows flashes of brilliance in each fight and absorbs punches like Turok absorbs power cores. And considering the fact that Demian Maia was able to rock Munoz on a couple of occasions, someone with Leben’s power could end this one quickly. But our gut says go with Munoz, who is too smart to try and stand with Leben for the entirety of the fight.
The Good Dogs: Though Renan Barao’s record is pretty immaculate, he hasn’t fought anyone near the caliber of Brad Pickett, who’s record includes wins over Ivan Menjivar and former bantamweight title challenger Demetrious Johnson. On the other hand, Pickett hasn’t fought in over a year, so your confidence in him really comes down to your belief in ring rust. But since Chael Sonnen recently proved that ring rust doesn’t exist, a bet on Pickett seems fair. Speaking of ring rust, isn’t it crazy that Terry Etim has been out for over a year with a broken rib? Good to see him back, because we had nearly forgotten how entertaining he is.
Another good dog on this card is that of Jason Young, who you may remember as the man who gave rising prospect Dustin Poirier all he could handle back at UFC 131. And although Michihiro Omigawa got completely screwed by the judges in his last fight with Darren Elkins, (at the same event, coincidentally) Young has the speed and boxing skills to put him in all kinds of trouble, and with those odds you stand to make a pretty penny when he does.
The Easy Bet: Thiago Alves. He’s fighting a UFC newbie in Papy Abedi, and for once it is an opponent who shouldn’t try, or be able to take him down for all three rounds. Expect fireworks in this one, with Alves getting the better of the exchanges en route to a second round stoppage.
Official CagePotato Parlay: Munoz + Alves + Young with a side of Philip De Fries.
A 50 dollar bet nets you $491.20. God Damn! That’ll get you those autographed Brock Lesnar DeathClutch shorts you’ve been ogling over since we all forgot your birthday.
-Danga
The welterweight division is on notice that Thiago “Pitbull” Alves is back, and he’s looking to return to his ferocious ways. Alves (18-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) returns to the Octagon against Papy Abedi (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 138 on Spike …
The welterweight division is on notice that Thiago “Pitbull” Alves is back, and he’s looking to return to his ferocious ways.
Alves (18-8 MMA, 10-5 UFC) returns to the Octagon against Papy Abedi (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) at UFC 138 on Spike TV and, with the full-time addition of famed coach Mike Dolce providing him with world class tutelage, he’s primed for a run to the top of the welterweight division.
Leading up to Saturday’s clash inside LG Arena at the National Exhibition Centre, Alves has linked all the pieces together for his televised bout against Abedi, in what is the first step in his climb to the championship.
“I feel great, this is the best I’ve ever felt in whole life,” Alves recently told BleacherReport.com. “The funny thing is, I went to the Doctor a few weeks ago and they did full blood work and he said, ‘Thiago, this is the healthiest you’ve ever been since I started working with you.’ I think I moved down here in 2004 if I’m not mistaken, but I feel great. I’ve been through so much in my personal life and my career, I’ve got a very positive attitude when it comes to everything, even all the problems that I faced. I believe it (will) only make me better, I got really high goals for myself to where I want to be in this sport.
“Teaming up with Mike was just the final link to get to that goal. Especially right now, working with not only the nutrition, but the strength and conditioning also. So, it’s a perfect blend, I was 189 (pounds) today (and) usually I hit the 80’s three (or) four days before the weigh-ins. I see the 80’s already, I feel great, my cardio is better than ever and through the roof and I’m ready to fight tonight if I have to. Just everything, when I met Mike I had this problem that I have to make weight otherwise I don’t know where my career is going to be, if I’m gonna have to move up weight or not, (the) second fight we did six weeks and just because I worked so hard between the camp I thought the fight was going to be easy. I didn’t want to work as hard, I still don’t think I lost the fight, but it’s in the past and I don’t want to dwell on that. But for the next fight, I said ‘Dolce, I want to do the whole camp with you. The guy’s a genius, he knows exactly what he’s doing, and I believe everything he says and it makes sense. I’ve been in the sport long enough to know if what they’re saying makes sense or not and it was the final link that was missing.”
Teaming with, and learning under, the tutelage of Dolce has Alves mentally and physically prepared for his sixteenth trip to the Octagon.
Dolce, who is widely regarded as one of the sport’s most knowledgeable coaches, couldn’t be more pleased with how Alves’ camp has come together, and he’s embraced every moment of his increased coaching role.
“I embrace it, I love it. I think what Thiago’s asked me to do as part of this camp fits perfectly with my skillset,” Dolce said. “And it compliments each of the things that I do. I’m blessed that Thiago has a great team of coaches behind him that we all work very well together. So, within this new role, I know we’re going to see the best version of Thiago Alves ever in this fight. I say that with supreme confidence.”
Alves believes that it takes time to find the appropriate team, and if UFC middleweight champion and pound-for-pound great Anderson Silva is any indication, Alves may be correct.
Silva suffered defeat three times between 2003-2006 before his dominant reign in the UFC. A highly motivated Alves believes that he’s found all the pieces to the championship puzzle prior to UFC 138.
“It takes about two or three years to find yourself, find a great frequency with all the coaches, with the lifestyle, and I truly know that I have that now,” Alves said. “I have a great team behind me, Dolce’s came to blend in everything, I’m more comfortable with my striking coach, my jiu-jitsu, my wrestling coach, and Dolce coming in to take care of the whole body physiology, the nutrition, the strength and conditioning. This (is) the best I’ve ever been, I’m much more hungry and rising in the UFC and now is just put the pieces in place and go all the way to the top.”
Alves is a far different fighter than the one who dominated Matt Hughes, Josh Koscheck, Karo Parisyan and Chris Lytle en route to the top of the welterweight division in 2009.
According to Dolce, Alves is a vastly improved version from the one who nearly cleaned out the division two years ago, and their sole focus is on destroying organizational newcomer Papy Abedi.
“First and foremost is the destruction of Papy Abedi at UFC 138,” Dolce said. “That’s the only thing on our plan right now. Knowing that we have to get through that first hurdle to get to the next and part of what we’ve done is we’ve taken the pressure off Thiago. He’s one of the most well-known fighters in the world, he gets mobbed everywhere he goes, and to get him away from that mentality because there’s a lot of pressure there and just let him focus on destroying another man for 15 minutes.
“That’s all he has to do, is beat up one man, it doesn’t matter what financial implication is tied to that, what his ranking in the division, who his next opponent is, what sponsor is going to jump on or jump off, none of that stuff matters. Because with that 15 minute performance, everything falls into place, so that was one of the themes with this camp.”
For Alves, he’s taken all the necessary steps in order to ensure victory on Saturday night and he plans on delivering a message with dominant performance over Abedi.
“I’m very excited, I think this is the first time I’m going to be fighting on Spike TV card and I’m excited to show off this new body, show off this new Thiago Alves,” he said. “Every day I wake up I’m excited again and I’m like ‘Yeah man, let’s train, let’s get better, let’s see how much better I can get today, how much more I can push myself today.’ I’m very excited and I can’t wait to step in there, he’s a newcomer, and I know exactly what’s going through his head. I remember when I got the opportunity to fight in the UFC, this is it man you got to take everything you got, so I know it won’t be an easy fight especially he’s undefeated, I know I got a little bit of an edge on him because I’ve been in there so many times. The first time in the UFC is never easy and I’m prepared, I’m prepared for everything, wherever the fight takes place I’m going to beat him up.
“That’s my goal right now and every fight I’m going to send a message to the division, I’m going to destroy and demolish people. The old ‘Pitbull’ is back and we’re going to send a message on November 5 for the whole world to see.”
For additional information on UFC 138 follow Joshua Carey on Twitter.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com
Filed under: UFCA UFC event in the U.K. means two things: 1) lots of griping from American fighters (and UFC executives) about the food, and 2) a card full of local blokes, European imports, and some other fighters just barely holding on to their UFC c…
Filed under: UFC
A UFC event in the U.K. means two things: 1) lots of griping from American fighters (and UFC executives) about the food, and 2) a card full of local blokes, European imports, and some other fighters just barely holding on to their UFC contracts.
That mix of desperation and nationalism often makes for memorable fights, but it also means that there are a few fighters on the UFC 138 lineup who are facing must-win scenarios.
Who are they, and what are their chances of staying on the UFC’s good side this Saturday night? For answers, we turn to the Cut List.
Thiago Alves (18-8, 10-5 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Papy Abedi
Why he’s in danger: Alves is another UFC welterweight who was on a tear until getting beat by Georges St-Pierre, after which he immediately fell on hard times. Including the loss to GSP at UFC 100, he’s lost three of his last four. His only recent win came against John Howard, who’s no longer with the organization. Alves seems to have finally conquered his weight issues, thanks to nutritionist Mike Dolce, but his last few performances in the cage have been fairly mediocre. Now he faces Octagon newcomer Abedi, who, while talented, seems like exactly the kind of fighter Alves should throttle. He’ll stand and trade, probably won’t shoot for a single takedown unless it’s out of desperation, and he’s relatively inexperienced, particularly at this level of MMA. So Alves should smash him, right? Probably, yeah. But if he slips up and manages to lose this fight (don’t act like it can’t happen), “The Pitbull” slides even further down ladder — maybe even all the way off of it.
Chances of getting cut: Very unlikely. You know how Dana White is always saying that he likes guys who “bring it”? That’s Alves. And here the UFC has found him an opponent who will stand and at least attempt to bring it right back. All Alves has to do is not screw it up.
Eddie Faaloloto (2-2, 0-1 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Terry Etim
Why he’s in danger: Faaloloto is winless under the Zuffa banner, having dropped back-to-back fights to Anthony Njokuani in the WEC and then Michael Johnson in the UFC. Now he has to fight in a Brit in Britain, and if he doesn’t see this as a fight for his job then he hasn’t been paying attention to the way the UFC does things. On paper, it seems like the plan is to give Etim a relatively easy opponent so he can impress his countrymen with a dominant win after an injury layoff. If that is indeed what happens, Faaloloto will almost certainly find himself off the roster. With as many good lightweights as there are in the UFC right now — not to mention all the talented, experienced 155ers who are still trying to get a look — there’d be no reason to keep a guy who’s a 2-3 fighter with no wins in the Octagon.
Chances of getting cut: Very good. Etim’s a heavy favorite to win the fight, and with good reason. If Faaloloto can’t pull out a minor miracle, he’s out of here.
Anthony Perosh (11-6, 1-3 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Cyrille Diabate
Why he’s in danger: Perosh can’t say that the UFC didn’t give him a chance. After an 0-2 bid back in 2006, the Aussie got back on the books by stepping up to fight Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic on short notice in Sydney. That didn’t go well, but he rebounded with his first UFC win thanks to a submission over Tom Blackledge, and against Diabate he even gets to fight someone his own age. But then, that’s kind of the problem. If Perosh can’t win this one (and oddsmakers don’t like his chances), what use does the UFC have for a 39-year-old light heavyweight who’s 1-4 in his career inside the Octagon? Perosh is a strong grappler, but guys like that don’t often fall under White’s “bring it” umbrella. You know who does? Lanky kickboxers like Diabate, who will likely eat Perosh up if the fight stays standing. Perosh has value for the UFC in Australia, but he’s not much of a draw elsewhere. In fact, this will only be his third pro fight away from his home country. The other two were both in Las Vegas for the UFC, and he lost them both.
Chances of getting cut: Very good. If Perosh can’t get Diabate down early and submit him, he’s in a lot of trouble. And sure, maybe Randy Couture could compete at the UFC level well into his 40s, but Perosh is no Couture.
Michihiro Omigawa (12-10-1, 0-4 UFC)
Who he’s facing: Jason Young
Why he’s in danger: Omigawa’s winless streak in the Octagon is comprised of two different stints with the UFC, but the current stay isn’t going much better than the previous one. The 35-year-old featherweight has dropped back-to-back decisions against Chad Mendes and Darren Elkins, though the latter seemed to be a case of judging incompetence. Still, if he can’t pick up a win soon he’ll start to look like yet another failed Japanese import who got to the UFC too late in his career to make an impact. He could still turn things around, of course, but it’s got to start here. Oddsmakers have him as a roughly 3-1 favorite over his British opponent, who is himself on somewhat shaky ground with an 0-1 start in the UFC. If Omigawa is going to finally get a win in the UFC, he might never get a better chance than this. He might never get another chance, period, if he doesn’t make the most of this opportunity. It’s now or never, and this is not a good time for a Japanese fighter to try and make a living back home.
Chances of getting cut: Moderate. If he loses he’s almost guaranteed to find himself out of a job, but this is a very winnable fight for Omigawa. The UFC would no doubt love to see him stick around long enough to help out with its Japanese invasion in 2012.
Filed under: UFCUFC 138 comes to us on tape delay from across the pond this weekend, and like many UFC events in the U.K. it features no shortage of fights that, at least on paper, seem a little bit lopsided.
What does that mean for you? Well, if you …
Filed under: UFC
UFC 138 comes to us on tape delay from across the pond this weekend, and like many UFC events in the U.K. it features no shortage of fights that, at least on paper, seem a little bit lopsided.
What does that mean for you? Well, if you know how to pick ’em you could profit handsomely off an outsized betting line here or there. If you don’t, you could end up crying into a pint of the dark stuff along with all the Brits who made ill-advised bets on Premier League games. Hey, at least you won’t be drinking alone.
Now let’s take a look at the odds on UFC 138’s main card bouts, and see if we can’t find a bargain.
Chris Leben (+200) vs. Mark Munoz (-255)
Remember when Leben was a hefty dog against Aaron Simpson, who also seemed like a sure bet to out-wrestle him thoroughly and completely? All it took was a couple patented Leben bombs to turn that one into the kind of street fight he was looking for, so why couldn’t history repeat itself? Before we get carried away in that comparison we should note some differences between Munoz and Simpson. For starters, Munoz owns a victory over the A-Train, which has to count for something. But more importantly, Munoz has improved his all-around game greatly in the past couple years, so if he has to he can hold his own on the feet with Leben, at least for a little while. That’s not to say he’ll necessarily want to try for the knockout, of course. The smart play would be putting Leben on his back and keeping him there, but Munoz can swat when he wants to. Just ask CB Dollaway. By the same token, Leben can take it and keep coming back with more. Just ask Akiyama.
My pick: Leben. Any time you throw your money down on the Catsmasher, be prepared to lose it. That said, I just can’t turn my back on odds like these, especially when they’re attached to a guy who is never more than one left hand from victory.
Brad Pickett (+105) vs. Renan Barao (-135)
It’s still hard to tell just how good Barao really is. He won both his WEC fights and then edged out Cole Escovedo at UFC 130, but he hasn’t stepped up to take on that next level of competition yet — at least, not until now. Granted, Pickett wouldn’t be this high on any UFC card outside the U.K., but this is still a man with wins over both “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Ivan Menjivar in the past year and a half, so it’s not as if he’s just some bloke who’s been plucked from the local pub and thrown into the cage. Like many British fighters, he could stand to improve his wrestling. That might be more of a concern if he was going up against an All-American from some Big Ten school, but against a Brazilian like Barao it might be less of an issue. You know Pickett will have the crowd on his side, which could help swing it if the fight goes the distance. Barao’s winning streak is impressive on paper, but it’s one thing to beat local dudes in Brazil and quite another to take on an experienced opponent like Pickett in his home country.
My pick: Pickett. He’s only a slight underdog, but I’d take him here if the odds on it were even.
Thiago Alves (-300) vs. Papy Abedi (+230)
These UK cards are usually great opportunities for lesser-known European fighters to get beat up by UFC mainstays, which is exactly what oddsmakers think is going on here. Abedi is a Swedish fighter who’s undefeated against a handful of Europeans you’ve probably never heard of, and here he is making his UFC debut against human buzzsaw Thiago Alves, who is sorely in need of a victory to lift him out of the rough spot he’s in. In one way, it’s a tough fight for Alves. After going 1-3 in his last four, he can’t afford to lose to some guy from Sweden who’s making his UFC debut. If Abedi gets knocked out by Alves, hey, what did anyone expect? But if Alves does anything but dominate Abedi, it looks bad. That’s a lot of pressure to perform, and at a critical time in his career.
My pick: Alves. Debuting against a guy like Alves is asking a lot of Abedi. If he turns out to be up to the task, he’ll surprise a lot of people, me included. But I’m not willing to bet on it.
Terry Etim (-600) vs. Eddie Faaloloto (+400)
Etim’s an exciting young fighter who’s been out of action since the UFC’s trip to Abu Dhabi in April of 2010. Now he makes a comeback in front of his countrymen, and it seems like he might be getting a bit of a softball. Faaloloto is very inexperienced, and he has yet to win a fight under the Zuffa banner. He didn’t even make it out of the first round in his only UFC fight, so it seems as if just maybe the brass is feeding him to Etim with the expectation that the British crowd will enjoy seeing an American get pummeled by one of their own. That’s not bad logic, but it is bad news for Faaloloto unless he’s a lot better than he’s shown so far.
My pick: Etim. With odds like those, it’s almost not worth including in the parlay. Almost.
Cyrille Diabate (-400) vs. Anthony Perosh (+300)
At first glance, it seems like sort of a miracle that Perosh is still in the UFC. He got back in the organization as a late replacement against Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, who brutalized him something awful until the doctors finally stopped it. He got the requisite make-up fight back in a weight class more to his liking last February, and he made the most of it with a submission win over Tom Blackledge. Now he has to leave the friendly confines of Australia and take on the French kickboxer Diabate in an old school striker-versus-grappler match. As you can see, oddsmakers like the striker’s chances, and with good reason. Diabate is not only dangerous on the feet, he’s also learned to use his lanky frame on the mat in recent years. In fact, he’s only lost to two people in the last five years, and one was “Shogun” Rua. The other was Alexander Gustafsson, which is still not too shabby for a guy in his late 30s. Perosh, who is also pushing 40, seems like he can’t be long for the UFC with his up-and-down performances. Then again, I never would have guessed he’d hang on this long.
My pick: Diabate. Another one for the parlay. Sadly, I can’t bring myself to take the long odds on “The Hippo.”
The ‘For Entertainment Purposes Only’ Parlay: Pickett + Alves + Etim + Diabate
At one point Thiago Alves was a star in the welterweight division. He was knocking people out and dominating those he couldn’t. He had problems with making weight, but he was exciting enough that it was ignored.And then he lost to Georges S…
At one point Thiago Alves was a star in the welterweight division. He was knocking people out and dominating those he couldn’t. He had problems with making weight, but he was exciting enough that it was ignored.
And then he lost to Georges St-Pierre.
After that he went on a losing streak while still struggling to make weight. It got to the point where Dana White almost demanded that he move up to 185 pounds.
Instead Alves got his weight problem under control, but he still has lost three of his last four fights.
These are the steps he’s going to need to take if he wants to get himself back into title contender status.