UFC 98 may have been plagued by injuries and false starts but the quality of the bouts in Nevada this weekend are going to be top notch, which is great news for UFC betting fans.
UFC 98 was supposed to feature a unification bout between Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar, but it was postponed. Then, former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson was to fight current champ Rashad Evans (13-0-1). But Jackson pulled out due to a jaw injury and was replaced by Lyoto Machida (14-0).
The MMA betting odds show Evans is at +180 while Machida is at -230, which suggests bookmakers believe Machida’s own hype that Rashad can’t defend his style of fighting over five rounds at Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The Brazilian and the bookies may be getting a bit ahead of themselves, however and should be careful of an MMA exponent who has become a multi-dimensional fighter and is used to being labelled an underdog.
Evans is a quick and hard puncher while Machida has a tendency to trace backwards leaving open an opportunity for Evans to pounce and capitalise on the gaps, which makes him dangerous and worthy of consideration when laying your bet.
In another fight, Matt Serra (+210) and Matt Hughes (-270) may have hated each other in The Ultimate Fighter series but this 170-pound bout is so much more than that.
This fight has been a long time coming but isn’t a grudge match as much as it is a bout to rekindle careers that are heading south.
Hughes (42-7-0) is a warhorse that just doesn’t know when to quit while Serra (9-5) has been plagued by injuries meaning the Brazilian jiu-jitsu exponent hasn’t reached his full potential.
This bout, which was originally slated for UFC 79, offers MMA bettors decent odds and it is hard to see Serra breaking Hughes.
The other winning bout for bettors could be the Yoshiyuki Yoshida (-525) versus Brandon Wolff (+325) bout.
Yoshida (10-3) is the out and out clear favourite in this match up however Wolff (7-3) might score an upset victory because he must win to keep his UFC career alive.
There is nothing more dangerous than a fighter like Wolff, a former Navy Seal, with his back to the wall.
After his TKO loss to Ben Saunders in UFC: Fight for the Troops last year, Wolff may just have the bookies looking over the shoulders.
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