According to noted oddsmaker Nick Kalikas of BetOnFighting.com, it's none other than the former featherweight kingpin Urijah Faber. "The California Kid" opens as a -205 favorite headed into his number one contender bout at UFC 139 in San Jose, California on Nov. 19.
Bowles comes in as the underdog at +165..
Anyone jumping on this line with wallets wide open? Or do you expect a dramatic shift as we get closer and closer to fight night?
Faber is feeling frisky after his five-round unanimous decision defeat at the hands of Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz this past July 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Revenge is very much on his mind, as well as reaching his goal of finally holding UFC gold before he calls it a career.
But will Bowles, who is equally eager to earn a rematch against "The Dominator," put a halt to those plans? The lines will shift and move as the betting dictates, of course, but the consensus opinion seems to be that they'll hold steady right around where they are now.
Bowles also competed back on July 2, working as hard as he ever has to earn a unanimous decision win over the always game Takeya Mizugaki.
It was the first time in 11 career fights the West Virginia native has made it to the judges scorecards.
Even more troubling, it was initially thought that Bowles suffered yet another hand injury. However, it was later learned that he did not and once he knew he was all clear, he, like Faber, began making his voice heard that he felt he was the best option to take on Cruz.
After all, the lone blemish on Bowles' otherwise spotless resume is courtesy of "The Dominator." He was losing the fight -- badly -- but the stoppage only came because of an injury and a responsible cageside doctor.
No different than Faber, that's not enough and if he wants another crack at Cruz, he'll have to earn it the hard way.
We're still a ways away from fight time, Maniacs, but who do you like for your money and who ya' got straight up?
To see the "Faber vs. Bowles" odds and betting lines plus all the action for the upcoming UFC and Strikeforce events click here.