After a crushing knockout loss -- the first such stoppage of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career -- Anderson Silva finds himself the challenger for the first time in seven years, facing newly-minted champion Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 168, which is set to take place this Saturday night (Dec. 28, 2013) at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Joining this rematch for the ages is the culmination of one of the fiercest female feuds imaginable, when Women's Bantamweight Champion Ronda Rousey gives Miesha Tate a second run in the co-main event.
It's an excellent pay-per-view (PPV) card from top-to-bottom, and luckily for your newly-drained holiday wallet, one with the potential for profit lurking underneath the surface.
Follow me for the latest UFC 168 betting odds / lines to see if we can make the $5 extra PPV pay for itself, shall we?
UFC 168 Odds For The Under Card:
Uriah Hall (-310) vs. Chris Leben (+255)
Gleison Tibau (-150) vs. Michael Johnson (+130)
Dennis Siver (-255) vs. Manny Gamburyan (+215)
Siyar Bahadurzada (-145) vs. John Howard (+125)
Bobby Voelker (-165) vs. William Macario (+145)
Robbie Peralta (-185) vs. Estevan Payan (+160)
Thoughts: I’m liking a lot of what I see here, especially Tibau, Howard, Macario and Peralta all strike me as worthy bets.
I have great confidence in Tibau. Johnson looked excellent against Joe Lauzon, but you can’t ignore that he’s been totally helpless every time somebody’s put him on his back. Tibau is one of the division’s strongest fighters with incongruous cardio and a relentless takedown game. Johnson’s superior speed and footwork do present difficulty, but since the poor-striking Reza Madadi still managed to close the gap and own the fight on the mat, betting on Tibau is wise.
I honestly am not impressed by Bahadurzada. Though he does pack a tremendous punch, his striking technique is atrocious for a kickboxing champion. Further, his ground game is pathetic. While generally content to strike, Howard can certainly take down Bahadurzada if needed. On the feet, I slightly favor the tight punches of "Doomsday" to Bahadurzada’s wild swings, but even if the power and reach differential are too much for Howard, his wrestling makes him the safer bet of the two under dogs.
The thing with Bobby Voelker is that he tends give away the opening round. Roger Bowling, Patrick Cote and Robbie Lawler all took the opening frames against him, with the former and latter doing considerable damage in the process. Macario has a nasty right hand, good takedowns and damaging ground-and-pound, meaning Voelker is in for some hurt in the first.
Voelker’s experience keeps me from recommending anything too excessive on "Patolino," but lay a little down on the young Brazilian.
Despite his poor performance against Akira Corassani, I’d label Peralta as the best parlay anchor of the event. He packs an absolutely tremendous punch and is quite difficult to take down. Though Payan packs some power of his own, I firmly believe Peralta sleeps him early.
UFC 168 Odds For The Main Card:
Anderson Silva (-160) vs. Chris Weidman (+140)
Ronda Rousey (-900) vs. Miesha Tate (+600)
Josh Barnett (-190) vs. Travis Browne (+160)
Jim Miller (-365) vs. Fabricio Camoes (+305)
Dustin Poirier (-225) vs. Diego Brandao (+185)
Thoughts: Really not seeing much here. The odds seem about right for every fight. Potential cardio troubles rule out Brandao despite his superior wrestling, grappling and power. I do believe Weidman can repeat and recognize the ring rust in the first fight, though, so some on the Middleweight champ might not go amiss.
UFC 168 Best Bets:
- Parlay: Gleison Tibau and Robbie Peralta -- Bet $60 to make $92.40
- Single bet: John Howard -- Bet $50 to make $62.50
- Single bet: William Macario -- Bet $20 to make $29
- Single bet: Chris Weidman -- Bet $30 to make $42
- Parlay: Chris Weidman and Robbie Peralta -- Bet $30 to make $81
Two title fights and plenty of contenders ... a perfect way to bridge the gap between Christmas and New Year's Day.
See you Saturday, Maniacs.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver live UFC 168: "Weidman vs. Silva 2" results on fight night RIGHT HERE, which is as good a place as any to talk about all the action inside the Octagon, as well as what you've got riding on the sportsbook.