(Big) Men at Work.
Two of the heavyweight division's biggest hitters will collide in the land "Down Under" this Friday night (Dec. 6, 2013) as New Zealand's Mark Hunt takes on Brazil's Antonio Silva in the main event of UFC Fight Night 33. They will be joined by a similar country vs. country battle in the co-main event, where James Te Huna meets Mauricio Rua, with both men looking to bounce back from tough guillotine submission losses.
It's a rare Friday card, and considering what you lot will probably be up to on any given Friday night, it's best we just get the gambling done now, don't you think?
Undercard:
Nick Ring (-270) vs. Caio Magalhaes (+210)
Takeya Mizugaki (-290) vs. Nam Phan (+230)
Bruno Santos (-175) vs. Krzysztof Jotko (+145)
Richie Vaculik (-160) vs. Justin Scoggins (+130)
Alex Garcia (-240) vs. Ben Wall (+180)
Thoughts: Really, I see value in every fight save the Ring bout; three favorites, one underdog.
Mizugaki vs. Phan is a mismatch. Nam is a solid striker with zero bottom game who, even if you count the first Garcia fight as a win, is 4-5 in his last nine. Though his boxing may be slightly crisper than Mizugaki’s one-handed onslaught, he has no answer for Mizugaki’s takedowns and ground-and-pound. Takeya at better than -300 is an excellent parlay anchor.
Bruno Santos vs. Krzysztof Jotko is a match-up between a strong grinder and a slightly inferior strong grinder. As long as this fight is the drudgery it should be, I see no reason why Santos shouldn't be the one on top and in charge for most of the fifteen.
Justin Scoggins is a somewhat risky bet, but I am very impressed by what I've seen out of him. His striking is sharp and devastating; though his ground game is a risk, I feel his superiority on the feet and control of distance should warrant at least a small bet.
Aside from Mizugaki, Garcia is the fighter I have the most faith in. Not only is he bigger, stronger, and ostensibly more skilled than Wall, Ben is also taking this fight on short notice and, I feel the need to stress, is a lightweight. Garcia is an excellent talent out of an excellent camp and I will be surprised if he doesn’t demolish Wall in short order. A heavy bet on "The Dominican Nightmare" should do wonders.
Main Card:
Antonio Silva (-140) vs. Mark Hunt (+110)
James Te Huna (-135) vs. Mauricio Rua (+105)
Ryan Bader (-475) vs. Anthony Perosh (+325)
Pat Barry (-145) vs. Soa Palelei (+115)
Dylan Andrews (-155) vs. Clint Hester (+125)
Julie Kedzie (-240) vs. Bethe Correia (+180)
Thoughts: For all the action I saw on the undercard, I don’t see much here aside from a play on Mark Hunt.
If Bigfoot gets on top of Hunt, the fight’s over. I won’t dispute that. I simply feel that Bigfoot’s sub-par wrestling game is going to bite him hard. Hunt is strong as an ox and surprisingly fast for his size, limiting Bigfoot’s chances of simply out-muscling him or catching him unawares for a takedown.
This means a striking battle.
Though Hunt is significantly shorter and possesses less reach than his Brazilian foe, the similarly-proportioned Daniel Cormier had no trouble closing the distance and landing heavy leather. That massive jaw is imposing, but not durable enough to survive an onslaught from the Super Samoan. Put a medium-sized wager on Hunt.
Best Bets for UFC Fight Night 33:
Parlay: Takeya Mizugaki and Alex Garcia: $60 to make $54.05
Parlay: Bruno Santos and Alex Garcia: $50 to make $61.50
Parlay: Takeya Mizugaki and Justin Scoggins: $30 to make $64.50
Single bet: Mark Hunt -$40 to make $44
Two massive heavyweights and finishers as far as the eye can see. Not a bad way to start the weekend at all.
See you there, Maniacs.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver live UFC Fight Night 33: "Hunt vs. Bigfoot" results on Friday 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.