It's a long way to the top (if you want to eat some brains).
Featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo is back in action in his home country this weekend (Sat., Aug. 3, 2013) for the first time since decapitating Chad Mendes at UFC 142 in Jan. 2012. And he'll need some of that head-smashin' mojo when he battles "The Korean Zombie," Chan Sung Jung, in the main event of UFC 163, which takes place at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In addition, Lyoto Machida will compete in his South American homeland for the first time since 2006 when he takes on "Mr. Wonderful" himself, Phil Davis, in a Light Heavyweight showdown that could have potential No. 1 205-pound contender implications on the line if it shakes out right.
That's not all.
In fact, it's a night brimming with the potential for spectacular mixed martial arts (MMA) finishes. Not to mention some cold-hard cash, if you know where to look in the betting sportsbook.
Follow me for a closer look at the odds behind UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie.
UFC 163 Odds For "Prelims" Under Card:
Vinny Magalhaes (-400) vs. Anthony Perosh (+325)
Amanda Nunes (-300) vs. Sheila Gaff (+220)
Rani Yahya (-705) vs. Josh Clopton (+435)
Ian McCall (-410) vs. Iliarde Santos (+290)
Sergio Moraes (-170) vs. Neil Magny (+130)
Ednaldo Oliveira (-230) vs. Francimar Barroso (+170)
Viscarde Andrade (-210) vs. Bristol Marunde (+160)
Thoughts: Playing underdogs failed to pay off last time. As such, I feel it is in your best interest to do it again this time as well; therefore, Magny and Barroso are your men.
I watched The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Brazil." I know what "Serginho" is capable of on the ground. But, he is no threat whatsoever on the feet -- the guy he beat to get into the house was stupid enough to try to play 50/50 against him and he got smoked by Daniel Sarafian and Cezar Ferreira.
Even his win over Renee Forte, who is currently a lightweight, comprised two rounds of failed takedowns before a comeback submission win. Magny isn’t a good finisher, but he can stop the takedown, which is pretty much all you need against Moraes.
Magny as an underdog is a massive bargain ... so bet accordingly.
A seven-inch height advantage may seem too much to overcome, but there’s a huge difference between being tall and fighting tall -- Stefan Struve has been knocked out twice by men more than 10 inches shorter than him. Oliveira can crack, but his boxing is stiff, ugly and awkward. The fact that his ground game is more or less bollocks doesn’t help his case. Barroso is well-rounded and powerful, more than capable of putting away Ednaldo anywhere it goes.
Combine this with the fact that this is Oliveira’s first cut to 205 pounds and you have a recipe for an upset.
If you want to beef up your parlays, you could do worse than Nunes. She’s taking on someone smaller than her who is very likely to trade power punches, a game very few women can play with the powerful Brazilian with significant success.
UFC 163 Odds For Main Card:
Jose Aldo (-800) vs. Chan Sung Jung (+550)
Lyoto Machida (-360) vs. Phil Davis (+300)
Thales Leites (-125) vs. Tom Watson (+105)
Cezar Ferreira (-425) vs. Thiago Santos (+340)
John Lineker (-420) vs. Jose Maria Tome (+335)
Thoughts: I’m not liking much of what I see on the main card, but I do think Leites is a little undervalued. Watson has a big mouth, but hasn’t really accomplished much aside from swaying a gullible judge against Brad Tavares and lasting long enough against Stanislav Nedkov for the latter to go into cardiac arrest. His takedown defense is mediocre and his ground game equally so, which means that Leites -- who isn’t the invincible submission machine Dana White wanted us to believe when he fought Anderson Silva way back when -- should have a field day if he doesn't get clipped. Parlaying Leites with one of the bigger favorites like Machida or Magalhaes wouldn’t be a terrible idea.
UFC 163 Best Bets:
- Single bet: Neil Magny -- Bet $60 to make $78
- Single bet: Francimar Barroso -- Bet $40 to make $68
- Parlay: Amanda Nunes and Thales Leites -- Bet $30 to make $41.70
World title fight, possible Light Heavyweight contender match and the possibility of surprise fireworks. It's not all that bad.
See you Saturday, Maniacs.