They may have Sunday, Monday and Thursday, but Wednesday is OURS now.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) continues its "Fight Night" series tomorrow night (Weds., Jan. 15, 2014) on FOX Sports 1 with "Rockhold vs Philippou, which showcases a pair of 185-pound clashes of Middleweight elite.
In the UFC Fight Night 35 main event from The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Ga., final Strikeforce Middleweight champion Luke Rockhold will look do bounce back from his first defeat since 2007 when he faces Costas Philippou, who recently had a five-fight win streak snapped.
Meanwhile, in the co-featured fight of the night, fellow Strikeforce import Lorenz Larkin will also be in action, taking on rising The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 11 alum Brad Tavares, while Cuban Olympian Yoel Romero aims to score his third straight knockout at the expense of Derek Brunson in other main card action.
It's a solid mid-week card overall. But, let's see if we can't turn it into a profitable endeavor as we explore the latest UFC Fight Night 35 betting odds below:
UFC Fight Night 35 Odds For The Under Card:
Ramsey Nijem (-150) vs. Justin Edwards (+130)
Isaac Vallie-Flagg (-125) vs. Elias Silverio (+105)
Trevor Smith (-160) vs. Brian Houston (+140)
Alp Ozkilic (-270) vs. Louis Smolka (+230)
Vinc Pichel (-155) vs. Garett Whiteley (+135)
Charlie Brenneman (-175) vs. Beneil Dariush (+155)
Thoughts: I’ve got my eyes on one favorite and one under dog: Houston and Brenneman, respectively.
Despite Houston’s ground game being an ostensible liability, Smith’s inability to avoid Ed Herman’s punches and the speed disadvantage he’ll face have me leaning toward the under dog. In addition, Houston also has a wrestling background that gives me some hope for his thus-far untested grappling.
Don’t go all-in on him, but lay a bit down on the possibility of a dramatic knockout.
I don’t understand the reason Charlie Brenneman is less than a -200 favorite. Yes, he got crumpled a few times in UFC, but those were against powerful fighters who could stop his takedowns. He eats grapplers with weak takedown defense for breakfast. I’m aware that Dariush is an excellent Brazilian jiu-jitsu player, but he’s got a one-quarter the mixed martial arts (MMA) experience of Brenneman and has never faced a wrestler of his caliber.
In other words, "The Spaniard" is your parlay anchor for the evening.
UFC Fight Night 35 Odds For The Main Card:
Luke Rockhold (-390) vs. Costas Philippou (+320)
Lorenz Larkin (-220) vs. Brad Tavares (+180)
T.J. Dillashaw (-270) vs. Mike Easton (+230)
Yoel Romero (-280) vs. Derek Brunson (+240)
John Moraga (-280) vs. Dustin Ortiz (+240)
Cole Miller (-185) vs. Sam Sicilia (+160)
Thoughts: I’m fairly confident in the favorites pulling a clean sweep save for Cole Miller; therefore, if you’re looking for a safe bet, Larkin, Dillashaw and/or Romero would do. If you want something a tad riskier, give Sicilia a whirl.
Sicilia has extremely limited striking technique, but what he does have is solid ground-and-pound and somewhat heavy hands. Miller is not only inconsistent, he’s proven vulnerable to effective top control players in the past -- just watch his fight with Matt Wiman. That length and technique disadvantage has me too concerned to call Sicilia a must-bet, but I do figure he’s worth at least a bit of a wager.
UFC Fight Night 35 Best Bets:
- Parlay -- Charlie Brenneman and Brian Houston: Bet $20 to make $55.40
- Parlay -- Charlie Brenneman and T.J. Dillashaw: Bet $40 to make $56.00
- Parlay -- Yoel Romero and Sam Sicilia: Bet $20 to make $50.80
Lots of elite fighters and plenty of potential for fireworks. Nothing more you can ask from a free mid-week card.
See you tomorrow, Maniacs.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver live UFC Fight Night 35: "Rockhold vs Philippou" 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.
Running Profit For 2014 Based On This Column: $123.20