Can "FartFace" slay the "Dragon?"
Hang on. Okay, I'm getting confirmation that his nickname is actually "The Doberman," but I like the other one better.
Anyway, surging Middleweight C.B. Dollaway -- coming off of impressive upsets of Francis Carmont and Cezar Ferreira -- will enter enemy territory this Saturday (Dec. 20, 2014) inside Ginasio Jose Correa in Barueri, Brazil, when he takes on recent title contender and former 205-pound champion, Lyoto Machida.
UFC Fight Night 58 will also feature the return of former Bantamweight champion Renan Barao after his loss to T.J. Dillashaw and subsequent weight cut disaster at UFC 177, taking on Canadian bruiser Mitch Gagnon. Patrick Cummins will also be in FOX Sports 1-televised main card action, welcoming The Ultimate Fighter (TUF): "Brazil" 3 winner Antonio "Cara de Sapato" to the Light Heavyweight division.
It's the last Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event of 2014; therefore, let's see if we can't refill your coffers after all that holiday shopping.
UFC Fight Night 58 Odds For The Under Card:
Marcos Rogerio de Lima (-335) vs. Igor Pokrajac (+245)
Daniel Sarafian (-170) vs. Antonio dos Santos, Jr. (+130)
Hacran Dias (-190) vs. Darren Elkins (+150)
Yuta Sasaki (-420) vs. Leandro Issa (+300)
Tim Means (-260) vs. Marcio Alexandre, Jr. (+180)
Jake Collier (-185) vs. Vitor Miranda (+145)
Thoughts: He may not be the -135 dream bet he was when the lines first appeared, but I still recommend betting on Hacran Dias. Simply put, I believe he’s too strong and well-versed in wrestling for Elkins to impose his customary gameplan and he should have a clear edge on the feet.
Elkins' relentlessness and cardio have carried him farther than I would have expected, but the fact remains that he struggles with physically-powerful fighters. Jeremy Stephens made mincemeat of him and had inordinate amounts of difficulty trying to ground Lucas Martins. Dias is a powerhouse at 145 pounds and should be able to beat Elkins at his own game.
Bank on it.
If you want to parlay with a favorite, Sasaki seems like a decent man to do it with.
UFC Fight Night 58 Odds For The Main Card:
Lyoto Machida (-600) vs. C.B. Dollaway (+450)
Renan Barao (-750) vs. Mitch Gagnon (+525)
Patrick Cummins (-155) vs. Antonio Carlos, Jr. (+135)
Rashid Magomedov (-160) vs. Elias Silverio (+140)
Erick Silva (-420) vs. Mike Rhodes (+335)
Thoughts: Honestly? I think Gagnon might be worth a pittance.
Gagnon may not have the resume of a champion, but he has quite a bit going for him. He’s extremely strong, pushes a brutal pace and packs more power than his knockout-free record would suggest. That pace may be the key because when Barao is pushed and needs to use more than a jab and low kicks, his technical boxing breaks down. Gagnon has the wrestling to stay on his feet and the durability to slug it out with the former champ. By no means am I advocating a huge bet on him, but +525 undersells the Canadian’s abilities.
UFC Fight Night 58 Best Bets:
- Parlay -- Hacran Dias and Yuta Sasaki: Bet $60 to make $53.57
- Single bet -- Mitch Gagnon: Bet $20 to make $105
The main event is intriguing and the rest of the fights are -- at the very least -- interesting. Plus, who are we kidding, you'll probably be too deep in the egg nog carton to care.
See you Saturday, Maniacs.
Running Profit For 2014 Based On This Column: $-66.74 (WE AIN'T ENDING THIS YEAR IN THE RED. YOU'LL SEE.)