Two Olympic medals, unbeaten mixed martial arts (MMA) records and an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) belt on the line.
Judo star and women's Bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, will look to add another arm to her collection when she collides with freestyle wrestling standout, Sara McMann, in the main event of UFC 170, which emanates from Mandalay Bat Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, this Saturday evening (Feb. 22, 2014).
The pay-per-view (PPV) card will also feature the Light Heavyweight debut of Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix tournament winner, Daniel Cormier, as he faces the undefeated Patrick Cummins. In addition, Rory MacDonald and Demian Maia will try to bounce back from split-decision losses and cement their spots in the Welterweight elite.
It's not the card it used to be, but what better way to drown your sorrows of what might have been than by dabbing away your tears with fresh greenbacks? Let's see how much we can get you.
Follow me for the latest UFC 170: "Rousey vs. McMann" odds, as well as a full breakdown of potential best bets to consider this weekend in "Sin City:"
UFC 170 Odds For The Under Card:
Alexis Davis (-150) vs. Jessica Eye (+130)
Raphael Assuncao (-195) vs. Pedro Munhoz (+155)
Aljamain Sterling (-260) vs. Cody Gibson (+180)
Zach Makovsky (-180) vs. Josh Sampo (+140)
Erik Koch (-420) vs. Rafaello Oliveira (+300)
Yosdenis Cedeno (-300) vs. Ernest Chavez (+220)
Thoughts: Still looking to play favorites this week ... and I’m liking the odds on Davis and Makovsky.
Eye is a solid fighter, but she’s also fighting 10 pounds north of her customary weight and doesn’t really have an area in which she can overwhelm Davis. Meanwhile, Davis looks to be every bit the striker Eye is and also possesses some devastating grappling chops to go along with that.
Eye’s recent debacle with the Texas commission can’t be good for her focus, either; therefore, a bit on "Ally-Gator" makes sense.
I’m really having a hard time seeing how Makovsky doesn’t run through Sampo. That's because he put on an absolute wrestling clinic against Scott Jorgensen, who is not only larger than Makovsky, but is generally considered a grappling beast. He also looked rather devastating on the feet, giving him the advantage wherever the fight goes.
Sampo’s skill set, while impressive, seems to just slightly trail Makovsky’s in most areas. I suggest going big on "Fun Size."
See what I did there?
UFC 170 Odds For The Main Card:
Ronda Rousey (-440) vs. Sara McMann (+350)
Daniel Cormier (-1200) vs. Patrick Cummins (+775)
Rory MacDonald (-280) vs. Demian Maia (+240)
Mike Pyle (-190) vs. T.J. Waldburger (+165)
Stephen Thompson (-135) vs. Robert Whittaker (+115)
Thoughts: I’m pretty sure Rousey and Cormier are going to obliterate their competition and MacDonald is content to use his jab to plink away at Maia for 15 minutes, so that leaves the 170-pound contenders. Thompson’s weak performance against Nah-Shon Burrell followed by that shellacking of Chris Clements have me thinking he’s a bit too inconsistent to play, so let’s go with Pyle.
Waldburger is one of my favorite welterweights because his grappling is an absolute joy to behold. Unfortunately, he’s burdened with the worst chin in the division. Six of his eight losses are by (technical) knockout. Even though Pyle got murked in a hurry by Matt Brown, his previous four opponents all had one thing in common: When they entered the clinch, they got hurt.
Indeed, Ricardo Funch and James Head went down to knees, while Josh Neer was short-circuited by a point-blank right hand. While Rick Story went the distance, he got legitimately hurt by a big knee in the process. Even Thiago Alves wasn’t able to rock him with that strike.
In other words, as soon as they tie up, Waldburger is in danger. Considering he’s going to be pushing for a takedown, that shouldn’t take long.
Bet on "Quicksand."
UFC 170 Best Bets:
- Parlay -- Zach Makovsky and Alexis Davis: Bet $50 to make $80.50
- Parlay -- Zach Makovsky and Mike Pyle: Bet $60 to make $83.40
Three Olympians and a plethora of Welterweight contenders ... there are worse ways to spend a Saturday night.
See you there, Maniacs.
Running Profit For 2014 Based On This Column: $62.20