No more Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight rematches ... it's time for some fresh blood.
Division champion Cain Velasquez has fought just two opponents (Junior dos Santos, Antonio Silva) in his last four fights. This Saturday (April 19, 2014), Travis Browne and Fabricio Werdum will battle to see who becomes his next foe in the main event of UFC on Fox 11, which will take place from Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
In addition, two former title challengers will lock horns as Miesha Tate faces Liz Carmouche in the co-main event, Donald Cerrone will face Edson Barboza in a clash of two of the Lightweight division's scariest strikers and, to start things off, Brad Tavares will face former Olympic medalist Yoel Romero in a fine Middleweight scrap.
Free fights mean no burden on the wallet; therefore, let's see if we can't fatten it up a bit.
UFC on FOX 11 Odds For The Under Card:
Khabib Nurmagomedov (-265) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (+225)
Thiago Alves (-400) vs. Seth Baczynski (+325)
Jorge Masvidal (-210) vs. Pat Healy (+175)
Estevan Payan (-155) vs. Alex White (+135)
Caio Magalhaes (-260) vs. Luke Zachrich (+220)
Jordan Mein (-400) vs. Hernani Perpetuo (+325)
Dustin Ortiz (-215) vs. Ray Borg (+165)
Chas Skelly (-155) vs. Mirsad Bektic (+115)
Derrick Lewis (-315) vs. Jack May (+235)
Thoughts: The only one line that stands out to me (but it stands out in a big way) is Bektic as an underdog.
Though Skelly has the superior wrestling credentials, Bektic is arguably the best prospect in all of mixed martial arts (MMA). He’s a physical monster with big power and cage-rattling ground-and-pound. He’s faster than Skelly and by far the superior striker. Plus, his athleticism ought to negate Skelly’s ostensible wrestling advantage.
Go big on Bektic.
UFC On FOX 11 Odds For The Main Card:
Travis Browne (-210) vs. Fabricio Werdum (+175)
Miesha Tate (-210) vs. Liz Carmouche (+175)
Edson Barboza (-115) vs. Donald Cerrone (-105)
Brad Tavares (-145) vs. Yoel Romero (+125)
Thoughts: The main event and the opener both strike me as potential moneymakers, but for different reasons. I’ve got Browne and Romero.
Werdum’s improvement on the feet has been constantly hyped, especially after his finish of Mike Russow and shellacking of Roy Nelson. Honestly, though, I’m not terribly impressed. He’s still flat-footed and his boxing is basic. He does have solid kicks and a good clinch, but he’s not beating out Browne in those areas.
Browne’s length gives him the advantage in long-range engagement and he’s demonstrated multiple times that it’s a really, really, really bad idea to get too close to him. Also, I’m not entirely sold on Werdum’s wrestling; therefore, use Browne to beef up parlays.
Though Romero’s deficiencies were showcased against Derek Brunson, he still hits like a runaway aircraft carrier. He has great cardio and -- while he can’t stop the takedown as well as his credentials would suggest -- he’s a pain in the ass to hold down.
A small bet on such a big hitter seems logical.
UFC On FOX 11 Best Bets:
- Single bet -- Mirsad Bektic: Bet $60 to make $69
- Parlay -- Mirsad Bektic and Travis Browne: Bet $40 to make $86.80
- Single bet -- Yoel Romero: Bet $30 to make $37.50
Hope your afternoon's free because you're not going to want to miss this action-packed party.
See you Saturday, Maniacs.
Running Profit For 2014 Based On This Column: -$305.90