MMA Betting: UFC 103 Preview
by Bodog Sportsbook | Sep 18 2009
Dana White and his band of merry men have turned the UFC into the biggest mixed martial arts promotion in the world. But the crown jewel of the sport continues to slip through White's fingers.
Fedor Emelianenko will make his Strikeforce debut on Nov. 7 against Brett Rogers, possibly at the Sears Centre Arena in Chicago (capacity: 11,800), and the card will be shown in prime time on CBS. Emelianenko is the consensus No. 1 heavyweight in the world and the No. 3 pound-for-pound fighter according to Sherdog. White's perceived inability to get Emelianenko to sign a contract has been the talk of the
MMA betting scene ever since the big Russian appeared for BodogFight in 2007, following the purchase of the PRIDE brand by Zuffa, UFC's parent company.
Emelianenko has two more fights to go on his Strikeforce contract after he enters the cage against Rogers. Meanwhile, White will have to be content with possessing the strongest collection of MMA fighters ever assembled. Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre rank 1-2 on Sherdog’s P4P chart, with fast-rising (and undefeated) Lyoto Machida checking in at No. 4. They might not have Emelianenko's drawing power, but all three men are highly respected champions in the UFC.
There's more where that came from. Here are the
MMA odds (at press time) and the recent results for everyone involved in the top four fights at UFC 103.
Welterweight: Josh Koscheck (-500) vs. Frank Trigg (+300)
Feb. 21, 2009: Paulo Thiago (+325) over Koscheck (-450) by first-round KO
Dec. 10, 2008: Koscheck (-230) over Yoshiyuki Yoshida (+190) by first-round KO
Oct. 25, 2008: Thiago Alves (-130) over Koscheck (+100) by unanimous decision
Feb. 14, 2009, XCF: Trigg (-950) over Danny Babcock (+560) by unanimous decision
Oct. 3, 2008, Strikeforce: Trigg (-270) over Falaniko Vitale (+210) by unanimous decision
Aug. 28, 2008, Sengoku: Trigg (-325) over Makoto Takimoto (+250) by unanimous decision
Welterweight: Martin Kampmann (-500) vs. Paul Daley (+300)Apr. 1, 2009: Kampmann (-130) over Carlos Condit (+120) by split decision
Jan. 17, 2009: Kampmann (-500) over Alexandre Barros (+350) by second-round TKO
Sept. 6, 2008: Nate Marquardt (-145) over Kampmann (+115) by first-round TKO
Apr. 18, 2009, WFC: Daley (NL) over Junior Barata by first-round TKO
Mar. 29, 2009, Ultimate Gladiators: Daley (NL) over Svajunas Siacuila by first-round KO
Feb. 20, 2009, MFC: Nick Thompson (-115) over Daley (-105) by unanimous decision
Heavyweight: Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (+105) vs. Junior dos Santos (-135)June 13, 2009: Filipovic (-500) over Mostapha Al-turk (+300) by first-round TKO
Dec. 31, 2008, DREAM: Filipovic (-180) over Hong Man Choi (+170) by first-round TKO
Sept. 23, 2008, DREAM: Filipovic (-235) vs. Alistair Overeem (+185), no contest (groin strikes)
Feb. 20, 2009: Dos Santos (-235) over Stefan Struve (+215) by first-round TKO
Oct. 25, 2008: Dos Santos (+400) over Fabricio Werdum (-500) by first-round KO
May 24, 2008, Demo Fight: Dos Santos (NL) over Geronimo dos Santos by first-round TKO
Catchweight (195 pounds): Rich Franklin (-145) vs. Vitor Belfort (+115)
June 13, 2009: Franklin (-140) over Wanderlei Silva (+110) by unanimous decision
Jan. 17, 2009: Dan Henderson (-125) over Franklin (+115) by split decision
Sept. 6, 2008: Franklin (-235) over Matt Hamill (+215) by third-round TKO
Jan. 24, 2009, Affliction: Belfort (+120) over Matt Lindland (-150) by first-round KO
July 19, 2008, Affliction: Belfort (-260) over Terry Martin (+200) by second-round KO
Sept. 22, 2007, Cage Rage: Belfort (NL) over James Zikic by unanimous decision
Ready for UFC 103? Check out Bodog
Sportsbook for the freshest lines.
