UFC 114 Betting Preview & Picks
Looking to bet on UFC matchups?
UFC 114 marks the first major UFC fight card not to feature a title fight in quite some time – but there’s still plenty of reason to watch and wager. Remember the bitter feud between Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans?
It finally gets settled this Saturday night. The winner may get a shot at freshly crowned light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua.
Let’s make picks for the fights this week.
Event: UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans
Date: May 29, 2010
Time: 10PM ET/7PM PT
Location: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast: Pay-per-view Live
UFC 114 Best Prediction:
LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-7) vs “Sugar” Rashad Evans (14-1-1)
UFC 114 odds: Jackson -110, Evans -120
It’s no surprise so see the odds for this fight almost dead even, as Rampage and Rashad are fairly similar fighters. Both have heavy hands and both are among the strongest guys in their weight class.
Rashad gets a mild edge in the odds for a few different reasons. He’s arguably the more technical fighter. He’s certainly the better wrestler and he trains with a hardworking, superstar-laden camp coached by Greg Jackson. Evans is also faster than Rampage and an excellent defender. There’s also reason to worry about Rampage’s rust. Since he took time off to shoot the A-Team movie adaptation, he actually hasn’t fought since he beat Keith Jardine in March of 2009.
That said, Rampage brings a few advantages of his own to the table. He’s definitely the more experienced fighter, having battled many superstar martial artists during their prime. He’s fought Wanderlei Silva, Chuck Liddell, Shogun Rua, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin – the best of the best. While he hasn’t always come out on top, he usually has – and he’s grown accustomed to getting hit hard and dirty boxing in the trenches.
I’m not sure if Rashad Evans is tough enough to win this fight. He beat a past-his-prime Liddell and light-hitting Michael Bisping and Forrest Griffin en route to winning the light heavyweight title but has struggled since then. He suffered his first loss – via brutal knockout – against the powerful and technical Lyoto Machida and the deadly, aggressive Thiago Silva gave him a major scare after that. Rashad doesn’t like getting hit – he’s just not used to it – whereas Rampage is comfortable in a brawl.
Also, Evans may not have his usual grappling edge. Rampage defeated an Olympic wrestler in Dan Henderson a few years back, showing he can handle himself on the canvas. Given Rampage’s experience and better killer instinct, I think he’ll turn this fight into an ugly war and win.
Pick: Jackson -110
OTHER FIGHTS TO CONSIDER
Michael Bisping (18-3) vs Dan Miller (11-3)
UFC 114 odds: Bisping -180, Miller +150
Michael Bisping is among MMA’s most predictable fighters – and that’s great news for bettors. When he faces powerful punchers (Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva), he gets scared and/or knocked out. Against ground grapplers, he wins thanks to his strength, general comfort on the ground and ability to score points standing up. He’ll beat Miller, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu specialist with no standup game. 
Pick: Bisping -180
Todd Duffee (6-0) vs Mike Russow (12-1)
UFC 114 odds: Duffee -350, Russow +260
Anyone who hates on the prodigy Duffee, who got overhyped after setting the UFC record for fastest knockout, hasn’t seen him interviewed. The kid is humble and anxious to prove he’s a legit fighter. Look for a powerhouse effort on Saturday – even against a solid grappler and submission specialist in Russow.
Pick: Duffee -350
Official Fight card
MAIN CARD (PPV)
Rashad Evans vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Miller
Todd Duffee vs. Mike Russow
Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Jason Brilz
John Hathaway vs. Diego Sanchez
PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike TV)
Efrain Escudero vs. Dan Lauzon
Dong Hyun Kim vs. Amir Sadollah
PRELIMINARY CARD
Melvin Guillard vs. Waylon Lowe
Luiz Cane vs. Cyrille Diabate
Joe Brammer vs. Aaron Riley
Jesse Forbes vs. Ryan Jensen
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