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2008-05-18 06:43:28
UFC 84 Betting Odds and Fight Analysis
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UFC 84 is just a week away, and it's time that we took one last look at the current betting lines and provided a bit of analysis for each fight. The UFC is continuing their recent streak of booking main events that make you want to reach down and pull out your wallet, as Sherk vs Penn should be an absolute classic.
Bodoglife.com is currently offering their customers the opportunity to bet on three different UFC 84 fights. They are:
Wanderlei Silva (-160) vs Keith Jardine (+130) - Many are speculating that if Silva loses this match-up, then he will be cut from the UFC. I don't share this opinion. Silva lost to Chuck Liddell in arguably one of the best fights of the year in 2007 at UFC 79 - Nemesis. This was his first UFC fight ever, and he lost to one of the UFC's biggest stars in a classic bout. This isn't a Travis Lutter situation, where he is cut from the promotion just because he loses two fights in a row. Lutter was already on the outs with UFC management due to missing weight for his fight against Anderson Silva. Wanderlei Silva is a beast, and I don't think that Dana White would be stupid enough to cut Silva just because he happened to lose his fight to Keith Jardine. But hey, rumors are swirling. Silva has lost his last three fights in a row (Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic) and will be looking to redeem himself at UFC 84. Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine will be an excellent test for Silva, but I think that Silva wins this fight due to his iron jaw and unbelievable conditioning. Silva has more on the line than Keith Jardine in this fight. Silva wins by decision.
Lyoto Machida (-200) vs Tito Ortiz (+160) - Can Tito Ortiz pull off the upset in his last ever UFC fight? If he wins, what will he say in his post-fight interview? Will White even let him speak? I don't think that Ortiz will get a chance to talk, as I don't think that he can pull off the upset in this fight. I love taking the underdog, but I don't think that Ortiz can win this fight. Ortiz has a lot to prove (especially to Dana White), but his best days are clearly behind him. He has only fought once since the beginning of 2007, and has been battling numerous injuries. Lyoto Machida is a perfect 12-0, and has beaten the likes of BJ Penn, Stephan Bonnar and Rich Franklin during his career. Machida needs this victory to propel himself into discussions for a title shot; Ortiz needs the victory to ensure that he maintains his earning power once he leaves the UFC. Maybe Ortiz can surprise me at UFC 84 and pull off the upset victory - I just don't see it though. The Tito Ortiz era in the UFC will end with a loss to Lyoto Machida.
BJ Penn (-250) vs Sean Sherk (+200) - I hate to take all favorites, but this card compels me to. I can not take Sean "The Muscle Shark" Sherk over BJ Penn with a clear conscience. Sean Sherk has a sterling record of 32-2-1 and is a former UFC title holder, but how much of that record is tainted by steroids? Sherk was suspended for six months and stripped of his title after testing positive for steroids last year. Sherk has not fought since defending his title against Hermes Franca at UFC 73 - Stacked, which means that he has fought just once in the past 19 months. "The Muscle Shark" is simply too hard to get a read on right now. How will he fight without steroids? Will he be able to shake off major ring rust against one of the best pound-for-pound fighters of all time? BJ Penn, on the other hand, is extremely fired up for this match-up and seems hellbent on retaining his title. Betting against a motivated BJ Penn is usually a bad move, so we are taking "The Prodigy" to win. It should be a hell of a match-up though.
UFC 84 features a number of other interesting fights, including the UFC debuts of Shane Carwin and Goran Reljic. This should be a great card. The event will be taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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