UFC 100 Fight Card: The non-title fights

By Dirty on Jul 08, 2009 with Comments 0

With respect to Tour de France betting, every real sports bettor’s mind is on MMA right now. UFC 100 is just days away and, while most of us have done our homework on title fights, what about the other main card events? Let’s make some picks.

Middleweight bout

Dan Henderson (24-7) vs Michael Bisping (18-1)

UFC fight card favorite: Henderson -300

Despite having just one loss in his career – a controversial split decision to Rashad Evans – Michael “the Count” Bisping is a major underdog against Dan Henderson. In a sense, it’s understandable; Henderson is a world-class fighter, having held the PRIDE championship and fought champions like Anderson Silva and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in the UFC. He’s a former Olympic wrestler who dominates on the ground but can also knock opponents out with either hand if he needs to. “Hendo” also keeps himself in great shape and has a strong jaw.

However, Michael Bisping deserves more credit. He’s never really been hurt by anyone in his career and he has victories over solid fighters like Chris Leben and Matt Hamill, as well as the championship title for the Ultimate Fighter 3 as a light heavyweight. He hasn’t lost since dropping to 185 pounds and he can match Henderson’s cardio and chin from what we know. He’s also a better technical striker, so he can beat Henderson on points even if he can’t finish him. Bisping’s Jiu-Jitsu-based ground game is also underrated.

Hendo is a legit favorite but he’s overvalued at -300. Since the fight should be closer than some gambling software developers predict, you shouldn’t pass up Bisping’s nice +240 line.

Daily sports pick: Bisping +240

Welterweight bout

Jon Fitch (22-3) vs Paulo Thiago (11-0)

UFC fight card favorite: Fitch -400

Wowee. Does it say more about the undefeated Thiago or the undefeated Fitch that Fitch is a whopping -400 favorite? Really, it’s both. Fitch is quietly a fantastic fighter, simply overshadowed by Georges St-Pierre in his division. He’s a dominant wrestler with better-than-advertised striking and a granite chin.

Paulo Thiago somehow lands what is reportedly a No. 1 contender match despite fighting just once in the UFC. His win was impressive to an extent – a big knockout over Josh Koscheck – but he seemed a bit lucky, as he was losing the fight before landing a huge uppercut. While he could surprise the same way undefeated Demian Maia did upon entering the octagon, I’m not sold on Thiago. Fitch is a very tough test and should prevail.

Daily sports pick: Fitch -400