Cub Swanson -240 vs Dennis Siver +200 - the "swagger" of Swanson makes the difference here. Cub has found his game and is at his very best right now, don't see him having much trouble in this one. Siver has dropped down to featherweight where he has won his first 2 fights(but both of those guys Nunes and Phan are on their way out) to me he looks terrible cutting down to this weight. i wouldn't be surprised if Siver moves back up soon, as he doesn't seem healthy, remember this guy used to fight at 170. watching Siver, i don't think he can hurt Swanson so this could be a wipeout. with 4 straight impressive wins, i know Cub is thinking about a rematch with Aldo and after ufc 162 he may get the next title shot. really a great story to see a Cub get past his health issues and show us all what he can do.
3 units Cub Swanson -240
Mark Munoz -110 vs Tim Boetsch -110 - its been about 1 year since Munoz has fought, he was one fight away from a title shot then the injuries and the depression, now he's in shape and ready to go? or is he.. Boetsch was rolling along until Costa Philippou gave him his first loss at middleweight(now 4-1) when i break this fight down, i see Boetsch dominating. Boetsch will come forward and i think he's just too strong for Munoz. i don't like the way Munoz reacts when he gets hit, he covers up or just drops down and if he does that in this fight he's going to get finished. i really don't see Munoz getting a takedown, and i also think the layoff with his age(35) will work against him. really i see this as Tim's fight to lose, better strikes, more durable, stronger and busier which will give him the edge in close rounds
3 units Tim Boetsch -110
Anderson Silva -270 vs Chris Weidman +230 - lots of attention on Weidman going into this one and sure he's good, a strong physical middleweight who has yet to look vulnerable in any of his fights. BUT what is all this talk that he will just run through Silva by being physically dominant taking him down and finishing him with punches or a submission?? this is stupid talk, the best opponent Weidman has faced was Demian Maia(who is now at 170) and he couldn't hold him down for more than 10 seconds. sure he got several takedowns but he did no damage and Maia was able to power right up to his feet each time. Anderson has made it look easy for years and despite being 38 years old, he doesn't look like he's lost anything yet. So breaking the fight down, will Weidman be able to take Anderson down? answer is probably yes, but will he be able to keep him down and do any damage? i'm going to say probably not. on the feet, Weidman doesn't have much of a chance, and i believe him when he says he's going into the fight expecting to win. problem is, thats exactly what Silva likes and he excels when someone actually fights him. Anderson hits very very hard and nobody can take his punches. look for this to be just another highlight finish for the "the spider".
2 units Anderson Silva -270
Andrew Craig -160 vs Chris Leben +140- Leben has been in some great fights over the years but i don't see him having much left in the tank. Craig is on his way up, a strong, very athletic middleweight able to mix his wrestling with a variety of strikes including a nice head kick. Leben moves slow, he hits hard but now everyone can see it coming so as he tries to reinvent himself i can't imagine any changes to his game helping him win fights. i see Craig being first, landing punches and getting takedowns. For his size, Craig has shown really good cardio and i see him having a decided strength advantage which will help him control the fight.
2 units Andrew Craig -160
"opinions"on other fights;
Gabriel Gonzaga -200 vs Dave Herman +180 - should be a fun fight. Herman somehow still getting to fight despite getting finished in his last 3 fights. seems like Herman has a great chance at victory as he does have punching power, the one weakness for Gonzaga(ko'd in 6 of his 7 losses) one thing for sure when it comes to Gonzaga, if he wins he gets you good; all 14 of his wins are finishes. line is perfect and on the money, Gonzaga is better, more well rounded but very vulnerable. nothing strong here, but go with the odds that Gonzaga will drag him down and submit him at some point.
Tim Kennedy -120 vs Roger Gracie +100 - at first i thought Tim was a strong play but the more i look at the fight the more i realize this is going to be tight. Kennedy's best weapon is a lightning fast "shot" when he goes for takedowns but because of his heavily muscled frame, when he stands, he's a little stiff and stands upright as he strikes. Gracie is a pretty big guy and has the reach to give Tim lots of problems standing. If the fight hits the ground, Gracie is at the top of the food chain as a grappler, and although Kennedy can probably get some slams and/or takedowns he might not want to put himself in danger. If its a striking battle, it will be a close decision. i will lean to Gracie in this one.
Frankie Edgar -600 vs Charles Oliveira +475 - sorry to say but i see Edgar as "fade only" already. Edgar spent too many rounds as a lightweight, he should probably be a bantamweight as you can see he's not a "big" featherweight. Edgar has gone 5 rounds in 6 of his last 7 fights and i think he will begin to show the effects of those wars probably in his next 2 or 3 fights. Charles has very good strikes and will be confident when the fight hits the ground as he has a very dangerous submission game. not sure Edgar will even go for takedowns, he may just go with striking and moving as a game plan for victory. i'm going to say Frankie wins, but will pay close attention to see if Edgar's decline is coming. just not enough confidence in Oliveira due to his recent run(2-3-1)
good luck with your plays,
-boldtiger
Hot Forum Topics
