UFC 84 - Betting Odds from Bodog and Predictions

On Saturday, May 24th, the UFC will hold their latest event. Entitled UFC 84: Ill Will, this star-studded card will feature the long-awaited showdown between BJ Penn and Sean Sherk, as well as the return of Tito Ortiz. Wanderlei Silva will also be in action. The event will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

UFC 84 - FULL CARD

(Welterweight) Jon Copenhagen +140 vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida -170

(Heavyweight) Shane Carwin -200 vs. Christian Wellisch +160

(Welterweight) Jason Tan +250 vs. Dong Hyun Kim -325

(Middleweight) Ivan Salaverry -150 vs. Rousimar Palhares +120

(Light Heavyweight) Rameau Sokoudjou -265 vs. Kazuhiro Nakamura +205

(Lightweight) Rich Clementi -260 vs. Terry Etim +200

(Light Heavyweight) Wilson Gouveia -140 vs. Goran Reljic +110

(Light Heavyweight) Thiago Silva -800 vs. Antonio Mendes +500

(Light Heavyweight) Wanderlei Silva -200 vs. Keith Jardine +160

(Light Heavyweight) Lyoto Machida -220 vs. Tito Ortiz +170

(Lightweight Title) BJ Penn -250 vs. Sean Sherk +200

WHO TO BET ON

Looking over the odds from Bodog, there are three fights which really stand out as good betting opportunities.

First off, there’s Rameau Sokoudjou versus Kazuhiro Nakamura. With only six fights under his belt, Sokoudjou still has a lot to learn. His reputation has been boosted by underdog wins over Ricardo Arona and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. His last fight, however, was a loss against Lyoto Machida. As a -265 favorite, one has to wonder if he’ll be able to shake off the loss. It should also be noted that his record is 4-2, so he’s hardly invincible. His opponent has also lost to Machida, and Nakamura has a less-than-impressive 11-7 record. Still, Sokoudjou is still unproven in my book and could be upset by the +205 underdog. Not likely, but it’s worth a look.

The second match you might want to wager on is Wanderlei Silva taking on Keith Jardine. For some reason, Silva is a -200 favorite, despite the fact that he’s 5-5 in his last 10 fights and 0-3 in his last three. He most recently lost to Chuck Liddell, a fighter that his opponent has beaten by decision. I like Silva a lot, but he’s reaching the end of his career and takes a lot of punishment these days. Jardine is younger, stronger, and was able to neutralize the big punching power of Liddell. Expect him to do the same against Silva and eventually knock him out. Jardine is a good bet at +160.

Finally, there’s Lyoto Machida against Tito Ortiz. Machida is a -220 favorite over the former UFC champion. While Machida is undefeated at 12-0, he’s beaten Sokoudjou, Nakamura, Vernon White, Sam Hoger, etc. Ortiz, on the other hand, has been in the cage with the likes of Couture, Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Wanderlei Silva, Evan Tanner and Vitor Belfort. I don’t see any scenario where Ortiz just lays back. I imagine he’ll pressure Machida like he’s never been pressured before. Since this is the last fight on his UFC contract, I figure Tito will want to notch an impressive win. Considering his problems with Dana White, this could possibly be the last time we see The Huntington Beach Bad Boy in the UFC. With his experience and heart, Ortiz is a good bet at +170.

For more MMA action, check out the following:

Results from Strikeforce: Shamrock vs. Le

UFC 83 Betting Odds

UFC 84 - Betting Odds from Bodog and Predictions