UFC 163: Aldo vs Korean Zombie will take place on Saturday, August 3rd at the HSBC Centre in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. This again is not the deepest card we have seen from the UFC, but the main and co-main events are excellent. Koscheck and Maia were removed from the card earlier due to Koscheck getting injured. The Korean Zombie will see if he is up to his biggest test yet as he faces Aldo, while the elusive Machida will take on Mr. Wonderful himself, Phil Davis.
Thales Leites vs Tom Watson
Somehow the bettors have chosen Tom Watson as the underdog in this fight, and it is probably due to the fact that Leites got a shot at Anderson Silva earlier in his career. While Leites is an excellent submission specialist, I don’t think he has what it takes to deal with Tom Watson’s determination and toughness. We all saw how tough he was when he lost a close split decision to Tavares a couple fights ago. Watson is 11-2 in his past 13, and I expect Watson to brawl his way to a victory. If Leites can get Watson’s back somehow, he may have a chance at submitting him, but I don’t see him getting him to the ground.
Take Watson at +105 (5Dimes)
Lyoto Machida vs Phil Davis
In the co-main event we will see what looks to be a number 1 contender matchup. Lyoto Machida will take on Phil Davis in what will be a classic wrestler vs striker matchup. While both fighters are fairly versed in both areas, Lyoto is clearly the better striker, and Phil is clearly the better wrestler.
Lyoto has faced wrestlers in the past and recently took out Dan Henderson in a close split-decision. Machida proved how hard he was to take down, which forced Dan to strike with him. Dan made it close as he landed a couple bombs that seemed to stun Machida. Machida demonstrated how well he can take punches. Davis does not possess the power that Dan does, and I feel like he will have a hard time getting Machida down. Look for Machida to pick Phil apart to a decision victory.
Take Machida at -370 (5Dimes)
Jose Aldo vs Jung Chan-Sung
Aldo and the Korean Zombie will battle in the main event for the featherweight title. Aldo will clearly look to utilize his leg kicks and I expect the Zombie to try to stand with Aldo and absorb as much punishment as he can while tiring Aldo out.
If there is one area Aldo has looked weak in, it is his cardio in fights that go the distance. His explosiveness seems to drop in the later rounds, and this will be what I figure the only chance Chan-Sung has at victory. He will look to start a war with Aldo, tire him out, hope his chin can keep him standing. If he does this and comes well prepared, I think he can take the title. With the odds so high it is hard to not play a small bet on the Korean Zombie.
Take the Korean Zombie (Jung Chan-Sung) at +625 (5Dimes)