I’ve been waiting for UFC 187 since it was announced. Yes, a couple of the top main event fights have had to be changed with Jon Jones’ legal troubles and yet another injury to Khabib Nurmagomedov, but this card is still full with huge fights from top to bottom! I’ve already got my plans set for Saturday night and you guys should too because this is one card that you will not want to miss.
I didn’t get a post up for the Phillipines card last week, but the Edgar vs Faber fight was everything it was cracked up to be. A very technical fight between two of the best in the sport. All-in-all that was a great card and a great way to kick off the day, as it began at 7am over here.
2014 Record: 54-33 for +17.31 units.
2015 Record: 14-15 for -3.70 units.
Daniel Cormier vs Anthony Johnson
This is going to be a hell of a fight, that I can guarantee. Cormier is going to be very hungry after losing his title fight against Jon Jones, but Anthony Johnson is a machine who has the power and ability to finish this fight. That said, I don’t think Cormier is a good matchup stylistically for AJ. Cormier should be able to get into the clinch and take the fight to AJ both against the fence and on the ground. Add in the fact that Cormier has been able to train with Cain Velasquez for this fight and I think you have to give the advantage to Cormier. That’s not to say that he won’t get caught at some point, but I do like Cormier to win this fight, likely by decision.
I’m splitting my bet between the 2.
Plays: Cormier to win -125 @ BetOnline.ag & Cormier by decision +296 @ 5Dimes.eu
Chris Weidman vs Vitor Belfort
This is another very interesting fight that’s been a long time in the making. Weidman has already defended his belt twice since Vitor last fought, about a year and a half ago. Weidman has been running through the Brazilian legends at Middleweight, with 2 finishes over Anderson Silva, followed up by a dominating decision win against Lyoto Machida. If the best Vitor Belfort shows up then this could be Weidman’s most difficult fight yet, but that’s a big question mark.
Belfort was one of the fighters who were reliant on TRT and with this now an illegal substance it’s anyone’s guess what Belfort shows up. I for one don’t think it will affect him as much as people are saying. He looks very good in the UFC Countdown video and he’s now had ample time to adjust to the new rules. His last three fights were devastating KO’s over Bisping, Rockhold and Henderson, all big names in the decision. He also beat Anthony Johnson just 3 years ago, although that was before AJ really started to smarten up and become the fighter he is now. What I’m trying to get at is Belfort’s only losses have been to Jon Jones and Anderson Silva (in his prime) in the last 8 years and there are a ton of big name wins in this span, so he is a huge threat.
The only way I see Belfort winning though is via knockout early in the fight. And I think Weidman has enough awareness, patience and talent to avoid this fate.
Play: Weidman -500 @ BetOnline.ag (but I also kind of like Belfort via TKO/KO +650 @ 5Dimes.eu)
Travis Browne vs Andrei Arlovski
Browne is just a massive athlete that knows how to knock people out. He’s finished Brendan Schaub, Josh Barnett, Alistair Overeem and Gabriel Gonzaga in the last two years, with the only loss in that span coming via decision to current interim title holder Fabricio Werdum.
Arlovski is on a 4 fight winning streak, but I haven’t been impressed by him in his 2 UFC fights. He just barely squeaked out a boring split decision against Brendan Schaub and although he knocked out Antonio Silva, I wasn’t too impressed, as Silva has become a bit of a bunching bag lately, getting knocked out on command.
Play: Brown via TKO/KO -175 @ 5Dimes.eu
Other Plays
I like John Dodson to finish Zach Makarovsky inside distance (+176 @ 5Dimes.eu). Dodson is an exciting fighter who has finished Moraga, Montague, Formiga and Dillashaw in his last 5 wins. I expect him to continue to get finishes and make a case for the title shot against DJ.
I also like Uriah Hall to win inside distance (-125 @ 5Dimes.eu). His opponent, Rafael Natal, is just not on the same level as Hall, who seems to be being given poor opponents as the promotion tries to build up Hall’s stock again. Hopefully a knockout over Natal will result in Hall getting a top 15 opponent next time out.
One other play I like is veteran UFC fighter Mike Pyle getting the win over undefeated newcomer Colby Covington (+230 @ 5Dimes.eu). Covington hasn’t fought anyone near the caliber of Pyle, so I don’t think it’s warranted for him to be such a big favourite.
Good luck with the picks, it’s sure to be a fun card!
Belfort • Cormier • Johnson • ufc betting • Weidman