UFC 211 Full Card Preview and Picks:
Ready for UFC 211: Miocic vs. dos Santos picks and betting odds & predictions? The UFC takes Dallas by storm this weekend when UFC 211 will thrown down with two Title fights. The American Airlines Center will host what looks to be one of the better top-to-bottom cards in a long while, headlined by a rematch between Stipe Miocic and Junior dos Santos for the world heavyweight title.
UFC 211: Miocic vs. dos Santos 2
Date: May 13, 2017
Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas
Broadcast: PPV, Fox Sports 1, UFC Fight Pass
Joanna Jedrzejczyk will defend her Strawweight belt against Jessica Andrade, Demian Maia, who has won six consecutive fights Jorge Masvidal – the winner likely getting a Title shot and former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar takes on rising star Yair Rodriguez.
Heck, the undercard has Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier.
Translation – should be a terrific night at the fights! Here is a look at the full card and what should play out on one of the best UFC lineups in quite some time.
Main Card (10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on Pay-Per-View)
Stipe Miocic (16-2): -140 vs. Junior dos Santos (18-4): +110
An intriguing 2014 rematch takes place as the Main Event Saturday – Heavyweight Champion Stipe Miocic will try to flip the script on Junior dos Santos who beat him by a narrow and controversial margin in their first bout.
We all know about dos Santos and his experience, his well-rounded game and his desire to be at the top once again. We have come to learn about Miocic’s pure athleticism, his wrestling chops and emerging striking game.
So who wins this time around?
Miocic is definitely on a roll – he has produced back-to-back first round stoppages of Fabricio Werdum and Alistair Overeem. A newfound confidence has carried the Champion into rarified air in which he looks unbeatable right now.
dos Santos has fought just twice since his 2014 meeting with Miocic and although his last effort.
A 5 round decision against Ben Rothwell was impressive, there is no denying that the wear-and-tear on the former champ and the injuries over the years have taken their toll – Junior simply doesn’t look like that elite guy anymore.
That said, talent sometimes trumps confidence – there is no doubt that the challenger has the better pedigree, the more well-rounded game and the overwhelming experience advantage. dos Santos elite striking skills are nearly second-to-none but we have to take into account the amount of punishment his body has taken over the years.
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Miocic is the fresher of the fighters heading into this weekend and the fact that he probably should have been awarded the win in the first meeting between the two fighters has me leaning the champ’s way here. dos Santos is a nice story but one that won’t have a storybook ending.
MMA Betting Pick: Stipe Miocic -140
Joanna Jędrzejczyk (13-0): -185 vs. Jéssica Andrade (16-5): +150
The women’s straweight strap will be on the line Saturday when Joanna Jędrzejczyk takes on the strong up-and-comer Jéssica Andrade who made some noise fighting in a weight class beyond her, but has now found a home at 115 pounds.
Joanna Jędrzejczyk however has instilled herself as one of the more dominant female fighters on the planet – her conditioning, her precision striking game and her overall smarts have left her undefeated and looking to defend her Title for the fifth time.
Andrade will be a test – her striking game can best be described as ferocious and her nose for the finish is something that Jędrzejczyk will have to be wary of for sure but I’m not worried for the Champ here.
Her style should mitigate Andrade’s strengths – Jędrzejczy’s technical striking and ability to go into deep water should serve her well.
While I like Andrade’s tenacity and willingness to thrill her fans, the confidence, the experience of the Champion in Title fights and the overall superiority of Jędrzejczyk’s skills has me thinking that there is only one logical choice in this bout.
MMA Betting Pick: Joanna Jędrzejczyk -185
Demian Maia (24-6): EVEN vs. Jorge Masvidal (32-11): -130
As far as career renaissances go there have been few more impressive than Demian Maia who has won six straight bouts ahead of this weekend – all since moving down to 170 pounds and all against top tier talent in the Welterweight Division.
Maia tries to continue climbing the ladder Saturday when he takes on another veteran of the sport and another recent addition to the 170 pound weight class Jorge Masvidal. The winner of this fight likely gets a Title shot in the not-too-distant future.
Masvidal’s will have a striking edge in this contest but that is about where his advantages end. The discipline and experience edge that he usually have are non-existent against a veteran like Maia.
The fact is that there is nothing that Maia hasn’t seen inside the Octagon!
I’m expecting Masvidal to attempt to dictate where this fight ends up – with little or no success. Maia is just too good at dragging fighters into his office – on the mat.
Once on the canvas there are few if any in the Welterweight Division that can fend off the skills of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu superstar.
Maia deserves a Title shot no matter what the UFC brass says – the organization will be forced to tip their hats Saturday.
MMA Betting Pick: Demian Maia – EVEN
Frankie Edgar (21-5-1): -150 vs. Yair Rodriguez (10-1): +120
A Featherweight match for the ages takes place between two top contenders Frankie Edgar and Yair Rodriguez on Saturday night – the winner will almost certainly be the next in line for a Title shot.
We all know that Edgar will be in shape for this fight – he always brings his best against some of the top fighters the UFC has ever seen. Rodriguez on the other hand is far less experienced but as talented an up-and-comer as there is in the division.
It is the classic battle between experience vs. youth here.
We know what the former Lightweight Champ brings to the table – an insane work ethic and a terrific all-around set of skills. The only fighter to defeat him over the last few years is Jose Aldo – no shame in that!
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Rodriguez is a bit of a wild card however – everyone knows that he is destined for great things – nobody quite knows if he is quite ready for the BIG STAGE just yet.
What Rodriguez has going for him is his style – awkward, unpredictable and unorthodox to say the least. Against BJ Penn it was this crazy style that kept the veteran off of his game – hopes are he can do the same against Edgar.
Rodriguez will have to overcome the stellar wrestling chops of Edgar however as well as the relentless pressure and incredible stamina of the veteran.
Something tells me that a changing of the guard in the Featherweight Division is upon us. While Edgar has seen just about everything inside the Octagon, Rodriguez’s style is almost impossible to emulate in training.
Although Rodriguez hasn’t beaten anyone of serious note yet I like the youngster to give Edgar fits en route to a decision win. Youth trumps experience!
MMA Betting Pick: Yair Rodriguez +120
Henry Cejudo (10-2): -450 vs. Sergio Pettis (15-2): +320
Henry Cejudo will try to snap a two fight losing streak Saturday when he takes on Sergio Pettis in what should be a very exciting bout.
Cejudo has struggled to get a decision from the judges (the last coming against the very tough Joseph Benavidez) while Pettis has won five of his last six inside the Octagon and arrives as the hotter of the two fighters.
I’m not quite sure as to why the lopsided odds here – both men have similar grappling styles and both have a similar skill set ahead of this match. Cejudo owns the experience edge but Pettis looks like the more athletic of the two.
In a close fight I’ll take the more athletic every time. Take the underdog to establish himself as a name to watch as Pettis sends Cejudo to a third straight loss.
MMA Betting Pick: Sergio Pettis +320
UFC 211 Prelims (8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT on FX)
Eddie Alvarez (28-5): -105 vs. Dustin Poirier (21-5): -125
MMA Betting Pick: Eddie Alvarez -105
Chas Skelly (17-2): -125 vs. Jason Knight (16-2): -105
MMA Betting Pick: Chas Skelly -125
Krzysztof Jotko (19-1): -185 vs. David Branch (20-3): +150
MMA Betting Pick: Krzysztof Jotko -185
Marco Polo Reyes (7-3): +300 vs. James Vick (10-1): -400
MMA Betting Pick: James Vick -400
UFC 211 Prelims (6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT on UFC Fight Pass)
Jessica Aguilar (19-5): -105 vs. Cortney Casey (6-4): -125
MMA Betting Pick: Jessica Aguilar -105
Jared Gordon (12-1): -160 vs. Michel Quinones (8-1): +130
MMA Betting Pick: Michel Quinones +130
Gabriel Benítez (19-6): -205 vs. Enrique Barzola (13-3-1): +165
MMA Betting Pick: Enrique Barzola +165
Chase Sherman (9-3): -165 vs. Rashad Coulter (8-1): +135
MMA Betting Pick: Rashad Coulter +135
Joachim Christensen (14-4): +275 vs. Gadzhimurad Antigulov (19-4): -365
MMA Betting Pick: Gadzhimurad Antigulov -365
Full Card – UFC 211 Lines