UFC 102 Fight Card – Don’t be tempted by the favorites at UFC 102
The UFC 102 fight card that takes place next weekend in Portland is highlighted by a main event with two MMA legends, and a light heavyweight tilt between two of the top 205-pounders in the world.
UFC 102 Odds – Saturday, August 29, 10:00 PM ET
Randy Couture (16-9) vs Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (31-5-1-1)
“The Natural” is looking to recover from the beating he took at the hands of Brock Lesnar back at UFC 92 while losing his heavyweight crown, but that may have just been an anomaly as Lesnar’s size prevented Couture from executing his gameplan. Nogueira got a staph infection and was in the hospital just prior to UFC 91, where he was beaten by Frank Mir.
Couture comes into this fight as a -175 favorite in what could be his last chance to show he can be a force in the octagon, but his wrestling won’t be any match for Nogueira’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on this night. Look for a fired-up “Minotauro”, who is a +145 underdog, to claim the online betting win.
Thiago Silva (13-1) vs Keith Jardine (14-5-1)
Silva was given a shot at the light heavyweight title at UFC 94 against fellow Brazilian Lyoto Machida, a fight that was originally scheduled for UFC 89 before Silva hurt his back. Whether that had anything to do with his first-round loss to Machida, only Silva will know, but you can bet that he’ll come out with fury next weekend. Jardine won’t back down, as he’s claimed victories over the likes of Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Brandon Vera, but he’s in an unfamiliar spot as a -160 favorite in your gambling software. He’s also lost three of his last fights, and the wins over Liddell and Vera were split decisions.
Meanwhile, before losing to Machida, Silva had knocked out 10 of his 13 opponents, and nine of those came in the first round. He’s a relentless practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and his Muay Thai knees in the clinch are becoming legendary.
He’s very similar to his hero, Wanderlei Silva, who he trained with at Chute Boxe Academy, and he’ll pick Wanderlei’s brain as the legend knocked Jardine out in the first round at UFC 84. At +130, he’s practically a steal, so take Thiago Silva when you’re making a sports bet online.
