UFC 112 Betting Preview & Picks
Looking to bet on UFC matchups? It’s nice to see that the UFC has stopped holding back on us and is finally putting its championship belts on the line again. This Saturday’s UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi may have some lopsided matchups on paper, but we’ll at least get to see legends Anderson Silva and BJ Penn strut their stuff in title fights.
Hard to complain about that.
Let’s make picks for the co-main events.
Event: UFC 112: Invincible
Date: April 10, 2010
Time: 1PM ET/10AM PT
Location: Concert Arena, Ferrari World, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
Broadcast: Pay-per-view (replay at 10PM ET/7PM PT)
UFC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: Anderson Silva (25-4) vs Demian Maia (12-1)
UFC 112 odds: Silva -900, Maia +600
If the odds suggest an extremely lopsided matchup – more so than Silva’s match with Thales Leites a year ago – that’s because it is one.
Let’s face it: Demian Maia was the third choice to fight Anderson Silva for the middleweight belt. Top challenger Vitor Belfort is injured and other major contender Chael Sonnen has facial lacerations and a political campaign in Oregon tying him up (seriously). That leaves Maia, an extremely talented but one-dimensional fighter, with a shot at glory.
Maia is widely known as the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner alive today. Eight of his 12 victories have come via submission and he’s lethal if he gets an arm or leg in his hands on the ground. The problem is that Anderson Silva is also a BJJ black belt, meaning Maia won’t have much of an advantage on the canvas.
Standing up, this fight is a joke. Maia’s striking is remedial at best and Anderson Silva’s Muay Thai is among the deadliest and fastest we’ve ever seen in MMA. If Nate Marquardt – a man Silva beat – could drop Demian Maia with a punch in a matter of seconds like he did last August, what will Silva do to Maia?
I’ll be shocked if this fight goes past round one, simply because Maia can’t hurt Silva on the feet and the Spider can thus be as aggressive as he wants.
Pick: Anderson Silva -900
UFC LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP: BJ Penn (15-5-1) vs Frankie Edgar (11-1)
UFC 112 odds: Penn -700, Edgar +500
The second title fight is another mismatch on paper but should be a much more intriguing fight. It’s safe to say we can stop talking about the old BJ Penn: the talented but out-of-shape guy who lacked dedication and preferred to fight at a heavier weight.
The new BJ looks like he’s here to stay. Penn has been absolutely dominant as a lightweight, arriving for fights in great shape, dominating opponents on the ground and showcasing his outstanding boxing skills.
His challenger, Frankie Edgar, is one of the UFC’s most underrated fighters. “The Answer” has wins over Spencer Fisher, Sean Sherk, Tyson Griffin and Jim Miller. He’s somewhat of a poor man’s Penn in that he’s well-rounded, capable of submitting opponents on the ground with his wrestling and BJJ, while also a superb technical boxer. 
I like to think the Edgar will defy the odds as he has so many times in his career but the problem is that Penn does everything Edgar does – and better. Size will matter in this fight. Edgar is a tiny lightweight; he could easily fight in the WEC as a featherweight. Penn,, on the other hand, is a big, lanky lightweight who even fought Lyoto Machida at 191 pounds once.
Given Penn’s size advantage and the fact that he’s been so untouchable, I like him to defend his belt again. But the crafty Edgar will make him work for the win.
Pick: Penn -700
Other Matchups on tap for UFC 112. Plus UFC 112 Betting Odds
Welterweight Bout
Matt Hughes -450
Renzo Gracie +325
Lightweight Bout
Terry Etim -155
Rafael Dos Anjos +125
Middleweight Bout
Kendall Grove +135
Mark Munoz -165
Light Heavyweight Bout
Alexander Gustafsson +350
Phil Davis -500
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