MMA has been incredibly popular in Brazil for quite some time, and part of the reason for that has been the rise of fighters like Vitor Belfort and Ronaldo Souza. These two men have been highlights of the middleweight division for quite some time, and they'll fight on Saturday night in Curitiba with a legit shot of becoming the No. 1 contender for Luke Rockhold's belt.
MMA Odds at BookMaker.eu
Vitor Belfort +235
Ronaldo Souza -305
ODDS ANALYSIS
These two men are ranked right next to each other on the middleweight ladder at No. 2 and No. 3 respectively, but you wouldn't know it based on the UFC 198 odds these two are facing. Souza is the -305 favorite to win this match, and he's an odds-on favorite to end this match via submission somewhere along the way at -125.
Belfort is +235 to win this match, and most figure his only path to victory is via a knockout. He hasn't had a match go the distance since 2007, and his last submission victory was in 2012.
TALE OF THE TAPE
Vitor Belfort
Nickname: The Phenom
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 6-foot-0
Weight: 184 pounds
Reach: 74 inches
Record: 25-11-0
Knockouts: 18
Submissions: 3
Ronaldo Souza
Nickname: Jacare
Nationality: Brazilian
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 185 pounds
Reach: 72 inches
Record: 22-4-1
Knockouts: 2
Submissions: 16
RECENT FORM
An eight-match winning streak for Jacare ended in December at UFC 194. He was beaten by Yoel Romero, though many will look at that fight as a bit tainted. As it was, the decision on the cards was split, and many thought Souza was robbed of a victory. Furthermore, after the match, Romero tested positive for a banned substance.
Prior to that, Souza was submitting men left and right. He did the same to Chris Camozzi twice, and he made both Gegard Mousasi and Ed Herman tap as well.
Belfort is right at the end of his career at the age of 39, and we're not sure how many fights he really has left in him. He knocked out Dan Henderson in his last match in November to earn this fight. He's got a good history against the top dogs, as he does have a knockout over Rockhold as well as wins over Michael Bisping and Anthony Johnson in recent history.
That said, Belfort's last two really big fights against Jon Jones and Chris Weidman were both lost, and that's a bad sign for this bout.
QUICK PICK
The oddsmakers are rarely wrong in situations like this when one fighter is such a huge favorite over the other.
The speed of Jones was what did Belfort in, and that was almost four years ago now. He's certainly slowed down just a bit since then, and fighting against such a tactical fighter as Souza could be a real problem for him.
We expect to see Souza back in the win column on Saturday night with yet another quick move to put down an overmatched foe, and he'll be sending a real message to the promoters that he's ready to get his first title fight.
MMA Odds: Ronaldo Souza via second round submission
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting matchup. Click here, and start wagering today! UFC 198 will start on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 10:00 p.m. ET, and one of the highlights of the card pits Vitor Belfort against Ronaldo Souza. The contest from Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil will be broadcast nationally on Pay-Per-View.
