In preparation for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 84 in London, we’ve previewed a few fights, analyzed a bunch of odds and made some picks. Today, we’re getting to the fun stuff: checking out the underdogs.
From the main event down to the prelims, there are definitely some intriguing fighters that seem like they could beat the odds.
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Please note, the odds at BookMaker are updated daily. The lines listed here may have changed since this article was posted.
UNDERDOGS THAT MAKE YOU GO “HMM”
Anderson Silva -320 vs. Michael Bisping +250
Brad Pickett +185 vs. Francisco Rivera -225
I get that Anderson Silva seems like a horrible matchup for Michael Bisping, but hear me out. Silva is 40 years old. He’s fighting on a reconstructed leg. He’s coming off a PEDs suspension that kept him out of the octagon for over a year. Who knows what he’ll look like in a high-profile matchup on hostile territory?
We know what to expect from Bisping, who comes to each fight immaculately prepared. What’s more, he’s been active the whole time Silva has been sitting on the sidelines. Bisping’s lack of power always seems to hurt his odds, but the Brit has made a fine career out of setting a high pace and winning volume. Against a counterstriker like Silva, he could win on strikes landed alone.
Francisco Rivera is a beast, but he’s fighting on short notice against one of the most experienced guys in the business. While Pickett undeniably carries the toll of countless wars on his body, he showed against Thomas Almeida that he’s still extremely dangerous. His wrestling is criminally underrated, and it could play a huge factor against Rivera.
UNDERDOGS THAT MAKE YOU GO “MEH”
Gegard Mousasi -300 vs. Thales Leites +240
Rustam Khabilov vs. Norman Parke
Thales Leites career resurgence since being cut from the UFC in 2009 is admirable. Although he lost to Bisping in his last outing, Leites owned an eight fight win streak that included five wins inside the octagon. Mousasi isn’t the most consistent fighter there is, as shown by his stunning TKO loss to an unranked Uriah Hall. Still, the Dutch kickboxer is probably too patient and technical to lose to Leites.
Rustam Khabilov comes into his matchup with Norman Parke on a two-fight win streak, but the Dagestani native can be a scary wrestler. While Parke is a talented submission artist, he really hasn’t fought the same level of competition as Khabilov. I expect Khabilov to bully Parke for three straight rounds.
UNDERDOGS THAT MAKE YOU GO “NOPE”
Tom Breese -744 vs. Keita Nakamura +471
The undefeated Breese, a native of England, is getting an extremely beatable opponent in Nakamura. With a 100% finishing rate, Breese has looked more impressive with each outing. Most recently, he TKO’d the notoriously durable Cathal Pendred inside of one round. Nakamura has been impressive in Asian MMA, but he’s about to get a rude awakening in the best promotion in the world.
HOW TO BET
Access live betting lines at BookMaker Sportsbook and start wagering now. With our live betting options, you can also wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. UFC Fight Night 84 takes place on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The entire fight card will stream on UFC Fight Pass starting 12:45 p.m. ET.
