Alright fight fans, we’ve previewed every fight and made our predictions for UFC Fight Night 86. Now it’s time to play devil’s advocate and look at some underdogs. As usual, we’ve sorted them out for you, from live dogs to dead fighters walking.
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Please note, the UFC odds at BookMaker are updated daily. The lines listed here may have changed since this article was posted.
LIVE ‘DOGS
Ben Rothwell -110 vs. Junior dos Santos -110
Gabriel Gonzaga +120 vs. Derrick Lewis -140
Rothwell and dos Santos is a toss-up. If this was two years ago, dos Santos would be a huge favorite, but he hasn’t been the same since getting wrecked by Cain Velasquez. On paper, he is a much better technical striker than Rothwell, and if the Brazilian can return to form he could easily win on points.
In the case of Gonzaga-Lewis, if Gonzaga can take “The Black Beast” to the ground he could carve up the American with his black belt BJJ skills. The question is whether he can whether the knockout artist’s initial storm. Gonzaga’s chin has cracks in it, but he is one of the most experience heavyweights on the roster.
WARM ‘DOGS
Zak Cummings +145 vs. Nicolas Dalby -170
Igor Pokrajac +290 vs. Jan Blachowicz -350
Timothy Johnson +145 vs. Marcin Tybura -170
Dalby is the guy with the undefeated record and hype, but Cummings is one of those tough veterans that have a habit of grounding prospects. If he can avoid going to the mat with Dalby, he could easily turn this into a close dogfight. The UFC odds at BookMaker could be even closer in this case.
Although Igor Pokrajac is old and slow, he’s an experienced fighter that knows how to gut out wins. Blachowicz is far younger and a far better technical striker, but he can be thrown out of rhythm with aggressive pressure and clinchfighting. Pokrajac has been around the game long enough to make that happen.
Timothy Johnson looks like a circus strongman, with a big burly body and a handlebar mustache. But he’s also skilled with surprisingly decent cardio, and he could surprise a grappler like Tybura if he can fend off the takedowns.
DEAD ‘DOGS
Christina Stanciu +161 vs. Maryna Moroz -190
Curtis Blaydes +107 vs. Francis Ngannou -127
Both Christina Stanciu and Curtis Blaydes are complete unknowns and undefeated, but they come from tiny promotions and are making a huge leap into the bright lights of the octagon. Blaydes is facing huge, powerful athlete in Francis Blaydes that torched his debut opponent with a massive uppercut. Stanciu’s opponent, Maryna Moroz, beat a respected fighter in JoJo Calderwood and went three tough rounds with title challenger Valerie Letourneau-she should be able take out a newcomer like Stanciu.
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Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! You can even wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Money lines, totals, props and money line are all available now. UFC Fight Night 85 takes place Saturday, March 19, 2016 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. The card will stream on Fox Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET following the prelims starting at 7 p.m.
