Two of the UFC’s most famous middleweights will finally meet each other inside the octagon. Former middleweight champion Anderson Silva, arguably the greatest fighter of all time, will meet the brash Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 83 in London. And because the popularity of both men, odds are available early in the sportsbook.
UFC Fight Night 83 odds at BookMaker.eu
Anderson Silva -325
Michael Bisping +255
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -145, under +105
Please note, the odds listed here may have changed, as BookMaker updates on a daily basis. You can also view a full range of prop bets when you sign into your account.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Although I’m not surprised that Silva is more than a 3-to-1 favorite going into the bout, I do think it’s a bit high. Silva is 40 years old and only one fight returned from a shattered leg. If this was Silva of 2010, he’d be an even bigger favorite, but he’s a completely different fighter now. It’s hard to tell which way this will swing, but I think Silva’s reputation will lead to his line sliding further into chalk territory.
A MATCHUP YEARS IN THE MAKING
Michael Bisping has been chasing Anderson Silva for years. The only problem was that Silva was the longtime champion and Bisping always fell just shy of earning number one contender status. Now that Silva is just another fighter in the pack, we finally get to see the two square off.
Of course, it’s lost a bit of luster now that it’s not for a title, and the fact that Silva was busted for steroids in his last bout with Nick Diaz tarnishes it even more. For somebody like Bisping, who has had a long history of fighting guys who were on TRT and PEDs, it gives the bout more meaning for the Brit.
“[Anderson] Silva tested positive for not one, not two, but for three banned substances. And while I respect him as a fighter, I lost a lot of respect for him for that. To call yourself a martial artist and take performance-enhancing drugs is the biggest contradiction you can make. I hope Anderson is tested many times (before we fight). He should be tested many times because he failed the test - not once, not twice, but three times.”
Bisping has always been a world-class trash talker, but he has a valid point here. This is a man whose biggest losses came against guys who were on TRT or later tested positive for PEDs. Dan Henderson, Wanderlei Silva, Chael Sonnen and Vitor Belfort are all confirmed users who handed Bisping defeats. If the UFC had stricter testing in place, Bisping’s career could have gone very differently.
Now in the biggest fight of his career, Bisping is facing yet another fighter who tested positive for banned substances. And it just so happens to be for a man he’s wanted to fight for nearly a decade now. Silva might be the greatest of all time, but it’s Bisping who deserves the respect for fighting clean this whole time.
THE EARLY PLAYS
We’ll do our usual breakdown during fight week, but for now, I’d place a bet on Michael Bisping. Why? Because this is not the same Silva. Bisping isn’t in his prime anymore either, but he hasn’t declined all that much either. At +255, Bisping is a great value.
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 83 takes place on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at the O2 Arena in London, England. The entire fight card will stream on UFC Fight Pass.
