Here we go again. The UFC recently announced that middleweight champion Luke Rockhold - 15-2, 4 KOs, 9 SUBs - will make his first title defense with an immediate rematch against Chris Weidman - 13-1, 6 KOs, 3 SUBs - at UFC 199, scheduled for sometime in June. As always, BookMaker is on top of it, with early money lines that you can bet on now.
Bet on UFC odds at BookMaker.eu
Chris Weidman +150
Luke Rockhold -180
Over/under 3.5 rounds, over -140, under +100
Please note, the odds at BookMaker are updated on a daily basis. The lines listed here may have changed since this article was written.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The first time these two met Weidman closed as a -145 favorite, with Rockhold a slight underdog at +131. Understandably, Rockhold is the favorite after dismantling Weidman at UFC 194. While it was close, Rockhold was clearly the superior fighter in the end, and I think that’ll drive his money line further into chalk territory as we move closer to the fight.
NO. 1 VS. NO. 2
Yoel Romero was originally supposed to be the next title challenger after taking a hard fought victory in a title eliminator against Jacare Souza. But then the musclebound Cuban got popped for PEDs, and we’re still waiting on the outcome. One thing’s for sure, he won’t be fighting for a title any time soon.
But that’s cool, because we get the two best middleweights in the world squaring off again. Prior to the match, I speculated that this could be the start of a rivalry - and that it seemed inevitable that they would fight more than once. There is Weidman, Rockhold, and then a dropoff in talent to everybody else.
Besides Souza and Romero, is there anyone that seems like they could realistically challenge beat either man? Weidman already crushed Belfort, and Rockhold did the same to Lyoto Machida. Tim Kennedy is always a tough out, but he hasn’t fought anyone in over a year. At No. 6 is Michael Bisping, who Rockhold demolished.
Weidman vs. Rockhold is the best matchup in the middleweight division, period. The only problem with this bout is that if Rockhold beats “The All-American” as decisively as he did the first time, it puts Serra Longo product in a really tough spot. He’d be a two-time challenger that’s already lost to the champ twice, yet better than everyone else in the division. One needs to only look at Joe Benavidez in the flyweight division to see how poorly that plays out for a fighter.
THE EARLY PLAYS
There were no reports that Weidman was injured or suffering any type of setback in the first fight. You could argue that he made a crucial error in attempting a spinning heel kick which led to him getting taken down and pounded out, but the reality was that Rockhold was beginning to pull away regardless.
Unless Weidman suddenly becomes a world-class standup artist or elevates his strength to the point where he can take down Rockhold at will, I don’t see the outcome changing. Take the early bet on Rockhold to win before it gets more expensive.
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Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time money lines, totals, props and money line are all available now. You can even wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. UFC 199 is scheduled for June, 2016.
