Middleweight champion Georges St. Pierre (26-2, 8 KOs, 6 SUBs) is contractually obligated to meet interim champion Robert Whittaker (19-4, 9 KOs, 5 SUBs) in a title unification match. If and when the matchup gets booked, make sure to check the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu for your best betting options.
Georges St. Pierre may have cut the line at 185 pounds, but man did he come through. After taking out Michael Bisping, the welterweight GOAT is now the middleweight champ. There’s only one problem, though: now he’s got to face some real killers in a weight class that he’s undersized for.
First in line is interim champion Robert Whittaker - murderous punching machine on an 8-fight winning streak. There’s a plausible concern that GSP vacates the belt before dealing with any other middleweight contender, but the French-Canadian (and the rest of the UFC) has made it clear that he’s contractually obligated to defend.
Because this is GSP, the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu already have money lines for this rumored fight. Let’s take a look at your betting options and break down the matchup.
Opening UFC Odds at BookMaker.eu
Georges St. Pierre +150
Robert Whittaker -180
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over +150, under -180
Odds Analysis
Sounds about right. Whittaker should be a clear favorite here, considering the physical advantages he possesses over the champ. GSP took a beating to take the belt from Bisping, while Whittaker has been beasting of late.
The over/under for this five-round championship fight is 2.5 rounds, with the under at -180. That’s surprising, considering how durable GSP has been during his career. But Whittaker really doesn’t mess around when it comes to putting dudes out.
Fight Preview
Right away, Whittaker negates St. Pierre’s greatest weapon: wrestling. GSP was able to take Michael Bisping down, but he couldn’t hold him down nor do much of anything from the top. Meanwhile, Whittaker’s last two wins came against Yoel Romero and Ronaldo Souza - the former a powerful wrestler and the latter a world-class grappler.
Souza failed to drag Whittaker down and paid for it with a first-round KO. Romero went five rounds with Whittaker and landed only four takedowns in 18 attempts. Take a minute to let that sink in: Romero is an athletic marvel, a monstrous physical specimen and an Olympic medalist in freestyle wrestling. And he barely had success taking down Whittaker and got whooped for it.
This would most likely be a kickboxing battle, and while GSP’s boxing it first-rate, it’s not his preferred method of operation. In fact, boxing with a young, powerful phenom like Whittaker is a good way to get tuned up. Both GSP and Whittaker are supremely technical strikers, but Bobby Knuckles is far more dynamic, creative and faster than GSP.
UFC Betting Tips
Lay the price on Whittaker now - his line would likely only get more expensive if the fight actually got booked. GSP surprised a lot of people with his knockout of Bisping, but it did not come easy and Whittaker is an entirely different beast.
UFC Odds Pick: Whittaker to win at -180
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