UFC betting online: After dispatching three Brazilian greats as the middleweight champion, Chris Weidman – 13-0, 6 KOs, 3 SUBS – will put his title on the line against a rising American contender, AKA’s Luke Rockhold – 14-2, 3 KOs, 9 SUBs. UFC 194 on December 5 seems the likely destination for the bout, as it’s a pay-per-view offering versus the free UFC on FOX 17 which takes place on December 19.
CURRENT ODDS
Oddsmakers are predicting a close matchup, with Weidman opening around minus-160 in a few sportsbooks. Rockhold is only a slight underdog, coming in around plus+140. The over/under should be interesting, as these are two massive middleweights with plus finishing skills. I’d expect the over/under right around 3.5 rounds, with the under being the slightly more expensive bet.
THE FORCE IS STRONG WITH LUKE
Since getting knocked out cold by a testosterone therapy-fueled Vitor Belfort in May 2013, Rockhold has been one of the scariest middleweights in the business. He’s reeled off four straight wins, beating Costas Phillipou, Tim Boetsch, Michael Bisping and most recently, former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.
That’s an impressive list of vanquished opponents. But the real eye-opener is how easily he beat those guys: nobody made it past the second round. Rockhold has emerged as a fantastic all-around fighter, with diverse, powerful standup and an advanced ground game. He basically treated Lyoto Machida – a perennial contender – like a junior sparring partner, brutalizing the master karateka on the feet and the ground.
Weidman is coming off a first-round knockout win over Vitor Belfort at UFC 187. Minor injuries have kept the champion from competing on a consistent basis, as he’s only fought twice in the past two years. But Weidman remains the same guy that was universally pegged as the next great champion the moment he stepped into the octagon – a two-time Divison I All-American wrestler with sledgehammers for fists.
On paper and to the naked eye, this is just an awesome fight. Weidman, at 6’2” and Rockhold, at 6’3”, are two of the biggest middleweights in division. The champ has even openly pondered a future move to 205 at some point in the future. We’re looking at a championship fight between two impressive athletic specimens, with the skills to match.
FIGHT ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
This is a tough fight to call. There are only a handful of fighters that cannot be bullied by Weidman, and Rockhold is one of them. The standup game would seem to favor Rockhold, as the AKA standout has flashed an impressive array of kicks and unpredictable strikes that emanates from superb footwork. Weidman is definitely the more workmanlike fighter of the two, but he excels in every facet of the game.
Overall, I think Weidman is just a tiny bit better at wresting and operating in the clinch, and that will be the difference in this fight. He will likely test Rockhold on the feet, but if he doesn’t like what he sees, he has the ability to dictate where this fight goes. The pick is Weidman to win a razor-thin split decision.
HOW TO BET
Sign in to get the latest Weidman vs. Rockhold odds. Bookmaker offers daily updates to money lines, over/under, prop bets and more, so make sure to lock in your bets should you find a favorable wager. Their championship bout is tentatively scheduled for UFC 194, which takes place on December 5, 2015 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The main card is scheduled for pay-per-view starting 10 p.m. ET, following the prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
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