With both Fabricio Werdum and Cain Velasquez withdrawing from their rematch due to injuries, the UFC had to scramble to salvage a card affected by the loss of a headlining heavyweight title fight. The good news is that this Saturday’s fight is now free on FOX Sports 1. The bad news is that we have a confusing mess of rebranding in the wake of the injuries.
Bet on UFC Fight Night 82 odds at BookMaker.eu
Welterweights
Stephen Thompson +195
Johny Hendricks -245
UFC 196 IS NOW UFC FIGHT NIGHT 82
Goodbye, UFC 196: Werdum vs. Velasquez II on pay-per-view. Hello, UFC Fight Night 82: Hendricks vs. Thompson on FOX Sports 1. I have to hand it to promotion for having the insight to realize that nobody was going to buy a pay-per-view with Hendricks and Thompson as headliners. It’s a good fight with title implications, but it’s not PPV-headliner worthy.
UFC 197 IS NOW UFC 196: McGregor vs. dos Anjos
It’s not as confusing as it sounds. There are no changes to this card whatsoever besides the digit in the name. We’re still getting the champion vs. champion bout between McGregor and dos Anjos. We still get to watch Holly Holm make her first title defense. It’s still going to be one of the highest-selling cards in UFC history.
Bet on UFC 196 odds at BookMaker.eu
Conor McGregor -127
Rafael dos Anjos +107
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -110, under -110
WHAT ABOUT UFC 200?
Dana White has been hyping up the iconic UFC 200 pay-per-view event for months now. Fighters are making it clear that they want their names attached to it. Originally scheduled for July 9, it remains to be seen whether that card now becomes UFC 199. And because each pay-per-view event is known by a number, it’s not a matter of simply renaming a Fight Night card to UFC “INSERT NUMBER”.
We’ll keep you updated as we get more news. In the meantime, head over to the sportsbook now and make sure you get your bets in for this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 82 card and beyond.
WE HAVE YOU COVERED
We’ve reflected changes to all affected cards in our sportsbook, and it won’t affect any previous bets you’ve made on UFC cards this Saturday or for events in the future.
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 82 takes on Saturday, February 6, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas Nevada. The main card will be televised on FOX Sports 1, starting 10 p.m. ET following the prelims at 8 p.m.
