With UFC 196 in the books, UFC Fight Night 85 in Australia is on deck for March 20. As usual, the promotion is calling on Mark Hunt, a native New Zealander who is immensely popular in the island continent, to headline their venture down under. The Kiwi knockout artist will meet Frank Mir in the main event, and a few other intriguing fights dot the card as well.
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Main Event, Heavyweights
Frank Mir +160
Mark Hunt -185
Over/under 1.5 rounds, over +110, under -130
At the ripe age of 41, Hunt’s KO prowess is as potent as ever, but the cracks are beginning to show in his legendary iron chin. He’s lost two of his past three, and both defeats came by way of knockout. The loss to Miocic was particularly alarming, as Hunt absorbed a brutal, five-round beatdown before succumbing to strikes.
Mir has been declining for years, at one point losing four in a row. A brief two-fight winning streak in 2015 revived his career, but his run was snapped by Andrei Arlovski in his most recent outing. The former heavyweight champ’s days as a legitimate contender are probably over, but he can remain relevant with a win over Hunt.
Co-Main Event, Welterweights
Hector Lombard -145
Neil Magny +125
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -140, under +120
Welterweight contender Hector Lombard is back after a suspension for a positive steroid test. Prior to the suspension, the Cuban Olympian was on the cusp of a title shot. Now, he’s unranked and looking for a way back into the mix. His opponent, Neil Magny gives him that opportunity.
But it won’t be easy for Lombard. Magny has quietly evolved into one of the more promising fighters at 170, with a 9-1 record in his last 10 fights. His two-fight winning streak, over very good fighters in Erick Silva and Kelvin Gastelum, has led to a No. 9 UFC rank. A win over Lombard would announce his status as a contender.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Lightweights - Justin Scoggins vs. Ben Ngueyen
Lightweights - Jake Matthews vs. Johnny Case
Strawweights - Bec Rawlings vs. Seo Hee Ham
Middleweights - James Te Huna vs. Steve Bosse
Viral internet sensation Ben Nguyen has logged two impressive octagon victories, both coming via first-round stoppages. He could be a real prospect at 155. Scoggins is also on a two-fight win streak and will look to derail Nguyen’s growing hype.
Jake Matthews and Johnny Case are two more lightweight prospects who will look to up their stock in Australia. Matthews is 9-1 with eight finishes, and Case is 22-4 at just 26 years old. Case is currently riding a 12-fight winning streak, including all four of his octagon outings.
TUF 20 alum Bec Rawlings will fight in her home city against Seo Hee Ham, a South Korean who is coming off her first UFC win. Ham was impressive in regional Asian promotions, and a win over Rawlings could really help her UFC career take off.
Steve Bosse is a former hockey player and fittingly was an enforcer who excelled in a good old fashioned hockey fight. That backstory alone makes him intriguing, but he was knocked out cold in his UFC debut by Thiago Santos. He’ll have a chance to bounce back against fellow slugger James Te Huna.
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Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! You can even wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Money lines, totals, props and money line are all available now. UFC Fight Night 85 takes place Saturday, March 19, 2016 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. The card will stream on Fox Sports 1 at 10 p.m. ET following the prelims starting at 7 p.m.
