Including this Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 88 on FS1, we’ve got three cards in four weeks to keep us busy until the milestone UFC 200 weekend. We’ve extensively covered the biggest fight on these cards, but today we’re looking at underrated fights on each that deserve your attention. Let’s break down the matchup and odds.
UFC odds available at BookMaker.eu
Please note, BookMaker updates their odds on a daily basis, so the listings here may have changed since the time this article was written.
UFC 88, May 29
TV: FOX Sports 1, UFC Fight Pass
Bantamweights
Aljamain Sterling -425
Bryan Caraway +350
Over/under 2.5 rounds, over -180, under +160
Tucked away on the Fight Pass prelims is a make-or-break matchup for undefeated bantamweight Aljamain Sterling. The former CFFC champion is taking a huge step up in competition against Bryan Caraway, who is a top-12 fighter in the division on almost every major publication. What’s more, Caraway is a fantastic submission artist who can neutralize Sterling’s wrestling-based style. It’s a challenge that Sterling has yet to face.
Although Sterling’s grinding fight style isn’t the most fan-friendly, he will become impossible to ignore if he keeps growing his flawless record. It’s doubtful he’ll be stuck on UFC Fight Pass again if he beats Caraway.
UFC 199, June 4
TV: Pay-per-view, FS1 prelims
Middleweights
Dan Henderson vs. Hector Lombard
ODDS COMING SOON
Fight forecast: bloody with 100% chance of knockout. Henderson’s famed “H-Bomb” aka his right hand sledgehammer of instant death is one of the most notorious weapons in the history of MMA. One crack to the noggin and the lights go out. But his opponent, Hector Lombard is a scary dude with ballistic missiles for fists. What’s more, he fights like a young Wanderlei Silva -- he’s basically a Tasmanian devil in four-ounce gloves.
The bigger significance of the fight is whether another loss by Dan Henderson will prompt his retirement. He’s a legend and a surefire Hall of Famer, but he’s well into his 40s and it’s obvious that he can’t keep up anymore.
UFC 199, June 4
TV: Pay-per-view, FS1 prelims
Featherweights
B.J. Penn vs. Cole Miller
ODDS COMING SOON
Penn is another Hall of Famer that goes back to the UFC’s old school days when guys like Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz were the promotion’s biggest stars. We thought “The Prodigy” hung up the gloves for good after three straight losses -- all in which he was battered past the point of recognition. But Penn seems to think he has something left and will return at UFC 199 to face Cole Miller.
Thankfully for Penn, Miller is not one of those elite fighters that he can’t hang with anymore. But he’s a respected enough vet that a win over him still means something. The story here is Penn whether Penn will actually retire for good if he can’t beat a mid-level gatekeeper like Cole.
UFC Fight Night 89, June 18
TV: Fox Sports 1
Women’s flyweights
Valerie Letourneau vs. Joanne Calderwood
ODDS COMING SOON
The first ever women’s UFC flyweight fight should be a crowdpleaser. Former strawweight title challenger Valerie Letourneau is one of those gritty, never-back-down fighters with advanced kickboxing skills. And so is Joanne Calderwood. These girls can dish it out and take damage with equal aplomb. This is going to be a fun, bloody and historic fight.
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