In 1993, a young Royce Gracie tapped out Ken Shamrock at the very first UFC event. They then met at UFC 5 in 1995, with the fight ending in a draw. Now, more than 20 years later, these two legends are meeting for the third time this Friday. Why, you might ask? Because it’s Bellator, and Bellator has no shame in promoting novelty fights for ratings. Still, I’m interested, and so are you.
Bet on Bellator 149 odds at BookMaker.eu
Catchweights
Royce Gracie -110
Ken Shamrock -110
Over/under 1.5, over +115, under -135
Please note, the odds at BookMaker are updated on a daily basis, so some of the lines listed here may have changed since this article was written.
ODDS ANALYSIS
So here’s the deal. Gracie hasn’t fought since 2007. Shamrock has fought once in the last five years. Their combined ages are exactly 100. I have no idea how oddsmakers came to any reasonable conclusion in setting these lines. The only thing that makes sense is the over/under, since it’s highly doubtful that these fighters can go three rounds, let alone a five-round main event.
FIGHT BREAKDOWN
The last time Gracie fought, he took a three-round unanimous decision over fellow old guy MMA legend Kazushi Sakuraba. What’s changed since then? Well, he’s now 49 years old on top of the fact that he hasn’t had a training camp in nearly a decade.
I get that Gracie is one of the most influential fighters in the history of the sport. He probably has forgotten more jiu-jitsu than some pro fighters will ever learn. The Brazilian has never developed a striking game, because back when he was fighting he didn’t need to. Nobody knew how to stop the submission wizard.
So what should we expect from him this Friday? Take a wild guess. His last significant fight was against a peak Matt Hughes in 2006, and he had nothing left for the then-UFC champion. Luckily, Ken Shamrock also appears to be done.
With Shamrock, we have a better idea of what to expect since he just fought this past June. Against an extremely limited opponent in Kimbo Slice, Shamrock completely gassed in under two minutes. From there, it only got worse. He showed a glimpse of his submission skills, but completely collapsed under the slightest adversity. It was a little sad to watch.
THE SMART PLAYS
Considering how bad Shamrock looked in his last fight, you have to lean towards Gracie in this one. All he has to is take Shamrock down - which doesn’t seem difficult - and weight for the batteries to run out. From there, it shouldn’t be hard to pick up a submission.
I’d also consider taking the under. Shamrock barely has what it takes to get through half a round. Yes, Gracie is old as well, but catching a submission on an exhausted opponent should be something he can do in his sleep.
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. Bellator 149 takes place on Friday, February 19, 2015 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.The main card will air on Spike TV starting 9 p.m. ET, following the prelims on Spike.com.
