UFC 95 Preview, Predictions, and Odds
Another UFC card is just days away and, as we all get set for a cup of tea and fish ‘n’ chips in London, let’s do a quick preview of the date, time, and TV schedule and then do some UFC 95 picks:
UFC 95 Quick Preview:
- Date: February 21, 2009
- Time: 9:00 PM ET
- TV: Spike TV
- Event Type: International Event
- Location: O2 Arena in London, England
Dan Hardy vs Rory Markham
UFC 95 odds: -115 both ways
Markham and Hardy will go toe to toe on Saturday as both fighters are big boppers. It doesn’t figure to last long, though, since they like to fight on their feet and swing for the fences.
Hardy will be the hometown favorite as UFC 95 is in London and Hardy is from Nottingham. Look for him to use the crowd momentum and get the win.
UFC 95 picks: Hardy -115
Chael Sonnen vs Demian Maia
UFC 95 odds: Maia -280
Chael Sonnen is in tough against Brazilian up-and-comer Demian Maia. Sonnen doesn’t have the power to knock Maia out, which means he doesn’t have much of a shot winning this fight standing.
Sonnen is known as a wrestler, but Maia is known as an even better submissions specialist. That means that Sonnen doesn’t have an advantage on the ground either.
Maia is just perfectly tailored to beat Sonnen, which means he has to be the pick here.
UFC 95 picks: Maia -280
Nathan Marquardt vs Wilson Gouveia
UFC 95 odds: Marquardt -280
This bout figures to be an entertaining one as Marquardt and Gouveia are both big finishers. Marquardt has an edge in experience and he’s stepped up his training this year, which might make you want to lean with him.
But at the end of the day, there isn’t a whole lot between these two fighters except for the odds. For a fight that might be a coin toss – or where Marquardt has a small edge – I wouldn’t want to lay nearly 3-to-1. For value, I’ll take a shot with Gouveia.
UFC 95 picks: Gouveia +220
Josh Koscheck vs Paulo Thiago
UFC 95 odds: Koscheck -550
Josh Koscheck is the biggest favorite on the UFC 95 card and that’s not because Paulo Thiago is a bad fighter; he’s just an unknown commodity. Thiago is actually 10-0 but this will be his first UFC fight and he’s going up against a very seasoned veteran.
Seven of Thiago’s 10 wins have been by submission but, as long as Koscheck stays on his feet, he should take care of business. It’s hard to lay -550, though, especially when we don’t know a whole lot about what Thiago is capable of.
UFC 95 picks: Koscheck -550
Diego Sanchez vs Joe Stevenson
UFC 95 odds: Sanchez -300
“Daddy†Joe Stevenson has been pummeled in his last couple of fights but it’s not like he’s lost to losers. He lost to Kenny Florian and B.J. Penn. Stevenson comes into this fight as a fairly big underdog but the public shouldn’t be this down on him.
Sanchez presents a very big challenge for Stevenson but it’s nothing he isn’t capable of handling. Stevenson is the more experienced fighter here and Sanchez is dropping a weight class, which could have an unexpected effect.
The value on Stevenson is just too good to pass up considering this fight could be a tossup.
UFC 95 picks: Stevenson +240
---------------
If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing with your friends:
Since I didnt do my usual preview, I’m going on record with my picks here:
I’m taking Sanchez, Maia, and Marquardt. I don’t see any real upsets happening on this live, free, event. That is unless Koscheck lets his guard down for this unknown.
Reply