UFC betting is reaching a fever pitch with UFC 100 coming up next month, but first, UFC 99 takes place this Saturday in Cologne, Germany.
Here are the particulars, via the UFC 99 page on Wikipedia:
UFC 99 Preview
- UFC 99 Date: Saturday, June 13, 2009
- UFC 99 Location: Cologne, Germany
- UFC 99 TV: Pay Per View
UFC 99 Main Card:
- Catchweight: Rick Franklin vs Wanderlei Silva
- Heavyweight: Cheick Kongo vs Cain Velasquez
- Welterweight: Mike Swick vs Ben Saunders
- Welterweight: Marcus Davis vs Dan Hardy
- Lightweight: Spencer Fisher vs Caol Uno
- Heavyweight: Mostapha Al-turk vs Mirko Filipovic
(Follow the link to view the UFC 99 preliminary card.)
Rich Franklin and Wanderlei Silva are the headliners for the UFC’s first trip to Germany, but there are also a couple of other MMA betting bouts to consider in your offshore sportsbook.
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RICH FRANKLIN VS WANDERLEI SILVA ODDS AND PREDICTION
Franklin (24-4-0-1), the former middleweight champ, is a slight -140 sports wagering favorite against Silva (22-9-1-1), who has lost four of his last five fights. This will be held at a catchweight of 195 pounds, where Franklin will have a reach advantage but Silva may have a power edge. Franklin is coming off a split-decision loss to Dan Henderson at UFC 93, which was his first loss to an American as his three previous losses had come at the hands of Brazilian fighters (two to Anderson Silva, one to Lyoto Machida). Silva will surely come out swinging for the fences, while Franklin will do the same, but he has an edge on the ground as well.
Franklin-Silva UFC 99 Prediction: Rich Franklin. He’s more well-rounded and Silva has lost a step.
CAIN VELASQUEZ VS CHEICK KONGO ODDS AND PREDICTION
Cain Velasquez (5-0) is a -200 favorite in your sportsbook against Cheick Kongo (14-4-1), and the 26-year-old Velasquez is one of the top up-and-comers in MMA, as all five of his fights have come by knockout, four of which came in the first round. Both of these fighters have extreme knockout power, and it’s difficult to imagine this fight going more than two rounds. Kongo replaces Heath Herring, who beat Kongo at UFC 82, and if he manages to beat Velasquez, he’ll fight the winner of the Brock Lesnar-Frank Mir heavyweight title bout which takes place at UFC 100.
Velasquez-Kongo UFC 99 Prediction: Cheick Kongo. Velasquez will be a star but he’s not ready to face a fighter of Kongo’s caliber.
MIKE SWICK VS BEN SAUNDERS ODDS AND PREDICTION
Mike Swick (13-2) is the UFC betting favorite for this welterweight tilt at -225 over Ben Saunders (7-0-2), and both are known for appearing on the “Ultimate Fighter†television show. Swick won his fight in the first UF season, dropping Alex Schoenauer after 20 seconds to earn the nickname “Quick.†Saunders defeated Dan Barrera in the sixth UF season, and he’s improved each fight since joining UFC. Both have kickboxing backgrounds, while Swick has more power, but Saunders is more well-rounded. If he can get Swick on the ground, Saunders could be in line for a UFC betting upset.
Swick-Saunders UFC 99 Prediction: Ben Saunders. This could be a big step in a special career.
