UFC 178 is finally here. This is the best PPV card the UFC has had in a while and it doesn’t even have a very strong main event. If Jon Jones hadn’t injured his knee and we had Jones vs Cormier headlining this card along with the Flyweight title fight and a couple of very interesting fights featuring Donald Cerrone vs Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor then this could have been one of the best cards in the history of the UFC. Instead we just have a very interesting card that is still somewhat missing that “must watch” fight.
Last weekend we had a fight night card that featured a very exciting fight between Roy Nelson and Mark Hunt. The first round showed these guys exchanging blows, but in the second round Mark Hunt started to time his uppercut correctly when Nelson would lower his head throwing a punch. Eventually Hunt connected for the knockout, which lost me my bet on Nelson.
2014 Record: 42-26 for +13.51 units.
Demetrious Johnson vs Chris Cariaso
This is one of the biggest favourites I have seen in a title fight in the UFC in some time. It’s a bit surprising that the UFC gave Chris Cariaso the title shot when he is ranked #8 in the division, but Johnson has basically steamrolled the rest of the fighters in the division so there wasn’t a lot to choose from. That said I think Johnson will once again get an easy victory over his competition. Cariaso is on a 3 fight winning streak, but these were over a lot of lesser known fighters in the UFC. He lost to both Moraga and Formiga when he ventured up the flyweight ladder back in 2013 and he hasn’t beaten anyone of significance. I expect that to stay the same with an easy win for Johnson in this one.
Take Johnson Inside Distance +100 @ 5Dimes.
Donald Cerrone vs Eddie Alvarez
Cerrone vs Alvarez is a very interesting fight. Some people say that Alvarez could be the best lightweight in the UFC, but having not fought the most quality of competition in Bellator it’s really hard to say. Cerrone will be a huge first test for him and I personally think Cowboy will get the best of Alvarez in his welcoming to the UFC. Cerrone is on a big roll of his own and a win over Alvarez could do a lot to get him a title shot in the near future. This will be Cerrone’s fourth fight of the year, which is just ridiculous. If he can get a finish in this fight he could very well fight a 5th time this year.
Take Cerrone -110 @ 5Dimes.
Dustin Poirier vs Conor McGregor
This is one fight that I’m very much looking forward to. These two have been at it with a war of words for a long time now and we will finally see it settled this Saturday. Poirier started out as a -180 favourite when the line came out and now he is a big dog. I think the hype train of Conor McGregor is well founded, but he doesn’t deserve to be this big of a favourite over a fighter with Poirier’s credentials this early in his career.
Poirier and McGregor have both beaten Holloway and Brandao, except that Poirier beat Holloway when he was a very young fighter (although he did beat him much faster via a submission finish).
I’m taking Poirier in this one simply because I think this fight could go either way and I think the hype train that is McGregor has swayed the odds.
Take Poirier +225 @ 5Dimes.
Chris Cariaso • Conor McGregor • Demetrious Johnson • Donald Cerrone • Dustin Poirier • Eddie Alvarez
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