Online betting players were treated to a classic main event at UFC 116 between heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Shane Carwin, and they could get another one in Oakland on August 7th at Oracle Arena, when Anderson Silva will defend his middleweight crown against Chael Sonnen, the brash-talking wrestler. Can Sonnen draw Silva out of his shell?
Anderson “The Spider” Silva (26-4, 15 KOs)
Silva has been a disappointment in his last fight, a decision win over Demian Maia at UFC 112, choosing to dance around the ring and taunt his opponent rather than go for the kill. UFC president Dana White said that he would cut Silva if he put on another performance like he did against Maia, so maybe that will spark the “Spider”, who has won an UFC-record 11 fights in a row, and he’s been their longest-reigning champion, holding the 185-pound belt since October 2006. Silva is rated by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world with a deadly array of striking skills, and he put those on full display in his beating of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101, but what people don’t realize is that he has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is just as comfortable on the ground as he is standing up. It’s just that he prefers to stand up, as was shown when he fought Thales Leites, who laid down on the ground trying to lure Silva down there. UFC betting players know that Silva is far better than he’s shown lately, so it all depends on which Anderson Silva shows up.
Chael Sonnen (24-10-1, 7 KOs)
Sonnen was a former NCAA All-American wrestler at Oregon, and he’s making the most of his second go-around in the UFC. He has won his last three fights, all by decision, and his last fight against Nate Marquardt was as good as it gets. Sonnen was on the brink of losing twice as he was caught in guillotines, but he managed to get free and do enough damage to earn the decision over Marquardt to get his shot at Silva. Since winning that fight, Sonnen has come out and said a lot of disparaging things about Silva, calling him a dirtbag and saying he doesn’t respect the sport, so he’s going to have to back up his words at UFC 117. Outside of the octagon, Sonnen is interested in politics and was running for the Senate seat in his home state of Oregon, but dropped out of the race. He’s going to need more patience than that if you’re going to bet on Chael Sonnen at UFC 117.
Silva Sonnen Betting Pick And Analysis
Early UFC 117 odds have Silva as anywhere from a -450 to a -500 favorite in this title bout, and it’s tough to bet against a guy who hasn’t lost in the UFC and 14 of his last 15 overall. You could even say 15 straight as Silva was disqualified in a bout against Yushin Okami for knocking him out with a kick….from his back. Sonnen says he’s going to take the fight to Silva, which is extremely dangerous, and if he doesn’t believe it, he should talk to Griffin, who was given a counterpunching masterclass when he stepped into the octagon with Silva. Sonnen’s best bet may be to get this match to the ground, but it’s not like Silva can’t submit people (see his submission of Dan Henderson at UFC 82). Standing up, the advantage heavily goes to Silva. “The Spider” has been called out by his opponent, his president, and fans around the world have lambasted his performance at UFC 112, so you can expect Silva to come out with plenty of fire. This fight won’t go the distance, so take Anderson Silva via knockout in your sports betting picks.
Silva Sonnen Betting Pick: Anderson Silva