UFC 160 MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada Saturday, May 25, 2013 Welterweight bout: Rick Story (-145) vs. Mike Pyle (+125) Fight Breakdown: Two welterweights on a roll square off on the UFC 160 undercard as Rick Story takes on Mike Pyle in what should be a barnburner of a fight for however long it lasts. Story is currently a -145 favorite (bet $145 to win $100), while Pyle is a +125 underdog (bet $100 to win $125) at Several Bookmakers. Story (15-6) returned to the win column recently with a brutal TKO victory over Quinn Mulhern at UFC 158. Story, who holds notable career victories over Johny Hendricks, Thiago Alves and Jake Ellenberger, is an absolute beast of a fighter but after he lost to Charlie Brenneman in a big upset at UFC Live 4 he seemed to lose his confidence and then dropped fights to Martin Kampmann and Demian Maia. But Story is still ultra talented and still has the potential to make another run up the UFC welterweight ladder. Against Pyle he’ll look to fight fire with fire by striking with the wily veteran, and it’s possible the fight could come down to who connects with the harder strike first. Pyle (24-8-1) has been on a roll as of late, as he’s won his last three bouts against James Head, Josh Neer and Ricardo Funch via first-round TKO. The 37-year-old has always been known as one of the most talented mixed martial artists in the game but what he did in training never translated to his performances in the cage until now. Although Pyle has long been known as a submission artist, he’s really shown his improved standup skills in his last few fights and seems to have turned into an extremely well-rounded fighter who’s a dangerous out for anyone in the division. Against Story, look for Pyle to try and get the fight to the ground and lock in a sub because if it stays standing things might not end well for Pyle, who has been knocked out three times in his career. Fight Prediction: This fight isn’t going the distance, that’s for sure. Both guys are riding waves of momentum right now and I expect that to carry into the fight as both go for the kill right from the opening bell. But Story is younger and faster and I think that he’s going to hurt Pyle badly in the first round and force the referee to step in and stop the bout. Adam’s Pick: Story via TKO (click for latest MMA odds) Adam’s Recommended Play: Rick Story at -145 is a great bet. This really is his fight to lose, and I think it’s the fight where Pyle’s magical run will come to an end. Story will likely win this fight via TKO so consider betting the Story inside the distance prop, which is paying out plus money, but the safest route is to just go with his moneyline.
