The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale Date: November 30, 2013 Arena: Mandalay Bay Events Center City: Las Vegas, N.V. TUF 18 Finale ‘Fight of the Night’ Betting Props The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 Finale will be live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, N.V. with 10 scheduled bouts set to produce fireworks. The most exciting bout of the evening will be rewarded the Fight of the Night bonus. You can wager on which fight will take home he bonus at Several Bookmakerss. I believe the top contenders for this prize are: Maynard/Diaz +225 — An official rematch, but an unofficial rubber match. Diaz got the better of Maynard the first time around, catching him with a submission. Maynard bested him in their second meeting, taking home a split decision win. Now they both look to get the last word, as they step inside the Octagon tonight. Both are coming off a loss, and both are hungry as hell. They are both generally involved in exciting fights, as Maynard owns three Fight of the Night awards, while Diaz owns five. That said, I don’t see enough value in the current line to even consider making a play here. Pena/Rakoczy +325 — Both of these ladies fought their asses off on the show. They were both big underdogs, and they rose to the challenges, coming on top every time. Neither of them are quitters, and neither of them tend to get involved in dull fights. I think this will be an exciting fight with back and forth action that will have the crowd on its feet when it’s over. Morgan/Duke +550 If neither of these girls gas out and get finished, this could end up stealing the show. Both are big bantamweights; Duke is 5’11”, while Morgan is 6’1”. There could be a lot of fun, back-and-forth action in this one, regardless of how long it lasts. This could be the sleeper, but personally, I’m going to take a pass on a bet. I probably would have hit it at +650. Benoit/Sampo +900 — Two flyweights making their promotional debuts, and both very talented fighters who always give it their all. They are both generally involved in exciting fights; Benoit himself was involved in one of the best fights of the year against Anthony Birchak at bantamweight, a fight in which he came up short. Like Birchak, Sampo is a wrestler and presents similar problems, but will Benoit be able to get the job done this time? I am not sure how this fight will play out, but way, way, way more often than not, it will be a very fun fight to watch. At +900, there is certainly enough value to warrant a wager. Gabe’s FOTN Play: 4u to win 13u on Pena/Rakoczy (+325), and 2u to win 18u on Benoit/Sampo +900
