With the UFC choosing to run a mid-week card the center of the MMA universe this weekend will be the World Series of Fighting’s latest offering. WSOF’s matchmaker Ali Abdelaziz has been doing his best to drum up interest in this card — and the organization as a whole — with some recent media appearances, including his open challenge to Bellator about a hypothetical PPV card between the two companies. Perhaps the reason for some of the histrionics is that not all has gone smoothly leading up to this event. Headliner Justin Gaethje has gone through a plethora of scheduled opponents including Gesias Cavalcante and Lewis Gonzalez, before Richard Patishnock finally stepped in to solidify the main event. Make no mistake however, regardless of opponent, this fight is made to showcase Gaethje. That actually seems to be a theme on this card, as most seem to agree that both Anthony Johnson and Jessica Aguilar have stylistically favorable matchups as well. Rounding out the main card are a couple of very different UFC veterans. Cody Bollinger never officially fought in the promotion, but did compete on the most recent season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ before dropping out and being banished from the organization due to weight cutting issues. He takes on Tyson Nam, most known for his knockout of Bellator champion Eduardo Dantas. The other UFC veteran is a man who challenged for the then UFC lightweight title (now the welterweight title) all the way back in the 20th century. Jorge ‘Macaco’ Patino kicks off his 20th year in MMA by taking on another well travelled vet on the regional circuit in Luis Palomino. Today, MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened the betting odds for the WSOF 8 main card at Several Bookmakers. Take a look: ——————– MAIN CARD (NBC Sports Network, 9pm ET) Justin Gaethje -825 Richard Patishnock +475 Anthony Johnson -315 Mike Kyle +235 Jessica Aguilar -350 Alida Gray +250 Tyson Nam -150 Cody Bollinger +110 Jorge Patino -140 Luis Palomino +100 ——————– Brad’s Analysis: Out of these lines, there’s only one that sticks out to me as a potential bet. The top three fights are all pretty one-sided from my point of view, and while I wouldn’t argue with anyone putting them in a parlay, I’ll personally pass on all three, and expect the lines to get bigger as the public bets all three favorites. The Nam/Bollinger fight has a path to victory for either fighter, as Nam can hurt Bollinger on the feet and Bollinger can wrestle his way to victory. The close line in this fight is warranted, and at this point I don’t particularly like either side. Finally, the one line I’m going to keep a close eye on is Patino/Palomino. Despite being 40, Jorge Patino has looked as good as ever of late, with his only loss in the past 3 years coming to top prospect Diego Ferreira. Palomino meanwhile has been up and down on the regional circuit, where he has always made his home. I think that Patino holds quite a few edges in this bout, as he has superior wrestling, grappling and cardio, while the striking is a wash. If the line moves towards Palomino, it could be worth a play.
