UFC Fight Night 54 Date: October 4, 2014 Arena: Scotiabank Centre City: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns with another double-header on Saturday with UFC Fight Night 53 in Sweden and UFC Fight Night 54 in Nova Scotia. UFC Fight Night 54 will be live from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada with a 12-fight card, including a main card that will be live on FOX Sports 1 at 10pm ET. Preliminary action will be getting going on UFC Fight Pass at 7pm ET, then following on FOX Sports 2 at 8pm ET. If interested in wagering on these proposition plays, or any other plays for this fight card, you may do so at Several Bookmakerss. My prop plays UFC Fight Night 54 in Halifax are: Welterweight bout: Rory MacDonald (-400) vs Tarec Saffiedine (+355) Saffiedine by Decision (+515) 1u to win 5.15u Saddiefine +5.5 (+160) 1u to win 1.6u I don’t agree with these betting odds, as I feel the former Strikeforce middleweight champion as a very good chance at defending takedowns and outstriking the Canadian MacDonald on the feet for the majority of 25 minutes en route to a decision victory on the judges’ scorecards. I think this could either be a close fight or Saffiedine could run away with it, but I don’t see MacDonald dominating him to justify his current 4-to-1 favorite odds. Lightweight bout: Chad Laprise (-310) vs Yosdenis Cedeno (+280) Cedeno +3.5 (+135) 1u to win 1.35u Cedeno by Decision (+555) .4u to win 2.22u I think this fight is a coin-flip and will be much closer than the betting odds suggest. Along with a straight-up play on Cedeno, I like these props, as I feel the fight will likely play out for three rounds and it will be close. If Laprise ends up getting his hand raised, I think it will either be a split decision or a 29-28 across the board, I don’t see him besting Laprise for a unanimous 30-27, though anything is possible, as these two lightweights are still considered Octagon rookies. To conclude, I expect this fight to be close, and feel the value is with Cedeno. Middleweight bout: Bruno Santos (+335) vs Elias Theodorou (-420) Theodorou -3.5 (-180) 1.8u to win 1u Theodorou ITD (+155) 1u to win 1.55u I expect the Canadian to run through the Brazilian here, likely earning another T/KO stoppage. However, should he fail to secure the finish, I believe he will have convincingly won each and every round for a unanimous 30-27 victory. That said, I do feel there is a good chance he finishes Santos here. If not in the first frame, then later on in the fight as Santos begins to fade. Theodorou has the conditioning advantage in this 185-pound scrap, and he never stops putting the pressure on his opponents. I believe that if he does not get an early, he will wear Santos down and finish him late. Lightweight bout: Anthony Njokuani (+120) vs Daron Cruickshank (-130) Cruickshank by Decision (+245) 1u to win 2.45u On the feet, I think this is a close fight that could go either way, perhaps with a slight advantage to Cruickshank. However, if “The Detroit Superstar” decides to implement his offensive wrestling, I think he will find success with it. Cruickshank is a decent wrestler; his takedowns are not great, but Njokuani’s takedown defense is not good, so I think Cruickshank will find success in taking him down to seal rounds in the eyes of the judges’. Due to my thinking that Cruickshank has a grappling advantage in this fight which he will look to implement, I like this prop for a wager. Lightweight bout: Jake Lindsey (+390) vs Olivier Aubin-Mercier (-440) Aubin-Mercier -3.5 (-280) 2.8u to win 1u Aubin-Mercier by Submission (-140) 1.4u to win 1u Aubin-Mercier in Round One (+125) 1u to win 1.25u In short, I believe Aubin-Mercier will make quick work of Lindsey, taking him down early and within a minute or two having earned the submission finish, most likely via rear naked choke.
