The full list of prop bets today opened at Several Bookmakers for the upcoming five-round middleweight bout at UFC on FX 8 between Vitor Belfort and Luke Rockhold, which takes place May 18 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil, and there are some very interesting lines that MMA bettors may be interested in. The first prop bet that will be of interest is Belfort via T/KO, which is his most likely path to victory. Belfort by T/KO currently sitting at +140, which is 35 cents more than a straight bet on Belfort, which is currently +105. The funny thing, though, is that Belfort inside the distance actually pays out +145, which is fight cents higher than the T/KO prop. Therefore, you pay less to get even more value in the event that Belfort wins the fight via submission, which is definitely possible, so if you were going to bet on Belfort to win the fight by knockout you might as well go with the inside the distance prop instead. But the +105 straight moneyline is probably the best bet on Belfort because he could always steal a decision in Brazil. The second prop that is interesting is Belfort wins in round one, which is currently sitting at +350. If Belfort wins the fight with a finish it’s most likely that it takes place in the first round, and +350 is definitely a juicy line. As well, Belfort wins in the second round pays +600 which is also a good line considering the way his last fight against Michael Bisping went. As for props on Rockhold, the best bets are Rockhold wins inside the distance (+255) and Rockhold wins via five-round decision (+255), depending on if you think Rockhold wins the fight via finish or if he takes Belfort to the scorecards. If the fight hits the scorecards it’s very likely that it’s Rockhold winning the fight, but the thing is Belfort typically gasses out in his fights and it’s very possible that Rockhold can sink in a late-round submission once Belfort gasses. And speaking of submissions, Rockhold via submission is paying out +678 so if you’re on the Rockhold band wagon for this fight then I would highly recommend putting a at least a flier on that prop. The other interesting prop bets for Rockhold are Rockhold wins in round four (+1900) and Rockhold wins in round five (+2500). Again, Belfort typically has major cardio issues and as he showed in his fight with Jon Jones once he wears own he can be finished on the ground as Jones subbed Belfort with an Americana at UFC 152. Rockhold is a very skilled BJJ fighter and although Belfort is a black belt in BJJ, MMA is a different beast and Belfort has lost twice by submission in his career. Belfort vs. Rockhold is a very interesting fight and it could honestly go either way but there’s no doubt the fight presents a number of great betting opportunities so do your homework and good luck.
