UFC 162 MGM Grand Gardena Arena, Las Vegas, NV Saturday, July 6, 2013 UFC Middleweight Championship Bout: Anderson Silva (-245) vs. Chris Weidman (+205) Fight Breakdown: The main event of UFC 162 is a five-round middleweight championship bout between UFC middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva and top prospect Chris Weidman. The champion Silva is a -245 favorite (bet $245 to win $100), while the comeback on Weidman is +205 underdog (bet $100 to win $205) at Several Bookmakers. Silva (33-4) is arguably the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts history and easily the best fighter the UFC has ever seen. The 38-year-old Brazilian has won 17-straight fights, including a record-16 straight in the UFC, and ever since winning the UFC middleweight championship back in 2006 he’s defended his strap a record 10 times. As well, Silva’s picked up three wins in three superfights at 205 pounds, another reason why many consider him to be the pound-for-pound great. Silva is the most devastating striker we’ve ever seen in the Octagon and he’s won a record six “Knockout of the Night” awards for his finishes of Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, Nate Marquardt and Rich Franklin (twice). As you can see by that list, Silva has a huge edge in experience on Weidman and of course he’ll have the striking advantage. But Weidman will have the wrestling advantage, and if he can exploit Silva’s takedown defence (which is underrated by the way) and work his heavy ground game, it’s possible Silva could lose the title. But don’t count on it. Weidman (9-0) is the top contender in the UFC middleweight division and he earned his title shot with wins over top dogs Mark Munoz and Demian Maia. The 29-year-0ld is 5-0 in his young UFC career and he’s shown exceptional wrestling and submission prowess and it’s the reason why many believe he has what it takes to dethrone Silva. But he’s obviously not as experienced as his opponent, and he hasn’t fought in a whole year, which is always a red flag. I don’t doubt that Weidman will have some early success with his wrestling and heavy top game, but eventually Silva is going to be able to get his chances in the standup, and at that point, it’s a big question mark if Weidman’s chin can hold up. And against Silva, I’m betting it won’t. Fight Prediction: Weidman will definitely make things interesting because he does have the physical tools that will give Silva problems and I believe he can implement them to great success early on as I think he’ll control the early goings with his takedowns and ground game. However, unless he gets a finish in the first two rounds, I believe Weidman will tire out and Silva’s experience in the championship rounds will help him dearly as he finds a way to stuff Weidman’s takedowns in the third round and keep the fight standing, and from there he will knock him out in highlight-reel fashion, perhaps with a never-before-seen kick. Adam’s Pick: Anderson Silva via T/KO (click for latest MMA odds) Adam’s Recommended Play: Silva inside the distance is available at only -145, an incredibly low price to pay for betting on one of the greatest finishers of all time to get a finish against a prospect. To me, this is an absolute must-bet prop if Silva is your side, and it’s one of the most valuable MMA betting lines I’ve seen in a long time so I would recommend a multiple-unit play on it unless you think the fight goes to decision, at which point Silva at the moneyline also presents solid value.
