What a difference a few weeks can make in MMA. Back on November 4th, Michael Bisping closed as a favorite in a middleweight title bout. After losing that bout to Georges St-Pierre in a contest that was far more entertaining than anticipated, he accepted a short notice assignment against Kelvin Gastelum just three weeks later. The current line sits with Gastelum a -330 favorite, meaning that just 21 days after being favored to retain his belt, Bisping will likely close more than a 2-to-1 underdog against the ninth-ranked 185er in the UFC.
UFC Fight Night 122 will mark the Octagon’s debut in mainland China, and with that the organization was sure to stock the card with as much Chinese talent as possible. All told, seven Chinese fighters will make appearances on the card, with six of those individuals making their UFC debut. The one exception is Jingliang Li, who has proven himself a solid welterweight in the UFC with a 5-2 record. He will have a difficult but winnable fight on his hands, as he takes on the underrated Zak Ottow in the co-main event.
While the massive amount of new talent (nine debutantes overall) means that the card isn’t full of name value, there are some very good matchups on tap for those who will be waking up early to take it all in. At the top of that list is a fantastic striking battle between Zabit Magomedsharipov — who burst onto the scene with a dominant performance in his Octagon debut — and Sheymon Moraes. Alex Caceres and Alex Garcia also make appearances on the Fight Pass main card in bouts against newcomers.
Betting could be tough sledding on this card given all of the unknowns, but those willing to do the legwork may be able to find some hidden value to go along with their breakfast on Saturday. MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened odds for eight preliminary bouts on Fight Night 122 today at Several Bookmakers, which gives bettors a full slate for the event with the four main card bouts previously being released. You can check all of the opening odds out below.
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UFC Fight Night 122: Bisping vs. Gastelum
NOVEMBER 25, 2017
Mercedes-Benz Arena | Shanghai, China
Main Card – (UFC Fight Pass, 7AM ET)
Michael Bisping +170
Kelvin Gastelum -230
Over 2.5 +100
Under 2.5 -140
–
Zak Ottow +130
Li Jingliang -170
Over 2.5 -180
Under 2.5 +140
–
Wang Guan +125
Alex Caceres -165
Over 2.5 -170
Under 2.5 +130
–
Alex Garcia +140
Muslim Salikhov -180
Over 1.5 +130
Under 1.5 -170
–
Early Prelims – (UFC Fight Pass, 3:45AM ET)
Sheymon Moraes +235
Zabit Magomedsharipov -315
Over 1.5 -160
Under 1.5 +120
–
Kenan Song +200
Bobby Nash -280
Over 1.5 -150
Under 1.5 +110
–
Kailin Curran -110
Xiaonan Yan -130
Over 2.5 -140
Under 2.5 +100
–
Bharat Khandare -155
Yadong Song +115
Over 2.5 -150
Under 2.5 +110
–
Chase Sherman -120
Shamil Abdurakhimov -120
Over 1.5 -160
Under 1.5 +120
–
Yanan Wu +175
Gina Mazany -245
Over 2.5 -150
Under 2.5 +110
–
Wuliji Buren +130
Rolando Dy -170
Over 2.5 -165
Under 2.5 +125
–
Cyril Asker -245
Yaozong Hu +175
Over 1.5 +130
Under 1.5 -170
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