The UFC takes their product back to the middle of the week this coming Wednesday, as UFC Fight Night 45 takes place in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A week ago the betting lines for the main card were released at MMA OddsBreaker, while the most notable preliminary bout between Gleison Tibau and Pat Healy saw odds released just recently. Today, MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas filled out the remainder of the card. Between Fox Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass, fans will see an additional four bouts beyond those that have already been released, and a couple of them are worthy of attention. Particularly interesting are the bantamweight bout between prospect Aljamain Sterling and Hugo Viana, and the first ever bout below 125lbs in the UFC, as Claudia Gadelha and Tina Lahdemaki kick off the much anticipated strawweight division. Kalikas opened the betting lines for the remainder of Fight Night 45 at Several Bookmakers today. Take a look: ——————– MAIN CARD (Fox Sports 1, 9pm ET) Donald Cerrone -190 Jim Miller +150 Edson Barboza -280 Evan Dunham +200 Rick Story -380 Leonardo Mafra +260 Joe Proctor -140 Justin Salas +100 John Lineker -280 Alptekin Ozkilic +200 Alex White -135 Lucas Martins -105 ——————– PRELIMINARY CARD (Fox Sports 1, 7pm ET) Gleison Tibau -185 Pat Healy +145 Jessamyn Duke -140 Leslie Smith +100 Aljamain Sterling -190 Hugo Viana +150 Jerrod Sanders -170 Yosdenis Cedeno +130 ——————– PRELIMINARY CARD (UFC Fight Pass, 6:30pm ET) Claudia Gadelha -505 Tina Lahdemaki +335 ——————– Brad’s Analysis: Jessamyn Duke’s last performance in the UFC was on the level that made me consider not ever picking her in a UFC bout ever again, just on principle. She had no concept of range in her striking and posed no threat of controlling or submitting her opponent on the ground. Leslie Smith didn’t look much better, but at least she was facing a quality fighter in that performance, and doing so on extremely short notice. Smith isn’t as good at 135 as she is at 125, but she should be able to walk Duke down and overwhelm her with activity en route to a decision. Sterling didn’t impress as much as many expected him to in his UFC debut, but he got the win over a quality fighter in Cody Gibson, and he does have some distinct advantages over Hugo Viana in the grappling game and in cardio. On the feet is where this bout could be particularly interesting, as Viana is a busier and more dangerous striker, but his ability to keep it there should be tested in a big way, and I don’t think it will hold up enough after the opening round. Yosdenis Cedeno was another fighter who disappointed in his UFC debut, dropping a decision to Ernest Chavez where he showed poor defensive grappling and worse cardio. Unfortunately for him, he’s facing a similar fighter here in Jerrod Sanders who really only possesses a wrestling game. Unless Cedeno has made some serious improvements in both his takedown defense, tactics (as his wild kicks open him up to takedowns), ability to scramble, and cardio, I can’t see this fight going much different from his last. Tina Lahdemaki is the rare female fighter who is moving down a division, rather than fighting above her weight class for a shot in the UFC. The problem, she’s facing possibly the biggest strawweight in women’s MMA, and a consensus top five fighter in the division in Claudia Gadelha. Gadelha would have been one of the favorites to win TUF 20 and become the first ever strawweight champion if there weren’t such big worries about her ability to cut weight repeatedly over a short period of time. As it stands, I expect her to be the first woman outside of the TUF 20 cast to challenge for the title, and her case starts when she takes down and outgrapples Lahdemaki in this bout.
