The co-main event of UFC 186 is a three-round middleweight bout between Michael Bisping and CB Dollaway. According to the current betting lines available at Several Bookmakers, Bisping is a -150 favorite (bet $150 to win $100) while Dollawy is a +130 underdog (bet $100 to win $130). MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened up Bisping at -185 and Dollaway at +145, and so far the action has come in on the dog Dollaway. I disagree with the money coming in on Dollaway as I think Bisping wins this fight. Here’s why. Bisping (25-7) is 15-7 overall in the UFC with wins over the likes of Cung Le, Alan Belcher, Brian Stann, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Dan Miller, with losses to the likes of Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Dan Henderson, Luke Rockhold, Tim Kennedy and Rashad Evans. The 30-year-old Brit won TUF season three and has parlayed that into a brilliant, underrated career in the UFC. Always a bridesmaid, Bisping has been someone who has taken out the mid-tier middleweights but has almost always faltered against the top contenders. He has shown in his wins that he is a dangerous finisher — he has 19 wins by stoppage — and he’s shown good knockout power, having won 15 fights by T/KO. He also has very solid wrestling and he is able to stuff the majority of takedowns and keep most of his fights on the feet. However, while his striking offence is no doubt dangerous, his ability to take a punch has been questioned, and he’s been knocked out brutally twice and hurt in other fights. Of course, his knockout losses were to sluggers like Belfor and Henderson, but still, it’s something to keep in mind. Overall, though, Bisping is a very solid middleweight, one that has historically feasted on mid-tier fighters like Dollaway, and with a big win at UFC 186 Bisping will reaffirm his spot in the top 15 at 185lbs. Dollaway (15-6) is 9-6 overall in the UFC with wins over the likes of Francis Carmont, Cezar Ferreira, Daniel Sarafian, and Mayhem Miller, among others, with losses to fighters like Lyoto Machida, Tim Boetsch, Mark Munoz and Jared Hamman. The 31-year-old American comes from a wrestling background and he has solid takedowns like you’d expect, but it’s his boxing that has really improved in recent years. He’s shown more accuracy and bigger power with his hands in recent years, as evidenced in his wins over Carmont and Ferreira, both of which came in standup fights. But it’s his ground game that has got him to where he is today, and he definitely has a solid one. His wrestling is very good, and he also has a sneaky good submission game to go along with it. The problem with Dollaway has been his defence. He’s been finished in five fights, including three times by knockout, and his ability to take a punch has been questioned before. He’s been able to get by beating guys without much finishing power for the most part, but going up against a guy with underrated knockout power like Bisping, Dollaway’s wrestling better be on point here because if this fight stays on the feet he is at danger of being knocked out yet again. A lot of people are saying Dollaway is a live dog in this spot, but I don’t agree. I think this is the perfect fight for Bisping to get back on track with and I think Dollaway is the type of opponent Bisping feasts on. I think Bisping is one of the most underrated wrestlers in the division and I believe he can stuff Dollaway’s takedown attempts, keep this fight on the feet, and outstrike Dollaway. Most probably figure Bisping will outpoint Dollaway for a decision win, but I think Bisping can actually land on Dollaway’s chin and knock him out. Either way, I really like Bisping in this fight and I think at the current price he’s being undervalued here, meaning he’s definitely someone to target for a bet this weekend. For even greater value, take a look at the Bisping wins inside the distance prop, which is available at big plus money.
