One of the prelims at UFC 186 is a three-round welterweight bout between Patrick Cote and Joe Riggs. According to the current betting lines available at Several Bookmakers, Cote is a -195 favorite (bet $195 to win $100) while Riggs is a +168 underdog (bet $100 to win $168). MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas opened up Cote at -190 and Riggs at +150, and slight action has come in so far on Cote. I agree with the early action coming in on Cote as I like him to pick up the win in this fight. Here’s why. Cote (20-9) is 8-9 overall in the UFC, including a 2-1 mark as a welterweight. In his career the 35-year-old Canadian has wins over the likes of Kyle Noke, Alessio Sakara, Kendall Grove and Ricardo Almeida, and his losses have come against the likes of Tito Ortiz, Anderson Silva, Alan Belcher, Cung Le and Stephen Thompson. Cote is in his fourth stint in the UFC and since dropping down to 170lbs he’s looking pretty good. He’s always been a good striker on the feet with an amazing chin to help him win standup exchanges, but he’s shown off his improved wrestling in recent fights as well. He is not a title contender and will never compete for the belt ever again, but he can be a solid gatekeeper at 170lbs, and he can be a local draw for the UFC when they go to Quebec. He’s taking on Riggs in a battle of grizzled veterans, but Cote has much more left in the tank at this point and that’s why he’s the favorite in this fight despite a sub-.500 UFC record. Riggs (40-15, 1 NC) is 4-5 in the UFC overall, including a 0-1 mark in his return to the Octagon. After winning the Bellator Fight Master show, Riggs was signed for a second stint in the Octagon and so far things have not gone well. After signing with the UFC last summer, he was expected to fight Paulo Thiago but he accidentally shot himself in the hand and thigh and his return was delayed. When he came back he took on Ben Saunders and knocked himself out with a takedown, which considering the amount of damage he’s taken in his career makes you wonder if his ability to take punishment is completely gone at this point. Although he’s only 32 years of age, the American has almost 60 fights in his career and the damage has added up. He’s been knocked out six times in his career and submitted another seven and as he continues to get older the will continue to be finished. Prior to the loss to Saunders Riggs had won six fights in a row plus his fights on Fight Master, but his level of competition in those bouts was extremely low and while you have to give him some credit for winning the show, you can’t give him too much. With 20 wins by T/KO and another 16 by submission during his career, there’s no doubt Riggs is a finisher in his own right, but at this point he’s the guy who is getting finished in his fights and if the fight against Saunders is any indication, Riggs’ best days are long behind him. I think at this point of his career Riggs just doesn’t have much left in the tank. The way he lost to Saunders in his UFC return was extremely concerning to me, and I think his body is finally giving out after a long and solid career in the sport. Cote is not contender anymore, but he’s still a solid, dangerous welterweight and I think he can make life miserable for Riggs in this fight. I believe Cote is going to stop Riggs’ takedowns, keep this fight on the feet, and outpoint Riggers to a decision victory or possible even catch Riggs’ chin and knock him out. At the current price, I think Cote is being undervalued in this fight and I believe he’s someone to put into a parlay this weekend as I see him pretty clearly beating Riggs and winning this fight.
