UFC Fight Night 87 Date: May 8, 2016 Arena: Ahoy Rotterdam City: Rotterdam, Netherlands The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to The Netherlands for the first time in promotional history with UFC Fight Night 87: Overeem vs Arlovski. The 12-fight card will kick off on UFC Fight Pass at 10am ET with prelminary action, which will continue on FOX Sports 1 at noon ET, and the main card will get underway on the same channel at 2pm ET. If interested in wagering on these plays, or any plays for this fight card, all betting lines will be made available at Several Bookmakerss. Here are my live dogs: Lightweight bout: Chris Wade (+175) vs Rustam Khabilov (-210) Gabe’s Thoughts: This is an excellent match-up in the UFC’s 155-pound division between a pair of great grapplers. I personally think the betting odds for this bout are off, as I think it is a close fight in which Wade should be a slight -130 favorite. At these current odds, I think he is the right side for a value play at his current underdog price tag of +175. I can see him defeating Khabilov on the judges’ scorecards or by late submission, as he does have the superior cardio of the two. If this fight does indeed hit the judges’ scorecards for a decision, it could very well come down to the second round, as I think Khabilov is slightly more likely to win the first round and Wade is a lot more likely to win the third. I do favor Wade to get the better of Khabilov in the second round, too, should the Dagestani fighter manage to edge out the first stanza. Gabe’s Call: Wade by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Wade (+175) 3u to win 5.25u Lightweight bout: Josh Emmett (+110) vs Jon Tuck (-150) Gabe’s Thoughts: Emmett is taking this bout on short notice, replacing an injured Nick Hein. He was training for a fight so he is ready to go and does not have to do a very tough weight cut, which is often the case with short notice affairs. Emmett trains out of Team Alpha Male and I believe he has the tools to get the job done against Tuck. Of the two, I think Emmett has the brighter future in the division. The main concern with him, in my opinion, would be potential Octagon jiggers. That said, I think he is the superior fighter of the two and I think he has a better chance of finishing this fight than Tuck does, and should it hit the judges’ scorecards for a decision, I favor his chances there, as well. On short notice and in his promotional debut, I think Emmett should be a -150 betting favorite heading into this 155-pound contest, which means I think the odds should be flipped around. At current odds, however, I think Emmett at the underdog price of +110 is the right side for a value play. Gabe’s Call: Emmett by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gabe’s Recommended Play: Emmett (+110) 3u to win 3.3u
