With so many potential upsets and big-name fighters, UFC 111 in Newark, New Jersey is an MMA betting fan’s dream. From close fights to huge underdogs that happen to be blessed with knockout power, the fight card has a little something for everyone when it comes to betting on the fastest-growing sports league in the United States.
Two UFC titles will be up for grabs on Saturday, March 27 at the Prudential Center, with one expected to be an easy win for the current welterweight title holder Georges St. Pierre and the other expected to be a close but potentially explosive fight between heavyweights Frank Mir and Shane Carwin for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Title.
St. Pierre is a monstrous -700 to +450 favorite over the underdog Dan Hardy, perhaps the UFC’s most popular British fighter.
Nicknamed “The Outlaw,” Hardy has serious knockout power and has some MMA betting fans thinking he could pull a Matt Serra and upset St. Pierre, one of the most dominant champions in UFC history.
In the other title fight, Mir’s experience and jiu-jitsu prowess have him listed currently as a -150 to +120 favorite over the underdog Carwin.
Mir has bulked up considerably since losing to Brock Lesnar and recently put on an impressive performance in a win over Cheick Kongo while Carwin hasn’t fought since UFC 96 last spring.
But Carwin’s massive size, wrestling, and perhaps the biggest and most powerful right hand in all of MMA have many people thinking that the spread is not fair to Carwin and that a big win is in store for him.
Further exciting UFC fans across the world as well as UFC betting fans is a tilt between Thiago Alves and Jon Fitch, two former challengers for St. Pierre’s throne at welterweight. Fitch won the first fight via upkick KO but some view that win as a bit fluky and believe that Alves is a different fighter now.
Alves’ more explosive style has him listed as a -160 to +130 favorite over the underdog Fitch in the UFC betting sportsbooks, but smart MMA bettors know that Fitch is underrated, having won an unbelievable 16 straight fights in his career up until the St. Pierre loss.
Also on the main card, rangy welterweight Ben Saunders is a -160 favorite to +130 for the underdog Jake Ellenbeger, the former a deadly clinch artist and the latter a top-notch wrestler. The betting action has been moving toward Saunders recently.
Rounding out the main card is an intriguing matchup of ground fighting specialists Jim Miller and Mark Bocek. Miller is a -400 favorite to +300 for the underdog Bocek based mainly on his superior stand-up but Bocek is a tremendous grappler with a shot at the betting upset.
All of these fights plus some key undercard matchups featuring stars like Nate Diaz and Rousimar Palhares are available for betting right now on what could be the fight card of the year so far in MMA and the UFC as spring gets underway.
