Stephan Bonnar (+700) vs. Anderson Silva (-1100)
11:30 PM EST Pay-per-View
This may be as close to a “lock” as we ever see in MMA fighting. Anderson Silva is still one of the best fighters, if not the best MMA fighter, Ever, and Stephan Bonnar was precariously close to being out of the UFC. He’s a good jiu-jitsu fighter and has been good at getting opponents down…but this is Silva, who is nearly impossible to submit. Silva will use his striking game to wear Bonnar down early, but there’s not much to be seen here, and anyone who has ever seen Silva fight will tell you this one won’t be too close. Bonnar is a brawler, and Silva has the most refined technique seen in any MMA fighter. Expect his experience and superior skill-set to make the difference.
Francisco Trinaldo (+130) vs. Gleison Tibau (-160)
8:15 PM EST, FX
Francisco Trinaldo is a high ranked fighter and has been matched against Gleison Tibau in just his second UFC fight. Both Trinaldo and Tibau are very big for lightweight fighters, but Trinaldo is a better striker and better fighter. Tibau is a good wrestler, but that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be able to even get Trinaldo to the mat. If Trinaldo is to win this, it will likely be by decision, but this should be a very good, close and exciting fight. Trinaldo could even score a knockout, and while this fight will be exciting to watch, a lot of bettors are steering clear because the odds are so close and Trinaldo is still an unknown with so little UFC experience.
