Those going over their UFC betting odds for this weekend will see two of the biggest MMA names on the planet in action, as Anderson Silva and Chick Liddell headline UFC 97: Redemption, to be held in Montreal, QC on Saturday, April 18.Silva is obviously the favorite in these Silva vs Leites odds, as he is defending his middleweight title against fellow Brazilian Thales Leites. Silva (23-4) has won his last nine fights, three of his last five have come by TKO, and there were a couple of submissions thrown in for good measure.
Leites (14-1) hasn’t fought many big-name fighters, and he definitely hasn’t faced anyone half as good as the “Spider.” Leites has some solid ground game, but Silva is just as good on his back as he is standing up. Anderson Silva should be an easy UFC betting pick with odds of -500.
Chuck Liddell (21-6), the former light-heavyweight champion and one of the most popular fighters in UFC, will be a -175 favorite against Brazilian Mauricio Rua (17-3). The “Iceman” has lost three of his last four fights, and he was knocked out by Rashad Evans in his last bout. Rua, who has a nickname of “Shogun,” has won five of his last six fights, and three of those have come via strikes.
Rua will stand up with Liddell, and sportsbook players should expect an exciting fight that could very well end in the first round. Rua is one of the top fighters in the world when he is motivated, but so far he’s been less than impressive in two UFC fights, losing his debut to Forrest Griffin by submission and, while he knocked out Mark Coleman, that fight should have never gone to the third round.
Meanwhile, Liddell desperately needs a win to keep his dreams of another title shot alive, and he’s been working with other camps to try and become a well-rounded fighter. However, he’s looked sluggish in his most recent fights, and Rua has the motivation of putting another nail in the coffin of an MMA legend. Take Mauricio Rua in a UFC betting upset this weekend.
