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Cheick Kongo vs. Matt Mitrione UFC 137 fight odds were available courtesy of Sportsbook.com.
Cheick Kongo (26-6-2) vs. Matt Mitrione (5-0-0)
Sportsbook.comLine: Mitrione -135, Kongo +105
On the undercard for the Penn-Diaz throwdown, two heavyweights in Cheick Kongo and Matt Mitrione take the floor for what should be a competitive battle. In a classic fight between a veteran (Kongo) and a newbie (Mitrione), two contrasting fighting styles will come head-to-head in this bout.
The 36-year-old Kongo has won only two of his past five bouts, while Mitrione has begun his career undefeated with five straight victories. Although Mitrione is old to be such a novice at 33 years old, his lethal attack balance between striking and submissions has been successful since day one.
Kongo (26-6-2) relies on kickboxing as his main mode for fighting. He splits most of his focus between striking and takedowns, with submissions playing only a minor part of his game. He is coming off a victory against a talented fighter in Pat Barry, where he displayed his strength with a Round 1 KO via punch. Still, he only defends 53% of strikes compared to Mitrione’s 71% and will be too slow to keep up with his quick adversary.
Mitrione (5-0-0) has won four of his five career fights via the knockout and the other one from a decision. Like Kongo, he relies on striking, but unlike his opponent, submissions play a significant part of his attack style. Trained in kickboxing and wrestling, his combination of speed, strength and weight should be too much for Kongo to handle.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
