Written by :
Published on :
Sportsbook.com has a sneak peak at some good UFC 139 betting odds, these for the Rua vs. Henderson fight.
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (20-5-0) vs. Dan Henderson (28-8-0)
Sportsbook.com Line: Rua -140, Henderson +110
Although the UFC 139 fight card no longer features the Velasquez-dos Santos matchup that was fought this past weekend on FOX, two expert light heavyweights in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson take the octagon to headline a strong lineup of bouts. Rua is a former UFC light heavyweight champion while Henderson won the Strikeforce light heavyweight title earlier this year before leaving for his third-stint with UFC.
The lines are close to even for this bout, although more action is being placed with Rua lately and the lines are adjusting accordingly. But Rua should be favored by more, given his dominant showing in his most recent fight, a victory over expert contender Forrest Griffin.
Rua (20-5-0) won his most recent fight against Griffin after surrendering his belt in the previous bout to Jon Jones. The victory over Griffin was important for showing the progress of the Brazilian because he had lost to Griffin in his first career UFC fight in 2007. Rua’s last three wins, the other two against Lyoto Machida and Chuck Liddell, all were 1st-round knockouts as the result of relentless attacks of strikes and punches. Rua’s attacking style is evenly balanced between strikes, takedowns and submissions, but his ability to land strong strikes are undoubtedly the key to his game and taking down Henderson, who has just a 49% strike avoidance rate.
Henderson (28-8-0) returns to UFC for the first time since January 2009, when he defeated Michael Bisping in a brutal knockout. His most recent win, in the Strikeforce arena against Fedor Emelianenko, shows that at 41 years old, “Hendo” still has gas left in the tank. His training in wrestling makes him a takedown artist, and effective use of takedowns is his best chance to topple Rua, who can leave himself vulnerable with his aggressive combatting style. Play against the aging veteran here, but he should put up a stellar fight.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
