UFC 188 Odds - Velasquez vs Werdum Betting, More
BetDSI.com has your UFC 188 odds for Velasquez vs Werdum, Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddit Alvarez and more.
Cain Velasquez vs. Fabricio Werdum – Heavyweight Championship Bout
Velasquez (13-1) has not fought since ending his trilogy with Junior Dos Santos with another decisive beatdown, which was in October 2013. This is interesting because his only loss came to Dos Santos after more than a year off due to injury, and that Velasquez was not the guy we know that pushes at a relentless pace, pursuing takedown after takedown and pummelling you with ground-and-pound. Werdum (19-4-1), however, presents a different set of issues for Velasquez because if he gets taken down, the Brazilian might be the best jiu-jitsu artist ever at heavyweight and he has improved his striking a lot, so he is not one-dimensional anymore. This might be Velasquez's biggest test to date.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Eddie Alvarez – Lightweight
Melendez (22-4) is 2-2 since coming to the UFC, and both losses were in title bouts against Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis; he was submitted in the latter. While Melendez is a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, he has 11 knockout wins and prefers to initiate his ground-and-pound. Alvarez (25-4) has 14 knockout wins, but seven submission victories as well and while he got off to a fast start in his UFC debut against Donald Cerrone, Alvarez slowed down and lost by unanimous decision and he cannot afford to do the same against Melendez as they look to stay in the picture in a packed lightweight division.
Kelvin Gastelum vs. Nate Marquardt – Middleweight
Gastelum (10-1) has moved up to middleweight after failing to make 170 pounds on two occasions and he is in need of a victory after his first pro loss to Tyron Woodley in which he failed to get to 170 pounds, but still lost. Gastelum won The Ultimate Fighter 17 and has a bright future, but he has to focus on staying in shape and maybe the move to middleweight will be good for him as he is well rounded, but perhaps he got ahead of himself. Marquardt (33-14-2) has lost four of his last five, including three of four since returning to the UFC and he might be fighting for his UFC career after he was given a second chance following a drug suspension. Both of these men have tremendous heart and lots of power, but the biggest question will be Gastelum's move to 185 pounds.
Yair Rodriguez vs. Charles Rosa – Featherweight
Rodriguez (4-1) won The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America featherweight tournament, and he has gained notoriety for his strong striking skills, even though he has submitted one opponent as well. He will be in tough against Rosa (10-1), who lost to Dennis Siver in a Fight Of The Night, and he has stopped all ten of his wins, three by knockout and seven by submission. He pushes the pace of the fight and gets his opponent to make a mistake and that is what Rodriguez will have to watch out for as a relatively inexperienced fighter. The 145-pound division is not that deep, so an exciting performance would be in the best interest of both men.
Tecia Torres vs. Angela Hill - Women's Strawweight
Torres (5-0) is another fighter that likes to battle at a fast pace, but she prefers to stay standing up and use her versatile striking game that comes from a background of taekwondo and karate. Hill (2-0) is also a striker looking to make her name in the UFC, but she might have trouble keeping up with the pace of Torres and we know that the women always bring it in the octagon, so this should get the pay-per-view card off to a rollicking start.
