UFC 182: Jones vs. Cormier Main Card Betting Odds and Predictions
On Saturday, the UFC will begin its 2015 campaign with the highly anticipated UFC 182 card.
The event is headlined by a light heavyweight championship bout between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. While Jones is on his way toward matching the accomplishments of MMA legends, Cormier is a worthy opponent and has developed into a serious rival to the 205-pound king.
In the co-main event, Myles Jury will attempt to continue his climb upward in the lightweight rankings against Donald Cerrone. With five straight wins, Cowboy is still looking for his first UFC title shot and could take a big step closer by halting Jury's advancement.
As this important event approaches, here is a look at the current betting odds, via OddsShark.com, for the entire main card along with predictions for each matchup.
Hector Lombard (-800) vs. Josh Burkman (+550)
1 of 5
With wins over Jake Shields and Nate Marquardt in his past two outings, Hector Lombard is in the hunt for a shot at the welterweight championship. Nonetheless, he's been tasked with welcoming Josh Burkman back to the Octagon this weekend.
A 4-1 run with WSOF, including a submission win over Jon Fitch, earned Burkman another shot with the world's top MMA promotion. However, he's being thrown into the deep end opposite Lombard, who poses a rough stylistic matchup.
Having forced Fitch to tap, Burkman is obviously dangerous on the ground. However, Lombard is nearly impossible to take down and has never been submitted.
It seems likely Lombard will sprawl-and-brawl his way to another knockout victory. However, at the current odds, risking money on the former Bellator MMA champion wouldn't be worth the reward.
Prediction: Lombard, (T)KO, Rd. 1
Play: Pass
Kyoji Horiguchi (-800) vs. Louis Gaudinot (+550)
2 of 5
At 24 years old and now 3-0 inside the Octagon, Kyoji Horiguchi is looking like one of the brightest prospects in the flyweight division. Now, he appears to be catching Louis Gaudinot at the right time as well.
Gaudinot owns a submission win over Top 10 125-pounder John Lineker, but he hasn't won since that bout in May 2012. Heading in the wrong direction, this isn't when Gaudinot wanted to run into one of the hottest competitors in the flyweight class.
Horiguchi should be most concerned about Gaudinot on the ground. However, the rising Japanese star has never been submitted, so he should hold his own on the canvas.
I expect Horiguchi to keep on rolling, but these odds are a bit out of whack for a fighter who has not been tested by a ranked UFC 125-pounder. It would probably be wise to avoid betting on this one unless you feel strongly that Gaudinot can hand Horiguchi his first submission loss.
Prediction: Horiguchi, (T)KO, Rd. 2
Play: Pass
Brad Tavares (+115) vs. Nate Marquardt (-135)
3 of 5
Five straight wins had Brad Tavares looking like a potential contender early on in 2014, but the Hawaiian failed tests against Yoel Romero and Tim Boetsch. Now, he's matched up with another tough veteran, Nate Marquardt.
After some rough showings in the UFC welterweight division, Marquardt recently decided to move back to 185 pounds. That move got him back on track, as he submitted James Te Huna in the opening round.
While Tavares is much more well-rounded than Te Huna, Marquardt should still be able to exploit the same weakness. Having been taken down eight times in his past two fights, Tavares is likely going to go to the ground with Marquardt on Saturday, and he hasn't faced a better grappler inside the Octagon.
Prediction: Marquardt, Submission, Rd. 2
Play: 1 percent bankroll on Marquardt
Donald Cerrone (-190) vs. Myles Jury (+165)
4 of 5
With five straight wins, Cerrone could be closing in on his first UFC title shot. In order to earn it, though, he'll need to become the first fighter to hand Jury an official loss.
After coming up short on The Ultimate Fighter, Jury has gone undefeated in six UFC outings. Having passed big tests against Diego Sanchez and Takanori Gomi recently, he has established himself as a contender and now has his eyes set on earning a shot at UFC gold.
They have their differences, but Cerrone is a more veteran version of Jury in many ways. Both are skilled strikers with sometimes overlooked submission skills.
For that reason, this is the stylistic matchup that will finally stall Jury. However, being only 26 years old, he has many more big fights coming his way.
Prediction: Cerrone, Unanimous decision
Play: 1 percent bankroll on Cerrone
Jon Jones (-155) vs. Daniel Cormier (+135)
5 of 5
Although Jones is closing in on matching some of the greatest title reigns in UFC history, his matchup with Cormier on Saturday has most people focused on the present rather than the past.
Cormier has struck a nerve with Jones. Already an intriguing opponent for Jones due to his world-class wrestling, Cormier has taken this matchup to another level by turning it into one of the more genuine rivalries in recent MMA memory.
Once the two light heavyweights step into the Octagon, that will be forgotten, though. Jones has proved he doesn't let feuds impact his performance inside the cage, so it will all come down to which fighter is more skilled.
While Cormier might be the best wrestler Jones has faced, he's far from the first really good wrestler to challenge the champion. Jones has clashed with Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen, and he made it look easy against both men.
He might have to work a little more for this one, but Jones will retain his belt against Cormier. And considering you might never see Jones at these odds again, now is the time to bet big on him.
Prediction: Jones, Unanimous decision
Play: 3 percent bankroll on Jones
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