UFC Fight Night 61: Main Card Betting Odds and Predictions

At UFC Fight Night 61, notable heavyweights Antonio Silva and Frank Mir will look to get back into the win column.

Since earning a title shot against Junior dos Santos in May 2012, Mir has lost four in a row. He's been a huge star in the UFC for more than a decade, but Mir's MMA career appears to be winding down. Suffering a fifth consecutive loss this weekend could bring it to an end.

Silva earned a title shot with a shocking February 2013 win over Alistair Overeem. He has not won since then, though. The brightest moment Silva has had during his current drought was a Fight of the Night performance in a draw with Mark Hunt. Of course, Bigfoot ended up failing his drug test following that bout.

With Sunday's card in Brazil approaching, here are predictions and current betting odds for all main card contests.

Santiago Ponzinibbio (+145) vs. Sean Strickland (-165)

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As the odds suggest, this matchup between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Sean Strickland is about even on paper.

Following a loss to Ryan LaFlare in his UFC debut, Ponzinibbio bounced back in a big way with an opening-round knockout win over Wendell Oliveira. The victory gave Ponzinibbio some job security, but he'll be facing a much tougher test opposite Strickland.

With no losses in 15 MMA bouts, Strickland is promising and still improving at only 23 years old. That said, he's not unbeatable, as shown in his debatable split-decision win over Luke Barnatt in May. Ponzinibbio might not be the one to hand Strickland his first loss, though.

Ponzinibbio may have more power than Strickland, but he'll have a tough time using it while facing a three-inch reach disadvantage on Sunday. A little better in all areas, Strickland should be able to grind out another decision win at UFC Fight Night 61.

Prediction: Strickland

Play: 1 percent bankroll on Strickland

Iuri Alcantara (-440) vs. Frankie Saenz (+350)

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With three straight wins, one of which came against a ranked bantamweight, it is surprising to see Iuri Alcantara set to meet an opponent with one UFC victory.

That was the bout handed to the Brazilian, though. As expected, the odds paint an accurate picture of how lopsided the matchup is.

Although he hasn't broken into the title picture, Alcantara is top-notch in all areas. Meanwhile, Frankie Saenz is 34 years old and still hasn't proved himself against high-level competition.

I have a hard time seeing this as anything other than a showcase bout for Alcantara. Even at these odds, he might be worth throwing some money down on.

Prediction: Alcantara

Play: 3 percent bankroll on Alcantara

Rustam Khabilov (-400) vs. Adriano Martins (+325)

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Following his first UFC setback, Rustam Khabilov will look to rebound against Adriano Martins.

With a 3-0 start to his UFC career, Khabilov quickly rose into the Top 15 lightweight rankings. Yet, he wasn't able to pass a big test in June, when he met former champion Benson Henderson.

Adriano Martins has also looked good inside the Octagon against non-contenders. The Brazilian has gone 2-1 under the UFC banner, with his only loss coming against Donald Cerrone in January 2014.

While Khabilov should be able to win this bout with his wrestling, Martins is not a fighter to be overlooked. These current odds are underestimating the Brazilian's chances significantly, so betting on Khabilov might not be worth the low return.

Prediction: Khabilov

Play: Pass

Cezar Ferreira (-310) vs. Sam Alvey (+255)

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A The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil winner, Cezar Ferreira has gone 4-1 inside the Octagon, with his only loss coming against C.B. Dollaway. Well-rounded and athletically gifted, Ferreira has the potential to break into the Top 15 rankings at some point. 

Now 30 years old, the time is now for him to make that move up to the next level. Ferreira got started with a rebound win over Andrew Craig in June, but he'll need to continue to build momentum against Sam Alvey on Sunday.

Following a loss to Tom Watson in his UFC debut, TUF 16 contestant Alvey picked up a huge knockout win over Dylan Andrews. He's been inconsistent, but Alvey has the power to turn a fight around in an instant, and Ferreira has been stopped by less threatening strikers.

While Ferreira may have to be extra cautious when standing, he should be able to beat Alvey on the ground. That said, Alvey's ability to end this bout with one punch makes Ferreira tough to bet on.

Prediction: Ferreira

Play: Pass

Edson Barboza (-145) vs. Michael Johnson (+125)

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Edson Barboza and Michael Johnson are both on the cusp of becoming serious title threats. At UFC Fight Night 61, one will take another step forward, while the other will see a winning streak come to an end.

Although Barboza has had setbacks at inopportune times in the past, he is coming off a win over Bobby Green, who presented some of the same threats that Johnson does. In that bout, Barboza showed that he can keep fights standing against solid wrestlers, and the Brazilian is a scary opponent to stand with.

Johnson is looking better than ever, but Barboza might be the toughest test he has had. While Barboza has been hurt by lesser strikers than Johnson, he's also made outstanding strikers look bad with his arguably unparalleled kicking arsenal.

With three more inches of reach than Johnson, Barboza should be able to win this one with technical striking over three rounds. Beating Johnson would put the Brazilian closer than he's ever been to challenging for the lightweight championship.

Prediction: Barboza

Play: 1 percent bankroll on Barboza

Antonio Silva (-320) vs. Frank Mir (+260)

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While Silva has not looked good recently, he's at least looked competitive against a heavyweight contender.

Mir, on the other hand, no longer seems to have the ability to beat elite heavyweights unless they willingly go to the ground with him. Even then, Mir didn't threaten Alistair Overeem or Daniel Cormier with much on the canvas.

One of the larger heavyweights around, Silva will be a difficult opponent for Mir to take down. Even if Mir does find a way, Silva has never been submitted.

Although Silva has been knocked out several times recently, Mir doesn't have the quickness that others who stopped the Brazilian had. Bigfoot should be able to keep this one standing and overpower Mir en route to a knockout victory. 

Prediction: Silva

Play: 2 percent bankroll on Silva

Odds via OddsShark.com.