Welterweight bout: Matt Hughes vs. Ricardo Almeida
Odds: (+125 Hughes /-155 Almeida )
Betting Pick: Matt Hughes
The second bout of the evening is a Welterweight contest pitting Renzo Gracie disciple Ricardo Almeida against former Welterweight champion and future Hall of Famer Matt Hughes. Hughes’ best days are behind him, but he is still a formidable wrestler with very underrated submission defense, so this is going to be a very tough fight for Almeida, who does his best when he can control the position of a fight.
Almeida, who began fighting professionally back in 2000, returned from a four year hiatus from the sport in 2008 and has looked very impressive since then. Almeida is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but his game does not favor guard play. Instead he likes to wrestle and work on guys from top position, something that may prove problematic against a wrestler of Hughes’ caliber. Still, Almeida is very very good on the ground, and is more than equipped to capitalize on the smallest mistake Hughes makes.
Hughes, clearly, needs little introduction. A UFC legend and, so far, the most dominant champion in the Welterweight division’s history, Hughes is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in MMA history. His boxing is still quite rudimentary, but so is Almeida’s, so that shouldn’t be a huge problem. Hughes will do what he has always done, try to bully this fight to the ground and work Almeida over from top position.
Stylistically, this fight favors Hughes, past his prime or not. Almeida’s jiu-jitsu is most effective from top position, but he is not going to be able to take Hughes down on his terms. Hughes’ jiu-jitsu has always been underrated, and coupled with his stifling top game, Almeida is going to find it very difficult to finish Hughes off his back. Hughes should control this fight with wrestling and cautious ground and pound en route to the unanimous decision. It is also worth noting that Hughes is a good underdog pick, so this is a good moneymaking opportunity.
Prediction: Matt Hughes via unanimous decision.
- Bet on the UnderDog Hughes @ +125 for the Win.
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