MMA betting lines: Ultimate Fighter wraps up Saturday
Now in its seventh season, Ultimate Fighter enjoyed one of its craziest runs. In the 12th episode, Amir Sadollah defeated C.B. Dollaway in the semifinal, meaning Sadollah would advance to fight Jesse Taylor in the final (Taylor defeated Tim Credeur in the previous episode). Things took a shocking twist when UFC owner Dana White revealed Taylor and a few other unnamed castmates were involved in some incidents in Las Vegas. Footage revealed Taylor kicking out a limousine window, and he reportedly “terrorized” some women in a hotel. When approached by police he was resistant and yelling that he was a UFC fighter.
Concerned, White removed Taylor from the fight. Dollaway and Credeur squared off to earn a spot in the final. Dollaway won a unanimous decision, and he'll now try to parlay this second opportunity into a victory as the Ultimate Fighter. He'll certainly be the underdog after losing to Sadollah once before already.
There will be plenty of other great fights on the card Saturday. Former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner (-185 odds to win) will battle Kendall Grove (+155 odds) in an interesting match-up. Tanner has a 34-8 record over his career, making him a heavy favorite. Grove has just 15 MMA fights, winning 10, but has a six-inch height advantage over his opponent. Tanner will likely try to get down and use his ground skills while Grove will use his long reach to gain an edge.
A couple of welterweights will scrap when Diego Sanchez (-500 odds) takes on Luigi Fioravanti (+350). Sanchez is a heavy favorite and, with a 21-2 career record, has some impressive wins under his belt. He'll be trying to make a big impact on Saturday after losing two of his last three fights. Fioravanti also has a solid MMA record at 14-3. The former Marine is coming off two straight victories. He'll try to employ his striking skills, while Sanchez is a grappler.
Lightweights Spencer Fisher (-200 odds) and Jeremy Stephens (+170 odds) will round out the main card. Fisher has an impressive 21-3 record, although two of the losses came in his last three fights. He's a dangerous fighter and has ended many of his victories with knock outs and TKOs. Stephens is 15-2 in MMA and also likes to punch his way through a fight (though he does have some submissions to his name). At just 22 years of age and with three straight wins to his name, Stephens might be next in line to gain a foothold in UFC.
It should be a wild night in Vegas. Check out the BetOnline.com Sportsbook for has Ultimate Fighter: Finale and get your MMA betting odds today.
Jack “the Hammer” Howard is new to the MMA handicapping game, but his roots in the sport run deep. He enjoyed a brief amateur career in mixed martial arts and also has some boxing experience under his belt, making him an authority on the subject. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
