UFC Betting Preview – St. Pierre, Fitch square off at UFC 87

Sportsbook odds - UFC 87 Betting Preview

• St. Pierre looks to defend crown against Fitch
• Florian, Huerta set for epic lightweight battle
• Lesnar searches for first win in UFC against Herring

UFC 97: Seek and Destroy, taking place this Saturday, August 9, will take place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Saturday night, and welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre will defend his title against Jon Fitch, who is quickly making his way through the ranks. Also, Roger Huerta will clash with Kenny Florian in the lightweight division, while Brock Lesnar takes on Heath Herring in the heavyweight class.

Georges St. Pierre (-350) vs. Jon Fitch (+275)

St. Pierre last fought in April in his hometown of Montreal, where he defeated Matt Serra to become the Undisputed Welterweight champion. St. Pierre has an outstanding record of 16-2, and is widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. However, Fitch has a 19-2 record with one no-contest, and is riding a eight-fight winning streak. His last fight was in March, when he beat Chris Wilson at UFC 82. St. Pierre has UFC betting odds of -350 to retain his title, and he has been recently training with the legendary Gracie family in Brazil for this fight.

Jack's pick – St. Pierre by knockout

Kenny Florian (-160) vs Roger Huerta (+130)

Florian comes into this bout with a 10-3 record, as he knocked out Joe Lauzon back in April for his seventh win in eight fights. Florian is well-known for fighting in the first season of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show, and he is taking advantage of the opportunity. He will face a tested veteran in Huerta, who is 25-1-1 with one no-contest, and he has won 11 straight fights. Huerta has not fought since December, when he made Clay Guida submit in the third round. This is being touted as one of the fights of the year by online sports betting fans.

Jack's pick – Huerta

Brock Lesnar (-270) vs. Heath Herring (-210)

Lesnar, once the biggest star in World Wresting Entertainment, is looking for his first win in UFC after losing his debut to Frank Mir by submission in February. Herring is much more experienced with a record of 28-13 with one no-contest, and he showed improved technique during a split-decision win over Cheick Kongo at UFC 82 in March. Both of these fighters are known for their striking abilities, but Lesnar is raw in the ground game and needs to improve drastically before becoming a force in the heavyweight division.

Jack's pick – Herring

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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.