Strikeforce – Fedor vs. Werdum Odds To Win - MMA Betting Matchups
Strikeforce returns to television this Saturday with Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum from the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California.
Saturday’s main card, which will air on Showtime live at 10PM ET features four fights. Here is a look at the key bouts on the card.
Fedor vs. Werdum
The main event of Saturday’s card is a heavyweight contest between Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) and Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1). Fedor is the overwhelming favorite to win the fight with a betting line of -750 while Werdum is at +525. Emelianenko has virtually never lost a fight as his one defeat was from a cut. In this bout Fedor will have a big advantage on his feet with Werdum hoping he can land a takedown and score a submission. This is nothing new to Fedor, who should be able to dispose of Werdum without much difficulty.
Strikeforce Women’s Featherweight Championship
In the co-main event, Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion Cris “Cyborg” Santos (9-1) takes on No. 1 contender Jan Finney (8-7). Santos is the favorite with a line of -1700 while Finney comes in at +825. Santos is considered the most dominant fighter of a weight class in any division, men’s or women’s. She has easily disposed of her competition and while Finney is a gamer, she is no where near the talent level and power of Santos. Look for the champion to defend her title in dominant fashion.
Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Werdum takes place live from the HP Pavillion in San Jose, California starting at 10PM ET. Below are the currently listed odds for the event. Odds are provided by online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com.
Heavyweight Bout
Fedor Emelianenko -750
Fabricio Werdum +525
Middleweight Bout
Scott Smith +220
Cung Le -300
Women’s Featherweight Championship Bout
Cris Santos -1700
Jan Finney +825
Lightweight Bout
Josh Thompson -450
Pat Healy +325
Strikeforce Odds & Picks – Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum
The main event of Saturday’s Strikeforce card is a heavyweight contest between Fedor Emelianenko and Fabricio Werdum.
Emelianenko enters the fight as the favorite with a betting line of -750 with Werdum given a line of +525 according to online sports book Sports Interaction. Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this main event bout, which will take place from HP Pavillion in San Jose, California at 10PM ET on Showtime.
Fedor Emelianenko (31-1)
Strengths: Fedor is considered by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world and largely considered the greatest fighter in MMA history. He has never really been defeated as his one loss was due to an accidental cut. Fedor has a lot of power in his punches and has good boxing technique while also being very solid on the ground with his grappling and submission skills. He also seemingly has an iron chin as few have ever made him look beatable.
Weaknesses: As time has moved on, Fedor has looked a little less invincible with each fight. He was being out-struck by Andrei Arlovski before landing a big punch for a KO win and he struggled to beat Brett Rogers in his last bout despite Alistair Overeem quickly dispensing Rogers last month. Fedor doesn’t seem to have the speed he used to have and his conditioning looks a little worse for wear, but in this fight, he should be fine.
Last Five Fights:
Second round TKO win over Brett Rogers at Strikeforce on Nov. 7, 2009
First round KO win over Andrei Arlovski at Affliction 2 on Jan. 24, 2009
First round submission win over Tim Sylvia at Affliction 1 on July 19, 2008
First round submission win over Hong Man Choi at Yarennoka on Dec. 31, 2007
First round submission win over Matt Lindland at Bodog Fight on April 14, 2007
Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1)
Strengths: Werdum is a very sound submission fighter that has seven wins by tap out and has never been submitted himself. His striking has improved, but it is not up to par with elite-level strikers. In this fight, Werdum may be able to control Fedor on the ground, but he has to get the fight to the ground first.
Weaknesses: Werdum has added weight the last few years, but it hasn’t been in muscle. He has lost a little of his conditioning with the weight gain and he has gotten a bit slower. For this fight, he will need speed and explosion to get Fedor to the ground and sink in a submission. The slower the pace and the more the fight is on its feet, the more it doesn’t favor Werdum.
Last Five Fights:
Unanimous decision win over Antonio Silva at Strikeforce on Nov. 7, 2009
First round submission win over Mike Kyle at Strikeforce on Aug. 15, 2009
First round TKO loss to Junior dos Santos at UFC 90 on Oct. 25, 2008
First round TKO win over Brandon Vera at UFC 85 on June 7, 2008
Second round TKO win over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 80 on Jan. 19, 2008
Who will win: This fight should be all Fedor as his striking will be far superior to Werdum and their grappling ability is comparable. For someone to beat Fedor they will have to be a much larger fighter with good hands and good wrestling. Werdum doesn’t have that makeup. Look for Fedor to win in the first or second round by TKO.
Strikeforce Odds & Picks – Cris Santos vs. Jan Finney
The Co-main event of Saturday’s Strikeforce card is a match for the Women’s Featherweight Title as Cris “Cyborg” Santos faces off with Jan Finney.
Santos enters the fight as the clear favorite with a betting line of -1700 with Finney given a line of +825 according to online sports book Sports Interaction. Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this title fight, which will take place from HP Pavillion in San Jose, California at 10PM ET on Showtime.
Cris “Cybrog” Santos (9-1)
Strengths: Santos is a beast of a featherweight as she has a lot of size and a lot of strength. Her striking skills are based on the muay thai style, but she also has a solid submission game. Santos is comfortable wherever the fight goes, and due to her size, wherever the fight is, she is usually in control.
Weaknesses: Santos sometimes has the tendency to get sloppy when she gets aggressive. She likes to attack in flurries, but that has left her open to the clinch and takedown situations. Still, Santos has yet to meet a fighter that has been able to match strength and size with here, so she usually doesn’t have to pay for her sloppiness.
Last Five Fights:
Third round TKO win over Marloes Coenen at Strikeforce on Jan. 30, 2010
First round TKO win over Gina Carano at Strikeforce on Aug. 15 2009
Third round TKO win over Hitomi Akano at Strikeforce on April 11, 2009
Unanimous Decision win over Yoko Takahashi at Elite XC-Heat on Oct. 4, 2008
Second round TKO win over Shayna Baszler at Elite XC-Unfinished Business on July 26, 2008
Jan Finney (8-7)
Strengths: Finney is a game fighter that hasn’t fought in front of a major world audience like she will on Saturday night. Winner of her last four, Finney packs some power in her punches and he all-around ability has allowed her to win a couple of recent decisions. Finney won’t be scared to face Santos, she just may not have the skills to win.
Weaknesses: This is by far the biggest fight in Finney’s career and her record doesn’t make an argument that she should be contending for a title. This fight is a great opportunity for her to make a name for herself, but she seems to be the lamb for slaughter in this situation.
Last Five Fights:
Split decision win over Adrienna Jenkins at FCF on March 27, 2010
Unanimous decision win over Lizbeth Carreiro at FCF on Jan. 30, 2010
Second round KO win over Brighton Hutton at C3 on Oct. 30, 2009
First round TKO win over Marissa Caldwell at MMA Big Show on Oct. 24, 2009
Unanimous decision loss to Erin Toughill on PFC 11 on Nov. 20, 2008.
Who will win: This shouldn’t really be a challenge for Santos as the fight seems to be more about keeping her fresh than providing her with a challenge. Santos should come out aggressive and establish dominance quickly. Look for a second round TKO win in this one.
Strikeforce Odds & Picks – Scott Smith vs. Cung Le
One of the featured bouts of Saturday’s Strikeforce card is a middleweight contest between Scott Smith and Cung Le.
This fight is a rematch of a bout that took place last December when Smith scored a knockout of Le in the third round. For the rematch, Le enters the fight as the favorite with a betting line of -300 with Smith given a line of +220 according to online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com. Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this bout, which will take place from HP Pavillion in San Jose, California at 10PM ET on Showtime.
Scott Smith (17-6)
Strengths: Smith is a very powerful striker with “Hands of Steel” as his nickname goes. 14 of his 17 wins have come by TKO and he has only had one fight in his career go to a decision, so he doesn’t like to leave it in the hands of a judge. Smith never shys from contact and he has a solid chin, which allowed him to take a lot of punishment from Le before landing the knockout punch.
Weaknesses: While Smith is tough as nails, he still lacks in a lot of areas, mostly in his wrestling and grappling. The blueprint is pretty simple for Smith, get him to the ground and pound on him. He hasn’t shown the ability to beat opponents on the ground. He has also struggled with opponents that have better striking technique than he does.
Last Five Fights:
Third round KO win over Cung Le at Strikeforce on Dec. 19, 2009
Third round submission loss to Nick Diaz at Strikeforce on June 6, 2009
Third round KO win over Benji Radach at Strikeforce on April 11, 2009
First round KO win over Terry Martin at Strikeforce on Nov. 21, 2008
Second round TKO loss to Robbie Lawler at Elite XC on July 26, 2008
Cung Le (6-1)
Strengths: Le is a very diverse striker that uses a lot of variations of punches and kicks to break down his opponents. Le has a Lyoto Machida style of fighting, but tends to be more aggressive. He also is solid on the ground, which makes him dangerous wherever the fight will go. Until the loss to Smith, Le had won all six fights in his pro career by knockout.
Weaknesses: Le has only fought one time in the last two years, and that was the loss to Smith. The long layoff may have affected his in-cage abilities. Le still looked solid before leaving himself open to the big punch from Smith, but Le didn’t have the tendency to leave himself open like he did in that fight. With a committed training regimen, Le should have shaken off all of the cage rust he had.
Last Five Fights:
Third round KO loss to Scott Smith at Strikeforce on Dec. 19, 2009
Third round TKO win over Frank Shamrock at Strikeforce on March 29, 2008
Third round KO win over Sam Morgan at Strikeforce on Nov. 16, 2007
Third round KO win over Tony Fryklund at Strikeforce on June 22, 2007
First round TKO win over Jason Von Flue at Strikeforce on Dec. 8, 2006
Who will win: Le was in complete control of the fight with Smith in the first meeting until Smith swing for the fences and it landed. This time around, look for Le to return to controlling the fight, but not let himself get caught with the big punch. We like Le to win this fight in the second round by TKO.