Strikeforce Grand Prix: MMA Betting Preview and Picks
By Matthew Kaplowitz
June 26, 2010: A day that will live in infamy for MMA fans around the globe.
The unthinkable happened on that summer evening, as Fedor Emelianenko showed the world that he’d not a cyborg but indeed a human, tapping out for the first time in his career.
Trapped between the legs of Fabricio Werdum, it only took just over a minute to end a decade of domination and cause absolute havoc in the heavyweight rankings.
Emelianenko makes his anticipated return to the cage in hopes of retribution at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix in East Rutherford, New Jersey Saturday night. Standing across from him will be the man they call “Bigfoot”, Antonio Silva, who will hope to topple “The Last Emperor” and prove that the hype is unwarranted for the Russian superstar.
Against Werdum, Emelianenko seemed uninterested and it appeared that the man who had gone 10 years undefeated was nowhere in the building. Bettors don’t have much evidence to see how Fedor bounces back from defeat. But they have seen him return from a no-contest against Antonio Rodrigo Nogeuira, who he then mauled for three rounds to become the unified Pride FC champ in their rematch in December 2004.
The only man to defeat Fedor before Werdum was Tsuyoshi Kohsaka, who beat him by a cut in Rings back in 2000. Emelianenko exacted his revenge, unleashing a horrible beating on Kohsaka that ended with a doctor stoppage when they met again in 2005.
The oddsmakers still have Fedor as the heavy favorite (-500) to win his bout with Silva (+300) and the No. 1 pick to take the Strikeforce Grand Prix title, in spite of his recent loss.
Silva’s record does not hold up to the level of competition that Fedor has dealt with. Emelianenko has had his head smashed in by some of the strongest strikers in MMA and has held on. And, until Werdum forced him to submit, MMA bettors had seen him overcome Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialists as well.
Silva offers little challenge to Fedor and is nothing he hasn’t seen before. This should be a routine fight for Emelianenko. He’ll take some abuse, get worked over for a while, then come back and take his place in the next round of the tournament.
However, his actions in this fight will answer those who question if Fedor is truly back and if he’s still worthy of being the favorite to win it all.
Strikeforce picks:
Andrei Arlovski (+105)vs Sergei Kharitonov (-135)
Arlovski’s three consecutive losses will sadly continue, as “The Pitbull” does not offer much that Kharitonov has not seen (and beaten from more consistent opponents) before.
Shane Del Rosario (-215) vs. Lavar Johnson (+175)
Shane has been undefeated in his career, going 10-0, while Johnson is riding a seven-fight win streak. Both are powerful strikers and this will be the most competitive bout on the undercard, with Del Rosario leaving with another knockout win.
Chad Griggs (+190) vs. Gian Villante (-250)
Griggs’ claim to fame is his victory over Bobby Lashley, and that edges out the hometown boy Villante, who has gone 7-1 fighting in Ring of Combat in New Jersey. I will be rooting for Villante, but Griggs is a more seasoned vet who should be able to win this.
Valentijn Overeem (-160) vs. Ray Sefo (+130)
Overeem has handed defeats to many newcomers in their early days of MMA, but against a seasoned opponent, not so much. If Sefo doesn’t cave Overeem’s head in within the first round, it’s because he wants to give more airtime to the sponsors on his shorts.