UFC 116 Odds To Win - MMA Betting Matchups & Fight Card
UFC 116: Lesnar vs. Carwin takes place Saturday, July 3 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and features a heavyweight championship bout.
Saturday’s main card, which will air on Pay Per-View live at 10PM ET features five fights. Here is a look at the main event bouts.
Lesnar vs. Carwin
The main event of Saturday’s card is for the UFC Heavyweight Championship when champion Brock Lesnar (4-1) takes on interim champion Shane Carwin (12-0). Lesnar is considered the favorite in the fight with a line of -130 while Carwin has a line of +140. This fight is one of the most-anticipated bouts in the heavyweight division in quite some time. Both men have been seemingly unbeatable in the last few years as Lesnar has torn through Randy Couture and Frank Mir while Carwin destroyed Gabriel Gonzaga and Mir. Carwin has won all 12 fights in his career by KO or submission and not a single fight has went past the first round. Carwin has the mass and strength to match Lesnar, but the key to the bout will be how Carwin handles Lesnar’s speed and athleticism.
Leben steps in to fight Akiyama
The co-main event of Saturday’s event is a middleweight bout that isn’t overly intriguing on paper, but the storyline behind it has generated more interest in the fight. In this contest, Yoshihiro Akiyama (13-1) takes on Chris Leben (20-6). This fight was originally scheduled to feature Akiyama and Wanderlei Silva, but Silva had to bow out last week after injuring his ribs. Leben steps in after just fighting on June 19. Leben defeated Aaron Simpson by TKO in the second round in that contest. Akiyama threatened to not take the fight after the switch, feeling Leben was beneath him, but has since changed his mind. He enters the fight as the favorite with a line of -200 while Leben comes in at +185. Fatigue for Leben will be a key issue, but his punching power gives him a chance in any fight.
UFC 116 takes place live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. starting at 10PM ET. Below are the currently listed odds for the event. Odds are provided by online sports book Sports Interaction.
UFC Heavyweight Championship
Brock Lesnar -130
Shane Carwin +140
Middleweight Bout
Yoshihiro Akiyama -200
Chris Leben +185
Welterweight Bout
Chris Lytle -195
Matt Brown +160
Light Heavyweight Bout
Krzysztof Soszynski -218
Stephan Bonnar +195
Heavyweight Bout
Brendan Schaub -295
Chris Tuchscherer +264
Light Heavyweight Bout
Ricardo Romero -145
Seth Petruzelli +120
Middleweight Bout
Goran Reljic -155
Kendall Grove +145
Middleweight Bout
Gerald Harris -245
Dave Branch +200
Welterweight Bout
Daniel Roberts -170
Forrest Petz +145
Heavyweight Bout
Karlos Vemola -160
Jon Madsen +150
UFC 116 Odds and Picks – Brock Lesnar vs. Shane Carwin
The main event of UFC 116 is a huge bout for the UFC Heavyweight Championship as Brock Lesnar takes on Shane Carwin.
Lesnar enters the fight as the slight favorite with a betting line of -130 with Carwin given a line of +140 according to online sports book SPORTSBETTING.com. Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this main event bout, which will take place from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, beginning at 10PM ET live on pay-per-view.
Brock Lesnar (4-1):
Strengths: Lesnar is still young in his MMA career, but he has as much raw talent as any fighter and he keeps getting better. His sheer size is tremendous as he wears 4XL gloves and he cuts weight to hit the 265-pound limit. Lesnar is a collegiate national champion in wrestling and he has improved his striking since beginning MMA. Lesnar doesn’t have the most technical striking, but his fist size and power is so great that one punch can end a fight.
Weaknesses: Lesnar is coming off a 1-year layoff since defeating Frank Mir at UFC 100. Shortly after that victory, Lesnar developed an illness in his intestine which threatened his career. Thankfully the illness didn’t worsen and he is back to fighting, but a 1-year layoff could have its problems. His cardio could be impacted and his senses in the octagon could be affected.
Last Five Fights:
Second round TKO win over Frank Mir at UFC 100 on July 11, 2009
Second round TKO win over Randy Couture at UFC 91 on Nov. 15, 2008
Unanimous decision win over Heath Herring at UFC 87 on Aug. 9, 2008
First round submission loss to Frank Mir at UFC 81 on Feb. 2, 2008
First round submission win over Min Soo Kim at K-1 Hero’s on June 2, 2007
Shane Carwin (12-0):
Strengths: Carwin is a horse, as he packs as much muscle into his 265-pound frame as possible. In 12 career fights, Carwin has never had a fight go out of the first round, winning all by knockout or submission. The longest fight of his career was his last, as it took him 3:48 to beat Mir at UFC 111. Carwin has a wrestling background, but he had been a stand-up artist in the UFC as he has tremendous power and solid technique in his striking.
Weaknesses: It is hard to say that Carwin has a weakness with his resume, but we have never seen him fight off his back, and that is the big question in this fight. Lesnar has the speed and explosiveness that Carwin has never contended against. If Carwin can avoid takedowns or defend well off his back, he has the edge. If he is unable to get the large Lesnar off of him, it could be a long night.
Last Five Fights:
First round TKO win over Frank Mir at UFC 111 on March 27 2010
First round TKO win over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC 96 on March 7, 2009
First round TKO win over Neil Wain at UFC 89 on Oct. 18, 2008
First round KO win over Christian Wellisch at UFC 84 on May 24, 2008
First round TKO win over Sherman Pendergarst at ROF 31 on Dec. 1, 2007
Who will win: This fight is very tough. The key will again be if Lesnar is able to score takedowns. Now, Lesnar may be to stubborn to try in order to attempt to prove a point. On their feet, we feel Carwin is the better fighter as he lands more strikes and has more power per-punch than Lesnar. His explosion on Mir was something you don’t see out of a lot of heavyweights. In the end, we like Carwin’s size and strength to match Lesnar’s strength. Both still have some growing to do, but we feel Carwin will land the big blow and win by TKO in the first round.
Additional Line: Over/Under 6.5 minutes for fight length. Over (-135) Under (-105).
UFC 116 Odds and Picks – Chris Lytle vs. Matt Brown
One of the main card bouts in Saturday’s UFC 116 card is a welterweight clash between Chris Lytle and Matt Brown.
Lytle enters the fight as the favorite with a betting line of -195 with Brown given a line of +160 according to online sports book Sports Interaction. Here is a closer look at both fighters heading into this main card bout, which will take place from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, beginning at 10PM ET live on pay-per-view.
Chris Lytle (28-17-5):
Strengths: A good scrapper, Lytle was an amateur boxer prior to making the commitment to MMA and throughout his career, he has improved on his ground game. Perhaps Lytle’s biggest strength is his heart and toughness, as he has been finished just two times in his career, and both were due to cuts. He has never been submitted or knocked out.
Weaknesses: While Lytle is a scrapper and often wins Fight of the Night honors for his entertaining bouts, he is far from a polished athlete. He is good in most areas but not great in any and can be easily beaten by a superior grappler or striker. In this fight, Lytle should be in a position to win, but if Brown shows dominance in one area or another, it could be a long night for Lytle.
Last Five Fights:
First round submission win over Brian Foster at UFC 110 on Feb. 20 2010
Unanimous decision win over Kevin Burns at Ultimate Fighter 9 Finale on June 20, 2009
Split decision loss to Marcus Davis at UFC 93 on Jan. 17, 2009
Unanimous decision win over Paul Taylor at UFC 89 on Oct. 18, 2008
Unanimous decision loss to Josh Koscheck at UFC 86 on July 5, 2008
Matt Brown (11-8):
Strengths: Like Lytle, Brown is just a tough scrapper. He is strong, he can take a punch, and he always approaches forward during a fight. Brown can take a punch, as he has never been knocked out in his professional career, and he hits hard, as he holds KO wins over fighters like Pete Sell and James Wilks.
Weaknesses: Brown clearly struggles with submission fighters as he has been submitted six times in his career, including his last fight against Ricardo Almeida. Prior to that, Brown had a solid streak building. In this fight, Lytle is not a submission specialist, but he knows a thing or too. Brown will have to stay off his back and show he can transition out of a submission hold.
Last Five Fights:
Second round submission loss to Ricard Almeida at UFC 111 on March 27, 2010
Third round TKO win over James Wilks at UFC 105 on Nov. 14, 2009
First round TKO win over Pete Sell at UFC 96 on March 7, 2009
Second round submission win over Ryan Thomas at UFC 91 on Nov. 15, 2008
Split decision loss to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 88 on Sept. 6, 2008
Who will win: Lytle won a 2007 meeting between the two by submission, but both are different fighters now. Still, Brown doesn’t have the experience Lytle does and once Lytle senses trouble on the feet, he should be able to get Brown to the ground and control the fight. Look for these two to put on a show, but for Lytle to win by decision.