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UFC 80 Picks, Predictions, & Odds
BJ Penn vs. Joe Stevenson
UFC 80 takes place this Saturday at the Metro Arena in Newcastle, England. Where “The Prodigy” BJ Penn (12-4-1) will take on Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (33-7). The UFC lightweight title will be up for grabs. Penn has waited six years for another shot at the lightweight title. Stevenson is not going to be an easy opponent though as he is undefeated in lightweight competition.
Penn first got his shot at the title back in 2002 when he faced Jens Pulver in a 5 round war that didn’t go his way. Since then he won the welterweight title by surprising Matt Hughes. Penn then set his eyes again on the 155-pound title by avenging his earlier defeat to Pulver with a submission win.
Stevenson who first arrived with a big victory as a welterweight on season one of the ultimate fighter. He then decided that he was better fitted to fight at the 155-pound weight class, and ever since he has been unstoppable. His perfect start has led to this fight and his first shot at a world title.
While both fighters seem to be evenly matched, we believe that Penn will walk away victorious from this one. Though Stevenson has more fights, we believe that Penn has faced tougher fights and has a devastating ground attack. We don’t think that the match will be won by throwing blows at each other, but on the ground where we think Penn will take control of the match and get another big submission victory.
Best Odds Listed for Each Figther:
BJ Penn -280 at BetUS
Joe Stevenson +235 at Sportsbook
Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabrico Werdum
In the heavyweight division another big time match will take place between Gabriel “Napao” Gonzaga (8-2) and Fabrico Werdum (9-3-1). This fight is a rematch from the 2003 bout where Werdum knocked out Gonzaga. Both fighters are hoping that a win here will get them a shot at the heavyweight title. These two men are capable of ending a fight very quickly and should lead to a very crowd-pleasing performance.
Gonzaga is one of the most dangerous fighters in the business, and is coming off a disappointing loss to Randy Couture for the heavyweight crown. Giving him even more reason to come into this fight completely focused. With a win here he could easily have another shot at Couture and end up avenging his only two losses in back to back matches.
Werdum is said to be one of the best kept secrets of the heavyweight division. He made a name for himself in the PRIDE Organization. He recently lost his most recent and UFC debut against former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski. He looks to get back on track by beating down Gonzaga for the second time, and making a name for himself in the UFC.
This fight is truly a coin flip. Both fighters bring in amazing power and fighting ability. Both fighters have gotten better since their last fight, and have a better idea of what to expect once round one begins. We see the deciding factor being on who can land the big shot and run with it.
Best Odds Available:
Gabriel Gonzaga -240 at BetUS
Fabricio Werdum +210 at Sportsbook
So what do you think? I know there are a lot of UFC pundits out there who have an opinion on these two fights, so leave your thoughts in the comments.
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