UFC 95: Sanchez vs. Stevenson Predictions
Written February 20, 2009 by Jason Lowry
UFC 95: Stevenson vs Sanchez is just a day away, as a number of fighters are set to invade the O2 Arena in London this Saturday night, and while the fights will take place much earlier in US time, fans can still get some action in on the fights and for those of you that can wait or just like watching the UFC, it is set to be aired free of charge on SPIKE TV at 9pm ET. While a lot of the big names aren’t on display, there are still a bunch of good fights going, including the main event of Joe Stevenson vs. Diego Sanchez that is sure to be one of the better fights we have seen this year. For those of you looking for a little help on impressing your friends, we are going to take a closer look at the main event, and give you our prediction on all 5 main event fights.
Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (34-9) +255 odds to win at Bookmaker.com
After winning four straight fights in the UFC, Stevenson has been beat up in two of his last three fights, but those losses came to quality fighters by the names of BJ Penn and Kenny Florian. Both losses were by a choke submission with the most recent coming to Florian back at UFC 91. Stevenson did through in a win over Gleison Tibau between the two losses, but if this guy wants to get back to the top of the lightweight division, he likely needs to pull out a win against Sanchez. Though Stevenson has lost his last two fights by submission, he is known for his great takedown and submission skills, as three of his last four wins have come via a submission. While few are giving Stevenson much of a shot in this one, you can never count out a guy that can put you in a choke hold before you realize what’s going on.
Diego “NIghtmare” Sanchez (21-2) -315 odds to win at Bookmaker.com
This could be a scary scene for the rest of the lightweight division if Sanchez is able to make a smooth transition from welterweight to lightweight, as this will be his first fight in the 155 weight division. After starting his career going 18-0, Sanchez lost two straight fights in 2007 to Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch, but it wasn’t as though he got his ass kicked, as both fights went to a decision. Sanchez bounced back strong in 2008 winning both his fights, including his most recent win over Luigi Fioravanti in June of last year. While many believe Sanchez could continue to be competitive at the welterweight division, many think he could make a similar transition to that of BJ Penn, who went from welterweight to dominating the lightweight division. If Sanchez is able to walk a way with a convincing win in this fight, we don’t think it will be long before we see Penn and Sanchez going head to head for the lightweight title. We think that will be just the case, as we expect Sanchez to make pretty easy work of Stevenson in this fight.
Prediction: Diego Sanchez -315
Rest of the Fights:
Rory Markham -105 vs. Dan Hardy -125
Wilson Gouveia +255 vs. Nate Marquardt -315
Chael Sonnen +255 vs. Demian Maia -285
Paulo Thiago +450 vs. Josh Koscheck -600
If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:
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- UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 Preview & Odds
- UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stephens Odds & Predictions
- UFC 96: Jackson vs. Jardine Betting Odds
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