UFC Odds: Bisping, Whittaker Due for Title Unification
Michael Bisping (+188) vs Robert Whittaker (-250)
It’s settled: UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping (30-7) and the new interim champ Robert Whittaker (19-4) will square off for a title unification match.
However, it may require a bit of waiting on our part. Bisping is out for at least a few more months with a knee injury and Whittaker aggravated a pre-existing leg injury during the interim title fight against Romero over the weekend. Still, what good is an interim title if a unification bout isn’t guaranteed? Move over Georges St-Pierre. Bobby Knuckles is next in line for the middleweight crown.
Whittaker was a mediocre welterweight, but he’s since been unstoppable after moving to middleweight (7-0). His perfect record includes huge wins over Derek Brunson, Ronaldo Souza, and now Yoel Romero.
During the interim title fight, Whittaker dropped the first two rounds against a ferocious Romero. But the young Aussie managed to claw his way back on the scorecard and clinched the final three rounds. The 23-year-old demonstrated wisdom beyond his years, showing patience and poise against one of the most terrifying fighters the sport has seen.
On the mat, he held his own against the Olympic silver medalist. And on his feet, he showed us why they call him “Bobby Knuckles”.
Bisping had a mega-fight against Georges St-Pierre lined up, but it’s unlikely anything will come of it now. For a while, it seemed like a title fight between Bisping and Romero was destined, but Whittaker has come out of nowhere to take the number one contender spot.
The Count pulled off the biggest upset in UFC history when he dethroned middleweight champ Luke Rockhold last year, and has made one title defense since. However, that was a grudge match against a 45-year-old Dan Henderson.
At 38 years old, Bisping’s career is coming to an end. After 37 fights a few brutal losses, the battered champ is on his last legs. He’s a well-rounded fighter with one of the best cardios in the game. That could pose a serious threat to Whittaker, who was gassed by the final round against Romero. Whittaker doesn’t have as much experience going five rounds, and that could come back to haunt him.
But other than that, everything is pointing towards a new champion. Bisping had his fairy tale moment, but all good things must come to an end.
Pick: Robert Whittaker (-250)
Don Aguero is a man of many talents, writing about nearly anything you can put odds to. Don has been writing for SportsBettingDime since 2015, covering sports, entertainment and politics. You name it, he's covered it! He is also a steadfast West Ham fan, and has learned to embrace that suffering.
