UFC Odds: Cormier, Johnson Meet Again

After the blockbuster that was UFC 205, let’s turn our attention to UFC 206 which will take place on December 10 in Toronto. While it doesn’t quite have a card like 205, it does have a title fight in the light heavyweight division between champion Daniel Cormier and knockout artist Anthony Johnson, as well as an interesting match-up between Max Holloway and Anthony Pettis.

Daniel Cormier (-133) vs Anthony Johnson (+125)

When Daniel Cormier (18-1) and Anthony Johnson (22-5) faced off during UFC 187 in May 2015, it was for the vacant light heavyweight title, formerly held by Jon Jones. Johnson rocked Cormier early in the first round with a heavy overhand, but was later submitted in the third.

Since then, Cormier has only defended his title once against Swedish fighter Alexander Gustafsson. Other than that, his only other fight was a non-title bout against a 41-year-old Anderson Silva.

Johnson has been a little more active, fighting three times since his first matchup with Cormier. In each of those fights, Johnson ended things with a knockout punch. His last six fights have all won the Fight of the Night bonus.

The absence of Jones, who was stripped of his light heavyweight title after a hit-and run incident and a suspension for a failed drug, has left the weight class in disarray. Cormier v Jones II has been in the works for some time now, and it appears it might have to wait a little longer.

In the meantime, Cormier v Johnson II is the best match-up we can hope for in the light heavyweight division. Johnson is the number one contender for the title, and really the only threat against Cormier at the moment.

Cormier’s last two fights have been wins, but unconvincing ones. He struggled against Silva, who took the fight on very short notice, and only just edged out a split decision win over Gustafsson.

Johnson has a significant height and reach advantage over Cormier, and his stand-up game is far superior. If he can prevent Cormier from taking the fight to the ground, he stands a good chance of taking the belt.

Pick: Anthony Johnson (+125)

Max Holloway (-185) vs. Anthony Pettis (+145)

While an interesting match-up, this fight will have very little effect on the featherweight division. Max Holloway (16-3) is the third-ranked contender in the division and Anthony Pettis (19-5) is ranked sixth. No matter what happens in this fight, Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar remain the top contenders for the next title shot against Conor McGregor (whenever that happens).

Pettis will be fighting for the second time in the featherweight division after making the switch from lightweight. Holloway, at only 24 years old, will be looking for his tenth consecutive win.

Holloway’s last loss was to McGregor back in 2013. The young fighter has come a long way since then and will likely be a future contender for the featherweight title. Pettis, on the other hand, is a former lightweight champion on the decline. His last few fights have included high-profile losses to fighters such as Raphael Dos Anjos and Eddie Alvarez. He’s looking for a fresh start in a new division, but he’s got his work cut out for him against Holloway.

Pick: Max Holloway (-185)

Photo credit: “IMG_1547” by Ron Hall, CC BY-SA 2.0 [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0], via Flickr.