UFC Odds: Fight Night Heads Down Under

The UFC heads Down Under to Melbourne, Australia this weekend (November 26) for an action-packed Fight Night 101. The main event will feature a middleweight clash between two top-ten contenders, Robert Whittaker and Derek Brunson, which will add a much needed spark to the division.

While the card is not stacked with big name draws, it does include a few interesting match-ups and a smattering of Australian hopefuls and has-beens that could interest the rest of the world.

Whittaker and Jake Matthews are two big names coming out of Australia right now and this will be their first chance to headline a main event. Also in the mix is Dan Kelly, a 39 year-old judo champion. And then there’s Kyle Noke, who was literally “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin’s bodyguard before he turned professional.

Let’s take a closer look at the shrimp (make that jumbo prawns?) on the barbie.

Derek Brunson (-130) vs. Robert Whittaker (+110)

The winner between the Australian Whittaker (16-4) and Brunson (16-3) will move a step closer to a shot at the middleweight title. The two fighters offer some freshness to an aging and stagnant division. Whittaker is primarily a striker and prefers to fight on his feet. Brunson is a more well-rounded fighter who isn’t afraid to take the fight to the ground. I see the home crowd being disappointed as Brunson ground-and-pounds his way to a win on points. 

Pick: Derek Brunson (-130)

Jake Matthews (-270) vs. Andrew Holbrook (+230)

Matthews (10-2) should give the Aussie fans something to cheer about in his bout with Holbrook (11-1). The two fighters have both won a bunch of their fights through submission (Matthews has five; Holbrook has nine). Mathews, at just 22 years-old, lacks finesse but more than makes up for it with athleticism. Fighting at home will only give him more energy. Look for him to overwhelm Holbrook with his still raw talent. 

Pick: Jake Matthews (-270)

Omari Akhmedov (-185) vs. Kyle Noke (+160)

Noke (22-9) has his work cut out for him when he takes on Akhmedov (15-4). The Dagestani has an explosive fighting style, similar to fellow Sambo fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov, and has a lethal ground-and-pound game to go with it. If he can take the 36-year-old Noke to ground, it’s almost definitely over for him.

Pick: Omari Akhmedov (-185)

Other Main Card Fights:

Alex Volkanovski (-160) vs. Yusuke Kasuya (+140)

Khalil Rountree (-150) vs. Tyson Pedro (+130)

Seo Hee Ham (-115) vs. Danielle Taylor (-105)

Picks: Yusuke Kasuya (+140), Khalil Rountree (-150), Seo Hee Ham (-115)

Photo credit: “DSC_0334” by Martial Arts Nomad, CC BY-SA 2.0 [http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0], via Flickr.