UFC 99 Betting Preview

The additions of Mirko Cro Cop and Cheick Kongo to the UFC 99 card made what was a pedestrian event by league standards to a monster in Cologne, Germany.

The early BetUS UFC odds are out now for the June 13 event, and the main event has Rich “Ace” Franklin as a solid bet over Wanderlei “The Axe Murderer” Silva in a light heavyweight fight that should be a stand-up war.

Franklin is currently favored with odds of -150 to +110 over Silva, in what is being dubbed as a match between one of the UFC’s most technical boxers (Franklin) and one of its wildest, most unpredictable muay thai fighters (Silva).

The muay thai clinch game will no doubt be a point of emphasis for Franklin, considering he was brutalized by Anderson Silva in their first fight and Wanderlei Silva is probably equally skilled in that department.

There are plenty of other fights to keep an eye on in regards to UFC 99 lines, including the Spencer Fisher-Caol Uno fight at lightweight.

Fisher is currently a +200 to -150 favorite over Uno, who is coming off of a loss to lightweight superstar Shinya Aoki and has lost 2 of 3 fights coming in. The Japanese star Uno is a good wrestler and grappler who prefers the rear naked choke.

Fisher combines the tough mindset of Pat Miletich’s famed camp with a crafty striking and submission game and counts a win over welterweight challenger Thiago Alves as one of his best victories. Fisher’s game is a little more refined but the Uno brings an element of the unknown into the fight in his first UFC bout since 2003.

Marcus Davis and Dan Hardy will also do battle at UFC 99 and there’s a little bit of bad blood between the two as Hardy has questioned whether or not “The Irish Hand Grenade” is a true representative of the country, since he was born in America.

Davis has as much knockout power as any welterweight in the UFC, which has him sitting as a -220 to +170 favorite going into the fight. Hardy on the other hand has a solid all-around game and is a wiry-strong, unpredictable-at-times fighter who has won his first two UFC wagering fights since coming to the organization.

At the welterweight level, Mike Swick will face Ben Saunders in what looks to be an even matchup between two guys who are just a notch below the division’s elite tier.
Swick has only lost 1 time in 9 fights inside the Octagon and is an athletic, exciting, well-rounded fighter, yet he still flies under most fans’ radar screens. Saunders on the other hand is a monster at the weight class’ standards at 6-foot-3 who is listed as a Jeet Kune Do fighter in the style of martial arts legend Bruce Lee.

Swick and Saunders should pull out all the stops in a fight that has Swick as a solid -215 to +165 favorite. This one has Fight of the Night potential along with about five others on the card, which should make for an exciting night in Germany on June 13 at UFC 99.

By Nick Meyer of BetUS.