The Yapping finally ends on Saturday night and UFC betting 114 is definitely heating up. It is difficult to say what is more important to these fighters – pounding their opposition unconscious or a Light Heavyweight title shot. This is a grudge match for the ages with the bonus being a shot at Shogun Rua for the Light Heavyweight belt.
UFC 114: Rampage vs. Evans
Quinton “Rampage” Jackson (30-7-0): -120
Rashad Evans (19-1-1): -110
When: May 29, 2010
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada
How: Per-Per-View (Spike TV 9PM ET/6PM PT, PPV – 10PM ET/7PM PT)
The distain between these fighters is well documented but now is time to put the verbal jabs aside and figure out who will win this fight, from a championship title perspective and for a UFC betting perspective. While there is not a huge favorite in the fight, there appears to be one man who better prepared and one who has more motivation for victory.
Jackson is a true veteran of MMA who boasts some of the most powerful strikes in the division and has arguably the best killer instinct of any fighter in the UFC today. While there is not any question about Jackson’s power, there are many questions about his commitment to the sport and ultimately his future in the UFC.
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Rampage is a banger who does well against other strikers. Well-rounded fighters are the ones that appear to give him the most trouble. In his last three fights, Jackson has defeated Wanderlei Silva and Evans’ best friend, Keith Jardine, while he lost to Forrest Griffin.
There is no secret as to what Jackson will try to do in this fight – strike. His move to England to train at Wolfslair MMA Academy has done absolutely nothing to help him improve upon his ground game. A one dimensional fight plan and a lengthy lay-off just may be his undoing in this fight.
Rashad Evans would love nothing more than to knock Quinton Jackson out early in their Saturday bout but he knows that his well-rounded game will be a ticket for success. Evans is a wrestler whose stand-up game has grown exponentially since his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter.
Evans works his stand up and ground game relentlessly but has thrown a new wrinkle into his fight preparation – the mental side of MMA. This mental side was on display with his win over a very tough Thiago Silva following his devastating defeat at the hands of Lyoto Machida in his defense of the Light Heavyweight belt. Evans is cerebral, focused and in the best shape of his career.
When evaluating this fight for UFC betting purposes, take into account all four aspects of MMA. The striking is about even between the two fighters, Rashad clearly has the edge in the ground game and Keith Jardine showed Evans that Rampage is susceptible to leg kicks. Give Rashad the edge in two of these three. Evans also has the edge in perhaps the most important intangible in this fight – the mental side. Rashad is hungry, focused and absolutely clear about what it is going to take to defeat Rampage.
UFC Betting Pick: Rashad Evans -110