Posted on 4/7/2007 1:50:57 PM

UFC 69 Betting – St Pierre vs Serra Fight Preview

By Damon D

It’s not like the UFC or The Ultimate Fighter producers were running out of ideas when they came up with the idea for TUF4. The Comeback was a tribute to the success of older fighters and an homage to the notion that everybody, including the UFC itself, deserves to be given a second chance.

The Ultimate Fighter 4 proved that a few losses, combined with some bad luck, was no reason to keep you out of the UFC, and that, even if you have been through a few rounds, doesn’t mean you don’t have what it takes to be a champion in the UFC. Just ask Randy Couture (15-8) or Ken Shamrock (26-11).

But this time around, I’m not sure if they’ve found lightning in a bottle with the journeyman fighters the show produced.

I don’t know if it’s just the fact that Georges St. Pierre looks so dominant as of late, or that Matt Serra just isn’t that good, but to be a (+700) underdog in a Championship bout is a bit of a tough pill to swallow. Especially when it means your opponent is a staggering (-1100) favorite!

 

 

These lines tell us one thing: oddsmakers aren’t giving Matt Serra a snowball’s chance in hell at winning. He isn’t even being given great underdog money. Simply put, no respect. And rightfully so, in this sports writer’s opinion. TUF4 was a novelty act of old-school tough guys, but regardless of whether you liked Shonie Carter in a speedo or not, would ANY of the guys on that show been a good match for St. Pierre? Or Matt Hughes? Or Anderson Silva? Or even Rich Franklin? Not a chance. It was a great idea, hoping to find that older, aging superstar for us to root for. The “Rocky” of the UFC.

These fighters match up terribly, and we are seeing the sober reality of the difference between the elite and the very good in the UFC. Matt Serra is a very good fighter, but Georges St. Pierre is an elite fighter. Serra earned the right to face St. Pierre for a belt, but I’m not sure he still even deserves to be there, it looks to me like a clever spin on the old mandatory title defenses that boxing bores us with. Let a champion get established by beating on the underclassmen. How can you market a champion if there’s a new one every week? You can’t, and here’s an example of that savvy marketing

The only money to be made here is by the UFC, in PPV buys.

I wouldn’t even throw 50 bucks on Serra as a goof.

Prediction: St. Pierre by 1st degree ass-whooping.

Damon D is an NFL and MMA analyst who writes for many syndicated publications, including his own blog: www.thehouseofsmack.com

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