Posted on
1/15/2008 5:56:49 PM
Bet On UFC 80 - A Dog Ready to Bark in Newcastle, England
By Robby Maddux
UFC 80's main event is extremely intriguing and oddsmakers may have pegged the main event between Joe "Daddy" Stevenson and B.J. "The Prodigy" Penn with illegitimate odds, which pleases UFC betting fans supporting underdogged Stevenson on Saturday.
Joe "Daddy" Stevenson is a well known and respected fighter in the world of MMA with 40 fights under his belt with a 33-7-0 record. Stevenson has won his last four fights, with his most recent victory coming against Kurt Pellegrino via unanimous decision in UFC 74. Yet the number experts aren't giving him any respect.
The gritty lightweight California native warrior fighting out of Las Vegas, Nevada knows all about odds, and he's surely aware UFC odds display him the underdog of +210 for his fight versus Penn.
''I don't know why everyone thinks I'm an underdog. I don't think you guys are checking the wrong forums'', said Stevenson.
The Lightweight juggernaut brings a wealth of experience to what is arguably the deepest division in the UFC today and owns an impressive resume. On November 5, 2005, he won the Welterweight division of season two of The Ultimate Fighter reality television show.
On July 8, 2006 at UFC 61, Stevenson won his bout with Octagon veteran Yves Edwards. At UFC 65, he defeated Dokonjonosuke Mishima by guillotine choke submission and at UFC Fight Night 9, Stevenson tapped out Melvin Guillard with a guillotine choke.
He's also claimed the KOTC welter and lightweight title, ROF welterweight championship, RITC welterweight belt and the GC RITC welterweight championship over his career.
Stevenson says he has been inspired by the atmosphere he witnessed when watching previous UFC events held in the UK, and he'll definitely feed on the fact he's the puppy in efforts of making oddsmakers look foolish, as they so often do in a sport one punch can decide the outcome no matter the odds.
Stevenson will attempt to dictate the pace of the fight, then try plant Penn on his back in the early goings with a bomb. If that fails, Stevenson will be more than happy to take the fight to the ground where he's most comfortable.
Stevenson has excellent takedowns and submissions along with world-class wrestling skills. He's also a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist.
So who is Penn? He's far from a household name and a man from Hawaii that loves running his mouth. Penn is already talking about fighting other guys who aren't in the division, looking past Stevenson which could be costly as one of the most over priced favorites in recent years at -280.
With a win “The Prodigy” would be the first fighter in the history of the organization to win 155 and 170-pound championships.
''It’s all about getting that lightweight title right now….Joe Stevenson isn’t the big name like Hughes or St. Pierre, but it’s all about getting the title. I really want to be the first guy to have a belt in the lightweight and welterweight divisions'', said Penn.
Penn has lost two of his last three fights, however, the two losses came against two of the best in the business in the likes of Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes. But his other two defeats and draw came against much lesser fighters.
Grant it, Penn is one of the best Jiu-Jitsu talents in the business who also happens to be a formidable striker with amazing take-down defense. But Penn has far less experience in the Octagon then Stevenson with just 17 fights to his credit for a record of 12-4-1.
This bout is for the UFC World Lightweight Championship.The winner of this match is expected to meet Sean Sherk in the initial defense of the title, so winning this fight will be just one step towards being the undisputed Lightweight champion.
This match looks quite interesting on paper and more evenly matched than the experts think. The two fighters match up well in styles as well as in ‘hunger’ for the victory.
If you like rooting and investing on the puppy, Stevenson at +210 is the liveliest underdog you'll find in any UFC main event. There's great value on him, so don't miss out and enjoy the show.
UFC Free Picks: Joe "Daddy" Stevenson +210. Who's your daddy now Penn supporters?