Posted on 4/17/2008 1:41:39 PM

Wager On UFC - UFC 83 Serra vs. St-Pierre 2

By Robby Maddux

For the first time ever, UFC action invades Canada on Saturday, April 19 and we have your cage-side UFC betting ticket. UFC 83's main event pits Matt "The Terror" Serra against Canada's own Georges "Rush" St-Pierre, who will be battling for the Welterweight Championship title.

St-Pierre (15-2-0) currently holds the Interim Welterweight belt and will be looking to avenge last year's defeat in this rematch with Serra (16-4-0), who shocked the UFC wagering world by claiming victory as the hefty underdog. Serra took St-Pierre's UFC Welterweight Championship title in the upset by scoring a technical knockout at UFC 65.

Coming into the first fight, Serra's critics believed he didn’t even need to show up against the heavily favored St-Pierre, who was expected to successfully defend his belt with ease. Instead, Serra came to the cage ready for war, landing repeated shots with very bad intent to St-Pierre's head until the bout was halted at 3:25 of the first round. It was by far the biggest upset of 2007.

Now, the pair meet again. Only this time Serra is the defending UFC welterweight champion and St-Pierre is the challenger.

If Serra is to again make oddsmakers look foolish and retain his title, he'll need to be aggressive and press the action with combinations. St-Pierre is not comfortable striking while moving backward because he is not a natural counter-puncher and needs space to throw punches.

Serra is only 5’6 with short arms, so he needs to stay close to the Canadian and utilize his solid ability to brawl with vicious strikes. If the fight goes to the ground, the New Yorker wouldn't mind as his ground game is superb with excellent submissions.

St-Pierre is coming off back-to-back dominant wins over top contenders Matt Hughes and Josh Koscheck. If he's to make it three straight and take back his title, St-Pierre must create space, take advantage of his stellar takedown game and be able to avoid Serra's heavy hands.

Serra will attempt to turn this into a war on the inside, but St-Pierre has to stand back and use his reach advantage while picking his shots at a distance. St-Pierre has arguably the best takedown defense in the welterweight division, meanwhile, Serra's takedowns are very average at best. It would be a surprise if the Quebec native stands toe-to-toe with Serra, who's already proven in the first matchup he's capable of landing fight ending bombs.

Can Serra shock the world once again? BetUS UFC odds are giving Serra little chance at a second win over St-Pierre (-500), tagging him the +350 underdog. If you bet on UFC action, this is going to be a dynamic title fight you won't want to miss.

Also on Saturday's card, Travis "The Serial Killer" Lutter (+300) will try to trump Rich ''Ace'' Franklin (-400). Lutter has lost three of his last four trips to the cage. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter will be looking to improve on his 12-4-0 MMA record against Franklin, who's dropped two of his last four fights.

Franklin is a well-rounded contender with excellent striking skills and is superbly conditioned. He owns a strong MMA record of 24-3-0 manufactured against some of the fiercest fighters in the game including the legendary Ken Shamrock, Anderson Silva (twice), Yushin Okami, Evan Tanner, and Nate Quarry.

Speaking of Quarry (-280), the "Rock" will be in action at UFC 83 against Kalib Starnes (+200). Quarry is 14-2-0 in MMA competition and is a calm, cool, and collected competitor with stout conditioning. Starnes will try to rattle his cage with well respected finishing skills at 10-3-1.

Early money in this contest is going on Starnes. Quarry opened up at -350 but a steady stream of support for Starnes has since lowered the favorite's odds.

As well, Charles "Chainsaw" McCarthy (+230) will attempt to cut down Michael "The Count" Bisping (-300). McCarthy possesses ample punching power with above average submissions. He'll attempt to build on his 7-2-0 record against Bisping, who displays a big heart with a great standup game and can adapt to any situation with fitness at 15-1-0.

And, Mark Bocek (-500) will take on Mac Danzig (+350). Bocek is 5-1-0 and will try to impress as the chalk by grabbling and showcasing his good takedown skills. Danzig is a respectable 18-4-1 and will look to bark as the puppy with his mental toughness and experience.

UFC Free Picks: Georges "Rush" St-Pierre (-500), Rich ''Ace'' Franklin (-400), Kalib Starnes (+200). Michael "The Count" Bisping (-300) and Mac Danzig (+350). Are you ready? Let's get it on!