The Underdog's Guide to UFC 89 Betting

The great thing about competitive cards is that there are a bunch of underdog choices which have a good chance of playing out to your advantage. The take isn't as good as when there's a huge upset, but you've got a much better chance of winning a few smart underdog bets. With that in mind, let's look at this weekend's UFC 89, which features several compelling reasons to bet on the underdog:

Keith Jardine (+145) vs Brandon Vera (-185)

It might be hard to determine who you're going for when you consider the performances these guys clocked in the last time they were in the octagon. Keith Jardine got clobbered into next week by Wanderlei Silva and Brandon Vera stunk out an uninspired decision win against UFC virgin Reese Andy. Neither fight inspires much confidence in either of these guys.

But looking back at their records, one thing is clear: Keith Jardine is very willing and able to pull off the upset. His knockout of Forrest Griffin and a crafty decision win over Chuck Liddell proves this. While Brandon Vera is often left trying to explain why he's underperforming, Keith Jardine leaves everyone else wondering how he keeps winning.

There's simply too many unknowns when it comes to Brandon Vera. He hasn't put in a good performance since 2006, so you're left betting on the hope that 'old Brandon' will show up. You've also got to hope that the cut to 205 won't affect Vera the way it did in his last match. Keith Jardine is very capable of going for three rounds. Even when Brandon Vera was The Man, he had a suspect gas tank. If you're still on the fence with this one, wait and see how Brandon looks at the weigh ins ... that should tell you something about his boasts of hitting 205 easily this time around.

Rameau Sokoudjou (-130) vs Luis Cane (Ev)

Around the same time Sokoudjou weas making everyone sit up and pay attention in Japan by knocking out Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona, Luis Cane was doing the same in South America. Today, Cane is the owner of an 8-1 record, with 7 knockouts and the one loss via disqualification for illegal blows. While Sokoudjou's resume might have the bigger names, Cane's resume speaks of consistancy.

Add onto this fact that Cane is an excellent striker AND jiu jitsu artist, and you start to see why he makes sense as a pick. While there's no doubt Sokoudjou has heavy hands, Cane's striking is on par. Add in the clear advantage on the ground and you can't help but favor Cane.

Last but not least, while Sokoudjou can certainly dish out the damage, he hasn't proven that he can take it. Glover Teixiera 'broke' Sokoudjou with strikes. And then there's the question of his ground skills. Lyoto Machida mounted Sokoudjou with ease and submitted him with a basic arm triangle. Not only was Sokoudjou not able to defend or escape from the positions he was stuck in, he seemed exhausted by the middle of the second round.

All in all, Cane seems to have the most well rounded package. While anyone can win in a slugfest, I expect we'll see Cane take advantage of Sokoudjou's shortcomings to earn a win.