UFC 110: Betting Line and Picks Updated 2-20-2010

Heavyweights Cain Velasquez and Antonio Nogueira square off in a potential elimination bout to fight UFC Heavyweight Champ Brock Lesnar in the first fight of UFC down under in Sydney, Australia. Also on the card is potentially Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic's last bout as an MMA fighter and an interesting bout between Michael Bisping and Pride legend Wanderlei Silva.

Looking at the UFC card from a betting perspective, there are no heavy favorites and the UFC Heavyweight headline bout will be a tough bout to call. The majority of the UFC fights in Sydney look to be exciting on paper, and there could be an upset brewing in the Joe "Big Daddy" Stevenson-George Sotiropoulos. Almost every UFC card has one of those stunning upsets, the challenge is to find the right one.

**Ben Rothwell +115 vs Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic -135. Update 2-17-2010
Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic has not impressed since coming over to the UFC and this UFC Heavyweight bout with Ben Rothwell, 30-7, could end "Cro Cop's" career. Rothwell has not been overly impressive in his career either but he is catching "Cro Cop" at his worst. Tough to watch a legend exit the octagon is shame but that could easily happen in this bout. Small bet on Rothwell +115. Tie him into a parley if possible. Anthony Perosh has now replaced Ben Rothwell due to an injury. No bet since it is Perosh taking the fight on short notice.

Keith Jardine +120 vs Ryan Bader -140.
Keith Jardine at 14-7 is another UFC fighter that has overstayed his welcome a bit. He does have that one punch/one kick, knockout ability but also possesses the glass chin that leads to stunning knockouts for his opponents. Jardine the Dean of Mean presents a threat to UFC Ultimate Fighter Ryan Bader and his 11-0 perfect record in UFC.

Bader has to be the pick in this fight and the hope is he doesn't get caught with kick to the head by Jardine or get caught off balance. Bader will actually face one of his toughest challenges but if he puts Jardine to sleep quickly in the first round, Jardine will be relegated to has been status. Bet Ryan Bader -140.

George Sotiropoulos +200 vs Joe "Big Daddy" Stevenson -240.
The Australian born George Sotiropoulos is finding out just how popular the UFC has become in his home country. UFC 110 has been sold out well in advance of Saturday's big night in Sydney. Sotiropoulos has been inundated with ticket request he can't possibly fulfill, from friends and family. Now he will have to regain his focus and concentrate on the task at hand, a battle with Joe "Big Daddy" Stevenson.

Stevenson has beaten Kenny Florian and Spencer Fischer, two solid UFC opponents and now will take on Sotiropoulos on his home turf. Stevenson is a strong favorite over Sotiropoulos every else except Australia.
Stevenson is expected to not have any trouble in bout but with Sotiropoulos it is tough to pass on a +200 fighter in front of a fired up Aussie crowd. Take Sotiropoulos +200 but don't throw too much money on it.

Michael Bisping +130 vs Wanderlei Silva -150.
Both UFC stars have fallen on hard times lately and this will tell the tale of which UFC fighter is going up and which one is going down. Michael Bisping's two losses have come to Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans and entering this UFC bout, Bisping is looking to prove he can beat a legitimate opponent.

Wanderlei Silva is in the same boat. Silva has struggled in his last few UFC bouts, actually he has only two wins and five losses in his last seven bouts. Silva takes on all comers and always fights with heart but if he takes too much punishment in this fight, UFC President Dan White will have to step in a convince Silva to retire. Bet Bisping +130.

Cain Velasquez -105 vs Antonio Nogueira -115.
This fight will be Cain Velasquez biggest challenge in his UFC career and his underdog status confirms it. Antonio Nogueira hasn't fought since UFC 102 and his defeat of Randy Couture. Velasquez will be out to prove that he does belong among the elite UFC Heavyweights. Nogueira will be looking to prove his defeat of Randy Couture was one in a long line of wins, on his way to take the UFC Heavyweight belt from Brock Lesnar.

The fight is a great match-up and should lead to a an instant classic UFC bout. Look for this to go close to the distance but a possible submission or knock out in the final round. Whenever there is a close fight on the card, always take the underdog. Bet Velasquez -105.

Sources:
Las Vegas Hilton Superbook UFC 110 betting sheet
www.sherdog.com
www.ufc.com