The Annual Super Bowl UFC event will feature Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin vs. Rich Franklin and Jon Jones vs. Ryan Bader for UFC 126 on Saturday, Feb. 5 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Let’s check out the Main Event and the Co-Main Event of the night.
"UFC fans expect big things from us every year for our Super Bowl weekend show, and this year could be our biggest ever," UFC president Dana White said in the press release. "Anderson Silva vs. Vitor Belfort is a fight fan's dream match. It's a fight people have wanted for years. Don't blink because both of these guys have dynamite in their hands and can end the night quickly and in very exciting fashion."
UFC 126 Betting Odds:
Anderson Silva (-250) vs. Vitor Belfort (+190)
Forrest Griffin (+135) vs. Rich Franklin (-165)
Ryan Bader (+250) vs. Jon Jones (-325)
Jake Ellenberger (-325) vs. Carlos Eduardo Rocha (+250)
Miguel Torres (-500) vs. Antonio Banuelos (+300)
Main Event: Anderson Silva (-250) vs. Vitor Belfort (+190)
Silva faces his toughest test this weekend against Belfort, after Silva was less than spectacular in his last fight. This much anticipated fight between Silva and Belfort was postponed multiple times because of injuries suffered by both men. After a 16-month layoff for the surgery and subsequent rehabiliation, Belfort will attempt to become the first UFC fighter to win titles in three different decades. In 1997 he won a one-night heavyweight tournament championship. Seven years later, he captured the light-heavyweight championship, defeating Randy Couture. And now, seven years after that, he hopes to add a middleweight belt to his list of accomplishments. He’s an old school fighter who was around at the beginning of UFC, winning his first two fights. He moved to Pride where he went 1-4 before returning to the UFC. His first match back was against Rich Franklin at a catchweight of 195 lbs, headlining UFC 103, which he won by knockout three minutes and two seconds into the first round.
Belfort says winning the belt would not change him, noting "I already know how that feels," but acknowledged his belief that Silva is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, as well as the challenge of facing him. "If I said I faced someone like Anderson before, I'd be lying," he said. "He's a type of unique guy in the sport. The way he fights, the way he proves himself. It's very interesting. I'm very curious how the fight's going to go. Like he said, we're training every way possible. We have to do our best. The predictions are going to be out there. We just have to go out and do our best, what I'm capable of. We're going to have to adapt in the octagon, so be ready. We trained hard, we're both ready and it's going to be time to go."
Forrest Griffin (+135) vs. Rich Franklin (-165)
Forrest Griffin has had his fair share of the spotlight and big moments. He's been UFC light heavyweight champion, and faced some of the heaviest hitters in MMA, including Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Anderson Silva. But for his upcoming UFC 126 fight with Rich Franklin, Griffin admits his nerves are likely to be a little bit more on edge than normal. That's because Griffin will be putting his body to the test for the first time since Nov. 2009. Returning from long-needed shoulder surgery, Griffin will come back against an opponent who is coming off an injury timeout of his own. Franklin will be making his first start back from a broken arm. As for facing the former middleweight champ Rich Franklin, Griffin thinks the bout has the makings of a classic. "If you look at the way Rich fights and you look at the way I fight, all the ingredients for a great fight are there," he said. "So, you just hope it comes together and it's the fight you think it can be."
Point-Spreads.com UFC 126 Betting Odds & Predictions
The Bottom Line: Silva will lose and Franklin to win.
