This Saturday, July 19th current UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva will make the jump to the light heavyweight class in a UFC Fight Night event at The Pearl in Las Vegas, Nevada. The man known as "The Spider" will be facing former WEC Champion James Irvin. MMA Betting odds at SBGglobal.com list Silva as a heavy -600 favorite.
Silva, a former McDonald's employee, is largely considered the best pound for pound fighter in mixed martial arts today. His dominance of the UFC middleweight class and uncanny ability to strike opponents from every angle have drawn rave reviews from pundits and opponents alike.
Silva holds a black belt in Brazilian Ju-Jitsu but his skill set is certainly not limited to the fig
hting art made famous by the Gracie family. He is an incomparable striker and has won fights by submission, TKO, and knock out.
James Irvin is a seasoned fighter as well and will provide a good test for Silva as he makes the move to light heavyweight. The California native is a former football player at Azusa Pacific College and is a top notch athlete inside the Octagon. Irvin won his last fight against Houston Alexander by TKO back in April and he has victimized a number of fighters with his powerful punching.
Irvin also has some Ju-Jitsu experience and he mixes a heavy dose of Muay Thai and boxing into his training regimen. "The Sandman" comes into this fight facing some pretty long odds. SBGglobal.com's MMA Betting odds list Irvin at a +400.
Saturday's UFC card will be broadcast live on Spike TV at 9:00pm Eastern Standard Time. The ticket — which features 11 fights – will be going head-to-head with Affliction/Golden Boy's first ever MMA card. UFC is hoping to maintain it's strangle hold on the sport by offering a free viewing of one of the world's best fighters. Affliction customers will have to go the more traditional pay-per-view route.
Also on the docket for the UFC event will be a fight between The Ultimate Fighter finalists Jesse Taylor and CB Dollaway. Taylor was not allowed to fight Amir Sadollah in the show's finale after he roughed up a limousine window and engaged in some disorderly conduct at a Las Vegas hotel. Dollaway took Taylor's place in the fight and lost to Sadollah by submission in the first round.
Other UFC Fight Night Betting odds at SBGglobal.com:
Hermes Franca (+130) vs. Frank Edgar (-160)
Anthony Johnson (-300) vs. Kevin Burns (+240)
For more MMA odds visit SBGglobal.com. Also, be sure to check out our Live Point Spreads before you place your next MMA bet.
