If the fight were decided on reputation and career achievements alone this welterweight match would be over before it begins. Matt Hughes, a recent UFC Hall of Fame inductee and former UFC odds champion, would win by KO.But the UFC 117 betting action matchups will be decided in the Octagon and Almeida, while still a relative new comer to the UFC Main Event action has earned his spot in this matchup and might even be the better fighter in this match up. With a career record of 15-3 in MMA competition and a 4-1 career record in UFC competition Almeida is one of the rising stars in the welterweight class.
That body of work is quite a contrast to the legendary Hughes career record and it will be interesting to see whether the grizzled veteran or the new kid on the block will come out of the UFC 117 odds competition with the victory.
Hughes reputation certainly precedes him in this UFC 117 betting matchup as his hall of fame status would indicate. Hughes has a career record of 51-7. With that kind of resume it’s little wonder why he’s received the accolades he has. He successfully defended his title six times and was the last man to hold the belt before the legend Georges St Pierre took over the title.
Over his career Hughes has taken on defeated a number of highly skilled fighters many as good better than Almeida. His more memorable wins in UFC competition have come against the likes of BJ Penn, St Pierre, Royce Gracie, Matt Sera, Sean Sherk and others.
But as anyone planning on betting the UFC 117 betting action knows it doesn’t matter what you three years ago, two years ago, or even the last fight: the only thing that matters is the fight at hand and in his most recent UFC bouts Hughes has been less than spectacular.
The 36-year old former champ is just 3-3 over his last six UFC fights. If Almeida fights up to his potential, Hughes will be 3-4 over his past seven more recent fights after the UFC 117 betting action finally ends and Almeida could be in line for a title shot.