Brazil has given the world many wonderful things from the Samba, to the string Bikini to top fighters in the upcoming UFC 120 odds event.
The fact that Michael Bisbing is featured –and favored- in the UFC 120 odds action is curious enough, but that’s hardly the end of it. Bisbing is a great fighter in his own right but he’s never owned a world title and he never will. He’s a very tough guy, and almost good enough, but not quite. He’s the fighter that perennially falls short of winning the big match but that always makes it a tough fight for whoever he fights. Bisbing is the type of fighter that the champions fight in the Main Event, not the featured fighter.
But in the UFC 120 betting action he will be the featured fighter.
Why?
Because the UFC 120 betting action takes place at the O2 Arena in London and Bisbing is one of the most popular men in the UK. It seems that in this instance the UFC has sold out its fans and traded quality fighting for first rate publicity exposure. Bisbing will fight against Yoshiro Akiyama, an MMA novice with just two UFC events under his belt and a 1-1 record. Can you remember the last time such an inexperienced fighter was featured in a Main Event?
But the UFC 120 odds event will be more of a publicity event than a quality fighting event and that’s evidenced by the heap of English fighters featured in the event. There are 8 Englishmen in total between the Main Card and the Preliminary Card and all but three of the 11 fights feature an Englishman.
Some of them have no business in this event like James McSweeney (4-5) a heavyweight who will almost certainly get his clock cleaned. Or what about Paul Sass, a fighter who’s never fought in a UFC event? What about Rob Broughton an English heavyweight who’s fought in 20 career MMA events, and hasn’t managed to get a gig with the UFC until now.
Bisbing will likely win his fight but in general the English fighters ought to fare poorly in front of the home town crowd.