For the second major event in a row excited fans UFC betting will have to wait to see their anticipated main event due to injury, the largely anticipated Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier fight for the Light heavyweight Championship will have to wait. The other tittle fight on the card will be for the Flyweight World Championship division when Demetrious Johnson squares off against the challenger Henry Cejudo. The UFC 197 odds have been posted already, and we will now give you an early preview of what to expect on the fight night that’s coming on Saturday April 23rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
The anticipation building up for the return to the octagon by Jon Jones produced general excitement. When it was announced that he would be fighting Daniel Cormier, fans betting on UFC betting 197 became elated, as the anticipated rematch had been set. However, just like Don Anjos in UFC 196, Cormier suffered a foot injury and will not be able to compete. Instead, Jones will now face Ovince Saint Preux in an interim title match, with the possibility of a future encounter with Cormier for the victor and a Light heavyweight bout.
Saint Preux with a record of 19-7 enters this fight as the underdog with a money line of +280 in UFC 197 odds. This fight came about at the request coming from Jones himself in social media after Cormier withdrew. Saint Preux has never fought Jones and on paper he will be able to produce a decent fight, but in the end no one is giving him a shot. The main criticisms regarding this fight are due to the UFC’s decision to make this fight for an interim tittle. Something that a portion fans and some fighters have stated is meaningless.
Thankfully the card has another exciting fight listed, as Demetrious Johnson will defend his World Flyweight Championship versus the Olympic gold medalist Henry Cejudo. Johnson (-400) is the heavy favorite, and a popular pick among fans betting on UFC betting and MMA. Johnson has had a long and illustrious championship run as he has defended the tittle seven times since its inception four years ago. He is one of the top fighters in the world pound for pound and has demonstrated through out his career that he is one of the most versatile fighters in MMA currently.
His opponent, the undefeated Olympian Cejudo, 10-0 MMA records and a 4-0 UFC betting record. Cejudo is a mat and submission specialist, thanks to his wrestling background, while Johnson is a striker. He will try to make Johnson uncomfortable in the octagon and take him down and try make him not able to strike him. But considering the amount of experience that “Mighty Mouse” Johnson has both in the mat and striking, Cejudo will have his work cut out for him. Fans betting on UFC, while expecting a bright career from Cejudo, this will be his first loss. So the safest bets on the night would be to lay the favorites: Jones and Johnson to win.