UFC Odds Spotlight: Howard Looking To Give Alves 3rd Loss in a Row. Thiago Alves is one of the biggest names in the UFC odds action and has enjoyed one of the most meteoric rises in the sport in recent memory. Sure there have been higher profile fighters and fighters that have gotten a quicker title shot than Alves but no one in the ultra competitive welterweight class has enjoyed such rapid success.
But at the ripe old age of 27 Alves looks to have lost his mojo and is on the brink of burning out of the high profile UFC betting action. This is a guy who has gone from the basement to the penthouse and looks to be on his way back to the basement if he doesn’t win his UFC 124 bout against American John Howard on December 11th, 2010 in Quebec.
Alves has a career record of 17-7 but hasn’t won a UFC match since October 25th of 208 when he won a unanimous decision over Josh Koscheck (who incidentally will get a title shot of his own at the UFC 124 event against world champion Georges St Pierre).
The Brazilian who once looked like he was on the fast track to claim the welterweight world title has lost two UFC odds matchups in a row and could very easily find himself on the losing end of three straight after the UFC 124 Main event. Granted, one of the most recent losses was to world champion St Pierre, which is no stain on anyone’s record, but the most recent loss to John Fitch was unexpected.
Alves faces a potentially much more difficult opponent in Howard who is tough as nails and has a career record of 14-5 in MMA. Howard is a KO master and has won 4 of his past 7 matches by KO or TKO. Howard is bit of a brawler and perhaps lacks the discipline to be a top contender. No the less, the punches he’ll be throwing will be very real and Alves will have to be on top of his game.
Howard is also coming off a surprise loss to the unheralded Jake Ellenberger in his last match and is also in a bit a do-or-die position in the UFC betting action himself.
The desperation of both fighters should make this a terrific matchup but Alves has the patience and discipline to overcome anything Howard throws at him.