Up next for the UFC is UFC 185, scheduled for Dallas, Texas on March 14. The main event features dynamic lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis making his second title defense as he faces Rafael Dos Anjos. Right now, Pettis is a heavy favorite at the sport books, paying out at (-430), with dos Anjos returning at (+345). The over/under for the five round bout sits at 2 1/2, with the over at (-145) and the under at (+115).
Pettis is returning to the octagon on relatively short notice, which is a good sign. In his last outing, Pettis defeated Gilbert Melendez impressively, finishing the long-time top contender with a guillotine choke in the second round. For Pettis, it was his first fight in almost a year and a half, and short turn around time here is an indication that Pettis wants to make up for that long period with no fights.
Dos Anjos is the top available contender, as he is 8-1 in his last nine fights, and the man that beat him, undefeated Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov, is on the shelf with an injury. Dos Anjos has some very solid wins, including a stoppage of former champion Benson Henderson and a unanimous decision win over standout Donald Cerrone so to think that he has no chance is not fair to him, but there is a tendency to think that he does not stack up well with the champion. In Pettis, he faces a striker with length and depth of game that is superior to his, and Pettis is a finisher on the ground as well.
The co-main event features strawweight female champion Carla Esparza making her first title defense against Poland’s Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Espaza comes in favored at (-160), with Jedrzejczyk coming back at (+140). The over/under for this five rounder is at 4 1/2, with the over paying at (-160) and the under returning (+130).
Esparza was also the underdog heading into the title bout with Rose Namajunas, but she used her solid wrestling game to exert control and win rounds. Namajunas had a lot of hype behind her after the reality show appearance, and she was not impressed, so she figures to look past her opponents perfect (8-0) mark this time as well.
