The Metamoris 5 Grappling event scheduled for San Diego this Saturday has undergone some changes, as injuries have affected the card. Metamoris offers submission grappling and ground fighting at the highest level world-wide, and BETDSI.COM is the only book on the internet offering odds on this niche sport.
Yuri Simoes as originally scheduled to face off against Rafael Lovato Jr, and he was a (+399) to finish the fight, with Lovato having slightly better odds at (+230) and the draw at (-175) was the likely outcome. Simoes will now face Keenan Cornelius, and though the odds are not adjusted at the books, the change should be minimal, as Simoes is unlikely to catch the well decorated Cornelius in a submission. Cornelius is a veteran of this format who has been one of the groups most consistent performers, so despite the short notice, he will likely be slightly favored over Simoes, and the draw will remain the most likely outcome.
Top notch grappler Vinny Magalhaes was a (-257) favorite to finish off Kevin Casey, who was a big (+957) underdog, but Casey has pulled out due to injury.
One of the things that Metamoris excels at is generating a buzz, as they have tapped a market of older ‘legendary’ fighters and the hottest prospects. They have invited controversy by courting Chael Sonnen and have featured a ‘secret match’ on several occasions to good reviews. For this event, they have opened the field to face Vinny Magalhaes as a replacement for Casey, putting out a challenge and sweetening the pot by offering $10,000 if the fighter is able to take out Magalhaes. We will see if the match is reset, or if Magalhaes is forced to sit.
The crossover appeal on this card remains with its main event of Renzo Gracie and Kazushi Sakuraba, where the odds are favoring the draw. Both men met in MMA more than a decade ago in part of one of the classic rivalries of that sport, and both men have positions of respect within the martial arts community. Though in their heyday both were cutthroat fighters who would take any chance you give them, they are more likely to fall into a chess match in this format.
Check out a preview from Metamoris on one of the superfights, Gary Tonon vs Zak Maxwell:
