This Saturday in Brasilia, Brasil, Cyborg vs Lansberg will be going down. Cyborg, perhaps the scariest female fighter to walk on this planet, will look to go 2-0 in the UFC this Saturday. She will be meeting promotional newcomer Lina Lansberg. This card has a lot of dog money on the line, so if you feel like dropping some money this weekend – continue on!
Cyborg vs Lansberg
Cyborg Justino comes to us as a massive -1285 favorite; her opponent, a +715 underdog. Cyborg has developed the reputation as a destroyer. She fights with relentless aggression and ferocity. What’s even scarier is that she seems to be getting even better. In her last fight, she showed a much more calculated style and looked amazing as she won by first round TKO.
Her opponent, Lina Lansberg, has a pretty decent record. She’s an accomplished muay thai fighter and 6-1 in MMA. She has solid striking fundamentals, and a real knack for elbows in the clinch. If you have listened to her talk about this upcoming fight, she sounds very confident that her muay thai will best Cyborg.
After seeing Cyborg’s latest performance, I find it hard to think she will lose against any woman who isn’t among the elite. Unfortunately, she can’t quite make the 135 lb weight limit, so Cyborg vs Lansberg will be at a catchweight of 140 lbs. Rumors have circulated that Cyborg is really struggling with her weight this time around. That makes me think putting a little cash on Lansberg is worth it. After all, you’re getting a near 7-to-1 return.
If Lansberg can survive the first round, then she has a real chance. I see Cyborg vs Lansberg ending brutally in the first round for Cyborg, or Lansberg gutting it out and pulling off the big upset.
Cyborg vs Lansberg is an appealing fight for an underdog pick.
Renan Barao vs Phillipe Nover
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Barao, one time considered to be a pound-for-pound great, finds himself in a squash fight with TUF-finalist Phillipe Nover. Now at a heavier weight class, Barao will look for his first official featherweight win. Nover on the other hand is looking to bounce back from a split decision loss to Zubaira Tukhogov. If this isn’t a squash match then I don’t know what is.
Barao sits as a -445 favorite while Nover is a +350 underdog. Surprisingly, these odds aren’t more extreme, but I see why. Nover was seen as a prospect during his time on The Ultimate Fighter, and Barao has lost three of his last four. It’s easy to forget how good Barao is. Nevertheless, this should be a sure win for him. -445 is pretty steep, but I was expecting worse.
I wouldn’t rule out putting Barao on a parlay alongside better picks.
Bigfoot Silva vs Roy Nelson
In a battle of diminished heavyweights, “Bigfoot” Silva will try to survive the overhand right of Roy Nelson. At a glance, this fight seems like it can only end one way – Nelson finding the big, fragile chin of Silva. But as I look more into, the more I’m starting to view this more as a pick ’em.
Silva, a +330 underdog, could get KO’d by the first clean shot – after all, that is often the case for him. However, he has shown the ability to endure and come back. He got into the third round with Overeem, and the second with Soa Palelei. Nelson on the other hand, a -420 favorite, has looked evermore predictable and slow. Better days are behind both men, so I think picking this fight is more of a coin-toss than anything. They both have KO power along with supposedly good grappling skills. Silva is the much bigger man, but Nelson has the durability.
These heavyweights are too inconsistent and too past their prime to pick.
Paul Felder vs Francisco Trinaldo
At last, a competitive match up on paper on this Cyborg vs Lansberg main card. Felder, the slight +110 underdog meets surging Brazilian talent Trinaldo who is a -130 favorite. Felder is riding a two-fight win streak while Trinaldo brings in six straight victories and a wealth of momentum.
Both Felder and Trinaldo have a common opponent in Ross Pearson. Felder lost a decision to Pearson while Trinaldo beat him. In general, Felder is a talented striker, but has troubles finding his rhythm. He possesses the arsenal to really go places, but struggles pulling the trigger. Trinaldo doesn’t have this problem at all. He is a wild, awkward fighter who is great at getting fighters off their rhythm. He attacks with unorthodox approaches, and hits very hard. He does leave lots of openings, but he’s an absolute brute who also possesses good grappling.
“Massuranduba” is the smart pick here, and -130 odds are pretty appealing. I’m very confident Trinaldo will force Felder to have an off night, especially since they’re in Brazil.
Trinaldo has the hometown advantage, and brings a style that is hard to prepare for.
Thiago Santos vs Erick Spicely
Just like that, we’re back to the squash matches on this Cyborg vs Lansberg main card. Thiago “Marreta” Santos comes in as the heavy -530 favorite while his opponent, Eric Spicely, is a +410 underdog. There really isn’t a way I see Santos losing this fight unless he completely underestimates Spicely. With half of his wins coming by submission, Spicely will no doubt be looking to catch Santos on the ground. The only problem is getting the fight there. Santos has some of the most destructive stand up skills in the division, and doesn’t get taken down very easily. -530 is very steep, but there are some interesting parlay combinations with the amount of underdogs on this Cyborg vs Lansberg card.
Another squash match, this one in favor of Santos. Spicely doesn’t have the experience or skillset to justify an underdog pick.
Godofredo Pepey vs Mike de la Torre
Opening up the main card is a featherweight bout between Pepey, the -140 favorite, and de la Torre, the +120 underdog. These are slight odds, which I think one can take advantage of. Pepey is a serious prospect despite being completely shut down in his last fight against Darren Elkins. Before that, Pepey racked up a three fight win streak, and has some highlight reel finishes to his credit. De la Torre on the other hand is coming off a split decision win over Yui Chul Nam after getting stopped by Maximo Blanco. Even though he comes from a great camp, de la Torre just doesn’t seem to be at the level that someone like Pepey is destined for.
Godofredo Pepey is the smart pick here.
Prelims
On the prelim portion of Cyborg vs Lansberg, we have a few fight that I want to highlight. The first fight is Michinori Tanaka vs Rani Yahya. I expect this to be a grapple-heavy bout, in which case it should favor Yahya as he is on another level than most bantamweights on the mat. Tanaka has gone the distance in most of his fights, and doesn’t seem to present anything threatening on the feet. However, he’s only a +120 underdog while Yahya is a -140 favorite. I was expecting more extreme odds, so I would take advantage of this and put some money down on Yahya.
The next bout that jumps off the screen at me is Erick Silva vs Luan Chagas. Despite all his potential and highlight reel finishes, Silva comes into this fight as a +115 underdog while Chagas is a -135 favorite. I understand why – Silva has noticeably become weaker after strict drug-testing policies have been introduced. However, he is still a dangerous fighter who should be capable of beating someone who has yet to win inside the Octagon. I understand the hype behind Chagas, but he is untested whereas Silva has fought the who’s who. Definitely put some money down on Silva.
The rest of the prelims are bouts that I would avoid. With that we have though, there are some seriously juicy odds that you can stand to benefit from. Underdogs are plentiful, and the way things have been going you have to expect some of them will cash in. Stay tuned for more news on this Saturday’s Cyborg vs Lansberg card!
