Thursday, March 31, 2011

UFN 24 picks, Vegas-style: Hardy an underdog against Johnson

Dan Hardy and Anthony Johnson meet up tonight on the comeback trail. Hardy is trying to get a win after a knockout loss at the hands of Carlos Condit, while Johnson returns from injuries after 16 months off. Hardy is staring at three straight losses, yet he's an underdog. Hardy at plus-125 is on our best best plays on the card.

Yahoo!'s lead MMA writer Kevin Iole joins us to break down Ultimate Fight Night 24 (Spike 10 p.m. ET/PT) and gives his Vegas odds winners.

Even though this is only his ninth fight since turning pro in 2008, Phil Davis is a huge 3-to-1 favorite over veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. There's value on "Lil' Nog" at plus-220, but only if can stay off the mat against Davis, a former Penn State wrestler.

Leonard Garcia is a favorite over "The Korean Zombie" Chan Sung Jung. Garcia has decision wins over Zombie and Nam Phan, but many observers thought he lost both. Amir Sadollah (4-2, 4-2 UFC) is a massive favorite at minus-300, that in spite of the fact that he's had trouble finishing fights. DaMarques Johnson (12-8, 3-2 UFC) has broken mentally a few times in the past, but he's a pretty dangerous fighter on the ground and brimming with confidence right now.

Michael McDonald and John Hathaway, two of Zuffa's better prospects, are on the Facebook undercard. McDonald, 20, is a big favorite over Edwin Figueroa while Hathaway, 23, who has a limited wrestling experience, faces a good grappler in Kris McCray. This is the second fight at welterweight for the plus-250 McCray.

Keep an eye on Mike Russow against Jon Madsen. The "The Ultimate Fighter 10" alum Madsen has quietly gone 4-0 in the UFC but relies heavily on his takedown game. Russow is a stocky dude with good power in hands. He offers nice value at plus-240. Another TUF alum with a question mark could be Alex "Bruce Leroy" Cacares. He faces an experienced veteran with a lot of motivation in Mackens Semerzier. Semerzier's back is against the wall with three straight losses.

Official plays in bold below.

UFN 24 betting odds (Courtesy Lagasse's Stadium Las Vegas):

Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (+220) vs . Phil Davis (-300) - Light heavyweight

Dan Hardy (+120) vs. Anthony Johnson (-150) - Welterweight

DeMarques Johnson (+220) vs. Amir Sadollah (-300) - Welterweight

Chan Sung Jung (-105) vs. Leonard Garcia (-125) - Featherweight

Alex Caceres (+170) vs. Mackens Semerzier (-200) - Featherweight

Mike Russow (+240) vs. Jon Madsen (-320) - Heavyweight

Kris McCray (+250) vs. John Hathaway (-330) - Welterweight

Edwin Figueroa (+220) vs. Michael McDonald (-300) - Bantamweight

Sean McCorkle (+135) vs. Christian Morecraft (-165) - Heavyweight

Mario Miranda (+180) vs. Aaron Simpson (-220) - Middleweight

T.J. Waldburger (+300) vs. Johny Hendricks (-400) - Welteweight

Waylon Lowe (+180) vs. Nik Lentz (-220) - Lightweight

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFN-24-picks-Vegas-style-Hardy-an-underdog-aga?urn=mma-wp564

Dennis Hallman Tito Ortiz Dan Hardy Carlos Condit

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