Name: Lyoto Machida
Opponent: Derek Brunson
Odds: +145 (bet $100 to win $145)
It’s not exactly the Machida era any more. I know.
But that doesn’t mean we necessarily need to write the former light heavyweight champion off as a has-been though. Sure two years have gone by, but assuming he hasn’t been training or getting better seems like a silly reason to pick against someone.
Instead let’s look to the basics of this matchup. Brunson is the kind of fighter who loves to rush forward with flurries. Each of his last five victories have been guys he’s rushed and finished in the first. Only this weekend, he steps in with perhaps the man who deals with pressure better than anyone has. Machida has great angles and loves to counter punch. Brunson’s style plays into that at least enough to consider a run at these odds.
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