Vitor Belfort vs. Yoshihiro Akiyama will headline UFC 133 in Philadelphia, Pennyslvania this August 6th and early lines show Belfort as the clear favorite. Betting odds on “The Phenom” are as much as (-300) while “Sexyama” is the underdog at (+225). Belfort was the previous Middleweight champion contender when he lost his title-shot to Anderson Silva with a front kick to the head at 3:25 in the first round. Belfort is looking for redemption and Yoshihiro Akiyama is expected to be a perfect target.
Akiyama has not done much to impress in the UFC, since his debut at UFC 100 when he received a Split Decision victory over Alan Belcher. His next two fights were losses, though they were at the hands of top Middleweights like Chris Leben and Michael Bisping. Akiyama has definitely not been fed any easy guys.
And, if you look at Belfort’s last few wins against Rich Franklin, Matt Lindland, and Terry Martin, even though he earned KOs and TKOs in those fights, they weren’t exactly against top level competition. Rich Franklin was at a catchweight and has been spotty as a Light Heavyweight. Plus, before he fought Anderson Silva in February of 2011, he hadn’t fought in about 16 months. Some can argue there was ring rust in that fight, but it also reminds us, we can’t be sure to gauge what level Belfort is at, currently. So Belfort at such a huge favorite may be a little presumptuous, though he certainly has earned the respect throughout his career. Regardless, lines shouldn’t be based too much on a fighter’s popularity or legendary status… look at what happened to Wanderlei Silva as a -185 favorite this past Saturday night against Chris Leben.
In any case, you can get in on the value of the early UFC 133 lines and place your bets by clicking the icons to your favorite online sports books at the top right of our page!
