UFC 106 odds and picks preview

While the epic showdown between two of the most powerful heavyweights in the world in Shane Carwin and Brock Lesnar was unfortunately cancelled, the UFC still has plenty of star power roll out for UFC 106, one of their flagship events of the year in Las Vegas.

While Tito Ortiz was originally scheduled to make his return to the Octagon against Mark Coleman, Coleman was forced to drop out and now he will get what could be an even better matchup in a rematch against Forrest Griffin, one of the most popular fighters the UFC has to offer.

What makes this matchup compelling in many fans’ minds is simply to see how Griffin responds after being embarrassed against Anderson Silva and then running out of the Octagon back to the solitude of the locker room as if he couldn’t bear to face his fans after the TKO loss.

How Griffin rebounds mentally could go a long way in determining whether or not the favorite Griffin, who boasts -165 odds to Ortiz’s +135, can take care of business at UFC 106.

The co-main event promises perhaps more fireworks than the main event as wrestlers and knockout artists collide. Anthony Johnson is ready for the biggest test of his career against Josh Koscheck in a fight that could easily go either way but should end with one of the two laying face down on the mat.

Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner Amir Sadollah will get a chance to bounce back from his controversial loss to Johny Hendricks in his first fight when he takes on “The Best Eva!” Phil Baroni, one of the cockiest fighters in UFC history. Baroni is an excellent boxer and a strong guy but his lack of a ground game has him as the underdog going in at +145 odds to -175 to Sadollah, the favorite.

Another intriguing matchup at UFC 106 has Marcus Davis, a top-notch boxer, going up against the lanky muay thai/submission fighter Ben Saunders in a welterweight bout.

Perhaps an even better welterweight bout will also take place on the main card as Karo Parisyan returns from a suspension due to testing positive for a banned painkiller to take on crafty submission wizard Dustin Hazelett. This could be fight of the night, if Parisyan, the slight underdog at -110 to -120 for Hazelett, can stay out of one of his submissions.

Finally, wrestling star and up-and-comer Jake Rosholt will take on Kendall Grove in a middleweight bout. Rosholt is a surprising -210 favorite to +165 for Grove despite Grove’s dangerous submission game. But Rosholt might be a good bet at UFC 106 because he has a big edge in terms of power and leverage on the spindly Grove.

Check out these odds and more on the BetUS.com Sportsbook as we get closer to one of the biggest MMA events of the year in one of the world’s fastest growing sports.