EliteXC Odds and Picks, Primetime on CBS featuring Kimbo Slice
J.D Driscoll - May 31st, 2008 .EliteXC will be breaking new ground on Saturday night when it makes its debut on CBS, JD Driscoll brings you the latest EliteXC odds and his predictions for the main card. This will be the first time a MMA event will be broadcast in prime time on a major U.S. network. The event will be held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey with the main card to air live on CBS starting 9PM ET.
The show could turn out to be the most watched MMA event to date. As expected Garry Shaw has stacked the card with some of EliteXC biggest stars. Robbie Lawler, Gina Carano, Phil Baroni and of course Kimbo Slice .
EliteXC management has made known that their all about excitement, meaning their not to found of ground fighters in particular ‘lay and pray’ wrestlers. The is filled with stickers vs sticker match-ups which should produce plenty of knockouts.
EliteXC Odds and predictions for the entire card from expert handicapper J.D Driscoll are available below. To bet on the card we recommend Bookmaker and BetUS
Latest Odds Kimbo Slice -(540) vs. James Thompson (+400)
Unlike Kimbo, James Thompson has fought some of the biggest and toughest guys in MMA. He has also fought seven times in the former Pride organization and amassed a 5-2 record there. At a time when Pride had by far the best calibre of heavyweights in the world. He has wins over Dan Savarn, Don Fyre and Olympic judo gold medallist Hidehiko Yoshida. Outside of Pride he has fallen short on numerous occasions. He is 2-7 in his the last 9 bouts. As his record indicates he is especially susceptible to being knocked out. In fact he has produced quite a impressive highlight reel of K.Os, unfortunately for him he has been on the wrong end of most of them. His last fight was another K.O loss to relatively unknown Brett Rogers at EliteXC: Street Certified.
Most recently he has been training with Xtreme Couture and showed some clear Couture influences in his last fight but failed to take Rogers down . Kimbo will definitely want keep this fight standing. I’m sure Bas Rutten is very familiar with Thompson having commentated on most of his fights in Pride. He would have handpicked Thompson himself and come up with Kimbo’s game plan. He would know that at some point Thompson will want to take the fight to the ground and would have prepared Kimbo for that scenario. Kimbo has the advantage on the feat however things are less clear on the ground. We have yet to see his ground game or cardio. However I doubt Thompson will be the man to exploit these weakness.
It’s going to be an exciting fight, and should be the first semi legitimate test for Kimbo, however I cant see an upset. Prediction: Kimbo Slice TKO Round 1. No Bet
Robbie Lawler (-240) vs. Scott Smith (+200)
For the more seasoned MMA fan this bout stands out as the fight of the night. “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler takes on Scott Smith. Lawler is the current EliteXC middleweight champion defeating Murilu Rua last September. He is on impressive 4 fight winning streak. His last loss came in September of 2006 to Jason "Mayhem" Miller. He is now considered by most to be one of the top 10 middleweights in the world. He has a unique ultra aggressive style that the fans love. This fight will definitely stay on the feet and should produce a knockout finish. Scott Smith, 13-4, is another sticker that can take a punch. This fight will be a lot closer than what the betting line suggest. However I’m sticking with Lawler. Prediction Robbie Lawler Round 3 TKO.
Brett Rogers (-240) vs. Jon Murphy (+220)
Two huge guys Jon Murphy weighting in at 260.5 vs. Brett Rogers 263.5 . Again two solid and exciting strikers. Brett Rogers is undefeated, his last win coming at EliteXC Street Certified against James Thompson via knockout in the first round. Five of the six victories have been knockouts the other being submission due to strikes. Jon Murphy is a sticker and has the edge on the ground. He has made it public that he is recovering alcoholic. He is 4-2,three of his wins are by TKO. Rogers is the clear favorite after his impressive performance against Thompson however I think Murphy can cause an upset. He has faced better competition and has the better gas tank. Jon Murphy via KO, round two. Bet 1 Unit Jon Murphy
Phil Baroni (-110) vs. Joey Villasenor (-120)
Phil Baroni is a veteran MMA fighter with mediocre 10-9 record. The majority of his loses have come to top competition however, either in the UFC or Pride. His last two fights have both been TKO losses to Frank Shamrock and Kala Hose. He desperately needs this win to resurrect his career and has been training accordingly. Joey Villasenor 25-6 is also quite experienced however has not faced the competition Baroni has. He had a short stint at Pride losing to Robbie Lawler and Ryo Chonoan. This one could go either way really but I give a small edge to Baroni. Phil Baroni via TKO, round two. No Bet.
Gina Carano (-285) vs. Kaitlin Young (+225)
Gina Carrano is the most recognized female fighter in MMA however she has stated that her preparation has been hampered due to various other commitments like American Gladiators. Young on the other hand has had a nine week training camp with some of the best in the sport at Greg Nelson’s Minnesota Martial Arts Academy. She holds a 4-1 record. Carano has come in 4.5 pounds over the 140 pound limit, which means a percentage of Carano’s fight purse will awarded to Young. There are to many unknowns here but I’m sticking with the favorite Carano. Gina Carano via decison. No Bet.
