UFC 85 Bedlam - Experience vs. Youth - Hughes vs. Alves

Sportsbook bettors who follow the mixed martial arts will be in for a treat on Saturday as the Ultimate Fighting Championship travels to the O2 Arena in London for UFC 85, in which, among other bouts, former UFC welterweight champ Matt Hughes takes on Thiago Alves in a welterweight bout scheduled for three five-minute rounds.

UFC Betting Odds

UFC 85 - London
June 7 -- Welterweights

MATT HUGHES  -220
THIAGO ALVES  +170

For betting purposes, let's look at the contestants:

HUGHES (43-6, 14 KO's, 18 submissions), the -220 favorite in the BetUS UFC betting odds, has long fashioned himself as the most dangerous man at his weight. A former collegiate wrestler who made two All-America teams while at Eastern Illinois, Hughes was successful in the ADCC submission circuit, and discovered mixed martial arts in 1998. In 2001 he won the UFC's welterweight crown with that legendary "powerslam" of Carlos Newton when it seemed he was on the verge of defeat himself. He defended his championship five times, beating Newton in a rematch, as well as Sean Sherk and Frank Trigg, among others, before losing it in January 2004 when he was choked out by B.J. Penn. Subsequent to that, Penn had a dispute with the UFC, causing him to be stripped of his title. Hughes got an opportunity to fight for the title again against Georges St. Pierre, and made the Canadian submit in the first round to find himself on top a second time. Hughes held onto the crown for two years, and finally got his revenge against Penn in September 2006 when he beat him on strikes. But then he lost the rematch to St. Pierre, also on strikes. Last time out Hughes lost the rubber match to St. Pierre. That was on December 29.

ALVES (20-3, 9 KO's, one submission), the +170 underdog at BetUS, has a background mostly in Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu. He turned pro as a mixed martial artist in October 2001 when he knocked out Wilson Belchoir. he has, to date, lost only three times - to Derrick Noble (on submission), Spencer Fisher (choked out) and Jon Fitch (TKO on strikes). His best win may have been his last, as he scored a TKO over veteran Karo Parisyan at UFC Fight Night 13. A native of Brazil, Alves currently trains in Florida and has won seven of his nine bouts in the UFC.

Alves is relatively inexperienced in the UFC, and he is going up against one of the more overpowering competitors the UFC has seen. Whether his seven successful defenses, spread over two title reigns, makes him the "most dominant champion in UFC history," as is stated on the cover of his autobiography, may well be a subject of debate, but there is no question that Hughes' skills should serve him well here. With his eighteen career submissions, Hughes should be able to take advantage of an opponent who has been submitted twice (on chokes) in his three career defeats. Unless Hughes has lost a whole lot of steam at age 34, he should be durable enough to outlast Alves, and will have the upper hand for as long as it lasts.

We'll go with Hughes, the -220 favorite in the UFC betting odds.

Hachem’s Play:  HUGHES TO WIN (-220) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)