After UFC 116 in July, the next major UFC event will head to the Bay Area. UFC 117 will be held at the Oracle Arena in Oakland on August 7th. It will mark the first time that the city has hosted a UFC card. The lineup features six preliminary matches with five bouts on the main card.
A couple of countries will be seeking bragging rights on the main card. All five bouts will feature fighters from the United States against Brazilian opponents. In a heavyweight bout, American Roy Nelson will take on Junior Dos Santos. A lightweight fight will feature Brazil’s Rafael dos Anjos versus Clay Guida. In a welterweight battle, Matt Hughes from the United State will square off against Ricardo Almeida. Another welterweight bout, Brazil’s Thiago Alves will tangle with Jon Fitch. In the headline affair, American Chael Sonnen will attempt to take the middleweight title away from Anderson Silva.
Middleweight Championship Fight: Chael Sonnen (+350) vs. Anderson Silva (-500)
In the marquee bout of the evening, Sonnen (24-10-1 MMA record) will try to pull a significant upset. The 33-year-old has posted a 10-2 mark in his last 12 fights to get a crack at the title. Sonnen made the transition to MMA after being an All-American wrestler at the University of Oregon. His initial pro MMA fight was in 2002. In his last bout, he defeated Nate Marquardt at UFC 109 in February. Silva (26-4) has become a dominant force in UFC. He has won 12 straight matches since his last defeat in early 2006. Silva captured the UFC title with a victory over Rich Franklin in October of 2006. Since that win, the 35-year-old has successfully defended his belt on six other occasions. In his last fight in April at UFC 112, Silva handled Demian Maia. His versatility in a variety of mixed martial arts has helped Silva greatly in the UFC. Silva is experienced in Boxing, Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu, Tae Kwon Do, Judo and Capoeira. He has been a pro MMA fighter since 2000. In this matchup, Silva’s dominant run continues. (Collect Your MMA Betting Bonus!)
Welterweight Fight: Jon Fitch (+110) vs. Thiago Alves (-140)
Fitch (22-3) has lost only once in his last 21 bouts. The 32-year-old moved into MMA after being a wrestler in college for the Purdue Boilermakers. He made his pro MMA debut back in 2002. Fitch came up short in his bid for the UFC Welterweight Championship two years ago. At UFC 87, he lost to Georges St-Pierre in a title bout. In his last fight, Fitch defeated Ben Saunders at UFC 111 in March. Alves (16-6) will be looking for some revenge in this matchup. He lost to Fitch back in 2006. After that defeat, the 26-year-old reeled off seven straight wins to get a title match against St-Pierre. At UFC 100 last July, Alves dropped a unanimous decision to the Canadian. With a background in Jiu-Jitsu, he made his MMA debut in 2001. In the rematch against Fitch, the younger Alves prevails. (Collect Your MMA Betting Bonus!)
Lightweight Bout: Rafael Dos Anjos (-115) vs. Clay Guida (-125)
Dos Anjos (14-4) has won his last three bouts heading into this matchup. In his last outing, the 25-year-old stopped Terry Etim at UFC 112. Dos Anjos has a style of fighting that is based in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He made his UFC debut in November of 2008. In that bout, Dos Anjos lost to Jeremy Stephens at UFC 91. Guida (26-11) defeated Shannon Gugerty in his last fight in March. The 28-year-old made the transition into MMA after being a wrestler in high school and college. Guida made his professional debut back in 2003. He began his run in the UFC three years later. In a tight battle, Dos Anjos pulls this one out. (Collect Your MMA Betting Bonus!)
Welterweight bout: Matt Hughes (+140) vs. Ricardo Almeida (-170)
Hughes (44-7) is just 3-3 in his last six fights. He was able to handle Renzo Gracie in his last outing at UFC 112. The UFC Hall of Famer and two-time Welterweight champion is trying to get back on top at the age of 36. Hughes had a background in wrestling before getting involved in MMA. He made his pro debut in 1998 before joining the UFC a year later. Hughes captured the UFC Welterweight championship with a victory over Carlos Newton. He defended his belt in five straight title bouts before losing the crown to B.J. Penn at UFC 46 in 2004. Hughes was able to regain his title at UFC 50 with a win over Georges St-Pierre. After being able to defend his championship twice, Hughes dropped a rematch to St-Pierre at UFC 65 in 2006. Almeida (12-3) defeated Matt Brown in his most recent bout at UFC 111 in March. The 33-year-old uses elements of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling and boxing in his fighting style. Almeida made his pro MMA debut back in 2000. He joined the UFC ranks two years ago. In this matchup, the younger Almeida prevails. (Collect Your MMA Betting Bonus!)
Heavyweight bout: Roy Nelson (+250) vs. Junior Dos Santos (-350)
Nelson (15-4) will be making his initial appearance at one of the UFC’s marquee events. The bout against Dos Santos will determine who will become the #1 contender for the UFC Heavyweight championship. The 34-year-old Nelson won his UFC debut against Stefan Struve in March. His fighting background features elements of boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Shaolin Kung Fu. Nelson was able to move into the UFC after winning the Ultimate Fighter title. His exhibition victory over Kimbo Slice was one of the highest rated telecasts in MMA history. Dos Santos (11-1) is an emerging force on the UFC circuit. He has won his last six bouts heading into this matchup. In his last fight, Dos Santos stopped Gabriel Gonzaga in March. The 25-year-old made his MMA debut in 2006. He made his UFC debut at UFC 90 in 2008. Dos Santos has a style that is based in boxing, kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The heavy favorite continues his roll in this one. (Collect Your MMA Betting Bonus!)
