The next major UFC event is set to take place on July 3rd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The lineup will feature six preliminary bouts before the main card of five fights. A heavyweight championship battle including Brock Lesnar is the marquee event.
Heavyweight Championship Fight: Shane Carwin (+160) vs. Brock Lesnar (-200)
Carwin (12-0 MMA record) captured the interim heavyweight belt in his last fight at UFC 111 in March. The 35-year-old can really make a name for himself with an upset in UFC 116. Lesnar (4-1) has emerged as one of the top draws in the UFC ranks. He made a name for himself in the early part of last decade as a wrestler for WWE. In 2004, Lesnar attempted to begin a career in the NFL. He played in some preseason games for the Minnesota Vikings but couldn’t make the regular season roster. Lesnar captured the heavyweight title with a victory over MMA legend Randy Couture at UFC 91 in 2008. In his first defense of the title last year, the 32-year-old Lesnar defeated Frank Mir at UFC 100 to retain his belt. His only MMA defeat had been to Mir at UFC 81. Lesnar defends his title again versus Carwin. (Bet on UFC 116 Today)
Middleweight Fight: Yoshihiro Akiyama (+140) vs. Wanderlei Silva (-170)
After beginning his MMA career on the K-1 circuit in Japan, Akiyama (13-1) pulled out a win over Alan Belcher in his UFC debut last July. The 34-year-old made the transition to MMA from Judo. Silva (33-10-1) will celebrate his 34th birthday in the cage against Akiyama. His most notable bout came back in 2000. Silva fell to Tito Ortiz for the light heavyweight crown at UFC 25 in Tokyo. Recently, he has dropped five of his last seven bouts. During the stretch, Sliva has lost to Chuck Liddell and Quinton Jackson. Look for Akiyama to pull the upset in this one. (Bet on UFC 116 Today)
Light Heavyweight Fightt: Stephan Bonnar (+185) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (-235)
In a rematch from UFC 110 in Sydney, Australia from earlier this year, Bonnar (11-7) will be seeking some revenge against Soszynski. In their last bout, Soszynski scored a 3rd round TKO over Bonnar. The 33-year-old Bonnar is just 2-5 in his last seven fights. While Bonnar hasn’t had much success recently, Soszynski (19-9-1) has been on a good run. The 32-year-old has won seven of his last eight matches. Soszynski holds off Bonnar again. (Bet on UFC 116 Today)
Heavyweight Fight: Chris Tuchscherer (+250) vs. Brendan Schaub (-350)
After dropping his UFC debut last August, Tuchscherer (18-2) rebounded to defeat Tim Hague in his last outing at UFC 109 earlier this year. The 34-year-old began his pro MMA career back in 2004. Schaub (5-1) has made the transition to MMA after a football background. The 27-year-old was a fullback for the Colorado Buffaloes in college. In the pro ranks, he was member of the Buffalo Bills practice squad and played in the AFL. In his last UFC match, Schaub defeated Chase Gormley in March. The favorite rolls in this matchup. (Bet on UFC 116 Today)