UFC 100 Betting - The Unknown Fighters

The UFC 100 odds are in their eleventh hour and, while most of us have done our homework and placed our bets, there are still a few names out there that perplex us—the fighters who make us say “Who’s that guy?” Knowing some extra intel on the no-names could make or break your night at the offshore sportsbook, so let’s review a few non-household names.

Who the heck is...

Paulo Thiago?

He’s a Brazilian police officer who took the UFC by storm when he knocked out Josh Koscheck in his debut. Since his UFC 100 betting opponent, Jon Fitch, is Koscheck’s teammate and has a similar skill set, does that mean you should place a bet on massive underdog Thiago (+300) to beat Fitch (-400)? Not necessarily. Almost all of Thiago’s previous victories came via submission. In other words, this Jiu-Jitsu specialist is by no means a knockout artist, so his knockout win may have been a fluke. He was arguably losing the fight before catching Koscheck with a Hail-Mary uppercut. Since Fitch’s chin is so good—even the powerful Georges St-Pierre couldn’t knock him out—don’t bet in your sports predictions on Thiago dropping him. He’s more likely to try and submit Fitch, and the chances of that happening are slim. Fitch hasn’t been submitted since his first career fight seven years ago and he’s a fantastic wrestler. Even though Thiago is undefeated at 11-0, he’s one “no-name” I’d avoid in your UFC 100 picks.

Yoshihiro Akiyama?

Here’s a relative unknown who’s actually a household name overseas. Akiyama, a veteran Japanese kickboxer and Judo fighter, is ranked by MMA Weekly as the No. 10 middleweight in the world. He’s a versatile fighter, capable of big throws, knockouts with his hands or feet, and submissions. His opponent for UFC 100, Alan Belcher, is supposed to be a stepping stone, but Belcher is still a good enough fighter that he’ll test Akiyama. A win over Belcher would legitimize Akiyama’s hopes for UFC success, while a loss would make him look like a bust. Based on scouting reports and sportsbook software predictions, he should win, so I’d go with Akiyama.