UFC 214 preview, betting tips, and odds
Don’t miss Saturday’s UFC 214 event. One of the best UFC cards you have ever seen is here with three title fights, on the main card going down at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
In the main event, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier takes on Jon Jones in one of the hottest MMA rivals of all time. The two were supposed to meet in their rematch twice, but a Cormier injury then a Bones positive drug test pushed back this showdown. In the co-feature, welterweight champ Tyron Woodley will battle grappling ace Demian Maia. In the third title bout, the vacant women’s featherweight title will be claimed as Tonya Evinger and Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino will square-off.
Jimi Manuwa will look to earn his light heavyweight title shot against up-and-coming Volkan Oezdemir on the main card.
Let’s take a closer look at this powerhouse card.
UFC 214 Early Prelims
Josh Burkman (28-15) v Drew Dober (17-8)
Burkman will look to return to winning ways after winning just one of his last six bouts in the octagon. This grisly veteran is his second stint in the promotion following a spell in 2005-2008. Dober will look to turn around his UFC career and make it three wins in the last four. You can’t help but root for Burkman to get an octagon win as he looks at retirement coming soon.
Jarred Brooks (12-0) v Eric Shelton (10-3)
Jarred Brooks makes his UFC debut following fighting across the world and in three different weight classes. The unbeaten twenty-four-year-old will look to cement his place in the UFC with a victory. Shelton lost to Alexandre Pantoja in his UFC debut and will look to avoid being cut from the promotion by upsetting Brooks.
Kailin Curran (4-4) v Aleksandra Albu (6-0)
With a 1-4 octagon record, Kailin Curran needs a win to stay on the world’s most elite promotion. The twenty-six-year-old will face the Moldovan Aleksandra Albu. The former body builder will look to follow up her debut victory over Izabela Badurek at UFC Fight Night 64 back in April 2015.
UFC 214 Prelims
Andre Fili (16-4) v Calvin Kattar (16-2)
After going 4-3 since joining the UFC, Andre Fili will look to potentially enter the top fifteen at featherweight with a victory on Saturday evening. The Team Alpha Male athlete has looked impressive in each of his bouts, win or lose, and will now look to win consecutive bouts in the octagon for the first time. Kattar comes in as a replacement for Doo Ho Choi with the Massachusetts fighter having won eight consecutive bouts. He makes his octagon debut following six consecutive decision victories.
Brian Ortega (11-0) v Renato Carneiro (11-0-1)
Ortega has had a good start to his UFC career, winning three consecutive bouts, all in the third round. The former RFA featherweight champion will look to head towards the top five of the featherweight division if he can overcome a three-inch reach deficit over Carneiro. “Moicano” has also won three consecutive bouts in the UFC with his victory over Jeremy Stephens the highlight of his career so far. He is the former Jungle Fight featherweight champion and someone’s 0 has got to go!
Renan Barao (34-4) v Aljamain Sterling (13-2)
Former bantamweight champion, Renan Barao has looked to return to the weight class after his move to featherweight before California State Athletic Commission vetoed the drop, only approving a catchweight bout. His loss to TJ Dillashaw in 2014 is one of the biggest betting upsets in the history of the sport with Barao having previously won seven consecutive fights since joining from WEC. With a 2-3 record in his last five, Barao will look to return to form.
Aljamain Sterling returned to winning ways after a decision victory over Augusto Mendes in April following consecutive close losses to Bryan Caraway and Raphael Assuncao. Sterling would like to build his name off of the former champion, and speed will be on the American’s side as they exchange punches.
Ricardo Lamas (17-5) v Jason Knight (18-2)
Since joining the UFC in 2011, Ricardo Lamas has beat most of the contenders at featherweight, only losing out to the elite fighters such as Jose Aldo, Max Holloway and Chad Mendes. The thirty-five-year-old is looking to potentially stake a claim for a title shot despite his opponent Chan Sung Jung pulling out.
Jason Knight didn’t look like he was going to trouble the featherweight division after losing to Tatsuya Kawajiri on his debut in December 2015. However, four consecutive wins since leave Knight with a huge opportunity to make a jump in the featherweight division. This bout is headlining the prelims for a reason, and this should be a 15-minute war.
UFC 214 Main Card
Jimi Manuwa (17-2) v Volkan Oezdemir (14-1)
Jimi Manuwa cemented his place as a top light heavyweight contender after stopping both Ovince St. Preux and Corey Anderson in his last two fights. After losses to Anthony Johnson and Alexander Gustafsson, it was unclear if the Brit would make it to the summit at 205lbs but Manuwa is potentially one fight away from a title shot. The thirty-seven-year-old has back-to-back performance of the night bonuses and will have a four-inch reach advantage to help him add another extra check to his name.
After joining the UFC nearly six months ago, Volkan Oezdemir has been an underdog in both his fights, outpointing Ovince St. Preux before knocking out Misha Cirkunov. The Swiss fighter can take Manuwa’s momentum with a win and marching toward his shot at the top of the light-heavyweight division. While he has shown he is dangerous early, Poster Boy’s striking has never looked better. The UK fighter is a big favorite, and that is the safe play here.
Robbie Lawler (27-11) v Donald Cerrone (32-8)
Robbie Lawler is one of the most entertaining fighters to watch, and he is facing Donald Cerrone who is also one of the most entertaining fighters to watch. So, don’t miss this bout that can headline most UFC events. But on this huge card, it will have to settle for the second bout on the main card.
Following five straight wins including all-out wars against Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit, it was current champ Tyron Woodley that stopped all of Ruthless’ momentum with a 1st round TKO. 364 days later, Lawler returns to the octagon.
Cerrone joined the UFC in 2011 and has since competed a mind-boggling twenty-four times in the octagon. That’s just three fights shy of Michael Bisping, Frank Mir and Tito Ortiz’s record of twenty-seven bouts. He is also one win off equaling Michael Bisping’s record of the most wins in the UFC.
Both fighters are coming off a loss, and these are the toughest fights to pick. Cerrone however is the underdog, and with Lawler’s aging chin in question, I’d take a look at the underdog here.
UFC Women’s Featherweight Championship
Cristiane Justino (17-1) v Tonya Evinger (19-6)
The featherweight championship was created for Cris “Cyborg” Justino, and now the Brazilian gets a chance to win the vacant title after Germaine de Randamie vacating the belt in a bizarre act.
After winning seventeen straight bouts and genuinely considered to be the greatest female in mixed martial arts, Cyborg finally gets the chance to win gold in the UFC. She has finished her last eleven bouts by KO/TKO.
Tonya Evinger makes her debut in the UFC, following her reign as the Invicta FC bantamweight champion. The thirty-six-year-old steps in to replace Megan Anderson in what is deemed to be a somewhat impossible task. Evinger has won seven consecutive bouts but has never competed at featherweight before. She will have a two-inch reach advantage and a better pedigree in wrestling.
Evinger will not be intimidated by Cyborg, but that may backfire before it is too late as she feels the punching power of the Chute Box fighter. The Brazilian star is a HUGE favorite, but if you want to have some fun with a long shot there is always some small Evinger could find her way to a takedown and submission.
UFC Welterweight Championship
Tyron Woodley (17-3-1) v Demian Maia (25-6)
After outpointing Stephen Thompson in an overwhelmingly disappointing rematch following their draw at UFC 205, Tyron Woodley defends his welterweight crown that he won by stopping Robbie Lawler. With three bonuses in his last five fights, Woodley is trying to build his way to star status.
Demian Maia finally gets his shot at welterweight gold. With seven consecutive wins, including defeats over Jorge Masvidal, Carlos Condit and Gunnar Nelson, the jiu-jitsu specialist will be looking to stop T-Wood.
Maia’s strategy is not a secret, as the BJJ black belt will want to get the fight to the ground. Woodley will look to land a big right hand, and end the fight. Either of these two outcomes are likely in the first or second round, however Maia’s gas tank is not built for five rounds of battle. Woodley is a good favorite here, and it does seem justified with all the possible outcomes of the two styles.
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Daniel Cormier (19-1) vs. Jon Jones (22-1)
The rematch the world has waited for has finally arrived. After the ill-fated efforts at UFC 197 and UFC 200, Daniel Cormier and Jon Jones will finally meet for the second time in Anaheim, California.
Cormier defending his light heavyweight title against his biggest nemesis Bones. Daniel Cormier is possibly one of the greatest fighters to compete in the UFC. After moving to the octagon from Strikeforce in 2013, he defeated Frank Mir in is debut as a heavyweight before going on to conquer the light heavyweights such as Dan Henderson, Alexander Gustafsson, Anderson Silva, and Anthony Johnson. The thirty-eight-year-old is entering the twilight of his career and will look to avenge his sole loss to Jones.
Jon Jones is widely considered to be the best mixed martial artist of all time. Sixteen wins in the UFC with a sole loss due to a disqualification, there’s no doubt that Jones has cemented his legacy in the history of the sport. His career is still marred by actions outside of the cage, with police incidents and drug abuse leaving a question mark over the thirty-year-old’s desire to stay clean enough to get fights. Jones has won thirteen bouts in succession, and is a big favorite here. He is faster, more technical, and with his head on straight cannot be beaten by any fighter. Although he wasn’t dominant in his last outing, I think it is time to Jones to show the world he is the man. I expect a finish of the aging Cormier.
About Ryan O’Leary
Ryan O’Leary is a veteran mixed martial arts journalist and commentator. The Swedish-based writer is the founder and editor at MMAViking.com, which is the premier source for Nordic mixed martial arts news and rankings.
