The MMA spotlight will once again be on the UFC this weekend.
Despite the focus on college basketball betting, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is set to make its debut on a nationally televised network in its upcoming UFC on Versus event this Sunday March 21.
The 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado is the site for the card, which is headlined by a light heavyweight main event bout between Brandon “The Truth” Vera and young up-and-comer Jon Jones. The show will also feature Gabriel Gonzaga getting locked in to the octagon with Junior Dos Santos, and Cheik Kongo’s first fight since submitting to Frank Mir back in December. Former Strikeforce champion Clay Guida, John “Doomday” Howard, and Daniel Roberts are a few of the other names also in action.
Sports betting enthusiasts will get the chance to wager on these fights Sunday as one of many options this weekend.
The show goes to air less than a week before UFC 111 goes at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, and will serve as an excellent promoting tool for that event which features Georges “Rush” St. Pierre defending his welterweight title against Dan Hardy.
UFC will have to battle coverage of the odds on March Madness, weeks ahead of Strikeforce’s debut on the CBS television network on April 19th.
The UFC also made official this week that Rashad Evans will meet Quinten “Rampage” Jackson in a light heavyweight contest at UFC 114 in Las Vegas. That event is scheduled for May 29. The two former champions were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 107 to culminate their roles as opposing coaches in the Ultimate Fighter 10, but Jackson bailed on the fight to take a movie role in an upcoming film.
Strikeforce was touring through California this past week, making a stop in Hollywood for a promotional open media workout at the Legends MMA Training Center featuring all six of the fighters that will compete in its World Championship Tripleheader event.
Fighters on hand included MMA legend Dan Henderson, who will attempt to end Jake Shields’ streak of 13 straight wins and take away his Strikeforce World Middleweight Championship in his debut. Shields has not lost since December of 2004.
Another massive bookmaker review winning streak will be put on the line when Gegard Mousasi defends his Strikeforce World Light Heavyweight title against one of the fastest rising stars in the sport, King Mo, who trains with former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
Gilbert Melendez will defend the Strikeforce Lightweight Championship belt against the
top-ranked fighter out of Japan, Shinya Aoki. The Japanese superstar is ranked the second best lightweight fighter in the world according to Sherdog.com, and will try to prove his worth by ending Mousasi’s run of 15 straight victories.
