UFC 94 Betting – A Prodigy and a Psycho in the Octagon

While Affliction put on a fantastic card last weekend, headlined by the Fedor Emelianenko-Andrei Arlovski bout, UFC head honcho Dana White is not taking a backseat to anybody on January 31. Arguably, UFC 94 betting will be one of the hottest events of the year among sports betting sharps and casual MMA fans as well—and it’s only the first month of the year!

The card will kick off with a potential show stealer between Stephan Bonnar and Jon Jones. What’s interesting about this tilt, at first glance, is that Jones is virtually in the same place Bonnar was many years ago when he put on that fantastic display against Forrest Griffin. Bonnar was once a promising fighter, looking to progress up the light heavyweight rankings. Now, he is a valuable cog in any card, however he is a long way from contender status. Jones, however, is a promising up and comer at 21 years of age. The youngster will likely come in with all kinds of energy, but don’t expect Bonnar to be docile—he’s every bit the showman he once was, and UFC 94 betting fans can expect an up tempo opener out of these two.

Best Bet: Bonnar -175

Bonnar has gone the distance with some of the best the sport has to offer, including Griffin (twice), Rashad Evans and Keith “The Dean of Mean” Jardine. He’s also coming off two consecutive victories on pay-per-view, and should make it three on Saturday.

Nonetheless, everyone will be lining up to watch, and wager on, the St. Pierre vs Penn betting matchup. The UFC media hype maching has been firmly behind this bout, and for good reason. Many MMA betting experts are calling this the fight of the decade, and the UFC odds suggest that the bout will be extremely closely contested. St. Pierre enters the fight as a -175 favorite, being as Penn is moving to his weight class to challenge for the title.

But how often do you get to wager on a fighter considered to be the best pound-for-pound combatant in the world…as an underdog? BJ Penn sits at +135 in this bout, which is excellent value when you consider that in his first meeting with St. Pierre, he nearly defeated him in the first round! If Penn can come out and make this a stand-up match, he is the favorite to win it, despite what UFC 94 lines are saying.

Best Bet: BJ Penn +135

Penn is a better striker than St. Pierre, without question, so if he can remain on his feet, the fight is his to lose. With all of the anticipation around this fight, and the rivalry between these two men, it is likely to start with a bang, and with many punches thrown. Look for an early knockout.