UFC 98 Main Card Preview – A Champion Will Rise

There’s a lot going on these days in the world of the UFC, including the landmark UFC 100 event. But UFC 98 features a couple of fights that might be just as exciting as anything UFC 100 will be offering, including a matchup of two undefeated light heavyweight stars with the belt on the line.

With a combined record of 32-0-1, UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans and challenger Lyoto Machida have had two of the most impressive starts to their careers of any fighters in UFC history.

At UFC 98, the two new breed fighters will wage a stylistic battle that will be an absolute treat for hardcore mixed martial arts fans.

Machida is going off as a -225 to +175 favorite in the BetOnline sportsbook and it seems as if a win by “The Dragon” is almost a foregone conclusion in some circles. But Evans has shown the kind of smarts and explosive power in the Octagon in his last few fights that makes it hard to bet against him in any fight, let alone a five-round title fight.

Matt Hughes and Matt Serra square off in the other big-money fight on UFC 98’s main card and this is a real grudge match in the welterweight division with a genuine rift between the two adding to the fight’s intrigue.

Hughes is a -275 to +190 favorite over the younger but shorter Serra in this three-round bout that could be a classic matchup between a wrestler in Hughes and jiu-jitsu specialist in Serra.

The other three main card fights aren’t nearly as important in the grand scheme of things but all should be entertaining.

Sean Sherk is a -275 to +190 favorite against Frankie Edgar, and Sherk’s wrestling takedowns could be very tough for Edgar to stop, giving Sherk the decided edge.

Xavier Foupa-Pokam has stepped in for James Irvin to take on Drew McFedries in another main card fight, and while McFedries has a lot of holes in his game, he always makes things interesting.

The final main card fight at UFC 98 features wrestling specialist Chael Sonnen against Dan Miller, a 12-1 up-and-comer in the middleweight division. This fight’s entertainment value lies mainly in its potential for a close, back-and-forth contest that could become a battle of wills.

UFC 98 will air live on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET from Las Vegas so be sure to check out the lines and get your bets in early in preparation for one of the biggest fight nights of the year.