Brown Battles Lawler in Key Welterweight Fight at UFC on FOX 12

Saturday's UFC on FOX 12 event certainly looks to be action-packed and will hopefully provide plenty of entertainment for fans and positive results for MMA bettors, with eight fights overall televised live on FOX, capped by the five-round main event between top welterweight contenders Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown. Four preliminary card bouts that will be streamed live on UFC Fight Pass begin at 1:15 p.m. (PT) followed by four more preliminary card fights on FOX at 3 p.m. before the main card gets underway at 5 p.m. from the SAP Center in San Jose, California.  

No. 1 contender Lawler (23-10, 1 No-Contest) and No. 5 Brown (19-11) may not seem like they own great records when you compare them to UFC welterweight champion Johny Hendricks (16-2) and No. 2 Rory MacDonald (17-2), but don't be fooled. Lawler opened as a -350 favorite (bet $350 to win $100) at the LVH SuperBook in Las Vegas and is 4-1 since returning to the UFC, with the lone loss coming against Hendricks in their championship bout for the title belt vacated by former champ Georges St-Pierre at UFC 171 on March 15. And Brown, the +290 underdog (bet $100 to win $290) is riding a seven-fight winning streak, including an overly impressive third-round TKO win against Erick Silva in the last nationally televised FOX card on May 10.

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In fact, that performance by Brown made UFC president Dana White set up this title eliminator bout between him and Lawler even though MacDonald's matchup with No. 4 Tyron Woodley was also previously viewed as such beforehand. MacDonald beat Woodley via unanimous decision at UFC 174 on June 14, but Lawler defeated him by split decision at UFC 167 last Nov. 16 to previously earn him the title shot against Hendricks, who is currently out of action following surgery to repair a torn bicep.

"I cannot wait for them close that gate and see these two engage," UFC analyst Jon Anik said. "It's absolutely a great matchup on paper, and obviously that's why it's headlining on FOX."

Lawler has three knockouts and two decisions in his past five UFC appearances, with two of the three finishes occurring within the first two rounds. He scored a third-round TKO of No. 7 Jake Ellenberger in his last fight at UFC 173 on May 24. When Lawler enters the Octagon on Saturday night, he will be fighting for the third time in a little more than four months.

Meanwhile, Brown has fought just once in 2014 and will be participating in the first five-round bout of his MMA career. The Ohio native also known as "The Immortal" has gone the distance only one time in his last eight fights (7-1), a UD win against Stephen Thompson at UFC 145 on April 21, 2012.

Pick: Brown by decision

Other UFC on FOX 12 Picks: Daron Cruickshank +205 and Patrick Cummins -150

For more MMA betting tips and picks for UFC on FOX 12 from Anik, click here to visit MMAOddsBreaker.com.