The fourth annual UFC International Fight Week is currently underway
in Las Vegas, with UFC 189 serving as the main event on Saturday night at the
MGM Grand Garden Arena and featuring a pair of title bouts. In fact, Saturday's
event is one of three UFC cards taking place within a five-day period that will
surely include more than a few entertaining fights for die-hard MMA fans and
bettors alike.
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for latest UFC 189 odds.
Unfortunately, the heavily-hyped matchup between
featherweight champion Jose Aldo and third-ranked contender Conor McGregor (17-2)
will not happen because the former suffered a rib injury, leaving the latter to
take on second-ranked contender Chad Mendes (17-2) for the interim title
instead. McGregor has received a lot of early support against Mendes, opening
as a slight -120 favorite (bet $120 to win $100) at the Westgate SuperBook before
jumping to -160 on Sunday night with his fellow Irishmen likely starting to
arrive in Vegas and investing heavily on his chances to become the new featherweight
champ.
Mendes is certainly no slouch though as a live +140 underdog
(bet $100 to win $140) since he has twice as much experience in the UFC (10
bouts to McGregor's five), and the only two losses of his career both came
against Aldo. The most recent fight versus Aldo took place at UFC 179 last Oct.
25 and resulted in a tough five-round unanimous decision loss. It ended up
winning Fight of the Year honors for 2014.
The other title fight on the UFC 189 card is a rematch
between welterweight champ Robbie Lawler (25-10, 1 No-Contest) and
second-ranked contender Rory MacDonald (18-2) in the co-main event. MacDonald
is a -170 favorite at the SuperBook despite being the challenger as he has been
billed the heir apparent ever since fellow Canadian and former 170-pound champ Georges
St-Pierre stepped away from the Octagon in 2013. St-Pierre's last bout was a
split-decision victory over Johny Hendricks, who then beat Lawler for the
vacant championship belt via UD before losing the rematch by SD at UFC 181.
Lawler (+150) had upset MacDonald in the first meeting at
UFC 167 two years ago via SD to originally earn the title shot against
Hendricks. The 33-year-old veteran is 6-1 during his second stint in the UFC -
with the lone loss coming to Hendricks - and he will give up one inch in height
and two inches in reach to the rangy MacDonald, who is eight years younger than
him as well.
UFC 189 Picks:
Mendes, MacDonald, Jeremy Stephens (+175)
Please note: McGregor has since jumped as high as -250 at the SuperBook on Friday before settling down to -210.