Betting lines are already posted for the long-awaited return of Diego “The Dream” Sanchez to the Octagon; it will finally take place on UFC on Fuel TV against the hard-hitting Jake Ellenberger.
Oddsmakers at 5Dimes are also already offering action on the co-main event between Heavyweights Stefan Struve and Dave Herman.
Sanchez’s list of victories is a who’s who of MMA. His wrestling and striking skills make him one of the most complete fighters in the Welterweight division and a tough opponent for anyone at 155 pounds.
However, the former top contender has been out of action for almost a year nursing a broken hand, and oddsmakers at 5Dimes don’t seem to think that he will stack up well against Ellenberger.
The current 5Dimes line has Sanchez as a +255 underdog, while Bovada has a -290 price on Ellenberger. Most of the action thus far has been placed on Ellenberger, who was initially handicapped at -265. He’s never been knocked out and will most likely be too strong for Sanchez.
Sanchez vs Ellenberger UFC Odds:
UFC on Fuel Odds, courtesy of 5Dimes, home to the earliest MMA lines and the best variety of MMA lines:
Bernardo Magalhaes
Tim Means
Anton Kuivanen
Justin Salas
Sean Loeffler
Buddy Roberts
Vagner Rocha
Jonathan Brookins
Ivan Menjivar
John Albert
Walel Watson +230
TJ Dillashaw -270
Stipe Miocic -440
Philip De Fries +350
Aaron Simpson +100
Ronny Markes -120
Stefan Struve +125
Dave Herman -145
Jake Ellenberger-340
Diego Sanchez +280
Struve has become one of the most exciting fighters to watch in the UFC with his last five fights ending before the second round was complete.
He is susceptible to a big shot, as Travis Brown and Roy Nelson demonstrated, but when he’s able to do his thing Struve has the skills to stop opponents on the ground and in standing battles.
Herman is another fighter that goes out to finish his opponent, having gone the distance in only one of his 23 professional fights. Despite this being only his second UFC fight, he will come into this one as the Bovada -120 favorite; Struve will pay off at EVEN odds at 5Dimes as the underdog. This one could go either way, but the cheap price on Herman landing a big shot on the often-unguarded chin of Struve looks good.