There is heavy UFC betting on the heavyweight main event and the middleweight co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt this Sunday at the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. But there will also be plenty of lightweight action – light on weight but heavy on action.
Dan Hooker vs. Ross Pearson
Weight class: Light
Sportsbook odds for fans who bet on UFC:
Dan Hooker 2½ (-170) -145
Ross Pearson 2½ (+150) +125
‘Hangman’ Hooker has shifted between lightweight and featherweight throughout his career, usually finding more success in the former class. He is a former Australian Fighting Championship Lightweight Champion but is 3-3 as a featherweight in the UFC, including a unanimous decision loss to Jason Knight at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson on 27 November 2016 in Melbourne.
‘The Real Deal’ Pearson has lost four of his last bouts, including the last three straight. After an eight-year UFC career spent mostly in the lightweight division, Pearson moved to welterweight in an attempt to right the ship, but Jorge Masvidal had some very persuasive arguments to convince him to go back to lightweight. Like Hooker, that’s where he’s been more successful – winning Ultimate Force Lightweight Championship and The Ultimate Fighter 9 Lightweight tournament.
Ion Cutelaba vs. Henrique da Silva UFC betting preview
Weight class: Light heavy
Sportsbook odds for fans who bet on UFC:
Henrique Da Silva 1½ (-170) +260
Ion Cutelaba 1½ (+150) -320
‘Frankenstein’ da Silva had his first two career losses back-to-back at UFC on Fox 22 and 23 after going undefeated in 12 bouts – though only two of those took place in UFC; the rest were in his native Brazil where he finished eleven consecutive fights by knockout. Da Silva’s best way to outlast his foe’s power is his resilience.
‘The Hulk‘ Cutelaba has lost two of his last three fights – which were also his first three fights with the promotion – he had previously plied his trade in Europe, especially his native Poland. Since da Silva’s could potentially wear him out by absorbing his shots, Cutelaba should resort to his wrestling skills – which include Greco-Roman wrestling, Sambo, and Judo.
Tim Elliott vs. Ben Nguyen UFC betting preview
Weight class: Fly
Sportsbook odds for fans who bet on UFC:
Ben Nguyen 2½ (-210) +170
Tim Elliott 2½ (+175) -200
Nguyen had a nine-fight winning streak snapped by Louis Smolka at UFC Fight Night: McDonald vs. Lineker on July 13, 2016 in his home town of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but bounced back with a UD win over Geane Herrera at Fight Night 101. Nguyen made his flyweight and promotional debut with a win over Alp Ozkilic at UFC 93.
Elliot is 1-1 since returning to UFC after a three-bout stint in Titan FC during which he won the promotion’s inaugural flyweight championship and defended it twice. In his first fight back, Elliot lost a UFC Flyweight title match to Demetrius Johnson in December of last year but rebounded with a Fight of the Night-win against the aforementioned Smolka at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis this April.