Couture Slight Favorite Over Vera At UFC 105

Sports News - November 12th, 2009 - Written by John

UFC is moving overseas this weekend as UFC 105 is set to take place in England this Saturday. The event will be held at Manchester Evening News Arena in Manchester, England. The main event will feature Randy Couture against Brandon Vera. For the first time since 2006, Couture is dropping down to the 205 pound weight class since losing to Chuck Liddell and is looking to regain the championship in this class for the third time.

Couture (16-10-0) is coming off two consecutive losses to quality opponents. At age 46, he still has the determination and skill to get a shot at a title. Despite his age, he is still one the strongest fighters in the sport, and dropping down to a lighter weight class could be trouble for Vera with the strength he already possesses. Couture is not a flashy fighter, but fights with a great deal of intelligence and will use his experience to keep Vera guessing. He likes to close the distance with his boxing style and eventually get his opponents to the mat. This is when his strength comes into play as he punishes his opponents once on the ground. Couture also likes to push the pace in his fights and it will be important for him not to let Vera begin to gain any confidence early in the fight. One key aspect for Couture is to keep the fight on the ground as much as possible. The one issue with him is he going to be able to with stand the punches by Vera. He has been dropped in fights recently by opponents with lesser striking power.

Vera (11-3-0) enters the bout as the less experienced fighter, but still has the ability to come away with a win against Couture. Vera has always idolized Couture and must not let this effect him mentally during their bout. The one thing that he lacks is big fight experience. It will be key for Vera to keep the fight upright and not be forced to pound it out on the ground. If he allows Couture to successfully take him down time and time again, it could be a long fight. Vera effectively uses his strong kicks and quick strikes to wear down his opponents. If he can keep the fight off the mat, Vera could come out a winner in this one. The key for Vera will be to not let Couture get him out of his comfort zone, which is fighting standing up.

Our UFC Betting Odds show that Couture will be favored in this fight according to BetUS sportsbook with a payout set at -120. The underdog, Vera, has his payout set at -110.

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