Vegas: Odds moving in Rampage's direction

[smoogy]

Originally Posted by AOLSportsBlog.com

Posted May 19th 2007 7:59AM by Michael David Smith
Filed under: Fighting

Although Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell is still a heavy favorite to beat Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 71 next weekend, a survey of Vegas sports books makes one thing clear: Most of the money has been bet on Jackson.



Although the odds aren't uniform across all the sports books, in all of them they've moved toward Jackson since the opening line made Liddell a -280 favorite. That doesn't mean bettors think Jackson will win, but it does mean Liddell isn't quite the overwhelming favorite that you might assume from his ESPN Magazine cover appearance and the rest of the media hype surrounding the fight.

One of the complaints fans have about boxing is that the fights are too predictable, so UFC should be glad that Liddell isn't too overwhelming a favorite against Jackson. Jermain Taylor is a huge -850 favorite in tonight's fight against Cory Spinks, and that gives the fight less of a must-see feel. That's not the case for Liddell-Jackson.

http://www.aolsportsblog.com/2007/05...ons-direction/


I figured this might happen.

[NixHex]

Yeah it was a given, I tried to go large on Rampage (even though i'm picking Chuck to win) but my book doesn't take em until fight night.

[liddell316]

I can see how a lot of people would be putting their money on Rampage after watching how he dominated Chuck if their first fight. But I've always said that in a rematch situation, the guy who lost the first time around is very likely to come back and win. Whoever won the first fight usually doesn't change their gameplan much, and why should they?

But whoever lost in the first encounter (like Chuck) ends up being more hungry for a victory, wants to redeem themselves from a loss, changes their gameplan and unsuprisingly (to me anyway) comes out the winner.

[Steel]

This fight comes down to hunger and consistency.

Is Rampage hungry enough to have stepped us his training to take the title and win the day again? Is he ready for cage fighting on the regular?

Has Chuck let his streak get in the way of his focus? Has he become complacent and allowed consistency to set in as the focal point of training? Rampage had the goods to get it done the first time and all the other victories as impressive are they are, still don't erase that mental blemish of the loss.

I really hope Chuck wins and in a decisive fashion.

[DAVID CINDY]

Chuck has a better chance of moving around this time in the octagon rather than getting pushed back into the corner of the ring like he did in pride ( backing straight back and not circling, like he is doing now). But it all depends on rampage getting the takedown. Tito couldn't take him down, a far better wrestler than rampage, but rampage has a better stand up game than tito. I think the key for rampage is to come in swinging to set up for the takedown, unlike what tito was doing, more like the way couture did the first time he fought chuck. Hopefully it will be exciting.

[ArMnHC]

this fight is so much closer then everyone thinks...if Rampage wins, its a huge pay day for anyone who put money on him. i put money on him, but not through a bookey...i bet a coworker $20 LOL

[DonFrye]

I'm picking Jackson if it doesn't make it all 5. I just don't think Chuck will lose his title on a decision, though.

[slikguy]

i don't want chuck to win but he will.
Every1 is buying into the Hype of Rampage winning. All of the assumptions are based on their last meeting 3 YEARS AGO!!!!.
I just know Chuck is gonna knock him out. :banghead:

[smoogy]

Originally Posted by slikguy

i don't want chuck to win but he will.
Every1 is buying into the Hype of Rampage winning. All of the assumptions are based on their last meeting 3 YEARS AGO!!!!.
I just know Chuck is gonna knock him out. :banghead:

Actually the people picking Rampage are probably the ones who have watched both guys fight since then and realize that he is way tougher than the type of competition Liddell normally faces.

[Diegonightmare]

Originally Posted by smoogy

Actually the people picking Rampage are probably the ones who have watched both guys fight since then and realize that he is way tougher than the type of competition Liddell normally faces.

Sobral is no joke, and Chuck laid him clean out. Twice.