UFC 100, Lesnar - Mir Takes Center Stage of Online Sports Betting

Online casinos are expecting furious sports betting to precede the furious action likely tonight at the 100th UFC event, featuring Brock Lesnar battling Frank Mir.

Tonights marks the UFC 100, the Ultimate Fighting Challenge's 100th event, a major mark in mixed martial arts competition and the cause of much wagering at online casinos. The sports betting will be most intense on the feature match, Brock Lesnar versus Frank Mir, taking place at the Mandalay Bay Casino and Resort in Las Vegas.

Lesnar, the former pro wrestling star who won the UFC heavyweight title in only his fourth match, wants revenge against the man who embarrassed him in his UFC debut. Mir is considered by experts to be the more technically proficient, but Lesnar raw athleticism is hard to match.

Internet sports books currently show the fight with Lesnar the favorite, at -255; but many insiders are picking Mir, at +195, to be a relatively easy winner, duplicating his earlier humiliation of the crossover star. Some linesmakers are saying Lesnar is the favorite only because of the exposure he received from his days in the WWE, giving him name recognition among the casual fans, and that he will be exposed, a la Kimbo Slice.

Many UFC experts are touting the Georges St. Pierre- Thiago Alves match as the true standout fight of the evening. While it doesn't carry Lesnar's star power, the welterweight duel features St. Pierre, thought by many to be the UFC pound-for-pound champion. This fight may contain the most potential for furious action, as the Brazilian challenger is sure to not let St. Pierre rest on his laurels.

Still, UFC betting has shown a tendency to make well-known names and reigning champions even more favored than logic dictates, as the crowd money follows the chalk. Thus, St. Pierre is a -275 favorite, and Alves returns +215.

Edmund Crumley, Online Casino Advisory's sports analyst. says he likes the dogs in these two fights as value plays, with at least a split likely.