Full Contact Fighter Database

Home

>

News

>

Article

Media

Monday, Feb 06, 2017

The Early Favorites For UFC 208

Fans of mixed martial arts might still be reeling a little bit from the shock of seeing Ronda Rousey knocked out in 48 seconds at UFC 207. It was the second devastating knockout in a row for the woman who was once far and away the most dominant star in the sport, and it left the entire organization with a bit of a murky future. That’s not to say that UFC isn’t doing just fine without Rousey dominating—but the sport doesn’t exactly have a “face” at this point.

However, that won’t stop the action from rolling on and we’re now at the point that UFC 208 is rapidly approaching. Set to take place on February 11th, it doesn’t quite have the headline appeal of the Rousey fight in December. There are still some pretty exciting match-ups taking place, and fans will undoubtedly be interested in all the different angles. There are plenty of people to root for and the sport is bigger than ever, attracting similar viewing figures to those of boxing when it comes to pay-per-view. There’s also always the possibility that something memorable could happen in any fight.

Regarding previews of the fights themselves, here’s a look at some of the marquee bouts.

Holly Holm vs. Germaine de Randamie

The women’s featherweight title is interesting for a few different reasons. The first is that it’s the inaugural title bout in this class, meaning there is no defending champion. The second is that Holly Holm—by far the bigger name of the two fighters—hasn’t been that sharp since handing Rousey her first defeat back in 2015. Both fighters are good strikers, with Holm’s background primarily in boxing and de Randamie’s in muay thai. The oddsmakers have this one pretty close, but Holm’s versatility in different divisions and superior experience could give her a slight edge.

Anderson Silva vs. Derek Brunson

This might be the most intriguing fight of the night. Silva is a legend of the sport who’s seen his star fade in recent years thanks to a drug scandal and a string of losses. He still shows flashes of his former, dominant self, and on a good night he’s every bit the match for Derek Brunson. It feels like a toss-up, though Silva will be the sentimental pick for a lot of fans.

Ronaldo Souza vs. Tim Boetsch

Souza is the more accomplished fighter of these two, but the conflicting styles at play should make it fun to watch. A fighter who looks for submissions more often than not, Souza will be looking to turn it into more of a wrestling match, while Boetsch will know that his best shot at a win will be to stay upright and focus on striking. Souza is likely to be the favorite on fight night, but one prediction site based on fan votes has them neck-and-neck as of the time of this writing.

Glover Teixeira vs. Jared Cannonier

There’s a lot on the line in this fight. Teixeira needs a win to force a light heavyweight title shot down the line, while Cannonier can really make a name for himself with a statement victory that would take his career record to 10-1. Teixeira has the edge in experience and name recognition, but it would be a mistake to count out Cannonier entirely. He’s likely to be a significant underdog, but if he’s striking well and gets fueled by the moment, he’s capable of being a threat.

That covers most of the headline action, but as always you can take a look at the full card, complete with stats for each fighter, to get a better idea of what the night will hold.

Tags: ,

posted by FCF Staff @ 3:32 pm
Have a comment about this story? Please share with us by filling out the fields below.

Comments are closed.