Fedor Emelianenko and Dan Henderson battle it out tonight, Saturday July 30, as the aging Fedor Emelianenko looks to silence his critics after dropping two straight. MMA oddsmakers have Fedor Emelianenko as a -250 moneyline favorite with the much-smaller Dan Henderson as +200 underdog. Be sure to get your Fedor Emelianenko vs Dan Henderson predictions in now.
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Dan Henderson has always been very competitive regardless of who he’s fought,” Akers said. “He has solid a chin and a very decent submission defense game. Even in the worst case scenario, I think Dan Henderson is going to give him a very good fight.”
There are two different ways to interpret Fedor’s unexpected fall from grace over the past year, and in turn, how to bet on Saturday’s main event.
Option A: Losing happens in MMA. The defeats “The Last Emperor” suffered to Fabricio Werdum and Antonio Silva are nothing to be overly concerned about. Fedor still possesses plenty of the abilities that made him the world’s greatest fighter, and therefore, the betting value lands squarely in his corner.
Option B: The 2010-11 Fedor is a totally different fighter than the one who had strung eight consecutive stoppages together less than two years ago. The two losses prove he’s no longer a force every fighter in the world should fear. A chance to grab Henderson at any reasonable price is a worthwhile one.
The latter category appears more likely to be accurate. Even if one wants to argue that the submission loss to Werdum was a fluke and the matchup with Silva was an unfavorable one, there are questions about the 34-year-old Emelianenko’s drive to keep fighting.
He all but announced his retirement in the cage after February’s ouster from the Strikeforce World Grand Prix Heavyweight Tournament. Fedor quickly backed off of those statements, but only after his handlers had a chance to sell him on why he should keep fighting.
It’s no stretch to assume that Fedor is aiming to earn one or two more seven-figure paydays before retreating home and relaxing for the rest of his life. The same can’t be said for Henderson.
The 40 year old veteran beams with enthusiasm when discussing what’s left in his career, which could include defending his Strikeforce light heavyweight belt or getting another crack at the UFC strap.
Henderson is 5-1 in his last six fights. Unlike Fedor, he hasn’t shown any signs of wearing down.
Sports-Odds reccomends checking out MMA Odds before the fight.
The Bottom Line: Fedor is old and his career is over. Be sure to get your Fedor Emelianenko vs Dan Henderson predictions in now.
