Penn is a former UFC welterweight and lightweight champion while Nick Diaz was the Strikeforce welterweight champion prior to leaving the organization for greener pastures.

Penn (16-7-2) comes into this three-round contest as the favorite over Diaz (26-7-1), as Penn has odds of -125 to top Diaz, who has a money line of -105. Both fighters have similar styles as each relies on boxing and jiu-jitsu to win fights. Penn may have the edge in regards to wrestling, but Diaz will have a big size edge in terms of mass and reach. Both fighters will be sure to leave everything in the octagon, which makes this fight very interesting.

The co-main event also has a very competitive contest as heavyweights Cheick Kongo (26-6-2) and Matt Mitrione (5-0) face off with the winner emerging as a top-10 contender in the division.

Mitrione is the slight favorite, with a money line of -140 while Kongo has odds of +110 to win. Both fighters are primarily strikers, but Mitrione packs the harder punch and is more mobile while Kongo has a slightly better ground game. Mitrione will look to keep the fight standing and stick-and-move while Kongo will look to utilize leg kicks and takedowns to finish the fight with ground-and-pound.

For complete UFC 137 betting odds, check out the jump.

UFC 137 Betting Odds & Fight Card

Saturday, Oct. 29, 2011

Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, NV

Welterweight Bout -Nick Diaz (-105) vs. BJ Penn (-125)

Heavyweight Bout- Cheick Kongo (+110) vs. Matt Mitrione (-140)

Heavyweight Bout- Mirko CroCop (+220) vs. Roy Nelson (-280)

Featherweight Bout – George Roop (+265) vs. Hatsu Hioki (-325)

Lightweight Bout – Dennis Siver (+190) vs. Donald Cerrone (-240)

Featherweight Bout – Bart Palaszewski (+240) vs. Tyson Griffin (-300)

Bantamweight Bout- Jeff Curran (+300) vs. Scott Jorgensen (-400)

Light Heavyweight Bout – Brandon Vera (-500) vs. Eliot Marshall (+350)

Lightweight Bout – Danny Downes (+170) vs. Ramsey Nijem (-210)

Middleweight Bout – Francis Carmont (+100) vs. Chris Camozzi (-130)

Middleweight Bout – Clifford Starks (+100) vs. Dustin Jacoby (-130)

UFC Lightweight Championship – Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard: I look for the champion to retain his belt and avenge a prior loss to Maynard in 2008. Since that time I feel like Edgar has improved greatly as a fighter while Maynard is simply a slightly better version of himself. Maynard will get some takedowns on the champ, but I expect Edgar to bounce back up and use his boxing to tire the challenger before scoring some takedowns in the later rounds to earn a decision victory.

UFC Middleweight Bout – Chris Leben vs. Brian Stann: While this fight doesn’t deserve co-main event status, it still should be exciting. Leben is riding a wave of momentum that will not be stopped on Saturday as his punching power should carry him to a third round TKO of Stann, who will put up a game effort.

UFC Light Heavyweight Bout – Brandon Vera vs. Thiago Silva: This may be Vera’s final UFC fight as I expect Silva to pressure him and not let him set up his kicks. Silva will do a good job of closing the distance and overwhelming Vera with his power and grappling ability. I like Silva to win by unanimous decision.

UFC Welterweight Bout – Nate Diaz vs. Dong Hyun Kim: Kim is a very under-rated fighter as he is kind of like the Yushin Okami of this weight class as is very strong and bigger than anyone else in the weight class. I like Kim to use that size to get Diaz to the ground and keep him from using his boxing. It probably won’t be the most exciting fight, but it will be another decision win for Kim.

UFC Lightweight Bout – Takanori Gomi vs. Clay Guida: I like Guida and the energy he brings to a fight, but his short arms tend to put him in bad spots against strikers. I think Guida will get careless early in the fight and get caught with a big punch by Guida while will lead to a TKO finish in the opening round.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship presents UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera on Saturday from the M.E.N. Arena in Manchester, England. The event will air on tape delay on Spike TV beginning at 8 p.m. and feature five bouts. Here are my picks for the five featured fights:

Light Heavyweight (205 lbs) – Randy Couture (16-10) vs. Brandon Vera (11-3) – This fight features two former heavyweights that have dropped down to light heavyweight after struggling in the larger weight class. Couture is a Hall of Fame fighter that has won multiple titles in both divisions, but has lost his last two matches. The key in this fight will be whether the fight remains standing or if it goes to the ground. Couture has the edge on the ground while Vera has the edge standing. I expect Vera to come out highly motivated and on top of his game, using his speed and extensive strikes to get the best of Couture, who seems to be lacking in the ability to control fights right now. Look for Vera to win a second or third round TKO.

Welterweight (170 lbs) – Mike Swick (14-2) vs. Dan Hardy (22-6) – This match is a No. 1 contenders match, with the winner getting to fight UFC champion Georges St. Pierre in their next match. Both fighters will look to strike as each thinks they have faster and stronger hands than their opponent. The key for this fight will be which fighter has the ability to win the battle on the ground as that is likely where it will end up in the later rounds. I like Swick’s quickness and takedown ability to earn him a decision win over the game Hardy.
Middleweight (185 lbs) – Michael Bisping (18-2) vs. Denis Kang (32-11-1) – Bisping is coming off his first knockout loss at UFC 100 and how he handles that loss will be the key in this fight. Sometimes after losing by knockout, fighters come back tentative and unwilling to mix it up for fear of getting knocked out again. Bisping has to trust his abilities in order to beat Kang, who is an experienced and well-rounded fighter. Bisping was becoming a tentative fighter prior to his KO loss, and I expect him to be the same in this fight, which will allow Kang to control the fight and earn a decision win.

Welterweight – James Wilks (7-2) vs. Matt Brown (12-7) – Wilks is making his UFC debut after winning the Ultimate Fighter Season Nine. His first fight isn’t easy, as he gets the ultra tough Brown, who can take the fight anywhere. Wilks will be looking for a submission while Brown will be looking to strike. The key in this fight is Wilks lack of experience against marquee fighters, which Brown has been able to establish in his last year with the UFC. Brown’s toughness should be able to carry him past Wilks, who will put up a good effort before getting over-powered by Brown in a third round TKO.

Lightweight – Ross Pearson (11-3) vs. Aaron Riley (28-11-1) – Like Wilks, Pearson is making his UFC debut after winning the Ultimate Fighter Season Nine. Pearson also steps into a tough first fight, as he faces Riley, who has 40 professional fights in his career. Like Wilks, Pearson lacks experience against a fighter of Riley’s caliber, while Riley has faced plenty of fighters with equal talent to Pearson. Pearson is a submission specialist, but Riley has the defense to counter Pearson’s strength. Look for Riley to simply out-class Pearson on his way to a decision win.

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UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira takes place tonight from the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Ore. The fight card is filled with interesting matchups, headlined by the main event of heavyweight legends Randy Couture and Antonio Minotauro Nogeuira. Here are my thoughts on the fights.

Heavyweights (265 lbs. max) – Randy Couture (16-9) vs. Antonio Nogueira (31-5-1): This fight is crucial for both fighters to win to keep their career meaningful and to stay in the heavyweight title picture. Both are coming off second round TKO losses, and both look to be on the downsides of their career. Couture is in his mid-40’s and though he is in great shape, his body has to be wearing down. Nogueira is only 33, but looks like he is in his 50’s because of all the wars he has been in through his life. Essentially I see Couture having the edge in this fight because his striking seems to be more advanced than Nogueira. Nogueira can only win by submission, and Couture is very good at avoiding submissions. I see Couture out-striking Nogueira on the feet and in the clinch and scoring some occasional takedowns to earn the decision victory.

Light Heavyweights (205 lbs. max) – Keith Jardine (14-6-1) vs. Thiago Silva (13-1): This co-headline fight is also a crucial fight for both athletes. Each is coming off a loss and both are trying to stay relevant in the light heavyweight contender picture. I think Jardine has the edge in this fight because of his experience against other top fighters. Silva has just one marquee fight, and that was a first round KO loss to Lyoto Machida. That was Silva’s first loss and many times you see fighters come out more tentative after getting knocked out for the first time. Silva can’t do that in this fight or else he will certainly lose. Jardine does have a suspect chin that Silva could connect on, but ultimately I see Jardine using his kicks and unorthodox striking to pick up the decision win.

Middleweights (185 lbs. max) – Nate Marquardt (31-8-2) vs. Demian Maia (11-0): This fight to me is the most intriguing fight on the card. Both fighters are fighting their best right now and each one is considered one of the top contenders for the middleweight title. Maia has rolled in the UFC, racking up a 5-0 UFC record with all his wins coming by submission. He has breathed new life into submission fighting with his ability to get his opponents into bad situations. The one weakness Maia seems to have is inferior striking, which he needs to have in this fight to get Marquardt to the ground. Marquardt is very rounded and very strong for a middleweight fighter. Marquardt will look to keep the fight on the feet where he can out-strike Maia. Maia hasn’t been pushed by someone like he will tonight and I don’t see him catching a submission without being able to land a big strike on Marquardt. For that reason, I see Marquardt getting a decision win or a third round TKO.

Middleweights (185 lbs. max) – Chris Leben (18-5) vs. Jake Rosholt (5-1): This fight features an up-and-coming fighter in Rosholt against a veteran that hasn’t quite found his way to the top in Leben. Leben is a powerful striker that has glaring weaknesses that have cost him fights in the past. Early in his career, Leben struggled to avoid takedowns and lost by decisions and submissions. Now, his opponents are out-boxing him by using quick strikes and avoiding his telegraphed haymakers. Rosholt is a talented wrestler that was a three-time NCAA Champion at Oklahoma State and is now trying to make that into a MMA career. Rosholt can get this win if he times out Leben’s strikes and scores takedowns where he can then control the fight. But, as Leben has grown as a fighter, his ground game has improved and I think this fight will keep on its feet where Leben will get the KO in round three.

Light Heavyweights (205 lbs. max) – Brandon Vera (10-3) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (19-9-1): This fight comes down to some basic UFC principles. First, this is the biggest fight in Soszynski’s career and the nerves for him will be at an all-time high. Second, Vera’s three losses have all come to top heavyweight or light heavyweight fighters. He isn’t a slouch. Third, Soszynski has most of his wins come by submission and Vera has never been submitted and likely won’t be in this fight. Soszynski is a big, strong guy that could land a lucky punch, but I see Vera using his kicks and quickness to out-strike Soszynski. I think Vera will ware down Soszynski and eventually get the TKO in round three.