Kevin Lee prepares for another question during the UFC 216 media day at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday, October 4, 2017. .
Saturday, Oct. 7, 2017 | 2 a.m.
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Bettors have bought into the idea that Kevin Lee isn’t quite ready for Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 216, which begins at 3:30 p.m. this afternoon at T-Mobile Arena.
The local 25-year-old Lee opened as low as a plus-145 (risking $1 to win $1.45) underdog, with Ferguson coming back at minus-185 (risking $1.85 to win $1), before sustained action pushed up the prices. Ferguson is now minus-220 at most shops in town, with Lee increased to plus-180.
That line would still dispute the notion that the fight is a mismatch, however, because if anything, it’s a bit lower than the odds on an average pay-per-view headliner. Bettors need not to look far to find a fight that looks uneven on paper.
In the co-main event, flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson goes for a record 11th straight title defense as a 12-to-1 favorite. Challenger Ray Borg comes in at a price for 7-to-1.
For comparison sake, that’s roughly the same prices tagged on Ronda Rousey vs. Holly Holm two years ago when the latter pulled the biggest upset in UFC history.
Read below for a breakdown of the two title fights — and all the other bouts on the card — along with picks from the Sun’s panel. ESPN Radio’s Steve Cofield is leading the annual competition with a 60-20 record, followed by Las Vegas Sun’s Case Keefer (53-27), KSNV’s Randy Howe (50-30) and Las Vegas Sun’s Ray Brewer (47-33).
Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.
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