Velasquez to expose 'Bigfoot'

Jack Woodfield is backing UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez to see off Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva at UFC 160.

Compared to the blinding lights of April's stacked UFC schedule, May's action has been considerably reduced, but an intriguing card has been compiled for UFC 160 which features several fascinating bouts on Saturday. The main event pits UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez against Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva, in a re-match of their UFC 146 encounter that saw the latter dismantled. It took just under four minutes for the current champion to dispose of Silva and there is no reason to suggest that there will be a different outcome at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. In spite of his intimidating size - Silva stands 6ft 4in and weighs 262lbs - 'Bigfoot' is simply not worth backing, even at 7/2 and has not offered enough in his recent outings to suggest that he can dethrone Velasquez. Silva's recent triumph over Alastair Overeem was largely due to complacency from the Dutchman, while his success over Travis Brown prior to that win can be attested to Brown tearing his left hamstring in the first round. Compare Silva's last two fights to those of Velasquez's and Silva fans should be worried. After decimating 'Bigfoot' 12 months ago, Velasquez then went on to avenge his only mixed martial arts defeat to Junior dos Santos in December, reclaiming the heavyweight title in the process. It was a dominant performance and one that suggested a lengthy reign atop of the heavyweight division beckons. While his odds of 1/7 are hardly tempting, there can be no backing against the champion. There is just not enough in Silva's armoury to steal the UFC title away and should the belt change hands it will arguably go down as the biggest upset of the year. The night's co-main event, however, is far from straightforward. Originally slated to face Overeem at UFC 160, former champion Dos Santos will now face Mark Hunt, with the winner set to be awarded a title shot in their next outing. Hunt has undergone a career resurgence as of late, winning his last four fights in the UFC, including a 'Knockout of the Night' triumph against Stefan Struve in which Hunt broke the Dutchman's jaw. It was that sensational finish that elevated Hunt into this fight with Dos Santos and at 3/1, the New Zealander represents an interesting outside shot. Dos Santos appeared lethargic and ineffective during his fight with Velasquez, which was not the type of performance we have become accustomed to seeing from the Brazilian. Should Dos Santos struggle to assert his dominance early on, Hunt's spirit, and more importantly his one-punch power, will test Dos Santos' chin as furiously as any of his previous opponents. Dos Santos may be odds-on at 2/9, but Hunt is certainly not to be ignored and is worth plumping on to secure the biggest victory of his career. Two more extremely interesting bouts throw James Te Huna against Glover Teixeira in the light-heavyweight division, while TJ Grant and Gray Maynard compete for a UFC lightweight championship shot. Teixeira and Te Huna are explosive, dominant fighters and at 1/3, Teixeira is the justified favourite ahead of the collision. Teixeira is without defeat since 2005 and has rampaged through the competition since arriving into the UFC in May 2012, defeating the likes of Quinton Jackson in the process. Te Huna, 9/4, will be Teixeira's toughest competition to date, but expect the man trained by former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell to continue his relentless assault towards a title shot. When Maynard and Grant lock up in Las Vegas, they have everything to fight for, but despite the latter's four-fight winning streak, Maynard should come through on this occasion. The only blemish on Maynard's record is a defeat to Frankie Edgar - one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world - and 'The Bully' possesses enough big-name victories to see off the challenge of Grant. At 1/2, Maynard represents little of a gamble, but picking Grant to cause the upset at 13/8 is far more of a risk. The fifth main-card fight of the night sees Donald Cerrone take on KJ Noons in the lightweight division. Aside from defeats to exceptional talents Benson Henderson, Nate Diaz, Jamie Varner and Anthony Pettis, Cerrone has an otherwise immense list of successes in his career. His submission game is outstanding, as is his striking ability and given that Noons has lost his last two fights, the pressure is already on the former Strikeforce star to impress on his UFC debut. With Noons' last five fights going the distance, it may be a good bet to assume this one will too, but out of the two, it is Cerrone who has the better record in three-round fights. He has won four of his last five 15-minute affairs, while Noons has lost his last five. Cerrone is available at 4/11 to return to winning ways and with Noons an unknown quantity inside the Octagon, stick with the 'Cowboy' to resume his push up the lightweight division.
See all of Sky Bet's UFC betting markets here