UFC 97 Redemption Odds: Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites

The main event for the UFC 97 card has the champion Anderson Silva as the massive favorite to win at -500. (AP Images)"]

The challenger, Thales Leites, is the big underdog at +350, despite Silva’s lackluster performance in his last outing against Patrick Cote.

As tempting as that line may be, Thales wins fights with his ground skills, and he won’t have that edge against the champion. Despite his impressive record, Thales has not fought many fights against top-level contenders. That leaves a situation where Silva beats down Thales with strikes until Thales gets knocked out.

The more interesting bet on the card is Chuck Liddell -175 vs. Mauricio Rua +145. Rua was out-of-shape against Mark Coleman but should come in against Liddell trimmed up. His skills and speed are still there, and if his mind is in the right place he could easily beat a slower Liddell for the upset. Bodog has all your UFC odds. Get them now before the big fight!