Schaub vs. Cro Cop Free Pick
NEWARK, NJ (TheSpread) – Two powerful heavyweight strikers meet at UFC 128 as Brendan Schaub takes on Mirko Cro Cop. Here is a look at my pick for this contest.
Schaub enters the fight as the favorite to win according to oddsmakers from online sportsbook Bodog.com with odds of -280 while Cro Cop comes in with odds of +220. UFC 128 takes place from Prudential Center and will air live on Pay-Per-View at 10PM ET.
WHY PICK SCHAUB
Schaub (7-1) is a very powerful striker that has used his punching to earn TKO’s in six of his seven career wins. Schaub is on a three-fight win streak has to be confident in his ability as he comes into this fight. While Schaub hasn’t been tested on the ground, that won’t be an issue in this fight as he is fighting a much smaller fighter in Cro Cop, who also likes to strike. Cro Cop has really struggled in the UFC with other strikers, as he speed and effectiveness have not translated over from PRIDE into the UFC.
WHY PICK CRO COP
Mirko Cro Cop (27-8-2) is one of the legends of the sport as his head kicks are notorious for being some of the most devastating strikes in all of MMA. A calm and patient striker, Cro Cop doesn’t tend to make too many errors in terms of leaving himself open. If he is going to lose a fight, it is because his opponent is better, not because he made a tactical error. Cro Cop has taken a very laid back approach to fighting over the last year, which has made him more competitive, but the results are still lacking. Still, this is the biggest fight that Schaub has ever had in his career and that could affect his mental state. The last time Cro Cop fought someone that was in awe of him, it was Pat Barry, who Cro Cop choked out in the third round.
WHO TO PICK?
I think everyone in MMA still hopes Cro Cop will be the fighter he was early in the 2000’s, but that just doesn’t seem to be the case. He has been dismantled in the UFC by superior strikers and I expect that to be the case on Saturday night. Schaub has better boxing and should be able to avoid the big kicks from Cro Cop and earn a TKO in the third round once his opponent is fatigued. My pick is with Schaub to get another victory.
UFC 128 FREE PICK: BRENDAN SCHAUB -280
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