On Saturday, November 22, 2014 the UFC heads to the Lone Star State for UFC Fight Night 57: Edgar vs. Swanson. The event takes place at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX and it will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 with two preliminary card bouts featured on UFC Fight Pass.

There are a lot of reasons to like this card as it is filled with tremendous matchups, but more than anything this card is gambler friendly. There are three fights in particular that have caught my eye.

Matt Wiman, -230 vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg, +170

This lightweight bout between Matt Wiman and Isaac Vallie-Flagg has “Fight of the Night” written all over it — both men are known for fan friendly fights. It’s a great fight to kick off a main card with. It’s understandable why Wiman is the slight favorite heading into the bout but considering he is not been in the cage in nearly two years, ring rust is going to be a factor. In a close fight against a savvy veteran, rust can and will be the deciding factor.

The play – Take Vallie-Flagg for the upset

Bobby Green, -120 vs. Edson Barboza, -120

Bobby Green has been on an absolute roll, racking up eight straight wins. But even with all of that momentum, Green is going to have to bring his best against Edson Barboza. There is a reason this fight is a pick’em. Both of these fighters are extremely talented and a win for either man puts them on the title track for 2015. If Green can turn this into a close range bout and utilize his wrestling, then he will win. But if Barboza can keep the distance and get his kicks going, it could be a long night for Green.

The play – Take Barboza to win and when the prop bets come out look at taking him to win by TKO

Cub Swanson, +180 vs. Frankie Edgar, -260

The main event of the evening features a featherweight title eliminator between Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar. Both men are looking to set up a rematch with UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo; Aldo beat Swanson at WEC 41 and he beat Edgar at UFC 156 to retain his title. With Dennis Bermudez going down at UFC 180, Swanson is the division’s hottest contender with six straight victories. But Edgar is still one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport and he is coming off of a decisive TKO victory over BJ Penn. Swanson is the sexy pick here, but sexy doesn’t get it done against technical brilliance.

The play – Take Edgar to win and at +170 take the Under on 4 ½ rounds

About The Author

RJ Gardner
Content Coordinator

RJ Gardner is a rabid sports fan and a long time MMA enthusiast. After watching UFC 1 at ripe old age of 11 RJ was hooked and his passion for the sport has continued to blossom over the years. RJ has been covering MMA since 2007 and has had work featured on Bleacher Report, SI.com, CBSSports.com and UFC.com. RJ is also a Petroleum Transportation Operations Manager during the day.