A few new UFC bouts were revealed over the weekend, and for today’s MMA Odds and Ends I’ll give my thoughts on all of them. Colby Covington vs. Mike Pyle, UFC 187 Sean Spencer is injured and out his bout at Mike Pyle, and now the veteran welterweight will take on Colby Covington at UFC 187, which takes place May 23 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Covington is taking this fight on short notice and will be facing off against Pyle in his opponent’s backyard, but I still like him in this matchup. He is a stocky, powerful wrestler who is young and improving every fight and has looked great in the Octagon thus far. Pyle is a solid veteran, but he’s nearing 40 and has been brutally knocked out a bunch of times in his career, including in his most recent outing against Jordan Mein last summer. He’s a talented fighter, but at this point of his career it’s hard to say he has much left in the tank. I like Covington here. I think he can take hurt Pyle and possibly knock him out. I expect bettors to be fading Pyle, so look for Covington to be the favorite here, probably around 2-to-1 or a bit higher. Mirsad Bektic vs. Lucas Martins, UFC Fight Night 67 Due to an injury to Renato Carneiro, top featherweight prospect Mirsad Bektic will now put his undefeated streak on the line against Lucas Martins at UFC Fight Night 67, which is set for May 30 at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. Martins is a decent striker, but Bektic should be able to handle him anywhere this fight goes. Whether it’s on the feet or on the mat, Bektic is a very solid fighter and he has more ways to win this fight than Martins, who is just a striker basically. Look for Bektic to be around 2-to-1 here as he looks to add another win to his resume. Brad Pickett vs. Thomas Almeida, UFC 189 Brad Pickett is moving back to bantamweight and in his return to 135lbs he will face Thomas Almeida at UFC 189, which takes place July 11 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a tough matchup for Pickett in his return to bantamweight. He’s a solid veteran with great wrestling, but his chin is fading and he’s really getting up there in age. He looked terrible at flyweight so I can see why he is making the move to bantamweight again, but still, the UFC is not doing him any favors by giving him Almeida, who is 19-0 in his career with 18 stoppage wins. The guy is a legit prospect and if he gets by Pickett will get closer to that title shot he wants. I like Almeida in this matchup, and expect him to be favored around 3-to-1 as bettors look to fade Pickett once again.
