In the past 24 hours the UFC announced four new fights for summer fight cards. The new fights, and the events they will be held at, are listed below in chronological order:
- Manny Gamburyan vs. Cole Miller, UFC on FOX Sports 1 1
- Darren Elkins vs. Hatsu Hioki, UFC on FOX Sports 1 2
- Erik Perez vs. Takeyza Mizugaki, UFC on FOX Sports 1 2
- Louis Gaudinot vs. Tim Elliott, UFC 164
As for my thoughts on these matchups and what I think the betting lines will be like, here they are, starting with the first fight I just mentioned:
- Gamburyan vs. Miller is actually a pretty intriguing bout as it pits a judo player in Gamburyan against a submission specialist in Miller. Although Miller fell in love with his standup the last few years, he finally got back to his submission roots in his last fight and choked out Bart Palaszewski and it might be the win that really gets him back on track after nearly losing his job. As for Gamburyan he’s never really lived up to his potential and he’s probably fighting for his job here in this fight. Gamburyan is always injured and in a very deep featherweight division, although he’s been a long-time employee of Zuffa it wouldn’t shock me if the UFC let him go if he can’t beat Miller. This fight should be close in the betting lines, and if Miller is anywhere around a Pick ’em price, I’ll likely bet on him as I believe he wins this fight, even though I’ve seen a lot of people already picking Gamburyan.
- Elkins vs. Hioki is a great fight and it’s solid matchmaking as both fighters are on the cusp of the top 10 but just not quite there. Hioki has been a huge disappointment in the UFC as he was supposed to contend for the title when he signed with the promotion but has lost two-straight fights and is an afterthought in the division at this point. As for Elkins, he’s been a pleasant surprise and although he was knocked out by Chad Mendes at UFC on FOX 7, he’s still a very good featherweight and he’ll have the hometown advantage in this fight as it takes place in his native Indiana. This is another close fight and it could be a Pick ’em but I actually like Elkins quite a bit here as I think he can get the takedowns and win a decision, and if he’s anything close to even money I’ll be making a play on him.
- Perez vs. Mizugaki is an excellent matchup although it seems like maybe too much of a step up for Perez at this point of his career. He’s a great fighter, but with the UFC going to Mexico soon I’m surprised they booked him against such a solid veteran. Mizguaki is an inconsistent fighter but when he’s on he can beat anyone in the world at 135 pounds and I actually favor him to win this fight. I’d guess Mizugaki opens at around -200, but the public loves Perez and if the line on Mizugaki dips under 2-to-1 a bet may be in order.
- And finally, the flyweight bout between Gaudinot and Elliott should be a lot of fun. Gaudinot hasn’t fought in a while but he’s a great flyweight fighter and although Elliott has showed some flashes of brilliance, Gaudinot should be favored going into this one. I’d guess the green-haired fighter opens up around -200 or possibly even higher, although I’d probably have to recommend a pass if that’s what the line indeed opens at.
All in all a great batch of new fights announced by the UFC and this summer should be chock full of entertainment for fans of mixed martial arts.