A number of new UFC bouts have been reported in the last 24 hours, and I’ve rounded up all of them in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Ray Borg vs. Brandon Moreano, UFC Fight Night 129
Just an update here, as the UFC has moved a flyweight bout between Ray Borg and Brandon Moreno that was set for UFC 223 over to UFC Fight Night 129. The card takes place Saturday, May 19 at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile, and Borg vs. Moreno will be fighting less than two months after Conor McGregor’s bus attack injured Borg and forced him off of UFC 223. MMAFighting.com reported the new date for the fight. Borg (11-3) suffered an eye injury in the bus attack but clearly it wasn’t a career-ending injury as he’ll be fighting again in just six weeks. He’s coming off of a loss to Demetrious Johnson and needs to bounce back into the win column. Moreno (14-4) was left without an opponent when Borg pulled out. He is looking to bounce back from a loss to Sergio Pettis. I’d expect the odds to be similar to what they were for UFC 223, with Borg as a significant favorite.
Niko Price vs. Belal Muhammad, UFC Fight Night 131
A welterweight bout between Niko Price and Belal Muhammad will take place At UFC Fight Night 131, which is set to take place Friday, June 1 at Adirondack Center in Utica, New York. Price (11-1, 1 NC) is 3-1, 1 NC in the UFC and is coming off of a submission win over George Sullivan. Muhammad (13-2) is 4-2 in the UFC and is coming off of three-straight wins, including a split decision over Tim Means in his last outing. Both these guys are really good, underrated welterweights but I favor Price slightly in this matchup as I believe he’s the more dangerous finisher, not to mention better on the ground.
Julio Arce vs. Daniel Teymur, UFC Fight Night 131
Also added to UFC Fight Night 131 is a featherweight bout between Julio Arce and Daniel Teymur. Arce (14-2) has won six-straight fights including a decision win over Dan Ige in his UFC debut. Teymur (6-1) lost his UFC debut to Danny Henry last summer and has not competed since. This should be a competitive fight odds-wise, with perhaps a slight lean towards Arce due to his winning streak.
Randa Markos vs. Nina Ansaroff, UFC Calgary
A women’s strawweight bout between Randa Markos and Nina Ansaroff will take place July 28 at the still-unofficial UFC Calgary, according to Nolan King of MMAToday. Markos (8-5) is 4-4 in the UFC and has never been able to string together two wins in a row inside the Octagon. She is coming off of a decision nod over Juliana Lima and a win here over Ansaroff would hel give her some extra momentum. Ansaroff (8-5) is 2-2 in the UFC and is coming off of two-straight wins, including a decision over Angela Hill her last time out. This is good matchmaking here as both women have the same record and both are game fighters who will put on a good fight for the fans. I’m expecting Markos to open as a slight favorite due to name value, but it’s close.
