A number of new UFC bouts were announced over the weekend, and for today’s MMA odds and ends I’ll list them all and then give my thoughts on all of them.
Julian Marquez vs. Alessio Di Chirico, TUF 27 Finale
A middleweight matchup between Julian Marquez and Alessio Di Chirico will go down at the TUF 27 Finale, which takes place Friday, July 6 at Pearl Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marquez (7-1) has won five-straight fights and submitted Darren Stewart in his UFC debut. Di Chirico (11-2) recently knocked out Oluwale Bamgbose. Look for Marquez to be the favorite in this one.
Barb Honchak vs. Roxanne Modafferi, TUF 27 Finale
As well, women’s flyweights Barb Honchak and Roxanne Modafferi will clash at the TUF 27 Finale. Honchak (10-3) lost to Lauren Murphy in her UFC debut. Modafferi (21-14) lost to current champ Nicco Montano in her return to the UFC. Both fighters match up well with each other but I would favor Honchak to win this fight.
Montana De La Rosa vs. Rachel Ostovich, TUF 27 Finale
Additionally, a women’s flyweight bout between Montana De La Rosa and Rachel Ostovich will go down at the TUF 27 Finale. De La Rosa (8-4) is coming off of two-straight wins and defeated Christina Marks in her UFC debut. Ostovich (4-3) defeated Karine Gevorgyan in her UFC debut. I expect a close fight here but would slightly lean towards De La Rosa.
Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega, UFC 226
The co-main event of UFC 226 will be a featherweight title fight between champion Max Holloway and challenger Brian Ortega. The card takes place Saturday, July 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAjunkie.com reported the bout. Holloway (19-3) is on a 12-fight win streak and looks unstoppable at 145lbs. Ortega (14-0, 1 NC) has won his last five-straight fights. The odds are already out for this one, with Holloway as a slight favorite to defend the belt.
Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis, UFC 226
Heavyweights Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis will meet at UFC 226, according to a report from MMAFighting.com. Ngannou (11-2) got up to the title but lost a decision to champion Stipe Miocic. Lewis (19-5, 1 NC) recently knocked out Marcin Tybura. This should be a great fight but I’d imagine Ngannou will be favored to win the bout.
Cat Zingano vs. Marion Reneau, UFC Fight Night 133
A women’s bantamweight matchup between Cat Zingano and Marion Reneau will go down at UFC Fight Night 133, which is set to take place Saturday, July 14 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. Zingano (9-3) is on a three-fight losing streak and needs a win in order to stay relevant at 135lbs. Reneau (9-3-1) is undefeated over her last four bouts and is coming off of a submission win over Sara McMann. Though Zigano is the bigger name, I believe Reneau deserves to be favored to win this fight.
Liz Carmouche vs. Jennifer Maia, UFC Fight Night 133
A women’s flyweight matchup between Liz Carmouche and Jennifer Maia will also take place at UFC Fight Night 133. Carmouche (11-6) recently lost a split decision to Alexis Davis in her UFC flyweight debut. Maia (15-4-1) was the Invicta FC flyweight champion and is undefeated over her last six bouts. Carmouche is a durable veteran but Maia is a legit prospect and should be favored here.
Justin Scoggins vs. Said Nurmagomedov, UFC Fight Night 133
As well, a flyweight bout between Justin Scoggins and Said Nurmagomedov has been added to UFC Fight Night 133. Scoggins (11-4) has been a huge disappointment in the UFC and is coming off of back-to-back losses to Ulka Sasaki and Pedro Munhoz. Nurmagomedov (11-1) is Khabib’s cousin and is making his UFC debut here after winning five-straight fights. Though Scoggins has UFC experience, I expect Nurmagomedov to be favored here as bettors look to fade him.
Marcin Tybura vs. Stefan Struve, UFC Fight Night 134
A heavyweight bout between Marcin Tybura and Stefan Struve will take place at UFC Fight Night 134, according to a report from MMANytt.com. The card takes place Sunday, July 22 at Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany. Tybura (16-4) is coming off of back-to-back losses to Derrick Lewis and Fabricio Werdum and needs a win to maintain his top-15 ranking. Struve (28-10) is coming off of two-straight losses to Andrei Arlovski and Alexander Volkov and needs a win as well. Both guys are talented, yet flawed fighters. I’d expect a close betting line here, with a slight lean towards Tybura.
