A number of new UFC bouts were announced over the weekend. Here they are, along with my thoughts on them in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Teruto Ishihara vs. Petr Yan, UFC Fight Night 132
A bantamweight matchup between Teruto Ishihara and Petr Yan will take place at UFC Fight Night 132, which takes place Saturday, June 23 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Ishihara (10-5-2) is 3-3, 1 NC in the UFC and is coming off of a decision loss to Jose Quinonez. Yan (8-1) is on a three-fight losing streak and is considered one of the better bantamweight prospects out there. I think Yan will open as the favorite here.
Song Kenan vs. Hector Aldana, UFC Fight Night 132
This card will also see Song Kenan take on Hector Aldana. Kenan (12-3) is 1-0 in the UFC with a TKO win over Bobby Nash while Aldana (4-0) hasn’t fought in four years since a stint on The Ultimate Fighter Latin America. Look for Kenan to be a slight favorite here.
Felipe Arantes vs. Song Yadong, UFC Fight Night 132
A featherweight matchup will feature Felipe Arantes take on Song Yadong. Arantes (18-9-2, 1 NC) is on a two-fight losing streak while Yadong (11-3, 2 NC) has won four-straight fights including in his UFC debut. I’d expect Arantes to be favored here due to his UFC experience but if that’s the case I would be looking at Yadong as a dog.
Matt Bessette vs. Steven Peterson, TUF 27 Finale
A featherweight bout at the TUF 27 Finale features Matt Bessette taking on Steven Peterson. The event takes place Friday, July 6 at Pearl Theatre in Las Vegas, Nevada. Bessette (22-8, 1 NC) is 0-1 in the UFC with a decision loss to Enrique Barzola in his UFC debut. Prior to that he lost to Kurt Holobaugh on Dana White’s Contender Series but the fight was overturned to a No Contest. Peterson (16-7) lost a decision to Brandon Davis in his UFC debut. Neither of these guys are great by any means. I give a slight lean to Bessette but ideallly woud look to fade them both.
Max Griffin vs. Curtis Millender, UFC 226
A welterweight battle will see Max Griffin take on Curtis Millender at UFC 226, which goes down Saturday, July 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. MMAFighting.com broke the news. Griffin (14-4) is 2-2 in the UFC and beat Mike Perry by decision in his last fight. Millender (15-3) is 1-0 in the UFC with a knockout win over Thiago Alves and he has won seven-straight fights. Both guys are solid welterweights but Millender’s brutal KO over Alves will likely get him favorite status in this fight.
Andrew Sanchez vs. Antonio Braga Neto, UFC Fight Night 135
A middleweight matchup between Andrew Sanchez and Antonio Braga Neto is set for UFC Fight Night 135, which takes place Saturday, August 25 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. MMA-Today.com broke the news. Sanchez (9-4) is 2-2 in the UFC and is coming off of two-straight TKO losses. Braga Neto (9-3, 1 NC) is 1-2 in the UFC and lost via TKO to Trevin Giles in his last fight. Maybe Sanchez is a slight favorite, but this isn’t a good fight by any means.
