A couple of excellent matchups have been added for upcoming UFC cards, and in today’s MMA odds and ends I’ll give my thoughts on them.
Renato Moicano vs. Cub Swanson, UFC 227
A featherweight bout between top-ranked contenders Renato Moicano and Cub Swanson has been added to UFC 227, which goes down Saturday, August 4 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The bout was rumored for a while since being reported by the LA Times in early May and it now confirmed. Moicano (12-1-1) bounced back from his first career loss to Brian Ortega with a one-sided victory over Calvin Kattar in his last bout, and this guy is looking like a serious contender right now at 145lbs. Swanson (25-9) is coming off of two-straight losses, albeit to Frankie Edgar and Ortega. He didn’t look good in those fights but prior to that had won four-straight bouts. Even though Swanson is the bigger name and has all the experience, I just can’t pick him to beat a younger, hungrier and more talented fighter like Moicano. I expet Swanson to get some respect from the oddsmakers, but I feel like Moicano will win this fight and the oddsmakers will smartly open him as the favorite in this spot.
Mark Hunt vs. Aleksei Oleinik, UFC Fight Night 136
A heavyweight matchup between Mark Hunt and Aleksei Oleinik will headline UFC Fight Night 136, which takes place Saturday, September 15 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Hunt is replacing Fabricio Werdum, who is under investigation by USADA after being flagged for a banned substance in a recent drug test. MMATeamDagestan originally reported the switch. Hunt (13-12-1, 1 NC) is 44 now and he’s just 1-2 in his last three fights. He suffered a decision loss to Curtis Blaydes in his last bout but prior to that reminded everyone of his KO power when he finished Derrick Lewis. Oleinik (56-11-1) is 40 himself but has had more success as of late, winning three of his last four bouts via submission with an ezekiel choke over Junior Albini in his last bout. This is a really intriguing matchup as Hunt has huge KO power but problems on the ground while Oleinik has mediocre standup but an elite ground game. WIth Oleinik fighting at home I’d give him a better chance to win this fight but I still think Hunt has the edge in power and I’d slightly favor him to get the win here. As for the odds, I’m expecting something close to a Pick ’em.
