This week, the UFC started to announce the supporting matches for the UFC 166 card scheduled for October 19th in Houston, Texas. The main event of Cain Velasquez vs Junior Dos Santos 3 has been set for a while, and that Heavyweight title bout sits with Velasquez at (-215) with the comeback on Junior at around (+170). Also on the books was a Lightweight bout between Gilbert Melendez and Diego Sanchez that sees Melendez favored at around (+500), with the comeback on Sanchez at (+370). Several main card bouts were announced this week that have not had lines put up at the sportbooks yet, so let’s take a look. The co-main event will also feature Heavyweights, as Roy Nelson faces Daniel Cormier. Nelson has a freshly signed 5 fight contract with the UFC, but he gets an opponent who is a very bad matchup for him. Nelson made a lot of noise in the UFC by scoring 3 straight 1st round KO’s, but he took a loss to Stipe Miocic in his last outing where he just looked slow and old. Miocic took it to Nelson, who never got off his shots and looked frustrated at times, and Miocic won convincingly. With all due respect to Miocic, he is a solid fighter, but Daniel Cormier does just about everything Miocic does better. He is a big puncher and he uses wrestling to establish where the fight will take place and he applies constant pressure. Unless Nelson lands a big right hand, there is little he can do in this bout. More Heavyweight action is planned as Shawn Jordan faces Gabriel Gonzaga. Jordan’s career is heading in the right direction and he is fighting often which is good for a learning fighter, while Gonzaga seems to not be improving and has looked unimpressive in both wins and losses. He does however, represent a veteran fighter who has been around and if he is focused he could turn into a considerable test for Jordan. Another match recently announced pits Middleweights Tim Boetsch and Luke Rockhold, in a match between two fighters coming off losses. Boetsch has dropped two in a row after having reeled off four wins in a row, including W’s over Yushin Okami and Hector Lombard. The truth is, even in those wins, and certainly in the losses to Mark Munoz and Costas Philippou, Boetsch can best be described as non-descript. He needs to come out and do something impressive, and he has to face the reality that a third loss in a row could mean getting cut from the roster. Rockhold is coming off a disappointing UFC debut where he lost by KO to Vitor Belfort. Rockhold is a young fighter entering his prime at 28, but he still has a lot to prove in terms of competing in the UFC. Boetsch is a solid test because he takes a beating, so Rockhold will have to bring it for the full three rounds. But in the end, the Strikeforce transplant Rockhold should have enough to defeat the Boetsch we have seen over the last 6 fights. The card also will feature the debut of Hector Lombard at 170 lbs as he faces Nate Marquardt. Lombard would seem to have the advantage on paper, and Marquardt has looked flat in losing two in a row. But Lombard is in his mid thirties, and he has long been known to be avoiding the weight cut to 170 lbs. This is a case where if you feel particularly strongly about betting either guy, wait until the weigh ins to see how Lombard handles the weight cut.
