Erick Silva’s next UFC opponent has been announced, and it’s a matchup that’s going to make you scratch your head. According to Ivan Raupp of Globo, Silva will take on Nate Loughran at UFC Fight Night 36 next February in Brazil. Yes, this is the same Loughran who went 1-1 in the UFC back in 2008, and who has two fights in the last five years since then. In other words, what?! This fight booking makes absolutely no sense to me at all. Yes, I understand that Silva is coming off a devastating KO loss to Dong Hyun Kim, but Kim is one of the best welterweight fighters in the world and there’s really no shame in losing to him. So for the UFC to bring back Loughran to fight him, it makes very little sense and is probably one of the biggest mismatches Joe Silva has booked in years. I’m not trying to knock Loughran here, as I believe he is a solid fighter who was cut from the UFC too soon the first time and who has really battled back hard the last few years to make it back to the big show. But to go from fighting on the regional circuit to getting a fight against a stud like Silva, I just don’t understand it. Silva will likely open as a huge favorite in this spot, likely around -700 or so with the comeback on Loughran around +500. That’s just my initial thought, and it may change as I do more research and dig deeper into this matchup, but I really do believe the betting public will back the Brazilian Silva here heavily and really, how can you blame them? What an awful matchup. Rodrigo Damm vs. Ivan Jorge, UFC Fight Night 36 And in another fight announced for UFC Fight Night 36, lightweight Rodrigo Damm will battle Ivan Jorge. Unlike this previous fight I talked about, though, this one should be pretty competitive. Damm is moving back up to 155 after having issues with his kidney trying to cut down to 145 pounds, while Jorge is dropping down fro 170 to 155. I like this fight, and I think it should prove to be pretty exciting. That being said, I really have no idea who’s going to win this, as both men have quite a few tools in their toolbag and each can definitely get the W here. I’d assume based on his name that Damm will open as a slight favorite, but considering how much respect Jorge got against Keith Wisniewski in his UFC debut back in September, I’m guessing the betting line is going to stay pretty close in this one. We’ll see, though, but my early lean is Damm.
