Two new UFC bouts were announced over the weekend, and for today’s MMA Odds and Ends I’ll give my quick thoughts on both fights. Marcus Brimage vs. Russell Doane, UFC 175 In a bantamweight tilt, TUF 14 alum Marcus Brimage will return to the Octagon after a one-plus-year absence to take on Hawaiian Russell Doane at UFC 175. The event takes place July 5 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV, and the bout between Brimage and Doane is expected to take place on the preliminary card. This is Brimage’s first fight at 135lbs and it was clear it his fight against Conor McGregor last April that he was just too small for the new 145ers making their way up the UFC ranks. Brimage is a pretty decent all-around fighter with good sprawl-and-brawl skills and now that he’ll be fighting guys the same size, he could probably improve on his underrated 3-1 record in the Octagon. As for Doane, he is another well-rounded fighter with very good submission skills and he’s coming off a win in his UFC debut over Leandro Isssa. I was extremely impressed by Doane in that fight and I believe he could be a real player in the bantamweight division if he continues to work on his skills and improve his game. This is a fun fight that will likely be decided by the takedown. If Doane can get the fight to the floor, he’ll probably win, but if Brimage can keep it standing he has to be favored. It’s a close fight, and I would expect it to be near a Pick ’em in the odds with a slight lean to Doane based on the fact Brimage doesn’t get much respect from MMA bettors. Keith Berish vs. Robert Drysdale, TUF 19 Finale In a light heavyweight battle between UFC newcomers, Keith Berish will take on Robert Drysdale at the TUF 19 Finale, which like UFC 175 is set to take place at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, NV, although the TUF 19 Finale takes place the following evening on July 6. Berish has been in MMA for five years but he’s only fought five times in that span, going undefeated at 5-0 with four wins coming by way of finish primarily fighting in Ring of Combat. I don’t know much about him but obviously with the UFC lacking in light heavyweight talent I can see why they signed an undefeated fighter to help shore up the ranks. As for Drysdale, he’ll finally be making his UFC debut after dealing with commission issues due to his use of TRT and also due to injuries. But he’s back now, and if healthy and in the right mind set he certainly has the chance to be a title contender at 205lbs because he has one of the best ground games in the division, no doubt about it. Based on the hype I certainly expect Drysdale to be a big favorite in this fight like he always is, perhaps even in the -400 range despite his long layoff. As long as his health issues are taken care of Dyrsdale, he could be a player at light heavyweight and I definitely think he wins this set-up fight.
