UFC 152: September 22, 2012
Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario
UFC Featherweight Contender Jimy Hettes (-425)
Profile: A submission nightmare from the Northeastern United States that we have not seen since Joe Lauzon, Jimy Hettes (10-0) is a 25-year-old monster. Before getting picked up by the UFC, Hettes scored eight submission victories on the local pro circuit, with five of those wins coming in the first round and four of them coming in under 85 seconds. “The Kid” made his UFC debut at UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle, taking home a rear-naked choke submission win over Alex Caceres and continued his unbeaten streak against Nam Phan, who finally took him through the whole three rounds before losing a unanimous decision.
UFC Featherweight Contender Marcus Brimage (+275)
Profile: Marcus Brimage (5-1) has experienced a short but sweet MMA career so far that began in Georgia in 2007. Despite his little experience at the time, the 2-1 Brimage was selected to be on Season Eight of The Ultimate Fighter, but injuries kept him off the show. The 27-year-old picked up another win on the independent circuit and was finally given a shot at the UFC by fighting his way into the house on Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter. He did just that by winning his first fight. Brimage was selected to Team Bisping then was quickly handled by Bryan Caraway, getting submitted in the second round. Despite losing on the show, Brimage showed plenty of moxy and continued his training. He defeated Stephen Bass at The Ultimate Fighter 14 Finale by unanimous decision and then scored an upset in taking a controversial split-decision win over Maximo Blanco at UFC 145.
Opening UFC 152 Odds Analysis: MMA oddsmaker Nick Kalikas has made Hettes a heavy -425 favorite (bet $425 to win $100) against Brimage, who opened as a +275 underdog (bet $100 to win $275) according to the MMA odds. The fact that Hettes is still unbeaten and yet to be challenged in his young career speaks volumes, and he has already beaten two former TUF fighters in his first two UFC fights. Brimage will be the third TUF alum to meet Hettes in as many bouts and faces a tough challenge here considering his opponent likes to finish his fights quickly, with nine of his 10 going less than three rounds. Hettes looks to be a future UFC star, and he will need to back up the hype with a dominant victory against Brimage to justify the steep price of betting him in this spot.