Six new UFC bouts have been announced in the past few days, and for Wednesday’s MMA Odds and Ends I’ll list the bouts and give my thoughts on them. Willie Gates vs. John Moraga, UFC on FOX 13 Following an injury to Jussier Formiga, John Moraga will now take on UFC newcomer Willie Gates at UFC on FOX 13, which takes place December 13 at American Airlines Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. MMAFighting.com was first to report the news. Moraga is one of the top flyweights in the world and while Gates, the Tachie Palace Fights flyweight champion, looks like a good prospect, this is a really difficult UFC debut for him. Look for Moraga to open as a big favorite here as he looks to continue moving up the ladder at 125lbs. Marcus Brimage vs. Cody Garbrandt, UFC 182 A bantamweight bout between Marcus Brimage and promotional newcomer Cody Garbrandt takes place at UFC 182 on January 3 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Brimage has been nothing short of impressive since dropping down to 135lbs, and while Garbrandt is an undefeated prospect out of Pittsburgh, it’s hard to see him beating Brimage, who looked outstanding in his last fight. Garbrandt could surprise us all, but I do like Brimage here and think he should be a solid favorite. Sean Soriano vs. Charles Rosa, UFC Fight Night 59 A featherweight bout between Sean Soriano and Charles Rosa has been added to UFC Fight Night 59, which takes place January 18 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The bout will be a part of the evening’s preliminary card, and it was reported by Rob Tatum of Combat Press. I’m expecting a very solid scrap between these two featherweight prospects from Florida. Soriano, who trains with the Blackzilians, is 0-2 in the Octagon and is lucky to be getting a third chance to get a win, while Rosa, who trains at ATT, is 0-1 and needs a win as well. Based on what we have seen from both men inside the UFC, I favor Rosa slightly in this fight due to a superior grappling base, but it could go either way and I’m expecting a line close to even. Ian McCall vs. John Lineker, UFC 183 A flyweight bout between Ian McCall and John Lineker that was originally set to take place at UFC Fight Night 56 has been re-booked for UFC 183, which takes place January 31 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. McCall was a slight favorite heading into UFC Fight Night 56 before coming down with sickness just hours before the bout, and I don’t expect that to change here. If anything, he will be even more of a favorite as the fight now takes place in the U.S. Either way I still think Lineker is a live dog if he can make weight and looks good on the scale doing so. Nik Lentz vs. Thiago Tavares, UFC Fight Night 60 A featherweight bout between Nik Lentz and Thiago Tavares is the latest addition to UFC Fight Night 60, which takes place February 14 at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. These two fought five years ago in the UFC to a draw, and I’m surprised the promotion decided to book a rematch since the first fight wasn’t that exciting. However, to be fair to both guys, both men have evolved quite a bit since that bout, especially Lentz, who I consider a step just under the elite featherweights in the world. I like Lentz here and I think he should be the favorite because he has the edge in wrestling, although Tavares and his sneaky submissions can never be counted out. KID Yamamoto vs. Roman Salazar, UFC 184 Veteran bantamweight Yorifumi “KID” Yamamoto will make his long-awaited return to the Octagon when he takes on Roman Salazar at UFC 184, which is set for February 28 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. This is KID’s first fight in three years, while Salazar returns after a quick submission loss to contender Mitch Gagnon. KID may not have fought in three years but based on pure talent alone he should be able to get by Salazar, who is a part-time fighter as he works as a cable guy for his full-time job. KID is now 37 but I think the UFC still thinks he can win fights in the Octagon, and they are throwing him a bone here. Look for KID to open as a big favorite here as he looks to get back in the win column.
