A number of new bouts were announced over the last few days for upcoming fight cards, and for today’s MMA Odds and Ends I’ll list them all and give my quick thoughts on all of them. Dhiego Lima vs. Tim Means, UFC 184 A welterweight matchup between TUF 19 runner-up Dhiego Lima and Tim Means was added to UFC 184, which takes place February 28 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. This is a good fight between two talented welterweights and is a tough one to call. If the fight stays standing I have to give Means a huge edge, but if Lima can work in some takedowns he could possibly smother Means and win a decision. It’s a close fight to call and I expect close odds for it at the books. Vagner Rocha vs. Joseph Duffy, UFC 185 A lightweight bout between Vagner Rocha and UFC newcomer Joseph Duffy has been added to UFC 185, which takes place March 14 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. Duffy is a hyped prospect from Ireland who has submission wins over Conor McGregor and Norman Parke on his resume. Rocha is a BJJ black belt so the UFC probably set this up to see what level Duffy’s striking is at, and I think he will show in this bout that he is indeed UFC caliber. Look for Duffy to be a big favorite here as he attempts to win his UFC debut. Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas, UFC Fight Night 63 The UFC announced that UFC Fight Night 63 will take place April 4 at Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, and the main event will be a five-round featherweight bout between Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas. This is a good fight but it’s hard not to like Mendes in the matchup. He packs a ton of power in his punches and Lamas has been knocked out brutally in the past, and it’s possible that could happen yet again. I expect Lamas to get some respect from the betting public unlike most of Mendes’ opponents, but still, Mendes is going to be a sizeable favorite here and it’s well deserved. Dustin Poirier vs. Carlos Diego Ferreira, UFC Fight Night 63 Dustin Poirier is moving up to lightweight and in his first matchup at the new weight class he will take on Carlos Diego Ferreira at UFC Fight Night 63. I like Poirier but I think Ferreira is a very good fighter as well and I think this is a close fight. I’ll have to look into this one closer, but right now I would assume the odds are going to be pretty close, perhaps with a slight lean to Poirier because of his name value. Bobby Green vs. Jorge Masvidal, UFC Fight Night 63 A lightweight bout between Bobby Green and Jorge Masvidal was also added to UFC Fight Night 63. This is a great fight and the winner will become a bonafide top-10 lightweight fighter. Based on Green’s last performance against Edson Barboza where he barely did anything, it’s hard not to like Masvidal here given how good he has looked in the UFC, but it’s a close fight. Look for a near Pick ’em in the odds with a slight leans towards Masvidal. Michael Chiesa vs. Mitch Clarke, UFC Fight Night 63 And a lightweight matchup between Michael Chiesa and Mitch Clarke was also added to UFC Fight Night 63. It’s a fight between two guys that have submission wins over Al Iaquinta and Clarke has jokingly dubbed it “the battle of the beards.” Chiesa is going to be favored here because Clarke never gets any respect, but this is a close fight and I would not be surprised at all if Clarke wins because it’s actually a decent style matchup for him. Shamil Abdurahimov vs. Timothy Johnson, UFC Fight Night 63 And the final new addition to UFC Fight Night 63 is a heavyweight bout between UFC newcomers Shamil Abdurahimov and Timothy Johnson. Both fighters have picked up some decent wins on the regional circuit, with Abdurahimov holding victories over Neil Grove, Jeff Monson, Sokoudjou, and Kenny Garner and Johnson having defeated Travis Wiuff to get his UFC call, but overall I think Abdurahimov is the more dangerous fighter and I expect him to be the favorite when the lines are revealed for this card. Eddie Gordon vs. Chris Dempsey, UFC on FOX 15 And finally, the UFC added a middleweight bout between Eddie Gordon and Chris Dempsey to UFC on FOX 15, which is scheduled for April 18 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. This is a mismatch that was set up to get Gordon back on track. Dempsey is simply not a UFC-caliber fighter and Gordon should knock him out in devastating fashion, just like Ilir Latifi did in Dempsey’s UFC debut. I like Gordon a lot here and expect him to be a big favorite in this bout.
