Due to the UFC card happening on Sunday this past weekend, I missed some of the recent fight announcements the UFC made, so for today’s MMA Odds and Ends I’ll list the fights I missed as well as give my thoughts on them. Rocky Lee vs. Taylor Lapilus, UFC Fight Night 64 A featherweight bout between Rocky Lee and Taylor Lapilus was added to UFC Fight Night 64, which takes place April 11 at Krakow Arena in Krakow, Poland. I don’t know much about either of these fighters, but it might be a good idea to fade Lee, who is taking a flight all the way from Taiwan to get to Poland for this one against Lapilus, a native of France. Jimy Hettes vs. Diego Brandao, UFC on FOX 15 A featherweight contest between Jimy Hettes and Diego Brandao, which was originally scheduled for UFC 183, has been re-booked for UFC on FOX 15, which takes place April 18 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Hettes got sick the day of the fight and this bout had to be scrapped at the last second, but Brandao was a small favorite heading into it. I don’t expect the line to change much, so look for Brandao to be about 2-to-1 or a bit less this April. Hatsu Hioki vs. Dan Hooker, UFC Fight Night 65 A featherweight fight between Hatsu Hioki and Dan Hooker will take place at UFC Fight Night 65, which takes place May 10 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia. This is a really fun fight between a striker and grappler, but it’s hard not to favor Hioki in this spot, even considering the skid he’s on He’s just so much better on the ground that if it gets there, Hooker’s going to have a very hard time avoiding the submission, so I have to favor Hioki here by quite a wide margin. But it should be a fun fight for sure. Mark Eddiva vs. Alex White, UFC Fight Night 66 A featherweight bout between Mark Eddiva and Alex White is the latest addition to UFC Fight Night 66, which is set for May 16 at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, Philippines. This is a pretty good fight. White is a solid striker but Eddiva is a tough dude and he’s a better grappler. I could see this one going either way, but I do think Eddiva will be the slight favorite. John Dodson vs. Zach Makovsky, UFC 187 A flyweight bout between John Dodson and Zach Makovsky was added to UFC 187, which takes place May 23 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. I’m surprised Dodson isn’t getting an immediate flyweight title shot, but perhaps after his long layoff he wanted another fight before competing for the belt. Either way, I expect him to defeat Makovsky, although this is definitely not an easy fight by any means. Still, Dodson is going to be a solid favorite here, and deservedly so. Rose Namajunas vs. Nina Ansaroff, UFC Fight Night 68 According to Neil Rooke of CombatPress.com, women’s strawweights Rose Namajunas and Nina Ansaroff will square off at UFC Fight Night 68, which takes place June 6 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. Obviously this is a fight for Namajunas to get back in the win column with, and I fully expect that to happen here with her probably submitting Ansaroff. Look for Namajunas to be a big favorite here as she looks to get back on track.
