Two new bouts were added to UFC Fight Night 68, which takes place June 6 at Smoothie King Centre in New Orleans, Louisiana, and for today’s MMA Odds and Ends I’ll give my thoughts on both matchups. Derrick Lewis vs. Shawn Jordan A heavyweight bout between Derrick Lewis and Shawn Jordan was added to this event. This is actually a rematch of the pair’s first bout back in 2010 which Jordan won via unanimous decision in Cajun Fighting Championships (yes, that’s actually the name of the event). Since that first fight between these two, both men have earned their way to the UFC, with Jordan becoming a staple of the UFC heavyweight division in amassing a 5-3 record in the Octagon and with Lewis going 3-1 overall inside the eight-sided cage. Both guys have mediocre chins, but both guys hit like a truck, and while the first fight between these two went the distance, I highly doubt this rematch will. Lewis is from Louisiana, but Jordan played football at LSU, which I think cancels out the homefield edge. So I think this one comes down to who can connect with a big punch first and knock their opponent out. I’ve been high on Lewis ever since he came into the UFC, and while Jordan absolutely has the tools to finish him, I have to go with Lewis here to get the win, and I believe he should be the rightful favorite heading into this matchup. Alan Jouban vs. Brian Ebersole As well, a welterweight bout between Alan Jouban and Brian Ebersole was also added to this card. This is an interesting fight because as we’ve seen so far in Jouban’s UFC career, he has nasty striker and big-time power, and Ebersole is a guy who has never been knocked out in his illustrious career. While Ebersole has proven himself to be a durable fighter over the years, the combination of him getting up there in age and taking on an up-and-comer like Jouban is probably not going to end well for him. I like Ebersole, but at this point in his career I’m not sure how much he has left in the tank, and I have a feeling this may be the last fight of his career if he gets knocked out by Jouban. Look for Jouban, who is from Louisiana, to open up as a decent-sized favorite here as he continues to tear through the UFC welterweight division.
