A slew of new UFC bouts have been announced in the last few days, and for today’s MMA Odds and Ends I’ll list the new bouts and give my thoughts on them. Norman Parke vs. Francisco Trinaldo, UFC Fight Night 67 Due to an injury to Gilbert Burns, Norman Parke will now take on Francisco Trinaldo at UFC Fight Night 67, which is set for May 30 at Goiania Arena in Goiania, Brazil. This is a pretty competitive fight, but the short-notice factor makes me lean towards Parke. I like Trinaldo, but he’s really getting up there in age and he’s always had questionable cardio. Taking this fight on short notice, I have no idea what his weight is like right now but knowing him, he probably has to cut a ton of weight to make 155lbs in just four weeks, which could really hurt him if this fight with Parke goes to a decision like I expect it to. I’m not too high on Parke anymore, but I do lean towards him here and feel he should be a small favorite heading into this fight. Steve Bosse vs. Thiago Santos, TUF Brazil 4 Finale After getting scratched at UFC 186 at the last minute, Steve Bosse will make the drop down to middleweight when he takes on Thiago Santos at the TUF Brazil 4 Finale, which is set to take place July 27 at Ginasio do Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I really like Santos here. I feel like he’s one of the more underrated middleweights on the roster at the moment and he gets better every single fight. Bosse is a powerful puncher for sure, but he’s also had a two-year layoff and dropping down to 185lbs, it’s hard to know what to expect from him. Furthermore, the fight is in Brazil, so he’ll be cutting weight in a new locale. It all adds up to a recipe for disaster, although again, Bosse can knock anyone out so you can’t write him off here completely. Still, I like Santos here and feel he should be favored, probably somewhere in the 2-to-1 range although he often gets disrespected in the betting lines so he may be had for cheaper depending on what bettors feel about Bosse. Michelle Waterson vs. Angela Magana, TUF 21 Finale And finally, former Invicta FC atomweight champion will make her long-awaited UFC debut at the TUF 21 Finale against Angela Magana in a strawweight bout. The card takes place July 12 at a yet-to-be-announced venue in Florida. This is a really good matchup stylistically for Waterson to introduce her to the UFC audience, as Magana is the type of fighter she can style on and show off her skills for the UFC fans. Magana is tough and durable, but is too willing to eat strikes, and Waterson knows how to throw them. Unless she is just severely undersized for 115lbs, I don’t see how Waterson doesn’t roll here, either outstriking Magana for a decision or maybe even finishing her. Waterson always gets respect from bettors while Magana gets very little respect, so expect the former champ to be a 5-to-1 favorite, even despite coming off of a loss in her last fight in Invicta.
