Last week, we have news that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was cleared by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to combat Anthony Smith. The UFC made that struggle official over the weekend, and the March 2 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada is currently a go with the GOAT looking to defend his name in the primary event.
Besides the affirmation of Jones vs. Smith, a couple other struggles for UFC 235 were revealed over the weekend, and I’ll give my initial thoughts on these brand new matchups in the current MMA odds and ends.
UFC 235 vs. Marlon Vera, frankie Saenz Due to an accident to Thomas Almeida, veteran Frankie Saenz is stepping up on short notice to resist the surging Marlon Vera in a bantamweight bout at UFC 235. Ariel Helwani of ESPN broke the information. Saenz (13-5) is 5-2 overall in the UFC and is coming from back-end decision wins over Henry Briones and Merab Dvalishvili. At one point it seemed like he can get cut by the UFC after enduring a three-fight losing skid, but he has bounced back nicely since then. At age 38, this is the last chance he has to make a title run.
Vera (12-5-1) is only 6-4-1 from the UFC but he’s fought a high amount of competition within the Octagon and his album doesn’t do justice to the kind of fighter he is. Vera is coming from back-to-back stoppage wins over Guido Cannetti and Wuliji Buren and at age 26 is beginning to really come into his own as a fighter. No doubt Vera will be looking to keep this fight with Saenz around the toes while Saenz will be looking for the takedown. Although Saenz is a crafty veteran and will probably make this battle more competitive than the line will imply, it’s difficult to go from the younger Vera and I expect him to be a sizeable preferred for the win.
Charles Byrd vs. Edmen Shahbazyan, UFC 235
Middleweights Charles Byrd and Edmen Shahbazyan are set to clash at UFC 235 too. This fight is official as per the UFC. Byrd (10-5) had a terrific UFC debut last spring when he filed John Phillips in the first round at UFC Fight Night 127. He was a betting favorite for his next battle against Darren Stewart at UFC 228, but after a strong first round he faded badly and has been brutally knocked out. At age 35, Byrd seems to be a gatekeeper as opposed to a late-blooming competition that some thought he may be following his successful stint on the Contender Series.
Shahbazyan (8-0) was undefeated heading into his UFC debut with all his wins coming by first-round knockout, but fought in a split decision win on the above Stewart. He’d get the nod and at age 21 must find out a lot from that struggle, but he showed a lot of holes against Stewart a veteran like Byrd could exploit. I’d still need to prefer Shahbazyan somewhat just because of the age difference and the knockout power, but I’ve a feeling this struggle is going to be more aggressive than many want to believe.
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