Last week, we got news that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was cleared by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to fight Anthony Smith. The UFC created that fight official on the weekend, along with the March 2 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada is currently a go with the GOAT seeking to defend his title in the primary event.
In addition to the confirmation of Jones vs. Smith, a couple other fights for UFC 235 were revealed over the weekend, and I will give my first thoughts on those brand new matchups in the current MMA odds and ends.
Frankie Saenz vs. Marlon Vera Because of an injury to Thomas Almeida, veteran Frankie Saenz is stepping up on short notice to resist the slumping Marlon Vera at a bantamweight bout at UFC 235. Ariel Helwani of ESPN broke the information. Saenz (13-5) is 5-2 overall from the UFC and is coming off of back-end decision wins over Henry Briones and Merab Dvalishvili. At one point it looked like he may get cut by the UFC after enduring a three-fight losing skid, but he’s bounced back well since then. At age 38, this can be the last chance he’s got to make a title run.
Vera (12-5-1) is only 6-4-1 in the UFC but he’s fought a high level of competition inside the Octagon and also his record does not do justice to the type of fighter he is. Vera is coming from back-to-back stoppage wins Guido Cannetti and Wuliji Buren and at age 26 is starting to really come into his own as a fighter. No doubt Vera will be looking to keep this battle with Saenz on the feet 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 hard to go against the younger Vera and I expect him to be a big favorite 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 battle is official as per the UFC. Byrd (10-5) had a terrific UFC debut last spring when he filed John Phillips at the first round at UFC Fight Night 127. He was a betting favorite because of his next fight against Darren Stewart in UFC 228, but after a solid first round he faded badly and was pumped out. At age 35, Byrd seems to be more of a gatekeeper rather than a late-blooming contender that some thought he might be after his successful stint on the Contender Series.
Shahbazyan (8-0) was undefeated heading to his UFC debut with all his wins coming from first-round knockout, but struggled 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 favor Shahbazyan somewhat just because of the age difference and the knockout energy, but I’ve a feeling this fight is going to be more aggressive than most want to believe.
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