Last weekwe have information that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was cleared by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to fight Anthony Smith. The UFC created that struggle official on 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 title in the primary event.
In addition to the confirmation of Jones vs. Smith, a few other struggles for UFC 235 were also revealed over the weekend, and I’ll give my initial thoughts on these brand new matchups in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Frankie Saenz vs. Marlon Vera, UFC 235 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 in the UFC and is coming off of back-to-back choice wins over Henry Briones and Merab Dvalishvili. At one stage it looked like he can get cut from the UFC after suffering a three-fight losing skid, but he’s bounced back well since then. At age 38, this is the last chance he’s got to make a title run.
Vera (12-5-1) is just 6-4-1 in the UFC but he’s fought a high amount of competition within the Octagon and also his record doesn’t 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 beginning to really come into his own as a fighter. No doubt Vera will be seeking to keep this fight with Saenz around the feet while Saenz will be searching for the takedown. Although Saenz is a tricky veteran and will likely make this fight more aggressive than the lineup will suggest, it’s hard to go from 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 fight is official according to the UFC. Byrd (10-5) had a terrific UFC debut last spring when he submitted John Phillips in the first round at UFC Fight Night 127. He was a gambling favorite because of his next fight against Darren Stewart at UFC 228, but following a solid first round he faded badly and was pumped out. At age 35, Byrd seems to be a gatekeeper rather than a late-blooming contender that some believed he may be after his successful stint on the Contender Series.
Shahbazyan (8-0) was undefeated heading into his UFC debut with all his wins coming from first-round knockout, but struggled in a split decision win on the aforementioned Stewart. He’d get the nod and at age 21 should find out a lot from that fight, but he showed a great deal of holes against Stewart that a veteran like Byrd could exploit. I would still have to favor Shahbazyan somewhat just because of the age difference and the knockout power, but I have a feeling this fight will be more aggressive than many want to think.
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