Last week, we got information that UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was cleared by the Nevada State Athletic Commission to combat 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 all the GOAT seeking to defend his title in the primary event. In addition to the affirmation of Jones vs. Smith, a couple other struggles for UFC 235 were revealed over the weekend, and I will 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 news. Saenz (13-5) is 5-2 overall from the UFC and is coming off of back-to-back decision wins over Henry Briones and Merab Dvalishvili. At one stage 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 is the last opportunity he’s got to make a title run. Vera (12-5-1) is only 6-4-1 from the UFC but he has fought a high level of competition within the Octagon and his album does not do justice to the type of fighter he is. Vera is coming off of 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 is going to be looking to keep this fight with Saenz on the toes while Saenz will be looking for the takedown. Although Saenz is a tricky veteran and will probably make this battle more competitive than the line will imply, it is difficult to go against the younger Vera and I expect him to be a sizeable favorite to get the win. Charles Byrd vs. Edmen Shahbazyan, UFC 235 Middleweights Charles Byrd and Edmen Shahbazyan are set to clash at UFC 235 as well. This fight is official as per the UFC. Byrd (10-5) had a terrific UFC debut last spring when he submitted John Phillips at the first round at UFC Fight Night 127. He was a gambling favorite for his next fight against Darren Stewart at UFC 228, but after a strong first round that he faded badly and has been brutally knocked out. At age 35, Byrd seems to be more of a gatekeeper rather than a late-blooming competition that some thought he might be following his successful stint on the Contender Series. Shahbazyan (8-0) was undefeated heading into his UFC debut with all of his wins coming by first-round knockout, but struggled in a split decision win over the aforementioned Stewart. He did get the nod and at age 21 should find out a lot from that struggle, but he showed a lot of holes from Stewart a veteran like Byrd may exploit. I would still have to favor Shahbazyan somewhat just due to the age gap and the knockout power, but I have a feeling this struggle will be more aggressive than most want to think. Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links and MMA Odds Breaker will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on the hyperlinks.

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 made that struggle official over the weekend, along with 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 main event. Besides the affirmation of Jones vs. Smith, a couple other struggles for UFC 235 were also revealed over the weekend, and I will give my initial thoughts on these brand new matchups in the current MMA odds and ends. UFC 235 vs. Marlon Vera, frankie Saenz Because of an injury to Thomas Almeida, veteran Frankie Saenz is stepping up on short notice to resist the surging 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 from back-to-back choice 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 can be 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 has fought a high level of competition within the Octagon and his album does not do justice to the kind of fighter he is. Vera is coming off of 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 seeking to keep this fight with Saenz around the toes while Saenz will be looking for the takedown. Although Saenz is a tricky veteran and will probably make this fight more aggressive than the lineup will imply, it is difficult to go from the younger Vera and I expect him to be a sizeable preferred to get the win. Charles Byrd vs. Edmen Shahbazyan, UFC 235 Middleweights Charles Byrd and Edmen Shahbazyan are set to clash at UFC 235 as well. This battle is official as per the UFC. Byrd (10-5) had a terrific UFC debut last spring when he submitted John Phillips at the first round at UFC Fight Night 127. He was a gambling favorite for his next fight against Darren Stewart at UFC 228, however following a strong first round that he faded badly and has been pumped out. At age 35, Byrd seems to be more of a gatekeeper rather than a late-blooming contender that some believed he might be following his successful stint on the Contender Series. Shahbazyan (8-0) was undefeated heading into his UFC debut with all of his wins coming from first-round knockout, but fought in a split decision win over the above Stewart. He’d get the nod and at age 21 should find out a lot from that fight, but he showed a lot of holes against Stewart that a veteran like Byrd may exploit. I would still need to prefer Shahbazyan somewhat just due to the age difference and the knockout power, but I have a feeling that this fight is going to be more competitive than most want to think. Disclaimer: This page includes affiliate links and MMA Odds Breaker will be paid should you make a purchase after clicking on the hyperlinks.