A couple of new UFC bouts have been announced for upcoming fight cards, and I’ll give my thoughts on them in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Luis “Violent Bob Ross” Pena vs. Richie Smullen, TUF 27 Finale
A lightweight fight putting Luis Pena against Richie Smullen has been added to the TUF 27 Finale, which goes down Friday, July 6 at Pearl Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC has confirmed the bout. Both fighters were forced to pull out of the show with injuries. Pena (4-0) was one of the most colorful prospects from the show and is known for his colorful character and giant afro, but he can fight as well. Smullen (3-0-1) is undefeated in his career as well and will look to bounce back from his injury on the show. I’m glad both guys are getting another shot in the UFC but I’d assume Pena will be the favorite due to his popularity amongst fans.
Jon Tuck vs. Drew Dober, UFC Fight Night 135
A lightweight bout between Jon Tuck and Drew Dober is set for UFC Fight Night 135, which takes place Saturday, August 25 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska. The UFC has officially announced the bout. Tuck (10-4) is 4-4 in the UFC and in his last fight he submitted an aging Takanori Gomi. Tuck has been much alternated wins and losses his entire UFC career and he really needs to start a win streak if he wants to stick around the Octagon for longer. Dober (19-8, 1 NC) is 5-4, 1 NC in the UFC and is coming off of back-to-back wins over Frank Camacho and Josh Burkman. His KO win over Burkman was huge and the win over Camacho, which was at welterweight, won him a share of “Fight of the Night” for a cool $50,000 bonus. Both guys have been extremely inconsistent in the UFC and it’s hard to trust either guy in this matchup, but I have to give a slight lean to Dober, who is from Nebraska himself. I think he should be durable enough to survive Tuck’s best shots and he should have the better cardio to pull off a decision.
