A few new fight announcements were made over the weekend, and for today’s MMA odds and ends I will give my thoughts on them:
Desmond Green vs. Gleison Tibau, UFC Fight Night 131
A lightweight battle between Desmond Green and Gleison Tibau has been set for UFC Fight Night 131, which is set to take place Friday, June 1 at Adirondack Center in Utica, New York. The bout was reported by the Utica Reporter-Dispatch. Green (20-7) came to the UFC with high hopes after being the former Titan FC featherweight champion but has been kind of a bust so far with just a 1-2 UFC record. However he still has plenty of time to get back on track. Tibau (33-13) is one of the top gatekeepers in lightweight history but has been on a slide as of late with an 0-3 record over this last three fights including a brutal KO loss to Islam Makhachev in his last fight. He also missed over two years due to a PED suspension, and it’s hard to trust him at this point of his career. This should be a pretty grinding affair between two wrestlers but I slightly favor Green based on his youth and speed advantage, though I am expecting Pick ’em odds.
Khalil Rountree vs. Gokhan Saki, UFC 226 A light heavyweight fight pitting strikers Khalil Rountree and Gokhan Saki has been re-booked for UFC 226, which is set to take place Saturday, July 7 at T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. The pair were previously set to fight at UFC 219 but the fight was cancelled when Saki pulled out with an injury. Rountree (6-2, 1 NC) ended up fighting Michael Oleksiejczuk and lost a unanimous decision but the fight was later overturned to a No Contest when Oleksiejczuk tested positive for a banned substance. Rountree looked bad in that fight but at least he gets a mulligan after his opponent tested positive. All told Rountree is 2-2, 1 NC in the UFC and needs to start building some consistency if he wants to climb the ladder at 205lbs. Saki (1-1) is a legendary kickboxer and made his UFC debut last year when he brutally knocked out Henrique da Silva in a beautiful display of his striking technique. He showed some flaws in his striking defense and cardio but he also showed amazing knockout power and precision. I’m digging this matchup between two strike-first fighters but I have to favor Saki in a fight that is likely to take place primarily on the feet.
