Just a day after Volkan Oezdemir vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was officially announced for the upcoming UFC Hamburg card, the co-main event is also now being reported. That, plus another bout added to UFC Liverpool in today’s MMA odds and ends.
David Teymur vs. Don Madge, UFC Fight Night 130
A lightweight matchup between David Teymur and Don Madge has been added to UFC Fight Night 130, which takes place Sunday, May 27 at Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. Teymur (7-1) is 4-0 so far in the UFC and in his last fight scored a decision win over Drakkar Klose. He’s an excellent striker and has shown improvements in his grappling as well. Madge (7-3) is making his UFC debut after winning four-straight fights in EFC Africa. Madge is a solid prospect and I’m glad he’s in the UFC but I’m perplexed by this matchmaking. On paper, this is a fight that doesn’t make much sense, and this seems to me like other lightweights are ducking Teymur and the UFC was desperate to get him an opponent. Though Madge could surprise us all, I fully expect Teymur to be a large favorite in this fight.
Glover Teixeira vs. Ilir Latifi, UFC Fight Night 134
A light heavyweight bout between top contenders Glover Teixeira and Ilir Latifi will reportedly serve as the co-main event for UFC Fight Night 134, which goes down Sunday, July 22 at Barclaycard Arena in Hamburg, Germany. Kimura.se reported the bout first. Teixeira (27-6) is 10-4 in the UFC and in his last outing knocked out Misha Cirkunov in a surprising performance. Despite being 38, Teixeira remains one of the top light heavyweights in the sport, and is the guy you have to beat in order to get into the top-five of the division. Latifi (14-5, 1 NC) is 7-3 in the UFC and is coming off of two-straight wins, with a technical submission victory over Ovince Saint-Preux in his last outing. Latifi has looked great as of late but Teixeira is the more proven fighter and I believe the Brazilian should be favored here due to being more well-rounded and more durable.
