The final UFC card of 2018 had another bout added to it, and I’ll give my thoughts on this new matchups in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Petr Yan vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade, UFC 232
An intriguing bantamweight bout between top prospect Petr Yan and Douglas Silva de Andrade has been added to UFC 232, which goes down December 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ariel Helwani of ESPN broke the news in a video segment.
Yan (10-1) is just 25 but is already quickly becoming a household name in the UFC bantamweight division. In his UFC debut, the Russian phenom knocked out Teruto Ishihara in devastating fashion, and he then followed it up with a decision win over Jin Soo Son in his last bout that won him a share of “Fight of the Night” for the pair’s epic brawl. Yan is one of the top strikers at 135lbs and if he continues to round out his game there’s no reason to think he can’t contend for a world title in just a few more fights. De Andrade (25-2, 1 NC) is, for my money, one of the most underrated bantamweights in the game. The 33-year-old Brazilian is 3-2 in the UFC with victories over Marlon Vera, Henry Briones and Cody Gibson, with his losses coming to Zubaira Tukhugov and Rob Font. Ovrall 20 of his victories have come by stoppage, making him one of the most devastating finishers at 135lbs, and definitely a tough test for Yan in this fight.
While I believe de Andrade will be the toughest test of Yan’s career to date, I still favor Yan in this fight. You can’t ignore the age gap here, nor can you ignore the untapped potential and upside. That being said, I do think de Andrade is a pretty game fighter, so this could go perhaps like the fight with Son where Yan does end up winning but it’s a lot closer than the betting line says the fight should be. I still expect Yan to be a big betting favorite yet again just because of all the time, though I do believe de Andrade should get some respect from the public so if the line creeps too high it could be interesting to look at the dog.
UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar Arrested on DUI Charge
In some depressing news, it was revealed by TMZ that UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar was arrested on DUI charges over the weekend in Las Vegas. The TUF veteran was allegedly driving recklessly and was apprehended by concerned citizens before being booked by Las Vegas police, who determined he was drunk. He was charged with third-degree felony DUI and has since been released on bail. One half of one of the greatest fights ever in MMA history along with Forrest Griffin, Bonnar has not competed since losing a decision to Tito Ortiz in 2014. The long-time veteran of the sport is now 41 and his arrest is very disappointing news for his fans who have appreciated his long carer in the cage.
