Two new UFC matchups are scheduled to go down in the coming weeks. Here they are, along with my thoughts on each. Albert Tumenov vs. Andrew Todhunter, UFC 188 Due to an injury to Hector Urbina, Albert Tumenov will now square off against UFC newcomer Andrew Todhunter at UFC 188, which takes place June 13 at Mexico City Arena in Mexico City, Mexico. The fight will take place on the Fight Pass prelims for the next UFC PPV event. Poor Todhunter. I’m sure the guy is a decent prospect and might win a few fights in the UFC, but he isn’t going to beat Tumenov. The Russian is one of the top welterweight prospects in the world and could soon find his way into the top 15 of the division. He is a devastating striker and not many fighters will be able to stand and trade with him, and surely Todhunter isn’t the type of guy who will hang with Tumenov, especially in his UFC debut. This is a mismatch. Todhunter is doing the UFC a favor here by taking this fight on short notice, but it’s just a way for him to get into the UFC. Tumenov is going to win this fight, and likely by knockout. Look for the Russian to be around 5-to-1 for this contest, one that likely doesn’t go the full three rounds. Timothy Johnson vs. Jared Rosholt, UFC Fight Night 74 A heavyweight matchup featuring Timothy Johnson and Jared Rosholt is the latest addition to UFC Fight Night 74, which goes down August 8 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. This fight likely will take place on the main card of this event. This is an interesting fight. Johnson looked great in his UFC debut, but he won the fight by taking his opponent down and pounding him out on the mat. He won’t be able to do that to Rosholt, who is the superior fighter in this contest, so he will have to win the fight on the feet. There is definitely a possibility Johnson connects with Rosholt’s questionable chin, but we just don’t know enough about his standup yet to say for sure. And if he can’t get the knockout, it’s likely Rosholt makes this is a dirty, gritty fight with his wrestling and wins a decision. This is a heavyweight fight so either guy has the opportunity to win by KO, but you have to lean towards Rosholt in this spot considering the wrestling advantage. Look for him to be the favorite heading into this fight, but don’t completely write Johnson off, because he certainly has fight-ending power and could finish Rosholt if he clips him. But that’s a big if.
