A number of new UFC bouts have been added to upcoming fight cards, and I’ll give my thoughts on them in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Rashad Coulter vs. Chris de la Rocha, UFC 225
Due to an injury to Allen Crowder, Rashad Coulter will now take on short-notice replacement Chris de la Rocha at UFC 225, which goes down Saturday, June 9 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Coulter (8-3) is 0-2 in the UFC and was knocked out by Tai Tuivasa in his last bout. De La Rocha (4-2) is 0-2 in the UFC and was knocked out by Adam Milstead in his last fight which was two years ago. Both these guys have poor chins and big power, so I don’t see this one going more than five minutes, but I’d give a slight lean to Coulter who has at least been more active as of late.
Viviane Pereira vs. Yan Xiaonan, UFC Fight Night 132
A women’s strawweight bout between Viviane Pereira and Yan Xiaonan will go down at UFC Fight Night 132, which takes place Saturday, June 23 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Globo broke the news. Pereira (13-1) is 2-1 in the UFC and is coming off of a decision loss to top contender Tatiana Suarez. Xiaonan (8-1, 1 NC) is 1-0 in the UFC with a decision win over Kailin Curran. I expect a close line here with a slight lean towards Pereira.
Gilbert Burns vs. Dan Hooker, UFC 226
Lightweights Gilbert Burns and Dan Hooker will fight at UFC 226, which takes place Saturday, June 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stuff.co.nz broke the news. Burns (14-2) is a BJJ ace but is coming off of back-to-back knockout wins over Jason Saggo and Dan Moret. Hooker (16-7) is on a three-fight win streak with all the fights ending inside the distance, including a brutal KO over Jim Miller his last time out. This is a great fight between two guys who are really coming on strong in the lightweight division, but I believe Hooker should be slightly favored due to his striking advantage and the fact he’s defeated tougher opposition inside the Octagon.
Dennis Bermudez vs. Rick Glenn, UFC Fight Night 133
A featherweight contest between Dennis Bermudez and Rick Glenn goes down at UFC Fight Night 133, which takes place Saturday, June 14 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. Bermudez (16-8) is on a three-fight losing streak and lost a split decision to Andre Fili his last time out. Glenn (20-5-1) is 2-2 so far in the UFC and lost a decision to Myles Jury in his last fight. It’s a close fight but I have to lean towards Bermudez slightly due to his wrestling advantage.
Bethe Correia vs. Irene Aldana, UFC 227
Women’s bantamweights Bethe Correia and Irene Aldana will meet at UFC 227, which takes place Saturday, August 4 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. MMABrasil broke the news. Correia (10-3-1) has not fought in almost a year since getting knocked out by Holly Holm and she hasn’t won a fight since 2016. Aldana (8-4) has been a disappointment in the UFC with a 1-2 record but picked up a decision win over Talita Bernardo in her last fight. This should be a fun striking battle, but I give the edge to Aldana.
