A couple new fight announcements from the UFC, including a huge title fight this summer. All that and more in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Jessica Aguilar vs. Jodie Equibel, UFC Fight Night 133
A week after being pulled at the last second by the New York State Athletic Commission, a women’s strawweight bout between Jessica Aguilar and Jodie Esquibel has been re-booked for UFC Fight Night 133, which is set for Saturday, July 14 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com reported the bout. Aguilar (19-6) has been a disappointment so far in the UFC with an 0-2 record but the WSOF champ will be looking to bounce back here with her first win in the Octagon. Esquibel (6-3) is 0-1 in the UFC and needs to get a win here in order to stick around the UFC for longer. Though the fight never happened, we do know the closing odds before the bout was pulled, and Esquibel was -120 against +100 for Aguilar. I’d expect similar odds this time around.
Demetrious Johnson vs. Henry Cejudo 2, UFC 227
A flyweight title rematch between champion Demetrious Johnson and challenger Henry Cejudo is being targeted for UFC 227, which goes down Saturday, August 4 at Staples Centre in Los Angeles, California. The bout was reported by Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com. Johnson (27-2-1) is one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time and has put together an incredible 15-1-1 record inside the Octagon including a beautiful 13-fight win streak that he currently rides into this bout. In his last fight, Johnson defeated Ray Borg via submission in one of his best performances and will be looking to add to his legacy with a second win over Cejudo, who he beat back at UFC 197 via TKO. Cejudo (12-2) is 6-2 in the UFC and has won two-straight fights since losing to Johnson and Joseph Benavidez in back-to-back fights. Cejudo is one of the best wrestlers in the business and has improved both his striking and ground game since he last fought Johnson. Even despite Cejudo’s improvements, though, it’s hard not to like Johnson in this fight, as he should be favored against nearly everyone in the flyweight division. Johnson has no holes in his game and he looks better and better every time he fights. I’d peg Johnson as a solid favorite in this fight and hopefully if he wins the UFC can book him in a superfight against the winner of the main event between bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw and rival Cody Garbrandt.
