A number of important matchups have been booked for upcoming UFC cards. Here they are, along with my thoughts on them.
Jordan Johnson vs. Adam Yandiev, UFC Fight Night 136
An injury to Krzysztof Jotko has taken him out of his fight at UFC Fight Night 136 against Adam Yandiev, an in on short notice will step in Jordan Johnson, who will move down to middleweight for the bout, which takes place Saturday, September 15 at Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia. Johnson himself announced the bout via social media. Johnson (9-0) is 3-0 in the UFC and is coming off of a decision win over Adam Milstead. Yandiev (9-0) is making his UFC debut but he hasn’t fought since 2015. Despite the short notice and moving down a weight class, I have to favor Johnson based on his UFC experience and active fight schedule.
Ramazan Emeev vs. Claudio Silva, UFC Fight Night 136
A welterweight bout between Ramazan Emeev and Claudio Silva has also been added to UFC Fight Night 136, the UFC offically announced. Emeev (17-3) is 2-0 so far in the UFC with decision wins over Sam Alvey and Alberto Mina. Silva (12-1) is 3-0 so far in the UFC and in his most recent bout beat Nordine Taleb after a long layoff. This should be a competitive fight but I would have to favor Emeev as I believe he’s the more well-rounded fighter.
Karl Roberson vs. Jack Marshman, UFC 230
Middleweights Karl Roberson and Jack Marshman will meet at UFC 230, which goes down Saturday, November 3 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. Roberson announced the bout on his social media. Roberson (6-1) is 1-1 in the UFC and in his last bout was tapped out by Cezar Ferreira. Marshman (22-7) is 2-2 in the UFC and himself was tapped out by Antonio Carlos Junior in his last fight. It should be a fun fight but I lean towards Roberson to get the win.
Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Neil Magny, UFC Fight Night 140
The main event of UFC Fight Night 140 is scheduled to be a five-round welterweight bout between Santiago Ponzinibbio and Neil Magny, who was pulled from his fight at UFC Fight Night 137 against Alex Oliveira. The card takes place Saturday, November 17 at Estadio Luna Park in Beunos Aries, Argentina, and the news of the switchup was first reported by Combate. Ponzinibbio (26-3) is 8-2 in the UFC and is on a six-fight win streak at the moment. Magny (21-6) is 14-5 in the UFC and is coming off of back-to-back wins over Craig White and Carlos Condit. Another great matchup but I’d have to favor Ponzinibbio to get the job done.
Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Gilbert Burns, UFC 231
Lightweights Olivier Aubin-Mercier and Gilbert Burns will meet at UFC 231, which is set for Saturday, December 8 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. MMABrasil.com broke the news. OAM (11-3) is 7-3 in the UFC and is coming off of a decision defeat to Alexander Hernandez. Burns (14-3) is 6-3 in the UFC and was knocked out by Dan Hooker in his last bout. Again, another intriguing matchup but I’d have to favor OAM based on how both guys have looked as of late.
Cris Cyborg vs. Amanda Nunes, UFC 232
And finally, the main event of UFC 232 is set as UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg will look to defend her title in a superfight against UFC women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes. The card takes place Saturday, December 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. ESPN.com broke the news. Cyborg (20-1,1 NC) is 5-0 so far in the UFC and looks as dominant as ever. Nunes (16-4) is 9-1 so far in the UFC and is riding a seven-fight win streak. This is one of the best women’s fights of all time and I can’t wait for it personally, but I have to favor Cyborg. She’s the bigger fighter and in a fight this close skill wise size matters. There has actually been a line out on this fight for a little while now with Cyborg as a solid favorite which should surprise no one.
