In addition to confirming to Aaron Bronster of TSN that the UFC 231 main event as the featherweight title fight between champ Max Holloway and challenger Brian Ortega, two other significant fights have been added to the event, and I’ll give my thoughts on these new bouts in today’s MMA odds and ends.
Jimi Manuwa vs. Thiago Santos, UFC 231
The UFC has officially announced a light heavyweight bout between Jimi Manuwa and Thiago Santos has been re-booked for UFC 231, which is set for Saturday, December 8 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. These two were supposed to fight at UFC Fight Night 137 in September before Santos pulled out with an injury on fight week, so it’s nice the UFC was able to get the fight booked again quickly. Manuwa (17-4) is 6-4 overall in the Octagon but he’s lost back-to-back fights aganst Jan Blachowicz and Volkan Oezdemir. At age 38, it’s hard to see him getting back on track, though the light heavyweight division is weak enough that he’s still a top-10 fighter. Manuwa has knockout power but with his age combined with injuries and a declining chin it’s hard to see him keeping his spot in the top-10 for long. Santos (19-6) is 11-5 overall in the UFC and recently knocked out Eryk Anders in his light heavyweight debut. Santos is one of the heaviest hitters in the division and seems to have more durability up a weight class. Though Manuwa is more proven at 205lbs, I think you have to fade him at this point of his career. I favor Santos to win this fight, and I believe he has a good chance of getting the knockout.
Eryk Anders vs. Elias Theodorou, UFC 231
Additionally, the UFC also announced that Eryk Anders and Elias Theodorou will clash at UFC 231. The two rivals have been calling each other out for months on social media and will now finally fight later this year. Anders (11-2) is 3-2 overall in the UFC and is coming off of a “Fight of the Year” contender against Thiago Santos at UFC Fight Night 137. Anders was knocked out in the fight but gained a whole new level of respect from fans and fellow fighters for his inspiring performance in defeat. It’s somewhat surprising to see Anders return to the Octagon so soon after that beating, but he really wanted to fight Theodorou in Toronto and got his wish. Theodorou (15-2) is 7-2 overall in the UFC and is coming off of back-to-back wins over Trevor Smith and Dan Kelly. The former Ultimate Fighter Nations winner has not finished a fight in over three years and the UFC matchmakers are surely waiting on him to do so before giving him a top-10 opponent. I love this matchup because both guys want to fight each other but even with the recent fight against Santos I have to go with Anders in this one. He just seems to have more momentum behind him right now and he has more finishing ability, so he should be favored to win this fight.
