Two matchups have recently been reported for UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2022. The bouts join UFC 270, which is set to happen on January 22nd. The location for the show isn’t known at the moment.
Brunson And Cannonier Booked In High-Profile Middleweight Matchup
Derek Brunson will get his long win streak tested at the pay-per-view event, facing Jared Cannonier at middleweight. The ranked pairing was first reported by Nolan King and John Morgan of MMA Junkie.
Brunson has been on a strong run recently, having won three consecutive main event fights. Two of those wins were earlier this year, where he defeated went to a unanimous decision over Kevin Holland and submitted Darren Till.
Cannonier has been at a high level of the middleweight division for the past couple of years. He bounced back from a loss in his last appearance, going five rounds to defeat Kelvin Gastelum in August.
Hardy Looks To Snap Losing Streak Against Veteran Oleinik
Greg Hardy will attempt to bounce back from a two-fight losing streak when meeting the experienced Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 270. Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMA Junkie first confirmed the bout on Monday.
Hardy has been finished in his two most recent appearances. After suffering a second-round loss to Marcin Tybura in late 2020, he was stopped within a round by Tai Tuivasa in July.
Oleinik, an MMA veteran of over two decades, will also be looking to get out of a skid. He has lost his past three, making it the longest losing streak of his long career.
His last bout was in June, where Serghei Spivac defeated him on scorecards.
Dobson To Make UFC Debut Against Malkoun
AJ Dobson will make his UFC debut when facing Jacob Malkoun at middleweight, per a report from Raphael Marinho of Combate.
Dobson earned a UFC contract on TV show “Dana White’s Contender Series” earlier this month, securing a first-round rear naked choke submission win over Hashem Arkhagha on the show. The win extended his undefeated pro record to six consecutive victories.
Malkoun earned his first UFC win in April, fighting to a unanimous decision victory over Abdul Razak Alhassan.
Updated Lineup
Here is how UFC 270 looks currently:
Bout 3: Jared Cannonier (14-5) vs. Derek Brunson (23-7) (Middleweight)
Bout 2: Greg Hardy (7-4) vs. Aleksei Oleinik (59-16-1) (Heavyweight)
Bout 1: Jacob Malkoun (5-1) vs. AJ Dobson (6-0) (Middleweight)
Knockdown News 