Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson has a new opponent for September 5th’s UFC 191 event in Las Vegas after the promotion decided to bring in Jimi Manuwa to replace Yan Blachowicz.
That switch makes sense as Johnson is just coming off a title loss to Daniel Cormier and still holds down the No.1 contender spot in the division, so it was surprising to see him linked to the No.12 ranked Blachowicz in the first place.
Manuwa is ranked No.7 and as it happens is actually coming off a win over the aforementioned Blachowicz via unanimous decision back in April, so this feels like a more fitting match-up for the event’s pay-per-view main card.
Stylistically this should also prove to be an exciting stand-up war between two of the division’s most lethal strikers, with Johnson well known for his remarkable punching power that’s resulted in a resume that’s littered with clean KO finishes, while Manuwa boasts 13 stoppages due to strikes in 15 career victories.
So fireworks are almost guaranteed here and it’s a match-up that enhances the UFC 191 line-up which is set to be headlined by a flyweight title rematch between Demetrious Johnson and John Dodson.
While that’s a bout that should prove to be very entertaining, it’s unlikely to be a big draw with fans and so the UFC have noticeably been working to bolster the rest of the main card in recent days, hence the switch to Johnson Vs Manuawa and also talk of Frank Mir Vs Andrei Arlovski also being targeted for the Las Vegas show.
In addition it’s believed that Blachowicz will also remain on the card, though his new opponent has not yet been announced.
