It’s a move hardcore MMA fans have been waiting for: Darrell Montague is now a member of the UFC roster and will make his debut in October.
Montague will fight at UFC 166 in Houston, the card headlined by the rubber match between heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and former title holder Junior dos Santos. It is arguably the most stacked card of the year, and with Montague’s addition, it gets even better.
What’s even better than having newcomer and world-ranked Montague on the card? He will be facing former flyweight title challenger John Dodson in his debut.
Montague (13-2) joins the UFC on the strength of a four-fight win streak. His last loss came at the hands of then-No. 1 Ian McCall.
“The Mongoose” has defeated some of the best lighter-weight fighters in the world during his career. Among a list of his victims are UFC veteran Ulysses Gomez, Japanese legend Mamoru Yamaguchi and Taylor McCorriston. He is among one of the most well-rounded flyweights in the word and will bolster a shallow, yet exciting, flyweight division.
Dodson (14-6) is a champion of the 14th season of The Ultimate Fighter. Since dropping to 125 pounds, he has gone 2-1, beating Tim Elliott and Jussier da Silva, while falling in a close title bout against Demetrious Johnson.
This bout definitely throws together two of the best the flyweight division has to offer. Dodson is a great striker with steady takedown defense, while Montague is an aggressive grinder with aforementioned all-around ability.
With the flyweight division not offering too many definitive top contenders, this bout could ultimately push either man into title talks. Of course, this is the first fight for Dodson since his title bid was rebuked, so this will be an important bout in terms of getting back in the win column.
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