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Ultimate Fighting Championship staple Ed Herman just
wants to fight someone. On Thursday,
MMA Fighting reported that Herman (25-14, 1 NC) will be facing
a new opponent at
UFC Fight Night 177, this time in the form of Mike
Rodriguez (11-4, 1 NC). Herman was originally set to lock horns
with John Allan
Arte, but the Brazilian was forced to pull out due to visa
issues. An exasperated Herman confirmed the opponent change on his
Instagram
page.
“Short Fuse” has seen five matchups fall through in 2020, with two
cancellations ahead of his matchup against Da Un Jung
in May and then August. Gerald
Meerschaert was set to replace the South Korean in August, but
a positive COVID-19 test pushed the bout to September. Arte
then stepped up after Meerschaert withdrew again, only to be
pulled for an issue related to his visa. The 14-year UFC vet Herman
has faced a veritable who’s who of the middleweight division in his
UFC tenure, before moving to the 205-pound weight class in
2016.
Rodriguez will be making a quick turnaround, as he dispatched
Marcin
Prachnio in the unexpected co-main event at UFC on ESPN 15 on
Aug. 22. The man out of Lauzon MMA holds 11 finishes across his 11
career wins, with nine of those coming in the opening frame.
Earning a roster spot thanks to a first-round flying knee knockout
of Jamelle
Jones at the first season of Dana White’s Contender Series, Rodriguez’ UFC
career to date is a tumultuous 2-2 with a no-contest against the
aforementioned Arte.
Arte is still booked on UFC 255 for the moment, and he was one of a
very small number of fighters throughout organizational history to
have two matchups slated at the same time. The Brazilian is
scheduled to face Roman
Dolidze on that November event, and his opponent is also
going through issues as Dolidze displays a constant level of
turinabol in his system following a failed test and a suspension.
This situation is fairly similar to the one Jon Jones
experienced with the substance in the past.
UFC Fight Night 177 takes place at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on
Sept. 12, and the event does not currently have an official
headliner. Although Glover
Teixeira vs. Thiago
Santos was booked for the marquee position, a positive COVID-19
test postponed the bout to October. The co-main event that might be
elevated to top billing is a strawweight battle between Michelle
Waterson and Angela
Hill.
