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Gusmao-Drwal, McCrory-Cummo Join UFC 87
The bill for the UFC's Aug. 9 card at the Target Center in
Minnesota just got a bit deeper with the addition of a pair of
preliminary bouts.
In a 205-pound contest, undefeated Brazilian Andre Gusmao (Pictures) makes his UFC debut to take on Polish brute Tomasz Drwal (Pictures), and in the welterweight ranks, once-beaten Tamdan McCrory meets Luke Cummo (Pictures).
Gusmao emerged as one of IFL's better products over the last two years, picking up a pair of wins over Mike Ciesnolevicz (Pictures) and Brent Beauparlant (Pictures) in impressive fashion. The 31-year-old Brazilian brings a 5-0 mark into his Octagon debut.
Drwal, 26, parlayed a 13-fight winning streak into a UFC deal, making his Octagon debut last September against another undefeated Brazilian prospect, Thiago Silva (Pictures), in London. However, the upstart banger Silva halted the Polish brawler's winning streak, knocking him down and out late in the second frame.
Gusmao and Drwal share a common thread in that they were both tapped for action against David Heath (Pictures) in the Octagon this past February. Drwal, Heath's original opponent, was scratched due to a knee injury, and Gusmao was tabbed as his replacement. However, the unblemished Brazilian's contract status with the IFL prevented him from making the leap into the Octagon at that time.
The once-beaten McCrory made a successful Octagon debut last June, tapping the submission-suspect Pete Spratt (Pictures) in the second frame. However, the lanky 21-year-old New Yorker tasted defeat for the first time last November, when he was submitted with a highlight reel armbar by veteran Akihiro Gono (Pictures).
After stringing together back-to-back knockouts of Josh Haynes (Pictures) and Edilberto de Oliveira (Pictures), Cummo was stifled and dropped an uneventful, lackluster unanimous decision to Luigi Fioravanti (Pictures) this past March.
The UFC's Aug. 9 offering in Minnesota will be headlined by welterweight king Georges St. Pierre (Pictures)'s title defense against top contender Jon Fitch (Pictures), and features a seeming title eliminator between upstart lightweights Kenny Florian (Pictures) and Roger Huerta (Pictures).
In a 205-pound contest, undefeated Brazilian Andre Gusmao (Pictures) makes his UFC debut to take on Polish brute Tomasz Drwal (Pictures), and in the welterweight ranks, once-beaten Tamdan McCrory meets Luke Cummo (Pictures).
Gusmao emerged as one of IFL's better products over the last two years, picking up a pair of wins over Mike Ciesnolevicz (Pictures) and Brent Beauparlant (Pictures) in impressive fashion. The 31-year-old Brazilian brings a 5-0 mark into his Octagon debut.
Drwal, 26, parlayed a 13-fight winning streak into a UFC deal, making his Octagon debut last September against another undefeated Brazilian prospect, Thiago Silva (Pictures), in London. However, the upstart banger Silva halted the Polish brawler's winning streak, knocking him down and out late in the second frame.
Gusmao and Drwal share a common thread in that they were both tapped for action against David Heath (Pictures) in the Octagon this past February. Drwal, Heath's original opponent, was scratched due to a knee injury, and Gusmao was tabbed as his replacement. However, the unblemished Brazilian's contract status with the IFL prevented him from making the leap into the Octagon at that time.
The once-beaten McCrory made a successful Octagon debut last June, tapping the submission-suspect Pete Spratt (Pictures) in the second frame. However, the lanky 21-year-old New Yorker tasted defeat for the first time last November, when he was submitted with a highlight reel armbar by veteran Akihiro Gono (Pictures).
After stringing together back-to-back knockouts of Josh Haynes (Pictures) and Edilberto de Oliveira (Pictures), Cummo was stifled and dropped an uneventful, lackluster unanimous decision to Luigi Fioravanti (Pictures) this past March.
The UFC's Aug. 9 offering in Minnesota will be headlined by welterweight king Georges St. Pierre (Pictures)'s title defense against top contender Jon Fitch (Pictures), and features a seeming title eliminator between upstart lightweights Kenny Florian (Pictures) and Roger Huerta (Pictures).
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