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When the UFC announced yesterday that Brock Lesnar would not be fighting Junior Dos Santos at UFC 131, more people were affected than just the former HW Champ. One of the people, in particular, who was affected was recent UFC signee Jon Olav Einemo, previously slated to face Shane Carwin on the same card. With Carwin stepping up to take Lesnar's place, Einemo was left in lurch.
The moment it was announced that Einemo was without an opponent, the internet was ablaze with fight fans asking for Einemo vs. new UFC-signee Dave Herman. Today, fans got their wish as the UFC announced they would indeed be pitting Einemo against Herman (while Herman's original challenger, Joey Beltran, will not fight Aaron Rosa). For those of you who are unaware of who he is, Herman is a 6-foot-5 heavyweight who trains out of Team Quest. He has bounced around organizations a bit during the past few years (Soul of Fight, Bellator, Sengoku, Shark Fights), but has amassed a very impressive 20-2 record (note: One of those losses was a DQ due to illegal knees against Sokoudjou).
Herman throws devastating kicks and has heavy hands. He also is pretty good on the ground, racking up 5 submission wins in his career. At only 26 years of age, Herman has a tremendous upside. I truthfully think this is bad news for Einemo. I believe Dave Herman will be around for a while, and can eventually be "in the mix" for the title. I believe he beats Einemo, and I think Carwin was a better fight for him. Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain: This should be an exciting fight!