A pair of UFC middleweights will be looking to get back in the win column come June.
MMA Fighting was the first to report that Dana White’s Contender Series contract winners Dusko Todorovic and Maki Pitolo will fight on June 5. Pitolo would later confirm the news on his Instagram.
Todorovic (10-1) had his undefeated record taken from him on the first UFC fight card of 2021 at UFC on ABC 1. He was knocked out with 12 seconds left in the first round against another Dana White’s Contender Series contract winner Punahele Soriano. Before his loss, Todorovic defeated Dequan Townsend three months earlier via TKO on ‘Fight Island.’
Pitolo (13-8) is most likely in a must-win scenario and will be fighting for his job. The Hawaiian is on the first three-fight skid of his career. He started last year out strong by finishing Charles Byrd at UFC 250, retiring him in the process. Pitolo would jump back into action a month later against Darren Stewart and be submitted in the first round. “Coconut Bombz” would not stay on the sidelines as he would fight Impa Kasangana three weeks later in a losing effort. Most recently, at UFC 258, Pitolo was less than a minute away from winning a decision against Julian Marquez but was caught in an anaconda choke and tapped.
With the addition of Todorovic vs. Pitolo, the UFC’s June 5, 2021 fight card currently looks like this:
Maryna Moroz vs. Manon Fiorot
Walt Harris vs. Marcin Tybura
Youssef Zalal vs. Sean Woodson
Ilir Latifi vs. Tanner Boser
Alan Patrick vs. Mason Jones
Montana De La Rosa vs. Ariane Lipski
Dusko Todorovic vs. Maki Pitolo
