Great opportunities in mixed martial arts are few and far between, but John Makdessi realized when the biggest one of his career was there for the taking.
When Khabib Nurmagomedov injured his knee and was forced out of his highly anticipated bout again…
Great opportunities in mixed martial arts are few and far between, but John Makdessi realized when the biggest one of his career was there for the taking.
When KhabibNurmagomedov injured his knee and was forced out of his highly anticipated bout against Donald Cerrone at UFC 187, there was suddenly a space available opposite Cowboy. With Cerrone being on the hottest streak of his impressive career and sitting within striking distance of a title shot, the list of potential replacements was thin—and understandably so.
Over the course of his current seven-fight winning streak, the Colorado native carved out his spot as a potential title contender by besting a collection of elite-level talent, and he did so in impressive fashion.
He’s become the fighter to beat in the 155-pound fold, and the shake-up that came with Nurmagomedov falling out of the bout created a scenario in which someone ready, willing and able could get that exact opportunity.
The Canadian powerhouse is fresh off a victory over Shane Campbell at UFC 186—his fourth win in his last five outings inside the Octagon. The Bull was eager to get back to work after the fight, and when the bout with Cerrone became official, he immediately understood the magnitude of the opportunity.
While Cerrone will undoubtedly be the biggest test of his career, the Jackson/Winkeljohn-trained fighter’s status in the lightweight division makes the juice absolutely worth the squeeze.
A victory over Cerrone would catapult Makdessi to new heights in the 155-pound division, and that reality made a chance to mix it up with the hard-charging striker something he couldn’t pass up.
“I know this is a big opportunity, but I’m not focusing on that,” Makdessi told Bleacher Report. “I’m not focusing on what could happen after the fight or the fact that I’m fighting a top guy; I’m treating this as just another fight for me.
“My goal is to stay calm and composed and go out there and fight my fight. I want to give the fans something exciting to watch and my performances speak for themselves. I’m not a big talker and I don’t trash-talk to sell fights. I go out there and let my actions speak for me.
“At the end of the day, it is skill versus skill in there. We are going to find out who is the better man on that night. Cerrone has his style and I have mine, and it will be an exciting fight for the fans. If he engages with me it is going to be exciting.
“You never know. Maybe he will change his game and try to run around and play the points game because two of my losses have been by technical points. I was never dominated in those fights. I lost on points. I want Cerrone to come out and fight me, but we will see what happens. We will see who is going to be the last man standing.
“This fight is going to be part of history and this is what it is all about,” he added. “I’m building my legacy and this is a great opportunity for me.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Some fights just seem destined to happen somewhere along the way.
While Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber have spent the majority of their respective careers operating in different weight classes, a potential meeting between the two former champions…
Some fights just seem destined to happen somewhere along the way.
While Frankie Edgar and Urijah Faber have spent the majority of their respective careers operating in different weight classes, a potential meeting between the two former champions has been talked about for years. Yet, with the former lightweight champion dropping down to featherweight and The California Kid deciding to make a run at the bantamweight title, it appeared as if a collision between the two might never happen.
That said, mixed martial arts is a chaotic sport where anything can and usually does happen, and the necessary elements fell into place to make Edgar vs. Faber a reality at UFC Fight Night 66. While fans and media alike struggled with whether or not to label the bout as a superfight or a dream matchup, the one description that universally fit was to call it a highly anticipated affair.
Furthermore, the showcase fight on the UFC’s first visit to the Philippines was set to be a crucial bout in the race for the next shot at the featherweight title. Edgar came into Saturday riding a three-fight winning streak, and a victory over the Sacramento native had the potential to elevate him into another championship opportunity. And while Faber had been competing in the 135-pound division for the past five years, the risk and reward he faced coming into Fight Night 66 were equally high.
The Team Alpha Male leader had won six of his last seven fights coming into Manila, and a victory over Edgar would immediately put him on the radar for a title shot in the featherweight division. Both fighters are eager to get another shot at championship gold, but it was Edgar who got the job done Saturday.
The fighting pride of Toms River, New Jersey, used his volume striking and constant pressure to jump out to an early lead, and once out in front, he never looked back. While Faber was game throughout the tilt, he showed little urgency to make up ground once he fell behind on the scorecards. The end result was a unanimous decision for Edgar. The former title challenger may have earned the chance to fight for the title once again as he picked up his fourth consecutive victory in Manila.
Let’s take a look at the good, bad and strange from Fight Night 66.
The Good
With the storied career Edgar has already amassed, it is strange to say we are seeing the best Edgar ever. And it’s true.
Following a three-fight skid where he lost razor-thin decisions to Benson Henderson and Jose Aldo, The Answer has responded with the most dominant run of his career with four consecutive victories inside the Octagon. During this stretch, he has notched victories over an elite group of talented fighters, with the most recent addition to his resume being Faber at Fight Night 66.
The former lightweight champion squared off with The California Kid in the main event for the UFC’s debut event in Manila in what was one of the most anticipated bouts of the year. With a potential title shot hanging in the balance, the stakes were high, and once again Edgar answered the challenge when the pressure was on. The 33-year-old former featherweight title challenger’s signature movement-based style was on point as he led the dance with high-volume output for the majority of the 25-minute tilt.
Edgar would go on to pick up the unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards. And while being the first man to defeat Faber in a non-title fight is a big accomplishment, Edgar’s true focus is getting another title shot of his own. With Jose Aldo and Conor McGregor set to handle their business at UFC 189 on July 11, it seems likely Edgar will get the next championship opportunity in the featherweight division.
***Gegard Mousasi is as versatile as they come in the middleweight ranks, and he put his well-rounded skill set to use in his victory over Costas Philippou in Manila. While The Armenian Assassin is primarily known for his striking talents, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion also has some grappling chops that proved difficult for Philippou to handle throughout the three-round tilt.
While his performance won’t earn rave reviews for excitement, it was efficient enough to earn Mousasi his second consecutive victory and keep his place in the elite tier of the 185-pound division intact.
*** While Fight Night 66 will be the final time Mark Munoz ever competes inside the Octagon, he couldn’t have said goodbye in a better way. The Filipino Wrecking Machine put the cap on his MMA career by drubbing Luke Barnatt for three rounds and did so in front of a passionate crowd in the Philippines.
Munoz asked for one final fight, and with that bout coming in Manila, the table was set for an ideal finish to his career. The Team Reign leader dominated Barnatt to complete what was an emotional storybook ending for the former national champion wrestler from Oklahoma State University. He left his gloves in the center of the cage and will be remembered for the class he showed in victory or defeat.
*** Neil Magny had the best year of his career in 2014 as he tied the promotion’s record for wins in a calendar year with five. The Colorado-based fighter has continued his winning ways in 2015 and picked up his seventh consecutive victory Saturday by stopping Hyun Gyu Lim via TKO in the second round.
While Lim rocked Magny and had him in serious trouble in the opening frame, the surging welterweight rebounded in strong fashion to put his opponent away with a flurry of ground-and-pound from the full mount position. With the win, Magny will continue his run up the ladder at 170 pounds and should draw a much bigger name in his next outing. For his sake, hopefully his next fight won’t have commercial breaks mid-fight.
*** It was a moment five years in the making, but Phillipe Nover made his long-awaited return to the Octagon at Fight Night 66. After being cut from the UFC after an unsuccessful stint back in 2010, The Filipino Assassin came into his bout against Yui Chul Nam at Fight Night 66 on a mission of redemption.
Whereas his initial run in the UFC saw Nover get exploited for his lack of wrestling abilities, the New York native jumped out to an early lead by using his improved grappling against Nam. The South Korean powerhouse would battle back to dominate Nover in the second half of the fight, but it wasn’t enough to turn the tides on the judges’ scorecards.
The Ultimate Fighter alum took a debatable split-decision victory to pick up his first official win inside the Octagon. Controversy or not, Nover finally tracked down an accomplishment that had been eluding him since 2008.
*** Suffering setbacks in his first two fights inside the Octagon put Jon Delos Reyes in a must-win position coming into his bout with Roldan Sangcha-an on Saturday. Fortunately for the scrappy flyweight, he not only accomplished that task at Fight Night 66 but did so in remarkable fashion as he battled back from a rocky start to finish his opponent by submission in the second round.
Sangcha-an put Delos Reyes on the deck with a big shot in the opening frame and then opened up a cut above the Guam native’s right eye with an accidental head-butt. The gushing blood seemed to ignite a fire in Delos Reyes, who dropped Sangcha-an with a right hook and then secured his first UFC victory with a rear-naked choke.
*** Jon Tuck has shown flashes of his talent during his time competing inside the Octagon but had yet to notch a performance where everything fired on all cylinders. That all changed at Fight Night 66 as he put on the best showing of his career in a first-round finish of Tae Hyun Bang to close out the preliminary portion of Saturday’s card.
The MMA Lab representative dropped Bang with a crisp right hand and finished off his opponent with a rear-naked choke on the canvas. In addition to having his best performance to date inside the Octagon, Tuck has now found victory in two of his last three outings under the UFC banner.
The Bad
While there is no exact formula to a fighter getting cut from the UFC, three straight losses is typically where things begin to turn in that direction. Luke Barnatt officially entered that unenviable territory Saturday as he suffered his third consecutive setback at the hands of Mark Munoz at Fight Night 66. Throughout the fight—as has been the case throughout his current losing streak—Barnatt failed to use his sizable reach advantage and keep the action at distance.
His inability to do that allowed Munoz to get in on him every step of the 15-minute affair and led to his defeat on the scorecards.
It’s been a rough road to travel for Dhiego Lima in the UFC. While the 26-year-old Brazilian was able to make it to the finals of the 19th installment of The Ultimate Fighter, success beyond the reality-based fighting program has been difficult to find. The American Top Team had dropped two of his three official showings under the UFC banner coming into his bout with Li Jingliang at Fight Night 66 and desperately needed to turn things around in Manila.
Unfortunately for Lima, that wasn’t the case when action got underway in the Philippines. While he stepped up on short notice to take the bout against Jingliang, that decision proved to do him zero favors as Lima lost via first-round knockout. While he was once labeled as a highly touted prospect in the welterweight fold, that status has wilted in a big way in his brief time under the UFC banner.
The Strange
Any time the UFC settles down into a new market for the first time, there are going to be a few kinks to work out, and the company attempted to work those gremlins out early at Fight Night 66.
In the first preliminary bout on the televised portion of the card, Royston Wee and Ning Guangyou squared off to get things rolling in the Philippines. While the fight was actually the third on the card, it was the first to hit Fox Sports 1, and the early action wasn’t necessarily set at slobber-knocker status.
With Wee coming in north of the 136-pound bantamweight limit, the fight was contested at a catchweight, and his performance looked sluggish from the jump as Guangyou consistently backed him across the cage.
Nevertheless, the undefeated Singapore native would battle back to score some points just as his Chinese counterpart appeared to be taking his foot off the gas in the opening round. Guangyou’s activity hit a serious decline in the final minute of the opening frame, and that move allowed Wee to go on the offensive. That said, Guangyou shifted gears at the 10-second mark and rocked Wee with a big shot as he pushed forward.
With his opponent hurt, Guangyou swarmed, and just as he began to unleash a flurry of shots to a grounded Wee, Fox Sports 1 cut to a commercial break. An advertisement for Bud Light hit television screens around the world, and it was unclear what happened in the closing moments of the round.
Was Wee saved by the bell? Or did Guangyou pour it on to secure the finish? Either way, cliffhangers of this nature are not supposed to happen in combat sports, and it was a bad look for all parties involved in the presentation.
Once the broadcast returned from “paying the bills” as they say, replay showed the referee stepping in and stopping the bout with one second remaining in the first round. Guangyou was awarded the TKO finish at the 4:59 mark, and clarity finally arrived in an initially confusing situation. Fox Sports 1 would have more issues later in the event during the Nover vs. Nam bout, but at least the crucial part of that fight wasn’t missed.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
There are so many moving parts in the life of a professional fighter.
While competing under the bright lights on the sport’s biggest stage is when everything involved ultimately matters the most, the road leading up to fight night is a rugged journey. …
There are so many moving parts in the life of a professional fighter.
While competing under the bright lights on the sport’s biggest stage is when everything involved ultimately matters the most, the road leading up to fight night is a rugged journey. In those weeks prior to laying it all on the line, a fighter pushes, breaks and shapes their body and mind all in the hope of forging the best possible version of themselves to ensure they will be ready when the cage door closes and locks behind them.
Training camp and life outside the gym are areas typically closed off to the viewing public, and fight fans are only granted access in small polished clips put out by the fighter or promotion to draw attention to an upcoming event. That said, Matt Mitrione wanted to give the MMA community a different kind of look.
The former NFL player turned mixed martial artist is preparing to face Ben Rothwell at Fight Night 68 in New Orleans on June 6 and wanted to open the curtain to allow fans to see what goes on in the life of a fighter leading up to a high-profile showdown. Therefore, the affable Indiana representative decided he would open up his life and training camp for all to see and invite the passionate MMA fanbase to take the journey with him leading up to his fight with “Big Ben.”
Having seen the work done on The MMA Road Trip Project, Mitrione invited Bleacher Report MMA to chronicle the final three weeks of his training camp and observe everything that goes into getting ready to throw hands with his hard-hitting opponent in Louisiana. It was an offer that couldn’t be refused, and we invite you to follow along with “Meathead” as he hits the grind to prepare for his co-main event tilt with Rothwell on the bayou.
Just as there is no shortage of friction in the upper tier of the lightweight division, injuries are also prevalent at the elite level of the 155-pound fold. Khabib Nurmagomedov and Anthony Pettis have exchanged barbs in interviews and across social me…
Just as there is no shortage of friction in the upper tier of the lightweight division, injuries are also prevalent at the elite level of the 155-pound fold. KhabibNurmagomedov and Anthony Pettis have exchanged barbs in interviews and across social media platforms over the past year, with trigger points for both being focused on the other fighter’s inability to remain healthy.
The undefeated Dagestan-born lightweight was forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout with Donald Cerrone at UFC 187 on May 23 due to suffering a knee injury, to which “Showtime” decided to pour the proverbial salt on the wound by suggesting karma was paying the young Russian back for his earlier slights in Pettis‘ direction.
Strangely enough, the Milwaukee native would pull out of his bout with Myles Jury at UFC on Fox 16 a short time later, as an elbow injury struck the former champion once again.
These turns prompted Nate Diaz to chime in on the matters at hand. Stockton’s most notable lightweight dogged “The Eagle” and Pettis for constantly pulling out of fights with injury. Diaz jumping in the mix only served to irk Nurmagomedov further, and he discussed his two rivals—and how he’d prefer to settle those feuds—during a recent visit on The MMA Hour, via Marc Raimondi of MMAFighting.com.
In the interview with Ariel Helwani, the American Kickboxing Academy standout was adamant about his willingness to face both Pettis and Diaz, and firm in his confidence he would emerge victorious in both matchups.
I can fight these guys both same night. These guys are easy money for me.
“Before all the time, I ask UFC, ‘Please give me Nate Diaz, please give me Anthony Pettis. But all the time these guys scared and no give answer to UFC. These guys no want fight before with me. But now these guys talk s–t, because I’m injured. Because I can’t fight now.
While Nurmagomedov is recovering from his knee injury and hopes to return in the fall, being forced to withdraw from his highly anticipated tilt against “Cowboy” created some serious backlash throughout the MMA community.
Prior to landing the fight with Cerrone, the 26-year-old contender had already been on the shelf for a lengthy stint as he recovered from injury, and another setback seemed to erase a good portion of the momentum he had in the lead-up to UFC 187.
Furthermore, Nurmagomedov‘s injury also brought criticism to his home gym as well. The San Jose-based outfit has been notoriously plagued by fighter injuries over the years, with UFC President Dana White lashing out at their approach during a recent interview with Setanta Sports, via Dave Meltzer of MMAFighting.com. While Nurmagomedov wasn’t willing to lend credence to that notion, he did tell Helwani he would be adjusting his training approach in the coming months.
Fans sometimes talk crazy, but it’s OK. I understand fans are a little bit upset, I’m upset too. I’m not happy. One year, I [don’t] fight. This is not good news for me, not good news for fans. I understand this.”
“If you want to win, you need to go crazy. MMA every day is a high level, you need to be training hard, to push yourself. MMA all the time has injuries. Next time, I think I train a little bit more smart. I think this is very good experience for me.
Even though Nurmagomedov‘s return to the Octagon is still several months away, he’s already eyeing the potential opponents he will face when he receives a clean bill of health. While a rematch with current champion Rafael dos Anjos would be the ideal scenario, he knows the upcoming matchup between the Jackson/Winkeljohn-trained fighter and John Makdessi at UFC 187 has the potential to impact that situation tremendously.
That said, even if Nurmagomedov doesn’t receive a title shot upon his return, he’s made it clear a bout with Pettis or Diaz would be suitable as well.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Ronda Rousey’s life outside the Octagon reflects the way she handles business under the bright lights in the sense that whatever she’s doing, the women’s bantamweight champion is going to do it on her terms.
The former Olympic judoka-turned mixed marti…
Ronda Rousey‘s life outside the Octagon reflects the way she handles business under the bright lights in the sense that whatever she’s doing, the women’s bantamweight champion is going to do it on her terms.
The former Olympic judoka-turned mixed martial arts phenom has been an unstoppable force of nature during her ascension to become the most dominant women’s MMA fighter on the planet, and her profile on the pop culture landscape has risen because of her efforts inside the cage. The 28-year-old Californian has shown to have a bright future on the Hollywood circuit, and now “Rowdy” can add best-selling author to her personal resume.
Nevertheless, no matter the endeavor, Rousey will continue to do things the way she sees fit, and that mentality has led to other key decisions during her meteoric rise over the past three years.
During a media stop to promote her book My Fight/Your Fight on Opie Radio, (h/t David St. Martin of MMA Fighting) the women’s bantamweight phenom discussed how maintaining control of her career choices has played a major part in her success. To further the point, Rousey discussed how an ex-boyfriend taking nude photos of her prompted the armbar specialist to do the ESPN The Magazine Body Issue shoot that went on to garner a tremendous amount of attention throughout the sports world:
It’s more of a defensive thing. Writing the book, the whole ‘My Fight/Your Fight’ thing has really forced me to be introspective and figure out why I do things the way I do. It was because of that one ex, we called him ‘Snappers McCreepy,’ because we caught him taking naked pictures of me. The first thing I did was take naked pictures for ESPN. If it’s going to get out there, then I want it to get out there on my terms. The same thing with playing the heel. If people are going to dislike me it’s because I sought for it to be that way.
As it would turn out, the situation surrounding the pictures taken by her ex-boyfriend would come to light in the days leading up to her first title opportunity against Miesha Tate under the now-defunct Strikeforce banner back in 2012. The feud between Rousey and “Cupcake” was making headlines all across the MMA community, and the hard-charging title challenger was doing all she could to promote the fight.
It was during an attempt to post on her social media accounts when Rousey discovered the pictures on her boyfriend’s computer. And while Rousey explained she took prompt action to delete the photos she found that day, she would go on to pose for ESPN The Magazine several months later:
It was right before my first title fight, actually. It was like two weeks before and I was pumping out a lot of social media to try and get people to pay attention. He went to work and I stayed behind and was using his computer. I was downloading a picture off Facebook so I could put it on to Twitter. You know how it shows the preview of recent downloads?
I was downloading something and then I just saw a bunch of ass! ‘What is that?’ It looked like it was amateurly taken. I had to look so I looked at it and it was all me.
You know when you’re just comfortable naked around somebody? … Like you’re just naked on the bed playing DragonVale on your phone? I brush my teeth naked. That was all, every single thing, all naked. I just thought he was on his phone texting people. He asked to take pictures of me before and I was like, ‘No, of course not.’ He knew I didn’t [approve]. That’s why his name was Snappers McCreepy and if you read the book you can see how I reacted to said photos.
While Rousey‘s brash presentation was initially one of the key elements to her grabbing the attention of fans and media alike in the early goings of her career, that aspect has been long overshadowed by her dominance inside the cage. The Olympic bronze medalist has defended her title on five consecutive occasions inside the Octagon, with her two most recent defenses coming in nearly flawless fashion.
The former Strikeforce champion-turned UFC titleholder needed a combined 32 seconds to put away Alexis Davis and Cat Zingano, respectively, in performances that would serve to bolster her bulletproof mystique and further widen the gap between the best and the rest of the women’s bantamweight division. Those victories would also go a long way toward securing her place among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world and solidify Rousey as the biggest star on the current UFC roster.
She is set to put her title on the line once again in the coming months, as she is slated to face Bethe Correia at UFC 190 on Aug. 1 in Rio deJaneiro, Brazil. The fiery Brazilian upstart grabbed the champion’s attention by defeating two of her friends and teammates on previous occasions, and Rousey was adamant that Correia be granted the next shot at her women’s bantamweight title. Furthermore, Rousey insisted the bout take place in her opponent’s native country to make sure the message she intends to send Correia‘s way would have the maximum impact.
Nevertheless, before Rousey will settle into her full training camp for her next title defense, she will finish promoting her book, in addition to doing promotional work for her role in the soon-to-be-released Entourage movie. While the weight of those commitments would be enough to rattle some, staying busy and moving full steam ahead is the way Rousey prefers to work. And with her continued success on all fronts, it is unlikely she will be changing up her approach anytime soon.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
There is an art to matchmaking in combat sports.
While some fights come together with natural ease, most bouts come about through a hectic process of evaluation. Several aspects need to be graded on each side of the table before committing to the match…
There is an art to matchmaking in combat sports.
While some fights come together with natural ease, most bouts come about through a hectic process of evaluation. Several aspects need to be graded on each side of the table before committing to the matchup.
Whether or not a fight makes sense in the divisional scheme, timing and making sure both fighters stand to gain similar rewards are the most pressing issues that come to mind. Then, of course, there is the most important aspect of a potential fight: Will both competitors be willing to mix it up and put on a show?
The unfortunate part of the process comes when all of these criteria are met, but the fight fails to deliver. That said, the UFC showcases far more exciting tilts than flat fights these days, which goes to show just how good the matchmakers, Joe Silva and Sean Shelby, are at their jobs.
The UFC’s 2015 is in full swing with some of the year’s biggest cards set to go down in the next few months. While there have certainly been high-profile setbacks during what the promotion touted as their biggest year ever, other aspects are firing on all cylinders in the bigger picture for the UFC. The most important of those are several heated divisional races taking place across across multiple weight classes under the divisional banner.
When things are at their best in MMA, the traffic in divisions flows nicely. While title pictures always receive the most attention, perhaps the most crucial element just beyond the spotlight are the additional tiers where fighters make their gains. Prospects making ground to hit the next level of competition and seasoned veterans breaking through to become potential title contenders are the types of scenarios that truly flesh out how a division is structured. And when all of the above-mentioned points are being hit, it produces great action and storylines for fight fans to invest interest in.
Let’s take a look at the potential scraps to be made in this month’s offering of “UFC Fantasy Matchmaker.”
For the better part of the past decade, the welterweight division has been the most competitive collection of fighters under the UFC banner. Granted, the weight class was ruled by pound-for-pound great Georges St-Pierre for the majority of that time, but even the dominance of “GSP” didn’t stop wave upon wave of legitimate contenders emerging from out of the highly competitive pack of fighters at 170.
In the time since St-Pierre has been on his self-imposed hiatus, there have been two champions in former title-holder Johny Hendricks and current king of the mountain Robbie Lawler. “Bigg Rigg” was the first fighter to snag the vacant strap by defeating Lawler in their first squabble at UFC 171 back in March 2014, but he saw the belt change hands when he was edged out by “Ruthless” via split-decision in their rematch at UFC 181 nine months later.
Nevertheless, the former two-time national champion wrestler from Oklahoma State University is determined to reclaim his status as the best 170-pound fighter in the planet and is on a mission to accomplish that task in the quickest way possible. The 31-year-old Texas transplant defeated Matt Brown at UFC 185 back in March and his win over “The Immortal” put him on the short list of potential contenders to face the winner of Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald when the welterweight title goes up for grabs at UFC 189 on July 11.
With Lawler vs. MacDonald still several months away, and the quickest either one of the them would fight again being a few more months after that, there is a high likelihood that Hendricks will need to take another fight in the interim. While Hendricks is undoubtedly up for consideration for a title opportunity as is, the 170-pound fold is constantly shifting due to its competitive nature, and he could easily be passed by another elite fighter with a strong performance that generates a buzz.
As history has proven, waiting things out in a title race rarely ever yields positive results. The Team Takedown leader should take one more bout in an attempt to secure a championship bid, and if that’s the decision he makes, then TyronWoodley would make the most sense as his next opponent.
The two men previously met on the wrestling mats during their collegiate careers, and Woodley has been vocal about wanting to get another crack at Hendricks. “The Chosen One” has risen back into title contention on the strength of an impressive run where he’s found victory in all but one of his past five showings inside the Octagon. During this stretch he’s notched wins over notable talents the likes of Carlos Condit and Dong Hyun Kim, and he handed Kelvin Gastelum the first loss of his professional career in his most recent fight at UFC 183 back in January.
While Woodley is still healing up from a foot injury suffered in his fight with The Ultimate Fighter Season 18 winner, he’s determined to land the bout with Hendricks as his next go. The former standout wrestler from Missouri University is chasing down a shot at the welterweight strap and knows it will take at least one more high-profile victory to make that happen. With Hendricks being a recently dethroned former champion, he possesses the exact caliber of status Woodley is looking to usurp. And with the divisional title currently locked up for the next few months, time is certainly on his side in this matter.
Aljamain Sterling vs. Bryan Caraway
The road to a title shot in the bantamweight division may not be cleared up until the end of the 2015 calendar year, but there are still those fighters who can make notable gains up the 135-pound ladder in the interim. Aljamain Sterling and Bryan Caraway are both fighters who know a thing or two about the importance of momentum, and pairing them up to throw down may be a solid move for Sean Shelby to make.
While the Washington State native was dealt a setback at the hands of Raphael Assuncao in his most recent outing at Fight Night 54 last October, “Kid Lightning” put in solid work to elevate his status in the bantamweight ranks in the fights leading up to Halifax. The TUF alum won five of his six fights before having his progress halted by the Brazilian, with his only other loss coming due to a questionable split-decision against veteran TakeyaMizugaki in Japan.
Still, even though Caraway’s run in the bantamweight division hasn’t been flawless, he’s looked impressive throughout and shown a knack for finishing his opposition courtesy of a slick submission game. With injuries currently locking up the upper tier of the 135-pound collective, there is plenty of room to make moves in the level below. While it doesn’t take facing the biggest names to make progress in a division as thin as bantamweight is at the current time, it does take an interesting stylistic pairing to get fight fans excited for a fight. With that in mind, Sterling would be the perfect choice to face Caraway, and there are several reasons to support this matchup.
“The Funk Master” is currently one of the hottest rising prospects on the 135-pound roster. The undefeated Serra-Longo product has been lights-out inside the Octagon and has won all three of his showings on the sport’s biggest stage with his most recent bout against TakeyaMizugaki ending in a rarely seen submission finish from bottom position. While Sterling was in control throughout the initial two rounds of the fight, the action—or lack thereof—was panned by media and fans alike.
Those sentiments changed when the surging prospect forced the seasoned veteran to tap out due to an arm-triangle choke he applied with his back to the canvas, which is a feat not often seen at the highest level of MMA. His victory at UFC on Fox 15 kept his momentum rolling, and Sterling isn’t looking to waste any time on his run to the top of the division. Mizugaki was the first big name and top-10-ranked fighter he had faced inside the Octagon, and the New York native wants to face another notable opponent in his next outing.
With the majority of the top five ranked fighters either slated to fight in coming months or still on the sidelines with injury, a bout against Caraway would make a tremendous amount of sense. In addition to the fight being a “prospect vs. veteran” matchup, it also presents an interesting pairing style-wise as well. Both fighters have solid wrestling, jiu-jitsu and cardio for days, and that is a formula for an action-packed scrap when the cage door closes.
James Vick vs. Paul Felder
There is typically a formula when it comes to building a fighter’s popularity as they move up the divisional ladder. Said competitor normally starts off with a few favorable matchups, then once they have shown they are ready and able to hang with tougher competition, will be matched up with a seasoned veteran with solid name recognition.
That said, in some cases a division is already so stacked that pitting up-and-coming talent against one another makes sense, and this is definitely the case in the ranks of the 155-pound weight class in the UFC. There is so much talent from top to bottom on the lightweight roster that the UFC can take an anything goes approach to matchmaking, and this is the reason James Vick vs. Paul Felder makes sense.
While The Texecutioner’s run in the UFC has come with injuries that have made developing noticeable momentum difficult, his performances on fight night certainly warrant some attention. The Maryland transplant has won all four of his showings inside the Octagon, with his most recent win coming via first-round submission over highly touted Australian prospect Jake Mathews at Fight Night 65 this past weekend in Adelaide, Australia.
During his time competing under the UFC banner, Vick has shown a willingness to trade toe-to-toe, but also the resilience to battle back to claim victory when things aren’t going his way. This is a critical trait because it’s commonly known in MMA some fighters are different athletes depending on whether or not they are the hammer or the nail. Vick has proven to be dangerous regardless of what side of the beating he’s on, and this is directly tied to his confidence as a mixed martial artist. He believes he’s a special breed of fighter, well-rounded and can finish from anywhere, and his undefeated record adds support to this notion.
The same sentiment applies to Felder as well. “The Irish Dragon” is also an undefeated talent on the rise and his two appearances inside the Octagon have garnered enough acclaim to make him potentially the next big thing in the lightweight ranks. While he struggled to get the win in his official promotional debut at Fight Night 54, the dynamic striker blistered veteran Danny Castillo at UFC 182 with a spinning backfist that not only added a highlight-reel-worthy knockout to his resume, but served to boost him to another level of the divisional hierarchy as well.
He was slated to face lightweight staple Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 15 but was forced to withdraw from the fight due to injury. Felder is currently without an opponent for his next outing, and a bout against Vick would be an excellent pairing of fighters who are at similar places in their respective careers. Both men have been impressive in a tough division, just as they are each looking to take a step closer to deeper waters in their weight class.
In most cases, it wouldn’t make sense to pair up two surging prospects, but in the ultra-talented ranks of the lightweight division, those rules do not apply.
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Great opportunities in mixed martial arts are few and far between, but John Makdessi realized when the biggest one of his career was there for the taking.