MMA is in for a stellar year in 2015, and the UFC kicks it off right with a jam-packed first 60 days.
Several title fights are already signed, and more are close to becoming confirmed. After looking at the probable matchups for gold, one focuses on the…
MMA is in for a stellar year in 2015, and the UFC kicks it off right with a jam-packed first 60 days.
Several title fights are already signed, and more are close to becoming confirmed. After looking at the probable matchups for gold, one focuses on the matchups based on the current rankings. It shows that the title tilts will only get better as the year goes along.
Narrowing down the list to just 10 proved difficult.
This list highlights the 10 best title fights across seven different divisions in two promotions. Some of the champions may be involved in a second or third high-level title fight in 2015, but to get a larger scope of the schedule, I limited it to one fight per championship.
2015 should be a fun year. Strap in.
Here are 10 of the best title fights you are likely to see in the next 12 months.
No. 4-ranked contender Lyoto Machida meets No. 10-ranked CB Dollaway in the UFC Fight Night 58 headliner. The middleweight clash will send the winner into title contention.
Dollaway has a chance to silence his critics and establish himself as one of th…
No. 4-ranked contender LyotoMachida meets No. 10-ranked CB Dollaway in the UFC Fight Night 58 headliner. The middleweight clash will send the winner into title contention.
Dollaway has a chance to silence his critics and establish himself as one of the elite in the division. He started his career 6-0 before joining the seventh season of The Ultimate Fighter. The Arizona State wrestler made the finals against AmirSadollah, where he would suffer his first career loss.
Dollaway had an up-and-down start to his UFC career, going 5-4. He was stopped by submission twice, and he was knocked out twice. It looked as if Dollaway was nothing more than another lackluster product of TUF.
However, come 2012, he started to live up to the potential many saw in him.
In May of that year, he went up against veteran Jason Miller and dominated the fight. He then moved on to take on Daniel Sarafian and took a split decision.
One of his most impressive performances came in his fight after that, punishing Tim Boetsch, but he ended up on the wrong side of a decision in one of the worst judgements of 2013.
Dollaway got right back in the win column in 2014 with back-to-back victories over CezarFerreira and Francis Carmont.
Win or lose, the fight this weekend against Machida will show us how good Dollaway truly is.
Machida is the cream of the crop at 185 pounds. He is one of the best fighters we have seen, and the former UFC light heavyweight champion is arguably the worst stylistic matchup for Dollaway around.
The Brazilian has made numerous wrestlers look foolish, including Dollaway‘s former collegiate teammate, Ryan Bader.
The Brazilian is coming off a Fight of the Year candidate against champion Chris Weidman. He will be motivated to get another title shot with a dominant performance.
This is the perfect chance for Dollaway to show off the strides he has made in his overall MMA game. He can validate himself as a Top 10 middleweight with a competitive fight in hostile territory.
Machida‘s ability to create distance and takedown defense will make it exceptionally difficult for Dollaway to be successful with his wrestling. The American will have to threaten Machida with his stand-up and gain his respect.
Dollaway will be forced into showcasing his full range of skills.
The former light heavyweight champion is better in nearly every category, which is why Dollaway enters as a plus-400 underdog, per Odds Shark. Not many will give him a chance, and it is going to be difficult to change the perception that he is not an upper-echelon middleweight. His recent wins and impressive performances have failed to do so to date, but this is his golden opportunity.
Saturday’s performance will give us the best look into just how far Dollaway can go in this division. While a win puts him in title contention, a competitive loss shows us he can still get there.
A one-sided loss, on the other hand, will essentially confirm his role as a gatekeeper.
This is an important main event for the division, but even more important for Dollaway‘s prospects as a top-tier middleweight.
UFC on Fox 13 hit Phoenix on Saturday night with a 13-fight card.
The four-fight main card featured three key heavyweight fights, and a top-15 lightweight battle as well.
The main event delivered in just about every way possible as Junior dos Sant…
UFC on Fox 13 hit Phoenix on Saturday night with a 13-fight card.
The four-fight main card featured three key heavyweight fights, and a top-15 lightweight battle as well.
The main event delivered in just about every way possible as Junior dos Santos and Stipe Miocic battled back-and-forth in a heavyweight classic. The former champion came out with the victory by unanimous decision, but it was a close fight with an up-and-coming heavyweight who matched Dos Santos in nearly every category.
In the co-main event, Rafael dos Anjos defeated Nate Diaz with ease. The lightweight contender made his case for the next title shot at 155 pounds.
Heavyweights Alistair Overeem and Matt Mitrione knocked out their competition as they both try to make a run in the division. And in the featured preliminary bout, Joanna Jedrzejczyk defeated Claudia Gadelha by split decision and moves into the role of title contender for Carla Esparza’s newly won strawweight title.
There was a lot of action on Saturday, and some folks won while others had to lose.
These are the real winners and losers from UFC on Fox 13 in Phoenix.
Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas battled for the UFC strawweight championship, and it was the former Invicta FC champion who claimed the first-ever UFC 115-pound strap.
Esparza was the No. 1 seed on The Ultimate Fighter. She defeated Angela Hill, Tecia…
Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas battled for the UFC strawweight championship, and it was the former Invicta FC champion who claimed the first-ever UFC 115-pound strap.
Esparza was the No. 1 seed on The Ultimate Fighter. She defeated Angela Hill, Tecia Torres and Jessica Penne to make the finale. Rose Namajunas was the No. 7 seed and beat Alex Chambers, Joanne Calderwood and Randa Markos to earn the champinoship fight.
The fight was all Esparza. She got the rear-naked choke in the third round and claimed the gold.
So, what did we learn and what’s next for these two extraordinary fighters? Read on to find out.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Esparza’s dominant wrestling is what we will remember. It broke Namajunas’ will.
We have seen that time and again in MMA. The grind of the wrestling can break fighters, and that’s what it did Friday night. Esparza’s wrestling was successful every time she tried it. Namajunas didn’t have a good-enough sprawl to stop it.
It is a big difference between the two. Fighters who struggle with wrestling will always struggle in MMA.
What We Learned About Rose Namajunas
Many fans and pundits alike were pushing Namajunas as the next female MMA star. There were comparisons to Ronda Rousey. That was nonsense, and it was no fault of Namajunas. We learned what she is…a 22-year-old prospect.
She has a very high ceiling. She has quality submissions and flashy strikes, but she shows holes in every facet of her game. She can be dynamic, but that doesn’t matter until you become technically efficient with your skills. This was clearly evident in this matchup, as Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting pointed out:
In the second round you could see the desperation in her eyes. She began reaching with her stirkes and giving up the takedowns way too easily. She realized she was out of her depth. This will turn out to be a great learning experience for her, and she will return even better.
She has a bright future in this sport, but the hype entering the night was unnecessary.
What We Learned About Carla Esparza
A lot of focus will be on her wrestling and defensive abilities, but we learned her striking has improved measurably.
She tagged Namajunas a lot in this fight. She was at a height and reach disadvantage to a striker who has better skills. She was still the more successful striker in this fight. Why? She stayed technical. Namajunas wasted energy on low-percentage strikes, and Esparza just kept it simple.
She also generated more power. With improved hands she can begin to cement her spot as the No. 1-ranked strawweight in the world.
What’s Next for Rose Namajunas
The UFC has to be careful. It doesn’t want to put her in with another top-tier fighter just yet, have a dogfight back-and-forth battle that damages her and have her lose that fight. That would be terrible promoting and matchmaking. The UFC needs to realize her age and abilities. It needs to treat her like the prospect she is.
The UFC has several fighters on the roster now that are outmatched. Glorified atomweight Lisa Ellis stands out. Ellis did fairly well against Felice Herrig, but she came out on the losing end. It is a fight that Namajunas could control on the feet and on the ground. She also would have a significant size advantage.
It’s a great rebuilding fight. That is the type of fight that Namajunas needs to have next.
What’s Next for Carla Esparza
The winner of Claudia Gadelha vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk.
Those two meet on Saturday night at UFC on Fox 13. Gadelha is favored in the fight. Dave Doyle of MMA Fighting noted this fight will determine “Esparza’s No. 1 contender”:
Gadelha is the fight most will be hoping for. She and Esparza have exchanged barbs, and they were supposed to fight in Invicta, but that fight fell through. They are two of the best, if not the best, in the world at the weight classification. And stylistically it is a challenge for both.
Jedrzejczyk should not be left out of this equation, but her grappling leaves a lot to be desired in relation to Gadelha and Esparza.
We will know who’s next in line after Saturday. Either way, Esparza has her work cut out for her first title defense, and the UFC has a premiere challenger lined up right away.
UFC on Fox 13 has a premiere heavyweight main event.
No. 2-ranked contender Junior dos Santos takes on No. 4-ranked Stipe Miocic with the winner moving to the front of the line for a title shot. The winner could take on interim champion Fabricio Werdum…
UFC on Fox 13 has a premiere heavyweight main event.
No. 2-ranked contender Junior dos Santos takes on No. 4-ranked StipeMiocic with the winner moving to the front of the line for a title shot. The winner could take on interim champion Fabricio Werdum should Cain Velasquez remain on the shelf, or they position themselves as the next challenger for the winner of the unification bout.
Either way this fight has high stakes on the line.
Dos Santos has been away since receiving a beating at the hands of Velasquez, and Miocic has been on a bit of a run as of late. It will be interesting to see the improvements both have made as they have to bring their A-game to get the W.
Here are three keys to victory for both heavyweights.
Dos Santos’ Keys to Victory
Fight at Distance
Dos Santos loves to strike, and Miocic is a developing striker with big power. The former heavyweight champion needs to keep him on the outside.
Dos Santos has a stellar jab. He can pump it out into Miocic‘s face to keep him at bay. The jab is an underrated offensive weapon in MMA. It helps keep opponents on the outside, and assists in shutting down their offensive game plan.
The Brazilian can stifle Miocic with the jab. On the outside Miocic will find it hard to connect on Dos Santos, and it will give Dos Santos many opportunities to turn off his lights with a big power shot.
Take What Miocic Gives
He does not need to force the action in this fight. He should simply take the fight as it comes and let Miocic make the mistakes. The pressure is on Miocic to perform.
Dos Santos should have the advantage in most areas in this fight, and as such he just needs to take advantage of what Miocic gives him. Dos Santos doesn’t have to force anything.
Keep a Consistent Pace
While Dos Santos should take what Miocic gives him to work with, he should also make sure to keep a consistent pace.
Miocic has never gone past the third round. We don’t know how he will handle the championship rounds. If Dos Santos keeps him active, not allowing him to take a round off, he will test Miocic‘s cardio should the fight last that long.
A consistent pace does not mean a high pace. Dos Santos doesn’t need to push it. He just has to keep Miocic working in each round. Do not give him a catch to catch recoup during a full round.
Miocic‘s Keys to Victory
Win in the Clinch
Miocic is not going to win this fight by boxing with Dos Santos. As such, that means he has to get in close.
Miocic has to win those clinch battles. Whether it’s dirty boxing or positioning against the fence he has to be successful while laced up with Dos Santos.
The clinch is also a great way to grind on Dos Santos. Miocic has to try to change levels and make him defend takedowns. Velasquez was extremely successful in close. Miocic is not Velasquez, but he is an athletic heavyweight who can try to replicate some of the things that made Velasquez dominate Dos Santos.
Miocic has to win the clinch battles.
Be Successful with Takedowns
Dos Santos has good takedown defense and a good submission game, but Miocic has to get him down at some point.
It is likely that Dos Santos will pop back up, but as long as Miocic continues to stick to him like glue it’ll make it hard for Dos Santos to be successful. It turns the former champion into a defensive mode. Miocic is the one that has to push the fight and attack.
Don’t Get in a Firefight
The one thing Miocic cannot do on Saturday night is get into a firefight with Dos Santos. If he stands and exchanges, he will get knocked out in brutal fashion. He is just not on Dos Santos’ level standing.
Yes, Miocic has KO power and is continuing to improve on his stand-up, but this is a bad matchup to try and prove something to everyone. Dos Santos will send Miocic out on his shield should he want a boxing match.
Miocic is a dog in this fight, but he is a live dog. He has the athleticism and talent to upset Dos Santos in his return to the cage, but he has to be disciplined and come in with a great game plan. Saturday’s main event will be a high-level heavyweight tilt. That is plenty to be excited for.
Count me as someone who can’t wait to see what the game plans for each fighter are when they enter the cage.
The Ultimate Fighter’s 20th season claimed that a champion would be crowned, and that will come to fruition on Friday evening.
Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas ran through the competition on the show to set up the title matchup for the inaugural UFC st…
The Ultimate Fighter‘s 20th season claimed that a champion would be crowned, and that will come to fruition on Friday evening.
Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas ran through the competition on the show to set up the title matchup for the inaugural UFC strawweight championship. Esparza is the former Invicta FC strawweight champion, but Namajunas will enter as the betting favorite.
In the co-main event, No. 10-ranked featherweight contender Jeremy Stephens takes on No. 14-ranked Charles Oliveira in a catchweight fight as Oliveira failed to make weight.
Nine other bouts help fill out the card, and Bleacher Report will be here all night to chronicle the event for you. Come back at 6 p.m. ET for the start of the event as the prelims start on UFC Fight Pass (subscription required). The card shifts to Fox Sports 1 for the remainder of the card at 7 p.m. ET.
The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale Fight Card
UFC Strawweight Championship: Carla Esparza vs. Rose Namajunas
No. 4-ranked contender