The next installment of the UFC Fight Night series, UFC Fight Night 33, is set to go down live in Australia this weekend.
Headlined by heavyweight sluggers Mark Hunt and Antonio Silva, the event promises to be a must-see show. What’s more, with the number of heavy hitters on the card, there is certain to be some slugfests and some knockouts.
Who will take home the bonuses for the night? Let’s take a look at the top contenders.
Submission of the Night: Richie Vaculik
With all of the strikers that grace the card, there is a high possibility that there won’t be many submission finishes. However, there is one man known for his submission prowess.
Indeed, Richie Vaculik could get an extra check by the end of the night.
Vaculik is a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes, where he fought up at lightweight. He now takes this bout at flyweight, which is three weight classes below that.
Six of his nine career wins come by way of submission, which is great because he is fighting against a striker in Justin Scoggins. Assuming Vaculik can secure a takedown on the young Scoggins, there is more than a chance that he can choke him out.
Also in the running: Alex Garcia, Bruno Santos, Antonio Silva
Knockout of the Night: Mark Hunt
There is a high chance that Mark Hunt could get grounded, dominated and finished by Antonio Silva. By that same token, there is just as good a chance that Mark Hunt aims one of his meat hooks at Silva’s head and knocks him five days to next week.
Hunt has continually defied the odds in his UFC career. Nobody really gave him a chance upon entry, but instead he has been a highlight reel that has knocked out foe after foe.
Silva’s head is a big target and Hunt has no accuracy issues. Silva has been knocked out before, and if Hunt connects, he could be $50,000 richer.
Also in the running: Ryan Bader, Pat Barry, Julie Kedzie
Fight of the Night: Takeya Mizugaki-Nam Phan
There are a number of fights that could end up being Fight of the Night. Given the track records of Nam Phan and Takeya Mizugaki, though, they could put on the best of them all.
Mizugaki is a quick, precise striker. Phan is a quick, precise striker. Mirror images can often lead to great fights.
Whoever wins the fight doesn’t matter, as the fans will be the real winner. With that, both men will effectively put on a crowd pleaser and get well compensated for it.
Also in the running: Richie Vaculik-Justin Scoggins, Alex Garcia-Ben Wall, Clint Hester-Dylan Andrews
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