Manny Pacquiao didn’t give combat sports fans much to cheer about in his bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 2. Perhaps the Ultimate Fighting Championship and a Filipino-centric card can evoke some happiness for the folks in attendance at UFC Fight Night 66 in Manila on Saturday.
The UFC continues to venture into new markets for its product as the promotion makes its first-ever visit to the Philippines. As usual, UFC matchmakers have filled the card with as many local fighters as possible. Take a look at the card, viewing information and predictions below.
Mark “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” Munoz is set to make his final professional appearance on the card against “The Bigslow” Luke Barnatt, per Thomas Gerbasi of UFC.com. Four others who are either Filipino-American or natives of the Philippines are scheduled to fight.
That might get the local fans excited, but the main event is good enough to get everyone a little pumped regardless of nationality. It’s rare to see two legitimate Hall of Fame-level talents compete against each other while both are relatively close to the top of their game. That’s what fight fans will see Saturday when Frankie “The Answer” Edgar takes on the “The California Kid” Urijah Faber.
The main event of a card isn’t always the most intriguing bout, but there’s no question which fight most fans will be eagerly awaiting on Saturday.
Most Intriguing Bout
Edgar vs. Faber
This matchup features two of the best lighter-weight fighters in mixed martial arts history. Both are former champions—Edgar with the UFC and Faber with World Extreme Cagefighting. Each has been considered among the elite in his weight class during his time in the UFC.
Stylistically, the fight is compelling.
While Edgar isn’t exactly a knockout artist, he’s technically sound and diverse with his striking. Faber is one of the premier grapplers and submission artists among smaller fighters. One look at his submission wins total confirms the concept. With 19 wins by submission, he has earned more than half of his 32 victories via tapout.
There’s also the matter of geography.
No two fighters more clearly embody their regional origins. Edgar hails from Toms River, New Jersey, and carries himself like the quintessential East Coaster. Faber’s nickname is The California Kid; need we say more?
Lastly, there’s the sense of urgency surrounding a bout between two fighters in their 30s. Both would love one last run at a title. The winner of this fight seems to be in line for a shot at the winner of the Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo bout at UFC 189 or at least a high-profile meeting with No. 1 contender Chad Mendes.
The loser will have to ponder whether there’s enough time remaining on his competitive clock to try to climb the ladder of contention again. Per Mike Straka of UFC.com, Faber is amped for this superfight:
I’m excited,” Faber said in an interview with Straka. “I feel like this is the time of the rise of the lower weight classes and Frankie Edgar and I have had a hand in that, along with Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes and some of the other guys. Frankie and I have both been champions and it’s going to be great to go up against him. We match up really well. You call it a SuperFight, I call it a chance for both of us to show the world what 145-pounders are made of.
This is not a Fight Night bout—it’s a main card scrap for a pay-per-view. Fans should enjoy this one.
Best Prospect on the Card
Dhiego Lima
Despite the fact that he’s lost two of his last three fights—both by KO/TKO—Brazilian Dhiego Lima still has to be considered a good prospect. His disappointing defeats to Eddie “Truck” Gordon in The Ultimate Fighter 19 Finale and most recently to Tim “Dirty Bird” Means at UFC 184 weren’t the worst losses a mid-20’s prospect could take.
Gordon was a machine until Josh Samman stole his swagger with the head kick from hell at UFC 181. Means would probably top the list of unranked 170-pounders who should have a little number next to their name on UFC.com matchup screens.
Lima should look at the UFC beginnings of Max “Blessed” Holloway for inspiration. Holloway endured losses to McGregor, Dennis Bermudez and Dustin Poirier before hitting his current stride. He’s won six fights in a row including an impressive third-round submission win over Cub Swanson at UFC on Fox 15 in April.
Lima could make a similar turnaround.
The biggest key for Lima when he faces the rugged Li “The Leech” Jingliang is to remain confident. Lima is a late replacement for Roger Zapata; therefore, The Leech hasn’t had a great deal of time to prepare for him. Lima grabbed the attention of the audience and the UFC with his grappling and submissions prowess during TUF.
He must lean on his expertise to pull himself out of his current position.
Fighter With Most To Lose
Lima
Those who carry high expectations also have the most to lose. Another loss for Lima would give him two in a row and three in his last four fights. While losses to Gordon and Means are passable, the UFC won’t forgive a defeat at the hands of The Leech as easily.
It’s early in Lima’s career, but this is close to a must-win fight for him. If he loses, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him wind up with another promotion in an attempt to regain his confidence before trying to earn his way back into the UFC.
On second thought, with the way fighter sponsorships are working, he may find a home somewhere else that’s more profitable, but that’s a conversation for another time.
Surest Bet
Gegard Mousasi over Costas Philippou
It’s hard to believe that Gegard “The Dreamcatcher” Mousasi is still just 29 years old. He’s had 43 professional fights in his career that dates back to 2003 when he was just 17. The Iranian-born Dutch veteran is in the co-featured bout, but he has perhaps the easiest draw of the night against the massively overrated Costas Philippou.
It’s been a year since Philippou fought. His last bout was a TKO win over a reckless and not-yet committed Lorenz Larkin in May 2014. Larkin has since dropped to welterweight and looked like a different fighter in his last bout against John Howard.
Despite Philippou’s layoff, Mousasi knows what to expect from his opponent. Per Duane Finley of UFC.com, Mousasi said:
[Philippou] is a heavy-handed guy with good stand-up and knockout power. I have to be careful in the exchanges, but I believe I have the advantage everywhere this fight could go. I believe I can do anything I want in there and that is going to show on fight night. I am very good at spacing and closing the distance. I believe that will be a problem for him.
Before Philippou beat Larkin, he was manhandled by Luke Rockhold and Francis Carmont. Notice the similarities in Rockhold and Carmont? Both are excellent grapplers and submission artists. Mousasi may not be quite on par with Rockhold in that department—not many are—but he’s certainly comparable to Carmont.
Philippou has problems with anyone who won’t stand and trade with him the way Larkin and Tim Boetsch attempted to do. Mousasi is smart and well-rounded. He’ll have Philippou tapping the mat or a body part within two rounds.
Why Edgar Wins the Main Event
Edgar’s Underrated Ground Game
There’s no question that Faber has the edge when it comes to wrestling. That said, Edgar’s ground game is good enough to prevent himself from being embarrassed against anyone in his weight region.
Faber is too good for Edgar to keep the fight standing, but if the fight goes to the ground, Edgar will be able to survive and get back to his feet. In the stand-up encounters, Edgar should have the big advantage, and that’s where he’ll win the fight.
Effective Striking and Stamina
Edgar is the more active and diverse striker.
Per FightMetric, he lands 3.52 strikes per minute compared to just 2.67 for Faber. Edgar should pick Faber apart with potshots and other quick attacks. The Answer also has the edge when it comes to five-round bouts.
Patrick Wyman of Sherdog had a good point about both fighters’ fitness for marathon main event bouts. He wrote, “Faber has only one victory in a fight that made it to the championship rounds in the last six years, while Edgar was made for that kind of fight.”
Edgar talked about his longevity and what has kept him at or near the top of his divisions over the last seven years, per Gerbasi:
I am a 24-7 guy. I don’t get out of shape, come back in and try to start from where I left off. I’m constantly on the climb. I’d like to say every fight I get better and better and I still feel like, at 33 years old, I have room for improvement. After this fight I’ll hopefully have more room to improve from there, and that’s what I want to do. I think as a martial artist you’re always trying to look to be better. That gives me the edge time in and time out.
Age
It also doesn’t hurt that at 33, Edgar is three years younger than Faber. While The California Kid keeps himself looking like he’s 20-something, the miles are piling up on him. Edgar will escape a few close calls on the ground en route to a unanimous-decision win over Faber.
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