The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale went down Wednesday night. Now it’s time for the second UFC event this week.
UFC on Fox, headlined by heavyweight contenders Travis Browne and Fabricio Werdum, takes place live Saturday from Orlando. The winner of this bout could be the next man to face champion Cain Velasquez.
Not only that, but there are numerous other bouts with fighters in contention for a title shot. Rafael dos Anjos and Khabib Nurmagomedov are right there in the title picture, as is Yoel Romero if he earns another impressive victory.
Let’s first look at the bonuses, though, and see who could be in the running for an extra bit of cash for their effort.
Performance of the Night No. 1: Thiago Alves
Thiago Alves hasn’t fought in the Octagon for a long time. I mean it—it’s been around two years since the Brazilian has competed.
That being said, he should be well rested. He also has a favorable matchup in Seth Baczynski, who is tough as nails but probably not on the level of Alves.
Alves is a lethal striker and tough to beat. He will use his insane muay thai skill to beat up “The Polish Pistola” and put him away. That will earn him a nice little payday.
Also in the running: Travis Browne, Khabib Nurmagomedov
Performance of the Night No. 2: Donald Cerrone
When people look at the Donald Cerrone-Edson Barboza matchup, they see a fun striking battle in the making. I also see that, but I also see a balanced game plan by Cerrone that will earn him the win.
Cerrone is vastly superior on the ground to Barboza. He has tapped black belts in the past, just showing how skilled he is.
So, after a bout that sees some fun moments on the feet, Cerrone will get Barboza on the ground and outwork him. The tapout will prove to be very lucrative.
Also in the running: Ray Borg, Pat Healy
Fight of the Night: Donald Cerrone-Edson Barboza
That’s right: Donald Cerrone will double up bonuses at UFC on Fox 11. You heard it from me first.
Cerrone and Barboza are both nasty strikers. They will enjoy a good technical kickboxing match on the feet, which will get fans excited.
It will be so entertaining that Dana White will tweet about it and then give them the Fight of the Night bonus.
Seriously, that’s exactly how I predict it will go down.
Also in the running: Yoel Romero-Brad Tavares, Jordan Mein-Hernani Perpetuo, Dustin Ortiz-Ray Borg
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