UFC: What to look for and why you need to watch
Another day, another card, another Octagon in another city. Phoenix is now host to two major players in the heavyweight division in former champion Junior Dos Santos come up against someone who could be the brightest prospect in the heavy division, Stipe Miocic.
Why should you watch?
When the UFC revealed they signed a multi-year, muti-million dollar deal with FOX, it was a sign that MMA had achieved a step towards the sport’s legitimacy. Now, 12 shows on the major network have passed and now the worry is about keeping the fan’s interested. This is why you should watch. FOX cards are always stacked with great fighters who put on great shows.
We see the return of Stefan Struve from a horror illness that nearly ended his career. The tallest UFC fighter on the books was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and a leaking valve following his last KO loss to Mark Hunt. His first return in July saw him collapse in the dressing room from an elevated heart rate merely hours before he stepped into the Octagon leaving many to ponder if they will ever see him again. But here we are! Pitted against the falling star of Alistair Overeem should provide a great fight as they are both searching for a spark in a weak division. We also see the return of Nate Diaz following his self-imposed lay-off. A cocky fighter who has constantly backed his mouth up, Diaz takes on Rafael dos Anjos who could potentially be fighting for a spot in the cages vs. the Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis.
Down in the prelims you are treated to the debuts of two highly skilled fighters. Claudia Gadelha is an undefeated Brazilian who is a part of the newly formed UFC Womens Strawweight division, and many believe she is destined to win the belt. She takes on undefeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the right to take on the newly crowned champion, Carla Esparza. We also get treated to (finally, I might add), to one of the hottest prospects in the lighter weight classes in Olympic Gold Medalist Henry Cejudo. A weigh-in blunder prevented his previous fight from happening, and after an ultimatum from Dana White telling him to move up in weight or fight somewhere else has him taking on Dustin Kimura in a Bantamweight match-up early on.
Upset Alerts.
In a difficult card to pick some good bets, I think there are that offer the best chance for an upset!
Henry Cejudo (2/5 Skybet) vs. Dustin Kimura (15/8 Skybet)
Okay, so Cejudo is a great prospect, but as a first UFC fight I am really not sure if this is a great matchup. Kimura is a submission expert and with Cejudo’s wrestling pedigree, this fight is destined to get to the ground. Kimura is very capable off his back and his a multitude of weapons to lean on if he is pushed to that. If this goes the distance, Cejudo will win but given the opportunity I think Kimura can snatch an upset by submitting the much revered prospect.
Gabriel Gonzaga (5/6 Paddy Power) vs Matt Mitrione (11/10 Paddy Power)
This fight will end early. It has to. Because if it doesn’t, it will be about the worst fight of the night. Mitrione’s athleticism is definitely a factor here, but at 36 he is still a “fresh” fighter with only three years of experience under his belt. Gonzaga on the other hand feels like he has been around forever. For that reason, the discussion of Mitrione improving as a fighter could be a trivial one as he seems to be a bit over the natural age for a fighter in their prime. His last fight against Brendan Schaub was terrible and Mitrione was taken down and submitted in a heartbeat. Gonzaga has better chops on the ground then Schaub so let’s see if history repeats itself.
Alistair Overeem (4/9 Paddy power) vs. Stefan Struve (9/4 Paddy power)
Both of these fighters have had some questions about their chins recently. In nearly two years since he was meant to be the next big thing in the heavyweight division (since he literally is one of the biggest THINGS in the heavyweight division), Overeem has gone 1-3 and has not looked the fearsome striker that he was before he entered the UFC. I have less confidence in this one happening then the other two above, but purely because it seems that Overeem’s hands seem to forget to protect his face sometimes, he is subject to a KO at any point. Struve’s chin is also a bit subject which may cause some people to shy away from backing him, but his long arms and legs can prove difficult in defending sometimes!
