May 26, 2017
By Ryan Porzl
Note that the time I release these, the full card of certain events have not been released so there may be other fights I would recommend but aren't announced until after I complete this. Also, card subject to change.
Jose Aldo vs Max Holloway (UFC 212, 6/3/17)- This is a unification fight with Aldo as the official champion while Holloway is the interim champion. Aldo is coming off a win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 back in July to win the UFC Interim Featherweight Championship before eventually being elevated to official champion after Conor McGregor moved up to Lightweight. The win was a bounce back from his title loss to McGregor back in November 2015 which snapped a 10 year, 18 fight win streak. Holloway won the title by defeating Anthony Pettis in December at UFC 206. Holloway is riding a ten fight win streak with his last lost also being against McGregor back in 2013, ironically enough. Among his wins in this streak besides Pettis including Cub Swanson, Ricardo Lamas, and Charles Oliveira. Regardless of who wins, both have a difficult task as both have losses to McGregor and it will take a lot to convince certain fans they are the now true champion. However, Aldo just regained the championship and doesn't need to lose it this fast. A loss could also indicate that his time has passed. For Holloway, it's one thing to be an interim champion but it's something else to be the official champion and a win over a legend like Aldo would be his biggest to date.
Vitor Belfort vs. Nate Marquardt (UFC 212, 6/3/17)- I put this fight on here as Belfort has already made the announcement that this will be his last fight in the UFC win, lose, or draw. Belfort is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament Winner, and the former Cage Rage World Light Heavyweight Champion but he has seen better days. Currently, Belfort is winless in his last three fights (two losses, one no contest) and is 1-3-1 in his last five fights with TKO losses to Chris Weidman, Jacare Souza, Gegard Mousasi, and Kelvin Gastlum (the latter overturned due to Gastlum testing positive for marijuana). With this being his last UFC fight, Belfort will love to want to ride out in the sunset with a win and it's even more important since the event is in his home country of Brazil as well as the fact he wants to continue fighting so a win will give him a better chance getting signed by Bellator or Rizin. Marquardt is also in the twilight of his career. The former Pancrase and Strikeforce champ is coming off a loss to Sam Alvey at UFC on FOX: Shevchenko vs. Pena back in January. Since returning to the UFC back in 2013, Marquardt has gone 3-6 with losses to Jake Ellenberger, Hector Lombard, and Kelvin Gastlum to name some while his three wins have been to middle of the road fighters like James Te-Huna, CB Dolloway, and Tamdan McCrory. Marquardt will likely never challenge for a UFC Championship ever again but he still needs a win if he wants to stay employed and afloat.
Raphael Assuncao vs. Marlon Moraes (UFC 212, 6/3/17)- This is the Moraes' UFC debut. Moraes is best known for his dominance in the WSOF where he went 11-0 and became the inaugural WSOF Bantamweight Champion which he never lost. Moraes is currently riding a 13 fight win streak which includes wins over aging legend Miguel Torres and Tyson Nam. Looking at Moraes' record, he hasn't beat a lot of names or elite fighters so Moraes needs to win here to prove he's worth the hype as Assuncao would be the biggest win of his career and a good test to see how he fares in the UFC. Assuncao is coming off a win over Aljamain Sterling by split decision at UFC on FOX: Shevchenko vs. Pena back in January which was a bounce back from a loss to TJ Dillashaw by unanimous decision at UFC 200. The loss to Dillashaw snapped a seven fight win streak which included wins over Johnny Eduardo, Issei Tamura, a controversial win over Dillashaw, and Bryan Caraway. A loss would not only hurt Assuncao in the rankings but also make him come off as a stepping stone to a debuting fighter. A win keeps him in contention and it doesn't hurt getting a win over Moraes.
Derrick Lewis vs. Mark Hunt (UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt, 6/11/17)- This is new blood vs. old guard with Lewis on the rise while Hunt is on the down swing. One of the top prospects in UFC's Heavyweight Division, Lewis is riding a six fight win streak including wins over former M-1 Global Heavyweight Champion Damian Grabowski, former UFC Heavyweight Championship contender Gabriel Gonzaga, Roy Nelson, and Travis Browne. He hasn't lost a fight in two years with the last one being back in June 2015 which was to Shawn Jordan. A win over Hunt will put him at seven straight wins and given Hunt is a former PRIDE World Heavyweight Championship contender as well as a former UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship contender, Lewis will have a great argument that he should be next to challenge Stipe Miocic for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Hunt is coming off a knockout loss to Alistair Overeem at UFC 209 back in March which was a rematch from DREAM 5 back in July 2008 which Hunt also lost. Prior to that, Hunt had been unbeaten in three fights with knockout wins over fellow aging fighters Frank Mir and Antonio Silva while going to a no contest with Brock Lesnar after Lesnar's win was overturned to a no contest due to a failed drug test. At 43 years old, with 70 combat sports fights, 18 years of fighting, and unhappy with the UFC since Lesnar's failed drug test, Hunt is at that point where any fight could be his last. His days as an elite fighter are largely over and he is up there in age along with a lot of mileage on his body. Hunt is one of those fighters that you should enjoy now because he may not be around much longer. However, should Hunt pull off the upset win, he may be able to make a good argument at a rematch with Miocic.
Holly Holm vs. Bethe Correia (UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia, 6/17/17)- To say the very, very least, this is make or break time for Holm. Despite not even being two years removed from her famous dominating win over Ronda Rousey back in November 2015 at UFC 193, Holm's fortunes have plummeted to the point where you have to ask yourself if she sold her soul to the devil for the Rousey win and the devil came back to collect. Since her big win, Holm has lost her last three fights including losing the Women's Bantamweight Championship to Miesha Tate, then a one sided loss to Valentina Shevchenko, and more recently, lost to Germaine de Randamie in a fight to crown the first UFC Women's Featherweight Champion. A loss, especially a bad one, could likely spell the end of her UFC career as that would put her at four in a row which almost guarantees termination. Holm needs to win if she wants to keep her job. Correia is coming off a majority draw to Marion Reneau at UFC Fight Night: Belfort vs. Gastlum back in March. Prior to that, she defeated Jessica Eye by split decision at UFC 203 in September which snapped a two fight losing streak which featured losses to Ronda Rousey in a failed title shot and Raquel Pennington. Even though she's in a slump, a win over Holm would still mean a lot for Correia and possibly be the biggest win to date. Plus a win gets Correia one step closer to a title shot.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Marcin Tybura (UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia, 6/17/17)- Another up and comer vs. a veteran nearing the end. The former UFC Heavyweight Champion Arlovski seemed to be on the comeback trail racking up a six fight win streak with four straight in the UFC but now, he finds himself barely hanging on as he's now on a four fight losing streak. While Arlovski has lost to top competition like Stipe Miocic, Alistair Overeem, and Josh Barnett along with prospect Francis Ngannou, four losses in a row is bad and he's been finished in each of them. Even worse is that Arlovski's well known weakness of having a bad chin appears to be back as he's been TKOed in three of his last four losses with the Miocic one occurring only 54 seconds into the fight while the Ngannou one happened in only 1:32. Like Holm, Arlovski desperately needs to win here as there's no way the UFC will keep him with five straight losses. Arlovski is like many on this list this month in that his career is currently on borrowed time. Along with the losses, Arlovski has fought in 40 MMA fights over 18 years so there's a big chance that he may not be around much longer. The former M-1 Global Heavyweight Champion and 2013 Heavyweight Grand Prix Winner Tybura stumbled in his UFC debut back at UFC Fight Night: Rothwell vs. Dos Santos when he lost to Timothy Johnson by unanimous decision back in May of last year. Since then, Tybura has bounced back with back to back wins over Viktor Pesta in a performance of the night KO win at UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Caceres in August and more recently, against Luis Henrique by TKO at UFC 209 in March. Again, despite Arlovski's decline, the win would be one of, if not, the biggest to date for Tybura and put him on the map in the UFC along with the top ten rankings which would result in more eyes and bigger fights.
Tarec Saffiedine vs. Rafael Dos Anjos (UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia, 6/17/17)- Saffiedine is likely considered one of the more disappointing fighters to come to the UFC after Strikeforce was absorbed. After a career making performance in the final Strikeforce event back in January 2013 where he defeated Nate Marquardt in the final fight of the long running MMA/Kickboxing promotion to win the Strikeforce Welterweight Championship, he was expected to do great things but has continually missed time due to a string of injuries with some costing him a year on the shelf. Now, Saffiedine is 2-3 in his UFC run and currently riding a two fight losing streak with decision losses to Rick Story back in May of last year at UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt and then to Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 207 in December. A win puts Saffiedine on the comeback trail but a loss could cost him his job as it would be three in a row and his history with injuries could also have soured him with the UFC officials. This fight marks the welterweight debut of Dos Anjos as the former Lightweight Champion is attempting a change in scenery after going on a two fight losing streak including losing the championship to Eddie Alvarez back in July at UFC Fight Night: Dos Anjos vs. Alvarez and then to Tony Ferguson back in November at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 Finale: Dos Anjos vs. Ferguson. Though Dos Anjos isn't in as much danger of losing his job giving that he is a former UFC Champion, a loss still hurts him and will likely see him fighting for his job next time. A win would be a fresh start for Dos Anjos in a new weight class and could position him in title elimination fights in the future.
Takanori Gomi vs. Jon Tuck (UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Correia, 6/17/17)- As has been a theme for this article, we got another legend barely hanging on and in the end of his career. Gomi is one of the greatest Lightweights in MMA history but his time is also running out. The Fireball Kid is on a three fight losing streak, is 1-4 in his last five fights (to be fair, his decision loss to Diego Sanchez was controversial), and hasn't won a fight in three years when he defeated another broken down fighter in Isaac Vallie-Flagg at UFC 172 in April 2014. Gomi has also been fighting less and less as he only fought once in 2013, once in 2015, and once in 2016. Worst of all is that Gomi was once a fighter who had one of the best chins in the game as he went over 40 fights and 15 years without a single KO/TKO loss but that's gone now as he's been TKOed in his last three fights to Myles Jury, Joe Lauzon, and more recently, Jim Miller at UFC 200 in July. With nearly 20 years of fighting and a year away from turning 40, Gomi is at the end of the road. A win just give him some borrowed time as he'll never come close to a title shot or even the top ten. A loss would guarantee the end of his UFC career as there's no way the UFC will keep him after four straight losses especially when he's clearly declined so much. A loss could also be the end of his MMA career as Gomi may consider retirement or possibly return to Japan for Rizin but even if he does, he's only prolonging the inevitable. Tuck is also on the skids as he's currently riding a two fight losing streak with split decision losses to Josh Emmett in May of last year at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Arlovski and to Damien Brown in November at UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Brunson. Tuck has scored some good wins in his career including one over the now current ONE Lightweight Champion Eduard Folayang back in 2009 and one over former DEEP Lightweight Champion Tae Hyun Bang (ironically someone Gomi beat in Sengoku) in the UFC two years ago. Again, Gomi may be at the end of his career and long passed his prime but a win over him would get Tuck some notice, be the biggest of his career, and back in the winners circle.
Fedor Emelianenko vs. Matt Mitrione (Bellator NYC, 6/24/17)- This fight was supposed to happen at Bellator 172 in February but delayed when Mitrione suffered kidney stones the day of the fight. Emelianenko is currently riding a five fight win streak with two coming after coming out of retirement in December 2015 which were over current DEEP Megaton Champion Jaideep Singh and a highly questionable win over Fabio Maldonando. At 40 years old, with 40 MMA fights, and a combined 15 year career, it's clear that The Last Emperor is far passed his prime and has a few fights left in him before retiring for good. A win over Mitrione would be his first legit win over a good fighter since his return from retirement and show he still has some gas left in his tank. Plus, there's a great chance Emelianenko could take on Cheick Kongo in his next fight for the vacant Bellator Heavyweight Championship which would allow Emelianenko a chance for one last championship before riding off into the sunset and add another trophy/belt to his impressive trophy case. Mitrione is riding a two fight win streak since signing with Bellator last year with wins over Carl Seumanutafa and Oli Thompson. Not to sound like a broken record, but a win over Emelianenko would be the biggest win to date, if not, the biggest win he'll ever have in his career given Emelianenko is MMA's greatest heavyweight. A win could also position him to face Kongo for the vacant Heavyweight Championship but also allow him to avenge not only a loss but the first loss of his career as it was Kongo who handed Meathead his first loss at UFC 137 back in October 2011.
Douglas Lima vs. Lorenz Larkin (Bellator NYC, 6/24/17)- This is for the Bellator Welterweight Championship as well as Larkin's Bellator debut. Lima is coming off regaining the championship over Andrey Koreshkov back in November at Bellator 164 and is on a two fight win streak having previously beat Paul Daley at Bellator 158 in July. Larkin is also riding a two fight win streak with wins over Jorge Masvidal by split decision in May 2016 at UFC Fight Night: Almeida vs. Garbrandt and over Neil Magny by TKO at UFC 202 in August 2016. Lima just regained the title and obviously doesn't want to lose it to Larkin which would make him a welcome mat for the former Strikeforce and UFC competitor. Larkin has only won one regional championship and never held a major one much less competed for one. After all these years, Larkin is getting to compete for a championship which he never got to do in Strikeforce or the UFC and would love to make the most of it. Plus, this is his debut and he doesn't want to stumble into his new employer with a loss.
Phil Davis vs. Ryan Bader (Bellator 180, 6/24/17)- This is for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship and Bader's debut in Bellator. This is also a rematch from UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson back in January 2015 which Bader won via split decision and was Davis' last fight in UFC. Davis is unbeaten in Bellator and currently riding a four fight win streak where he defeated former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Emanuel Newton and former UFC fighter Francis Carmont to win the Dynamite 1 Light Heavyweight tournament at Bellator 142: Dynamite 1 in September 2015 followed by a win over King Mo in a title eliminator at Bellator 154 in May of last year, and more recently, defeated Liam McGeary to win the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship while handing McGeary his first loss at Bellator 163 in November. Bader is riding a two fight win streak with a win over Ilir Latifi by KO at UFC Fight Night: Arlovski vs. Barnett in September and one over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by TKO at UFC Fight Night: Bader vs. Nogueira 2 back in November. For Davis, he has a lot to gain and lose in this fight. Like Lima, he just won the title and the last thing he wants is to lose it in his first title defense. Davis would also love to avenge his previous loss to Bader which some would argue he should've won that fight. A win would prove that loss was a fluke while another loss would be tough to deal with. Like Larkin, Bader is making his debut and is getting a title shot at long last so he would love to make the most of it and not stumble out of the gate. A loss would also come off as if his previous win was a fluke and one he didn't deserve while a win proves he is better over Davis, for now at least. It would also be the first MMA Championship for Bader who is looking at this as a fresh start and no better way to have a fresh start then to win a title.
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