MMA Fights To Look Forward To In August 2017

MMA Fights To Look Forward To In August 2017
July 25, 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.



Sergio Pettis vs. Brandon Moreno (UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Moreno, 8/5/17)- This could possibly be seen as a potential title eliminator fight especially if Demetrious Johnson retains the UFC Flyweight Championship against Ray Borg in September. Pettis is currently riding a three fight winning streak with his most recent win being over former title contender John Moraga at UFC Fight Night: Rodrigeuz vs. Penn back on January 15th. Moreno is unbeaten in the UFC with three wins while riding an eleven fight win streak with his most recent win being over Dustin Ortiz by submission at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov on April 22nd. The winner of this fight will have won four straight fights in the UFC while Moreno would be on a winning streak three times bigger. Demetrious Johnson has dominated the division since becoming champion five years ago which means he's run through just about everyone and the UFC is having harder times finding new opponents to the point where a fighter can get a title shot just because they haven't got one yet while the other fighters coming off wins have. Pettis and Moreno have never challenged Johnson or faced him before so the winner can make a great argument that they should be next should Johnson get past Borg in September.

Rashad Evans vs. Sam Alvey (UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Moreno, 8/5/17)- This is one of those fights I put on here cause we have a legend who's career may not last longer. The former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans is hanging on by a thread as he's currently riding a three fight losing streak including losses to Ryan Bader, Glover Teixeira, & more recently to Daniel Kelly by split decision at UFC 209 back on March 4th while his recent drop to Middleweight hasn't changed his fortunes. No matter how you look at it, Evans has nothing going for him as he's going on 38 years old in September, he's been fighting for thirteen years, is on the biggest losing streak of his career, and is notorious for periods of inactivity to the point where this fight will make 2017 the first year since 2013 where Evans fought more than once as he didn't fight at all in 2014, once in 2015, and once in 2016. Evans' career is on borrowed time even if he wins as he'll never be a title contender again and has little to no chance of beaten any top Light Heavyweight or Middleweight in the UFC while a loss will increase the calls for retirement as this will be four in a row. Alvey is coming off a loss to Thales Leites by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov back on April 22nd which snapped a four fight winning streak which including a win over Nate Marquardt. Alvey is a long time journeyman as he's competed in Bellator, King of the Cage, and MFC where he captured the Middleweight Championship while having previously competed on the sixteenth season of The Ultimate Fighter (Carwin vs. Nelson). Though he already holds wins over Marquardt, former Bellator Welterweight Tournament Winner Karl Amoussou, and former Ultimate Fighter Brazil Winner Cezar Ferreira along with Evans being long past his prime as an elite fighter, a win over Suga would be the biggest of Alvey's career and get more eyes on him which can lead to bigger fights. While losing to a legend and future Hall of Famer is nothing to be ashamed of, Alvey can't afford a loss given how much Evans has declined as no one would consider him for bigger fights and would put him on a losing streak.

Andrey Koreshkov vs. Chidi Njokuani (Bellator 182, 8/25/17)- Koreshkov is coming off losing the Bellator Welterweight Championship to Douglas Lima back at Bellator 164 on November 10th which snapped a six fight winning streak which included winning the Season 10 Welterweight Tournament, defeating Douglas Lima to win the Bellator Welterweight Championship, and successfully defending against the debuting Benson Henderson. Njokuani is unbeaten in nine fights (8 wins, 1 no contest) and 4-0 in Bellator which included wins over up and comers Ricky Rainey & Andre Fialho along with Melvin Guillard. While Rory MacDonald is all but confirmed to get the next shot, this could be a title eliminator as the winner of this fight could take on the winner of the eventual Lima/MacDonald fight. A win for Koreshkov will allow him to get another crack at the Welterweight Championship and either a fight with MacDonald which would be the biggest fight and possibly win to date in his career or a rubber fight against Lima which allows him to avenge his previous defeat. A loss would be a setback as it knocks him down the ladder and gives him the first losing streak of his career. For Njokuani, a win would be his biggest to date by far and allow him to challenge for the title with either Lima or MacDonald being his biggest fight and would raise his profile. A loss would also be a setback though not as much as Koreshkov but it would send him back to the drawing board.

Noad Lahat vs. Henry Corrales (Bellator 182, 8/25/17)- Lahat is currently riding a two fight winning streak and is 2-0 in Bellator with his most recent win being over Lloyd Carter by submission at Bellator 175 back on March 31st. Corrales is coming off the first win of his Bellator run over Cody Bollinger by KO at Bellator 170 back in January 21st which snapped a three fight losing streak against Daniel Straus, Emmanuel Sanchez, and Patricio Freire. A win for either fighter moves them up the ladder and gets them more opportunities at bigger fights. A loss to Lahat isn't the end of the world but it would be a setback and snap his winning streak. For Corrales, he's had a hard road in Bellator facing two former champions (with one being the current champion) and a prospect while at long last finally getting his first win in the company. A loss not only sets him back but it would be disheartening as he just got his first Bellator win, saved his job, and got his first win in two years. He finally has some momentum so the last thing he wants is to lose it.

Chris Honeycutt vs. Kevin Casey (Bellator 182, 8/25/17)- This is one of those fights where we find out where the prospect, in this case Honeycutt, is at. Honeycutt is currently riding a three fight winning streak with his last win being over Ben Reiter at Bellator 166 on December 2nd. Unfortunately, Honeycutt is also coming off an injury which prevented him from taking the biggest fight of his career to date against former Ultimate Fighter winner and Bellator Middleweight Championship contender Kendall Grove back in March for Bellator 174. Casey is in a horrible situation as he's coming off a majority draw against Keith Berry at Bellator 170 on January 21st while being winless in his last five fights (2 Losses, 2 Draws, 1 No Contest). Casey hasn't won a fight in two years with his last win being over Ildemar Alcantara at UFC Fight Night: Mir vs. Duffee back in July 15, 2015. A win is big for both men while a loss is also big. For Honeycutt, a win continues his climb up the Bellator Middleweight ladder and can get him a good fight in his next fight while a loss will be a setback as he's one of Bellator's top prospects with the company clearly having high hopes for him and the last thing he needs to lose to a guy who hasn't won in two years. While a loss won't result in release, it may have the higher ups begin to question his potential. For Casey, a win over someone like Honeycutt would not only give him the opportunity to possibily get a bigger fight in his next fight but a win would give his career some desperate momentum. A loss (or a draw or no contest) would be a blow to him as he's been winless for so long and his career is in limbo so that would result in his future looking even more bleak, he might get cut from Bellator, and he won't be able to see any light at the end of any tunnel as far as his career goes.

Philipe Lins vs. Vadim Nemkov (Bellator 182, 8/25/17)- This is the sleeper fight of the card as we got two Bellator Light Heavyweight prospects as well as tournament semifinalists. Lins is coming off an upset loss to Kleber Silva at Bellator 168 back in December 10th. Nemkov is currently riding a two fight winning streak with his recent win being over Alison Vicente at Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2016: Second Round on December 29th. Both need a win badly. Lins has long been one of Bellator's biggest prospects but has suffered many setbacks over the years as he's had long lay offs including getting signed in 2012 only to not debut until 2014. He also missed two years as he suffered a leg injury in 2014 and then suffered dengue fever in late 2015 which furthered delayed his return. Though 10-2, Lins' two losses were upsets that most thought he should've won as he was a moderate favorite against Kelly Anundson before getting injured in the fight and he was a heavy favorite in his last fight only to get knocked out. Lins clearly has talent with striking and grappling skills along with knockout power and submission wins but it's unknown if he'll put it together and fulfill his true potential. A win gets Lins back on track and would be his biggest of his career to date. Given his recent loss being an upset, a loss could send him packing with Bellator thinking of him as a failed experiment while it would also be the first losing streak of his career. Nemkov is on a winning streak but this is his Bellator debut and nobody wants a loss in their debut. Nemkov is also one of the recent signings from Fedor Emelianenko's team which included Anatoly Tokov and Valentin Moldavsky who both just had successful debuts so he doesn't want to follow them by stumbling out of the gate.

Bibiano Fernandes vs. Andrew Leone (ONE Championship: Kings and Conquerers, 8/5/17)- For the ONE Bantamweight Championship. Fernandes is currently riding a twelve fight winning streak with his recent win being over Reece McLaren by split decision at ONE Championship: Age of Domination on December 2nd. His winning streak includes current DEEP Bantamweight Champion Takafumi Otsuka, former WEC North American Bantamweight Champion Antonio Banuelos (where he won DREAM's 2011 Bantamweight Grand Prix and the DREAM Bantamweight Championship), former DEEP Bantamweight Champion and King of Pancrase Featherweight Champion Yoshiro Maeda, former Shooto Featherweight Champion Koetsu Okazaki (to win the ONE Interim Bantamweight Championship), Soo Chul Kim (to win the ONE Bantamweight Championship), and former Shooto Featherweight Champion Masakatsu Ueda. Leone is currently riding a three fight winning streak with his most recent win being over Koetsu Okazaki by unanimous decision at ONE Championship: Tribe of Warriors back on February 20, 2016 while also holding a win over former Shooto Champion Shinichi "BJ" Kojima. Fernandes is the defending champion and has a lot to win and lose as win will be a record breaking sixth successful title defense while a loss means he'll lose the title. Leone hasn't competed in well over a year so it will be interesting to see how well he does. A loss means it's back of the line and to the drawing board before he gets another chance.

Timofey Nastyukhin vs. Koji Ando (ONE Championship: Kings and Conquerers, 8/5/17)- Nastyukhin is coming off a loss to Kotetsu Boku due to injury back at ONE Championship: Defending Honor back on November 11th. Ando is coming off a loss to Lowan Tynanes by unanimous decision at ONE Championship: Global Rivals from April 15, 2016. This fight will mark Ando's Featherweight debut. For both, a win is big as it moves them up the ladder while for Ando, it's a good beginning in his new weight class. A loss puts both at a losing streak, sets them further away from a title shot, and a bad start for Ando in Featherweight. This also should be a fun fight and Nastyukhin is capable of fun knockouts. Meanwhile, Marat Gafurov ruling the division and having two successful title defenses, there's always room for fresh challengers so the winner could at least be put in a title eliminator in their next fight especially if Gafurov successfully defends the title in August.

Joshua Pacio vs. Hayato Suzuki (ONE Championship: Kings and Conquerers, 8/5/17)- Pacio is coming off a win over former ONE Strawweight Champion Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke by split decision at ONE Championship: Warrior Kingdom back on March 11th which was a bounce back from the first loss of his career against ONE Strawweight Champion Yoshitaka Naito. Suzuki is undefeated at 16-0-2 and making his ONE debut. With the upcoming unification of the Flyweight Titles, this fight is important for both as this could potentially be a title eliminator fight. Pacio had just bounced back from his first loss and is back in Flyweight so the last thing he needs is to lose. Suzuki is making his debut, has been successful in the smaller companies, and a win could give him a great argument to get the next title shot given his current resume even if it isn't against elite competition especially if he wins in his debut fight.

Marat Gafurov vs. Martin Nguyen (ONE Championship: Quest For Greatness, 8/18/17)- For the ONE Featherweight Championship and a rematch from ONE Championship: Odyssey of Champions back on September 27, 2015. Gafurov is undefeated at 15-0 and coming off his second successful title defense against former champion Jadamba Naratungalag at ONE Championship: Defending Honor back on November 11th. Nguyen is currently riding a four fight winning streak with his most recent win being over former title challenger Kazunori Yokota at ONE Championship: Quest For Power back on January 14th. Again, another fight with a lot on the line. The fact this is a title fight is huge alone but there's more. As mentioned, these two fought before with Gafurov not only winning but it resulted in Nguyen suffering the first loss of his career and all in 41 seconds. Nguygen would probably love nothing more then return the favor by handing Gafurov his first loss but also avenge that embarrassing quick loss. A loss is big for both as a loss to Gafurov would result in him losing the title and suffering the first loss of his career. For Nguyen, a loss would mean it could be a long time before he gets another opportunity.

Nobutatsu Suzuki vs. Ev Ting (ONE Championship: Quest For Greatness, 8/18/17)- This is Suzuki's debut at Lightweight and his first fight in three years with his last fight being losing the ONE Welterweight Title to current champion Ben Askren back at ONE Championship: Reign of Champions back on August 29, 2014. Ting is also coming off losing a title match as he lost to ONE Lightweight Champion Eduard Folayang at ONE Championship: Kings of Destiny back on April 21st which snapped a four fight winning streak which included wins over inaugural Featherweight Champion Honorio Banario and former Featherweight Title contender Eric Kelly. Suzuki's long absence makes this fight interesting since the question is how he'll fare after a three year lay off as well as in a new weight class. To say the least, Suzuki needs a win here. A win over a former title contender puts him in contention and possibly into a future title eliminator fight. However, he's moving down to a new division and the last thing he needs is to lose right out of the gate. Time is also against him as he lost three years of his career and is set to turn 40 in September which means he doesn't have much room for error. If he wants a chance to win another ONE title then this is it. Given his age and the fact he apparently already has a full time job as a legal assistant, he may hang up the gloves with another loss. For Ting, beating a former champion despite a lengthy absence would still be a good win and a good way to rebuild. Plus, it would help him get back into title contention with the hopes of getting a rematch against Folayang. A loss sets him back and results in the first losing streak of his career.