MMA Fights To Look Forward To In November 2017

MMA Fights To Look Forward To In November 2017 October 25, 2017 By Ryan Porzl

Note that at 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.

Cody Garbrandt vs. TJ Dillashaw (UFC 217, 11/4/17)- This fight is for the UFC Bantamweight Championship. Garbrandt is undefeated at 11-0 with his most recent win being over Dominick Cruz by unanimous decision to the win the UFC Bantamweight Championship at UFC 207 on December 30th. Dillashaw is currently riding a two fight win streak with his recent win being over John Lineker by unanimous decision at UFC 207 on December 30th. The fact this is for the Bantamweight Championship would be enough to recommend this fight but there's so much more. Garbrandt is on the role of a lifetime as he not only won the title but he decisively beat arguably the greatest bantamweight of all time in Dominick Cruz to do it. Not only does he not want to lose it right now but a win gives him a chance to make a statement that he's the new face of the division especially with the win over Cruz and the retirement of Urijah Faber. He has the chance to say he'll be ruling this division the way they used to for a long time to come. This could be a way to say we're in the "Garbrandt era". For Dillashaw, he has much to gain as he not only can regain the title but it would be a big thing to hand Garbrandt the first loss of his young career which can be a great way for Dillashaw to say that this is his time and he'll be the face of this division. More importantly, Dillashaw is not only no stranger to the Bantamweight Championship but he lost it to Cruz less than two years ago in a close and controversial split decision which probably haunts him a bit. Now, he has a chance to regain the very title he not only held a while ago but also a title that he probably thinks he never should've lost in the first place. These two also have history and a rivalry as both were once members and team mates at Team Alpha Male before Dillashaw left the gym while champion and followed Duane Ludwig to his gym after Ludwig's well known departure and falling out with gym owner Urijah Faber and both have been rivals ever since. This can make things very intense as nobody wants to lose but both know that regardless who loses, the loss will really sting.

Joanna Jedrzejczyk vs. Rose Namajunas (UFC 217, 11/4/17)- For the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship. Jedrzejczyk is undefeated at 14-0 with her recent win being over Jessica Andrade by unanimous decision at UFC 211 on May 13th. Namajunas is coming off a win over Michelle Waterson by submission at UFC on FOX: Johnson vs. Reis on April 15th. Namajunas has been making a name for herself with wins over Paige VanZant and Waterson but to not only win the Strawweight Championship but to be the first to defeat Jedrzejczyk would be massive for her career. With Jedrzejczyk being a wrecking ball and undefeated, it is interesting to see if her next will be the one where she finally loses or continues her dominating reign. The fight should also be good since both can bring it while Namajunas is capable of finishing fights. Namajunas has also competed for the title before when she came up short in becoming the inaugural champion and has waited three years for another opportunity so she has to know she has to make the best of this opportunity. Meanwhile, a win for Jedrzejczyk would result in her tying Ronda Rousey for most successful title defenses in UFC's women's divisions with six which would be a big honor for her.

Stephen Thompson vs. Jorge Masvidal (UFC 217, 11/4/17)- Thompson is winless in his last two fights (one loss, one draw) with his recent fight being a loss to Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley by majority decision at UFC 209 on March 4th. Masvidal is coming off a loss to Damian Maia by split decision in a title eliminator at UFC 211 on May 13th which snapped a three fight winning streak. Both men are coming off very tough losses with Thompson coming up short twice with each being by a hair's breath of winning the Welterweight Championship while Masvidal lost a very close fight that prevented him for even receiving a title shot. Both would love to rebuild and get back on the title picture and with Thompson having failed two times in a row to win the title, he knows that he has some serious rebuilding to do to get another title shot or hope Woodley falls in the near future and a new champion emerges. Thompson is also coming off a critically panned fight so he also needs to make a statement that excites the audience and makes them want to see him not only fight but fight for the championship. Thompson has also never gone on a losing streak before and he doesn't want to start now. A win over Thompson would be one of Masvidal's biggest and get him back in line for a title shot with his next fight possibly being a title eliminator.

Dustin Poirier vs. Anthony Pettis (UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis, 11/11/17)- Poirier is coming off a no contest against Eddie Alverez due to illegal knees on downed opponent at UFC 213 on May 13th. Pettis is coming off a win over Jim Miller by unanimous decision at UFC 213 on May 13th. Both men are trying to get to into title contention and a win would get them a step closer to that. For Poirier, a win over the former champion would be the biggest win of his career to date while a loss would be another setback and raise questions if Poirier can take that next step especially after the no contest against Alverez. Pettis returned to lightweight after a failed run at featherweight and seems to be on the right track with the win over Miller. A win over Poirier puts him one step closer to competing for the championship he once held while a loss puts his career at a cross roads. Pettis already left the lightweight division after racking up a three fight losing streak and then tried his luck at featherweight but that didn't work either. Should he lose, you have to question what happens next. 

Matt Brown vs. Diego Sanchez (UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis, 11/11/17)- Brown is riding a three fight losing streak with his recent loss being against Donald Cerrone by KO at UFC 206 on December 10th. Sanchez is coming off a loss to Al Iaquinta by KO at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov on April 22nd. This fight is recommended as Brown has already announced his retirement and this will be his last fight. Brown is usually known for putting on exciting fights and he'll want to leave it all in the Octagon for this fight. Meanwhile, Sanchez is also known to give exciting fights and brawls so these two should be able to give fireworks and both want to win as Sanchez wants to get back in the winners circle while Brown will love to win in his final fight and not go out with a four fight losing streak.

John Dodson vs. Marlon Moraes (UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis, 11/11/17)- Dodson is coming up a win over Eddie Wineland by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Lobov on April 22nd. Moraes is coming off a loss to Raphael Assuncao by split decision at UFC 212 on June 3rd which snapped a thirteen fight win streak. Dodson is in a strange position as he's returned to bantamweight last year after he was unable to win the Flyweight Championship the two times he competed for it. Since his return, he's yo-yoed and is back to his winning ways. Dodson obviously wants another title shot and hopes third time's the charm but to get it, he needs to rack up a win streak which he would get with a win over Moraes. Plus, a win over Moraes does mean something given his previous dominance in the World Series of Fighting. Moraes is, to some extent, in a must win. Though he likely won't get cut with another loss, his recent loss snapped a thirteen fight win streak, it was his big debut in the UFC, and nobody wants to lose in their debut fight in the organization. While losing by split decision and to a guy like Raphael Assuncao is nothing to be ashamed of, Moraes came in with a lot of hype and needs to prove he's more than that and can hang with the best the UFC has to offer. Another loss, even to a top fighter like Dodson isn't usually isn't bad, will have many questioning if Moraes really is good or overrated while a win would get him back on track.

Fabricio Werdum vs. Marcin Tybura (UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura, 11/19/17)- Werdum is replacing Mark Hunt. Werdum is coming off a win over Walt Harris by submission at UFC 216 on October 7th. Tybura is currently riding a three fight win streak with his recent win over Andrei Arlovski by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Holm vs. Corriea on June 17th. Werdum has been trying to climb back into title contention and just got back to the winners column after a loss to Overeem so the last thing he needs is to lose here. Also, at 40 years old and with a lot of mileage on his body, the clock is ticking and he's in that position where can't afford set backs. Tybura has been streaking lately and the former M-1 Global Heavyweight Champion is coming off the biggest win of his career against former champion Arlovski. A win over Werdum would be massive for his UFC career and all but guarantee him a title eliminator fight in his next fight. Also, Tybura was a success elsewhere but there are those critics who feel that a successful fighter has to make it in the UFC and a win over Werdum would silence a lot of them and prove he's for real.

Will Brooks vs. Nik Lentz (UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Tybura, 11/19/17)-  This fight was originally set for UFC 216 but Lentz suffered health problems which delayed the fight. Brooks is currently riding a two fight losing streak with his recent loss being to Charles Oliveira by submission at UFC 210 back on April 8th. Lentz is coming off a loss to Islam Makhachev by unanimous decision at UFC 208 on February 11th. This is likely do or die for Brooks. After having dominated in Bellator, left while still the champion, and win his debut, Brooks has been in a slump as he's currently in the first losing streak of his career. The UFC had to have had big expectations on Brooks giving his success in Bellator and can't be happy with his recent performances. Should Brooks lose again, it would be three in a row which results in most fighters getting cut from an organization. Worse of all, the UFC could view Brooks as a failed experiment. For Lentz, this would be one of, if not, his biggest win of his career or at least his biggest win in a long time despite Brooks' recent slump.

Anderson Silva vs. Kelvin Gastlum (UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Gastlum, 11/25/17)- This fight was scheduled for UFC 212 back on June 3rd. Silva is coming off a win over Derek Brunson by unanimous decision at UFC 208 on February 11th. Gastlum is winless in his last two fights with his recent fight being a loss to Chris Weidman by submission at UFC on FOX: Weidman vs. Gastlum on July 22nd. After years of setbacks, Silva has finally returned to the winners circle and despite being 42 while being passed his prime, Silva doesn't seem ready to step down anytime soon while hoping to get a chance to regain the very championship he held for nearly a decade. A win over Gastlum gets Silva back on a win streak and a step closer to possibly getting a title shot. A loss, especially a bad one, will have people again calling for Silva's retirement and that he's hurting his legacy. Gastlum has been directionless as he was forced out of welterweight due to weight issues and hasn't made his mark in middleweight. On top of that, he not only lost to Weidman but the biggest win of his career to date over Vitor Belfort was overturned due to testing positive for marijuana which also delayed this fight because Gastlum was suspended. Regardless of the fact that Silva is passed his prime, a win over him means a lot and would be great for Gastlum as it would give his career much needed direction. A loss keeps him in limbo.

Ryan Bader vs. Linton Vassell (Bellator 186, 11/3/17)- For the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship. Bader is riding a three fight win streak with his recent win being over Phil Davis for the championship by split decision at Bellator 180 on June 24th. Vassell is currently riding a three fight win streak with his recent win being over Liam McGeary by submission at Bellator 179 on May 19th. After years of trying, Bader now finds himself an MMA champion and the last thing he wants is to lose it so soon. Bader has a lot to gain and lose as a win would go a long way to prove he's not a fluke or that this is his fifteen minutes of fame in Bellator while a loss would sting as he spent years trying to win a title only to lose his first in his first defense and given that he won in via a controversial split decision, it would look like Bader was a fluke champion. Vassell knows what's on the line here as he's no stranger to challenging for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship as he challenged Emanuel Newton for it back in October 2014 and was on the verge of winning it after a dominating performance before being forced to submit in the fifth round. Not only does Vassell know what it's like to be so close and yet so far but it's taken him three years to finally get another opportunity so it's safe to say he knows he has to make the most of the opportunity. A win would finally get Vassell the championship he's been battling for since arriving back in 2013 while a loss could result in him having to wait a long time before another chance presents itself.

Ilima-Lei MacFarlane vs. Emily Ducote (Bellator 186, 11/3/17)- This is to crown the inaugural Bellator Women's Flyweight Champion. This is a rematch from Bellator 167 back on December 3rd. MacFarlane is undefeated at 6-0 with her recent win being over Jessica Middleton by submission at Bellator 178 on April 21st. Ducote is currently riding a two fight win streak with her recent win being over Jessica Middleton by unanimous decision by unanimous decision at Bellator 181 on July 14th. As mentioned, this is to crown the inaugural Bellator Women's Flyweight Champion and it's always an honor and a privilage to be the first champion which makes this must see. Since arriving in Bellator, MacFarlane has shown potential and has been on the cusp of becoming the poster girl for Bellator's flyweight division. Should she be victorious, then she will become that by being the first Bellator Women's Flyweight Champion. A loss would be bad for many reasons as MacFarlane won their previous encounter and the last thing she needs is to lose which makes it seem like a fluke. Not to mention that she's undefeated and the last thing she wants is to suffer her first loss in a fight where she has an opportunity to make history. Ducote has a lot riding on this. A win allows her to make an argument that her previous loss was a fluke and it allows her to avenge that loss. A win also allows her to make history and get her name out there. A loss would put her in no man's land as it would be the second time and that usually means she'll have to take a long road before getting another opportunity.

Phil Davis vs. Leo Leite (Bellator 186, 11/3/17)- Davis is coming off a loss to Ryan Bader by split decision at Bellator 180 on June 24th. Leite is undefeated at 10-0 with his recent win being over Moise Rimbon by majority decision at Fight2Night 1 on November 4th. Davis has everything to lose here as he was on fire in Bellator before his recent loss and the last thing he needs is to lose to a newcomer and basically become a welcome mat to Leite. This event is also in Davis' home state of Pennsylvania and he wouldn't want to lose in his home state. More importantly, Bader will be defending the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship and the possibility of him retaining should be an added incentive to win as Davis has two controversial losses to Bader and he would love nothing more than to avenge those close losses while proving they were flukes. Leite is a late bloomer at 39 so if he wants to make a name for himself, then now is the time. Leite is also getting an amazing opportunity by debuting against a former Light Heavyweight Champion and Grand Prix Champion & a win would be huge to his career while immediately shooting himself to the top as a contender in 2018. A loss wouldn't be the end of the world but it would hurt as it would be Leite's first loss and the loss of a big opportunity.

Patricio Freire vs. Daniel Weichel (Bellator 188, 11/16/17)- For the Bellator Featherweight Championship. This is a rematch from Bellator 138 back on June 19, 2015. Freire is coming off a win over Daniel Straus by submission to regain the Bellator Featherweight Championship at Bellator 178 on April 21st. Weichel is currently riding a four fight win streak with his recent win being over John Teixeira by split decision at Bellator 177 on April 14th. Freire is just coming off regaining the championship and the last thing he wants is to not only lose the championship but lose it to someone who he already beat. Not only that but Freire was on the verge of losing in the first fight before the first round ended and Weichel got careless in the second round which allowed him to catch him. Freire would love to put an exclamation point here and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the better fighter. Weichi has been waiting two years to get another title shot and he not only gets it but also gets to avenge a tough loss as an added bonus. Whether Weichel will admit it or not, the last fight has to haunt him being on the verge of not only becoming Bellator Champion but being the first to finish Freire only to get careless and lose it all thanks to leaving himself open for one good knockout punch. Weichel gets a chance to right the wrong and no doubt will not be the same fighter he was two years ago. He won't let the same mistake happen again. Another reason to see this fight is because history can be made. Should Weichel be successful then it would be a new era as it would mark the first time since March 9, 2012 that Bellator has not had either Pat Curran, Daniel Straus, or Patricio as champion.

Eduard Folayang vs. Martin Nguyen (ONE Championship: Legends of the World, 11/10/17)- For the ONE Lightweight Championship. Folayang is currently riding a four fight win streak with his recent win being over Ev Ting by unanimous decision at ONE: Kings of Destiny on April 21st. Nguyen is currently riding a five fight win streak with his recent win being over Marat Gafurov by TKO at ONE: Quest for Greatness on August 18th to win the ONE Featherweight Championship. Normally, I'm not high on champion vs. champion unless they have busy schedules because that can cause logjams. However, I pick it here for the historic purposes. With Nguyen being the Featherweight Champion, he has a chance to make history in two ways which is the first two divisional ONE Champion and the first to hold two ONE Titles at the same time. In theory, Folayang has everything to lose and nothing to gain but Nguyen does have a lot to lose despite not losing his championship as a loss would prevent him from making history twice. Folayang has had a long journey to the Lightweight Championship and took him five years to win it so he won't give it up without a fight. Speaking of that, these two should also give it all and are capable of putting on exciting fights.

Angela Lee vs. Mei Yamaguchi (ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit, 11/24/17)- For the ONE Women's Strawweight Championship. This is a rematch from ONE: Ascent to Power from May 6, 2016 when Lee became the inaugural champion. Lee is undefeated at 8-0 with her recent win being over Istela Nunes by submission at ONE: Dynasty of Heroes on May 26th. Yamaguchi is coming off a win over Jenny Huang by submission at ONE: Light of a Nation on June 30th. This fight is recommended because the first was very well received and exciting so you can be sure these two can bring it. Lee has become one of ONE's top stars and doesn't want to lose that so she has a lot to gain and lose while also not wanting to lose her championship and suffer her first defeat at the hands of a fighter who she already holds a win over. Yamaguchi has everything to gain and lose as a win avenges her previous loss while also be the first to defeat Lee in MMA and become a champion while a loss means she'll likely have to wait a long time before getting another title shot.

Ben Askren vs. Shinya Aoki (ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit, 11/24/17)- For the ONE Welterweight Championship. Askren is unbeaten in eighteen fights (17 wins, 1 no contest) with his recent win being over Zebaztian Kadestam by TKO at ONE: Shanghai on September 2nd. Aoki is coming off a loss to Eduard Folayang by TKO at ONE: Defending Honor on November 11th which snapped a nine fight win streak. I recommend this fight as Askren has already announced he will retire after it. Askren has almost been untouchable during his MMA career thanks to his Olympic level wrestling and the question is can he win one more time and retire undefeated or does his stumble on his way out the door. Aoki has a lot to gain as a win over Askren would be one of the biggest of his long and legendary career while getting him back on track following his upset title loss. It would also mark a great anniversary as November 24th will mark Aoki's fourteenth anniversary as a professional MMA fighter and what better way to celebrate? On the other hand, a loss would result in the first losing streak of his career and with him having fought for fourteen years and nearly 50 fights, the question is does he have it anymore or should he contemplate retirement? Aoki also has the chance to make history becoming one of the few two divisional ONE Champions in history and could actually be the first one should he be successful while Featherweight Champion Martin Nguyen fails to defeat Eduard Folayang. This fight should also be interesting given their styles with Askren being a former Olympic wrestler while Aoki is one of MMA's greatest and most dangerous grapplers. So, will Askren's wrestling take him to another victory or does Aoki find a way to catch him with something.