MMA Fights to Look Forward to in May 2018

MMA Fights to Look Forward to in May 2018
April 27, 2018
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.



Amanda Nunes vs. Raquel Pennington (UFC 224, 5/12/18)- For the UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship. Nunes is on a six fight win streak with her recent win being over Valentina Shevchenko by split decision at UFC 215 on September 9th. Pennington is riding a four fight win streak with her recent win being over Miesha Tate by unanimous decision at UFC 205 on November 12, 2016. This should be a good fight as both can bring it which is a reason to recommend it. Nunes has been the top women's bantamweight in the world for nearly two years and doesn't want this ride to end anytime soon. Not to mention, she lost some goodwill last year when she pulled out of a fight and has since came close to losing the title recently to Shevchenko so this would probably be the worst time to lose the title. Pennington had a tough road to this title shot as she yo-yoed when she first began in the UFC before finally embarking on her current win streak. However, she hasn't fought in more than a year and a half so it'll be interesting if the time away will affect her. Pennington has had a long journey to this fight but can she close the deal and take the title shot or will Nunes continue her dominant reign?

Ronaldo Souza vs. Kelvin Gastelum (UFC 224, 5/12/18)- Souza is coming off a win over Derek Brunson by TKO at UFC Fight Night: Souza vs. Brunson 2 on January 27th. Gastelum is coming off a win over Michael Bisping by KO at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Gastelum on November 25th. With the upcoming MW Title fight on June 9th, this could be considered a title eliminator as the winner could argue for the winner of the Whittaker/Romero fight especially with Romero just having defeated Rockhold to become Interim Champion in February. Souza has consistently been one of UFC's top middleweights since his arrival in 2013 but has hit some speed bumps lately and he doesn't need another setback especially since this could be one fight away from that elusive title shot. Best of all, the MW Title fight is between Whittaker and Romero which are the only two fighters to beat him in UFC to date so a win here could get him a chance to avenge one of those losses. Gastelum is coming off the biggest win of his career to date and would love to add another massive win to his resume while it would be disappointing for him to go from knocking out a former champion to losing against another top fighter in a potential title eliminator fight in his next.

Stephen Thompson vs. Darren Till (UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till, 5/27/18)- Thompson is coming off a win over Jorge Masvidal by Unanimous Decision at UFC 217 on November 4th. Till is unbeaten in seventeen fights (16 wins, 1 draw) and coming off a win over Donald Cerrone by TKO at UFC Fight Night: Cerrone vs. Till on October 21st. Thompson is currently out of the title loop due to his loss and draw to Woodley but has to still win because Woodley won't be champion forever and when the time comes, Thompson must have a good win streak before he can get himself another title shot. Till is a good prospect but Thompson can't afford a loss especially to an up and comer since he doesn't want to be somebody's stepping stone. Till has everything to gain as he's coming off the biggest win of his career to date against Cowboy Cerrone and a win over Thompson would be huge as it would shoot him to the top and pretty much guarantee him a title eliminator in his next fight especially if it happens as Woodley vs. the upcoming Interim Champion (dos Anjos/Covington) does. Till doesn't have as much to lose but it still would be a setback to beat Cerrone only to lose his next fight just as he gets his name out there and climbs the ladder.

Neil Magny vs. Gunnar Nelson (UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till, 5/27/18)- Magny is coming off a win over Carlos Condit by unanimous decision at UFC 219 on December 30th. Nelson is coming off a loss to Santiago Ponzinibbio by KO at UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs Ponzinibbio on July 16th. Not too long ago, Magny was a streaking middleweight moving up the rankings but in recent times, he's been struggling to get a win streak going. A win would allow Magny to get his first win streak in two years and allow him to build momentum but a loss will see him continue to be stuck in purgatory as he continues to yo-yo between wins and losses. Nelson has been a solid fighter but is stuck in the middle. A win over Magny would get him back to his winning ways and be his biggest win since his win over Jorge Santiago back in 2013 while a loss would mark Nelson's first losing streak. Both fighters are in desperate need for momentum and a win would get them that.

Ryan Bader vs. King Mo Lawal (Bellator 199, 5/12/18)- This is a Quarterfinal Fight in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. This fight was originally scheduled for Bellator 180 back on June 24th. Bader is riding a four fight win streak with his recent win being over Linton Vassell by TKO at Bellator 186 on November 3rd. Lawal is coming off a win over Rampage Jackson by unanimous decision at Bellator 175 on March 31, 2017. With this being a tournament fight, it's obviously important for these two men to win as a win allows one to advance while a loss will send one out of the tournament. For Bader, a win would allow him to get one step closer to becoming the Bellator Heavyweight Champion which should he win will allow him to make history as the first fighter to hold two Bellator championships simultaneously. For Mo, a win benefits him in two ways. First is that a win gets him one step closer to the Heavyweight Championship while the second could get him a Light Heavyweight Title shot down the road since he would have beaten the current champion. A loss shuts him out of both titles and there must be some pressure on Mo given he was someone everyone thought would've been a Bellator champion five years ago but he hasn't done it yet.

Adam Piccolotti vs. Carrington Banks (Bellator 199, 5/12/18)- Piccolotti is riding a two fight losing streak with his recent loss being to David Rickels by unanimous decision at Bellator 189 on December 1st. Banks is undefeated with seven wins. His recent win was over Steve Kozola at Bellator 184 on October 6th. This is a bout between two prospects who are in different directions. Piccolotti was once an undefeated prospect who looked like he would be someone to look out for in the future but now finds himself on a two fight losing streak while his attempts to move up the ladder failed losing to another prospect Goiti Yamauchi & former tournament winner David Rickels. Piccolotti needs a win to get back on track and possibly to keep his job because a loss will be three in a row which could send him packing. Banks, on the other hand, is undefeated and will want to keep that going. While a win over Piccolotti won't move him that far up the ladder, a win will still see him advance up, nevertheless. A loss will be his first so it won't be horrible for him as he isn't fighting for his job but it's still a setback.

Rafael Carvalho vs. Gegard Mousasi (Bellator 200, 5/25/18)- Carvalho is currently riding a fifteen fight win streak with his most recent being over Alessio Sakara by KO at Bellator 190 on December 9th. Mousasi is riding a six fight win streak with his recent win being over Alexander Shlemenko by unanimous decision at Bellator 185 on October 20th. Both men have so much on the line along with the title. After the disastrous first fight with Melvin Manhoef, Carvalho has been rebuilding with a nice head kick knockout over Manhoef in the second fight and then blitzed Sakara in less than a minute. With all of that, Carvalho doesn't want to lose the championship especially now. Carvalho has so much to gain as a win over Mousasi would easily be considered the biggest win of his career so far. It would also prove Carvalho can hang with the elite especially if he wins decisively. Carvalho is also on the verge of making history as he currently ties with Alexander Shlemenko for most Middleweight Title defenses so should he win then he would become the record holder for most successful title defenses with four. In addition to that, Carvalho would also make history by tying with Ben Asken for overall most successful title defenses in a single title reign with four. This fight will also be the last in his contract so a win would really help him in contract negotiations regardless of whether he goes to the UFC or decides to stay in Bellator. Mousasi also has some pressure to win as many are expecting him to and it doesn't help he barely got by Shlemenko in his debut fight. Obviously, Mousasi would love to be a champion but if he doesn't win it then there will be talks about whether he's a disappointment or not. Mousasi also hasn't been champion since DREAM closed in 2012 so he has his chance to become a champion for the first time in six years and he's been waiting for this moment for a long time so he knows he has to make the most of it.

Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roy Nelson (Bellator 200, 5/25/18)- This is a rematch from UFC 137 back on October 29, 2011. Cro Cop is riding an eight fight win streak with his recent win being over Tsuyoshi Kohsaka by TKO at Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: Final Round on December 31st. Nelson is coming off a loss to Matt Mitrione by majority decision at Bellator 184 on Feburary 16th. Even though the winner may not be needed for the tournament, the fact the winner will be called upon should someone pull out is big. Cro Cop is on a roll with eight wins and having won the 2016 Rizin Openweight Grand Prix and would probably love to avenge his previous loss to Nelson. Cro Cop does have a good track record of avenging previous losses when he avenged his losses to Kevin Randleman & Gabriel Gonzaga so it will be interesting if he can do it again. Cro Cop is also making his debut and he would obviously want to win here. While a loss won't be the worst thing in the world, it would still be a setback and a bad way to start in Bellator. Nelson is coming off a loss and is out of the Heavyweight Grand Prix but he has a chance to bounce back with a win and possibly get back in the tournament. Nelson has already beat Cro Cop once and doesn't want to lose the second fight to a guy he's beaten once before. A loss would also be bad as he had a good start in Bellator debuting with a win over Javy Ayala and it looked like a fresh start only to lose his second fight against Mitrione so he doesn't want to go on a losing streak.

Phil Davis vs. Linton Vassell (Bellator 200, 5/25/18)- Davis is coming off a win over Leo Leite by unanimous decision at Bellator 186 on November 3rd. Vassell is coming off a loss to Ryan Bader by TKO at Bellator 186 on November 3rd. While the Light Heavyweight division is currently on hold due to Bader being busy, a win is still important. Davis got back in the winner's column and he wants to be ready for another shot at Bader given both his losses to Bader have to bother him somewhat due to both being close and controversial. Davis has to think he beat Bader and wants another opportunity to not only avenge those losses but put an exclamation point regarding he and Bader. However, a loss to Vassell would set him back and take that much longer to get another shot. Vassell also knows what it's like to lose to Bader and would love nothing more than another opportunity at the title and to avenge his recent loss. A win over Davis would get him closer to that and would be the biggest win of his career. A loss sends him further down the rankings and will mark the first losing streak of his career.

Alex Silva vs. Yoshitaka Naito (ONE Championship: Grit and Glory, 5/12/18)- For the ONE Strawweight Championship and a rematch from ONE Championship: Warriors of the World back on December 9th. Silva is riding a six fight win streak with his recent win being over Yoshitaka Naito by Unanimous Decision to win the Strawweight Championship at ONE Championship: Warriors of the World on December 9th. Naito is coming off a loss to Alex Silva by Unanimous Decision at ONE Championship: Warriors of the World on December 9th. Silva is riding great momentum as he not only won the championship but ended Naito's undefeated streak. He obviously wants to prove it was no fluke and a second straight win would prove that Strawweight is his division now. Naito has a lot to gain with a win as he can regain the belt he used to hold but also avenge the only loss of his career while showing his loss was merely a temporary setback. A loss puts him on his first losing streak and in no man's land as that will be two losses to Silva and even if Strawweight isn't the most stacked, it could still take a long time to get back into title contention.

Vitaly Bigdash vs. Leandro Ataides (ONE Championship: Grit and Glory, 5/12/18)- This fight was originally set for ONE Championship: Kings of Courage back on January 20th. Bigdash is coming off losing the ONE Middleweight Championship to Aung La Nsang by Unanimous Decision at ONE Championship: Light of a Nation on June 30th. Ataides is riding a two fight win streak with his recent win being over Michal Pasternak at ONE Championship: Kings and Conquerors on August 5th. This fight is very important for Bigdash as he's not only coming off the first loss of his career but he also lost the Middleweight Championship. A win over Ataides would put him in a position for a rematch especially since he and champion Aung La Nsang are tied with Bigdash retaining the title in their first encounter and lost it in their second so there would be a good argument for a rubber match. A loss not only sends him down contention but it would result in his first losing streak. Some fighters bounce back after their first loss while some enter a brief slump after their first loss. Which type of fighter is Bigdash? Unlike Bigdash, Ataides had never held the title but he came very close to not only doing it but making history. Ataides originally streaked upon debut as he won his first two fights and by knockout which saw him take on Igor Svirid to crown the inaugural ONE Middleweight Champion but he lost that fight by knockout in only 17 seconds. After that, he went into a slump going on a three fight losing streak until recently as he's now on a two fight win streak. Ataides was close to making history and not only lost it but went into a slump. Now having climbed back, he doesn't want to lose again. A win over the former champion along with it being his third win in a row could see Ataides get another opportunity at the same championship that was within his grasp and possibly have it eventually go around his waist.

Angela Lee vs. Mei Yamaguchi (ONE Championship: Unstoppable Dreams, 5/18/18)- For the ONE Women's Strawweight Championship. This is a rematch from ONE Championship: Ascent to Power on May 6, 2016. This fight was originally set for ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit on November 24th. Lee is undefeated with eight wins with her recent win being over Istela Nunes at ONE Championship: Dynasty of Heroes on May 26th. Yamaguchi is riding a two fight win streak with her recent win being over Gina Iniong at ONE Championship: Immortal Pursuit on November 24th. Along with being a title fight, the first fight was very well received and the second should be very exciting. Along with this, Lee not only is defending her title but her undefeated streak and perhaps the worst case scenario would be to lose both to an opponent she's already defeated. A loss would be a triple whammy for Lee while a win continues her dominance and gets Yamaguchi off her back for awhile since this would be the second time she's defeated Yamaguchi. A win for Yamaguchi would be amazing as she would become the new ONE Women's Strawweight Champion but she would also avenge a previous loss while handing Lee her first loss. A loss could put her out of title contention for a long time as this would be the second loss which means she'll likely have to either put together a big win streak or wait for Lee to lose the title before getting another chance at the championship.

Martin Nguyen vs. Christian Lee (ONE Championship: Unstoppable Dreams, 5/18/18)- For the ONE Featherweight Championship. This is a rematch from ONE Championship: Heroes of the World on August 13, 2016. Nguyen is coming off a loss to Bibiano Fernandes by split decision at ONE Championship: Iron Will on March 24th. Lee is riding a four fight win streak with his recent win being over Kazunori Yokota at ONE Championship: Visions of Victory on March 9th. Nguyen had been on a roll in 2017 becoming the first man to hold two ONE belts simultaneously but his recent attempt to win a third when he challenged Bibiano Fernandes for the Bantamweight Championship failed. Now coming off a loss and failing to get a third belt, Nguyen doesn't want this to be a continuing trend because a loss will see him lose his Featherweight Championship leaving him only the Lightweight Champion. Nguyen was adding to his trophy case and the last thing he wants or needs is to go from that to failing to win another belt to possibly go to losing the ones he has. Lee has a lot to gain here as it was Nguyen who gave him his first loss which, to date, is the only blemish on his record. He had to rack up a four fight win streak before getting this opportunity and he'll obviously try to make the best of it. Not only does he have the chance to avenge his only loss but he can make things sting even worse by taking the ONE Featherweight Championship. This fight is also Lee's first chance at a title in his career and what better scenario then for him to become a champion on his first try.

Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Ian McCall (Rizin 10, 5/6/18)- Horiguchi is riding an eight fight win streak with his recent win being over Shintaro Ishiwatari at Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: Final Round on December 31st. McCall is riding a two fight losing streak with his recent loss being to Manel Kape at Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: Second Round on December 29th. Like the Piccolotti/Banks fight, this is one between two fighters in opposite directions. Horiguchi is on an incredible roll as he had a great return to his country and won the 2017 Rizin Bantamweight Grand Prix while possibly being the top fighter in Japan. McCall has been on well documented hard times as he was plagued with injuries, his UFC run didn't turn out so great, his recent fight was his first in nearly three years, and his comeback fight resulted in a loss due to a doctor's stoppage due to a cut from the ring ropes. Horiguchi will want to keep his momentum going and even though McCall has been snakebitten, it's still a good win for his record and he also has no intention of being used to get McCall back on the comeback trail. A win over Horiguchi would be massive for McCall as it would signal the bad times are behind him and he's back. Best of all, it would put him in an elite crowd as Horiguchi's only recent loss was to none other than Demetrious Johnson. A loss wouldn't be the end of the world given Horiguchi is one of the best in the world but it would be his third and calls for retirement may happen.

Yusuke Yachi vs. Diego Nunes (Rizin 10, 5/6/18)- Yachi is currently riding a five fight win streak with his recent win being over Takanori Gomi by submission at Rizin World Grand Prix 2017: Final Round on December 31st. Nunes is riding a three fight win streak with his recent win being over Corneliu Rotaru Lascar by Submission at RXF 29 on December 18th. Yachi is doing great right now having scored wins over Daron Cruickshank, Satoru Kitaoka, and a washed up Takanori Gomi. A win over Nunes is another good win on Yachi's recond. A loss would be a setback just as he's getting his name out there. Also, no one wants to basically be someone's welcome mat by losing to them in their debut fight. Nunes knows what's on the line here. He's a longtime journeyman having been in national promotions like WEC, UFC, and Bellator with the latter two not having worked out. Since then, he took a two year break and has been working smaller shows around the world, outside of one appearance in Fight Nights in Russia, hoping for another opportunity. Now, he's got that opportunity as he returns to the national stage and will obviously hope to find success especially in his debut fight.