MMA Fights to Look Forward to in July 2018

MMA Fights to Look Forward to in July 2018
June 23, 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.



Stipe Miocic vs. Daniel Cormier (UFC 226, 7/7/18)- For the UFC Heavyweight Championship. Miocic is riding a six fight win streak with his recent win being over Francis Ngannou by unanimous decision at UFC 220 on January 20th. Cormier is unbeaten in six fights (five wins, one no contest) with his recent fight being a win over Volkan Oezdemir by TKO at UFC 220 on January 20th. The "super fight" term can get thrown around a lot but it is appropriate here as this is truly a super fight. Both guys have a lot to gain as Miocic is coming off making a record setting third title defense and he can extend that to four with a win here. In addition, Cormier has only lost once and that was to Jon Jones so even though Cormier hasn't fought in heavyweight in five years, it would still be a massive win for Miocic while continuing to establish himself as a legend. Cormier stands to gain a lot as a win would make him only second to Conor McGregor as a fighter who held two belts simultaneously which is obviously something great. Another would be great for his legacy because like Cormier or not, he'll go down as a UFC Light Heavyweight Champion but he'll always have an asterisk in front of it because he never beat Jones for the Light Heavyweight Title when he first won it while having lost their first fight prior to Jones being stripped of the title and to make matters worse, he only has the title right now because Jones failed a drug test after the second fight and it was given back to Cormier. So Cormier has the chance to win a UFC championship and actually beat the champion which if he does means he'll no longer have an asterisk in front of a title reign and possibly shut up some critics.

Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega (UFC 226. 7/7/18)- For the UFC Featherweight Championship. Holloway is riding a twelve fight win streak with his recent win being over Jose Aldo by TKO at UFC 218 on December 2nd. Ortega is unbeaten in fifteen fights (fourteen wins, one no contest) with his recent fight being a win over Frankie Edgar by KO at UFC 222 on March 3rd. Holloway is riding high now not only as the featherweight champion but is coming off two straight wins over Jose Aldo and he has no intention of this ride ending anytime soon. Best of all, a win over Ortega would be a great feather in his cap as Ortega is a worthy contender but is also undefeated so it's always great for someone to defeat a streaking fighter on such an unbeaten streak. Ortega has incredible momentum as he's not only unbeaten in fifteen fights but has defeated two elite featherweights in Cub Swanson and then became the first to stop former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar (ironically replacing Holloway in that fight). Like Holloway is riding high, so too is Ortega and it will be interesting if he can continue to bring the goods and go all the way to the title or if it will be the first loss of his career. A loss would also sting because Ortega knows he shouldn't be here or at least not yet. Holloway was supposed to face Edgar in March but Ortega got the big opportunity only after Holloway got hurt and he upset Edgar. He knows how much this opportunity means and that he has to make the most of it. 

Michael Chiesa vs. Anthony Pettis (UFC 226, 7/17/18)- This fight was originally scheduled for UFC 223 on April 7th. Chiesa is coming off a loss to Kevin Lee by submission at UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee on June 25, 2017. Pettis is coming off a loss to Dustin Poirier by TKO at UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis on November 11th. This is a bout featuring two fighters who could use a win. Chiesa is coming off a painful loss against not only someone he didn't like in Lee but the loss had a controversial stoppage so he would obviously want to make up for that fight. Also, the win would be the biggest of his career despite Pettis seemingly being in decline as Pettis is a former UFC & WEC champion. A loss would result in Chiesa suffering the first losing streak of his career and possibly seal the deal that he'll never take that next step. Pettis has been directionless for years and desperate to get some momentum. His decline included the one sided loss to RDA which then became a three fight losing streak to trying featherweight only to be forced out due to missing weight to now being back in lightweight bouncing between wins and losses. Pettis needs this win badly and must win impressively if he wants to prove he's still a top ten fighter and someone who has a hope in hell of regaining the lightweight title. If he loses, this will likely be the end of Pettis being considered as a top ten fighter or contender and may be destined to be a gatekeeper.

Junior dos Santos vs. Blagoy Ivanov (UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Ivanov, 7/14/18)- dos Santos is coming off a loss to Stipe Miocic by TKO on May 13, 2017. Ivanov is riding a five fight win streak with his recent win being over Caio Alencar by unanimous decision at PFL: Fight Night back on November 2nd. What can I say about dos Santos at this point? dos Santos has been yo-yoing since the second Velasquez fight back in December 2012 and has looked washed since the third Velasquez fight nearly five years ago all the while not being very active as he usually only fights once a year. Now coming off a failed title shot, dos Santos is in the same position as Pettis where he needs a win and a good one desperately to prove he still has something. A win over Ivanov is a good win and can get him back in the winners circle which would put him in a position to possibly rebuild lost momentum. If he loses, then his days as a title contender all but confirmed to be over. Ivanov is a very good fighter but dos Santos can't afford to lose to a guy making his debut as it would make him a welcome mat and this would also be the first losing streak of his career. Ivanov has been successful in other promotions being the Bellator Season Ten Heavyweight Tournament Runner Up and a former WSOF/PFL Heavyweight Champion. Now, he has the opportunity to go to the UFC and this is a massive opportunity as a win over dos Santos should shoot him to the top ten rankings immediately despite dos Santos being in decline. A win, especially an impressive one, would make a great statement that he can hang in the UFC and isn't just hype. A loss would sting despite not being the worst thing in the world because a fight with dos Santos is a great opportunity and Ivanov wouldn't want to blow it because it'll take him longer to climb to the top of the mountain. A loss also could get critics on him saying how he was overrated which probably won't affect him but it still sucks.

Myles Jury vs. Chad Mendes (UFC Fight Night: dos Santos vs. Ivanov, 7/14/18)- Jury is riding a two fight win streak with his recent win being over Rick Glenn by unanimous decision at UFC 219 on December 30th. Mendes is riding a two fight losing streak with his recent loss being to Frankie Edgar by KO at UFC The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber finale on December 11th. This is a fight where both fighters need a win. For Jury, he looked like he was on the rise with wins over aging legends Diego Sanchez & Takanori Gomi but then hit a snag with losses when he tried to take the next step against Donald Cerrone and Charles Oliveira. While he has bounced back with a pair of wins, they weren't against elite fighters. A win over Mendes would be a big step up despite Mendes coming off a long lay off while a loss wouldn't normally hurt but it doesn't look good losing to someone coming off a two year hiatus. This fight may be the most important fight in Mendes' career, even the two title fights against Aldo and the interim title fight against McGregor. Mendes is not only on two fight losing streak but is coming off a two year lay off after a drug test failure. The pressure is on for Mendes to prove he can make up for lost time because a loss could mark the end of him being considered an elite fighter. It's also possible that he could be fighting for his job and while most former title contenders can survive a three fight losing streak, Mendes could still be cut as he not only has the losing streak but also sat out on a two year suspension so it's possible the UFC may think he's not worth it anymore.

Eddie Alvarez vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC on FOX: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2, 7/14/18)- This is a rematch from UFC 211 which was on May 13, 2017. Alvarez is unbeaten in two fights (one win, one no contest) with his recent fight being a win over Justin Gaethje by KO at UFC 218 on December 2nd. Poirier is unbeaten in four fights (three wins, one no contest) with his recent fight being a win over Justin Gaethje by TKO at UFC on FOX: Poirier vs. Gaethje on April 14th. Well, just about any fight featuring either Alvarez or Poirier is easy to recommend given how fun their styles are so of course I'll recommend a fight between the two of them. If you like fun fights and fights where fighters give it their all then you can't go wrong here. Second is the fact that the first fight went a no contest due to an illegal knee from Alvarez so that fact the first fight didn't have a winner should make this interesting as we'll likely get a winner this time. A win also gets the winner one step closer to a title shot and could possibly get them a title eliminator in their next fight.

Joanna Jedrzeczyk vs. Tecia Torres (UFC on FOX: Alvarez vs. Poirier 2, 7/14/18)- Jedrzeczyk is riding a two fight losing streak with her recent loss being to Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision at UFC 223 on April 7th. Torres is coming off a loss to Jessica Andrade by unanimous decision at UFC on FOX: Emmett vs. Stephens on February 24th. After being MMA's number one Women's Strawweight fighter for so long, Jedrzeczyk now finds herself a former champion, with a two fight losing streak, both losses coming against the current champion, and now finds herself on the outside looking in. Jedrzeczyk is in need of a win and a good one if she wants any chance to compete for the title anytime soon. A loss would keep her farther away from the title and put her on a three fight losing streak which would put her career in jeopardy. Despite her recent losing streak, a win over Jedrzeczyk would be Torres' biggest win to date, get her back in the winners column, and closer to a title shot with her next fight possibly being a title eliminator. A loss would be a blown opportunity and who knows when she'll get another one like it.

Julia Budd vs. Talita Nogueira (Bellator 202, 7/13/18)- For the Bellator Women's Featherweight Championship. Budd is riding a nine fight win streak with her recent win being over Arlene Blencowe by split decision at Bellator 189 on December 1st. Nogueira is undefeated at seven wins with her recent win being over Amanda Bell by submission at Bellator 182 on August 25th. This fight could appeal to old school MMA fans as this could largely be considered a striker vs. grappler fight with Budd being a former kickboxer while Nogueira is a former World Jiu-Jitsu champion. For the most part, Budd will likely look to keep it standing while Nogueira will want it on the ground and get the submission. Budd is the defending champion and will obviously look to retain and probably will look for a better performance with her recent fight being a close split decision so she'll probably want to put an exclamation point to erase any controversy a split decision can bring. Nogueira is undefeated and getting her first title shot while largely being an unknown in MMA. She has everything to gain as she keeps her undefeated streak and becomes a champion in MMA while increasing her profile as more fans will know who she is. A loss would be a double whammy as she would lose her undefeated streak while also coming up short in a title fight.

Eduardo Dantas vs. Michael McDonald (Bellator 202, 7/13/18)- Dantas is coming off a loss to Darrion Caldwell by unanimous decision at Bellator 184 on October 6th. McDonald is coming off a win over Peter Ligier by unanimous decision at Bellator 191 on December 15th. This should be a fun fight and a big one for long time fans given Dantas is Bellator's most successful bantamweight while McDonald was an elite bantamweight in UFC and a former challenger for the UFC Interim Bantamweight Championship. This fight could also have title eliminator implications as Dantas is a former two time champion so it wouldn't take much for him to get another crack. Meanwhile, McDonald could get it by beating a former champion in Dantas and the fact he is a fresh contender and a "name". Plus, with Darrion Caldwell moving up to fight in featherweight against Noad Lahat in August, it seems like it's to keep him busy and that he'll meet the winner given how close the fights are. So, a win is big for both but a loss prevents them from getting the next shot.

Patricio Pitbull vs. Daniel Weichel (Bellator 203, 7/14/18)- For the Bellator Featherweight Championship. This is a rematch from Bellator 138 back on June 19, 2015. This fight was originally scheduled for Bellator 188 back on November 16th. Pitbull is coming off a win over Daniel Straus at Bellator 178 on April 21, 2017. Weichel is riding a four fight win streak with his recent win being over John Teixeira by split decision at Bellator 177 on April 14, 2017. This fight is very interesting given Weichel was so close to winning the first fight before getting careless while trying to finish which saw him get punched and knocked out. The title on the line makes this big but both have something to prove. Pitbull would love to decisively win to prove he didn't win the last fight on a fluke while Weichel would love to prove he only lost because of his recklessness and he just got caught. If Pitbull wins, he'll be done with Weichel for a long time given this would be the second time he won. If Weichel wins, he not only becomes champion but becomes the first fighter not named Pitbull, Pat Curran, or Daniel Straus to have been featherweight champ since March 9, 2012 so he could make some history. Weichel should also know what's on the line as it took him three years and a four fight win streak to get another title shot. A loss would put him in no man's land until Pitbull loses the title since this would be the second time he failed to beat Pitbull which means it'll take a long time for Weichel to get back to number one contenders status.

Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Hiromasa Ogikubo (Rizin 11, 7/29/18)- This is a rematch from Shooto 2nd Round 2013 back on March 16, 2013. Horiguchi is riding a nine fight win streak with his recent win being over Ian McCall by KO at Rizin 10 on May 6th. Ogikubo is riding a seven fight win streak with his recent win being over Tadaaki Yamamoto by submission at Professional Shooto 10/15 on October 15th. This is another big fight at least for Japanese MMA or it's fans as you have the country's number one fighter and the Bantamweight Grand Prix Winner taking on the current Shooto Flyweight Champion. Horiguchi has everything on the line when he fights given how things are going as he left the UFC on a his terms and is now Rizin's top fighter. A loss would sting given that Ogikubo is largely unknown outside the land of the rising sun despite appearing on TUF 24: Tournament of Champions in 2016. For Ogikubo, this is a massive opportunity as a win puts him in the spotlight and raises his profile significantly. This is Ogikubo's Rizin debut and win would guarantee more bookings and possibly more money so he has everything to gain in this fight and not much to lose except failing to capitalize on an opportunity.

Kanna Asakura vs. Rena Kubota (Rizin 11, 7/29/18)- This is a rematch from Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2017: Final Round back on December 31st. Asakura is riding a seven fight win streak with her recent win being over Melissa Karagianis at Rizin 10 on May 6th. Kubota is coming off a loss to Kanna Asakura by submission at Rizin Fighting World Grand Prix 2017: Final Round on December 31st. Like Budd/Nogueira, this is another striker/grappler fight as Asakura is a grappler who has never scored a knockout win to date while Kubota is a striker having done kickboxing and shoot boxing. This could also be a fun fight since Kubota has yet to go the distance which means there's a great chance we'll get a finish win or lose. This fight is also important as Asakura beat Kubota in the finals of Rizin's Super Atomweight Grand Prix on New Year's Eve which ended Kubota's undefeated streak. Kubota has spent her MMA career in Rizin to date and was looking like she would become one of their native stars before hitting that snag against Asakura. Kubota would love to avenge that loss, return to her winning ways, and prove the loss was just a temporary setback. For Asakura, a win means her NYE win was not a fluke and would solidify her as the top Women's Atomweight fighter along with being one of Rizin's top fighters.