August 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.
Tyron Woodley vs. Darren Till (UFC 228, 9/8/18)- For the UFC Welterweight Championship. Woodley is unbeaten in six fights (five wins, one draw) with his recent fight being a win over Damian Maia by unanimous decision at UFC 214 on July 29, 2017. Till is unbeaten in eighteen fights (seventeen wins, one draw) with his recent fight being a win over Stephen Thompson by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till on May 27th. I know it's hard to recommend a Woodley fight given his lackluster performances but that could possibly change. Woodley has gotten criticism from the fans and issues with Dana White in the past and the pressure may soon be on him to turn things up and stop fighting not to lose instead of fighting to win. Woodley has to know that if he wants more money or bigger fights, he can't have fights that fans are booing out of the building. A loss would be bad in many ways. One is obvious because he'll lose the welterweight championship but another can be that he may not get anywhere near the title anytime soon as UFC may keep him away from contention for awhile due to his "boring" fights. Till has been a rising star for the past year and now has the chance to be a champion which is obviously huge. Till is riding great momentum with wins over Donald Cerrone and Stephen Thompson. A win could also be great in other ways as UFC probably wants a more "exciting" champion and many fans probably want Woodley done as champion so imagine Till's stock if he were to win. He may be considered a hero in some ways like Johny Hendricks knocking out Jon Fitch years ago (ironically, another welterweight fight). A loss would also be a double whammy as he obviously wouldn't win the title but it would also mark his first loss.
Jessica Andrade vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (UFC 228, 9/8/18)- Andrade is riding a two fight win streak with her recent win being over Tecia Torres by unanimous decision at UFC on FOX: Emmett vs. Stephens on February 24th. Kowalkiewicz is riding a two fight win streak with her recent win being over Felice Herrig by split decision at UFC 223 on April 7th. This fight has the potential to be a title eliminator. With Rose Namajunas not only the new Women's Strawweight Champion but also defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a rematch, the field is now wide open and both women are on good rolls with two wins each so a win would put the winner at three in a row. Both are former title contenders and would love to get another shot at the championship. A win would especially be great Kowalkiewicz as she previously beat Namajunas by split decision awhile back so she can make an argument that she's the only one who should realisitically challenge Namajunas next.
Mark Hunt vs. Oleksiy Oliynyk (UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs. Oliynyk, 9/15/18)- Hunt is coming off a loss to Curtis Blaydes by unanimous decision at UFC 221 on February 11th. Oliynyk is coming off a win over Junior Albini by submission at UFC 224 on May 12th. This fight is interesting for a number or reasons. First is that this is almost a striker vs. grappler type fight which old school fans should like as Hunt is known for his walk off knockouts while Oliynyk is known for being the first to pull off certain submissions in UFC history. Second is both are in their 40s with a lot of mileage so they may not last much longer. This is important for Oliynyk as Hunt as already said he won't seek a contract renewal and if Oliynyk wants to eventually challenge for the UFC Heavyweight Championship, he can't afford losses. Even Hunts stands to gain something as this is the second to last fight of his deal and if he leaves with a two fight win streak, he could get a good deal somewhere, likely Rizin in Japan.
Nikita Krylov vs. Jan Blachowicz (UFC FIght Night: Hunt vs. Oliynyk, 9/15/18)- This is Krylov's return fight to the UFC. Krylov is riding a four fight win streak with his recent win being over Fabio Maldonado by KO at Fight Nights Global 87 on May 19th. Blachowicz is riding a three fight win streak with his recent fight being over Jimi Manuwa by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov back on March 17th. This is a must win in a way for both fighters. Krylov is returning after nearly two years and on a four fight win streak. He obviously doesn't want to go out and lose in his return to the octagon. After an up and down run in the UFC, Blachowicz has finally found his groove not racking up a three fight win streak but is coming off a the biggest win of his UFC career to date against Jimi Manuwa. Things are now coming together and he doesn't want to lose it. This fight is also huge because with Daniel Cormier having largely cleaned out the division and on the verge of retirement, the winner can be put in a great position to challenge for the champion and could actually be in a great position to be the next champion if they get the shot after Cormier retires. Then there's the fact that this is could be an exciting fight as Blachowicz has won fight of the night bonuses in both UFC and KSW while coming off an exciting performance in his last fight while Krylov has never gone the distance. Say what you will about Krylov's infamous fight with Soa Palelei or submitting to a Von Flue choke courtesy of OSP but he's not boring.
A.J. McKee vs. John Teixeira (Bellator 205, 9/21/18)- Teixeira is replacing Pat Curran. McKee is undefeated at eleven wins with his recent win being over Justin Lawrence by unanimous decision on Bellator 197 on April 13th. Teixeria is riding a two fight losing streak with his recent loss being to Pat Curran by unanimous decision at Bellator 184 on October 6th. This fight is obviously not as interesting as the original but still worth watching. McKee is one of Bellator's brightest prospects and they clearly have huge expectations for him. McKee is also riding the longest win streak in Bellator history at 11 and he would obviously love to continue to add to that record in his hope of climbing the mountain. Teixeria is riding a two fight losing streak but it is to top names like Daniel Weichel and Pat Curran so nothing to be ashamed of. Prior to that, Texieria won his first four fights in Bellator and considered a promising up and comer. A loss to McKee would hurt as he would be on a three fight losing streak which could either see him get cut or fight for his job in the next fight. A win would be huge for him as it not only gets him back on course as it's not only a win but he would end the undefeated streak of a prospect.
John Salter vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. (Bellator 205, 9/21/18)- This fight was originally booked for Bellator 198 back on April 28th. Salter is riding a seven fight win streak with his recent win being over Jason Radcliffe by submission at Bellator 188 on November 16th. Lovato is undefeated at eight wins with his recent win being over Gerald Harris by submission at Bellator 198 on April 28th. With the upcoming Mousasi/MacDonald middleweight championship fight the same month, this will likely be considered a title eliminator. Both are riding great momentum as Salter is unbeaten in Bellator with five wins (seven overall in a row) and hasn't lost a fight in six years. Lovato is undefeated and looked more and more impressive with each outing. It feels like a matter of when, not if, he'll be the middleweight champion. A win is obvious great as they are almost guaranteed the winner of Mousasi/MacDonald but will build their momentum as either Salter hands Lovato his first loss or Lovato keeps his undefeated streak possibly going into a title fight. A loss would sting both as it would mark Salter's first in Bellator and first in six years while it would mark Lovato's first overall.
Douglas Lima vs. Audrey Koreshkov (Bellator 206, 9/29/18)- This is a first round fight in the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix and the third fight between them with the first taken place at Bellator 140 on July 17, 2015 & Bellator 164 on November 10, 2016. Lima is coming off a loss to Rory MacDonald by unanimous decision on Bellator 192 on January 20th. Koreshkov is riding a two fight win streak with his recent win being over Vaso Bakocevic by KO on Bellator 203 on July 14th. These two have a lot of history as they're currently tied 1-1 and in both of those fights, the winner won the welterweight championship with Koreshkov winning the title from Lima in the first fight and Lima regained the title in the second. Because of this, there is bragging rights on the line as neither want to lose the rubber fight. This fight is also a first round fight in the Welterweight Grand Prix and winning is all the more important. Both fighters would obviously want to advance in the hopes of winning and set themselves up for a title shot down the line.
Yoshitaka Naito vs. Joshua Pacio (ONE Championship: Conquest of Heroes, 9/22/18)- For the ONE Strawweight Championship and a rematch from ONE Championship: State of Warriors on October 7, 2016. Naito is coming off a win over Alex Silva by split decision at ONE Championship: Grit & Glory on May 12th. Pacio is riding a three fight win streak with his recent win being over Pongsiri Mitsatit by submission at ONE Championship: Reign of Kings on July 27th. After losing the Strawweight Championship, Naito is once again in the driver's seat as far as the ONE Strawweight Division goes as he got a two for the price of one by not only regaining the championship but he avenged the only loss in his career to date. Naito will not want to lose the champion so quickly after getting back but he also wouldn't want another loss after avenging the only one he has so far. On top of that, Naito already holds a win over Pacio when he successfully defended the title against him two years ago and nobody wants to lose to someone they already hold a win over. Pacio has bounced back and has so much to gain as he has the chance to show he can beat Naito and become champ. Pacio can prove that the last fight was a temporary setback and he just got caught in a submission rather than Naito being the better fighter. If he loses, it would hurt as it would be 0-2 against Naito proving Naito is the better fighter while the last win wasn't a fluke. Even worse is a second loss will put him out of contention for awhile. Pacio put together a three fight win streak to get this opportunity so he may need an even bigger win streak or hope Naito loses the title soon before getting another crack at the championship.
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Roque Martinez (Rizin 13, 9/30/18)- 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. Martinez is riding an eight fight win streak with his recent win being over Kiyoshi Kuwabara at Rizin 12 on August 12th. With both men riding eight fight win streaks, both have a lot of momentum and riding high right now. A loss would sting both men. For Cro Cop, a win proves he's still here and can still go while losing makes him come off like a stepping stone for a younger fighter which not veteran wants. For Martinez, a win would easily be the biggest of his career to date and get more eyes on him. A loss would sting as the current DEEP Megaton Champion would blow a big opportunity to move his career to the next step. While nothing has been announced, Rizin will likely plan to crown champions at some point especially with them increasing their schedule in 2019 so a win allows one into a position where they could get a chance to become the inaugural champion when the time comes.
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