MMA Fights to Look Forward to in October 2018

MMA Fights to Look Forward to in October 2018
September 25, 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.



Tony Ferguson vs. Anthony Pettis (UFC 229, 10/6/18)- Ferguson is riding a ten fight win streak with his recent win being over Kevin Lee by submission at UFC 216 on October 7th. Pettis is coming off a win over Michael Chiesa by submission at UFC 226 on July 7th. Despite both coming off wins, these two can't afford a loss. Ferguson is a top contender in the lightweight division and was the interim champion earlier this year. With a win, Ferguson all but confirms himself as the number one contender for the winner of the McGregor/Nurmagomedov fight in 2019. A loss will set him back, not by much, but nobody wants a loss when their on the verge of a title shot. For Pettis, he has so much to gain with a win as he gets his first win streak in four years and a win over someone like Ferguson instantly shoots him right back to the top of contention and gives him an argument about being next. A loss sees Pettis again yo-yo and his career losing momentum again.

Derrick Lewis vs. Alexander Volkov (UFC 229, 10/6/18)- Lewis is riding a two fight win streak with his recent win being over Francis Ngannou by unanimous decision at UFC 226 on July 7th. Volkov is riding a six fight win streak with his recent win being over Fabricio Werdum by KO at UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov on March 17th. This fight is another must win as the winner can either set themselves up for a title shot or possibly a title eliminator likely against Miocic. For Lewis, he was once considered a good up and comer but has hit some setbacks including a loss to Mark Hunt last year and his worst fight of the year candidate against Ngannou. Lewis will have a lot going into this as he not only needs a win but a good one after the recent Ngannou fight. If he can achieve this then he can rid of a lot of doubt in people's minds. Volkov is on a great roll as he achieved success in M-1 Global and it's transferred to the UFC and is now coming off the biggest win of his career against Fabricio Werdum. It was also said he was the one on stand by in case either Miocic or Cormier were forced to pull out of their fight. Like Ferguson, a win all but confirms Volkov is either next against the winner of Cormier/Lesnar or in some title elimination with Miocic. A loss would hurt as it knocks him back just as he's on the cusp of a title shot.

Matt Mitrione vs. Ryan Bader (Bellator 207, 10/12/18)- This fight is a semifinal fight in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. Mitrione is riding a four fight win streak with his recent win being over Roy Nelson by majority decision at Bellator 194 on February 16th. Bader is riding a five fight win streak with his recent win being over King Mo Lawal by TKO at Bellator 199 on May 12th. Both fighters have a lot to gain and lose here. The winner goes to the finals with the possibility of becoming the new Bellator Heavyweight Champion. For Mitirione, it means a win sees him go one step closer to winning his first MMA title. For Bader, it means he's one step closer to possibly becoming the first fighter in Bellator history to be a two divisional champion as he's already the light heavyweight champion (barring Rory MacDonald winning the middleweight title on 9/29). A loss not only knocks them out of the tournament but it marks the first loss of either man's Bellator career which would suck since both are on the best run of their careers with Mitrione as a top heavyweight and Bader finally a champion while getting the chance to go for a second.

Roy Nelson vs. Sergei Kharitonov (Bellator 207, 10/12/18)- Nelson is coming off a loss to Matt Mitrione by majority decision at Bellator 194 on February 16th. Kharitonov is unbeaten in five fights (four wins, one no contest) with his recent fight being a no contest against Anton Vyazigin at M-1 Challenge 92 on May 24th. This fight should be a fun one as both fighters usually give it their all and both hit hard so we could get a nice finish. Both probably feel they have something to prove as Nelson is coming off a close loss to Mitrione so a win gets him back in the win column. Kharitonov is unbeaten in five fights but his recent Bellator fight was a win over Chase Gormley after he suffered a sixteen second knockout from Javy Ayala so he'll obviously want to continue his Bellator run with another win. With the Heavyweight Grand Prix beginning to wind down, both would love to be in a position to challenge the new champion in 2019.

Fedor Emelianenko vs. Chael Sonnen (Bellator 208, 10/13/18)- This fight is a semifinal fight in the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix. Emelianenko is coming off a win over Frank Mir by TKO at Bellator 198 on April 28th. Sonnen is riding a two fight win streak with his recent win being over Rampage Jackson by unanimous decision at Bellator 192 on January 20th. This fight is interesting for many reasons. Like Mitrione/Bader, this is a semifinal round so a win is big. For Emelianenko, it's one step closer to being a heavyweight champion and grand prix winner again while adding to his vast trophy case. Like Mitrione, Sonnen would be one step closer to his first major MMA title. There's also the fact that Sonnen used to be known for criticizing PRIDE and it's fighters including Emelianenko. I'm sure there are Sonnen fans who would love to see him put away another PRIDE fighter while there are PRIDE fans who would love to see Emelianenko shut Sonnen up. An interesting note is that these two have some history as Sonnen's mentor is MMA legend Matt Lindland who lost to Emelianenko back in 2007 at Bodog Fight.

Alexander Shlemenko vs. Anatoly Tokov (Bellator 208, 10/13/18)- Shlemenko is riding a two fight losing streak with his recent loss being to Bruno Silva by KO at M-1 Challenge 93 on June 1st. Tokov is riding a two fight win streak with his recent win being over Vladimir Filipovic by submission at Bellator 200 on May 25th. This one should be a fun fight to watch which is a reason to watch as both are finishers. Shlemenko might also feel some pressure as he is riding a two fight losing streak even if one of the losses was at M-1. It's unknown if another loss could send the former Bellator Middleweight Champion & two time Tournament Winner packing. Even if Shlemenko is kept, his next fight will see him fighting for his job and he'll be nowhere near title contention so who knows how long it will take for him to get back there. For Tokov, he's a solid prospect who's looked good in Bellator but this is his toughest fight so far and a win proves Tokov is a serious contender for the title given Shlemenko's long success in Bellator and would be one of the biggest wins of his career.

Aung La N Sang vs. Mohammad Karaki (ONE: Pursuit of Greatness, 10/26/18)- For the ONE Middleweight Championship. La N Sang is riding a four fight win streak with his recent win being over Ken Hasegawa at ONE Championship: Spirit of a Warrior on June 29th. Karaki is undefeated at nine wins with his recent win being over Sallah-Eddine Dekhissi by submission at Phoenix FC 6 on April 5th. This could be a good fight as both have something on the line. La N Sang is the current champion and along with Martin Nguyen is a two divisional champion so a loss means he loses one of his titles. While he doesn't want to lose, it'll probably be worse losing to an unknown who is making his debut. Karaki has a lot going as he's an unknown who's competed in the Middle East and Africa but is now taking a huge step in his career as he not only debuts in one of the biggest promotions in the world and is also getting a title shot. A win is huge as it gets his name out there and while a loss wouldn't be the worst in the world, it would be the first loss in his career and no one wants to lose much less in their debut for a major promotion. You only get one chance at a first impression. It'll also be interesting to see how Karaki reacts to this opportunity as he could be just fine or maybe he gets nervous on a bigger stage.