The 10 best MMA Fights of the Weekend – Volume 7
Every week, I will be providing the 10 best MMA fights of the weekend.
The #1 fight of the weekend is clearly Alexander Gustafsson versus Jimi Manuwa. Gustafsson’s war with Jon Jones has propelled him to a new level of fandom. Some are calling this a tune up fight for another eventual showdown with Jones, but Manuwa should not be overlooked as just a journeyman fighter. Manuwa has vicious KO power, and Gustafsson has to be careful not to get hit in the 1st round. It should be smooth sailing for Gustafsson from then on out because Manuwa has never been past the 2nd round in his career, while Gustafsson has proven he can go 5 rounds with the best p4p fighter in the world.
Gunnar Nelson still hasn’t established himself as a breakout star in the UFC, but he’s on the verge of receiving bigger fights should he defeat tough Russian Omari Akhmedov. Nelson’s BJJ skills have been praised for years, and his striking is improving, but most feel he will need to drop down a weight class in order to truly maximize his potential. Akhmedov is making the move down from 185 lbs. after knocking out TUF Brazil 1’s Thiago Perpetuo. Akhemdov will look to push the pace, which should allow Nelson to pursue the takedown if he desires. Nelson has chosen to keep his fights standing at times, which is concerning because his striking defense is not his strong suit. Hopefully, Nelson fights smart finally shows off his BJJ skills.
Former teammates Michael Johnson and Melvin Guillard face off in a battle heavy-handed strikers. Both fighters seem to be going in different directions at this stage in their careers though. Johnson is 4-2 in his last 6 fights, while Guillard is just 2-4 during that same time span. Guillard’s chin used to be dependable, but he’s been dropped a few times as of late and that is a worrisome issue considering Johnson’s KO power. Guillard could have a wrestling advantage to fall back on, but I think he’s going to try and slug it out with Johnson. This certainly has Fight of the Night potential.
Eduardo Dantas is clearly one of the best Bantamweight fighters in the world today. Yes, he lost what many deem a fluke KO to Tyson Nam, but Dantas has proven he can dominate high-level competition such as Zach Makovsky, Marcos Galvao, and Wilson Reis. Leone is an injury replacement for Rafael Silva. He is a sizable underdog, but has proven to be a crafty fighter that seems to be coming into his own as of late.
Brad Pickett is making a drop down to the Flyweight division after losing his last 2 of 3 fights at Bantamweight. Pickett is still one of the most entertaining fighters in the lower weight classes, and is still one of only 2 fighters to have beaten reigning Flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson. Pickett was expected to face Ian McCall, but McCall was forced out due to an injured groin. In steps last minute replacement, Irishman Neil Seery. Seery was the Cage Warriors Flyweight champion and has won his last 4 fights.
Ryan Martinez and Lavar Johnson each fell short of winning Bellator’s Season 9 Heavyweight tournament. Martinez is a solid fighter, and holds wins over Richard Hale, Travis Wiuff, Mark Ellis. Meanwhile, Johnson is better known to most MMA fans, having competed in the UFC, Strikeforce, and the WEC for much of his career. Johnson has lost his last 3 fights, but still has some of the best punching power in the division. His takedown defense has always been his Achilles heel, and Martinez has the takedown skills to exploit it.
Blagoi Ivanov first gained notoriety amongst MMA fans for defeating Fedor Emelianenko in Combat Sambo. He eventually made his way to mixed martial arts, where he built a 7-0 record. Just as Ivanov’s career looked to be taking off in Bellator, he was involved in a near fatal stabbing that kept him hospitalized for an extended amount of time. Ivanov made a remarkable comeback in 2013, winning both of his Bellator fights and earning a spot in this year’s Heavyweight tournament. He will face 2-time Bellator tournament finalist Richard Hale.
Luke Barnatt is one of the most intriguing prospects in the UFC today. Standing 6’6 and just 25 years old, Barnatt seems to have a rare package of skills that could one day propel him towards contention. For now, Barnatt is just 2-0 in the UFC, but he certainly raised his stock last time out as he finished Andrew Craig via submission. Barnatt was also a cast member on Season 17 of TUF, having been eliminated by Dylan Andrews in what ended up winning Fight of the Season. His opponent seems to be a step down from Andrew Craig, considering Mats Nilsson is making his UFC debut. Nilsson shouldn’t be overlooked though because he’s 7-1 in his last 8 fights, including a 3-0 run in the Cage Warriors promotion.
Alexander Volkov will begin the long road back towards attempting to win back his Bellator Heavyweight championship. Volkov’s opening round matchup pits him against Mark Holata, who has been bounced in two other Bellator Heavyweight tournaments. Volkov is still just 25 years old, and has a ton of potential if he can learn to better utilize his long 6’7 frame.
The lone fight listed beyond the UFC and Bellator this weekend takes place at Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) 13. This RFA card is a bit light with top level prospects, but there are still some fighters to keep an eye on such as Andrew Sanchez, Dakota Cochrane, Chidi Njokuani, and Chris Heatherly. The latter two names will be facing off in a clash of styles that should result in the winner receiving some attention from either the UFC or WSOF. Njokuani was featured on my 2013 MMA Prospects Report and is the younger brother of current UFC Lightweight Anthony Njokuani. His opponent, Heatherly, is 7-1 overall, with his only career blemish coming to UFC Welterweight Alex Garcia. He submitted fellow prospect Dakota Cochrane in his last fight.
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