November 15th, 2014 is a huge day for MMA fans. For the first time in history the top three promotions in the world are all putting on events on the same night. The UFC, the world’s leader for MMA, makes it’s debut in Mexico with UFC 180 in Mexico City. In San Diego, CA, Bellator MMA puts on Bellator 131, with UFC Hall of Famers Tito Ortiz and Stephan Bonnar squaring off in the main event. Finally, the World Series of Fighting heads to Tampa, FL, with three title fights headlining WSOF 15. One night, three cards, 34 fights and 68 fighters. Don’t have the time or patience to watch every single fight? Here’s the five (well, technically seven) fighters you should go out of your way to see on Saturday:
#5: Mike Richman, Bellator 131
Despite just a 6-4 record inside the Bellator cage, Mike Richman is a fighter on the rise. A former US Marine, Richman dropped down to bantamweight in September after losing back-to-back close decisions at featherweight, defeating Ed West with a first round knockout. In fact, five of Richman’s six Bellator wins are via first round knockout, and all but two of his seventeen career wins have come inside the distance. Richman is a finisher, and with a win on Saturday, he could find himself challenging Bellator bantamweight champion Joe Warren for the strap. But first, a bout with durable action-fighter Nam Phan to open up the Bellator main card on Saturday night.
#4: Dennis Bermudez & Kelvin Gastelum, UFC 180
Dennis Bermudez and Kelvin Gastelum are two young TUF vets on the rise, and with injuries to Cain Velasquez, Diego Sanchez and Erik Perez, they’re going to be the stars of the show on Saturday. Since losing the featherweight finals of TUF 14, Bermudez has won seven straight, including finishes of Clay Guida and Jimy Hettes in his last two. He has a tough match-up with former title challenger Ricardo Lamas this weekend, but a win would be his eighth straight, and a title shot could be within his grasp. As for Gastelum, the undefeated 23-year-old has his toughest test to date on Saturday in the form of top 10 welterweight Jake Ellenberger. Gastelum, the TUF 17 middleweight winner, has finished his opponent in six of his nine victories, and if he can overcome Ellenberger this weekend, we could be looking at the future of the welterweight division.
#3: Justin Gaethje, WSOF 15
The first of two lightweight title fights this weekend goes down in Florida, with WSOF lightweight champ Justin Gaethje defending his belt against UFC veteran Melvin Guillard. Gaethje is a perfect 12-0, with one decision win, one submission win, and a robust ten knockout wins to his credit. This weekend, he faces the biggest test of his career. Guillard’s 50th career fight is this weekend, and 22 of his previous 49 took place inside the octagon. If the 25-year-old Gaethje can beat Guillard, then his hype train will start rolling even faster than it is now. Gaethje has strong wrestling, and a relentless, thudding striking game. Gaethje is one of the top 3 lightweights outside of the UFC today. We’ll get to the other two in a bit.
#2: Mark Hunt, UFC 180
On Saturday, Mark Hunt’s long journey to a UFC heavyweight title shot finally comes to fruition. In 2001, Hunt won the K-1 World Grand Prix, kickboxing’s highest prize at the time. In 2004, he transitioned to MMA where, after losing his debut, he won five straight. Then, he went on a skid, losing five straight, including losses to middleweights Gegard Mousasi and Melvin Manhoef. When the UFC bought PRIDE, they were going to release Hunt, who had a few fights left on his contract. But Hunt requested to fulfill his previous agreement, and he made his UFC debut in the opening bout of UFC 119, losing to Sean McCorkle by submission in 63 seconds. Just when all hope appeared to be lost for Hunt, he turned his career around, winning four straight, three by knockout, and receiving the Knockout of the Night award for two of them. Hunt had become a fan favorite. But, in the Fight of the Night at UFC 160, he lost a number one contender’s bout to Junior dos Santos. His title hopes seemed gone, but a Fight of the Night draw with Antonio Silva and Performance of the Night knockout of Roy Nelson put him right back in the title picture, and when champion Cain Velasquez got hurt two weeks ago, Hunt got the call to replace him and fight Fabricio Werdum for the interim UFC heavyweight championship. From curtain jerker to UFC champion? For Mark Hunt, it’s possible.
#1: Will Brooks vs Michael Chandler, Bellator 131
The top two fighters to watch this weekend are going head-to-head for the second time in their careers, and they’re the top two lightweights not in UFC right now. Interim Bellator lightweight champion Will Brooks squares off with former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler, with the winner becoming the undisputed Bellator lightweight champion. Chandler started off his career a perfect 12-0, including a title-clinching win over former champ Eddie Alvarez, and two successful title defenses. In November of 2013, he lost a contentious decision to Alvarez in their rematch, and their trilogy bout was scheduled for this May. Brooks started his career at 9-0 before losing in an upset to Saad Awad in 43 seconds. From there, he took his game to the next level, winning four straight, including avenging his loss to Awad. In May, Alvarez pulled out of the trilogy fight with Chandler, and Brooks replaced him, beating Chandler by split decision in a Fight of the Year candidate to win the interim title. Ever since then, the trash talk has been flying between the two of them, and although it’s in the co-main event slot of Bellator’s card on Saturday, for true MMA fans, it’s the main event of the whole night.
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