For fight fans, August is HUGE. If there’s an MMA fan out there that has been having a bad summer so far, the UFC is surely going to turn that around. There will be four UFC events next month and if you take a look at the fight cards, they’re really good events. Last month, I took a look at fighters who needed to avoid a loss the most in the month of July. With more fights in August, there will be even more fighters needing a win. Here’s a list of those fighters that stick out the most:
Ian McCall
Poor “Uncle Creepy”. Ian McCall came into the UFC viewed by many as the number one flyweight in the world. Since then, he has gone 0-2-1 in the UFC. To his credit, those losses and one draw came against the current flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson and the current number one contender at flyweight Joseph Benavidez. Now, he is done facing the best in the division. He’s scheduled to meet virtual unknown Iliarde Santos. McCall is the favourite in this bout. However, should he lose, it will mark his third straight loss. A loss against Santos, who is McCall’s first non-top ten opponent could also mean McCall receives his walking papers from the UFC.
Next fight: UFC 163 (August 3)
Vinny Magalhaes
Magalhaes was first released from the UFC in 2009 after making it to the finals of The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. A five fight winning streak brought him back to the world’s largest MMA promotion, where he picked up his first UFC win over Igor Pokrajac. He lost his very next fight though to top-ten light heavyweight Phil Davis. He’s scheduled to meet fellow grappling specialist Anthony Perosh. If Malgahaes loses, he will be 1-4 in the UFC and on a two fight losing streak. Those kind of bad numbers usually signal the release of a fighter from their promotion.
Next fight: UFC 163 (August 3)
Jose Aldo
Current UFC featherweight champion and one of the pound-for-pound best fighters on the planet Jose Aldo will be defending his belt for the fifth time inside “The Octagon”. Unlike the fighters listed above, he isn’t fighting for his job. This is one of those fights where the champ needs the win to remain the best in order to continue creating that legacy. Chang Sung Jung (known by many as ‘The Korean Zombie”) is Aldo’s next opponent. Korean Zombie has one punch knockout power and a deadly submission game. His chin is good and he lives up to his nickname, fighting like a zombie, always pressing forward no matter what he is hit with. Aldo is a perfect 4-0 in the UFC and is riding an outstanding 15 fight win streak. The problem with a big win streak like that is that every time you add another win to your streak and your win streak gets bigger. The pressure to keep that streak going gets bigger also, and every fight you’re pressured to win a little more than your last fight. On top of this, Korean Zombie is a fairly big underdog in this bout. Losing to an underdog hurts a fighters reputation dramatically more than losing to someone who fans and odds makers expect to have a chance of winning. Aldo is in no danger of losing his job if he loses but the pressure to remain the best and keep his win streak going will certainly be great.
Next fight: UFC 163 (August 3)
Alistair Overeem
Big things were expected of Overeem when he entered the UFC. And for a moment he lived up to the hype, beating former heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar into retirement. In his next outing, his lack of respect for his opponent cost him. Underdog Antonio Silva scored a huge upset and comeback win by knocking out an overly confident Overeem in the third round, halting Overeem’s rise to the top and crushing his immediate dreams of a quick title shot. Now he wants to get back into contention against fellow title hopeful Travis Browne. Defeating Browne will be no easy task. But it must be done if you’re Alistair Overeem. A loss will put him in to the middle of the heavyweight pack, and nobody will be saying Overeem and “title shot” in the same sentence anymore… except maybe if they’re saying “Overeem is not getting a title shot any time soon”.
Next fight: UFC: Shogun vs. Sonnen (August 17)
Mauricio Shogun Rua vs. Chael Sonnen
Former light heavyweight champion Mauricio Shogun Rua meets pound-for-pound the best trash talker in MMA and three time title challenger Chael Sonnen. This fight is do or die for both men. I have never bought into the hype surrounding Rua. Still somehow considered one of the best light heavyweights in the world, he is only 5-5 in the UFC. He hasn’t had a winning streak since 2009 and that streak only lasted two fights against fading former champs Mark Coleman and Chuck Liddell. His cardio has also failed him over the years, something that shouldn’t be problem at the elite level of the sport. Despite these poor stats, Rua has great striking, a rarely seen but good submission game, knockout power and an iron chin. Sonnen, Rua’s opponent, is in need of a win too. He lost in his last two bouts, against pound-for-pound greats Anderson Silva and Jon Jones. In my opinion, the loser of this fight should retire. Rua hasn’t had the same results in UFC that he used to have when he fought for the now defunct Japanese MMA promotion Pride FC. Sonnen is 36, and a loss to Rua would mark his third straight. Both men have a lot of weight on their shoulders and need to win to stay relevant in the sport. The loser should seriously consider hanging up the gloves.
Next fight: UFC: Shogun vs Sonnen (August 17)
Abel Trujillo vs. Roger Bowling
These two men will be fighting each other near the end of the month. Bowling is 0-1 in the organization, Trujillo is 1-1. A loss for either man will likely result in their release from the promotion. Both are fighting for their jobs.
Next fight: UFC: Condit vs Kampmann 2 (August 28)
Carlos Condit vs. Martin Kampmann
These two fought each other in the UFC before in 2009 where Kampmann earned a close decision win. Since then much has changed. Condit bounced back from the loss and won five straight, becoming the interim welterweight champion. Kampmann snapped a two fight losing streak in 2010-2011 to win three straight against top competitors, becoming considered a serious title threat. Condit is on a two fight losing streak now with loses to current champ Georges St.Pierre and number one contender Johnny Hendricks. Kampmann is also coming off a loss to Hendricks, in a fight where he was brutally knocked out early in the first round. Neither man will (likely) lose their job if they lose this fight, but the UFC has made some crazy fighter releases in the last year (see Jon Fitch). However, these two men are more focused on winning to stay in title contention. The loser will fall back into the middle of the pack.
Next fight: UFC: Condit vs Kampmann 2 (August 28)
Brandon Vera
A fading Brandon Vera actually got his career back on track with a loss. Once considered a heavyweight title threat, Vera lost back-to-back bouts, prompting a drop to light heavyweight. After going 1-2-1 in four fights, he was selected as an injury replacement to fight Shogun Rua. Vera was a heavy underdog going into that fight, and many thought he would get knocked out early. Well he did get knocked out, but it wasn’t until the fourth round, after the two men engaged in an exciting and competitive war. Even though he lost, Vera looked his best in years. The love for the sport he seemed to have lost over time appeared to be back. He’s now returning to heavyweight, a questionable move after he did so well against a former champ at light heavyweight. Vera is confident in himself but his next opponent is Ben Rothwell, a much bigger man and a dangerous opponent. If Vera loses, he’ll be 1-4-1 in his last six and he will probably be cut from the UFC roster.
Next fight: UFC 164 (August 31)
Frank Mir
A new and improved Frank Mir won three straight, earning him a heavyweight title shot against then champion Junior dos Santos in 2012. He came up short and then lost again in his next fight to undefeated Daniel Cormier. At 34, Mir can still make another run at the belt, something he hasn`t held since 2008. However, in facing tough veteran and returning former UFC champion Josh Barnett, a win will be no easy task. If Mir loses he can forget a title shot any time soon and may even want to consider retirement.
Next fight: UFC 164 (August 31)
Other fighters worth mentioning: Anthony Perosh, Thales Leites, Iliarde Santos (UFC 163)
Manny Gamburyan, Cole Miller (UFC: Shogun vs Sonnen)
James Head, Jason High, Benny Alloway (UFC: Condit vs Kampmann 2)
Ryan Couture, Jared Hamman, Ben Rothwell (UFC 164)
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