This weekend is a busy one for MMA fans, with three big events across Friday and Saturday. First, on Friday, the TUF 20 Finale, headlined by the first ever UFC women’s strawweight title fight. Then a double-header on Saturday, with UFC on FOX 13 going head-to-head with World Series of Fighting 16. That’s 37 fights over a two day span. Maybe you don’t have the time or desire to watch each one, but LWOS is here to help. These are the fights you need to watch. Here’s the top 10 fights to watch this weekend:
Honorable Mentions: Joe Proctor vs Yancy Medeiros, TUF 20 Finale; Henry Cejudo vs Dustin Kimura, UFC on FOX 13; Lewis Gonzalez vs Justin Buchholz, WSOF 16
#10: Rick Glenn vs Lance Palmer, WSOF 16
First on the list is the WSOF featherweight title fight between champion Rick Glenn, and former title challenger Lance Palmer. Glenn is a striker from the Roufusport camp in Milwaukee who is unbeaten in his last thirteen fights, including a title-stealing win over former champ Georgi Karakhanyan his last time out. Glenn has finished 13 of his 15 victories, and he’s still just 25-years-old. His first title defense comes against Team Alpha Male’s Lance Palmer. Palmer is an explosive wrestler with a strong top game and an ever-improving stand-up attack. Palmer has only tasted defeat once: a loss to Karakhanyan one year ago in a bout for the inaugural WSOF featherweight championship. This should be a great scrap between two young, hungry fighters.
#9: KJ Noons vs Daron Cruickshank, TUF 2o Finale
KJ Noons vs Daron Cruickshank will be a striking fans delight. Noons, a former professional boxer, has a penchant for getting caught in exciting firefights, and he’s the former Elite XC lightweight champion. Cruickshank, a competitor on TUF 15, also loves the stand-up game, but he prefers to use his feet more than Noons does. Cruickshank has already racked up three highlight-reel headkick-based knockouts in the UFC, and he’s looking to pick up another one on Saturday night.
#8: Jessica Penne vs Randa Markos, TUF 20 Finale
In the de facto third place fight of the TUF 20 tournament, Jessica Penne takes on Randa Markos. Penne, the former Invicta FC atomweight champion, moved up a weight class to compete on TUF 20, and she did not disappoint. She submitted Lisa Ellis and bested Aisling Daly on the cards before losing a decision to Carla Esparza in one of the best fights of the whole season. Markos also had a great run on the show, upsetting Tecia Torres and Felice Herrig in dominating fashion, before falling by submission in the semifinals to Rose Namajunas. Both women are looking to prove their semifinal losses were flukes, and to stake their claim to a shot at the title in the future.
#7: Jeremy Stephens vs Charles Oliveira, TUF 20 Finale
In Friday night’s co-main event, vaunted striker Jeremy Stephens takes on submission ace Charles Oliveira. Both are top 15 ranked featherweights looking to continue their ascents. Stephens has massive power, and will definitely have the advantage on the feet. He’s also the superior wrestler, but he won’t be looking to takedown Oliveira. All six of the Brazilian’s UFC wins have come by way of submission, including the only calf slicer in UFC history. This is a classic striker vs grappler match-up, and it should be a great one.
#6: Claudia Gadelha vs Joanna Jedrzejczyk, UFC on FOX 13
Speaking of future shots at the UFC strawweight championship, this one will have a more immediate impact than Penne vs Markos will. A day after a champion is crowned, two strawweights already in the UFC, Claudia Gadelha and Joanna Jedrzejczyk, will go head-to-head to determine the first title challenger. Gadelha is an undefeated Brazilian grappler, with a record of 12-0, 1-0 in the UFC. She’ll look to submit fellow unbeaten strawweight Jedrzejczyk, who is 7-0, 1-0 in the UFC as well. Who will challenge for the title first: the heavily hyped Gadelha, or the Polish striker Jedrzejczyk?
#5: Alistair Overeem vs Stefan Struve, UFC on FOX 13
This is a very interesting heavyweight clash between two huge Dutch strikers. Alistair Overeem is one of the premiere kickboxers in MMA today, but his chin has failed him recently, as he’s lost three of his last four via knockout. Stefan Struve is the tallest fighter in the UFC, standing seven feet tall. His reach is crazy long, but he fails to use it effectively in fights. His offensive output is good, but his defense is lacking. Like Overeem, his chin is crackable. Another thing to factor in for this one is that Struve hasn’t fought since March of 2013 thanks to a leaking aortic valve. Is he 100%? Can he tag Overeem before Overeem tags him? We’ll find out on Saturday night.
#4: Junior dos Santos vs Stipe Miocic, UFC on FOX 13
Another heavyweight fight going down on Saturday night is the main event of the UFC’s thirteenth outing on Fox. Rising contender Stipe Miocic takes on returning former champion Junior dos Santos. Miocic has strong boxing, good power, and a solid wrestling game. Unfortunately for him, dos Santos has the best boxing in the heavyweight division, elite power, and top notch takedown defense. Everything Miocic does, dos Santos does better. One big advantage for Miocic, though, is that dos Santos hasn’t fought since October of last year. Will ring rust be enough for Miocic to pull of the upset?
#3: Carla Esparza vs Rose Namajunas, TUF 20 Finale
Esparza and Namajunas headline the first card of the weekend, with the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight championship on the line. Esparza, the former Invicta FC strawweight champ, was the top ranked fighter in the TUF house, and showed why with wins over Angela Hill, Torres, and Penne. As for Namajunas, she was under-seeded at the seven slot, and she proved why, submitting all three of her opponents: Alex Chambers, Joanne Calderwood, and Markos. Both ladies want this, and this will be an extremely exciting fight.
#2: Rousimar Palhares vs Jon Fitch, WSOF 16
A fight truly flying under the radar this weekend is the main event welterweight title fight headlining WSOF 16. Former UFC fighters Rousimar Palhares and Jon Fitch clash over Palhares’ championship. Palhares is a jiu-jitsu savage, known for his devastating leg locks. Fitch, a wrestler, probably won’t want to take this one to the canvas. It’s an incredibly interesting clash of styles, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
#1: Rafael dos Anjos vs Nate Diaz, UFC on FOX 13
The top fight to watch this weekend is the co-main event of UFC on FOX 13: Rafael dos Anjos vs Nate Diaz. Diaz returns after a 13 month hiatus due to a contract dispute, and he jumps right back into the deep end of the lightweight division with dos Anjos, who is coming off of an upset knockout of former champ Benson Henderson. Dos Anjos is a slick grappler, who has strong muay thai and increasing power on his feet. Diaz has the best boxing in the lightweight division, and some of the best jiu-jitsu as well. Will the layoff slow down Stockton’s finest? Or can he overcome the Brazilian on the rise? Tune in Saturday on Fox to find out!
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