With there being MMA fight cards seemly every weekend at this point, while outstanding for hardcore fans, it can be difficult for a casual fan to figure out which fights are worth their time. So if you are on the fence about this card, trust me when I tell you, this fight card is stacked and you don’t want miss it!
UFC on Fox: Rockhold vs Machida
UFC has historically tried to load up their Fox cards and have done so again. We have everything from, star power, top contenders, up and comers, and the best part is most of these showdowns should be action packed… at least on paper.
Here are some breakdowns predictions of some of my favorite fights taking place in New Jersey Saturday night.
Best Fight
Rockhold vs Machida
What’s not to like in this main event? You have two former champions squaring off and each needing a big time showing to stay firmly in title contention. If either fighter wins convincingly UFC matchmaker Joe Silva will be hard pressed to not grant a title shot.
Love him or hate him its tough to argue with Lyoto Machida’s body of work. He has fought the biggest names in the business and his karate background makes him a tough test to study for. His accuracy, timing and ability to keep the distance are extremely hard to replicate in training camp. This will be just his second fight since being on the short end of a decision to division king Chris Weidman, and he is well aware of what’s needed if he wants to earn a rematch.
Across the octagon you have Luke Rockhold who, despite 3 outstanding finishes in a row, is still looking to make people forget about Vitor Belfort kicking him into the sixth row and a win against Machida should do the trick. Rockhold came over from Strikeforce as the reigning champ believing that he is capable of holding the belt here in the UFC. Despite the aforementioned Belfort set back he is in prime position to prove to everyone he is a serious contender to the crown. He has a strong grappling pedigree with a slue of submission victories including his last two, but don’t sleep on his striking as he does have a knockout of the night fight bonus to his credit.
Prediction:
This fight is tough to pick, these guys know what’s at stake and each of them knows how to finish a fight. If Rockhold is successful in closing the distance he should be able to dictate the fight however he wants but as many people have learned that is not an easy task. As the fight goes on Machida can become more and more frustrating and almost no one is better at taking advantage of a mistake than Machida. With this one being so close I am going with Machida who is going off as a slight underdog. I think he will do what he does best and frustrate Rockhold all night and take a decision victory or a late stoppage.
Prospects to Watch:
Aljamain Sterling
Sterling is a 25-year-old undefeated Longo-Serra prospect that is facing a substantial step up in competition with Takeya Mizugaki. Mizugaki is a game opponent who has a tremendous experience advantage having fought for WEC or UFC since 2009. However Sterling is fighter whose stock is rising fast and I don’t expect that to change as a result of this fight. I was extremely impressed with his performance in his first two UFC bouts and am excited to see what improvements he has made since then. Sterling is a heavy favorite at for a reason and I predict another impressive victory and serves notice to the rest of the roster he is a fighter to be reckoned with.
Beneil Dariush
Like Sterling, Dariush is 25 and certainly has the makings of a fighter on the rise and is getting a substantial step up in competition as well. I couldn’t have been more impressed with his domination of Daron Cruickshank. Sporting a 10-1 record he gets the always tough Jim Miller who took the fight on short notice. Miller has flirted with greatness in the UFC but at this point in his career it’s hard to imagine him being able to change his game much. Everyone knows Miller wants to wrestle and grind his opponent down with his ground game, however that is going to be tough to do with Dariush who has an excellent ground game of his own. I expect Dariush to punish miller with his vicious kicks en route to an early stoppage.
Fights mostly likely to make you say Damn
Cub Swanson vs Max Holloway
This is a fight that could get you hooked if you have never watched UFC before. You have two excellent strikers who prefer above all else to stand and bang. This should be a fast paced all out battle. I think that Swanson has a slight edge in pure striking ability but Holloway certainly has the reach as he extremely tall for this weight class. This is a tough fight to predict but since Cub is a personal favorite of mine I will give him the nod in what has the potential to be the best fight of the year. If this fight had the title implications of the main event it would easily be the best fight on the card.
Feliz Herrig vs. Paige VanZant
If there is one thing that I have learned about the women’s MMA world is that these ladies know how to rumble! I expect nothing less from Herrig and VanZant as they are trying to make a name for themselves in the still brand new strawweight division. It might not be the most technically pleasing fight on the card but the ladies bring it and each of them wants to prove they are more than just a pretty face for UFC promo posters.
