In recent weeks we have seen injuries, lawsuits, and even an alleged hit and run wreak havoc among UFC fight cards. Fighters have been replaced, fights have been pulled, and new bouts have been booked. Having to reshuffle and re-book on the fly is not a new situation for the UFC, nor is it likely to change in the future. As such, you could be forgiven for overlooking some of the fights that have been made in the past week.
Fear not, because Last Word on Sports MMA have you covered. Taking the reigns this week is our World Senior Editor, Stephen Rivers, to guide you through his thoughts on all the UFC fights announced over the past seven days.
ANTHONY JOHNSON vs DANIEL CORMIER (LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
Born of what will be the biggest story in mixed martial arts in 2015, Daniel Cormier has replaced Jon Jones at UFC 187. What’s more, due to Jones being stripped of his title this remains a light-heavyweight championship fight.
The decision to strip Jones of his title was absolutely the right one, but what of the choice of replacement? Is Daniel Cormier the right pick to face Anthony Johnson for the vacant title?
From a sporting standpoint, it’s easy to discount most of the other contenders. Alexander Gustafsson has just pulled out of a fight through injury, and lost in crushing fashion last time out to Johnson. Glover Teixeira is coming off a loss against Phil Davis. Ovince Saint Preux’s biggest win is over a faded Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, and he lost convincingly to Ryan Bader.
Then what of Bader himself? He is on a four fight win streak which has included wins over two of the top ten, and Phil Davis who would still be there had he not moved to Bellator. Bader seems the closest suitable alternative, and as he was already training for a fight with Cormier that was set to take place just two weeks after UFC 187, he could easily have been drafted in to fight for the belt.
That really was the choice, Cormier or Bader, and Bader has a lot going against him. His biggest win is over Phil Davis back in January, a fight which many people believe he lost. He is also not any sort of pay per view draw.
You then have to consider that the UFC don’t know the outcome of Jon Jones’ legal problems, or when his open ended indefinite suspension will come to an end. It is quite possible that they need to leave themselves a suitable challenger for whoever wins the Johnson vs Cormier battle. On a lesser card, with reduced importance, Bader would be the perfect fit.
Cormier is the only one of the top ten, not hampered by injury, who has headlined a pay per view that drew a significant buy rate in recent times. When you combine that with him already preparing for that fight against Bader, Cormier offered the safest pair of hands under the circumstances. When things get messy for the UFC, that is usually what they turn to.
JOANNA JEDRZEJCZYK vs JESSICA PENNE (STRAWWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
When Alexander Gustafsson pulled out of his fight with Glover Teixeira at UFC Fight Night 69 in Berlin, the UFC opted to book a fresh main event rather then find a new opponent for Teixeira. We will now see the first title defense of newly crowned strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, as she takes on Jessica Penne.
Penne makes perfect sense. Other strawweights, most notably Joanne Calderwood, Aisling Daly and Felice Herrig, have had the chance to earn their shot in recent fights and come up short. Pulling the trigger on a new breed that includes Paige VanZant, Maryna Moroz and Aleksandra Albu, could ruin the progression of potentially big, and in VanZant’s case huge, future stars.
Jessica Penne is a former InvictaFC champion, and has only lost two professional fights. Her versatile skill set should stop this fight from being the one round blowout that some are predicting.
With so many cards and so many fights made, it’s the champions that we need to see more of. Any opportunity to get another title fight onto a card should be taken, and the Penne fight gives time for other challengers to emerge from the pack.
DONALD CERRONE vs JOHN MAKDESSI
With UFC 187 now just three weeks away, it is not only the Jon Jones saga that has effected the card. Khabib Nurmagomedov has been forced to pull out of his lightweight bout against Donald Cerrone.
It is a testament to how strong the card was originally, that it can lose both Jones and Nurmagomedov and retain its status as one of the biggest events the UFC will promote this year.
When the news broke, many names were suggested as potential replacements. Jorge Masvidal, Ross Pearson and Nate Diaz were all touted as possible opponents. It came as some surprise then, when the UFC announced that John Makdessi would be getting the fight.
Makdessi is Coming off an impressive one round win over Shane Campbell at UFC 186, and will hope to catapult himself up the rankings with a win. The last two fighters who beat Cerrone, Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos, went on to win the lightweight title.
A repeat of that seems unlikely, but you cannot fault Makdessi for stepping up on short notice and jumping at the chance once the fight became available. As Dana White so often says, this is a sport of opportunity, and that is exactly what this is for Makdessi, a massive opportunity.
MICHELLE WATERSON vs ANGELA MAGANA
We had barely been given the chance to digest the news that former InvictaFC Atomweight Champion Michelle Waterson had signed with the UFC, when her first fight was announced. The “Karate Hottie” will face Angela Magana on the Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale, July 12th.
The cynic in me would point out that Waterson is an incredibly marketable fighter, in a developing division that is starting to build a solid group of prospects and breakout stars. With that in mind you have to figure that, at the very least, the UFC wanted to give her a winnable first fight in the company.
Angela Magana sits right around the bottom of the current pecking order at 115 pounds and is on a three fight losing streak. If you were to throw in her defeat in the last sixteen round on The Ultimate Fighter 20, she would have lost four on the bounce.
The mandate is simple. Waterson should not just debut with a win, but should do so in impressive style to introduce herself to UFC fans in the best possible way. Make a statement here and tougher tests will be sure to follow.
TOM LAWLOR vs GIAN VILLANTE
Fresh from an exciting win over Corey Anderson at UFC on Fox: Machida vs Rockhold – Last Word on Sports’ 2nd best fight of April – Gian Villante is now booked to face the returning Tom Lawlor at UFC on Fox 16 on July 25th.
Lawlor has not fought since a second round submission win over Michael Kuiper in April of 2013 and has gone 3-4 in his last seven octagon outings.
If Villante is ever to fulfill the sort of potential we witnessed in his Ring of Combat run at the start of his career, Lawlor is exactly the sort of opponent he should be beating. Villante, for the first time since 2012, has the chance to open up a three fight win streak that would likely earn him a fight against one of the division’s top ten.
AL IAQUINTA vs BOBBY GREEN
When the announcement was made that Al Iaquinta and Bobby Green would meet at UFC Fight Night: Mir vs Duffee on July 15th, thoughts immediately turned to Iaquinta’s last fight against Jorge Masvidal.
Iaquinta was awarded a decision that should never have been his, and the resulting verbal attack on the fans inside the Patriot Center in Fairfax Virginia that night will live long in the memory. We can only hope that it was the last we see of the Iaquinta vs UFC fans feud.
His outburst, and a dreadful decision by two of the judges, overshadowed the fact that Iaquinta is now on a four fight win streak that includes wins over Ross Pearson and Joe Lauzon.
His opponent, Bobby Green has lost just once since July of 2011, against Edson Barboza last time out. The winner should move on to big top ten fights in one of the most talent-rich divisions in the UFC.
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