After a weekend with barely any MMA on show, the UFC makes its return from the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Sunday (although Saturday in the U.S. due to the time difference). It starts a run of eight consecutive weekends that have UFC events on offer, and leads us right into the month of July where Jose Aldo vs Conor McGregor awaits.
If quality is your thing then there has never been a better time to be a fan of the sport. At Last Word on Sports we do however realize that eight shows in eight weekends is a serious commitment, and some of you may have to pick and choose which events you can fit into your schedule. If that is the case make sure you read the below before you start planning your next two months, because we have got ten good reasons why this weekend’s offering is worth your time.
MIOCIC vs HUNT – A FIGHT, NOT A BOXING MATCH
The reason there was little MMA action this past weekend was the boxing match of the century between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao. In Adelaide you will see another clash between two renowned punchers, but this time they’ll be fighting, not boxing. Miocic will bring the volume and look to set the pace, while Hunt will always be a threat due to the awe-inspiring knockout power he possesses. Both men are tough to take down and neither are renowned for their grappling, so you can expect to see the heavyweights throwing leather for anything up to twenty five action packed minutes.
HOME NATION HYSTERIA
For years we have seen through a number of sports just how competitive, proud and passionate Australians are when it comes to backing their stars. More recently we have seen that applied to MMA. On Sunday all four of the main card bouts pit Australian fighters against American ones. Jake Matthews, Anthony Perosh, Robert Whittaker and Mark Hunt are sure to receive a loud and ferocious backing with national pride on the line.
HATSU HIOKI’S BETTER OUTSIDE THE USA
Ahead of his 2011 UFC debut, outstanding grappler Hatsu Hioki was touted as a possible threat to UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo. A series of underwhelming performances and disappointing defeats have forced that ship to set off on a one-way voyage to the island of what might have been. Hioki has struggled when fighting in the USA, however his UFC record outside of the United States is 2-1. If we are to see another big performance from the talented throttler then it may well come in Australia against heavy underdog Dan Hooker.
BULLIES, FEUDING MOMS AND VAGINA INSULTS
Season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter was lowlighted by the perceived bullying of Angela Magana. Lisa Ellis was not the only contestant who appeared unhappy with her behavior, but she was one of the most vocal about it. When Seo Hee Ham was forced to pull out of her bout with Magana’s friend, Bec Rawlings, it was Ellis who was moved onto the card to replace her. So began a twitter exchange that started with suggestions that Rawlings was a bad Mother, took in threats of in-cage death, and ended with Angela Magana insisting that Ellis’ did not spend enough time washing her vagina. The exchange could not have been more embarrassing, but it is clear that these two are looking forward to the opportunity to punch each other in the face.
WELL MATCHED MIDDLEWEIGHTS
Brad Tavares and Robert Whittaker meet in a co-main event that should be competitive, and largely down to the style of the latter, exciting. Whittaker was awarded the fight of the night bonus last time out against Clint Hester in his middleweight debut, but will face a tough test from a more experienced grinder. Tavares has gone 8-3 in the UFC and holds wins over Tom Watson, Lorenz Larkin and Nate Marquardt. It is a fight that should tell us a lot about how much potential is left in both fighters.
AUSTRALIA BECOMES THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
35-year-old veteran Kyle Noke was initially scheduled to fight Andreas Stahl. When Stahl pulled out of the fight, he was replaced by Cage Fury Fighting Championships Welterweight Champion Jonavin Webb. Webb is making his UFC debut and has a big opportunity to make a statement with a victory in Noke’s home nation. Noke has fought just once since 2012 and may be fighting Webb at just the wrong time.
DESPERATE WOMEN, DESPERATE MEASURES
The Adelaide Entertainment Centre will host two strawweight fights on Sunday as Kailin Curran faces Alex Chambers and Bec Rawlings takes on Lisa Ellis. All four women are in desperate need of a win. Curran was beaten in her UFC debut by Paige VanZant in a fight which saw her complete all five of her attempted takedowns and still come up short. The other three women stepping into the octagon all lost their last 16 matches on The Ultimate Fighter, before losing their official UFC debuts at the TUF 20 Finale. When they step into the octagon on Sunday they are not just fighting for wins, but their futures in the UFC’s strawweight division.
JAMES VICK FACES AUSTRALIAN ACID TEST
The Ultimate Fighter: Live semi-finalist James Vick has gone 3-0 in the UFC, carrying a 7-0 professional record overall. His status as a prospect in the lightweight division will be severely tested when he faces Jake Matthews. This will be the first time Vick has fought outside of the United States and is giving up home advantage to his opponent. Matthews impressed in his two previous UFC outings submitting both Dashon Johnson and Vagner Rocha.
RECENT HISTORY TELLS US AUSTRALIA IS GOOD
This will be the fifth time the UFC have held an event in Australia over the past three years. If those recent events are anything to go by we should be in for a treat. We have seen great moments, great atmospheres, and great fights. Martin Kampmann’s late win over a rampant Thiago Alves, Demetrious Johnson’s draw with Ian McCall and Mark Hunt vs “Bigfoot” Silva are just three of many exhilarating fights on Australian shores in recent years.
MAKE THE MOST OF UFC FIGHT PASS
I have said this on Last Word on Sports before and will continue to do so. UFC Fight Pass provides an outstanding package of mixed martial arts goodness. What often gets forgotten among the vast fight libraries and original content are the Fight Pass exclusive events. UFC Fight Night: Miocic vs Hunt is another chance to extract even more value from your subscription with the whole event broadcast through the online platform. The UFC remain committed to Fight Pass and so should you.
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