Lost in the Shuffle: UFC December
Between Thursday and Saturday of this week, more than 30 UFC fights will have taken place. That’s a lot of face smashing to digest, especially over such a truncated period of time.
By midweek, two barely legal blonde bombshells will look to establish themselves as serious UFC caliber athletes, while elsewhere in Nevada former and current champions will collide in marquee match-ups that have kept fans salivating for months.
It’s at this point, only days removed from several “dream fights”, that we must pay homage to the big homies atop Mount Xyience for their benevolence. It’s not every day we get to enjoy the same amount of fights that would have been Zuffa’s quarterly schedule just a few years ago.
But with so many incredible match-ups on the horizon, it’s likely more than a few awesome fights will get lost in the shuffle. Below are three slobber-knockers guaranteed to keep you entertained before the big money fights on Saturday.
Miller vs. Chiesa- UFC Fight Night: Namajunas vs. VanZant
Long regarded as one of the very best at lightweight, former contender James Andrew Miller has since fallen on harsh times. At 32 and currently riding a 5-4-1 record over his last ten fights, including losses to current lightweight phenoms Donald Cerrone and Beneil Dariush, Miller’s best years may be behind him. However, it’s tough to find a boring fight on his record, and Michael Chiesa might be the perfect opponent to bring out the best Jim Miller we’ve seen in a while. Expect fun striking exchanges and high level jiu jitsu scrambles should either be able to take it to the ground.
Lauzon vs. Dunham- The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale
In keeping with the lightweight trend, Evan Neil Dunham meets Joseph Edward Lauzon Jr. on Friday’s Ultimate Fighter Finale card. With an insanely fun featherweight clash between former champ Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes penciled in as the main event, it’s easy to see how this fight has fallen under the radar. But with 24 submissions and 9 knockout wins between the two of them, this should be another barn burner of a fight. While Lauzon is entering the twilight of his career, he comes into this fight fresh off the heels of his TKO win over veteran Takanori Gomi in July. Dunham, on the other hand, is riding a two-fight winning streak coming into the bout. This is another fight where both fighter’s best interests are on the ground. Who gets it and how is a toss-up, but if neither can manage a takedown, look forward to a fast paced striking battle between the two.
Holloway vs. Stephens- UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor
UFC 194 is one of the rare Zuffa cards that could sell based on the main event alone. The hype built around Aldo vs. McGregor is at such a fever pitch it’s no mystery nearly every other fight on the card has fallen into obscurity; even Urijah Faber is on the undercard. Tucked neatly at the foot of the main card, though, could be the best fight of the weekend. Jerome-Max Kelii Holloway will scrap with Jeremy Dean Stephens in what very well could be a number one contender’s fight. Riding a seven-fight winning streak with finishes over Cub Swanson and Charles Oliveira, Holloway is the only man to go the distance with headliner Conor McGregor. Though McGregor managed to pick up a unanimous decision win against the Hawaiian, it’s not crazy to imagine a future rematch between the two with a potential title on the line. Conversely, Stephens is 4-2 since his drop to featherweight. Finding new life in the lower weight class, “Lil’ Heathen” has already notched highlight reel knockouts of Rony Jason and, more recently, Dennis Bermudez. This has “fight of the night” written all over it, and on any other card this could easily serve as the main event. Unfortunately, though, this fight could be all but forgotten by the time Aldo and McGregor step in the cage. Do yourself a favor and make sure you don’t miss this one.
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