One might think -- and rightfully so -- that UFC 100 on July 11 in Las Vegas obscures and eclipses all other mixed martial arts action this month. Sadly, it’s not much of a stretch. Besides the always-industrious Japanese promoters and the odd regional U.S. show with a compelling main event, July represents a summer break for the sport.
Still, Sherdog.com managed to compile a rundown of 10 worthy tussles for July.
As always, this list does not focus on the major bouts you already know to watch but rather on fights from all over the planet that are worth seeing.
Westermann and Schreiter are two of the true pioneers of German MMA. Their bout serves as a rematch from their first encounter five years ago, when Schreiter won by first-round submission. The loss has long haunted Westermann, considered one of the premier German grapplers at his weight. Schreiter, on the other hand, remains one of the country’s most decorated wrestlers, with more than 500 amateur matches under his belt. Can Westermann overcome the weight difference and avenge an earlier defeat?
Two athletes who have fought on some of the biggest stages in the world find themselves on the undercard of a women’s MMA main event. Russian sambo stylist Gadjiev was a hot property early last summer until he accepted and lost a short-notice bout against
Ralek Gracie, a man who outweighed him by 15 pounds. Meanwhile,
Kazushi Sakuraba student Hamanaka’s fall from grace has been a long and painful one. Will the 30-year-old professional wrestler regain the form that once made him one of the most promising Japanese talents at 205 pounds?
Six-foot-10 giant McGee was once a sought-after American heavyweight. After wins against
Paul Buentello and
Pedro Rizzo, he even challenged for the UFC crown in 2003, falling to
Tim Sylvia. Following three straight defeats, he left the game for more than four years.
Ruben Villareal has also fought a couple of notable names but for all the wrong reasons; “Warpath” has always earned high-profile fights by accepting them as a last-minute substitute.
With Strike & Submit British lightweight champion
Ross Pearson unable to defend his title because of his win on Season 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” the promotion has put his strap up for grabs. Fellow TUF alumnus Stapleton will duke it out with another promising prospect, Fisher, for the vacant title. Fisher, a 23-year-old submission expert and former middleweight, had won four in a row prior to his defeat to
Paul Sass in October.
Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
James Edson Berto returns
to his hometown promotion.
Leglock master Berto, who traded leather with
Karl James Noons and
Yves Edwards during his stint in EliteXC, returns to his hometown promotion, RFC, for the second time this year. Ball, an experienced and well-rounded Englishman, will meet him in the middle. The Cage Warriors veteran became only the second fighter top stop durable Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
Alexandre Izidro this spring and also holds notable wins against
Leslee Ojugbana and
Aidan Marron.
Another of Florida’s many local promotions returns with arguably its strongest effort to date. Former UFC heavyweight champion Rodriguez will headline the 11-fight card, as he takes on American Top Team’s Rinaldi. Their career paths have intersected at the Abu Dhabi Submission Wrestling World Championships, where Rodriguez has medaled four times and Rinaldi reached the quarter-finals in 2007.
Nova Uniao has slowly but surely established itself as the number one fight team in Brazil and has positioned its top talent in the biggest promotions in the world. Dias, an undefeated prospect, wants to be the next to make the jump. The 25-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, having risen from the Complexo do Alemao favela, the most violent slum in Rio de Janeiro, will take on Spirit Martial Challenge veteran Nam. The 27-year-old submission wrestler went 8-0 in Korea’s most prominent organization and wants nothing more than to chalk up his first win on the M-1 Challenge circuit in front of his fellow countrymen.
Nova Uniao’s 20-year-old Shooto South American champion, “Dudu” Dantas, will challenge Ueda for the promotion’s 132-pound world title. The 31-year-old Ueda will defend the belt for the third time since he captured it against then undefeated
Koetsu Okazaki in March 2008. Dantas will undoubtedly look for some valuable tips from teammate
Marcos Galvao, who fought Ueda to a draw in September. Can “Dudu” accomplish what “Louro” could not?
Although he recently relocated to New York, former Shooto welterweight champion Ribeiro remains a Novo Uniao product and one of the finest students of legendary black belt
Andre Pederneiras. “Shaolin” returned from an 18-month injury layoff in April, as he stopped Japanese Olympic wrestler
Katsuhiko Nagata on first-round strikes. He now faces the current poster child of Japanese MMA, Aoki, in one of the summer’s most-anticipated showdowns. Which BJJ style will prove more advanced, the one Pederneiras taught Ribeiro or the one Aoki learned from his master,
Yuki Nakai?
Technically the co-headliner to
Brock Lesnar vs.
Frank Mir 2, St. Pierre’s welterweight title defense against the powerful Brazilian ranks as every purist’s main event of the summer. With both fighters well-rounded, well-conditioned and finely tuned, the matchup boils down to the champion’s game plan. Unlikely to stand and trade with the dangerous muay Thai specialist, it seems like a good bet to expect St. Pierre to take the conservative route and try to control Alves on the ground.
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