10 November Tussles Worth Watching
Tim Leidecker Oct 30, 2009
As 2009 hits the home stretch, the stars come out. The world’s best
fighters, even those who have remained relatively quiet, remember
awards, titles, fame and fortune are up for grabs at the end of the
year. More than a dozen athletes who are recognized as top 10
fighters in their respective weight classes -- and even a couple of
pound-for-pound kings -- will ply their trades in November. Still,
there are some unusual cases of hardship this month.
At any other time, fights involving heavy hitters like former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, reigning Strikeforce light heavyweight titleholder Gegard Mousasi and Takeshi Inoue might have been guaranteed a spot in the top 10. Not this time.
As always, the list does not necessarily focus on the major
bouts you already know to watch, but rather on fights from all over
the planet that are worth seeing.
10. Ivan Mussardo vs. Philipp Schranz
La Onda “Manto Cup,” Nov. 1 -- Magdeburg, Germany
9. Wander Braga vs. Alberto Crane
Called Out MMA 2, Nov. 14 -- Ontario, Calif.
A handful of fighters were so far ahead of their time that they were successful during the “dark ages” of MMA but unable to reap the success they deserve. Frank Shamrock is one of them; Braga is another. This Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt ruled the mid 1990s with an iron hand in Brazil and returned from a five-year break to succeed inside the World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage promotions in 2003-04. After another five-year hiatus, he returned this summer and lost for the first time as a professional mixed martial artist. Braga will try to eliminate the mistakes he made in his defeat to Gabe Ruediger, as he takes on Crane, another UFC veteran.
8. Michal Fijalka vs. Dave Dalgliesh
Beast of the East “Grabowski vs. Overeem,” Nov. 14 -- Gdynia, Poland
The collaboration between Dutch promoter Beast of the East and Polish fight gear manufacturer Pit Bull West Coast represents the alliance that is supposed to save Polish MMA. So far this year, the sport has been plagued in Poland by cancellations of major events, and the whole scene longs for Beasts of the East to succeed. Arguably the most competitive matchup on the stacked card pits the last KSW tournament champion, Dalgliesh, against Fijalka, an undefeated powerhouse spawned by the Polish monster forge Berserker’s Team in Szczecin.
7. Ryuichi Miki vs. Masaaki Sugawara
Shooto “Revolutionary Exchanges 3,” Nov. 23 -- Tokyo
All lovers of highly technical fighting should mark Shooto’s third installment of its “Revolutionary Exchanges” series with a big red cross, as two of Japan’s most talented flyweights look to remain fixtures in the world’s top ten rankings. Miki finds himself on the rebound after his first defeat in more than three years -- a tough unanimous decision loss against Yasuhiro Urushitani in September. It may prove equally difficult for him to bounce back, as he takes on another experienced ring wolf in Sugawara.
6. Che Mills vs. Jim Wallhead
Knuckleup at the Manor “Mills vs. Wallhead,” Nov. 1 -- Newport, Wales
Fledgling promotion Knuckle Up comes in strong with an intriguing bout between two of the UK’s top welterweights. Wallhead has emerged as the top 170-pound fighter in Europe yet to be signed by a major promotion. Mills came onto the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” with a plenty of hype following two knockout wins over current Dream champion Marius Zaromskis. However, he had the bad luck of facing eventual winner James Wilks in the first round. The winner of this one will make a strong case that he belongs on a bigger stage.
5. Fabricio Monteiro vs. Edilberto de Oliveira
Win Fight & Entertainment 5, Nov. 21 -- Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Brazilian MMA is clearly on the rise again, with Bitetti Combat Nordeste putting on a major event recently, Jungle Fight firing on all cylinders and WFE coming into the frame. The promotion, from the northeast coast of Brazil, has compiled its strongest card so far, co-headlined by a battle between the Japan-experienced Monteiro and UFC veteran Oliveira. Gracie Fusion’s Monteiro suffered a tough loss to Jorge Michelan last month and will be extra motivated against “Crocota,” who has finished his last three WFE opponents.
4. Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy
UFC 105 “Couture vs. Vera,” Nov. 14 -- Manchester, England
One man’s joy is another man’s sorrow. Martin Kampmann was supposed to fight Swick in a title eliminator in September but instead faced Dan Hardy’s teammate, Paul Daley, after Swick had to pass due to injury. Kampmann came out on the wrong end of a “Semtex” knockout. Hardy, the 27-year-old Nottingham, England, native now stands just one win away from challenging from UFC gold. Swick may have something to say about those plans, but it remains to be seen what kind of shape he will enter in after continuous injury woes.
3. Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov
Sengoku “Eleventh Battle,” Nov. 7 -- Tokyo
For some, it may look like a tune-up fight for Santiago before the American Top Team ace defends his Sengoku middleweight crown against a deserving Japanese challenger. For others, it represents a significant opportunity for one of Europe’s brightest prospects to legitimize the European fight scene in the Land of the Rising Sun. Khalidov has fought his tail off in recent years, beating UFC veteran Igor Pokrajac and most recently former Pride Fighting Championships veteran Daniel Acacio. Can he reap the rewards now, or will he fall prey to the world-ranked Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt?
2. Mike Thomas Brown vs. Jose Aldo
WEC 44 “Brown vs. Aldo,” Nov. 18 -- Las Vegas
Another of American Top Team’s champions will actually have to put his belt on the line. Brown will put his coveted title up for grabs for the third time when he takes on Aldo, the Brazilian sensation who has torn through the WEC ranks. An Andrei Pederneiras protégé, Aldo represents everything good about mixed martial arts. Aldo, an exciting young prospect, feels comfortable in every position and has pleased fans stateside with his spectacular knockouts. A perfect battle between experience and youth, wrestling and jiu-jitsu, Brown vs. Aldo promises to be a barnburner.
1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers
Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Rogers,” Nov. 7 -- Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Even though he may not have gained mass appeal in the United States yet, Emelianenko remains a transcendent figure in the sport. Beyond reproach after two first-round destructions of two former UFC champions, his supporters and critics alike will watch in awe as he steps into the cage for the first time. He will takes on Rogers, an undefeated knockout machine, in the main event of Strikeforce’s debut on CBS.
At any other time, fights involving heavy hitters like former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, reigning Strikeforce light heavyweight titleholder Gegard Mousasi and Takeshi Inoue might have been guaranteed a spot in the top 10. Not this time.
Advertisement
10. Ivan Mussardo vs. Philipp Schranz
La Onda “Manto Cup,” Nov. 1 -- Magdeburg, Germany
Two of the finest unsigned welterweight talents in
Europe will clash when Italy’s Mussardo meets Austria’s Schranz.
Both men like to stand and bang, but they are equally well-versed
on the ground thanks to extensive training under Augusto
Frota and Jorge Balarin, respectively. This Alpine duel was
originally set to take place in the summer of last year in Basle,
Switzerland, and La Onda promoter Sascha Poppendieck has jumped at
the chance of adding this super fight to an already impressive
card.
9. Wander Braga vs. Alberto Crane
Called Out MMA 2, Nov. 14 -- Ontario, Calif.
A handful of fighters were so far ahead of their time that they were successful during the “dark ages” of MMA but unable to reap the success they deserve. Frank Shamrock is one of them; Braga is another. This Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt ruled the mid 1990s with an iron hand in Brazil and returned from a five-year break to succeed inside the World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage promotions in 2003-04. After another five-year hiatus, he returned this summer and lost for the first time as a professional mixed martial artist. Braga will try to eliminate the mistakes he made in his defeat to Gabe Ruediger, as he takes on Crane, another UFC veteran.
8. Michal Fijalka vs. Dave Dalgliesh
Beast of the East “Grabowski vs. Overeem,” Nov. 14 -- Gdynia, Poland
The collaboration between Dutch promoter Beast of the East and Polish fight gear manufacturer Pit Bull West Coast represents the alliance that is supposed to save Polish MMA. So far this year, the sport has been plagued in Poland by cancellations of major events, and the whole scene longs for Beasts of the East to succeed. Arguably the most competitive matchup on the stacked card pits the last KSW tournament champion, Dalgliesh, against Fijalka, an undefeated powerhouse spawned by the Polish monster forge Berserker’s Team in Szczecin.
7. Ryuichi Miki vs. Masaaki Sugawara
Shooto “Revolutionary Exchanges 3,” Nov. 23 -- Tokyo
All lovers of highly technical fighting should mark Shooto’s third installment of its “Revolutionary Exchanges” series with a big red cross, as two of Japan’s most talented flyweights look to remain fixtures in the world’s top ten rankings. Miki finds himself on the rebound after his first defeat in more than three years -- a tough unanimous decision loss against Yasuhiro Urushitani in September. It may prove equally difficult for him to bounce back, as he takes on another experienced ring wolf in Sugawara.
6. Che Mills vs. Jim Wallhead
Knuckleup at the Manor “Mills vs. Wallhead,” Nov. 1 -- Newport, Wales
Fledgling promotion Knuckle Up comes in strong with an intriguing bout between two of the UK’s top welterweights. Wallhead has emerged as the top 170-pound fighter in Europe yet to be signed by a major promotion. Mills came onto the eighth season of “The Ultimate Fighter” with a plenty of hype following two knockout wins over current Dream champion Marius Zaromskis. However, he had the bad luck of facing eventual winner James Wilks in the first round. The winner of this one will make a strong case that he belongs on a bigger stage.
5. Fabricio Monteiro vs. Edilberto de Oliveira
Win Fight & Entertainment 5, Nov. 21 -- Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Brazilian MMA is clearly on the rise again, with Bitetti Combat Nordeste putting on a major event recently, Jungle Fight firing on all cylinders and WFE coming into the frame. The promotion, from the northeast coast of Brazil, has compiled its strongest card so far, co-headlined by a battle between the Japan-experienced Monteiro and UFC veteran Oliveira. Gracie Fusion’s Monteiro suffered a tough loss to Jorge Michelan last month and will be extra motivated against “Crocota,” who has finished his last three WFE opponents.
4. Mike Swick vs. Dan Hardy
UFC 105 “Couture vs. Vera,” Nov. 14 -- Manchester, England
One man’s joy is another man’s sorrow. Martin Kampmann was supposed to fight Swick in a title eliminator in September but instead faced Dan Hardy’s teammate, Paul Daley, after Swick had to pass due to injury. Kampmann came out on the wrong end of a “Semtex” knockout. Hardy, the 27-year-old Nottingham, England, native now stands just one win away from challenging from UFC gold. Swick may have something to say about those plans, but it remains to be seen what kind of shape he will enter in after continuous injury woes.
3. Jorge Santiago vs. Mamed Khalidov
Sengoku “Eleventh Battle,” Nov. 7 -- Tokyo
For some, it may look like a tune-up fight for Santiago before the American Top Team ace defends his Sengoku middleweight crown against a deserving Japanese challenger. For others, it represents a significant opportunity for one of Europe’s brightest prospects to legitimize the European fight scene in the Land of the Rising Sun. Khalidov has fought his tail off in recent years, beating UFC veteran Igor Pokrajac and most recently former Pride Fighting Championships veteran Daniel Acacio. Can he reap the rewards now, or will he fall prey to the world-ranked Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt?
2. Mike Thomas Brown vs. Jose Aldo
WEC 44 “Brown vs. Aldo,” Nov. 18 -- Las Vegas
Another of American Top Team’s champions will actually have to put his belt on the line. Brown will put his coveted title up for grabs for the third time when he takes on Aldo, the Brazilian sensation who has torn through the WEC ranks. An Andrei Pederneiras protégé, Aldo represents everything good about mixed martial arts. Aldo, an exciting young prospect, feels comfortable in every position and has pleased fans stateside with his spectacular knockouts. A perfect battle between experience and youth, wrestling and jiu-jitsu, Brown vs. Aldo promises to be a barnburner.
1. Fedor Emelianenko vs. Brett Rogers
Strikeforce/M-1 Global “Fedor vs. Rogers,” Nov. 7 -- Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Even though he may not have gained mass appeal in the United States yet, Emelianenko remains a transcendent figure in the sport. Beyond reproach after two first-round destructions of two former UFC champions, his supporters and critics alike will watch in awe as he steps into the cage for the first time. He will takes on Rogers, an undefeated knockout machine, in the main event of Strikeforce’s debut on CBS.
