What a difference a day makes.
Last night, a jam-packed Bellator event took place in Albuquerque, N. Mex., featuring a pair of championship bouts, plus the finals of their light heavyweight and heavyweight mini-tournaments. In terms of star power, yesterday’s Bellator show packed more recognizable names into the cage than we’ve got lined up for the whole of August outside of the UFC Octagon.
But that’s the way it works on the regional scene.
With the UFC holding four events over the next 31 days, there is limited space for organizations looking to bring an audience to their show to operate. There are two UFC-free weekends in August, and as you’d expect, one of them is locked up with the best of the bunch this month, while the other, surprisingly, remains vacant.
Take note, fight fans: Saturday, August 24 is the day you want to volunteer to do whatever activities your significant other has been after you about this summer. Do it now so that you’re locked in, and can then spend the remaining weekends enjoying the fights, UFC or otherwise.
Here’s what’s happening Outside the Octagon in the month of August.
Best Fight: Pedro Munhoz (8-0) vs. Keoni Koch (5-0) – RFA 9, August 16
With all due respect to the various veterans competing this month, I’m much more interested in the bantamweight title fight between two unbeaten prospects that headlines this month’s Resurrection Fighting Alliance show.
Munhoz is an unbeaten Black House/Kings MMA product who has earned submission wins in each of his last four outings, and five-of-eight overall. Koch is the older brother of UFC featherweight contender Erik Koch, and sports one of the better nicknames in MMA, “The Evil Genius.” This marks the first time he’s taken on someone with a winning record, but it’s not like Munhoz has been dominating veterans this whole time either.
For the most part, I picked this fight because there is future potential here, and I’m more keen on seeing fighters that could develop into something two or three years from now than watching recycled competitors that have already enjoyed several cups of tea on the big stage.
Best Card: WSOF 4 – August 10
World Series of Fighting’s fourth event is easily the top non-UFC show of the month, boasting a collection of recognizable and intriguing names stepping into the cage later this month at the Citizens Bank Arena in Ontario, Calif.
The main event features Tyrone Spong (1-0) in his second career MMA fight, taking on Angel Deanda (11-2). Much like in his debut, this is an overwhelming mismatch in favor of Spong, who is an elite prospect given his wealth of kickboxing experience, and time spent training with “The Blackzilians.”
While Deanda sports an impressive record, he hasn’t competed since November 2012, and wasn’t exactly taking on the cream of the regional crop when he was active either. If he lasts longer than Travis Bartlett – Spong’s first WSOF victim – I’ll be impressed.
The remainder of the card is solid, if not somewhat familiar.
Gesias Cavalcante takes on Tyson Griffin, and Jorge Santiago faces off with Gerald Harris in a pair of bouts featuring athletes that have fought at the highest levels and now feel like they’re just kind of hanging around. WSOF President Ray Sefo is stepping into the cage as well, taking on Dave Huckaba in a contest that just seems misguided. Huckaba is far from a world-beater, but he’s a solid regional heavyweight, and Sefo hasn’t won an MMA fight since 2009, and that one came by way of injury.
What helps redeem this card from being just a collection of washed up souls is the return of Marlon Moraes and the organizational debut of Nick Newell.
Moraes earned consecutive impressive wins over Miguel Torres and Tyson Nam on the first two WSOF events, but was nowhere to be found on the third show. He returns here to take on 9-1 Brandon Hempleman. Stepping in against former TUF 15 quitter contestant Keon Caldwell, Newell looks to remain unbeaten and continue to show that he’s capable of competing at a high level.
Other action of note
CES MMA – August 9
Mike Campbell (13-4) vs. Pat Audinwood (11-2-1)
Audinwood had a two-fight audition in the UFC, and lost both – one to John Makdessi and one to Thiago Tavares – but has won both his fights since, including a first-round submission win over current UFC lightweight Al Iaquinta. Campbell has been a CES MMA staple – this will mark his eighth CES appearance – and has won four straight heading into this one.
RFA 9 – August 16
In addition to the aforementioned main event between Pedro Munhoz and Keoni Koch, this event features heavyweight prospect Steve Mocco competing for the third time, TUF 17 alum “King” Kevin Casey fighting for the first time since losing to Josh Samman on the show’s finale, and 10-1 Steve Swanson, brother of UFC featherweight contender Cub Swanson, taking on Mike Manzanares.
CFFC 26 – August 17
Charlie Brenneman (18-5) vs. Kyle Baker (12-7)
Brenneman looks to make it four-in-a-row since being released by the UFC, and he should get there, as the 32-year-old Baker is 1-3 with a no contest over his last five fights.
Legacy FC 22 – August 23
This is how light the non-UFC schedule is this month: I’m letting everyone know about a fight between Paul Buentello and James McSweeney. Only three other fighters have been announced as competing on this card – veterans Artenas Young and Eric “Big Head” Davila will square off, and former WEC/UFC fighter Damacio Page, who didn’t have an opponent at the time of this writing.
ProFC 50 – August 25
Alexander Emelianenko (23-6) vs. Darrill Schoonover (13-5)
Yes, I’m including a fight between Alexander Emelianenko and Rampage Jackson’s favourite target from TUF 10, Darrill Schoonover. For whatever reason, people remain interested in “The Other Emelianenko,” and with this month’s sparse line-up, why not give “The Grim Reaper” a mention?