We have entered the fifth month of the year, and the UFC’s 2017 calendar continues to fill up. Here are my thoughts on some recently booked matchups…
Fight: Vitor Belfort vs. Nate Marquardt
Card: UFC 212
Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When: June 3, 2017
Thoughts: Belfort opted to take on “Nate the Great” for his farewell retirement bout, and I gotta say, I do really like the matchup. It just makes a world of sense to me. This fight should be the retirement fight for both middleweights, but I think it’s fair to believe Marquardt will keep scrappin’ on regardless of the outcome to this matchup. Marquardt will be traveling to enemy territory for this bout, and in Brazil, Belfort holds a solid winning record of 5-2. I like this matchup for both fighters, because at this point in their careers, there’s no point in pitting them against up-and-coming killers. I believe they are past playing the role of gatekeeper. Despite the fact that this fight makes a lot of sense, it is also one I doubt will be lackluster. Regardless of the outcome, I don’t see this as a boring fight. I think both 185-pounders will be out there hunting for the finish, and it’s more than likely that one of them finds his kill. This is brilliant matchmaking, and I rarely say this about a Belfort or Marquardt fight these days, but I can’t wait to see this!
Fight: Warlley Alves vs. Kiichi Kunimoto
Card: UFC Fight Night 110
Where: Auckland, New Zealand
When: June 11, 2017
Thoughts: A Brazilian submission artist versus a Japanese grappler in… um, New Zealand? What? Hold the phone. What am I missing here? Man, I don’t know where to begin. For starters, the matchup stinks. It’s a complete, 100 percent “who cares?” matchup in the UFC’s welterweight division. I highly doubt any Australian or New Zealander cares to see this bout in person. I do not understand the placement of the fight. In New Zealand? Not Brazil or Singapore? Or Vegas?! Not even Oklahoma City? OKC would still be poor card placement, but it would still make a lot more sense! The New Zealand card should be featuring Kiwi and Aussie fighters, and if not, they should be bringing in fighters that fans what to see in person. No disrespect to Alves and Kunimoto, as they are both solid fighters, but the pairing of them draws no interest and should not randomly be thrown on a New Zealand card.
Fight: Steve Bosse vs. Jared Cannonier
Card: The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale
Where: Las Vegas, NV
When: July 7, 2017
Thoughts: This is a great fight. Two heavy hitters in the UFC’s light heavyweight division will be going toe to toe, likely until one of them takes a fall. It’s no secret what both guys want to do, so stylistically, I think this matchup is a recipe for fireworks. And like any fight fan, I am very much looking forward to it! Cannonier had announced plans to move down to the middleweight division, but he is sticking around 205 pounds a bit longer for this bout. Perhaps the reason for that is because Bosse is an undersized light heavyweight himself, who lost by first-round knockout against Thiago Santos in his lone 185-pound UFC bout. The future is indeed a question mark for both fighters here, but no matter what there is in store for them, I think one thing is for certain — this scrap is going to deliver.
