We are nearing the tail end of 2015, and the UFC’s calendar continues to fill up. Here are my thoughts on some recently booked match-ups… Fight: Kyle Noke vs Peter Sobotta Card: UFC 193 Where: Melbourne, Australia When: November 15, 2015 Thoughts: 35-year old Noke looks to string two wins together in front of his hometown crowd, while Poland’s Sobotta aims to make it three in a row inside the Octagon. I think this is a solid match-up between a pair of veterans. The Pole rides a seven fight winning streak and and has gone 2-0 in his second stint with the UFC. Now he gets a step up in competition on enemy territory in the form of Jackson-Winklejohn MMA’s Kyle Noke. I think this match-up is a good test for Sobotta, who went 0-3 in his first sting with the promotion before receiving his walking papers. Noke again finds himself playing the role of “gatekeeper” in this contest, and if Sobotta could get past him, he will potentially draw ranked opposition in his next outing. Fight: Valmir Lazaro vs Michel Prazeres Card: TUF: Latin America 2 Finale Where: Monterrey, Mexico When: November 21, 2015 Thoughts: This is a rare “winner vs loser” match-up in the UFC’s lightweight division and it is placed on the preliminary card of a fight card it does not really belong on. Neither fighter is of Mexican descent, and this has a good chance of being a boring fight, so if you’re going to book a fight in Mexico between two non-Mexican fighters, I think it should be a match-up that has high potential of being a barn burner. I think this fight is misplaced on this card and the UFC probably put it together just to fill up the card, as well as keep both fighters employed. Regardless of the card, this is a fight not many would look forward to. Fight: Tecia Torres vs Michelle Waterson Card: UFC 194 Where: Las Vegas, NV When: December 12, 2015 Thoughts: There is beef between these UFC women’s strawweights and they will look to settle it in December. They are both promising to deliver dominant performances, so fight fans except “The Tiny Tornado” and “The Karate Hottie” to leave it all inside the Octagon when they square off in Las Vegas. Both ladies have their sights dead-set on a title shot and they hope that a convincing victory here would put them in position to contend for the crown. This is a fight I am personally looking forward to very much; regardless of who gets her hand raised, I think this is a fight that will make sure the fans are the real winners in the end. Fight: Myles Jury vs Charles Oliveira Card: UFC on FOX 17 Where: Orlando, FL When: December 19, 2015 Thoughts: Jury had his first taste of defeat when he took on Donald Cerrone earlier this year, and after realizing he can’t contend with the upper echelon of the UFC’s lightweight division, he has opted to make the move down to 145-pounds. Welcoming him to the featherweight division will be Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira. The Brazilian himself made the move down to featherweight after being man-handled by Cerrone at 155-pounds, so this is a match-up between two fighters who “Cowboy” sent packing from the lightweight division. I got excited when I first heard of this fight booking. This is a fight I very much look forward to, as I think it has a great chance of proving to be entertaining, regardless of how long it lasts. Out of all the fights mentioned in this article, this 145-pound scrap is the one I look forward to most. “Do Bronx” returns to action rather quickly following an ‘asaphagus tear’ injury he suffered in the first round of his last bout against Hawaii’s Max Holloway. That resulted in an official TKO defeat for the Brazilian and saw his four fight winning streak come to an end. Fight: Travis Browne vs Matt Mitrione Card: UFC Fight Night 81 Where: Boston, MA When: January 17, 2015 Thoughts: I don’t think I need to say anything about this match-up, we all know what we are getting here. Two heavyweights who are going to look to add another highlight to their reels. This is definitely a “do not blink” type of fight.
