2015 is a wrap in the world of The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and the upcoming 2016 calendar year continues to fill up with action. Here are my thoughts on some recently booked match-ups… Fight: Sage Northcutt vs Andrew Holbrook Card: UFC on FOX 18 Where: Newark, New Jersey When: January 30, 2016 Thoughts: Northcutt is now 2-0 inside the Octagon with wins over Francisco Trevino and Cody Pfister, respectively, and now gets a step up in competition against Holbrook, who is 1-0 in the UFC with a controversial split decision win over Ramsey Nijem in his promotional debut. I think this is an appropriate step up in for Northcutt, as I believe Holbrook to be a solid prospect at 155-pounds. I would have been very surprised to see Pfister defeat Northcutt, but I will not at all be surprised to see Holbrook get his hand at the end of this match-up. I am glad the UFC is giving him a solid opponent and am very much looking forward to this fight. Fight: Roy Nelson vs Jared Rosholt Card: UFC 196 Where: Las Vegas, NV When: February 6, 2016 Thoughts: Like most people, I am expecting either Nelson by knockout or Rosholt by decision in this three round heavyweight bout. I was not thrilled to hear about this match-up, and in general, am not very excited about the UFC 196 fight card. Sure, I think these heavyweights can surprise and put on a real show, especially if Rosholt opts to stand and trade with Rosholt and doesn’t get his lights put out right away. Stylistically, though, more often than not, I think these big boys either produce a snoozefest or we see an early finish. Fight: Cody Garbrandt vs John Lineker Card: UFC Fight Night 83 Where: Pittsburgh, PA When: February 21, 2016 Thoughts: I am excited about this match-up in the UFC’s bantamweight division and am very much looking forward to it. Garbrandt is undefeated as a pro and 2-0 inside the Octagon, looking like another Team Alpha Male product who can be in the promotion’s 135-pound title picture soon, especially with an impressive victory over the Brazilian in this contest. Lineker is coming off a very impressive first round guillotine choke submission win over Francisco Trinaldo in what was his debut in the UFC’s bantamweight division. It was an impressive win for the Brazilian and the fight resulted in one of the most entertaining fights of the year, cracking my own personal top five. Fight: Arnold Allen vs Yaotzin Meza Card: UFC Fight Night 83 Where: London, England, UK When: February 27, 2016 Thoughts: This should be an entertaining scrap in the UFC’s featherweight division. Allen is a solid undefeated prospect at 145-pounds and Meza is a game veteran from the MMA Lab in Glendale, AZ. He is currently coming off a unanimous decision loss to Sam Sicilia and will be looking to get back into the win column while simultaneously handing Allen his first taste of defeat. He came close to tasting it in his Octagon debut at UFC Fight Night 69 six months ago, where he faced Alan Omer and won the fight by third round guillotine choke submission. He was down two rounds heading into the third and final round of action, but caught Omer with the choke and forced the tap, handing him his second straight Octagon defeat and sending him packing from the promotion. It was recently announced that Omer has been released from the promotion and that is a business move I do not agree with, as I think he is a solid prospect at 145-pounds. He lost a close decision to former Cage Warriors champion Jim Alers in his promotional debut and got caught by the talented Allen in his next fight. I think he deserved another fight and the UFC is making a mistake by allowing another promotion to pick him up. I think he had top 15, possibly top 10 potential in the UFC. Allen vs Meza should be a fun fight at 145-pounds and I look forward to seeing how Allen does against a veteran like Meza, especially considering he got fairly lucky in his UFC debut. Fight: Anderson Silva vs Michael Bisping Card: UFC Fight Night 83 Where: London, England, UK When: February 27, 2016 Thoughts: Silva vs Bisping has been booked for a five round main event in Bisping’s backyard of London. “The Count” was originally scheduled to take on Gegard Mousasi but has a new opponent, and Mousasi remains on the card but a replacement opponent has yet to be determined. Personally, I would like to see him take on Robert Whittaker, who is coming off a unanimos decision win over Uriah Hall, who happens to be the man Mousasi lost to in his latest Octagon outing. Silva vs Bisping is a fight that has pretty much been long talked about and years in the making. While “The Spider” held the 185-pound throne, Bisping was unable to quite work his way all the way up to a title shot, always coming up a little short in every number one contender match-up. This should be a real treat for fight fans, and although I am was really looking forward to Bisping vs Mousasi, I am looking forward to this fight just as much, if not more.
