When fighters are given their release from a major North American MMA promotion like the UFC or Bellator – unless they’re a major star – they often fall into obscurity on the regional/overseas circuit unless they rack up a few wins and end up signing with one of the aforementioned promotions. In this regular feature for MMAOddsBreaker.com, I take a look at some regional/overseas MMA matchups for the month of September and rather than listing off the top fights outside these major organizations, I highlight some familiar names that you might recognize on upcoming fight cards.
Invicta FC 31: Jandiroba vs. Morandin – Sept 1 (Kansas City, MI)
Pearl Gonzalez (8-3) vs. Daiane Firmino (9-2)
UFC veteran Gonzalez looks for three-straight wins for the first time since Apr. 2016 when she faces Brazilian Firmino. Gonzalez has gone 2-0 since leaving the UFC last year, most recently defeating Barbara Acioly at Invicta FC 29 by submission. Firmino will be making her Invicta FC debut.
RCC: Intro – Sept 1
Taylor Lapilus (13-2) vs. Denis Lavrentyev (5-1)
UFC veteran Lapilus looks for his fourth win in a row when he faces Russian fighter Larentyev. Lapilus went 3-1 in the UFC and left the promotion after a unanimous decision win over Leanrdo Issa at UFC Fight Night 93. Larrentyev meanwhile heads into this matchup on a five-fight win streak.
Rebel FC 9 – Sept 7 (Bejing, China)
Antonio Silva (19-12) vs. Wenbo Liu (11-7-1)
Former UFC title challenger Silva looks for his first win since June 2015 when he faces Liu. Silva has lost five-fights in a row, with four of those losses coming by knockout. Liu meanwhile has won three of his last four fights.
Hacran Dias (24-6-1) vs. Gadzhi Rabadanov (8-3-2)
UFC veteran Dias looks for his second-straight win when he faces Russian fighter Rabadanov. Dias snapped a three-fight skid in his last bout, defeating Mauricio Machado at Shooto Brasil 84 in May. Prior to that he had lost three straight fights to Cub Sawnson, Andre Fili and Jared Gordon. Rabadanov meanwhile has won back-to-back fights and is 5-1-1 in his last seven fights.
Takeya Mizugaki (22-13-2) vs. Guanyou Ning (5-4-1)
Former UFC bantamweight Mizugaki looks to make it two in a row when he faces Ning. Mizugaki snapped a four-fight losing streak when he defeated Pietro Menga at ACB 87 in May. Ning meanwhile looks for his first win since May 2015 as he’s coming off back-to-back losses.
ACB 93: Kransnodar – Sept 8 (Krasnodar, Russia)
Albert Tumenov (19-4) vs. Brett Cooper (25-13)
Former UFC welterweight Tumenov looks for his third-straight win when he faces Cooper. Tumenov has won back-to-back fights since leaving the UFC in 2016, including a unanimous decision over fellow UFC veteran Nah-shon Burrell at ACB 80. Cooper meanwhile has won four of his last five fights.
Daniel Omielanczuk (20-8-1) vs. Amir Aliakbari (8-1)
UFC veteran Omielanczuk aims for two-straight wins for the first time since July 2016 when he faces Alikabari in a heavyweight affair. Omielanczuk suffered three straight losses in the UFC to Stefan Struve, Tim Johnson and Curtis Blaydes before he was released last year. Since then, the 35-year-old defeated Bobby Brents at ACB 83 by first-round submission. Aliakbari meanwhile heads into this matchup on a three-fight win streak.
Tuff-N-Uff: Fight Night – Sept 14 (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Cody McKenzie (16-11) vs. JD Domengeaux (11-4)
Former UFC featherweight McKenzie competes in the main event of this card against Domengeaux in a welterweight matchup. McKenzie has lost three of his last four fights and will be looking for his first win since May 2016. Domengeuax meanwhile is 2-2 in his last four fights and looks to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in his career.
DeAnna Bennett (9-3-1) vs. Kelly Kobold (19-3-2)
A pair of Invicta FC veterans clash in the co-main event as TUF 26’s Bennett faces Kobold. Bennett is coming off a split decision win over Karina Rodriguez at Invicta FC 28 and will be looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since Sept. 2015. Kobold meanwhile is coming off a unanimous decision win over Katy Collins at LFA 34 and competes for just the third time since 2012.
LFA 49 – Sept 14 (Atlantic City, NJ)
Jonavin Webb (10-2) vs. Tanner Saraceno (7-2)
UFC veteran Webb looks for his third win in a row when he battles Saraceno in a welterweight affair. Webb went 0-2 in the UFC losing to Kyle Noke and Nathan Coy. Saraceno heads into this matchup on a three-fight win streak.
Dominate FC – Sept 15 (Tacoma, Washington)
Anthony Hamilton (16-9) vs. Dylan Potter (6-3) – Heavyweight Title
Former UFC heavyweight Hamilton looks for back-to-back wins for the first time since Jan. 2014 as he battles Potter for the heavyweight title. Hamilton rebounded from four-straight losses when he defeated Randy Zarza at Combat Games 61 back in April. Potter meanwhile has won two of his last three fights and has never gone the distance in his career.
Ring of Combat 65 – Sept 21 (Atlantic City, NJ)
Louis Gaudinot (8-4) vs. Phil Caracappa (6-0)
Former UFC flyweight Gaudinot looks for his third win in a row when he faces undefeated Caracappa. Gaudinot has gone fought twice since he was released from the UFC in 2015 and will be competing for the first time since March 2016. Caracappa made his pro-debut in Feb. 2017 and has gone the distance in five of his six career fights.
Frankie Perez (11-4) vs. Yosdenis Cedeno (11-6-1)
A pair of UFC veterans clash in a lightweight bout as Perez faces Cedeno. Perez is coming off a first-round submission win over Jerome Mickle at Ring of Combat 63 which snapped a two-fight losing streak. The 29-year-old will be looking for back-to-back wins for the first time since Jan. 2014. Cedeno meanwhile is coming off a unanimous decision over Pedro Gomes at Underground Cage Fighting Championship which snapped his three-fight losing streak.
Brave CF 16 – Sept 21 (Abu Dhabi)
Bubba Jenkins (12-4) vs. Elias Boudegzdame (15-4) – Featherweight Title
Bellator veteran Jenkins looks for back-to-back wins when he faces 24-year-old Boudegzdame for the promotions featherweight title. Jenkins is coming off a third-round TKO win over Diego Marlon at ACB 70, which snapped his two-fight losing streak. Boudegzdame meanwhile has won six fights in a row including a win over UFC veteran Walel Watson.
TKO 44 – Sept 21 (Quebec City, QC)
Jesse Ronson (19-8) vs. Michael Dufort (6-2)
UFC veteran Ronson looks to win two titles in the TKO MMA promotion as the current lightweight champion faces Dufort for the welterweight title. Ronson has won four-fights in a row with all of those wins coming by stoppage. Dufort meanwhile has won six-straight fights and competes for the third time this year.
Battle on Volga 6 – Sept 23 (Samara, Russia)
Ali Bagautinov (16-6) vs. Denis Araujo (16-1) – Flyweight Title
Former UFC flyweight title challenger Bagautinov faces Araujo for the promotion’s flyweight title. Baugautinov heads into this bout on a three-fight win streak including a unanimous decision win over Andy Young at Fight Nights Global 84 back in March. Araujo meanwhile also carries a three-fight win streak into this title fight.
Unified MMA 34: Supremacy – Sept. 28 (Enoch, Alberta)
Seth Baczynski (21-14) vs. Teddy Ash (11-3) – Vacant Middleweight Title
TUF 25 competitor and former UFC welterweight Baczynski looks for his third straight win as he faces Canadian Ash for the promotions vacant middleweight title. Baczynski lost to Gilbert Smith on TUF 25 and was ousted from the competition. Prior to that, the 36-year-old had lost four of his last five fights but since the show, he’s coming off back-to-back wins. Ash meanwhile drops back down to 185-pounds after defeating Roufusport product Cam Olson in a light heavyweight bout.
Ryan Ford (22-5) vs. Matt Delanoit (27-14)
Bellator and WSOF veteran Ford returns to MMA for the first time since Oct. 2014 when he faces Delanoit. Ford has been competing in the boxing ring over the last few years and hasn’t seen action in the cage since his loss to Jake Shields at WSOF 14. The 36-year-old will be looking for his first win since Feb. 2014. Delanoit meanwhile has won back-to-back fights.
RIZIN 13 – Sept 30 (Saitama, Japan)
Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Tenshin Nasukawa (Kickboxing Bout)
Former UFC flyweight title challenger Horiguchi faces Nasauwaka in a kickboxing bout. Horiguchi hasn’t lost in MMA since April 2015 and is riding a 10-fight win streak. Nasukawa is 4-0 in MMA and is coming off a KO win in kickboxing over Yusaku Nakamura.
Daron Cruickshank (21-10) vs. Diego Brandao (23-12)
A pair of UFC veterans face off in a lightweight bout as Michigan Top Team standout Cruickshank faces Brandao. Cruickshank has won three-straight fights by knockout and will be looking to make it four wins in a row for the first time since 2011. Brandao meanwhile has won three of his last four fights including a TKO win over Satoru Kitaoka at RIZIN 11 back in July.
Is there a notable MMA veteran competing this month that I missed? Or is there a matchup that has been changed? Hit me up on Twitter @LynchOnSports, and I’ll add it in or fix it up. Thanks.
