The UFC yesterday officially announced the UFC Fight Night 55 card, which takes place Nov. 8 at Allphones Arena in Sydney, Australia, and a number of intriguing matchups were added to the card. Here is what the current fight card looks like: Luke Rockhold vs. Michael Bisping (five-round main event) We’ve already covered this fight in a previous edition of MMA Odds and Ends, but the main event of UFC Fight Night 55 is a five-round middleweight bout between Luke Rockhold and Michael Bisping. It should be a fun fight for as long as it lasts, but look for Rockhold to be a big favorite heading into the matchup, one that, if he emerges victorious, could lead him to a UFC title shot. Robert Whittaker vs. Clint Hester Robert Whittaker is moving up to middleweight and in his first fight at the weight class will take on Clint Hester, who has won four in a row in the division. This should be an excellent matchup between two guys who love to throw down and I think it will be in consideration for FOTN when it’s all said and done. I’m a bit surprised Whittaker is moving up in weight, but he is a young guy and maybe he’s having a hard time making the 170lb cut now. This is a close, competitive fight, but I slightly lean towards Hester due to size, although Whittaker is the better striker and can definitely pull this off if he fights to the best of his capabilities. Vik Grujic vs. Chris Clements A welterweight bout between elder statesmen Vik Grujic and Chris Clements should result in a nice striking battle. Grujic looked great in his last fight, smashing Chris Indich, while Clements hasn’t fought since losing via KO to Stephen Thompson last year. I think Clements is the better striker but the long layoff is a concern here, as is his motivation to fight. This bout could go either way but Grujic probably deserves to be a small favorite heading into it. Sam Alvey vs. Dylan Andrews A middleweight bout between Sam Alvey and Dylan Andrews could be each fighter’s last chance to fight in the Octagon. Andrews is coming off of a long layoff after injuring his shoulder in his fight against Clint Hester, while Alvey recently lost to Tom Watson in a fight where he just stood there eating leg kicks for 10 minutes before turning up the heat in round three. I don’t think the UFC sees much of a future for either of these guys and I expect the loser to be released unless this is FOTN. Considering how bad Alvey looked in his debut, look for Andrews to be the favorite heading into this one. Jake Matthews vs. Vagner Rocha And finally a lightweight bout between Jake Matthews and Vagner Rocha was added to the card. Rocha is the guy the UFC calls upon when they are trying to get someone an easy win to build them up, and in this case it’s obvious that’s what the UFC is doing. Rocha is not a bad fighter by any means, but Matthews is an up-and-comer at 155lbs and should absolutely destroy him in this fight. Look for Matthews to be one of the biggest favorites on the entire card.
