Ten UFC fighters you need to watch
Five fight cards in July feature plenty of established and rising stars in intriguing matchups
With plenty of high-profile matchups on deck, there are a bunch of big names and talented newcomers to look out for in the month ahead.
The UFC always goes hard in July and this year is no different as the leading promotion in mixed martial arts offers up five events this month, including a pair of loaded pay-perviews and a sneaky-good fight card on FOX.
With the increased schedule and proliferation of high-profile contests on deck, we’ve doubled the number of competitors we’re recommending you keep tabs on in the coming weeks.
Here are 10 UFC fighters to watch in July:
Marc Diakiese (TUF 25 Finale: July 7)
The 24-year-old British lightweight is a perfect 12-0 to start his career and coming off a first-round knockout win where he finished Teemu Packalen with a combination straight out of Street Fighter V.
Justin Gaethje (TUF 25 Finale)
The latest former World Series of Fighting champion to matriculate to the Octagon, Gaethje’s fights are often the MMA equivalent of a demolition derby, and I mean that in the best way possible.
Robert Whittaker (UFC 213: July 8)
Back-to-back blistering finishes pushed his winning streak to seven, and now the man officially nicknamed “The Reaper” but known to hardcore fans as “Bobby Knuckles” is poised to face fellow standout Yoel Romero for the interim middleweight title. The winner gets Michael Bisping later this year.
Amanda Nunes (UFC 213)
Listen — if you’re not excited to see “The Lioness” back in action after she mauled Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey to win and defend the women’s bantamweight title last year, I don’t know what to tell you. Her clash with Valentina Shevchenko headlines UFC 213 and should be one of the best fights of the year.
Cynthia Calvillo (UFC Fight Night 113: July 16)
Calvillo made this column in April after tapping out Amanda Cooper in March. Now 2-0 in the UFC, she’s taking a transatlantic step up in competition, venturing to Glasgow to face Scottish standout Joanne Calderwood on her home turf.
Gunnar Nelson (Fight Night 113)
The stoic Icelandic submission ace has picked up consecutive second-round submission wins (and Performance of the Night bonuses) heading into his headlining clash with Santiago Ponzinibbio in Glasgow. Already a top-10 welterweight, a third straight finish would put him in the title picture.
Chris Weidman (UFC on FOX: July 22)
Three straight stoppage losses have the former middleweight champion facing a must-win situation against Kelvin Gastelum. As if that weren’t enough pressure, the event takes place in Long Island, 40 miles east of Weidman’s hometown of Baldwin, New York.
Volkan Oezdemir (UFC 214: July 29)
In the span of six months, Oezdemir has gone from unheralded late replacement to potential title challenger thanks to victories over Ovince Saint Preux and Misha Cirkunov. If he keeps his hot streak going against Jimi Manuwa, the surging Swiss light heavyweight could be in line for a title shot before the year is out.
Tonya Evinger (UFC 214)
An 11-year vet on an 11-fight unbeaten streak, Evinger is stepping in on short notice to face Cris Cyborg for the women’s featherweight title. It’s a tall order, but the gritty Invicta FC standout has the skills and experience to give the Brazilian juggernaut her toughest test in years.
Jon Jones (UFC 214)
After a year on the sidelines, the constantly embattled superstar returns to rematch Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 214, but this time, Jones is the challenger looking to reclaim championship gold. Will he be rusty? Will this rematch finally happen? Will Chappy (colleague Paul Chapman) break out his old Jon Jones gear and cheer for “Bones” once again?