This May be the best month of all
Titleholders Miocic and Jedrzejczyk highlight underrated UFC 211 card in Dallas
As UFC 211 came together over the opening four months of the year, the excitement surrounding this month’s pay-per-view offering has continued to build. And with the big show in “Big D” just a couple weeks away, the buzz inside the MMA bubble is palpable.
Outside of the bubble, however, things are very different.
This event could end up being a referendum on where the UFC stands right now and could speak to the “sizzle over steak” dilemma the organization is facing. This is unquestionably the best event of the year to date and the final eight bouts on the May 13 fight card at American Airlines Center in Dallas are outstanding. But without a marquee name atop the bill, the crossover appeal and strong buy rate isn’t likely to be there and that’s a difficult reality to understand and accept given the talent set to compete a little less than two weeks from now.
While last month was about spotlighting emerging or returning names that could make a splash (and all five earned victories), this month kicks off with a pair of champions who should be superstars and serious draws based on their skills and talent.
Here are five fighters to watch inside the Octagon in May.
Stipe Miocic
vs. Junior dos Santos, UFC 211, May 13
The heavyweight champ was one of my five fighters to watch in 2017 to start the year and he steps into the cage for the first time since September 2016, while looking to avenge his previous defeat to dos Santos and defend his title for a second time.
Miocic is a tremendous athlete with excellent boxing, strong wrestling and conditioning for days, which combine to give him the potential to lord over the division for a long time. He’s also someone who should be a bigger star and draw than he is now given what he’s done over his last four fights and a dominant effort here might be what he needs to take another step forward in that regard.
2 Joanna Jedrzejczyk
vs. Jessica Andrade, UFC 211 “Joanna Champion” should be a superstar, period.
Not only is she a ferocious talent inside the cage, but she also has a ton of personality and swagger — more so than Ronda Rousey had in my opinion. She’s a perfect 7-0 in the Octagon (13-0 overall) and has elevated her game in each of her five championship appearances, plus she’s charismatic in front of the cameras.
This has the potential to be her breakthrough fight as Andrade is a pressure fighter who has been great since arriving in the strawweight division and should bring out the best in Jedrzejczyk. With some quality pre-fight talk and a dominant performance in Dallas, the Polish standout should graduate to being a marquee name in the second half of 2017.
3 Yair Rodriguez
vs. Frankie Edgar, UFC 211 We shift from a pair of champions who could (should?) already be bigger stars than they are to one of the most promising young talents on the roster.
Rodriquez might be one of the most ready-made stars to compete in the UFC in years; a highlight reel waiting to happen in the cage combined with movie star looks, boyish charm and the backing of the passionate, fight-loving Latin American fans.
After mauling BJ Penn in January, this matchup with Edgar is a measuring stick fight for Rodriguez — a bout that will tell us whether he’s ready to challenge for championship gold or still needs a little more seasoning.
Regardless of what happens, the 24-year-old rising star is one to watch.
4 Misha Cirkunov
vs. Volkan Oezdemir, UFC Fight Night 109, May 28
The Latvian-Canadian light heavyweight earned four straight stoppage wins in 16 months to begin his UFC career, quickly establishing himself as an intriguing addition to the thin 205-pound ranks.
Following a brief contract stalemate, Cirkunov re-signed with the UFC and gets a co-main event assignment in Sweden against Oezdemir, who earned a split-decision win in his Octagon debut back in February.
Cirkunov is an explosive athlete with outstanding grappling and he’s continued to improve in each of his UFC appearances. The 30-year-old has been tabbed as a potential star since the early days of his career and he stands as the best active Canadian fighter on the UFC roster right now.
5 Abdul Razak Alhassan
vs. Omari Akhmedov, UFC Fight Night 109
Welterweight is loaded with talent and Alhassan is a long way away from contention with just a single UFC appearance (and win) under his belt, but his 53-second thrashing of Charlie Ward, elite athleticism and lengthy history competing at a high level in judo make him someone to keep tabs on going forward.
If he goes out and mauls a competent, experienced veteran like Akhmedov with ease in his sophomore showing on the big stage, the buzz around the 31-year-old judoka will get much louder, so consider this your opportunity to get on the bandwagon nice and early while there are still plenty of seats available.
Spencer Kyte covers MMA for The Sun and The Province. Follow him on social media: @spencerkyte.