EXPECT WINNIPEG EVENT TO BE MEMORABLE ONE
Canadian fight card looks packed with explosive matches, writes E. Spencer Kyte.
Saturday’s UFC on FOX event in Winnipeg is going to be a banger — I’m calling it now.
I’m not talking about a good card with a couple solid finishes where everyone has a few nice things and the show gets a solid B grade overall. I’m talking about an event that enters the “Best Event of the Year” conversation because each successive fight ups the ante and adds to the awesomeness scheduled for the Bell MTS Centre this weekend.
While this weekend’s Canadian event doesn’t feature the kind of all-star lineup on display in New York City six weeks ago, the four-fight main card features nine top-10 talents and would have been flush with elite matchups had Jose Aldo not been pulled to rematch Max Holloway earlier this month in Detroit.
Robbie Lawler is an all-time, must-watch bringer of violence.
Ricardo Lamas has a chip on his shoulder after losing out on a chance to face Aldo and having to face an unranked opponent instead.
Santiago Ponzinibbio and Mike Perry aren’t the biggest names in the welterweight division, but they’re aggressive finishers looking to find a way to stand out in the congested 170-pound ranks heading into 2018.
Glover Teixeira idolizes Mike Tyson and tries to emulate him in the cage, while Misha Cirkunov won his first four UFC bouts by stoppage and is eager to rebound from his first loss in five years.
Starting with the Fight Pass portion of the card and progressing to the main event between Lawler and former lightweight champ Rafael dos Anjos, this is the kind of lineup that could just snowball into something special. Each of the matchups has explosive potential and even taking a “worst possible outcome” view of each of the 12 bouts set to hit the Octagon on Saturday night, there are very few that profile as sluggish, takedown-heavy grinds.
I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if this event comes close to matching the outstanding November 2014 event in Sydney where the judges were never needed as every one of the 11 fights ended inside the distance. That night wasn’t overflowing with established names or a ton of high-impact fights, but it started with a bang and just kept rolling, and this card has a similar vibe right now.
What makes it even more exciting is there are legitimate stakes tied to some of these fights as well, plus the opportunity to get another good look at a few contenders and newcomers who could emerge as title threats or serious prospects next year.
Dana White has said Lawler and dos Anjos are battling for the opportunity to challenge Tyron Woodley for the welterweight title, and while everyone knows better than to take anything the UFC president says as gospel, they are two of the top contenders in the division. A strong performance from either man would put them on the short list of possible opponents for “The Chosen One” in early 2018.
Lamas is looking to maintain his position in the upper echelon of the featherweight division with another high-risk, low-reward assignment, but with Holloway solidifying his place on the throne and Brian Ortega bouncing Cub Swanson from immediate contention last weekend, a big win for “The Bully” could land him in a No. 1 contender fight next.
And let’s be honest: Lamas vs. Ortega for a title shot is pretty much perfect and would be a terrific scrap.
After impressing in his debut, Galore Bofando gets a steep step up in competition against Canadian veteran Chad Laprise, who has looked terrific in his last two fights.
Middleweight Julian Marquez makes his promotional debut after scoring a huge win over hyped prospect Phil Hawes on Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contenders Series over the summer.
The most interesting fight of the night to me is the flyweight bout between Tim Elliott and new arrival Pietro Menga, who accepted the short-notice assignment at the start of the month. Elliott gave flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson fits when they fought a year ago — D.J. said it was “like wrestling a damn muskrat” — and if Menga can push his record to 14-0 with another impressive stoppage victory, the 29-year-old Liverpudlian will instantly become a contender in the 125-pound weight class.
I know I follow this stuff far more closely than just about anyone else and find positives in every event, but this one just feels like there is dynamite stretched throughout the entire fight card and the fans in Winnipeg (and everyone watching at home) are going to be treated to one of the best cards of the year.