First and Worst is an ongoing series for MMARatings.net, where every week Adam will make his pick for the best and worst newly-announced fight of the past week (Monday to Sunday). If you’d like to see any additions to this series, hit him up on Twitter @MMAdamMartin.
First: Jordan Mein vs. Matt Brown, UFC on FOX 7
The choice for the best fight of the week comes in the form of a replacement bout at the upcoming UFC on FOX 7 card, as Dan Hardy was scratched from his fight with Matt Brown after the California State Athletic Commission wouldn’t clear him to compete due to a heart condition. And filling in for him on short notice is none other than young Canadian welterweight prospect Jordan Mein.
This is a hell of a fight, and the favorite to win “Fight of the Night” at the upcoming stacked UFC on FOX 7 card, which takes place April 20 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
Mein took the fight with Brown less than a week after becoming the first man to defeat rugged veteran Dan Miller via knockout, which he accomplished at March 16’s UFC 158 event in Montreal. The 23 year old, already a veteran of 35 pro fights, knows that opening up the nationally-televised FOX card is a huge opportunity for his career, and even though Brown is as tough as they come, he had to take the chance.
Brown, a longtime veteran of the Octagon, is currently riding a four–fight win streak, and some are calling him a dark horse in the UFC welterweight division. The 32 year old is obviously peaking, and if he can derail the Mein hype train, he will shoot into the upper echelon of the division and definitely fight a top-10 guy his next time out.
With so much on the line for both fighters, and with both of them always being part of exciting fights, this could very well be a “Fight of the Year” candidate, and April 20 can’t come soon enough.
Worst: Cyborg Santos vs. Fiona Muxlow, Invicta FC 5
My pick for the worst fight announced this past week is the upcoming women’s featherweight matchup between Cyborg Santos and Fiona Muxlow, which takes place at April 5’s Invicta FC 5 card. Muxlow took the fight on only two weeks’ notice after an injury to Ediane Gomes took her out of her fight with Cyborg, although it’s worth noting she had been training for a fight on the card against Julia Budd.
Even though it’s not a true short-notice fight in the manner of her not having a full camp, Muxlow still doesn’t stand a chance here. Credit to her for taking this fight against Cyborg when no one else would, but this is going to be a slaughter.
I don’t know what else needs to be said about Cyborg. She’s just an incredibly dominant fighter and she has wrecked all but one of the women she’s fought in her career. Yes, she did have a run-in with the California State Athletic Commission regarding PEDs, and this will be her first fight back since, but even without them I can’t imagine her brutal Muay Thai technique suffering, and I think she’ll be just as dominant as she ever was.
I admit I’ve only seen Muxlow fight once, and it was a quick armbar loss to Marloes Coenen last December, but she didn’t impress me that much. Cyborg could very well submit her too, but it’s more likely that Muxlow takes a beating worse than she’s ever had in her life, courtesy of Cyborg’s hands, feet, knees, and elbows.
This fight is further proof that Cyborg needs better opposition, but it will take a very special athlete to be able to defeat her at 145 pounds, and I don’t think Invicta has anyone there currently that can give her a run for her money.
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UFC on Fox 7: Henderson vs. Melendez is due to take place on April 20, 2013 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC on Fox 7 will be.
Invicta FC 5: Penne vs. Waterson is due to take place on April 5, 2013 at the Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.
Click the stars to rate how good you think Invicta FC 5 will be.
