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: Matt Brown vs. Thiago Alves, UFC Fight Night 26
My pick for the best fight announced this past week is the upcoming welterweight bout between Matt Brown and Thiago Alves, which is set to open up the main card of the first-ever UFC Fight Night 26 event. This should be an action-packed fight between two of the best strikers at 170 pounds, and I’m very happy the UFC decided to book it.
Although Brown is currently riding a five-fight win streak and many expected him to fight a top 10 opponent in his next outing, the fact of the matter is that none of the fighters Brown beat during his win streak were ranked, and Alves represents by far the best opponent of the bunch. Sure, Brown destroyed Jordan Mein at UFC on FOX 7, but Mein is just a prospect, while Alves has been fighting in the UFC for eight years and has already fought for the 170-pound title. This is the kind of fighter that Brown needs to beat in order to enter the elite, and the UFC was wise to book the fight to see just how good Brown really is.
And yes, I realize Alves is on a losing skid and hasn’t fought in over a year, but that doesn’t mean he’s not dangerous anymore, because he definitely is, and he’s definitely capable of beating anyone in the UFC at welterweight if his game is on point.
On paper this is an excellent fight, and it’s the frontrunner to win “Fight of the Night” at UFC Fight Night 26, so let’s cross our fingers and hope both fighters make it through training camp healthy so that the fans get to actually see it.
Worst: Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza vs. Chris Camozzi, UFC on FX 8
My pick for the worst fight announced this past week is the upcoming middleweight bout between Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and Chris Camozzi, which is set to take place at UFC on FX 8. The bout will serve as the event’s new co-headlining bout after an injury to Costa Philippou knocked him out of the fight with Souza, and Camozzi was taken out of his scheduled fight against Rafael “Sapo” Natal and brought in as a replacement.
I don’t like this fight for a few reasons. The first reason I don’t like it is because Souza and Camozzi are miles apart. Yes, Camozzi is on a nice four–fight win streak and has looked improved in his last few fights, but “Jacare” is one of the top 10 middleweight fighters in the world, and he’s by far the best opponent Camozzi has fought thus far. If Camozzi had been given a full camp to prepare for “Jacare” it would be one thing, but the fact he’ll only get two weeks to game plan for a stud like Souza means his back will be up against the wall in this one, because “Jacare” can do it all.
And the second reason I don’t like the fight is because I don’t think it’s a suitable co-main event for a UFC event. At least with “Jacare” and Philippou you had a fight between two top-10 middleweights, even if neither guy is a bonafide star (at least not just yet). But with “Jacare” and Camozzi, you have a perceived mismatch that may satisfy the crowd in Brazil if Souza gets the stoppage victory most expect him to, but those who know these two fighters and what they can do know it’s not a matchup that was anyone’s first choice.
Kudos to Camozzi for stepping up on short notice, but this fight reminds me a lot of the recent bout between Chad Mendes and Darren Elkins at UFC on FOX 7, and well, we all know how that one went.
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UFC Fight Night 26: Shogun vs. Sonnen is due to take place on August 17, 2013 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 26 will be.
UFC on FX 8: Belfort vs. Rockhold is due to take place on May 18, 2013 at Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC on FX 8 will be.
