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: Sara McMann vs. Sarah Kaufman, UFC Fight Night 27
My pick for the best fight announced this past week is the upcoming women’s bantamweight bout between Sara McMann and Sarah Kaufman, which takes place at UFC Fight Night 27. This is a matchup between two of the top five female bantamweight fighters on the planet, and it should be a terrific co-main event for the second UFC card on FOXSports1.
Both McMann and Kaufman are nearing a title shot in the UFC, and this fight may very well determine who gets to fight UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey after she submits Miesha Tate with an armbar later this year (and make no mistake about it, that’s what’s going to happen in the fight). So it makes a lot of sense as far as the rankings go, but it makes even more sense as far as styles go, as McMann’s wrestling will finally be put to the test against one of the better grapplers in the division in the form of Kaufman.
This is my early prediction for “Fight of the Night” at UFC Fight Night 27. I expect it to be a closely-fought battle for the full 15 minutes, with both women being nervous while the scorecards are read, as this is about as even as a matchup as the UFC could book in any division.
Worst: Ian McCall vs. Iliarde Santos, UFC 163
There were a lot of mismatches announced this past week, but the worst offender in my humble opinion is the upcoming flyweight bout at UFC 163 between Ian McCall and Iliarde Santos, and it’s my choice for the worst fight announcement of the week. Although McCall is a poor 0-2-1 in the UFC, he’s still ranked in the top five of his division, while Santos has only fought once in the UFC, and it was a quick KO loss to Yuri Alcantara at UFC on FOX 8.
I don’t like mismatches, and I don’t like this fight at all. Although McCall needs to get back on track, I just don’t see what beating a guy who is essentially a nobody is going to prove to anyone. To me the bout seems like a complete waste of time, and although the UFC’s flyweight division is very shallow, there has to have been a better fighter who the UFC could have put in the cage with McCall.
It would certainly be something if Santos pulled off the upset, and with the Brazilian crowd behind him, I’m not counting him out completely. But this really is McCall’s fight to lose, and we should not only see “Uncle Creepy” pick up his first official UFC victory here, but also his first stoppage win in the Octagon. But just because a finish is coming doesn’t mean this is good matchmaking.
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UFC Fight Night 27: Kampmann vs. Condit 2 is due to take place on August 28, 2013 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 27 will be.
UFC 163: Aldo vs. Jung is due to take place on August 3, 2013 at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 163 will be.
