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: George Roop vs. Francisco Rivera, UFC 166
My pick for the best new fight announcement of the past week is the upcoming UFC 166 bout between bantamweights George Roop and Francisco Rivera. Both of these guys have been on a roll as of late, and with each fighter’s ability to provide entertainment for the crowd with their standup-based attacks, this one really could be FOTN at UFC 166, which is already shaping up to be a stacked card.
I expect an ultra-exciting bout from these guys, and with both men coming off of sweet T/KO wins, the victor of this matchup will surely move up the 135-pound ladder in the UFC. Both of these guys are injury prone, and it’s possible this bout never materializes, but knock on wood, let’s hope it does, because this one has the potential to be an absolute barnburner.
Worst: Rampage vs. Tito Ortiz, Bellator 106
My pick for the worst fight announced this past week is the upcoming main event of the first Bellator pay-per-view, a fight between former UFC light heavyweight champs Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Tito Ortiz, which takes place at Bellator 106.
I’m not a fan of this fight at all, so if you want a more positive viewpoint of it, then check out my colleague Michael T. Ford’s take on it.
The reason I’m not a fan of this fight is because it makes no sense in regards to Bellator’s business model. This was the promotion that was built on the tournament format and little to no matchmaking, but after booking this fight to headline their first foray into PPV, I truly believe the promotion has lost its identity.
The fight itself could turn out to be entertaining, but it’s much more likely that the fight between these two washed-up fighters absolutely sucks, and it could be disastrous for Bellator’s future PPV prospects.
Ever since Viacom took over Bellator I think they’ve lost what the original intent of the promotion was – build stars via the tournament format – and this Rampage vs. Ortiz PPV matchup is proof of that, because this fight just makes no sense.
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UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos III is due to take place on October 19, 2013 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 166 will be.
Bellator 106: Rampage vs. Tito will take place on November 2, 2013 at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center in Long Beach, California.
Click the stars to rate how good you think Bellator 106 will be.
