Mixed martial arts is an individual sport at its roots. Fighters step into the cage by themselves in competition against one other person and his or her own will. However, there are some team aspects that those individuals can feed off of leading up to a contest, and this weekend at UFC on Fox 9, one team of mixed martial artists, Team Alpha Male, will have the closest thing in MMA to a “home field advantage” when four of its fighters in competition.
Joseph Benavidez, Urijah Faber, Chad Mendes, and Danny Castillo are due to step into the cage in what will be the first time that all four of them will compete on the same card. 2013 has been a fantastic year for the group, as they have seemed to hit a second gear with the addition of Duane Ludwig as their coach. While the group has always been known as being one of the most well-rounded stables in MMA, adding “Bang” as their head coach has pushed them to the next level.
The biggest “knock” leveled against Team Alpha Male is that the group has struggled when it came to winning title fights. Faber, Benavidez, and Mendes all suffered their most recent defeats when challenging for either WEC or UFC gold. Even though Faber was one of the most well known champions outside of the UFC for an extended period of time, once he lost the WEC featherweight title to Mike Thomas Brown back in 2008, he has gone 0-4 in subsequent title fights. Mendes suffered the only loss in his career against Jose Aldo at UFC 142 in Brazil. Benavidez, who will challenge Demetrious Johnson for the flyweight title, has only been defeated three times in his career: once by Johnson last year, and twice when facing Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight strap. Danny Castillo has never had the opportunity to challenge for a title, though he has been very solid during his UFC run, with a 6-2 record in the Octagon.
This Saturday’s card is a true litmus test for the group. If they are able to go 4-0 and walk out of the Sleep Train Arena with their first UFC belt, then they may very well claim the title as the best team in mixed martial arts. In addition, Duane Ludwig will all but ensure that he is considered “Coach of the Year” once the year-end awards begin to roll out.
Against Nik Lentz, Mendes is fighting for another opportunity to challenge for the featherweight title. Many experts have pegged him as the man with the most complete game to defeat Aldo if they do meet for a second time.
Faber is squaring off against the rising prospect Michael McDonald. Both of these individuals have recently been defeated by current interim champion Renan Barao, so this isn’t a fight to crown a number one contender. This is more of a bout to determine if Faber’s star is finally fading or if McDonald’s isn’t ready to shine as brightly as many anticipate.
Benavidez vs. Johnson is the most intriguing fight on the card. They fought to a split decision at UFC 152 and have continued to look very good since then. Benavidez had to win three fights to get back to this position, while “Mighty Mouse” continued to improve with two title defenses. If Benavidez is to become the first Team Alpha Male member to carry a belt, he will have to solve the riddle of matching Johnson’s output. The champion has also shown in the past that he can be hurt, and Benavidez is among the best in the sport at finishing an opponent who is wounded. The question is whether he now has the power and technique to land the big shot that is needed.
UFC on Fox 9 has been positioned to be a very fun card. Team Alpha Male fighters rarely put on what can be considered a “boring” fight, and with four of their top fighters on the card, the Sacramento crowd will likely love it. Four victories will not only give this group its first UFC champion; they will also give Team Alpha Male the opportunity to call itself the best team in the sport of MMA.
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UFC on Fox 9 is due to take place on December 14, 2013 at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California.
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