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: Michael Bisping vs. Tim Kennedy, TUF Nations Finale
My pick for the best fight announced this past week is the upcoming middleweight grudge match between Michael Bisping and Tim Kennedy. The five-round fight will main event the upcoming TUF Nations Finale card in April, and it’s expected to be one of the most hyped fights of the first half of 2014 in all of MMA.
As soon as Kennedy entered the UFC last year after his stint in Strikeforce, it seemed like the proud American was on a collision course with the brash Brit Bisping, and after Kennedy knocked out Rafael Natal with a leaping left hook at UFC Fight Night 31, the Twitter war between him and Bisping seemed to reach full blast. Their followers ate up their back-and-forth, both men publicly asked for the matchup, and voila, the fight got booked.
And what an awesome matchup it is.
Bisping, of course, is one of the top middleweight fighters in the world, and one of the best trash talkers in the game. No one hypes up a fight like Bisping does, and when you consider that he hasn’t fought in a year due to an eye injury, I expect him to come with a fierce vengeance in an effort to get back some of the attention that was lost after missing so much time due to injury.
As for Kennedy, he’s really been excellent so far in the UFC with two very tidy wins over Natal and Roger Gracie. One of the funniest fighters in the game, Kennedy always has a good build-up to his fights, and combined with his beef with Bisping, I can’t imagine the lead-up to this fight not being entertaining. And I expect the fight to live up to the hype, as these are two of the most well-rounded middleweights in the game today.
This is an awesome fight, and I’m glad the UFC booked it. The only criticism I have is that it was booked in Quebec City, Canada – neutral grounds – and not either the U.S. or England, which would have made more sense. But hey, as a Canadian I’m not complaining that we get a great main event for the TUF Nations card.
Michael Bisping vs. Tim Kennedy
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Worst: Thiago Santos vs. Ronny Markes, UFC Fight Night 38
My pick for the worst fight announced this past week is the upcoming middleweight bout between fellow Brazilians Thiago Santos and Ronny Markes, which is set to go down at UFC Fight Night 38 this March in Natal, Brazil.
The reason I don’t like this fight is twofold. One, it doesn’t make sense from a rankings perspective. And two, it’s just not that exciting on paper, which makes me scratch my head about why UFC matchmaker Joe Silva decided to book it.
Yes, both men are coming off of losses, but losses aren’t created equal. Santos lost via first-round submission as a short-notice replacement against TUF Brazil winner Cezar Mutante in what was a squash match at UFC 163. On the other hand, Markes lost via third-round TKO after putting up a very competitive outing against Yoel Romero, who is poised to be one of the breakout fighters in the UFC this year. And that was after racking up three straight wins in the Octagon, compared to a grand total of zero for Santos.
I’m guessing the UFC’s goal is to get the 25-year-old Markes back on track against a lesser opponent, and he will be fighting in his hometown of Natal for this fight. But it just seems like such a mismatch on paper, and I’d much rather the UFC have booked Markes in a more competitive fight against a mid-tier middleweight like Chris Camozzi or Derek Brunson than a bottom feeder like Santos.
I’m not feeling this matchup at all, and when UFC Fight Night 38 comes around, this is the fight I’m going to recommend the fans go out for their smoke or bathroom breaks for. Boring matchup.
Thiago Santos vs. Ronny Markes
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The Ultimate Fighter Nations Finale: Canada vs. Australia is due to take place on April 16, 2014 at a venue To Be Determined in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.
Click the stars to rate how good you think the TUF Nations Finale will be.
UFC Fight Night 38: Henderson vs. Rua 2 is due to take place on March 23, 2014 at the Ginasio Nelio Dias in Natal, Brazil.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 38 will be.
