First and Worst: Week of September 15 – September 21, 2014

By Adam Martin

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: Junior dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic, UFC on FOX 13

My pick for the best new fight announced this past week is the upcoming five-round heavyweight main event of UFC on FOX 13 between former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos and top contender Stipe Miocic. The bout was originally due to take place back at the TUF Brazil 3 Finale, but JDS pulled out with an injury. But now, with both men healthy, the UFC has decided to re-book it, and it will headline the promotion’s year-end big FOX card, which takes place December 13 at U.S. Airways Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

The fight makes a lot of sense right now given the landscape of the heavyweight division, and I think it’s a terrific main event for the last FOX card of the year because it’s a matchup between two exciting fighters that is likely to be very entertaining. With the UFC’s 265-pound division lacking in contenders at the moment, this matchup between two fighters ranked in the top 10 could very well produce the next title challenger for the winner of UFC 180‘s main event between UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and #1 contender Fabricio Werdum.

If Velasquez defeats Werdum as the betting odds suggest he will, then one of the few challenges he has left in the division is Miocic. The fight against JDS is a tough matchup for Miocic, but if he can pull off the upset, there’s no doubt in my mind he’ll get the next title shot. In fact, I think the UFC wants that to happen, and that’s why they have booked this as the main event for the FOX card, because if Miocic does end up defeating JDS, the former champ, in impressive fashion, a whole lot of people will have seen it. If Miocic can somehow beat JDS, he will absolutely be deserving of a shot at UFC gold.

As for dos Santos, he’s in a tougher situation seeing as how he’s lost to Velasquez twice already, but there’s a situation that no one has talked about yet that could very well occur. And that’s Werdum somehow shocking Velasquez and winning the belt. If that happens, it’s possible Velasquez would get an immediate rematch, but I think it’s more likely that JDS — if he beats Miocic — would get the fight against Werdum. Remember, JDS is the only fighter to ever knock Werdum out in MMA, and if Werdum wins the belt, the UFC would be dumb not to book a rematch between JDS and Werdum.

Now, if both the favorites win as expected — that is, if Velasquez beats Werdum and JDS trumps Miocic — then the UFC is in a bit of a trickier spot, since a fourth match between JDS and Velasquez isn’t exactly palatable given the way the pair’s trilogy played out. But the UFC has a secret weapon if that happens, and his name is Mark Hunt, who could easily slot in for a title shot if need be. Either way, I think the UFC has covered its bases.

If nothing else, JDS vs. Miocic should be a fun fight between two of the best heavyweights in the world, and the fact that title implications are so real for it makes it even sweeter. It’s going to be an awesome fight, and it’s going to be a great way to end the UFC’s calendar on FOX.

UFC on Fox 13

• Junior Dos Santos vs. Stipe Miocic

Click the stars to rate your anticipation for this fight.

Worst: Alistair Overeem vs. Stefan Struve, UFC on FOX 13

My pick for the worst fight announced this past week is also a heavyweight fight at UFC on FOX 13, and it’s the matchup between former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem and Stefan Struve. For Overeem, he’s returning to the cage just three months after his recent knockout loss to Ben Rothwell, while for Struve this is his first fight in nearly two years after a bout with a heart ailment, as well as a panic attack that forced him to withdraw the day of his scheduled fight against Matt Mitrione at UFC 175.

Ok, on paper this is a fun fight between two heavy-hitting heavyweights, but let’s remember these fighters are human beings first and foremost. And that’s the reason why I detest this matchup so much.

Overeem should NOT be fighting in December. I don’t know what the Connecticut athletic commission was thinking, but he should have absolutely received at least a six-month medical suspension after the loss to Rothwell at UFC Fight Night 50, and the fact he wasn’t medically suspended is mind-boggling. The guy has been brutally knocked out three times in the past two years and nine times in his career. At 34, his brain isn’t getting any younger, and it could certainly use a break from taking punishment and trauma. And yet, for some reason beyond me, the UFC is rushing him back into the cage just three months after he was knocked out, and I don’t support it.

Same with Struve. The guy nearly had to retire due to a heart condition, which was thankfully corrected, but then the poor guy had a panic attack in the locker room before UFC 175 and never got to fight. I know Struve is a true martial artist at heart. I get that, and I’m a fan of the guy. But he should not be fighting in December, and honestly, I don’t think he should fight ever again. This is a guy who is just 26 years of age and yet is too tough for his own good. I wish someone could tell him to stop it, and remember there is a life after fighting, but no one has.

As a promoter, the UFC should be looking out for the best interests of its athletes, and in this case I don’t think it is. I think the promotion is making a huge blunder by booking this fight, especially on national television, and I don’t support the decision. I’m hoping this fight is scrapped and the UFC lets both men have more time off, because as it stands, I think this is a fight where we could see someone get hurt very, very badly, and not in an entertaining fashion either.