Today is another day where the UFC gives us back-to-back cards: UFC Fight Night 53 and UFC Fight Night 54, and this slate of mixed martial arts action features two very important main event battles in the welterweight division. Three of the four men involved appear on the official UFC rankings — Rory MacDonald, Tarec Saffiedine, and Gunnar Nelson are currently ranked 2, 9, and 12 respectively — and each of these men has the potential to make a run to challenge Johny Hendricks (or whoever holds the belt in 2015, after the Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler rematch at UFC 181). These competitors, along with Rick Story, will be jockeying for valuable positions on the 170-pound ladder. And whether or not fight fans turn out in droves to watch them, these contests will play a role in shaping the face of the welterweight division for some time.
MacDonald is clearly the closest individual to receiving a title shot. He was already slated to receive the opportunity before he fell to Robbie Lawler at UFC 167. But with two victories since that fateful night, he’s right back in title contention, and is featured in a main event in his home country of Canada.
His opponent Saffiedine was the last man to hold the Strikeforce welterweight title, but injuries have kept him mostly quiet on the UFC roster. With only two fights in two years, he has been overlooked by much of the MMA fanbase. However, if he pulls out a win over the Canadian star, he would insert himself onto the short list of competitors with the potential to receive a shot at the belt at some point next year.
This is a very intriguing matchup, because Saffiedine presents a host of questions that MacDonald will have to answer. For example, MacDonald tends to plant his feet when throwing strikes, which plays right into how Saffiedine uses his thudding leg kicks. If this fight stays on the feet, this will be an interesting tactical component of the fight to watch over the course of its five rounds.
• Rory MacDonald vs. Tarec Saffiedine
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And hours beforehand, across the Atlantic in Sweden, two other welterweights will challenge each other in an attempt to crack the top ten of the weight class. The undefeated Nelson has put together a quiet four-win streak within the Octagon. And while being Conor McGregor’s teammate is perhaps the biggest thing that the Iceland native has been known for up to this moment, his in-cage abilities should not be ignored. His submission abilities were highly touted coming into the UFC. and he has not disappointed with 3 submissions in 4 wins. His opponent Story has only been submitted by Demian Maia, but Nelson has the abilities to recreate that moment.
Story, the longshot of the group, is the “elder statesman” compared to the rest of the of the four welterweights competing this weekend. Over the course of his career he’s gone from the cusp of a title shot to nearly being cut from the promotion. The feeling from most observers seems to be that he is on one last run, a situation where he needs to either win or find himself in a smaller promotion.
Story’s wrestling and grappling style does not suit him for a confrontation with Nelson. While neither competitor has been known to land big power, Story may want to be more aggressive on the feet to avoid this fight hitting the floor. If most of this fight is contested on the floor, expect to see Nelson putting the pressure on Story in multiple ways.
As the UFC has continued to build its brand in countries beyond both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, UFC Fight Pass has become an important tool for presenting fighters from these nations to the public. The Fight Night cards on this platform are usually filled with fighters who are not popular within the mainstream viewer base. The Fight Night events on the Fox Sports 1 network also tend to feature fighters who do not have the greatest of followings. However, fight fans who enjoy the welterweight division should take the time to watch the two UFC Fight Night events that are going down this weekend, in particular, the two main events. Tarec Saffiedine vs. Rory MacDonald and Rick Story vs. Gunnar Nelson should add at least one wrinkle to the 170-pound weight class.
• Gunnar Nelson vs. Rick Story
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UFC Fight Night 53 is due to take place on October 4, 2014 at the Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
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UFC Fight Night 54: MacDonald vs. Saffiedine is due to take place on October 4, 2014 at the Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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