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: Mike Pyle vs. Demian Maia, UFC Fight Night 49
My pick for the best fight announced this past week is the upcoming welterweight matchup at UFC Fight Night 49 between Mike Pyle and Demian Maia. The fight takes place on August 23 at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This is a fantastic matchup between two of the oldest fighters in the UFC welterweight division, but also two the very finest grapplers in their weight class. Both men are absolutely lethal once the fight hits the mat, and I expect nothing less than a grappling delight when these two meet later this summer.
The winner of this matchup will keep his spot in the top 15 while the loser will likely be permanently relegated to gatekeeper status. I like that dynamic, because while both guys are still solid fighters in my mind, I don’t know how much longer they will be true contenders, and I like the fact that one will move up the ladder from winning this matchup and the other will move down.
If this fight stays standing, Pyle and his Muay Thai attack certainly will have the edge despite Maia’s recent improvements on the feet. But should the fight go to the ground as expected, I think we’ll see one of the best grappling sessions of the year in the UFC, and it will be a treat to watch.
I’m looking forward to this fight very much and think UFC matchmaker Joe Silva did a great job with this one.
• Demian Maia vs. Mike Pyle
Click the stars to rate your anticipation for this fight.
Worst: Takanori Gomi vs. Myles Jury, UFC Fight Night 52
My pick for the worst fight announced this past week is the upcoming lightweight bout between Takanori Gomi and Myles Jury, which is due to take place at UFC Fight Night 52 on September 20 at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.
From a names’ perspective, the fight does make sense. But from a rankings perspective, there is no reason why this fight was booked, and that’s why I’m not a fan of the fight.
Although Gomi is still a big name lightweight, at this point he is nothing but a gatekeeper. Yes, he did beat Isaac Vallie-Flagg in a “Fight of the Night” award-winning performance at UFC 172, but Vallie-Flagg is nothing more than a gatekeeper himself. A win over someone of that caliber shouldn’t earn someone a top-15 opponent.
As for Jury, he is currently undefeated in his pro MMA career at 14-0 and he’s 5-0 in the UFC, with wins over Diego Sanchez, Michael Johnson, Mike Ricci, Ramsey Nijem, and Chris Saunders. He has earned his spot in the top 15, and yet for whatever reason, the UFC refuses to give him a top-shelf opponent. No offence to Gomi, but he is no longer a contender at this point of his career, and doesn’t deserve this fight.
The fight may be entertaining, and it may serve the point of gaining Jury additional experience against a veteran of the sport, but he really should be fighting someone like Nate Diaz or Josh Thomson at this point of his UFC tenure, and I hope that if he does beat Gomi, the UFC will finally give him the opponent he deserves.
• Myles Jury vs Takanori Gomi
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UFC Fight Night 49: Henderson vs. Dos Anjos is due to take place on August 23, 2014 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 49 will be.
UFC Fight Night 52: Hunt vs. Nelson is due to take place on September 20, 2014 at the Saitama Arena in Saitama, Japan.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 52 will be.
