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: Martin Kampmann vs. Carlos Condit, UFC Fight Night 27
My pick for the best fight announced this past week is the upcoming five-round welterweight fight between top contenders Martin Kampmann and Carlos Condit, which is set to take place at August’s UFC Fight Night 27 event. The fight is a rematch of the pair’s three-round bout back in 2009 that Kampmann won via controversial split decision, and the rematch has all the makings of a surefire “Fight of the Year” candidate between two of the division’s best.
When it comes down to the most elite strikers in the UFC welterweight division, both Condit and Kampmann and always on the short list. Both men have a ridiculous arsenal of strikes at their disposal, ranging from deadly knees and elbows to great straight punches and roundhouse kicks, and both guys have very solid chins for the most part. Both are always must-watch TV when they fight, so a bout between the two to settle their score once and for all is genius matchmaking by the UFC.
And I haven’t even mentioned yet that both guys also have underrated ground games, which means that even if this fight ends up on the floor it won’t be a bore. Wherever this fight takes place, it’s going to be two fighters going full octane for the full 25 minutes, and that’s exciting to know.
The bout should be quite competitive, but in the end I believe that Condit is just a little better in all facets of the game, and has a better chin, so my prediction is Condit over Kampmann via TKO in the third or fourth round. But I would love to be wrong and see something else crazy and wacky happen, and since this is MMA, I wouldn’t doubt if that’s the case.
Worst: Rafaello Oliveira vs. Edson Barboza, UFC 162
My pick for the worst fight announced this past week is the upcoming lightweight fight between Rafaello Oliveira and Edson Barboza, which takes place at UFC 162 this July. Oliveira is a replacement for an injured John Makdessi, and he’ll enter this bout as a very large underdog, because this really has all the makings a squash match.
While Oliveira has a very solid ground game and is generally pretty durable, Barboza is a human highlight reel who is capable of unleashing some of the deadliest kicks in the steel cage that have ever been witnessed by the mixed martial arts world (just ask Terry Etim). The most likely outcome of this fight is that Oliveira gets knocked cold, because Barboza has solid defensive wrestling and Oliveira’s takedowns are weak, so the fight is likely to stay standing, where Barboza will be at a giant advantage.
But what exactly is the UFC trying to accomplish here? I guess the goal is to get Barboza back on track by letting him gain some confidence, but I thought that was what his squash match against Lucas Martins at UFC on FX 7 was for. Barboza is one of the UFC’s most marketable lightweights – particularly in Brazil – and I believe the UFC is wasting his potential by throwing him in these meaningless fights against overmatched opponents.
And no, the fact that Makdessi got injured and Oliveira is a replacement isn’t an excuse, because the event is six weeks away, and there are tons of other lightweights on the roster available to fight. Why isn’t it Diego Sanchez vs. Barboza? Or Takanori Gomi vs. Barboza? I don’t get it.
I’m not a fan of this fight, but I have to admit fans will likely get to see a very pretty finish, so in a way this fight is kind of like a dirty pleasure. But it’s up to you if you like that sort of stuff or not, and personally, I don’t.
**********
UFC Fight Night 27: Kampmann vs. Condit 2 is due to take place on August 28, 2013 at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 27 will be.
UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman is due to take place on July 6, 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 162 will be.
