Bellator

Five fights to watch this November

|

Remember, remember the fights in November, because there are some doozies coming up. We here at MMASucka.com feel that it is our duty to help you sort through the cluttered MMA landscape and pick 5 fights that are “must-see.” We’ve scoured the world to find a quintet of the best battles to watch over the next 30 days.

Five fights to watch this November

Liz-Carmouche-230x180

#5) Liz Carmouche vs. Alexis Davis (UFC Fight Night 31, November 6th)

Former marine Liz Carmouche and the most well-rounded member of the Cesar Gracie Jiu Jitsu Fight Team will square off in the co-headlining bout of UFC Fight Night 31: Fight for the Troops III. Carmouche made her UFC debut earlier this year in an exciting, if unsuccessfully short, challenge for Ronda Rousey’s women’s bantamweight title at UFC 157, while Davis entered the promotion with a decision victory over Rosi Sexton in a 3 round war. Both women are game fighters, good with their hands, but “Ally-Gator” has the edge on the ground over “Girl-rilla,” holding a brown belt in BJJ. Neither woman says die, both women have survived wars in the cage, and I think I can safely say that there will be blood.

#4) Tim Elliot vs. Ali Bagautinov (UFC 167, November 16th)

Sambo returns to the Octagon when Ali “Puncher King” steps inside to take on Grindhouse MMA’s Tim Elliot on the UFC 167 undercard. Both men are on winning streaks, but while Elliot’s managed to muscle his way do a pair of decisions, the Bagautinov has finished the last 4 fights of his current 9 win run. Any time the current crop of Russian samboists steps into the cage, we’re all but guaranteed some excitement, and we’ve already learned that Elliot was never taught the word “quit.” This one should be wild.

#3) Muhammed Lawal vs. Emanuel Newton (Bellator 106, November 2nd)

I find there’s more chatter for this fight than there is for Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler II, the card’s main event. This rematch was so anticipated that Bellator head honcho Bjorn Rebney even benched his actual light heavyweight champion, Attila Veigh, just so he could fabricate an interim title for this bout. If you didn’t already know, “The Hardcore Kid” Newton scored one of the biggest upsets of the year when he nailed “King Mo” with an electric spinning backfist, then had the class to help ease the unconscious former Strikeforce champion down to the mat. Mo’s not happy about it, and has been talking trash not only about Newton, but also “The Hardcore Kid’s” punk/metal background, ever since. Will lightning strike twice for Newton? I hope so, but we’ll all have to watch on Spike TV to find out.

#2) Joseph Benavidez vs. Demetrious Johnson (The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale, November 30th)

A rematch of the first every UFC Flyweight Title fight goes down at the TUF 18 finale. How can you not be stoked for that? You get Joseph Benavidez and his ever-improving striking taking on the champ and fastest flyweight in the UFC, Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. If you watched the first fight between the pair at UFC 152, you were entertained. A year has passed since that time, with Johnson revealinging some submission skills in his game, and Joseph Benavidez (along with the rest of team Alpha Male) surging along with “Bang” Ludwig-improved striking. It’s tough to say how this one’s going to end, but it’s not at all hard to say, “watch it!”

#1) Johny Hendricks vs. Georges St. Pierre (UFC 167, November 16th)

At times, one can compare Georges St. Pierre to Floyd Mayweather. I know, it sounds like a strange comparison, but hear me out. Georges and Floyd are both the biggest pay-per-view draws in their respective sports, yet somehow leave fans walking away disappointed due to their styles. With Floyd, so much of it is on him with his defensive style of boxing, but with Rush, a lot of it is an unwillingness on the part of his opposition to really bring the fight to him. The last person to do that was Carlos Condit, and we all remember that fight fondly. Now, “Rush” has another opponent who does not appear to be afraid of him, and will likely work to bring the fight to him in Johny “Big Rig” Hendricks. The powerful wrestle-boxer with dynamite in his hands believes that the UFC Welterweight Title is his for the taking, and plans to do it over GSP’s unconscious body. That’s got me excited, and it should get you excited too.

Honorable Mentions

  • Eddie Alvarez vs. Michael Chandler (Bellator 106, November 2nd)
  • Brandon Thatch vs. Paulo Thiago (UFC Fight Night 32, November 9th)
  • Germaine de Randemie vs. Amanda Nunes (UFC Fight Night 31, November 6th)
  • Yves Edwards vs. Yancy Medeiros (UFC Fight Night 31, November 6th)
  • Rafael Cavalcante vs. Igor Pokrajac (UFC Fight night 32, November 9th)

Share this article

Justin Pierrot is MMASucka.com's resident musicologist and TUF aficionado. When not looking after his family or writing his weekly pieces, he's making music as Stormland or building Gundam models.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *