After an explosive February which had a plethora of intriguing and explosive mixed martial arts bouts, it seems almost impossible that March could compete. And while there are no “super-fights” or historic firsts, there are plenty of intriguing story lines and style match-ups to keep the blood-thirsty fans entertained.
Johny Hendricks vs. Carlos Condit
UFC 158
03/16/13
When Johny Hendricks knocked out Martin Kampmann at UFC 154, everyone thought he was a shoo-in for the next title opportunity against Georges St. Pierre. Two straight knockouts in under a minute against top 10 level competition should be a lock for a championship opportunity is most situations.
Unfortunately, this isn’t most situations.
Instead, the UFC decided to go with Nick Diaz at the request of St. Pierre. So now Hendricks will face perhaps his most dangerous challenger to date on the way to the title in Carlos Condit. “The Natural Born Killer” is coming off an impressive but ultimately losing effort against St. Pierre in the fall and will be looking for an opportunity at redemption.
Marcin Held vs. Dave Jansen
Bellator 93
03/21/13
We’re still not sure what took place last September to prevent this bout from happening, as the 20 year old Marcin Held was not allowed to enter the Horseshoe Casino in Indiana (despite being allowed in the night before for weigh-ins).
Nonetheless, we’re getting this exciting lightweight tournament final now and it should prove entertaining. Held is one of the more dynamic and exciting submissions artists in the world of mixed martial arts and has proven it time and time again.
Dave Jansen has proven to be one of the toughest and well-rounded fighters in the Bellator lightweight division and will be looking to keep this bout from hitting the mat at all costs. It will be a clash of styles when these two meet to determine who the next contender is for Michael Chandler’s championship.
Anthony Johnson vs. Andrei Arlovski
World Series of Fighting 2
03/23/12
After both Anthony Johnson and Andrei Arlovski had impressive performances at the inaugural World Series of Fighting show, the idea of a bout between the two was tossed around social media. Some gawked at the idea of a former welterweight taking on a former UFC Heavyweight Champion, while others were intrigued by the idea of a growing explosive fighter taking on a veteran.
Either way, World Series of Fighting picked up on the idea and we now have our main event for the company’s second show.
Johnson’s been known for his brute power at both welterweight and middleweight, but the most intriguing part of this bout is to see how that power carries over to heavyweight. Not to mention the fact that Arlovski has proven he is capable of being knocked out and you’ve got a recipe for explosiveness.
Wanderlei Silva vs. Brian Stann
UFC on FUEL TV: Silva vs. Stann
03/02/13
The last time Wanderlei Silva fought in Japan, there was no such thing as an i-Phone or a tablet, Facebook was in its infancy, and Twitter was still years from becoming the social media megasite it is today.
Exactly 2000 days since after Mirko “Cro-Cop” Filipovic knocked him out with a head kick, “The Axe Murderer” returns to where he became a star.
Across the cage will be U.S Marine, who was ironically born in Japan, Brian Stann. The two sluggers will meet in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 8 from the Saitama Super Arena in what is sure to be a war. Stann will be looking to prove he is still a top contender, while Silva is fighting for relevancy and possibly his career.
Georges St. Pierre vs. Nick Diaz
UFC 158
03/16/13
The whispers about UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre`s mental game have been heard for years. Since his upset loss at the hands of Matt Serra, multiple opponents have tried to get in his head.
Few have got under the champion`s skin in the same way Stockton`s Nick Diaz have, which is what makes their bout at UFC 158 so intriguing.
It`s a clash of styles and personalities when these two meet as the clean-cut wrestling based St. Pierre meets the rough-around-the-edges, jiu-jitsu fighter turned in Nick Diaz.
