While the UFC’s latest trip to Scotland for Fight Night 113 is dominating the headlines — as much as any event can in the wake of MayGregor’s press tour — this weekend is serving up some great fights from a handful of promotions. These are fights you will not want to miss; check them out to satiate your combat sport appetite.
Bantamweight – Jimmy Flick (9-3) vs. Johnny Bedford (23-12-1) – LFA 16 – 7/14/17
You probably remember Bedford for his time on The Ultimate Fighter and subsequent UFC run. With wins in both the UFC and Bellator, he’s a big show veteran capable of competing with the world’s best. An action fighter with a penchant for grinding opponents into dust, Bedford has dominated the WXC bantamweight division since leaving the UFC, winning the title and defending three times.
Jimmy “The Brick” Flick is no pushover, himself. A three weight-class veteran, he’s shared the combat stage with high level opponents like Will Campuzano and Levi Mowles. Considered one of the best 135ers Oklahoma has to offer, Flick will have his hands full in dealing with the noticeably larger Bedford, looking to work around a 5-inch reach disadvantage.
Flyweight – Brandon Lewis (3-0) vs. Cameron Miller (3-0) – LFA 16 – 7/14/17
We stay with the LFA for this undefeated flyweight prospect showcase. Brandon Lewis has been tearing up the Florida scene for a few years now, having made his amateur debut at just 15 years old. He compiled a 7-1 record, picking up an amateur title before running roughshod over the Real Fighting Championships’ professional 125-pound ranks. He’s comfortable orthodox or southpaw, and throws his combinations with the worst of intentions, often finishing with his power hand or a brutal kick. While there are some holes in his defense, his head movement lets him get away with most of it. A very high level prospect, he gets to showcase his talent to a much broader audience Friday night.
He’ll be facing an incredibly dangerous opponent in Cameron Miller. A giant 5’8” flyweight, Miller debuted with LFA in January with a dominant win over Oscar Ramirez. People love to talk about Miller’s groundwork, and rightfully so. He’s 3-0 with his opponents logging a total time of exactly two minutes against him – all tapping to the rear naked choke. However, a closer look reveals a much more well-rounded game, especially against Ramirez. Standing in the pocket and leading the dance, Miller looked for a counter left hook and landed it flush, dropping Ramirez to his back. The ability and confidence to identify a defensive hole, and exploit it (twice, though the first wasn’t landed cleanly) in a matter of seconds was an impressive display from Miller. He’ll need that focus and confidence if he is to stand with Lewis.
Heavyweight – Valentin Moldavsky (6-1) vs. Carl Seumanutafa (11-7) – Bellator 181 – 7/14/17
One of the more unheralded recent signings of Bellator has been Moldavsky. As a veteran of RIZIN, he’s won big fights against Szymon Bajor and Karl Albrektsson on his way to the semifinals of the 2016 RIZIN Fighting World Grand Prix before dropping a split decision to Greco-Roman world champion Amir Aliakbari. A dangerous submission artist with a combat sambo background, it would come as a surprise to no one to see him shoot up the Bellator heavyweight rankings.
Seumanutafa is a deeply experienced heavyweight, having competed for EliteXC, King of the Cage, Strikeforce and Bellator in his career. He’s known to smash guys that don’t belong, but tends to struggle with the next step up in competition. He has dropped fights to notables Matt Mitrione, DJ Linderman, Jack May, Dave Huckaba, Lavar Johnson and the late Shane Del Rosario. His highlight wins have come over Javy Ayala and Josh Appelt.
Expected to have a significant weight advantage, Seumanutafa will be looking to establish himself in Bellator’s heavyweight picture.
Bellator and the UFC are bringing great fights to their main cards; be sure to see who will populate them in the future.
