The weird thing about writing a monthly column previewing the fights happening outside of the UFC vacuum is that every time I sit down to put this piece together, the same thought runs through my head:
“Really? It’s already time to do Outside the Octagon again? Where did (insert month) go?”
June came and went with mixed results.
Last month’s “Best Fight” never actually happened, as Jeff Curran withdrew from his RFA 8 flyweight championship fight with Sergio Pettis, leaving the promising prospect to trounce Dillard (Joe) Pegg in 51 seconds. The younger Pettis is now 8-0 and still needs to be tested against proven, veteran competition, but it’s clear to everyone that he has a very bright future and a place on the UFC roster inside of the next two years.
Additionally, the lineup for Bellator 96 changed shortly after last month’s piece went to press, with lightweight champion Michael Chandler being bumped from the card when Dave Jansen suffered an injury.
But June’s loss is July’s gain, as Chandler will headline a star-studded (by Bellator standards) fight card on the final day of the month.
Here’s a look at the best of what is on tap for July outside of the Octagon.
Best Fight: Marloes Coenen (21-5) vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” (11-1) – Invicta FC 6, July 13
There are actually a few really good fights on the schedule for July, but this pairing takes the cake for me because there are so many layers and stories tied into this matchup.
For starters, Coenen is the last fighter to have any kind of success against Cyborg, lasting into the third round with the then-Strikeforce women’s featherweight champion when they fought back in January 2010. To this day, they remain — in my opinion — the top two female fighters in the 145-pound ranks and anytime you’re matching up the division’s best, I’m extremely interested.
But there is also a lot at stake here, and I’m not just talking about the Invicta featherweight title that is one the line either.
Coenen has fought at 135 pounds in the past, and Cyborg has previously been obsessed with finding a way to make a fight with Ronda Rousey come together. Both Coenen and Cyborg would be immediate contenders if they made the move down in weight and onto the UFC roster, and while it may be a longshot at this point in time, anyone who is focused on what’s happening in the UFC women’s bantamweight division should be keeping tabs on what happens between these two later this month in Kansas City.
This is a great fight atop a very good card, but it’s not the best card of the month ahead.
Best Card: Bellator 97 – July 31
As I alluded to in the intro, June’s Bellator show was weakened by the removal of Michael Chandler, but the lightweight champion lands in the main event of this month’s show outside Albuquerque, N.M., and it’s as good as it gets under the Bellator banner.
The unbeaten Chandler (11-0) will defend his title against last season’s tournament winner Dave Rickels (14-1), while welterweight champion Ben Askren (11-0) puts his belt and undefeated record on the line against Russian Andrey Koreshkov (13-0) in the co-main event.
Bellator announced last week that rather than sticking with the three-event pattern, this year’s Summer Series will consist of only two shows. As a result, this event will also see the finals of the abbreviated light heavyweight and heavyweight tournaments as well, with Muhammed (King Mo) Lawal (11-2) taking on Jacob Noe (12-2) in the former, and intriguing prospect Vitaly Minakov (11-0) facing Ryan Martinez (10-2) in the latter.
Rounding out the five-fight main card is a featherweight contest between Patricio (Pitbull) Friere (17-2) and former UFC competitor Robert Emerson (12-10). This will be Friere’s first appearance since losing a split decision to current champion Pat Curran back in January.
Other action of note
Invicta FC 6 – July 13
In addition to the aforementioned Coenen-Cyborg championship clash, the first pay-per-view offering from the all-female fighting organization also features a strawweight battle between Ayaka Hamasaki (9-0) and Claudia Gadelha (9-0), and former atomweight champ Jessica Penne (10-2) taking on Nicdali Rivera-Calanoc (8-6).
Invicta veterans Sarah D’Alelio and Leslie Smith both return to action, taking on Lauren Taylor and Jennifer Maia respectively, and the organization will also continue to showcase some of the top emerging talent on the female side of the sport, as Scottish striker Joanne “Bad Mofo JoJo” Calderwood and Team Alpha Male’s Veronica Rothenhausler each step back into the Invicta cage, while (Thug) Rose Namajunas takes on Tecia (Tiny Tornado) Torres.
Legacy Fighting Championship 21 – July 19
While not the deepest card we’ve seen from Legacy in recent months, their event on July 19 is noteworthy for two reasons:
(1) Former women’s boxing champ Holly Holm (3-0) returns to action for the first time since hanging up her gloves in favour of pursuing MMA full-time, and
(2) Leonard Garcia (15-1-1) makes his first post-UFC appearance, taking on regional veteran Rey Trujillo (14-10)in the co-main event.
Is Holm capable of developing into an eventual contender and someone the UFC adds to their growing women’s bantamweight division? Can Garcia put a stop to his extended losing streak?
Cage Warriors 57 – July 20
CWFC remains one of the top outfits in Europe and their second show of the month features a trio of interesting fights.
In the main event, Paul (Semtex) Daley (32-12) takes on Lukasz Chlewicki (10-2), a 34-year-old Polish veteran whose last loss came to Demian Maia way back in December 2005. Daley never managed to make it into the Bellator cage, but remains one of the top freelance welterweights on the regional circuit and a title shot could very well be next if he wins here.
Ronnie Mann (21-6) managed mixed results during his time with Bellator, posting a 3-3 record, and exiting on a two-fight skid. He too returns home to England, landing in the CWFC cage opposite Jose Luis Zapater (17-9), while organizational favourite Bruno Carvalho (15-6) takes on Jack Mason (24-11).