At the start of every month, Outside the Octagon gives you a glimpse at the best events and the biggest fights taking place beyond the biggest stage in the sport. We’ll try to clue you in to some up-and-coming prospects, returning veterans worth keeping an eye on, and some fights that just seem really interesting and promise to be exciting.
MFC 37: True Grit (May 10)
The back-and-forth battle for Canadian MMA supremacy between the MFC and the AFC continues to play out this month, and Edmonton’s Maximum Fighting Championship is first up.
Headlining the event is a battle for the MFC heavyweight title between unbeaten prospect Smealinho Rama (6-0) and Chris (Beast Boy) Barnett (7-1). Rama is coming off a first-round knockout win over Mike Hackert back in February, and has yet to see the second round in his brief career. The 26-year-old Barnett has earned back-to-back victories since suffering the lone loss of his career to former Bellator competitor Eric Prindle.
What else to watch for: Bantamweights Ryan Benoit (6-1) and Anthony Birchak (9-1) square off … former lightweight title challenger Mukai Maromo (8-2) returns to take on Kurt Southern (10-3) … TUF 16 contestant Sam Alvey (19-5) faces off with former UFC competitor Jay Silva (8-7) … brothers Mike and Thomas Treadwell will battle each other for familial bragging rights…
CFFC 24 (May 11)
While Pellegrino MMA product George Sullivan (12-3) headlines against undefeated Brandon Becker (5-0), the next event from Cage Fury Fighting Championships is intriguing because of a pair of fighters competing a little further down the card.
In the penultimate fight of the night, AMA Fight Club representative Sean (Shorty Rock) Santella (12-3-1) takes on Dave Morgan in flyweight action, while one fight earlier, Zach (Fun Size) Makovsky (14-4) returns for the first time since being released by Bellator last year; the former bantamweight champion locks horns with Claudio Ledesma (8-3).
AFC 18: Mayhem (May 19)
After running events in Winnipeg and Edmonton on the same night back in March, Aggression Fighting Championships heads to Victoria with a title eliminator in the welterweight division serving as the headliner.
TUF 16 veteran Mike Hill (5-0) squares off with Josh Powell (6-3), with the winner moving forward to take on Canadian standout Ryan (The Real Deal) Ford at AFC 19 in Edmonton on July 5 for the AFC welterweight title.
What else to watch for: UFC veteran and former AFC middleweight champ Kalib Starnes (18-8-1) comes out of retirement to take on Vancouver-based knockout artist David Perron (5-1) … a trio of promising amateurs will continue to gain further experience as Jamie Siraj, Alexi Argyriou, and Dillon Brown are all set to compete…
CFA 11 (May 24)
A lot of eyes will be on the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla., for the next Championship Fighting Alliance show as Fallon Fox (2-0) returns to the cage. The transgender fighter competes for the first time since becoming one of the most discussed and polarizing figures in MMA, taking on Allana Jones (2-1) in the co-main event of the evening.
What else to watch for: Former Strikeforce competitor Mike Kyle (19-9-1) returns from a brief retirement to headline opposite Valentjin Overeem (30-28) … regional veteran Luis Palomino (20-8) takes on Robert Washington (15-7) … unbeaten Blackzilians team member Sean Soriano squares off with Elvin Leon Brito (6-1) …
ONE FC 9 (May 31)
The last day of the month brings the best non-UFC event in May, as ONE FC delivers another solid collection of fights.
In the main event, Filipino featherweight Honario Banario (8-1) headlines opposite longtime Pancrase competitor Koji Oishi (23-9-10), who longtime UFC fans might remember from his UFC 53 loss to Nick Diaz. In his very next outing, Oishi earned a unanimous decision win over Nate Diaz.
What else to watch for: Bibiano Fernandes (13-3) takes on Koetsu Okazaki (8-2-1) … Matsukatsu Ueda (17-2-2) faces off with Kevin Belingon (11-2) in the finals of the Bantamweight Grand Prix … Eduard Folayang (12-3) meets former WEC and UFC competitor Kamal Shalorus (7-3-2) … Phil Baroni (15-16) returns against Nbutatsu Suzuki (9-1-2) … UFC flyweight tournament competitor Yasuhiro Urushitani (19-6-6) fights Rey Docyogen (10-1) …
Quick hitters of interest
West Coast Fighting Championship 5 (May 3)
This one is a showcase of the next crop of Team Alpha Male athletes as Anthony Avila (10-1) takes on Isaac DeJesus (9-5-1) and Andre (Touchy) Fili squares off with Adrian Diaz (5-2-1). Former UFC competitor James Irvin (17-10) also competes, taking on Jeremy Rosales (3-3), while the main event sees Kito Andrews (10-2) take on Max Griffin (5-1).
New England Fights: Fight Night 17 (May 18)
A pair of former UFC fighters land on the card in Lewiston, Maine. In the main event, Marcus (The Irish Hand Grenade) Davis (21-9) takes on Darrius Heyliger (5-1), while Team Jackson-Winkeljohn product Henry Martinez (9-3) returns to action for the first time since losing to Daron Cruickshank last December, facing off with Desmond Green (7-1).
Legacy Fighting Championship 20 (May 31)
Veteran Carlo (Neo) Prater headlines opposite unbeaten prospect Carlos Diego Ferreira (6-0), while one-time WEC standout Damacio Page returns to the cage to take on unbeaten 22-year-old Patrick Ybarra (5-0).
