UFC Fight Night 107 was this past weekend, so let’s get straight to the rundown.
UFC Fight Night 107
GOOD – Arnold Allen vs. Makwan Amirkhani: This was an ultra close fight that Allen won by split decision. Both men showed good grappling and good striking. This was a fun fight that elevates both fighters.
GOOD – Marlon Vera stops Brad Pickett: Pickett looked good through the first two rounds, but things slowed way down in the third. Vera poured it on and got the stoppage. This was Pickett’s final fight and, while it wasn’t the result he was hoping for, he still goes out with a great career. He always brought it and gave his best and should hold his head high. I hope he enjoys retirement as he moves on to the next phase of his life. Good win for Vera.
GOOD – Gunnar Nelson submits Alan Jouban: Nelson just looks so smooth on the ground. He always seems in control and Jouban was outmatched here. Jouban is a tough fighter, but Nelson fought a good fight and was in control throughout. Nelson should be fighting a top ten guy in his next fight. He deserves it and could very well beat any of them.
GOOD – Jimi Manuwa stops Corey Anderson: Manuwa was in total control here. He just kept coming forward as Anderson backpedaled and looked for an opening. Anderson tried some takedowns, but Manuwa would have none of that. Instead, he smashed Anderson with some power shots and ended things. Manuwa has the power to turn the lights out on anyone at anytime. Fighting a guy like him has to be a scary proposition because if you make one mistake he can make you pay immediately. I’d be all for pushing Manuwa up the rankings and having him fight a guy in the top five. I think he can really make some waves in the light heavyweight division. Give him a shot, let’s see what he can do.
UFC Hall of Famer Matt Hughes recently discussed having one more fight. That would be crazy talk. Hughes is 44 years old and hasn’t fought in over five years. He hinted that it would be against Royce Gracie, which is slightly better because you wouldn’t have to worry about Hughes getting seriously hurt in the cage with this fight. Nor would Gracie be likely to be seriously hurt, either. However, you’re still talking about guys well past their prime and it’s still an MMA fight, so anything could happen.
Hughes said that if this were to happen, it would be in Bellator. I suppose that makes sense since Bellator loves making these circus-type fights. Hughes beat Gracie a decade ago, though, so what would be the appeal here? It was a decisive victory then, and both guys are a lot older now. As much as Hughes has likely slipped from that time, Gracie has surely slipped just as much, if not more. This fight makes no sense. For that reason, I think we see it happen in Bellator sometime this summer.
NOW CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S COLUMN: HYDEN’S TAKE: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from UFC Fight Night 106 including Gastelum vs. Belfort, Shogun Rua, Edson Baboza, Oliveira
Comments and suggestions can be emailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com and you can follow me on Twitter at @hydenfrank
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