MMA in October: Breaking Down the Month's Hottest Fights
MMA in October: Breaking Down the Month's Hottest Fights
The current schedule is jam-packed with fisticuffs action for October and we bring you the five you won't want to miss.
September is nearly gone and October is rapidly approaching. Here are five fights you need to mark in the calendar and keep an eye on coming up.
It’s not often a main event falls apart and the replacement bout ends up being just as intriguing, but that’s exactly what we have on October 1 at EURO 01.
UFC veteran and submission ace Jonathan Brookins has come in as a last-minute replacement for the injured Johnny Bedford and will take Tom Niinimäki at European Fighting Challenge's debut event in Espoo, Finland.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/EuroFCMMA/status/780426181581602816" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
This should be a barnburner of a fight with both men known for finishing their opponents inside the distance. You can of course catch all the action of European FC’s first ever show live right HERE on FloCombat.
Sometimes fights need no build-up or hard selling, they simply sell themselves. You’ll be hard pressed to find a backstory more compelling than the one accompanying Bisping vs. Henderson on October 8.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJYxWRThtKD/" hide_caption="0"]
For Bisping, this fight is all about revenge and writing the wrong of UFC 100 where Henderson famously sent him to the dark side with one of the most replayed knockouts of all time.
Henderson, on the other hand, is looking to end his career on the biggest high possible by capturing the UFC middleweight title and retiring there and then in the center of the Octagon on October 8 in Manchester, England.
This is the wildcard in the pack for our selection of fights this month.
British hot prospect Danny ‘Hot Chocolate’ Roberts (13-1) will be looking to put together his eighth straight win and his third inside the UFC Octagon when he takes the unbeaten Mike ‘Platinum’ Perry.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MMA_Jim/status/779015679492120576" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Win or lose, both men have big futures in the welterweight division, but only one man can take another big step forward on October 8 when they face each other. The buildup has been fiery, with Perry telling Robert’s that he will ‘kill him’ when the Octagon door closes. Robert’s on the other hand, has said that he will do his talking inside the cage when they meet eye-to-eye.
It’s an intriguing fight and it goes down at UFC 204 as the Fight Pass prelim featured bout.
Many thought we’d seen the end of BJ Penn’s fighting career, but on October 15 he makes his return against Ricardo Lamas on UFC Fight Night Manila.
The fight on paper doesn’t look pretty for Penn. The former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion hasn’t won since 2010 and his last outing in the Octagon against Frankie Edgar in 2014 was an embarrassing one-sided beatdown.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKxjCU4g7aL/" hide_caption="0"]
Despite that, a defiant Penn believes he can make a winning return, but in his way, a formidable man in Ricardo Lamas lies ahead. Lamas has won three of his last five fights with his only two losses of late coming to Chad Mendes and Max Holloway.
This is probably a fight most Penn fans will be watching with their hands over their eyes, but if BJ pulls it off, it could well one of his greatest accomplishments of a hall of fame worthy career.
Love or hate Penn returning—we will all be watching on October 15.
After one false start, the Bellator MMA debut of Kevin Ferguson Jr is finally upon us as ‘Baby Slice’ will fight for the first time under the Bellator banner at Bellator 162 on October 21.
Ferguson won his amateur debut back in March against Tom Brink at Warrior Nation XFA 12 in Massachusetts, via first round KO. He was then scheduled to make his Bellator MMA debut at Bellator 126 in August but was forced out with an injury.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BK0vFVdhlca/" hide_caption="0"]
Ferguson Jr has now been rebooked for October 21 where he will take on another man making his professional debut, Rick Bing.
Bellator 162 will take place at the FedEx Forum on October 21, and features a middleweight title fight main event between challenger Kendall Grove (23-15) and champion Alexander Shlemenko (53-9). Former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley (14-2) is scheduled to face Josh Appelt (12-5) in the co-main event.
#1—Tom Niinimäki vs. Jonathan Brookins—EUROFC 01—October 1
It’s not often a main event falls apart and the replacement bout ends up being just as intriguing, but that’s exactly what we have on October 1 at EURO 01.
UFC veteran and submission ace Jonathan Brookins has come in as a last-minute replacement for the injured Johnny Bedford and will take Tom Niinimäki at European Fighting Challenge's debut event in Espoo, Finland.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/EuroFCMMA/status/780426181581602816" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
This should be a barnburner of a fight with both men known for finishing their opponents inside the distance. You can of course catch all the action of European FC’s first ever show live right HERE on FloCombat.
#2–Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson—UFC 204—October 8
Sometimes fights need no build-up or hard selling, they simply sell themselves. You’ll be hard pressed to find a backstory more compelling than the one accompanying Bisping vs. Henderson on October 8.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BJYxWRThtKD/" hide_caption="0"]
For Bisping, this fight is all about revenge and writing the wrong of UFC 100 where Henderson famously sent him to the dark side with one of the most replayed knockouts of all time.
Henderson, on the other hand, is looking to end his career on the biggest high possible by capturing the UFC middleweight title and retiring there and then in the center of the Octagon on October 8 in Manchester, England.
#3—Danny Roberts vs. Mike Perry—UFC 204—October 8
This is the wildcard in the pack for our selection of fights this month.
British hot prospect Danny ‘Hot Chocolate’ Roberts (13-1) will be looking to put together his eighth straight win and his third inside the UFC Octagon when he takes the unbeaten Mike ‘Platinum’ Perry.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/MMA_Jim/status/779015679492120576" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Win or lose, both men have big futures in the welterweight division, but only one man can take another big step forward on October 8 when they face each other. The buildup has been fiery, with Perry telling Robert’s that he will ‘kill him’ when the Octagon door closes. Robert’s on the other hand, has said that he will do his talking inside the cage when they meet eye-to-eye.
It’s an intriguing fight and it goes down at UFC 204 as the Fight Pass prelim featured bout.
#4—Ricardo Lamas vs. BJ Penn—UFC Fight Night Manila—October 15
Many thought we’d seen the end of BJ Penn’s fighting career, but on October 15 he makes his return against Ricardo Lamas on UFC Fight Night Manila.
The fight on paper doesn’t look pretty for Penn. The former UFC lightweight and welterweight champion hasn’t won since 2010 and his last outing in the Octagon against Frankie Edgar in 2014 was an embarrassing one-sided beatdown.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BKxjCU4g7aL/" hide_caption="0"]
Despite that, a defiant Penn believes he can make a winning return, but in his way, a formidable man in Ricardo Lamas lies ahead. Lamas has won three of his last five fights with his only two losses of late coming to Chad Mendes and Max Holloway.
This is probably a fight most Penn fans will be watching with their hands over their eyes, but if BJ pulls it off, it could well one of his greatest accomplishments of a hall of fame worthy career.
Love or hate Penn returning—we will all be watching on October 15.
#5—Kevin ‘Baby Slice’ Ferguson Jr vs. Rick Bing—Bellator 162—October 21
After one false start, the Bellator MMA debut of Kevin Ferguson Jr is finally upon us as ‘Baby Slice’ will fight for the first time under the Bellator banner at Bellator 162 on October 21.
Ferguson won his amateur debut back in March against Tom Brink at Warrior Nation XFA 12 in Massachusetts, via first round KO. He was then scheduled to make his Bellator MMA debut at Bellator 126 in August but was forced out with an injury.
[instagram url="https://www.instagram.com/p/BK0vFVdhlca/" hide_caption="0"]
Ferguson Jr has now been rebooked for October 21 where he will take on another man making his professional debut, Rick Bing.
Bellator 162 will take place at the FedEx Forum on October 21, and features a middleweight title fight main event between challenger Kendall Grove (23-15) and champion Alexander Shlemenko (53-9). Former WWE wrestler Bobby Lashley (14-2) is scheduled to face Josh Appelt (12-5) in the co-main event.