UFC 213: Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2Jul 7, 2017 by Hunter Homistek
5 Under The Radar Fights At UFC 213
5 Under The Radar Fights At UFC 213
UFC 213 provides plenty of intrigue at the top of the card, but there are five hidden gems you just can't miss.
UFC 213 punctuates International Fight Week Saturday, July 8, inside Las Vegas' T-Mobile Arena.
At the top of the card, women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes looks for her second title defense in a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko. While Nunes previously defeated Shevchenko at UFC 196, the challenger has showcased rapid improvements of late and figures to be a tall task for the Brazilian champion.
In the co-main event, middleweight giants collide, as Yoel Romero faces Robert Whittaker for the interim UFC middleweight title. With 15 consecutive wins combined (eight for Romero, seven for Whittaker), this bout is as good as it gets at any level inside the cage.
While the card boasts maximum shine at the top, there are plenty of hidden gems lurking at UFC 213 as well. Let's have a look at the top-five under-the-radar matchups at this event.
Respect to Omielanczuk, but this bout is all about Blaydes.
The former wrestling standout turned mixed martial artist is 1-1 with one no-contest in his UFC career, but those figures become more impressive under investigation.
Blaydes' no-contest was a dominant TKO victory over Adam Milstead before getting overturned due to a positive test for marijuana. His loss came to Francis Ngannou--widely regarded as the next great heavyweight.
In that fight, Blaydes took Ngannou down twice, passed his guard once, and had his moments on the feet. While the fight is technically a TKO defeat, it's worth noting the stoppage came from the doctor between the second and third rounds due to a vicious cut and swelling over Blaydes' eye. Without a doubt, he performed better than anyone else against Ngannou, and his future remains bright.
At 26 years old, Blaydes might be the heavyweight standout the UFC craves. His bout against Omielanczuk at UFC 213 should help determine if that is indeed the case.
We're not going to act like Pettis vs. Miller isn't happening, are we? This fight just can't suck.
Pettis, the former UFC lightweight champ, returns to the division he once ruled after a rocky 1-1 stint at 145, while Miller makes his 27th appearance inside the UFC Octagon. That's tied with Michael Bisping, Frank Mir, and Tito Ortiz for the most fights inside the eight-walled battle chamber in company history (h/t MMAJunkie for the research).
More than all this though, the fight is flat out intriguing stylistically. Pettis, at his best, is a ferocious bringer of violence, flashing both lightning knockout power and slick submission skills.
Miller, meanwhile, embodies the fighter's ethos. He has no problem getting punched in the face so long as he can chuck one back. His Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has devastated opposition, earning him Submission of the Night honors three times in his UFC career. Add in six Fight of the Night performances and a Fight of the Year, and it's hard to pick a fighter who consistently brings it like the New Jersey native.
Paired against Pettis, Miller will likely look to pressure and bully his foe, forcing Pettis to either open up and let his shins and fists fly or get ground into the canvas. Either way, the viewer wins in this one.
Talk all the smack you want on Travis Browne--the dude can fight, and he's still one dominant win away from being right back in the mix at heavyweight.
While Browne has lost three straight--two via knockout--he's repeatedly showcased his worth inside the UFC Octagon, earning seven stoppages via KO/TKO and one submission in 16 tries. He's 6'7", he's stupidly athletic, and he fires heat from all angles.
His striking defense is a different story. Browne has been knocked out four times in those 16 fights, most recently getting brutally slept by Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC Fight Night 105.
At UFC 213, however, Browne's bigger worry will be the grappling game, where Oleinik touts some of the slickest, strangest submissions in the game. The Ezekiel choke--traditionally considered a gi submission--is his specialty, and he's even hit it in the UFC, defeating Viktor Pesta with his signature move at UFC Fight Night 103.
At 3-1 in the UFC--with all three victories coming via stoppage--Oleinik is an interesting fighter to watch moving forward, a sentiment that will intensify if he can put away Browne in Las Vegas Saturday night.
...That's FloCombat veteran Gerald Meerschaert to you!
Just four fights ago, Meerschaert competed right here on FloCombat, defeating Sidney Wheeler via submission early in Round 1 of their Valor Fights 36 main event (fight begins at 6:30:45).
Wheeler was the young, hot, undefeated prospect. Meerschaert was the stepping stone. Oh, how wrong we all were on that one.
After defeating Wheeler, Meerschaert won the RFA middleweight title with another submission in Round 1, then he rattled off back-to-back victories inside the UFC Octagon--both via first-round submission. He's quietly won seven straight--all via stoppage--yet he continues to fly under everyone's radar.
Besting Thiago Santos at UFC 213 will go a long way to crush that narrative. Like Meerschaert, Santos is a finishing machine, earning knockouts in five of his six UFC victories. His most recent KO, a beautiful spinning heel kick against Jack Marshman, earned him a Performance of the Night bonus, and he looks to build upon that victory Saturday night.
While it's getting little attention, this middleweight tilt will propel one fighter directly toward the Top 15 at 185.
Tucked away on the early preliminary portion of the card is a potential Fight of the Night contender in Rob Font vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade.
While the bout may lack mainstream name recognition, it doesn't lack skill and intrigue.
Both Font and Silva de Andrade are coming off impressive stoppages--Font via first-round TKO in December 2016 and Silva de Andrade via third-round spinning backfist in November 2016.
Overall, Font is 5-1 in his last six, losing only to No. 4-ranked bantamweight John Lineker via decision. Silva de Andrade, meanwhile, brings one of the best records in all of MMA to the cage, as he is 24-1 with one no-contest, his sole defeat coming in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 36.
What is particularly promising about this bout, though, are the two fighters' finishing instincts.
Silva de Andrade has finished 20 of his 24 victories--19 via knockout. Font is similarly devastating, as he's finished nine of his 13 wins and all five of his most recent victories.
Put together, it just feels like somebody is going down in this one, and the victor will put himself in prime position to make a run in the ever-deepening 135-pound class.
Don't miss breaking news, feature stories, event updates, and more. Sign up for the FloCombat mailing list today.
At the top of the card, women's bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes looks for her second title defense in a rematch against Valentina Shevchenko. While Nunes previously defeated Shevchenko at UFC 196, the challenger has showcased rapid improvements of late and figures to be a tall task for the Brazilian champion.
In the co-main event, middleweight giants collide, as Yoel Romero faces Robert Whittaker for the interim UFC middleweight title. With 15 consecutive wins combined (eight for Romero, seven for Whittaker), this bout is as good as it gets at any level inside the cage.
While the card boasts maximum shine at the top, there are plenty of hidden gems lurking at UFC 213 as well. Let's have a look at the top-five under-the-radar matchups at this event.
1. Curtis Blaydes vs. Daniel Omielanczuk - main card, heavyweight
Respect to Omielanczuk, but this bout is all about Blaydes.
The former wrestling standout turned mixed martial artist is 1-1 with one no-contest in his UFC career, but those figures become more impressive under investigation.
Blaydes' no-contest was a dominant TKO victory over Adam Milstead before getting overturned due to a positive test for marijuana. His loss came to Francis Ngannou--widely regarded as the next great heavyweight.
In that fight, Blaydes took Ngannou down twice, passed his guard once, and had his moments on the feet. While the fight is technically a TKO defeat, it's worth noting the stoppage came from the doctor between the second and third rounds due to a vicious cut and swelling over Blaydes' eye. Without a doubt, he performed better than anyone else against Ngannou, and his future remains bright.
At 26 years old, Blaydes might be the heavyweight standout the UFC craves. His bout against Omielanczuk at UFC 213 should help determine if that is indeed the case.
2. Anthony Pettis vs. Jim Miller - main card, lightweight
We're not going to act like Pettis vs. Miller isn't happening, are we? This fight just can't suck.
Pettis, the former UFC lightweight champ, returns to the division he once ruled after a rocky 1-1 stint at 145, while Miller makes his 27th appearance inside the UFC Octagon. That's tied with Michael Bisping, Frank Mir, and Tito Ortiz for the most fights inside the eight-walled battle chamber in company history (h/t MMAJunkie for the research).
More than all this though, the fight is flat out intriguing stylistically. Pettis, at his best, is a ferocious bringer of violence, flashing both lightning knockout power and slick submission skills.
Miller, meanwhile, embodies the fighter's ethos. He has no problem getting punched in the face so long as he can chuck one back. His Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has devastated opposition, earning him Submission of the Night honors three times in his UFC career. Add in six Fight of the Night performances and a Fight of the Year, and it's hard to pick a fighter who consistently brings it like the New Jersey native.
Paired against Pettis, Miller will likely look to pressure and bully his foe, forcing Pettis to either open up and let his shins and fists fly or get ground into the canvas. Either way, the viewer wins in this one.
3. Travis Browne vs. Aleksei Oleinik - Fox Sports 1 prelims, heavyweight
Talk all the smack you want on Travis Browne--the dude can fight, and he's still one dominant win away from being right back in the mix at heavyweight.
While Browne has lost three straight--two via knockout--he's repeatedly showcased his worth inside the UFC Octagon, earning seven stoppages via KO/TKO and one submission in 16 tries. He's 6'7", he's stupidly athletic, and he fires heat from all angles.
His striking defense is a different story. Browne has been knocked out four times in those 16 fights, most recently getting brutally slept by Derrick Lewis in the main event of UFC Fight Night 105.
At UFC 213, however, Browne's bigger worry will be the grappling game, where Oleinik touts some of the slickest, strangest submissions in the game. The Ezekiel choke--traditionally considered a gi submission--is his specialty, and he's even hit it in the UFC, defeating Viktor Pesta with his signature move at UFC Fight Night 103.
At 3-1 in the UFC--with all three victories coming via stoppage--Oleinik is an interesting fighter to watch moving forward, a sentiment that will intensify if he can put away Browne in Las Vegas Saturday night.
4. Thiago Santos vs. Gerald Meerschaert - Fox Sports 1 prelims, middleweight
...That's FloCombat veteran Gerald Meerschaert to you!
Just four fights ago, Meerschaert competed right here on FloCombat, defeating Sidney Wheeler via submission early in Round 1 of their Valor Fights 36 main event (fight begins at 6:30:45).
Wheeler was the young, hot, undefeated prospect. Meerschaert was the stepping stone. Oh, how wrong we all were on that one.
After defeating Wheeler, Meerschaert won the RFA middleweight title with another submission in Round 1, then he rattled off back-to-back victories inside the UFC Octagon--both via first-round submission. He's quietly won seven straight--all via stoppage--yet he continues to fly under everyone's radar.
Besting Thiago Santos at UFC 213 will go a long way to crush that narrative. Like Meerschaert, Santos is a finishing machine, earning knockouts in five of his six UFC victories. His most recent KO, a beautiful spinning heel kick against Jack Marshman, earned him a Performance of the Night bonus, and he looks to build upon that victory Saturday night.
While it's getting little attention, this middleweight tilt will propel one fighter directly toward the Top 15 at 185.
5. Rob Font vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade - UFC Fight Pass early prelims, bantamweight
Tucked away on the early preliminary portion of the card is a potential Fight of the Night contender in Rob Font vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade.
While the bout may lack mainstream name recognition, it doesn't lack skill and intrigue.
Both Font and Silva de Andrade are coming off impressive stoppages--Font via first-round TKO in December 2016 and Silva de Andrade via third-round spinning backfist in November 2016.
Overall, Font is 5-1 in his last six, losing only to No. 4-ranked bantamweight John Lineker via decision. Silva de Andrade, meanwhile, brings one of the best records in all of MMA to the cage, as he is 24-1 with one no-contest, his sole defeat coming in his UFC debut at UFC Fight Night 36.
What is particularly promising about this bout, though, are the two fighters' finishing instincts.
Silva de Andrade has finished 20 of his 24 victories--19 via knockout. Font is similarly devastating, as he's finished nine of his 13 wins and all five of his most recent victories.
Put together, it just feels like somebody is going down in this one, and the victor will put himself in prime position to make a run in the ever-deepening 135-pound class.
FloCombat's hottest content, delivered to your inbox
Don't miss breaking news, feature stories, event updates, and more. Sign up for the FloCombat mailing list today.