5 Fights That Could Be a Bummer
 

5 Fights That Could Be a Bummer This Summer


By Bleachers report
June 21, 2011









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This summer was looked at as the biggest in MMA history, and one month into it we’ve had a plethora of meaningful fights go down.

But after a lot of hype, some of the more high profile fights have fallen flat, most notably the fight between Alistair Overeem and Fabricio Werdum last weekend.

The last thing we want as fans is to have a fight that we’ve been looking forward to fall flat, but much like Overeem-Werdum, there are likely to be at least a few more this summer.

I looked through the upcoming events and found five big time fights that have the potential to be a bust.

Re: 5 Fights That Could Be a Bummer
 

Cheick Kongo vs Pat Barry: June 26, UFC on Versus 4




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I know everyone is looking forward to a technical stand-up war between these two, but I just don’t see it happening. This fight can go two different ways, and neither of them is all that appealing.
The first is Kongo taking Barry to the ground early and often, holding top position on an inexperienced grappler for the duration of the fight. Kongo has shown he can be very effective on the ground when he wants to be, and this would seem like an ideal fight to bring it back.
An example fight for how the other way this one could go: Melvin Guillard vs Jeremy Stephens from back at UFC 119.
Both guys will have too much respect for the other’s power and the fight will turn into a glorified sparring session. Barry has been tentative to engage in the past, and a fellow striker might put him in defense mode.

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Tito Ortiz vs Ryan Bader: July 2, UFC 132




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Tito Ortiz has been one of the most beatable guys in MMA for the last few years, but he has proven to be a tough opponent to finish.
Ortiz has had the same gameplan for over 10 years, and it has become painfully obvious that he can’t use it in the modern UFC.
His takedowns have been easily avoided in his last few fights, and when he does get the fight to the ground, fighters are too smart to get beat by his ground and pound.
In a sport that is always changing, Tito has failed to evolve.
This spells disaster against a guy like Bader, who will easily stuff Tito’s takedowns and probably land a few of his own.
This fight could end up a lot like Ortiz’s last fight against Matt Hamill, where he was taken down at will and lost by a clear cut decision.

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Dominick Cruz vs Urijah Faber: July 2, UFC 132




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This fight has a ton of hype around it with a legit dislike between the fighters and the most recognizable fighter under 170 pounds going for his first UFC title. The problem is, it has the potential to be a snoozefest.
This fight is in trouble no matter who takes control.
The best way for the champion to win is to stick and move to avoid Faber’s takedowns, much like Frankie Edgar has been doing as of late. As we’ve seen from Edgar, while the style is effective it doesn’t make for an exciting fight (UFC 125 not included).
Faber seems to be outclassed on the feet, and Cruz has been exceptionally hard to hold down, so Faber’s best bet it to keep shooting for takedowns and try to grind out a win.

Re: 5 Fights That Could Be a Bummer
 

Rashad Evans vs Phil Davis: August 6, UFC 133




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Evans must feel like he’s looking in a mirror circa 2007 whenever he watches tape of Phil Davis.
Davis is making strides to become a complete mixed martial artist, but his stand up is still well below average and it would be suicide for him to exchange with Rashad.
This is where the fight gets boring.
If Davis is constantly looking to take Rashad to the mat, we may end up with three rounds worth of clinch work.
The fight against Rampage Jackson showed that Evans won’t hesitate to fight safe if he has a title shot riding on it, and he might look to do the same against "Mr. Wonderful."

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Shogun Rua vs Forrest Griffin: August 27, UFC 134




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When these two first fought at UFC 76 a few years ago, it was supposed to signal the arrival of Shogun in the UFC and put him in line for a title shot.
But to the shock of everyone, Griffin came out with the perfect gameplan and not only beat but finished a lethargic Shogun.


Now set to rematch at UFC 134 , both men need a win to remain relevant in the light heavyweight division.
Shogun has looked awful in about half of his UFC fights so far, continuing the trend in his last fight against Jon Jones in March. If he comes out looking anything like he did in that fight, it will make for an ugly bout.
Griffin also has been a different fighter as of late, having finally grown past his desire to stand and trade with much better strikers. His win over Rich Franklin early this year was smart and technical, but it was uncharacteristically boring.
Don’t expect these two to go out and brawl, as Griffin will probably look to take it to the ground early and Shogun’s gas tank might not be able to take it.