The 5 Must-See MMA Fights to See in April
Clear your calendars, ladies and gents. There's a full schedule of mixed martial arts on deck for the month of April.
Between fight cards from Bellator, Invicta FC, ONE FC, World Series of Fighting and four cards from the biggest show in town, the UFC, there's little reason you shouldn't spend every waking minute catching up on the latest happenings from inside the cage, no matter that cage's shape.
The April showdowns get underway this Saturday in Fairfax, Virginia, as Dana White and Co. bring Chad Mendes and Ricardo Lamas to the Patriot Center. Six days later, Scott Coker and the boys from Bellator bring their rising lightweight champ to please the crowd at the Bren Events Center in Irvine, California. The list goes on and on from there.
Let's assume you don't have the luxury of dedicating a seemingly endless amount of time to your television set. Let's assume, for whatever reason, you can only pick five of the 60-plus bouts to watch. Scroll on through the slides to see which are poised to bring you the biggest bang for your buck.
Cub Swanson vs. Max Holloway
1 of 5
Who: Cub Swanson vs. Max Holloway
What: UFC on Fox 15
When: April 18
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
The last time we saw Cub Swanson in action, he was busy trying to get off the ground against a better-than-ever Frankie Edgar back in November. He walked into the match with a six-fight winning streak and a resume that should have warranted a rematch against Jose Aldo. He walked out of the match with a bad taste in his mouth after getting pounded for four-and-a-half rounds before tapping to a neck crank with four seconds to go in the fight.
Things didn't go too well for him.
He'll look to turn things around, but it won't be easy.
Standing opposite of Swanson is the 10th-ranked featherweight in the promotion, Max Holloway. The surging Hawaiian fighter couldn't leave the cage last time out without ensuring he'd put his five-fight winning streak to good use by calling out one of the bigger names the division has to offer.
With both fighters happy to rest the fate of the fight on their capacities as strikers, this should be a good one for the fans.
Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas
2 of 5
Who: Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas
What: UFC Fight Night 63
When: April 4
Where: Patriot Center, Fairfax, Virginia
With both fighters coming off 2014 losses to the champ, there's no way either man can afford to relinquish a victory here. The powers-that-be in the Ultimate Fighting Championship have already proved reluctant to award recent title-fight losers with a second (or third, if we're talking about Mendes) shot at the same champ who thwarted their efforts.
Things obviously change if Conor McGregor and his stand-up game are enough to dethrone Jose Aldo and his six-year reign on top (WEC included), but we won't go there just yet.
The road back to the top of the mountain will be a long one for either man (a curious development considering Mendes is already the No. 1-ranked fighter in the division). Even with two wins since the Aldo loss for Lamas, the journey really starts here for either man.
Will Brooks vs. Dave Jansen
3 of 5
Who: Will Brooks vs. Dave Jansen
What: Bellator 136
When: April 10
Where: Bren Events Center, Irvine, California
Michael Chandler and Eddie Alvarez gave UFC fans a reason to watch other promotions. They forced viewers to realize that there was talent beyond the boundaries set forth by those who ruled the eight-sided cage. In many ways, Chandler was supposed to be the big fish once Alvarez jumped to the bigger pond.
But as fate (and Will Brooks) would have it, Chandler wasn't destined to be the only big fish.
The original bout had Brooks winning a split decision for the vacant Bellator lightweight strap, a decision "split" enough to award the Bellator poster boy with an immediate rematch just six months after the loss. The fact is, for as impressive as Brooks looked in the cage on that fateful night in May, the public needed to be sure he was the worthy successor to the lightweight throne.
After four rounds of dominance from the champ, we saw that he was. He really, really was.
Brooks now opens up the Chandler-less chapter to his reign as the champ, and it starts with the 20-2 Dave Jansen. You can't afford to miss Brooks' latest bout, especially if you want to take part in the early goings of the "Brooks is better than the UFC's lightweight champ" conversations that are bound to gain traction soon.
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Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza vs. Yoel Romero
4 of 5
Who: Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza vs. Yoel Romero
What: UFC on Fox 15
When: April 18
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Both of these fighters could have earned a title shot with their last victory. Jacare Souza went through Gegard Mousasi in three rounds as if his opponent had no business in the cage that night. Yoel Romero carried his four-fight winning streak past Tim Kennedy after the controversial "Stoolgate" incident back in September.
But with Vitor Belfort still the No. 1 contender due to constant fight delays between him and middleweight champion Chris Weidman, the UFC had to find something for its top contenders to keep busy with. Luckily for fans, both Romero and Souza were unfazed by the idea of facing another Top 10 middleweight on what is likely to be the final stop before a championship fight.
Both fighters yield heavy hands that will keep fans guessing in the weeks leading up to the bout. Even their respective ground games—with Romero's Olympic-caliber wrestling and Souza's unmatched talents as a grappler—aren't far enough apart to give either man the edge here.
Lyoto Machida vs. Luke Rockhold
5 of 5
Who: Lyoto Machida vs. Luke Rockhold
What: UFC on Fox 15
When: April 18
Where: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
Former Strikeforce middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is a good fighter. He's long (6'3" with a 77" reach), and he enjoys staying on his feet long enough to make his opponents regret stepping into the cage with him.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida (6'1" with a 74" reach) is also a good fighter. He also enjoys staying on his feet for the much of the same reasons.
The match hosts two of the UFC's Top Five middleweight fighters, and it's scheduled for five full rounds. What more could you possibly want?
Depending on the dollar signs circulating around the UFC president's mind at the time, a victory for either man could warrant a title shot with whomever happens to be the champ after UFC 187. Weidman/Belfort vs. Machida/Rockhold is big-time money.
Sure, you could argue in favor of the winner of Souza vs. Romero, but you'd be hard-pressed to convince White and the Fertittas to not make a lot of money.
Kristian Ibarra is a Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report MMA. He also serves as the sports editor at San Diego State University's student-run newspaper, The Daily Aztec, and a programming intern at Fox Sports San Diego. Follow him on Twitter at @Kristian_Ibarra for all things MMA.
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