UFC Fight Night 53 and 54: The 5 Best Fights for This Weekend's Doubleheader
Ah, the double-fight weekend. It used to be a rare bird, indeed, but these days they are coming fast and furious. After a brief respite last weekend with just one fight card (the thrilling UFC 178 card from Las Vegas), the UFC spreads its wings and lands in two different parts of the world this Saturday: Sweden and Halifax, which I'm told is somewhere in the great nation of Canada, though I cannot be certain if that is the truth.
As per usual, there are a lot of dudes you have never heard of on these two cards. But there are some important fights, and there are some fights that have the potential to be less important but no less awesome. I am here today to tell you the five fights you should pay attention to, culled from both cards and combined here for your reading enjoyment.
1. Daron Cruickshank vs. Anthony Njokuani
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Apologies to all the other fights on these two cards that have more purpose or actual meaningful storylines behind them. Daron Cruickshank vs. Anthony Njokuani is a battle between two men who aren't near the top of the lightweight division. Actually, I just realized that I am being kind; neither man is in the top 15. If the UFC extended its rankings to the top 20 fighters in each division, there is a small chance neither man would be included there either.
But rankings don't matter here, because Cruickshank and Njokuani are going to get in the cage and punch and kick each other in the face, and it is going to be awesome. I am a fan of meaningful matchups between big-time contenders. I am a fan of watching young prospects make their way from the preliminary card to the main event. But I am also a fan of people getting punched in the face in violent fashion, and that's what will be on display here.
Cruickshank and Njokuani are men prone to Octagon-centric violent outbursts. Who can forget the time Njokuani sprinted across the cage and kicked Chris Horodecki on the side of the head while Horodecki was running across the WEC cage? Not me. I can never forget.
That was awesome. And that's the kind of thing you should look for here. I don't ever want to be the guy who guarantees a knockout in a fight, because a verbal guarantee of a knockout almost always guarantees the opposite. But this should be fun, and you should watch it because it is very likely someone will be separated from consciousness.
2. Rory MacDonald vs. Tarec Saffiedine
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This is the most important fight of the weekend. From a rankings and title perspective, MacDonald would seem to be the next man in line for the winner of the Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler rematch that takes place in December. He has two consecutive wins over Demian Maia and Tyron Woodley and has just two career losses. Unless Georges St-Pierre decides to return and challenge the winner—relegating MacDonald back to the sidelines—MacDonald should assume the No. 1 contender spot with a win over Tarec Saffiedine.
For Saffiedine, the fight doesn't have quite as much on the line. He was the final Strikeforce welterweight champion and has five wins in a row, and you would think that means something on a grand scale. But it does not. He's only won a single fight thus far in the UFC, and it came over Hyun Gyu Lim on a show not very many people watched. To the general UFC-watching public, Saffiedine might as well be one of the anonymous dudes fighting over in Sweden on Saturday.
Saffiedine can make a statement by beating MacDonald but not a strong enough statement to thrust himself immediately into the title picture. That's OK, though; he's on his way.
3. Gunnar Nelson vs. Rick Story
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It's always fun watching Nelson do his thing, isn't it? He's an otherworldly grappler, and he goes about his business with zero visible excitement. We used to joke about Fedor having no emotion, but then we saw Fedor eating an ice cream cone and wearing a terrible Cosby sweater, and we decided, OK, Fedor is probably fun at parties. Nelson is still the guy sulking in the corner who ruins everyone's fun just by virtue of being quiet and weird.
But silent mime-faced creepiness aside, Nelson is a joy to watch. He's another guy on his way up the rankings. It is not difficult to imagine him competing for the welterweight title by the end of 2015, mostly because it is difficult to imagine anyone beating him if he decides he just wants to take you down and submit you. Because, yeah, he'll probably do that if he wants to.
This is the perfect opponent for Nelson, at the perfect time. Story has some name value but is entirely beatable, and Nelson's style is a terrible match for him. Remember when Demian Maia made Story's face explode from squeezing it too hard? You might see the sequel on Saturday.
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4. Raphael Assuncao vs. Bryan Caraway
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Poor Raphael Assuncao. He was all set to face T.J. Dillashaw for the UFC bantamweight championship. But then he was booked to fight Bryan Caraway first, and then Dominick Cruz came back and did some violent things to Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178. And now, Assuncao is the forgotten man in a dangerous position against a fighter who nobody takes seriously, often at his own peril.
Here is the thing about Caraway: He is actually much better than people give him credit for. Fans like to jokingly call him "Bryan Tate," which isn't funny but doesn't prevent them from snickering like they just invented the most hilarious joke of all time. But the truth is that Caraway is dangerous and smart and crafty, and he's a legitimate opponent riding a two-fight winning streak.
What I'm saying is this: Caraway is no gimme fight for Assuncao. This will be a tough one, and if he wants to fight the winner of Dillashaw vs. Cruz, he's going to have to be on point.
5. Cathal Pendred vs. Gasan Umalatov
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The Irish have been pretty good lately. They travel well, and they're a lot of fun to watch, so that's reason enough to watch Conor McGregor buddy Pendred do his thing there. And he's facing Gasan Umalatov, who became one of seemingly hundreds of people to beat Paulo Thiago in his last fight in May.
Pendred and Umalatov are exciting fighters. This one is a dark-horse contender for fight of the entire weekend. And when you have a weekend filled with approximately 89 fights to watch, that's saying something.
Yes, that is a photo of Conor McGregor and not Cathal Pendred. There is a caption on the photo. Read it and the joke will make sense. Or at least you'll realize it's a joke. I'm not saying it's hilarious.
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