Edgar vs. Swanson: Complete Guide to UFC Fight Night 57 Card
If you have a Super Saturday hangover, there's no time to nurse it.
Well, I guess you could just not watch this Saturday's fights, but let's assume that's not an option, in the interest of you continuing to read this.
Yes, last weekend was a busy one for fight fans, with UFC 180 and Bellator 131 and WSOF 15 all going on at the same time. But you think you get a breather? You don't get a breather. And in any case, there are some reasons to check out UFC Fight Night 57, or at least DVR it and check out the high points during halftime the next day.
The main event pits Frankie Edgar against Cub Swanson. Both are popular featherweights thanks to their exciting styles. UFC brass has already indicated that Swanson would earn a shot at champion Jose Aldo with a win (and Edgar would, at a minimum, be a heck of a lot closer to such should he come out victorious).
Here's a complete guide to the 12-fight slate, including information capsules, predictions and viewing coordinates. Let's get it on.
Juan Manuel Puig vs. Doo Ho Choi
1 of 12Division: Featherweight
Records: Doo Ho Choi (11-1), Juan Manuel Puig (11-3)
See it on: UFC Fight Pass (subscription required)
Give it up for "The Korean Super Boy," which is the nickname we like to use for Mr. Doo Ho Choi.
If you enjoyed such films as "The Korean Zombie," you'll want to buy a ticket for "The Super Boy." The South Korean striking sensation signed with the UFC a full year ago, but injuries postponed his debut until now. Here's hoping, for all our sakes, that he makes it to the cage Saturday. He is some kind of fun to watch, and he is still just 23 years old.
Puig assembled a fine career of his own in the Latin American leagues, but that success didn't carry over to his UFC debut, when he lost by first-round knockout. Unfortunately for him, he's about to have some deja vu.
Prediction: Choi, TKO, Rd. 2
Paige VanZant vs. Kailin Curran
2 of 12Division: Women's strawweight
Records: Paige VanZant (3-1), Kailin Curran (3-0)
See it on: UFC Fight Pass (subscription required)
The UFC has had its eye on VanZant for a while, but she was too young for The Ultimate Fighter 20. Hence the reason she's here and not there. The former Team Alpha Male female hasn't faced a ton of great competition, as you can see in her record.
But neither has Curran, who like VanZant is a wrestler who likes to strike. Curran will probably want to use her standup game, but VanZant may be able to take her down and keep her there long enough to score most of the points.
Prediction: VanZant, unanimous decision
Yves Edwards vs. Akbarh Arreola
3 of 12
Division: Lightweight
Records: Yves Edwards (42-21-1), Akhbar Arreola (22-8-1)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
When the best thing to happen to you in the last two years or so was a No Contest ruling, you might need a change of fortune.
That's where we find the much-respected Edwards after going winless in his last four contests, dating back to February 2013. (A November 2013 loss to Yancy Medeiros was later overturned after Medeiros failed a drug test.) Is this win or be gone for Edwards? Here's guessing not but, hey, at 38 years old, a loss here doesn't say anything good about the current state of your career.
Arreola is mainly a submissions guy, but in his UFC debut proper in July, he did what he could to keep the fight standing. That fight was a loss, though. So will he return to the ground this time? That might be the question.
Edwards will want to box, of course, and while he's lost some steam over the years, he still appears to have some of that speed. And if it does go groundward, he's no babe in the woods there, either. Time for Edwards to get off the schneid.
Prediction: Edwards, unanimous decision
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James Vick vs. Nick Hein
4 of 12
Division: Lightweight
Records: James Vick (6-0), Nick Hein (11-1)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
If you missed Hein's first UFC fight, a Fight Pass prelims situation against Drew Dober at UFC Fight Night 41, you missed a pretty cracking little contest. It had blood (Dober's) and awesome judo throws (Hein's). Now the marble-buffed German wants more.
But this time, I don't think he'll get it.
Vick is one of the toughest young customers in the weight class. Vick will also have huge height and reach advantages over the 5'8" Hein. That's no "small" thing, know what I mean? Vick will keep Hein on the perimeter and land some mean stuff to stay unbeaten.
Prediction: Vick, unanimous decision
Luke Barnatt vs. Roger Narvaez
5 of 12
Division: Middleweight
Records: Luke Barnatt (8-1), Roger Narvaez (6-1)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
Feels like it's been a while since we last saw Barnatt. Maybe that's because his last fight was an eminently forgettable affair, a low-action, razor-thin, split-decision loss to Sean Strickland.
Narvaez's presence isn't upping the memorability level of this matchup. The Texas bruiser didn't look too bruising in his UFC debut, when Patrick Cummins mashed him into the ground and then punched him into paste.
But people may very well remember this one. Barnatt is fresh off his move to California and Alliance MMA, where he works alongside Dominick Cruz, Alexander Gustafsson and a herd of others. The 6'6" Englishman will flash some newly sharpened standup and maybe net himself a performance bonus.
Prediction: Barnatt, TKO, Rd. 2
Ruslan Magomedov vs. Josh Copeland
6 of 12Division: Heavyweight
Records: Ruslan Magomedov (12-1), Josh Copeland (9-0)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
RFA is really asserting its role. The unabashed UFC pipeline is seeing rewards for that unabashedness, with the larger promotion vacuuming up RFA talent left and right (and making RFA a pretty darn attractive destination in the process).
One of the more recent additions there is Copeland, the RFA champ who puts his undefeated record at stake against Magomedov.
I'm thinking he loses that undefeated record.
Copeland is a fine fighter. I don't mean this as a slight, but the guy fights exactly the way you'd think he would by looking at him: He comes forward, ties you up, beats on you with those big ham hocks of his, makes you no longer want to be there.
But against Magomedov? It all comes crashing down. The 27-year-old Dagestani from AKA has that sort of mussed-hair, where-can-I-get-a-sandwich-around-here disposition that makes for a deceptive counterweight to a high-precision striking game.
Like a lot of Russians, he isn't huge for his weight class, but he has the weapons to play matador to Copeland's toro.
Prediction: Magomedov, unanimous decision
Matt Wiman vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
7 of 12
Division: Lightweight
Records: Isaac Vallie-Flagg (14-5-1), Matt Wiman (15-7)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
Welcome back to the UFC, Matt Wiman!
It's been almost two years since his last fight. And I have to feel like cage rust is going to rear its ugly head. These guys have similar standing games: Lots of volume without a ton of power. Wiman may have a ground edge, but I don't see him using it. I see this unfolding as a slugfest, with the more well-oiled fighter taking the win.
Prediction: Vallie-Flagg, TKO, Rd. 1
Joseph Benavidez vs. Dustin Ortiz
8 of 12
Division: Flyweight
Records: Joseph Benavidez (20-4), Dustin Ortiz (14-3)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
Thanks mainly to his grappling and wrestling, Benavidez is better than anybody in the division not named Demetrious Johnson. Except maybe John Dodson. When will those two fight?
Ortiz is on a great roll, probably exceeding most reasonable expectations by beating Ray Borg and then Justin Scoggins coming into this match. The boxing is fun, the ground game is aggressive, the athleticism is what you like to see in the small fighters. He'll get the next one. He won't get it this time.
Prediction: Benavidez, submission, Rd. 3
Jared Rosholt vs. Alexey Oliynyk
9 of 12Division: Heavyweight
Records: Jared Rosholt (11-1), Alexey Oliynyk (49-9-1)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
No surprises with Rosholt. Wrestling is what you're going to get. Clinching and wrestling and all that stuff. It's not exciting, and by itself it may not carry you so far, but it's a pretty good base.
It should serve against Oliynyk, a strong grappler but not the world's most imposing athlete. Rosholt should be able to smother him.
Prediction: Rosholt, unanimous decision
Brad Pickett vs. Chico Camus
10 of 12
Division: Flyweight
Records: Brad Pickett (24-5), Chico Camus (14-5)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
The flyweight is about to learn how nice it is to have Brad Pickett at your gate. He's 1-1 so far at flyweight and should make it 2-1 over Chico Camus. The Brit will have a size advantage in the cage and should be able to control the striking-first Camus with grappling.
Prediction: Pickett, unanimous decision
Bobby Green vs. Edson Barboza
11 of 12
Division: Lightweight
Records: Edson Barboza (14-2), Bobby Green (23-5)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
Batten down the hatches, is what fans say about a fight like this.
Green is an excellent striker with outstanding movement. He'd probably have a ground advantage were the fight to go there, but Barboza's takedown defense, if nothing else, should prevent that.
Speaking of Barboza, he's still got some of the best Muay Thai in the division, and maybe beyond. Same as it ever was. Can he get over the hump against Green? I say no. Green's game is tighter and he'll pick Barboza apart and show better defense. He's the guy on the bigger roll. Here's hoping Green's not actually pondering retirement.
Prediction: Green, unanimous decision
Frankie Edgar vs. Cub Swanson
12 of 12
Division: Featherweight
Records: Frankie Edgar (17-4-1), Cub Swanson (21-5)
See it on: Fox Sports 1
Edgar's complete game is probably just a little too much. Swanson has that crazy power, and his wrestling is very strong. But Edgar just puts that gadfly athleticism behind everything. That's a hard thing to negate.
I wouldn't be shocked to see this one go to Cub, especially with that long-desired Aldo rematch in the balance. If he wants to get there, thought, he'll have to find a way to stop Edgar from darting in and doing his damage. My guess is he won't, and it'll be Edgar's day.
Prediction: Edgar, unanimous decision
Scott Harris covers MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter.
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