10 Must-See MMA Fights in the Month of March
There has never been as much MMA action available to fans as there is today.
In March, several promotions will put on bouts worth watching across multiple continents. While more events have led to less impressive overall cards, intriguing matchups happen on a weekly basis.
Between now and April, two UFC championships, a Bellator MMA title and a World Series of Fighting belt will be up for grabs. That only covers United States-based promotions, so March will certainly be an entertaining month in the MMA world.
As the first events in March approach, here is a look at the 10 contests most worth watching in the coming month.
Honorable Mentions
1 of 11
Ross Pearson vs. Sam Stout
Following the biggest win in his UFC career, a knockout against Gray Maynard, Ross Pearson was beaten by the up-and-coming Al Iaquinta. Likewise, Sam Stout is coming off a knockout loss to K.J. Noons.
Pearson and Stout will now look to rebound against each other in a matchup that should provide some entertaining striking.
Sergio Pettis vs. Ryan Benoit
Having had mixed success in the UFC bantamweight division, Sergio Pettis has decided to make the cut to 125 pounds. The brother of the UFC lightweight champion, Pettis has unlimited potential, so it will be interesting to see how this next chapter in his MMA career goes.
Facing Ryan Benoit, who is 0-1 inside the Octagon, Pettis will have a good chance to start out well in the flyweight class. In other words, this matchup could be a highlight-reel win in the making for Pettis.
Francis Carmont vs. Guilherme Viana
Released by the UFC after three straight losses, Francis Carmont landed with Bellator MMA and will make his debut with the promotion on March 27.
Despite being cut, Carmont was a ranked contender during his time in the UFC middleweight division. So, he will be a good test for Guilherme Viana, a solid prospect with three straight wins who is also making his Bellator MMA debut this month.
Pat Healy vs. Kurt Kinser
Under the Strikeforce banner, Pat Healy looked like he could be one of the better fighters in the lightweight division. Then, he lost four in a row inside the Octagon.
Now competing with Titan FC after a rebound win over Ricardo Tirloni, Healy is set to do battle with Kurt Kinser. Undefeated in eight MMA contests and owning a win over UFC veteran Shamar Bailey, Kinser has breakthrough potential that makes this matchup worth paying attention to.
Clifford Starks vs. Krasimir Mladenov
With losses to Ed Herman and Yoel Romero, Clifford Starks may have been prematurely released by the UFC brass. Since then, he's gone 2-0 with Bellator MMA.
Now booked to compete under the World Series of Fighting banner, Starks will test Krasimir Mladenov later this month. The Bulgarian prospect is undefeated in 12 MMA bouts and 3-0 with WSOF, so he could get some UFC consideration with a win over Starks.
10. Adriano Moraes vs. Asuka Mikami
2 of 11
Since losing in his One FC debut, Adriano Moraes has gone 3-0, including a submission win over former UFC contender Yasuhiro Urushitani.
On March 13, Moraes will attempt to defend his One FC title against Asuka Mikami.
Unbeaten since May 2009, Mikami is one of the hottest 125-pounders around right now. A win over Moraes in his One FC debut would be another big step forward.
While One FC leaders are going to want to hold onto both of these men, UFC officials are going to have their eyes on this bout. The winner would be a nice addition to the flyweight division in the world's top MMA promotion.
9. Joe Warren vs. Marcos Galvao
3 of 11
Since his nasty knockout loss to Pat Curran that cost him his featherweight championship, Joe Warren has re-emerged as a Bellator MMA star in the bantamweight division.
On the heels of a win over Eduardo Dantas to become the undisputed Bellator MMA 135-pound titleholder, Warren is set to defend his championship on March 27. His opponent will be a familiar one, Marcos Galvao. Warren and Galvao last met in April 2011, when the current champion spoiled the Brazilian's Bellator MMA debut in a unanimous decision.
With another win over Galvao, Warren should again start receiving recognition as one of the better MMA fighters competing outside the Octagon. At 38 years old, it's unlikely he'll ever get to compete in the UFC bantamweight division, but Warren can cement his respectable legacy by closing out his career with a solid run as a Bellator MMA champion.
The result of this contest will go a long way toward determining how Warren is remembered.
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8. Justin Gaethje vs. Luis Palomino
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These days, there aren't many non-UFC fighters worth watching every time they compete, but Justin Gaethje is quickly becoming one of the few.
Only 26 years old, he has already defended his WSOF championship twice, with those wins coming against UFC veteran Melvin Guillard and Nick Newell. Having beaten Guillard, who has 12 UFC wins on his resume, Gaethje has already proved he's UFC-ready.
Luis Palomino should be another steppingstone on Gaethje's path toward stardom, but that doesn't mean it won't be worth tuning in to see this rising phenom develop. WSOF is going to hold onto him as long as it can, but it seems inevitable that Gaethje will eventually make his way to the big show.
7. Ben Saunders vs. Erick Silva
5 of 11
Erick Silva entered the UFC as a welterweight with big potential, but he hasn't been able to get it done against 170-pound contenders. The Brazilian has alternated wins and losses since joining the promotion and will be looking to earn back-to-back UFC wins for the first time on March 21.
Standing in Silva's way will be Ben Saunders. Released by the UFC in August 2010, Saunders had a good run with Bellator MMA before returning to the Octagon in August 2014. Now 2-0 since making his way back, he will be looking to make a move into the welterweight Top 15 with a win over Silva.
Even if neither of these men ever becomes the contender that many thought he could be, Silva and Saunders are two of the more entertaining 170-pounders around. So, they should put on a show against each other at UFC Fight Night 62 in Brazil.
6. Chris Cariaso vs. Henry Cejudo
6 of 11
Henry Cejudo made his UFC debut at bantamweight after running into some medical issues while attempting to cut to 125 pounds for an August bout with Scott Jorgensen. However, the former Olympic gold medalist in wrestling has decided to return to the flyweight class for his second UFC outing.
Welcoming Cejudo back to 125 pounds will be Chris Cariaso, who is coming off a loss to UFC champion Demetrious Johnson. At 33 years old, Cariaso might not have time to improve enough to become champion, but he has been underappreciated in the bantamweight and flyweight divisions.
Assuming Cejudo makes weight, which is not a safe assumption, Cariaso will be a good test. Should Cejudo make it look easy against Cariaso, weight cuts may be the only thing between him and a run at a 125-pound title shot.
5. Demian Maia vs. Ryan LaFlare
7 of 11
Following back-to-back losses against Rory MacDonald and Jake Shields, Demian Maia was given a rebound matchup with Alexander Yakovlev. After beating the Russian, Maia is now set to return to competition against ranked welterweights.
Ryan LaFlare isn't a huge name at 170 pounds, but he could be soon. The Blackzilians member is undefeated in 11 bouts and beat John Howard in his most recent outing. That victory earned LaFlare this opportunity to compete against Maia in the Brazilian's home country.
This is undoubtedly the biggest moment in LaFlare's career. Should he pick up a win over Maia in his first UFC main event appearance, LaFlare would likely move into the welterweight Top 10 and should be considered a serious title threat.
4. Alistair Overeem vs. Roy Nelson
8 of 11
In December, Alistair Overeem picked up a rebound win over Stefan Struve, knocking out his fellow Dutchman in the opening round. While it was an important win for Overeem, it's hard to get too excited about the man who keeps suffering setbacks against opponents he is expected to beat.
With three losses in his past four outings, Roy Nelson might be on a downhill path at 38 years old. However, Big Country is always dangerous against an opponent who is willing to trade with him, and Overeem will likely be looking to stand in this UFC 185 matchup.
This is one of those matchups that are fun even if one doesn't know anything about the fighters. Overeem is one of the most physically imposing competitors on the UFC roster, and Nelson is, well, not. However, the surprisingly athletic Big Country will make this worth watching and has the power to crack Overeem's fragile chin.
3. Johny Hendricks vs. Matt Brown
9 of 11
Splitting two close contests with Robbie Lawler in his past two outings, Johny Hendricks looked to be lined up for a rubber match for the welterweight championship. However, Lawler wasn't ready to go, leaving Hendricks with Matt Brown as an opponent.
Brown is also coming off a loss to Lawler. Before that, he had won seven in a row. Therefore, this bout with a former champion gives Brown a chance to rebound in a big way.
It's not a title bout, but Hendricks and Brown are two of the most violent fighters at 170 pounds. There is no way this matchup won't entertain at UFC 185 on March 14.
2. Carla Esparza vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
10 of 11
After a win over Rose Namajunas in The Ultimate Fighter 20 finals, Carla Esparza is ready to defend her strawweight title for the first time. With five straight wins, she was an Invicta FC champion and the best 115-pounder around heading into TUF 20, so the right woman came away with the inaugural strawweight belt.
At UFC 185, Joanna Jedrzejczyk will be out to show there is a new best strawweight in the world, though. She picked up a surprising win over Claudia Gadelha in her most recent outing, which was enough to make her the first strawweight title challenger in UFC history.
It's hard to say how this matchup will play out, with both fighters having different styles, but this is a big moment for the 115-pound division and should be appointment viewing.
1. Anthony Pettis vs. Rafael dos Anjos
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Yes, the entire UFC 185 main card made this list, so be sure to tune in and watch the pay-per-view on March 14.
Headlining that event will be a lightweight title bout between Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos. It's not Pettis vs. Khabib Numagomedov, which is what most hoped for, but Dos Anjos is a worthy challenger.
The Brazilian has won three in a row, including a knockout win over former champion Benson Henderson. With improved striking, Dos Anjos could surprise a lot of people against Pettis.
After defending his belt for the first time against Gilbert Melendez, Pettis can now look to build his legacy as the 155-pound king. Beating Dos Anjos would already put him within one win of the UFC record for most consecutive lightweight title defenses.
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