Breakdown UFC Fight Night 98

               

                              Allow the skies to pour rain down upon us all. With the cancellation of the UFC’s Manila card, scheduled for October 15^th, fans of the promotion have experienced a four week drought in MMA action. In past years, four weeks would go by quickly, but in 2016 the Billion dollar corporation has offered viewers their fix with such frequency that fans must have forgotten other interests. The anticipation for UFC Fight Night 98 from Mexico City is overwhelming.

                The Main Event on November 5^th is in the Lightweight Division, former Champion, Rafael dos Santos takes on soaring contender, Tony Ferguson.

The UFC’s #2 ranked LW, dos Anjos is fighting in his twenty-first bout with the company (14-6). The Thirty-two year old, beat Anthony Pettis by Unanimous Decision at UFC 185 to win the LW belt, earning RDA his third Performance of the Night bonus check. Last December, he defended that belt, making short-work of long-time contender, Cowboy Cerrone, with an opening round TKO. Dos Anjos lost his title to Eddie Alvarez at UFC FN 90 by first round TKO (3:49), marking only the second time RDA has lost by TKO/KO in his thirty-three fight career. The other, his UFC debut 11/15/08, a third round KO loss at the hands of Jeremy Stephens, way back at UFC 91. The July loss to Alvarez halted a five fight winning streak that included TKO/KO wins over: Donald Cerrone(1^st 1:06), Benson Henderson (1^st 2:31, 8/23/14), and Jason High (2^nd 3:36, 6/7/14). Dos Anjos takes on 21-3 Tony El Cucuy Ferguson.

               

                Ferguson has been tearing through the UFC’s, always competitive, LW division collecting eight straight wins (5 Submissions, 1KO). El Cucuy is a finisher that has only been to the judges’ decision in six of his twenty-four fights. He has finished seventeen of his wins, nine by TKO/KO and eight Subs. The #3 ranked LW is coming off a pair of second round submission wins (both by Brabo Choke), at UFC FN 91 (7/13/16) he stopped Lando Vannata at 2:22 and caught Edson Barboza last December at TUF 22 Finale at 2:54. Ferguson is the TUF 13 Winner, finishing all his opponents on the show including an up-kick delivered while his back was on the mat that ended Justin Edwards’ participation in the tournament. The BJJ Brown Belt was a two time All American and National Champion Wrestler in college. The Thirty-two year old from Oxnard, CA will enjoy a six inch reach advantage.

               

Also in the LW division, the original Ultimate Fighter, Diego Sanchez takes on Poland’s Marcin Held. The Nightmare, The Dream, The Midnight Hallucination?  call him what you will Sanchez is still a recognizable name to MMA fans. He won TUF 1 as a Middleweight with a First Round TKO of Kenny Florian in April of 2005. He has competed at MW all the way down to Featherweight and every division between, not only competing against the UFC’s best Lightweights, but holding wins over some of the promotions biggest names including: Nick Diaz, Karo Parisyan, Paulo Thiago, Martin Kampman, Takanori Gomi and others. The BJJ Black Belt started his pro career 19-0. Now 28-9 the Thirty-four year old Sanchez is 5-5 in his last ten bouts. He lost his last battle, at UFC 200 by TKO to Joe Lauzon, only the second time in thirty-seven fights that the gritty Sanchez has been stopped.

               

                     Marcin Held has two more fights than he has years on the planet. The Twenty-four year old competed in his first Pro Bout eight years ago. Now 22-4, a dozen of his sixteen stoppage wins have been via submission. At Bellator 155 (5/20/16) Held beat Dave Jenson by UD to avenge a loss that had been gnawing at him for just one day short of three years. The decorated grappler began training BJJ at Nine years old, now a Black Belt, who has won seven of his last eight. The Season 10 Bellator LW Tournament winner, fought fourteen fights with the promotion (11-3 w/ 6subs), now Held is making his UFC debut.

               

                            Top Ten Featherweights clash when #4 Ricardo Lamas faces #8 Charles Oliveira. 16-5 Ricardo The Bully Lamas is fighting in his eleventh fight in the UFC (7-3). The BJJ Black Belt has finished eight wins, four by Submission. He lost his last fight at UFC 199 a UD to Max Holloway, but holds wins over, big names: Diego Sanchez, Dennis Bermudez and Cub Swanson. Fighting out of Chicago, Lamas has won 10 of his last 14.

               

                      21-6 Charles Oliveira has won thirteen bouts by submission (6 in the first round). In fact eight of the Brazilian’s last nine wins have come from the Tap. Now living in Houston, Oliveira is 5-2 in his last seven, with losses to Max Holloway and an August Sub loss (3^rd 1:49) to debuting Featherweight, Anthony Pettis at UFC on Fox 21.

                Joe Soto is just doing his thing, signed with the UFC to face former champ, TJ Dillashaw at UFC 177 (8/30/14) on just hours notice, this time he has given himself a full five days to prepare for Mexico City’s own, 8-3 Marco Beltran. Guido Cannetti was pulled from Saturday Night’s event due to a USADA violation. Soto agreed to a catch weight fight at 140lbs. Soto is coming off a June submission win over Chris Beal.

                Marco Beltran was on Team Velasquez on TUF LATAM and currently riding a three fight win streak, including a second round Sub of Reginaldo Viera at UFC FN 90 in his last effort.