Despite there being no UFC or Strikeforce offerings this weekend to be consumed by the masses, there are still quite a few bouts the seasoned MMA connoisseur should watch out for. And as a seasoned purveyor of fight info that exists on the edges of relevancy, MMA Journalist has made this nice list to help you keep track. You can thank me later.
- Tom Gallicchio vs. Chris Curtis, Xtreme Caged Combat – On Friday, M-1 Global “Selections” tournament winner Gallicchio treks on over to Philly for XCC’s latest. His opponent is some experienced dude from Ohio, but like a true playa, Gallicchio’s been around the world and should have no trouble choking him out. So stop hatin’.
- Jay Coleman vs. Sam Jackson, CFFC 8 – Coleman was a very promising ass kicker a few years ago, but fell off the radar when personal problems arose. Now he’s back and taking on a veteran fighter in Sam Jackson at CFFC 8 on Friday night, so the question is: does Coleman still have it?
- Ozzy Dugulubgov vs. Kevin Horowitz, CFFC 8 – An intriguing match-up if there ever was one, Dugulubgov will be turning pro against a guy who can fight anywhere (although the one knock against Horowitz is his consistency). Dugulubgov looked very impressive in his brief amateur career, though, so the big question mark here is if he can be the next Al Iaquinta/Chris Wing/Liam Kerrigan/Nick Pace/etc.
- Patricio Freire vs. Daniel Straus, Bellator 45 – Tune into MTV2 for the Bellator season finale, and watch to see if lighter Freire brother can manage to do what his big brother could not (which is win). Straus is no Mike Chandler, so I think he can manage the “W” here.
- Christian M’Pumbu vs. Richard Hale, Bellator 45 – This bout could be awesome, or it could be a big pile of suck that clutters your television screen and keeps you from doing something worthwhile with your time (like finishing that novel or impregnating your wife). Both fighters are competent on the feet and on the ground, but they’re not amazing, so if they refuse to engage we’ll get a lot of dancing. Here’s hoping they engage.