(The Daily Haymaker is a daily series that takes a look back and covers the news, fights being made, and all the other insanity revolving around combat sports. The Haymaker’s purpose is to keep you up to date with the ever changing combat sports world and also provide thought-provoking [hopefully] analysis from yours truly.)
The News
1. Both Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson were given TRT exemptions for their fight at UFN 32 this Saturday.
2. Although all six fighters involved in the tournament finales for Bellator 107 made weight, Derek Campos, Martin Stapleton, and Chris Jones all failed to make the weight requirement for their lightweight contests on the card. The fight between Martin Stapleton and Derek Campos will be fought at a catchweight of 157 pounds while Robert White agreed to fight Chris Jones at a 156 pound catchweight.
3. Will Campuzano will be Sergio Pettis’s new opponent at UFC 167. Pettis was initially left without an opponent for the event after Vaughan Lee suffered an injury in training.
4. The Fight For The Troops card drew 641,000 viewers which was a slight increase from the last Fight Night broadcast.
Fights Made
UFC 167 – November 16th, 2013
Flyweight Bout
Sergio Pettis (9-0) vs. Will Campuzano (13-4)
Background: Sergio Pettis is the brother of UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis [a fact that will probably be repeated a dozen times on the broadcast], but he’s made a name for himself on the regional scene by finishing 66% of his opponents. The best win on Pettis’s resume is a decision victory over scrappy flyweight Josh Robinson at NAFC – Battleground. Speaking of scrappy, that’s the type of style Will Campuzano has showcased after being let go from the UFC in early 2011. Campuzano has beaten the likes of Joshua Sampo, Jimmy Flick, Hideo Tokoro to earn a return to the UFC.
Excitement Level: 7 out of 10. Sergio Pettis is one of the brightest non-wrestler prospects in the game, while Will Campuzano has thrived since moving down to flyweight. Personally, I’d like to see both fighters, regardless of the result, get another opportunity in the UFC because of their talent and entertaining fight style.
Bellator 109
Welterweight Bout
Matt Riddle (7-3, 2 NC) vs Nathan Coy (13-4)
Background: After retiring for two seconds following a dismissal from the UFC that was caused entirely by his recreational drug use, Matthew Riddle signed a deal with Bellator. Two of Riddle’s last four fight were ruled no contests due to failed marijuana tests, but Riddle did beat his last four opponents prior to the result change. If he ends up evading any more positive test results, the TUF alumn will prove to be a great investment by Bjorn Rebney. He’s 27 years old with a good talent base and an abundance of personality. Following a release from Strikeforce, Nathan Coy has looked like an improved fighter. Coy is on a five fight win streak that saw him put the only blemish on Dhiego Lima’s record.
Excitement Level: 5 out of 10. There’s a lot on the line with this fight as a win almost guarantees that the victor will be a part of the next welterweight tournament. What spoils my excitement level is that I could see this becoming a takedown contest.
Lightweight Bout
Terry Etim (15-5) vs Patrick Cenoble (9-2-1)
Background: This will be Terry Etim’s first fight since his eleven fight UFC tenure. Back-to-back losses to Renee Forte and Edson Barboza spelled the Englishman’s exit from the organization. In his last fight, Patrick Cenoble fought Tony Fryklund to a split draw. Prior to that, Cenoble went 3-2 in the CFA.
Excitement Level: 4 out of 10. Terry Etim has a lot to lose and little to gain in this one. Even though Cenoble is a tad bit underrated because of his resume on paper, few people are aware of Cenoble’s talent, so the stock of Etim won’t rise dramatically with a win. Still, I’m intrigued to see how Etim will do after a tough end to his UFC career.
Must Reads
1. Deadspin ran a terrifically detailed piece by Jennifer Doyle of The Sport Spectacle on the Matthew Maldonado and Nicholas Schultz rape trial. I’d like to thank Brent Brookhouse for his stellar reporting on the subject. Without Brookhouse, as scary as it is to think, this horrific story might not have seen the light of day. Read Doyle’s article here: http://deadsp.in/17PUg13
2. Chuck Mindenhall takes a look at the year 2003 in the UFC here: http://bit.ly/HLeHlb
3. Peter Rugg of Fightland wrote a piece about Kim Winslow and the criticism that she’s received in her refereeing career. Rugg actually talked to Winslow for the article, and it’s worth a read. Here’s the first part: http://bit.ly/1hPYcCJ
That’ll do it for today’s Haymaker. Thanks for reading, and I’ll leave you with a quote from Howard Cossell.
“Sports is the toy department in human life.”
-Dan can be reached at [email protected] or @danielgal.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
