Five Sleeper Fights To Watch Out For During International Fight Week 2016

This Thursday night kicks off what is undoubtedly the most anticipated weekend in mixed martial arts this year. UFC International Fight Week 2016 is upon us, and my friends, it is glorious. From Thursday to Saturday, there will be five title fights taking place, which all but guarantees at least one new champion will be crowned. Beyond the title fights are matchups that have the casual and hardcore MMA fans already on the edge of their seats. Most notably is the return of the former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. On loan from the WWE, Lesnar is back in what is sure to be a well-viewed affair. Over the three-day stretch, there are 36 fights taking place. With such a large number of fights, it will be easy to overlook a fight that otherwise might be of co-main or even main event caliber. Lucky for you, I have obsessed over this weekend for the last two months and have created a list of my top five sleeper fights for International Fight Week.

1. The Title Fight Sleeper

This pick might be my most difficult choice of the top five. For starters, there are two title fights before UFC 200 even happens and I would venture to say that most people don’t even realize it. Thursday night, Rafael Dos Anjos is set to make the second defense of his lightweight title when he takes on Eddie Alvarez. Then on Friday night, Joanna Jedrzejczyk will put the strawweight title on the line against heated rival Claudia Gadelha. Both of these fights are likely to be overlooked a bit or even forgotten about by some. However, more so than either of these two fights, I think the title fight people are overlooking the most is the women’s bantamweight title fight between Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes.  I understand that this fight has great billing on a pay-per-view card that is loaded with great fights from top to bottom but the fact remains people just aren’t talking about it. Need some proof? It is currently 7:30 pm on Tuesday, July 5, 2016. If you went to well-respected MMA news site mmajunkie.com, you would have to scroll back to July 1^st to find a headline mentioning Tate. Tate is a beacon of glory for those of us in the Pacific Northwest. I will be dammed if I do not let people know that she is defending her bantamweight title for the first time on Saturday night. In a division with as many question marks and potential matchups for the champ as women’s bantamweight, it’s shocking to me how little hype this fight is getting.

2. The Top Prospects

Friday Night on the Fight Pass prelims of the Ultimate Fighter Finale, two of the fastest rising young fighters on the UFC roster will be squaring off in a lightweight clash as Jake Matthews (4-1 UFC) takes on Kevin Lee (5-2 UFC). There are few fighters who display as much athleticism as Matthews and Lee. Matthews has shown to not only be explosive but also very powerful. His submissions and ground and pound have displayed power similar to that of a young Tito Ortiz. The biggest hole in his game, I would say, is that he sometimes can be a bit reckless. He often moves forward with his hands down and has been the recipient of more than one clean shot to the head that left him looking wobbled. Lee possesses a very similar skill set to that of Matthews but where Matthews is brooding and looks for the finish, Lee is methodical and slowly wears down his opponents. Lee has shown great speed in the cage and it might be to his advantage if the fight ends up on the feet. This fight is going to push one of these two fighters toward a matchup with a top fifteen opponent and it’s likely the last time you will see either of them buried on the Fight Pass preliminary card.

3. The New Guy

Thursday at UFC Fight Night 90, an undefeated pro named Belal Muhammad will make his UFC debut against fan favorite Alan Jouban. Muhammad is a fighter who seems to be succeeding against all odds. While he has no blemishes on his professional record, he was only afforded one fight with Bellator MMA back in 2014 before being released. Muhammad continued to win outside of the major organizations until his most recent win with Titan FC finally caught the attention of the UFC. With his foot again in the door of a major promotion, Muhammad was sent into a training camp during Ramadan. Even while fasting for Ramadan, Muhammad trained for his UFC debut. In the cage, he is a very well rounded fighter. He mixes up his attacks and is comfortable anywhere. He has proven to be a style matchup for some as he is know to throw spinning attacks almost as often as he shoots for takedowns. Jouban is also known for unorthodox attacks as well as excellent submissions. This matchup should test the young pro in his promotional debut. Against Jouban, I expect Muhammad to press the action, which should lead to fireworks on the 7^th of July. I wouldn’t be surprised if this affair ended up taking home fight of the night.

4. The Heavyweight Sleeper

It wasn’t long ago when Cain Velasquez was the king of the Heavyweight division. Then a string of injuries kept him on the sideline and he crept further away from relevance. His return to the cage saw him uncharacteristically gas out only to be out struck and eventually submitted by Frabricio Werdum. Now a year removed from the defeat (only his second loss as a professional), Velasquez is back and looks to take on dangerous striker Travis Browne. Two years ago, this fight could have headlined a UFC pay-per-view. Today, it is just one fight amongst the dozen on the UFC 200 card and will likely be over shadowed by the three title fights and return of one time Velasquez victim Brock Lesnar. This fight could mean a short path to the title for him if victorious or a very long road back to the top if he is not. For Browne, this fight is the perfect way to prove he is a part of the upper echeloned of the heavyweight division. Should he win, it would validate his claim as a future title challenger.

5. The Little Guys

TJ Dillashaw versus Raphael Assuncao is quite possibly my favorite fight of the entire weekend. The first time these two fought, Assuncao took a narrow split decision win over a surging Dillashaw. Not only was the fight close, it was incredibly exciting, taking home fight of the night honors. It was long rumored that Assuncao was one of the fights Dillashaw coveted when he was UFC Bantamweight Champion. After narrowly losing his title to Dominick Cruz, Dillashaw, not being offered an immediate rematch, again set his sites on Assuncao. Clearly there is vengeance on the mind of Dillashaw and he will likely be looking to make a statement against the Brazilian. A rematch with Cruz should be on the horizon if he is victorious. Assuncao also has a great argument for a title shot if he should best Dillashaw for a second time. A win at UFC 200 gives Assuncao his 8^th straight and would almost certainly catapult him into a title shot against Cruz. This fight has major title implications for both fighters and I don’t see either man taking a step backwards in this one.