Three Must See Fights Of UFC 191

Labor Day weekend is fast approaching, and with that comes another UFC pay-per-view event. UFC 191 goes down Saturday, September 5^th, in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand. This card features some of the most explosive fighters on the UFC roster, and is likely to be a crowd-pleaser. UFC 191 can hopefully right the ship that UFC 190 took off course earlier this month. While UFC 190 had above average pay-per-view buys, it failed to excite many of the sport’s most devoted fans. With the exception of Ronda Rousey’s dominant win over Bethe Correia, UFC 190 was widely considered a bit of a dud. So with a title on the line, two heavyweight contenders vying for a shot at the belt, and one of the sports most popular young athletes set to take the stage, it seems that UFC 191 can be the card to get things back on course.

Here are my must-see fights for UFC 191.

1. Paige VanZant vs. Alex Chambers

 This matchup features two of the least experienced fighters on the UFC’s active roster. However, being short on experience doesn’t mean a fighter is short on star power. At just 21 years old, “12 Gauge” Paige VanZant seems to be rocketing to stardom. The Dayton, Oregon native has become a hot commodity in the world of MMA. After just two appearances in the UFC, VanZant was signed to an exclusive deal with Reebok and she was immediately thrown into the spotlight. Her performances in the Octagon have shown that she is fiercely competitive and has a killer instinct when she has an opponent in danger. Training with Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, VanZant has shown growth in her ground game, particularly in her top control and scrambles. The matchup with Alex Chambers is an interesting one. At 36 years old, Chambers is likely making her final push in the sport. A win over a top up and comer like VanZant would definitely give her the momentum she needs to work her way into title contention. Chambers has shown one weakness consistently during her short career and that is a lack of submission defense. This is a bit ironic since she is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu national champion; every loss in her professional and amateur career has come by submission. With this being VanZant’s first pay-per-view appearance, she needs to show that she can dominate in the spotlight and prove to UFC officials that she can deliver under pressure. For Chambers, this fight could literally mean the beginning or the end. If she suffers a major defeat and it is again via submission, she could easily be let go by the promotion. A win could mean a fight against a top 5 opponent. This fight is surely a candidate for fight of the night; keep your eye on the strawweights.

2. Frank Mir vs. Andrei Arlovski

This matchup is just over a decade in the making and for the old school fans of the sport, this fight is something many have always wanted to see. Back in 2004, a young Frank Mir won the UFC heavyweight championship when he broke the arm of then champion, Tim Sylvia, in round one of their title fight. Only two months later, Mir suffered major injuries in a motorcycle accident, which lead to his championship being stripped. After Mir’s accident, a young Belarusian fighter, Andrei Arlovski, secured and twice defended the vacant heavyweight title. Many hoped that Mir would make a speedy recovery and face off with the new champion but with multiple breaks to his femur and a completely blown out knee, it would be two years before he would return to the Octagon. Upon Mir’s return, it would take him sometime to find his rhythm and before he and Arlovski could cross paths the Belarusian had left the UFC. Now, just over a decade later, the two are set to meet in what some might call a legends match. Both of these fighters possess legitimate knockout power and can stop a fight with a single strike. But it is Mir who has the advantage on the ground. He has the second most submissions in UFC history (13) and has proven to be versatile in his submission game. Chokes, arm-bars, toeholds you name it, he’s done it. Arlovski is the hotter of the two fighters at the moment and the matchup with Mir could propel him into a title shot if Cain Velasquez comes up short in his rematch with Frabrico Werdum. Whether you’re a fan of these fighters or not these heavyweight finishers and it should produce an incredibly exciting fight.

3. Demetrious Johnson vs. John Dodson

At this point in his career it seems “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is happy to continue being one of the most dominant champions the sport has ever seen. He may not be the draw the UFC hoped he would be, but he is more than capable of defeating every fighter in the flyweight division. To this point, he has beaten seven of the top fifteen fighters at flyweight and he shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Johnson has already handed a loss to title challenger John Dodson. But here’s why this fight isn’t just a throw away. In their first meeting, Dodson proved to be equally as fast as Johnson (some thought he was faster) and he showed something that is often lacking in at flyweight – power. Dodson landed punches that dropped Johnson on three occasions in their first meeting, but it was in the second round that he had a real chance to put the champion away. Dodson was unable to capitalize on his heavy shots, not because he didn’t have the tools, but because he didn’t push the pressure. Dodson was reserved after dropping the champion and didn’t show the killer instinct that he is known for. Maybe it was nerves; maybe he saw something that told him Johnson had recovered. Either way, it would be unlikely that Dodson would let another chance pass him by should he have the champ in trouble. Johnson, on the other hand, has only been more dominant in his last five fights and has shown that he knows how to finish with only one of those fights ending by decision. This fight will be fast pace war from start to finish, a true can’t miss fight for fans of technical striking and amazing footwork.