Top Five UFC December Fights to Watch
Being it near the end of the year, the UFC in December has always generated and showcased the best fight cards to end 2021 with a bang. So with two vegas fight night cards and UFC 269, MMA fans should be ecstatic with what is to come of December.
Here are five fights you should look out for:
Honorable Mention
With so many fights to watch here fights that were close to making the list
A majority of the fights on the UFC 269 Prelims (Click for list of fights here)
Image from UFC on BT Sport Twitter
As the main event for the first UFC Fight Night in December, Rob Font versus Jose Aldo will be a #1 contenders match considering TJ Dillashaw is out due to injury and Yan vs Aljo 2 is waiting to be scheduled. So on Saturday night, the winner of the main event will either be the next challenger for the title or possibly fighting Dillashaw for the contender spot depending on injury status.
What makes this fight mesmerizing is that both fighters have elite striking as Aldo, a former featherweight champion can mix nearly every combination up as he has a mean hook to the body while Rob Font’s technique is second to none with his ability to box you down.
I expect this main event to go five rounds, but won’t be shocked to see this fight end via finish through one fighter out striking the other.
Photo from MMAJunkie.com
Once former sparring partners at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, Rafael Fiziev versus Brad Riddell will be an entertaining and Muay Thai battle. As both lightweight contenders bring a combination of dynamic striking and personality that would guarantee to be a potential fight of the night. Considering both men are ranked in the top-15 and pursuing the title.
In this fight, I expect an exciting back and forth battle but when picking a winner, I like Brad Riddell to win due to his better grappling/wrestling game that can create pressure and slow down Fiziev’s striking output. However if this fight were to stay standing, the fighter who is more accurate, has the better chin, and gas tank will ultimately win this high stakes matchup.
After a wild tournament and series of events in the UFC lightweight division, on Dec.11 in the T-Mobile Arena. Audiences will get be showcased a true champion versus #1 contender match in Charles Oliveira versus Dustin Poirier. What makes this fight special is not just the name of both men but their records, journeys, and resilient mentalities to persevere and win the fight.
I expect this fight to be fireworks straight from the start as technique of both men is excellent. If the fight goes to the ground Oliveira has a distinct advantage but when grappling with Dustin his wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu skills is something worth noting. If the fight stays on the feet, Poirer is a more durable and better striker that can easily test Charles if he is caught in the deep waters (wobbled). However, with Oliveira, his best striking comes from countering his opponents shown in his TKO win over Michael Chandler for the former vacant lightweight championship.
I believe Poirier will with this fight via TKO/KO but I’d be shocked if he were to submit one of the best submission artists in the UFC. For Charles to win, he would have to showcase he can handle Poiriers in your face mentality/striking that can easily cause fighters to be flustered or force them to go Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em. As his best shot to beat Poirier is through timed counters and possibly take it to the ground for a submission win.
In another assumed to be fireworks and fight of the night matchup, top-ranked flyweight Kai Kara France will take on former bantamweight champion and knockout artist Cody Garbrandt. Garbrandt himself is dropping down from 135 to 125 to enter his name into the flyweight title picture. Which based on rankings may be given to either fighter determined on the outcome and performance on Dec.11. For France coming from City Kickboxing based in New Zealand, his all-around style is dangerous and something not to take lightly considering he also trains with the UFC middleweight and featherweight champions as his last win was via TKO. For Garbrandt after losing to Rob Font and foreseeably not in the title picture, entering the flyweight division brings a new challenge however when it comes to this fight overall, my concerns revolve around his ability to make the weight and adjust to the division.
I predict Kai Kara France to win the fight via decision and possibly enter the title picture but if Cody were to win he would have to outstrike France, use his wrestling, knockout his oppenent, or win the fight via decision. However, when looking at the highlights and tape, Kai’s game and already being a well-adjusted UFC flyweight makes the decision worthwhile.
5. #3 HW Derrick Lewis vs #7 hw cHRIS dAUKAUS
Image via UFC on BT Sport Twitter
As shown by the image above, this heavyweight matchup between Derrick Lewis and Chris Daukaus can easily end with one punch. The narrative for this matchup is a highly ranked veteran versus a young up incoming fighter who is climbing the rankings towards the title. So when watching this fight audiences must be prepared with their popcorn ready, as either man could create havoc with their power and technique.
I think Chris Daukaus will win this fight due to his better overall skillset but when fighting Derrick Lewis who knows what Lewis and his team could pull out of the rabbit hole as anything can happen in an instance when Derrick is at his best.
All information, rankings, records, images are from UFC.com and Tapology.com