The Ultimate Fighting Championship continues its expansion on the global market this weekend, May 16 as it heads to the Pasay, Philippines for UFC Fight Night 66: Manila from the Mall of Asia Arena.
The location for the ‘Thrilla in Manila’;one of boxing’s most memorable moment’s, will now host MMA’s premier attraction for the first time, and the organisation has put together a decent card for its maiden Filipino event.
At the top of the bill is a featherweight contest between veterans Frankie Edgar (18-4-1) and Urijah Faber (32-7), and whilst the fight may be a tad undeserving of its ‘superfight’ label, it’s a tantalising match up nonetheless.
Edgar has won three straight including a five round beat down of fellow contender Cub Swanson, and he’ll be looking to solidify a title shot with a victory here.
Since losing to Renan Barao in a fight for the bantamweight crown, Faber – who’s competing at 145lbs for the first time in five years – has been doing what he always seems to do in non-title fights: winning. Convincingly.
This fight is intriguing, not least because each fighter is proficient in all areas of the game, with both possessing excellent wrestling and boxing and the contest could end in a number of scenarios for either fighter.
But few boast better wrestling at the lower weights than Edgar’s, and I feel he has slightly more in every department. I believe he’ll use his size and strength to take the fight south, perhaps ending the fight with ground and pound.
Prediction: Edgar TKO (round 4)
Facing off in the co-main event are middleweights Gegard Mousasi and Costas Philippou with both fighters looking to build on victories in their previous outings.
For number seven ranked Mousasi (35-6-2), the fight is a chance to get back into the title picture after his progress was halted by set backs against Ronaldo Souza and Lyoto Machida. The dangling carrot for Philippou (13-4(1), should he emerge victorious, is a place in the top 10, which is no mean feat in such a talent-rich division.
Mousasi, whose kickboxing is some of the best in the division, has the better technical striking and he may look to use his slight reach advantage to control things from the outside. The Dutchman also has an underrated grappling game, and if the opportunity presents itself, he won’t be afraid to take his opponent down.
Philippou is a former professional boxer, and although his striking isn’t as refined as Mousasi’s he does possess powerful shots that can end a fight abruptly.
I feel Mousasi is the more well rounded fighter, and I think he’ll take it in an entertaining affair.
Prediction: Mousasi via unanimous decision
In his last fight before he hangs up his MMA gloves, Mark Munoz (13-6) squares off against the UK’s Luke Barnatt (8-2) in a middleweight contest.
After losing his last three, the ‘Filipino Wrecking Machine’ announced he would compete once more before calling it quits, and the UFC decided book him on the card of his parents’ homeland for his swansong.
Barnatt, who first appeared on the The Ultimate Fighter: Jones vs. Sonnen, is looking to bounce back after losing his last two – both by split decision.
Whilst Munoz has powerful punches, Barnatt has a huge reach advantage, and his striking is more diverse and technical.
Munoz certainly has the edge in the wrestling department and he should be able to utilise that factor and take Barnatt down. If he can do so, his ground and pound is very effective and he could cause some serious damage.
Although Munoz isn’t the fighter he once was, this fight is still a step up in competition for Barnatt, raising questions about its timing after he recently lost the first two fights of his career. I feel Munoz’s wrestling will prove too much and, unfortunately, Barnatt’s head may be on the chopping block with another loss.
Prediction: Munoz via unanimous decision
In the welterweight division Neil Magny, one of last year’s unlikely star performers takes on heavy hitting South Korean Hyun Gyu Lin.
After a modest performance on TUF: Carwin vs. Nelson, Magny (14-3) entered 2014 as one of the favourites for a pink slip. But after stringing together an incredible six consecutive victories in the space of 12 months, he now finds himself as the division’s number 15-ranked fighter.
His opponent, Lim (13-4-1) possesses some of the most powerful shots in the 170lbs division, and he’s scored a dizzying 10 KOs in his relatively short career.
This one could come down to whether Magny can stay away from Lim’s power early on. If he manages to succeed, he can use his technical boxing to tire his opponent down and push for the take down.
Magny’s run must come to an end at some point, and something tells me it’ll be in this one.
Prediction: Lim via TKO (round 1)
UFC Fight Night 66: Manila Main Card
Featherweight: Urijah Faber vs. Frankie Edgar
Middleweight: Gegard Mousasi vs. Costas Philippou
Middleweight: Luke Barnatt vs. Mark Munoz
Welterweight: Hyun Gyu Lim vs. Neil Magny
Featherweight: Phillipe Nover vs. Yui Chul Nam
Featherweight: Mark Eddiva vs. Levan Makashvili
UFC Fight Night 66: Manila Prelims
Lightweight: Jon Tuck vs. Tae Hyun Bang
Lightweight: Zhang Lipeng vs. Kajan Johnson
Welterweight: Li Jingliang vs. Dhiego Lima
Bantamweight: Ning Guangyou vs. Royston Wee
UFC Fight Night 66: Manila Fight Pass Prelims
Flyweight: Roldan Sangcha-An vs. Jon Delos Reyes
Flyweight: Nolan Ticman vs. Yao Zhikui
by Darryl Rigby
