Why You Should Watch UFC Fight Night 23

UFC Fight Night 23 sported a gaudy main event featuring perennial contender Kenny Florian and rising star Evan Dunham. That was until Florian pulled out with an injury, leaving Dunham with the streaking yet drastic step down in Melvin Guillard. The unfortunate thing about the whole circumstance is that Dana White and company seemed to be

banking on the main event to bring in viewers (along with the show being a fight for the troops) while hoping a couple guys on the main card could shine through and win some new fans. As we find more often than not with MMA shows there are myriad reasons to watch beyond a big name main event and this blog will go about outlining those reasons.

Preliminary Card

The preliminary card will be found streaming on Facebook of all places, an indication that the UFC is truly dedicated to expanding their product at all costs and rewarding loyal fans with free fights from time to time. Alas this is an intriguing but somewhat lackluster preliminary card to debut in such a way. Mike Guymon fights DaMarques Johnson in a match that might as well be a pink slip ladder match. Neither has been particularly impressive during their UFC stints but Johnson stands out as likely possessing more potential. With both fighters fighting for their jobs in this one, we should see each go for broke a few times, jumping on any opportunity to finish. Tune in to this one and hope for one of these two to step up and prove they belong in the UFC. The other preliminary fight features one of my new favorite fighters to watch: Cody McKenzie (pictured). McKenzie takes the fight with Yves Edwards on short notice so temper expectations a bit. However, check this fight out for the mere chance that you will catch one of the best guillotine chokes in the sport today. The scary thing about McKenzie’s choke is that everyone knows he is looking for it and almost no one has been able to stop it. Don’t count Edwards out. A seasoned vet, he will be looking for a win over an Ultimate Fighter alum to make himself significant in the division.

Main Card

As with most Fight Night cards, this one is filled with names that most people have never heard but match-ups that could lead to absolute fireworks. Some of these fights are a lot more significant than meets the eye as well, featuring names that you might see in title fights sooner rather than later.

Cole Miller vs Matt Wiman

I honestly don’t know what to think of either one of these guys. I can’t figure out if I think Cole Miller is a future contender or not and I can’t peg if Wiman is a serious fighter. Cole Miller never feels like a guy who is going to break the ranks of 155 and push for a title shot in the future, but every time I see him fight I find myself relatively impressed. His desire to finish fights makes him exciting and more often than not he comes out on the right end of the excitement. Matt Wiman on the other hand is much more hot and cold. Most of his loses have come against quality fighters and he has bested guys that seemed out of his league, but some of his performances come off as uninspired. Fans need not fear this fight be boring as Cole Miller will push the pace and force Wiman to react. The winner will likely get a much bigger fight very soon. Both fighters are coming off two fight win streaks and will get a chance to tack a third on in front of the troops. This is not the time to leave it in the cage and they both know it.

Patrick Barry vs Joey Beltran

Fans of heavy hitters and potentially scary knockouts look no further than this one! UFC match-maker Joe Silva has a knack for putting big hitters together lately. Barry might be the most powerful kicker in the Heavyweight division while Beltran appears to have a head made of cinder block. Don’t expect the swings to come from one side though as Beltran has some scary power in his hands as well. Barry’s striking is simply more technical, generating most of his devastating power from kicks and practicing precision kickboxing. Barry may try to turn this into a kick-boxing match while Beltran will likely attempt to make it a brawl. Expect a first round with a lot of pace as both men try to bounce back from huge loses. However, if both men can weather the respective storms coming their way, we might see a lumbering slug fest, which is often good for a KO or a at least a lot of crowd pleasing exchanges.

Bonus: Pat Barry has been training with Brock Lesnar so keep an eye on how well he uses his wrestling (something COMPLETELY lacking in his last fight). This may give us a very small insight into how much Brock and his team can coach in a relatively short period of time, significant with Brock Lesnar recently accepting a coaching position for The Ultimate Fighter.

Mark Hominick vs George Roop

Mark Hominick (pictured) might be the single most important fighter on the card. The reason being, he is one win away from a title shot at pound for pound rated Jose Aldo, a match that would mark the first Featherweight Title defense in the UFC. Hominick fights friend, training partner, and relatively large featherweight George Roop. The implication of Hominick’s position is that Roop could steal the spot with an impressive win. Under normal circumstances he would be a few wins away but the UFC may want to place someone in the challengers position sooner rather than later and Roop would be riding two significant upsets in a row. That is likely for not as this fight is Hominick’s to lose. If you have never seen the lighter divisions tune in to see what serious technique combined with unrelenting pace really looks like. Roop is tough enough to take a beating before going down so I don’t expect a quick finish but I do expect Hominick to impress on his way to a title shot.

Tim Hague vs Matt Mitrione

Matt “Meathead” Mitrione is the Kimbo Killer. He beat on Kimbo Slice with such ease that Zuffa had no choice but to release the overhyped streetfighter. Don’t let that fool you into thinking Mitrione is a contender just yet. He is only 3-0 as a professional but possesses a great deal of power and athleticism, making him a dangerous but developing prospect. Tim Hague has a wealth of experience but at this point in his career he is little more than a wanderer. Hague possesses enough skill and power to pull an upset, but this should be a showcase fight for Meathead. Like the Berry/Beltran fight, expect a slugfest that ends in someone going out or 15 minutes of two very big guys swinging it out tough-man style. Either outcome should provide for substantial entertainment.

Evan Dunham vs Melvin Guillard

I will go on record saying that the Lightweight division is the most crowded and competitive division in the UFC right now. Evan Dunham is a blue chip, up and coming fighter that has future champion written all over him. Even his detractors were silenced with his controversial lose to Sean Sherk, a fight in which he overcame excessive lose of blood and a rough first round under one of the strongest wrestlers in the division. As good as Dunham is he probably sits on the third tier of the division. This fight was suppose to provide him the opportunity to jump up to the next tier, but Kenny Florian’s injury put a serious damper on that possibility. Melvin Guillard is a fantastic athlete with explosive power and speed, but lacks the technical skill, the reach, and (at least as demonstrated to this point) the fighting intelligence of Evan Dunham. Check this fight out to see if Dunham can do one of the most underrated things in MMA, win when he is suppose to win. In turn see if Guillard can pull off the upset of his career and steal some of the hype surrounding his opponent.

Quick Hits

Fighter to Watch: Mark Hominick, Evan Dunham

Fight to Watch: Pat Berry vs Joey Beltran

Questions to Answer: Will Berry or Beltran regain momentum? Will McKenzie’s guillotine claim another victim? Can Mark Hominick secure his title shot? Will Evan Dunham shine in the main event?