Every month, MMA seems to be full of exhilarating, relevant matchups. Here’s a look at five of October’s battles for gold..
1. KJ NOONS VS.NICK DIAZ 2
Strikeforce—San Jose: Oct. 9
This baby has “bad blood” written all over it. Diaz, on a current seven-fight winning streak, looks to exact revenge on the last man to beat him. Noons secured his 2007 victory over Diaz with a TKO (cut stoppage) and went onto win four more fights. The Strikeforce Welterweight Title will be on the line, so expect fireworks.
2. CAIN VELASQUEZ VS. BROCK LESNAR
UFC 121: Oct. 23
It doesn’t get much bigger than these two behemoths vying for the UFC Heavyweight Title. Both men are accomplished NCAA wrestlers with a lot of power in their hands. Lesnar will try to utilize his size advantage and rein down bear paws of furry, while cardio guru Velasquez will keep the pace high and try to get the fight to the fourth and fifth rounds.
3. BEN ASKREN VS.LYMAN GOOD
Bellator 33: Oct. 21
The Bellator Welterweight Title is up for grabs as both men take their undefeated records into the cage. Askren, the highly decorated NCAA and Olympic wrester, won the Bellator welterweight tourney with a unanimous decision over Dan Hornbuckle. Good hasn’t fought in more that 16 months, so ring rust could play a factor as he tries to punish Askren with his stand-up.
4. HECTOR LOMBARD VS. ALEXANDER SHLEMENKO
Bellator 34: Oct. 28
The Bellator Middleweight Championship will be on the line when Shlemenko and Lombard meet in the cage. Lombard, the hard hitting champion, has reeled off 19 victories (one draw) in his last 20 fights. Shlemenko hopes to utilize his wrestling and kickboxing prowess and will attempt to neutralize the power of the judo champion—but that’s a tall order.
5. SARAH KAUFMAN VS. MARLOES COENEN
Strikeforce—San Jose: Oct. 9
Kaufman puts her undefeated record (12-0) and Strikeforce Women’s Welterweight Title up against Coenen, who recently came up short in her quest for the Middleweight Title when she was TKO’d by Cristiane Santos in the third round of their January bout. Kaufman likes to stand and brawl, so Coenen needs to use her submission grappling to keep this bout from getting too bloody.
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