UFC EVENTS IN Europe are usually much more pleasurable affairs for Irish fans as we don’t have to sit up until silly o’clock to watch the action unfold.
So this weekend we get the added luxury of enjoying our dinner while taking in the middleweight-strewn Berlin card instead of the usual supping of coffee to help keep the eyelids open at all hours of the early morning.
Only those with the best stamina will try and complete the doubleheader as The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 finale isn’t the most impressive card although the Stipe Miocic and Fabio Maldonado main event has the potential to be an action-packed affair.
In Germany, Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi are looking to prove that they have what it takes to challenge for the title after both suffered losses to Lyoto Machida in their last fight.
While Francis Carmont and CB Dollaway might not be contesting any middleweight title matches anytime soon they will look to put on a show as will rookie flyweights Tom Niinimaki and Nicklas Backstrom.
Someone’s “0”has got to go when unbeaten Englishman Luke Barnatt who is 8-0 in his professional MMA career takes on Sean Strickland who is 14-0.
Munoz and Mousasi want to be in the middleweight mix
For a long time Gegard Mousasi was one of the most exciting fighters outside of the UFC so when Dana White finally did sign him last year big things were expected of him.
The former Dream heavyweight champion and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion limped to a win over Ilir Latifi on his UFC debut and after deciding that he had more chance of a title shot a middleweight, he dropped down to face Lyoto Machida only to be pretty soundly beaten via a unanimous decision.
Mark Munoz was on the outskirts of title contention when he faced Machida last time out but he didn’t make it out of the first round as he was comprehensively dispatched by a brutal head-kick from “The Dragon.”
It is true that Mousasi has not lived up to expectations so far but he possesses a varied and well-rounded arsenal of skills that, on paper, have the potential to make Munoz look rather one dimensional.
Munoz has a great wrestling pedigree and does possess KO power in his hands but Mousasi’s reach advantage should be good enough to keep him at arm’s length allowing him to pick and move from the outside with a varied attack making him a slight favourite to win this one.
As Machida gets ready to face Weidman for middleweight gold later this year, you feel that Munoz and Mousasi really need to make a statement in this bout to stamp their championship credentials and be in with a shot at the winner of Machida/Weidman.
Best of the rest
Elsewhere on that card, Luke Barnatt is looking to continue his steady progression through the middleweight ranks as the lanky Cambridgeshire lad continues his impressive start to his UFC career.
He has quickly moved to 3-0 in the UFC and although Sean Strickland sports a 14-0 record, Barnatt’s experience in the organisation coupled with his reach advantage give him the edge in this fight.
Franics Carmont suffered his first UFC loss against Ronaldo Souza back in February which has no doubt set him back a bit but he faces a tough rebound fight against CB Dollaway.
Dollaway has looked in very good nick in his recent fights with a very tight split decision loss against Tim Boetsch the only blemish in his last 4 bouts.
This promises to be a cagey fight as both men are not known to be high volume, high intensity fighters but expect a somewhat resurgent Dollaway to sneak another victory here.
The Tom Niinimaki/Niklas Backstrom bout is an intriguing one as both are relatively unknown with Niinimaki the only one with any UFC experience. He is riding a 12 fight win streak while Backstrom is yet to taste defeat in his pro MMA career.
Niinimaki’s experience could be the telling factor in this fight and even though Backstrom has trained with some well-established UFC stars already, he has his work cut out trying to pick up the win here.
The event in Brazil is for the hardcores and followers of TUF series although Stipe Miocic and Fabio Maldonado’s bout could turn out to be an absolute slobber-knocker and could tempt a few to complete the long slog UFC marathon weekend.
Serious atmosphere here in Cavan. This is exactly where you want to be playing the All Ireland Champions. Whatever the result these games against the top 4 will stand to us in the summer months
It’s exactly the gate the county board needed as well
Mind blowing that people would actually travel to watch that rubbish sport.
@Ordinary lad: the much “hyped” Irish Rugby team lost yesterday. How much money do those lads earn?
Mind blowing that someone would take the time to open an article about a sport they consider to be ‘rubbish’ and then take the time to comment on it.
How can a team that receives €120k in funding compete against a team that receives €1.4million
Hahaha give over Al . Deep down you love the gaa
@Alan b..: Sure all the money we’ll be spending here we’ll double that funding for you pal ;)
a decent workout so far get rid of the Jamaican rum and redstripe against another nordie team who’s sole intention is to pull drag and hit off the ball.
Don’t know what game your watching. The hits off the ball have been 50:50.
Eh cavan is in the south of Ireland Einstein
fergal reilly should count himself lucky to share a pitch with these wonderful dublin footballers instead of going around like a drunk at a wedding looking for a fight.
That was stared by the Dublin man on the ground. You’re incredibly anti ulster football
And then mdma was the first man to get involved.
And who look for a figth at a wedding
ah lorcan stop it now.
fergal reilly would.
it’s north of me ya tit
@Alan b..: that explains why the dubs were late they looked at a map and headed north. When did this geographical transplant take place.
don’t be a tit like alan cavan play in ulster which is up north so they are nordies.
Cavan is not in Northern Ireland you don’t cross the border or use sterling
I didn’t say it was in Northern Ireland .
What do you mean by nordie then?if you are calling them that cos they’re north of you does that mean someone from cork would class Dublin as a nordie team
if they wanted to yes beacuse they would be northern to a Cork person now cavan is in ulster and part of the Republic of Ireland beacuse the brits didn’t want the kip so yes you are nordies which we where stuck with.
Stop you’re just embarrassing yourself
What part of Dublin are you from?
what difference does it make?
cavan play in the ulster champions with the other 8 nordie counties it’s no big deal just accept it is the way it is don’t be embarrassed alan.
All the complaints about dublins fans. Have any other county brought a few thousand fans with them today ?
@Gavin Byrne: In comparison Dublin have a fan base of about 10 times what other counties have. So of course they will bring large numbers with them.
Fair play today they really brought a fantastic atmosphere and plenty of money to Cavan town today
That a few time in the last three years the cavan has been delayed because of the fans.
If the dubs can’t make it to croke park on time how do you expect them to make it to cavan on time
@Lorcán Coyle: Should know by now that nothing in Cavan ever starts on time, nearest fifteen minutes, sure that’ll do.!!!
Ref jersey looks too like Dubs
We’ll save that excuse for later
Massive achievement if Roscommon can some how stay up in Division 1.
Lorcan are u watching the match