There is an art to matchmaking in combat sports.While some fights come together with natural ease, most bouts are formed through a hectic process of evaluation. Several aspects need to be graded on each side of the table before committing to the matchup.
Whether or not a fight makes sense in the divisional scheme, timing and making sure both fighters stand to gain similar rewards are the most pressing issues that come to mind. Then, of course, there is the most important aspect of a potential fight: Will both competitors be willing to mix it up and put on a show?
The unfortunate part of the process comes when all of these criteria are met, and the fight fails to deliver. That said, the UFC showcases far more exciting tilts than flat fights these days, which goes to show just how good Joe Silva and Sean Shelby are at their jobs.
2014 was certainly one of those strange years for the UFC. While there were high-profile tilts, championship scraps and toe-to-toe tussles for the ages, there were plenty of down moments as well. Several big fights fell through, and a small collection of champions spent more time on the sidelines than they did in the prime time in 2014. While ticket sales and pay-per-view numbers hinge on the biggest names showing up to do their things, the bigger issue at hand is the lack of divisional movement.
With a champion out, a contender cannot climb correctly. This leads to backups, logjams and all kinds of unnecessary business at the top weight classes that have become increasingly more competitive. And while there appears to be hope for an entire host of champions getting back to work in the coming year, we here at B/R MMA prefer to focus this column on the fights just below the title tier. The ones that keep the things rolling.
Every month we propose three potential fights that we believe would keep divisional pictures firing on all cylinders. Here are the most recent selections for "UFC Fantasy Matchmaker."
Alistair Overeem vs. Matt MitrioneAnytime the big boys are inside the Octagon throwing leather it's going to draw eyes, but a potential bout between Alistair Overeem and Matt Mitrione holds a tremendous amount of upside with very little downturn on the line. Pairing up "The Reem" vs. "Meat" could be the next big fight in the heavyweight fold, and there are more than a few reasons why it needs to happen.When a fighter carries a large amount of name recognition the way Overeem does, the promotion they compete for has only a few ways to use them. They can either be on the hunt for the title, which has been attempted and failed twice in the Dutchman's case, or they can fend off the elite level of the divisional ranks for the up-and-coming hungry bucks of the heavyweight fold.
While the former Strikeforce champion failed in his previous attempt to do this against Travis Browne, the "Demolition Man" was ultimately successful in his most recent showing against Stefan Struve. It took the muscle-heavy striker less than one round to leave "The Skyscraper" dazed and staring up at the arena lights, which gave him his second win in his past three showings.
And while that is solid progress for most heavyweights, for one who was figured to be as dominant as Overeem was assumed to be fresh out of the gates, it is going to take a few more solid wins over dangerous opponents to get himself back into the title conversation.
That said, a bout with Overeem would be a huge opportunity for Mitrione. The former NFL player turned mixed martial artist has been honing his craft on the sport's biggest stage since being a cast member on Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter. The former Purdue University football standout came onto the reality-based fighting program with zero professional fights and has notched 12 in the five years since.
Furthermore, while Mitrione has admitted he was given an easy entry into the UFC for his first couple of fights, his past seven have come against legitimate competition.Over this stretch, Mitrione has matured before the very eyes of the UFC fanbase and is shaping up to be quite a fighter by all measurable standards. His knockout power has always been on point and is only getting more dangerous as he picks up hand speed, and his ever-improving footwork is making it difficult for the competition to stay up with him as was on display in his win over Gabriel Gonzaga at UFC on Fox 13 in Phoenix. Mitrione was simply too fast and too powerful for "Napao" to handle, and the results produced themselves in brutal fashion.
Futhermore, both Overeem and Mitrione picked up victories on the same card. Neither took any type of damage and would be on a similar timeline. Then when you sprinkle in the rumored bitterness and animosity between Overeem and his former Blackzilians teammates—the squad Mitrione represents—the makings for a solid build up are all right there.
Sources close to the fighters say there is no love lost on at least one side of this particular equation, and these things add up to something the heavyweight division needs.
If Overeem is going to get back into title contention, make him prove he's found his groove by knocking off a rock-solid Mitrione. That said, if the TUF alum is ready to parlay his three-fight winning streak into the elite level of the division, the former K-1 champion is the ticket. It's a fight that's just that easy to make, and it will be interesting to see if it's the route in which the UFC decides to travel.
Gilbert Melendez vs. Bobby GreenIf you've read this column before (or any column I have written in the past three years) then you've surely been made aware of just how talented the UFC lightweight division is. The 155-pound fold is as stacked as they come under the promotional banner, with a dominant and exciting champion to go along with a collection of worthy title contenders. These elements combine to make it one of the best divisions in the UFC, and there are no signs of this changing anytime soon.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2302312-ufc-fantasy-matchmaker-december-2014-edition
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