In the second week of December, UFC will be putting on an unprecedented three events in three consecutive days. Kicking off the three-day weekend of MMA action is a Thursday evening Fight Pass event (the last one of the year, and also the first two back-to-back Fight Pass cards with UFN 79). While there are no huge fights on this card, it has exceptional depth, and should put the value of a Fight Pass subscription solidly into the green for the year.
Main Event: [#7 W115] Rose Namajunas vs [#22 W115] Paige VanZant
Worth: $5
Why: Rose Namajunas and Paige VanZant are both promising prospects in the women’s strawweight division. Despite the discrepancy in rankings, in my opinion this is a very closely matched bout, and the winner will likely be one or two fights away from a title shot – whether they’re ready for it or not.
Fight: [#27 LW] Michael Chiesa vs [#32 LW] Jim Miller
Worth: $7.50
Why: A long-time veteran of the UFC’s lightweight division, Jim Miller has always been one of my favorite fighters to watch in action. Once touted as a contender after building up a 7-win streak between 2009 and 2011, Miller was never able to beat the elite of his division, and now that his career is winding down he has become more of a gatekeeper type. Miller has lost 2 of his last 3 fights, and fighting on a Fight Pass card is not a good sign for his future. However he is still a fun action fighter, and so is his opponent Michael Chiesa. Though Chiesa is still young and has a respectable 5-2 record in the UFC, it is unlikely that he has the athleticism or the skill set to crack the Top 10, so this is a fight without any real implications… but it should be an exciting one to watch nonetheless.
Fight: [#30 WW] Tim Means vs [#34 WW] John Howard
Worth: $5
Why: Tim ‘The Dirty Bird’ Means is currently on his second UFC stint, having been released from the promotion in 2013 after going 2-2. He lost his return bout to Neil Magny then won his next four fights, but a step up in competition did not go so well for Means, who was finished in the first round by Matt Brown in his most recent outing. He will now takes a step backwards, facing John ‘Doomsday’ Howard, a veteran journeyman who somehow managed to stay in the UFC despite losing three in a row and not being the most exciting fighter in the division, to put it mildly. Howard then won a split decision against the now retired Cathal Pendred, which staved off the inevitability of being cut from the UFC roster. Doomsday is a beatable opponent for Means, but has a tendency to make good fighters look bad. Not sure how this fight is going to go, but hoping for a Means victory as he has evolved into a very entertaining fighter, win or lose.
Fight: [#11 BW] Aljamain Sterling vs [NR] Johnny Eduardo
Worth: $10
Why: Undefeated 26-year-old Aljamain ‘Funkmaster’ Sterling is one of the brightest prospects in an otherwise ‘blah’ bantamweight division. Sterling is 3-0 in the UFC with two finishes, including an impressive performance against the always tough Takeya Mizugaki. His opponent Johnny Eduardo was an unheralded mid-card fighter, until gaining some notoriety for upsetting Eddie Wineland with a first round jaw-breaking knockout. Eduardo failed to capitalize on his big win, as he has sat out since that fight due to injuries. He now gets a chance to jump-start the bandwagon, should he get past Sterling. Similarly, Aljamain will enter the title picture with a win, as the division is not exactly teeming with contenders.
Fight: [#26 MW] Elias Theodorou vs [#39 MW] Thiago Santos
Worth: $5
Why: This should be a great scrap between two mid-card middleweights with a tendency for violent finishes. Undefeated Elias Theodorou is 3-0 with two TKOs in the Octagon, and while Santos has a few losses on his record and is 3-2 in the UFC, all three of his wins came via a first round knockout. It’s a fight that’s not likely to go the distance, which is always a good thing.
Fight: [#185 LW] Cody Pfister vs [#206 LW] Sage Northcutt
Worth: $2.50
Why: I usually don’t valuate fights where both opponents have such a low ranking; however I will make an exception for ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt, who was much hyped prior to his UFC debut, even though he has only had five professional bouts at the time. Northcutt delivered by obliterating Francisco Trevino in under a minute, and is making his return to the Octagon only two months later. I don’t know much about his opponent Cody Pfister, other than what can be gleaned from his record, and even though Pfister is the higher ranked fighter, I have a feeling that he will become another bleep on Northcutt’s highlight reel. I’m looking forward to finding out whether Super Sage can continue his meteoric rise; in the meanwhile you can watch him participate in various eclectic activities such as getting tased for fun, bending frying pans, and doing whatever the hell he’s doing here.
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Fight Pass Event Worth: $35
Fight Pass Year-to-Date Cost: $119.88
Fight Pass Year-to-Date Value: $24.52
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