Coming off an excellent UFC 187 Pay-Per-View, Ultimate Fighting Championship has a busy schedule for the remainder of May and June, with a fight card every weekend for the next 5 weeks.  Inevitably, this means that the talent will be spread thin among so many events, especially considering the number of stars who fought last week.  There are still a few interesting fights on the next upcoming event, so without further ado, let’s take a look at UFC Fight Night 67: Alves vs Condit – broadcast live from Brazil on Fox Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Main Event: [#12 WW] Carlos Condit  vs [#14 WW] Thiago Alves

Worth: $15

Why: The careers of our welterweight main event participants have followed an oddly similar path.  Both are 31 years old and have been fighting professionally for over a decade.  Both are Muay Thai stylists with significant fight-ending power in their limbs (though Condit is the more versed of the two in the ground game).  Both peaked around 2008, when Condit was the long-reigning WEC welterweight champion, whereas Alves has accumulated seven consecutive wins in the UFC, earning a shot at then champion Georges St. Pierre.  One might say that it was all downhill from there for both fighters:  Alves was battered for five rounds by GSP in a one-sided affair, after which he managed only a 2-3 record before taking a two year long break from the sport due to injuries.  Around the same time, Condit entered the UFC as a part of WEC merger, and had his sights set on the gold but suffered a controversial split decision loss to Martin Kampmann in his Octagon debut.  He did eventually earn his shot at St. Pierre, but didn’t fare much better than Alves, losing a decision despite getting a near finish in the fourth round.

In 2015, it’s not exactly clear where either fighter stands in the wide open post-GSP division.  Thiago Alves made a successful return after his injury, scoring a decision over Seth Baczynski, then stopping Jordan Mein after overcoming some adversity early in the fight.  Condit has been on a layoff of his own, after injuring his knee in a loss to Tyron Woodley, and will be looking to regain his place as a contender.  The winner of this fight will be edging into the title picture, alongside Johnny Hendricks and Tyron Woodley.  The loser will likely be relegated into the ‘aging gatekeeper’ territory.  Either way, this promises to be an exciting battle of two of the most feared welterweight strikers.

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Welterweight (170)
[#12] Carlos Condit (29-8-0) vs. [#14] Thiago Alves (21-9-0)
Carlos Condit is the All-Time #5 ranked Welterweight fighter.
Thiago Alves is the All-Time #12 ranked Welterweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Carlos Condit (1-2-0)
2014-03-15: L vs. [#4WW] Tyron Woodley (15-3-0) via TKO (Leg Kick) in 2:00 of round 2
2013-08-28: W vs. [*] Martin Kampmann (20-7-0) via TKO (Punches and Knees) in 0:54 of round 4
2013-03-16: L vs. [#2WW/#9DD/#9P4P] Johny Hendricks (17-3-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Thiago Alves (2-1-0)
2015-01-31: W vs. [#23WW] Jordan Mein (29-10-0) via KO (Kick to the Body) in 0:39 of round 2
2014-04-19: W vs. [#134WW] Seth Baczynski (19-13-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2012-03-03: L vs. [*] Martin Kampmann (20-7-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 4:12 of round 3

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Carlos Condit 441, Thiago Alves 119
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Carlos Condit leads 2-1
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Featherweight (145)
[#10] Nik Lentz (25-6-2) vs. [#12] Charles Oliveira (19-4-0)

Last 3 Fights: Nik Lentz (2-1-0)
2014-05-10: W vs. [#9BW] Manny Gamburyan (14-8-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-12-14: L vs. [#3FW] Chad Mendes (17-2-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
2013-05-18: W vs. [#18FW] Hacran Dias (22-3-1) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Charles Oliveira (3-0-0)
2014-12-12: W vs. [#17FW] Jeremy Stephens (23-11-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2014-06-28: W vs. [#106FW] Hatsu Hioki (27-9-2) via Submission (Anaconda Choke) in 4:32 of round 2
2014-02-15: W vs. [#255FW] Andy Ogle (9-6-0) via Submission (Triangle Choke) in 2:40 of round 3

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Nik Lentz 385, Charles Oliveira 169
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Welterweight (170)
[#55LW] K.J. Noons (13-7-0) vs. [#328LW] Alex Oliveira (10-2-1)

Last 3 Fights: K.J. Noons (2-0-0, 1 NC)
2014-12-12: NC vs. [#56LW] Daron Cruickshank (16-6-0)
2014-04-16: W vs. [#139LW] Sam Stout (20-11-1) via KO (Punches) in 0:30 of round 1
2013-10-19: W vs. [#363LW] George Sotiropoulos (14-7-0) via UD (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: Alex Oliveira (2-1-0)
2015-03-21: L vs. [#44LW] Gilbert Burns (10-0-0) via Submission (Armbar) in 4:14 of round 3
2015-02-21: W vs. [#660WW] Joilton Santos (9-4-0) via UD ()
2014-10-18: W vs. [#1486WW] Douglas Aparecido (5-7-0) via TKO in 2:52 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: K.J. Noons 169, Alex Oliveira 70
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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UFC has had a lot of ups and downs in 2015 so far.   After a fairly successful first quarter in terms of TV ratings and Pay-Per-View buy numbers, the promotion hit another rough patch: cards falling apart due to injuries, controversial Reebok sponsorship deal which left many fighters unhappy, and legal issues faced by the company as well as certain fighters.  Nonetheless, the line-up they put together for UFC 187 looked to be the most stacked card since UFC 100 (and arguably the best in the organization history).  Of course the MMA gods didn’t spare this great card: light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who was slated to defend his title against Anthony Johnson, was stripped of the belt and suspended from UFC due to a series of poor decisions on his part, and a lightweight title eliminator bout between two top contenders fell apart when Khabib Nurmagomedov suffered an injury and pulled out of his fight against Donald Cerrone.  Despite these losses, UFC 187 had such a strong line-up that it still remains an amazing card, and will be one of the rare PPV events worth the asking price.

Main Card (Pay-Per-View)

Main Event: [#2 LHW] Anthony Johnson vs [#3 LHW] Daniel Cormier for the vacant UFC Light Heavyweight Championship

Worth: $20

Why: If the original main event of Jon Jones vs Anthony Johnson had gone on as planned, it would have been the second UFC fight this year to receive my max valuation of $25 (the first and only one so far was Jon Jones vs Daniel Cormier at UFC 182).  The replacement bout of ‘Rumble’ Johnson vs Daniel Cormier is still a great fight, but let’s not kid ourselves: the winner of this fight will be a paper champion unless Jon Jones receives a lengthy prison term for his shenanigans, or decides to walk away from the sport.  I am looking forward to Cormier-Johnson, and really this was the best fight UFC could have made under the circumstances, but I can’t help the feeling that the winner of this fight will be just keeping the belt warm for Jones’ eventual return.

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Light Heavyweight Championship (205)
[#2/#7P4P] Anthony Johnson (19-4-0) vs. [#3] Daniel Cormier (15-1-0)
Anthony Johnson is the All-Time #19 ranked Light Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Anthony Johnson (3-0-0)
2015-01-24: W vs. [#6LHW] Alexander Gustafsson (16-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:15 of round 1
2014-07-26: W vs. [#11LHW] Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-6-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:44 of round 1
2014-04-26: W vs. [#5LHW] Phil Davis (13-3-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Daniel Cormier (2-1-0)
2015-01-03: L vs. [#1LHW/#2DD/#1P4P] Jon Jones (21-1-0) via UD (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
2014-05-24: W vs. [#16MW] Dan Henderson (30-13-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:53 of round 3
2014-02-22: W vs. [#42LHW] Patrick Cummins (7-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:19 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Anthony Johnson 119, Daniel Cormier 140
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Middleweight Championship (185)
[#1/#1DD/#3P4P] Chris Weidman (12-0-0) vs. [*] Vitor Belfort (24-10-0)
Chris Weidman is the All-Time #2 ranked Middleweight and #22 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Chris Weidman (3-0-0)
2014-07-05: W vs. [#4MW] Lyoto Machida (22-6-0) via UD (49-45, 48-47, 49-46)
2013-12-28: W vs. [#6MW] Anderson Silva (34-6-0) via TKO (Leg Injury) in 1:16 of round 2
2013-07-06: W vs. [#6MW] Anderson Silva (34-6-0) via KO (Punches) in 1:18 of round 2

Last 3 Fights: Vitor Belfort (3-0-0)
2013-11-09: W vs. [#16MW] Dan Henderson (30-13-0) via KO (Head Kick) in 1:17 of round 1
2013-05-18: W vs. [#2MW/#9DD] Luke Rockhold (14-2-0) via KO (Spinning Heel Kick and Punches) in 2:32 of round 1
2013-01-19: W vs. [#9MW] Michael Bisping (26-7-0) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 1:27 of round 2

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Chris Weidman 322, Vitor Belfort 560
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Chris Weidman leads 2-0
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Lightweight (155)
[#2] Donald Cerrone (27-6-0) vs. [#62] John Makdessi (13-3-0)
Donald Cerrone is the All-Time #17 ranked Lightweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Donald Cerrone (3-0-0)
2015-01-18: W vs. [#4LW] Ben Henderson (22-5-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
2015-01-03: W vs. [#13LW] Myles Jury (15-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-09-27: W vs. [#12LW] Eddie Alvarez (25-4-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Last 3 Fights: John Makdessi (2-1-0)
2015-04-25: W vs. [#144LW] Shane Campbell (11-3-0) via TKO (Punches) in 4:53 of round 1
2014-02-01: L vs. [*] Alan Patrick Silva Alves (12-0-0) via UD (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
2013-09-21: W vs. [#472LW] Renee Forte (8-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 2:01 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Donald Cerrone 125, John Makdessi 28
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Donald Cerrone leads 1-0
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Continuing on the quest for global expansion, UFC is holding their first ever event in the Philippines.  This card will be broadcast on Fight Pass and Fox Sports 1, with a bright and early Saturday morning start of 7 AM (Eastern Time) for Fight Pass prelims, 8 AM for the FS1 prelims, and 10 AM for the main card.   You won’t be missing much if you sleep in until 10 – while there are several interesting fights on the main card, the undercard doesn’t have a whole lot to offer, so set your DVR and watch the prelims later if you care.

Main Event: [#2 FW] Frankie Edgar vs [#3 BW] Urijah Faber

Worth: $15

Why: This is a matchup between two of the all-time greats in the 155-and-under divisions.   Former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is 3-1 since dropping down to featherweight, his only loss a decision to the champion Jose Aldo.  With Aldo set to face Conor McGregor at UFC 189, and no clear #1 contender waiting for the winner, Edgar will be campaigning for another shot at the featherweight gold with a win over Urijah.  Faber has yet to get his hands on a UFC title: the long-time WEC featherweight champion is 8-3 in the UFC overall, and those 3 losses all came in bantamweight title fights.  He is now returning to his old roaming ground of 145 lbs, and a victory here might also earn him another title shot.  Faber has not looked great in his last few outings, particularly in his most recent fight with Francisco Rivera, who appeared to be getting the best of Urijah until Faber capitalized on an unintentional eye poke that was missed by the referee.  This does not bode well for him against Edgar: in the lighter weight classes speed is king, especially when both opponents are not knockout artists and instead rely on endless cardio and scrambling ability to win fights.  At 35, Faber may have lost a step in the quickness department, while 33-year-old Edgar looked as good as ever in his dominant win over Cub Swanson.  I believe Urijah still has enough left in the tank to make it a competitive fight, but ultimately he will be outworked by the younger and fresher Edgar, which will likely mark the end of Faber’s title aspirations.

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Featherweight (145)
[#2/#6DD] Frankie Edgar (18-4-1) vs. [#3BW] Urijah Faber (32-7-0)
Frankie Edgar is the All-Time #21 ranked Featherweight and #12 ranked Absolute fighter.
Urijah Faber is the All-Time #2 ranked Featherweight and #11 ranked Absolute fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Frankie Edgar (3-0-0)
2014-11-22: W vs. [#10FW] Cub Swanson (21-7-0) via Submission (Neck Crank) in 4:56 of round 5
2014-07-06: W vs. [*] B.J. Penn (16-10-2) via TKO (Punches) in 4:16 of round 3
2013-07-06: W vs. [#12FW] Charles Oliveira (19-4-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Urijah Faber (2-1-0)
2014-12-06: W vs. [#38BW] Francisco Rivera (10-4-0) via Submission (Bulldog Choke) in 1:34 of round 2
2014-07-05: W vs. [#46BW] Alex Caceres (10-7-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:09 of round 3
2014-02-01: L vs. [#2BW] Renan Barao (33-2-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:42 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Frankie Edgar 175, Urijah Faber 161
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Frankie Edgar leads 1-0
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Middleweight (185)
[#5] Gegard Mousasi (36-5-2) vs. [#14] Costas Philippou (13-4-0)
Gegard Mousasi is the All-Time #16 ranked Middleweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Gegard Mousasi (2-1-0)
2015-01-24: W vs. [#15MW] Dan Henderson (30-13-0) via TKO (Punches) in 1:10 of round 1
2014-09-05: L vs. [#3MW] Ronaldo Souza (22-3-0) via Submission (Guillotine Choke) in 4:30 of round 3
2014-05-31: W vs. [#24MW] Mark Munoz (13-6-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:57 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Costas Philippou (1-2-0)
2014-05-10: W vs. [#27WW] Lorenz Larkin (15-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 3:47 of round 1
2014-01-15: L vs. [#2MW/#9DD] Luke Rockhold (14-2-0) via KO (Kick to the Body) in 2:31 of round 1
2013-09-21: L vs. [#19LHW] Francis Carmont (23-10-0) via UD (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Gegard Mousasi 112, Costas Philippou 371
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Middleweight (185)
[#24] Mark Munoz (13-6-0) vs. [#64] Luke Barnatt (8-2-0)

Last 3 Fights: Mark Munoz (0-3-0)
2015-02-28: L vs. [#16MW] Roan Carneiro (20-9-0) via Technical Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 1:40 of round 1
2014-05-31: L vs. [#5MW] Gegard Mousasi (36-5-2) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:57 of round 1
2013-10-26: L vs. [#4MW] Lyoto Machida (22-6-0) via KO (Head Kick) in 3:10 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Luke Barnatt (1-2-0)
2014-11-22: L vs. [#63MW] Roger Narvaez (7-2-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2014-05-31: L vs. [#93WW] Sean Strickland (15-1-0) via SD (30-27, 29-28, 28-29)
2014-03-08: W vs. [*] Mats Nilsson (11-4-1) via TKO (Head Kick and Punches) in 3:24 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Mark Munoz 77, Luke Barnatt 175
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Heavyweight (265)
[#5] Mark Hunt (10-9-1) vs. [#9] Stipe Miocic (12-2-0)
Mark Hunt is the All-Time #19 ranked Heavyweight fighter.

Last 3 Fights: Mark Hunt (1-1-1)
2014-11-15: L vs. [#1HW+/#10DD/#6P4P] Fabricio Werdum (19-5-1) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 2:27 of round 2
2014-09-20: W vs. [#14HW+] Roy Nelson (20-11-0) via KO (Punch) in 3:00 of round 2
2013-12-07: D vs. [#10HW+] Antonio Silva (18-7-1) via Draw (Majority) in 5:00 of round 5

Last 3 Fights: Stipe Miocic (2-1-0)
2014-12-13: L vs. [#2HW+] Junior dos Santos (17-3-0) via UD (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
2014-05-31: W vs. [#29LHW] Fabio Maldonado (22-8-0) via TKO (Punches) in 0:35 of round 1
2014-01-25: W vs. [#32HW+] Gabriel Gonzaga (16-10-0) via UD (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Mark Hunt 175, Stipe Miocic 147
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: Mark Hunt leads 2-1
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Middleweight (185)
[#19] Brad Tavares (13-3-0) vs. [#34] Robert Whittaker (13-4-0)

Last 3 Fights: Brad Tavares (1-2-0)
2015-01-03: W vs. [#32MW] Nate Marquardt (33-14-2) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-08-16: L vs. [#17MW] Tim Boetsch (18-8-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:18 of round 2
2014-04-19: L vs. [#8MW] Yoel Romero (9-1-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Last 3 Fights: Robert Whittaker (2-1-0)
2014-11-07: W vs. [#50MW] Clint Hester (11-4-0) via TKO (Knee and Punches) in 2:43 of round 2
2014-06-28: W vs. [#210WW] Mike Rhodes (5-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
2014-02-22: L vs. [#28WW] Stephen Thompson (10-1-0) via TKO (Punches) in 3:43 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Brad Tavares 126, Robert Whittaker 183
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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Light Heavyweight (205)
[#32] Anthony Perosh (15-8-0) vs. [#40] Sean OConnell (16-6-0)

Last 3 Fights: Anthony Perosh (2-1-0)
2014-11-07: W vs. [#261LHW] Carlos Augusto Inocente F (6-4-0) via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) in 3:46 of round 1
2013-12-07: L vs. [#4LHW] Ryan Bader (19-4-0) via UD (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
2013-08-03: W vs. [#26LHW] Vinny Magalhaes (12-7-0) via KO (Punches) in 0:14 of round 1

Last 3 Fights: Sean OConnell (1-2-0)
2015-01-18: W vs. [#94LHW] Matt Van Buren (6-4-0) via TKO (Punches) in 2:11 of round 3
2014-06-28: L vs. [#33LHW] Gian Villante (13-5-0) via SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
2014-04-16: L vs. [#24LHW] Ryan Jimmo (19-4-0) via KO (Punches) in 4:27 of round 1

Days Since Last Pro Fight: Anthony Perosh 183, Sean OConnell 111
Previous Match-up Record: No previous match-ups.
Wins Against Common Opposition: No common opposition or both are winless against common opposition.
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After a weekend without any major MMA events (likely due to all the brouhaha surrounding Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao), we are back to our regular scheduling, with the second UFC Fight Pass exclusive card of the year.  Fight Night 65: Hunt vs Miocic will be broadcast from Adelaide, Australia and is headlined by an awesome heavyweight matchup.   Despite as weak an undercard as one might expect from a Fight Pass event, the main event alone is enough to bring the net value of Fight Pass subscription into the green for the year.   And with the main card start time of 11 PM (US Eastern Time) – which is not far from the usual start time of UFC events, you don’t even have to stay up till wee hours to watch the fights, as is often the case with live events broadcast from abroad.  Between all of this, I am actually enticed to sign up for Fight Pass to watch this card.  Or at least start with a free trial subscription…

Main Event: [#5 HW] Mark Hunt vs [#9 HW] Stipe Miocic

Worth: $20.00

Why: As mentioned above, this is an awesome fight.  The late career resurrection of Mark Hunt has been very fun to watch, culminating in a shot at the interim title against Fabricio Werdum, where Hunt gave Werdum all he could handle before being knocked out by a vicious knee.  He now has to take on Stipe Miocic – an opponent who is almost 10 years younger, and is one of the few bright prospects on the shallow and shop-worn heavyweight roster.   The winner of this fight may be in line for the next title shot, especially if Cain Velasquez successfully defends his title against interim champion Werdum.  Should Werdum retain the title, then the next shot probably belongs to Junior Dos Santos – UFC’s perennial #2, who already holds wins over Hunt, Werdum, and Miocic (first two by knockout, the latter by a somewhat controversial decision).   Either way, this fight might show that Mark Hunt still has plenty of fight left in him at 41, or it could be a career-defining performance for Stipe Miocic which will solidify him as a contender.  And no matter what happens, it’s virtually guaranteed to be an exciting slugfest.

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