The UFC just wrapped up a very busy October and is jumping right into an equally busy November. With fights every Saturday this month, our eyes will be on the octagon quite a bit over the next four weeks, including some really great ones tomorrow night.
Two of the best light heavyweights in the world will go toe-to-toe with their sights set on the championship. Plus, one of the all-time greats in the heavyweight division will look to pick up another win and two very impressive bantamweights will look to crack the division’s rankings.
Let’s take a closer look at those three fights:
Bantamweight bout: Raoni Barcelos vs. Khalid Taha
Before we get into the two heaviest divisions the UFC has to offer, we’ll get a fight in one of the lightest. Taha boasts a very impressive 13-2 record, but he has only one win in his last three fights (with one of them resulting in a no contest). Still, the 29-year-old is a promising young fighter with a nose for a finish. Of his 13 wins, nine have come by knockout and two by submission. He has gone the distance only three times in 15 fights.
Across the octagon, Barcelos sports an even more impressive 15-1 record. And, unlike his opponent, Barcelos hasn’t lost since 2014. Since then, he has won eight straight fights, including four in the UFC. The Brazilian is also a dangerous striker, with eight knockout victories. It will be interesting to see if either of these fighters looks to take this fight to the ground, or if they will both be content to stand and bang. This should be a fun fight.
Heavyweight bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Tanner Boser
This is almost the classic grizzled vet vs. young gun matchup, if not for the fact that the 29-year-old Boser has 25 fights under his belt. The up-and-comer has a 19-6 record and is looking to string together his third straight victory. He’s a vicious striker with some really strong kicks, a skill you don’t see a whole lot of in the heavyweight division and one he will almost certainly look to employ in this fight.
Arlovski, on the other hand, will be stepping into the cage for his 49th fight at the age of 41. The former UFC champ took the heavyweight crown from Tim Sylvia all the way back at UFC 51 in 2005. More recently though, he has struggled, losing four of his last seven. Still, Arlovski is one of the most prolific strikers in the history of the sport and looks like he stepped right out of the movie 300. Boser is going to want to chop at the legs because if Arlovski can close the distance, he can put anyone to sleep, even if we haven’t seen it since 2014.
Light Heavyweight bout: Thiago Santos vs. Glover Teixeira
The light heavyweight division is in a slight state of disarray since longtime dominant champion Jon Jones relinquished the title to move up to heavyweight. The current champion is now Jan Blachowicz, but there are a handful of guys who have a valid claim to the throne. Both of these guys fit that category.
Teixeira will also step into the octagon at the age of 41 tomorrow night, but unlike Arlovski, he will be coming in with a winning streak. Teixeira has won four in a row, including an impressive knockout of legitimate contender Anthony Smith in May. He sports an incredibly impressive 31-7 record with 18 knockouts and eight submissions. Normally, he would look to stand and throw hands. He may want to consider a different strategy tomorrow night.
Santos is the number one-ranked light heavyweight contender in the UFC and for good reason. He comes in with a 21-7 record and 15 knockouts. He is coming off of a loss, but that was a controversial split decision against some guy named Jon Jones. No shame in that one. Before that, he had won four in a row with the last three being knockouts. He’s an incredibly dangerous striker who can end his opponent’s night with punches, kicks, elbows and whatever else he might want to throw. If Teixeira is content to stand and bang, this can be a very fun and a very short fight.
UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Teixeira will air tomorrow night, November 7 at 10 PM ET on ESPN.