MMA You Want To Watch This Week 8/23 - 8/29

Another Monday, another week gone by where I was not invited to beta test World of Warcraft.  Such is my luck, like spending my birthday being sick and missing two fight events this past weekend.  It's probably just as well that I'm not in the World of Warcraft beta, though, since that means I'm not spending my time glued to my computer playing the game.  Instead, I'm glued to the computer writing up the MMA you need to see this week.  My loss is your gain?

Bellator XXVI

Kansas City, MO

Thursday, August 26, 8pm, FSN

This Thursday will see the kickoff of Bellator's bantamweight tournament, with Danny Tims (9-2) facing Jose Vega (8-3).  Incidentally, I get the numbers for the fighters' records from Sherdog, and they're almost always different from what Bellator shows.  I have no idea what's up with that. 

The next fight in the heavyweight tourney features Mike Hayes (12-3) vs. Alexey Oleinik (27-5).  Oleinik obviously has a ton of experience, and has finished 23 of his 27 wins by submission.  That in itself is incredible.  Hayes beat Steven Banks at Bellator 21 last season, cementing his spot in the tourney.  Now, I try to be honest with you all, and I went back and re-read my own writeup of the Hayes/Banks fight because I kept thinking I wasn't impressed with Hayes at the time.  And I was right.  Nothing outstanding in that fight at all.  However, that was mostly because Banks gassed.  Put Hayes up against a sub specialist like Oleinik, and things should be totally different.  I hope. 

We will also get to see the last quarterfinal fight in the women's 115 lbs tourney.  Aisling Daly (9-0) will face Lisa Ward (13-5).  Ward is the one name that both Megumi Fujii and Josh Barnett picked as being a real threat to Megumi.  Daly, as you can see, is undefeated coming into this fight.  The winner will face off against Fujii in the semifinals. 

RITC 40

Taber, Alberta, Canada

Thursay, August 26, 10pm est, PPV (www.gofightlive.tv)

Muchas gracias to Erin McDougall for sharing the info on this event, which looks to be pretty freakin' exciting.  The main event features former DREAM and UFC fighter Jason High (9-3) vs. Jordan Mein (17-6).  Since Erin knows much more about the fighters on this card than I do, here's the link to her blog breaking it down for you.  The fact that this is only $10 is crazy...  we're talking like 14 fights on the PPV.  This should be a blast!

UFC 118

Boston, MA

Saturday, August 28, 10pm PPV

Ok, so this card is huge.  We have the rematch between Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn, the 'superfight' that's being billed as MMA vs. boxing between Randy Couture and James Toney, Gray Maynard vs. Kenny Florian, Demian Maia vs. Mario Miranda, and Nate Diaz vs. Marcus Davis.  None of you need me to tell you that you want to watch these fights.  Will BJ redeem himself from his poor showing last time and win back his belt?  Will Edgar prove that he's really the better fighter?  Will Couture shut James Toney up?  Does Marcus Davis really think he has a chance to beat Nate Diaz?  And will Dana keep Nick Diaz out of the cage after if Nate wins, just to be safe?  Answers to all these questions will be found this Saturday night. 

Friday night, starting at 8, HDNet Fights will be showing highlights from DREAM.  At 8:30, Fighting Words with Mike Straka talks to Stephan Bonnar.  9 pm, Inside MMA with BAS!  Then, at 10, the replay of this past weekend's Sengoku Raiden Championship 14.  The main event, Santiago vs. Misaki, by all accounts was EPIC.  I missed it first time around, but I'll be watching Friday. 
    

That's all we got for this week, true believers.  I'm gonna go try to feel better now.  Enjoy the rest of your Monday!