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At UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson, Costa Philippou (12-2(1) MMA; 5-1 UFC) meets Francis Carmont (21-7 MMA; 5-0 UFC). This Middleweight fight is the 2nd on the 5 fight PPV main card. The official UFC rankings have Costa as the #7 contender at Middleweight with Carmont unranked. UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson airs live on PPV this Saturday, September 21 with the main card starting at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
I said this last month, but it's worth repeating here - Middleweight fights have a new resonance to them these days. For years now, Anderson Silva's lockdown on the division has made anyone but the very top a virtually insignificant challenger. Now, there is a sense that the doors for new challengers are wide open. Neither Philippou or Carmont are quite ready for title contention just yet, but an impressive win here could give either man the chance for a major fight next time out.
How do these two stack up?
Philippou: 33 years old | 5'11" | 73" reach
Carmont: 31 years old | 6'3" | 78" reach
What have these two done recently?
Philippou: W - Tim Boetsch (KO) | W - Riki Fukuda (UD) | W - Court McGee (UD)
Carmont: W - Lorenz Larkin (UD) | W - Tom Lawlor (SD) | W - Karlos Vemola (Sub)
How did these two get here?
Costa Philippou has had a tremendous reversal of fortunes inside the Octagon. His first UFC appearance was losing in the fights to get into the house on TUF season 11. He then lost his proper UFC debut to Nick Catone. Since then, he's been on a roll, winning 5 straight, all against very tough opposition. He's coming off a huge stoppage victory over Tim Boetsch. A former Serra Longo trainee (this is his first time fighting since leaving that camp), Philippou uses a more traditional boxing approach, and has used it well. If he keeps winning, he will be in title contention very soon.
More Bloody Elbow coverage of UFC 165
Francis Carmont is a training partner of GSP at Tristar Gym. Though he is technically undefeated inside the Octagon, many have questioned his last two decision wins. A near 10 year veteran, Carmont is undefeated since 2008. He obviously has a style that judges favor, which could help him here against the more striking based offense of Philippou.
Why should you care?
Philippou's fights have been very entertaining as of late, and the winner here moves up in the division. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one plays out.
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