Casual Fight Night: Fights For Friends January 2014 Edition

These are "fights for your friends". These are fights for the MMA casual or newbie. Fights that will keep the most A.D.D.'d out friend you have in a state of attention. This is casual fight night.

You've heard the complaints of saturation and a diminished product. This is true. No complaint here. But on these diminished cards, there are still great fights, that I believe are being missed. And here they are in one fancy list for the not-so-hardcore.

"It's a recommendation... recommendation"

UFN 34

Tarec Saffiedine vs. Hyun Gyu Lim

• An absolute war
• The leg kicks Lim was taking and still fighting
• Lim screaming and moving forward
• And culminating in round 5 with a last ditch effort from Lim

Tatsuya Kawajiri vs. Sean Soriano (mostly for the interview)

• The fight was meh... Kawajiri got a decent finish on an overmatched opponent
• This must be shown with the interview. Rule.

Max Holloway vs. Will Chope

• Fantastic stand up battle
• That liver shot, spinning back kick combo. Good Lord

Russell Doane vs. Leandro Issa

• A dude gets hurt. Recovers. Then, the BJJ black belt gets choked out in a buzzer beater submission, falling ever so graciously.

UFN 35

Luke Rockhold vs. Costa Philippou

• Body kicks to death on a dude that looks like he could be a plumber, own a pizza shop or a "Mario" brother

Yoel Romero vs. Derek Brunson

• Romero possibly excreted literal fecal matter in his pants whilst beating the figurative fecal matter out of Brunson
• Just a masters class on actually trying to finish the fight when you're down on the score cards
• Two super buff guys that are pretty fast and have pretty decent cardio
  
• Recommended ++++++ especially that round 3... maybe find a picture of Romero possibly "wetting the bed"

Louis Smolka vs. Alptekiz Ozkillic

• Beautiful fight between two flyweights
• Both showed a lot of heart
• If your friend likes this fight, I'd say he's a good candidate for some more MMA in the future

Beneil Dariush vs. Charlie Brennenman

• A white guy with an afro-ish, comical hairstyle getting dropped and submitted? Yes, please.
• The look on Brennenman's face is a little depressing after, however

UFC on FOX 10

Benson Henderson vs. Josh Thompson

• This applies for any of the fights, but this fight didn't suck, and I bet at least one of your friends is interested in Benson or the dude that KTFO of Nate Diaz
• Redacted. Just show them this

Donald Cerrone vs. Adriana Martins

• Awesome headkick knockout from a cowboy

Alex Caceres vs. Sergio Pettis

• Bruce Leroy and Anthony Pettis' brother, who looks just like him
• I'd pick this as my fight of the year so far, to be honest
• A fantastic, fantastic example of MMA at it's finest
• You had grappling, fluid striking from both... a smaller guy countering the longer bigger fighter
• The less technical fighter dropping the other
• And a beautiful last ditch submission effort to solidify the win of what was bound to be a close decision
• This is MMA. recommend + + + ++ + +

Daron Cruickshank vs. Mike Rio

• Man, if you don't like this fight... you don't like MMA entertainment
• Cruickshank's kicks really make him the Detroit Superstar
• This fight should get people out of their seats

Nikita Krylov vs. Walt Harris

• Just a quick display of violence from two heavyweights