4 MMA Fights in May to Keep an Eye on

Although we've had a few fights fall through, Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero and Nate Diaz vs. Leon Edwards, it’s safe to say MMA fans are in for a treat this month. 

The big-name fights are always the most anticipated ones, and for a good reason. However, many fights aren't headliners that will leave your eyes glued to the screen and force you to the edge of your seat. These four fights are ones that might be flying under your radar.

Stylistically, this could be the fight of the year. Two crafty jiu-jitsu black belts with somewhat conflicting striking styles make this quite the chess match, not to mention the abundant amount of violence each brings to the octagon every time they appear. This was originally the third fight to last on the UFC 262 card until Diaz vs. Edwards was postponed; now it is the co-main event. 

Tony Ferguson will go into this fight looking to end a two-fight skid. As arguably, the most unorthodox fighter in the UFC, Ferguson brings things to the cage most fighters rarely see. From his sneaky iminari rolls to his vicious elbows, fighting Tony Ferguson is a whole different ball game. The 10-year UFC veteran, former interim UFC lightweight champion, and TUF 13 winner is being written off after two tough losses. Considering his durability and his legacy, Tony Ferguson should never be ruled out of a fight.

Dariush is an absolute beast as well. Aside from his crafty submission skillset, Beneil Dariush is a savage on the feet and is definitely not afraid to stand and bang. In 25 pro fights, Dariush has been to just seven decisions. Training out of Kings MMA with coach Rafael Cordeiro and teammates like Kelvin Gastelum, Marvin Vettori, and Giga Chikadze, Dariush is well equipped for just about any battle. Dariush's striking gets occasionally overlooked as well. Although he throws every strike with the intention to end his opponent’s night, he's technically sound on the feet. 

As he's on a 6-fight win streak, it’s obvious he will be a tough matchup for Ferguson. However, there is just no way this isn't an awesome fight come May 15th.

Aviv Gozali is one of the most highly touted prospects in Bellator. The 20-year-old Israeli native is one of the craftiest submission specialists on the Bellator roster. Not to mention he is the owner of the fastest submission in Bellator history, with an 11-second heel hook in August 2019 against Eduard Muravitskiy. Also, all five of Gozali's wins come by way of first-round submission. The Renzo Gracie product, and New York resident, does his training at LAW MMA with the likes of the legendary Ray Longo. It is safe to say Gozali may be flying under the radar of some, so jump on the train while you can because he will be a star. 

Sean Felton is a 7-fight KOTC veteran and hasn't stepped into the cage in over a year and a half. This will cause him to close at quite the sizable underdog. However, he is no slouch. Representing WNY MMA, he fights out of the same gym as Bellator bantamweight contender Patchy Mix. Felton has three of his five wins by finish, two in the first round. Also, he has never been finished. It’s safe to say the well-rounded Felton will be a checkpoint to see where the 20-year-old super prospect is at. If there is a fight that fits the saying "don't blink," it’s this one.

This is quite the clash of styles. Vanderford is quite the grappler, and Edwards is quite the kickboxer. This will prove who the better all-around martial artist is. Both these fighters have ties in the MMA world outside of themselves. Vanderford is the husband of former UFC and current BKFC fighter, Paige VanZant and Edwards is the brother of top UFC welterweight Leon Edwards. 

Austin Vanderford is a force in Bellator's middleweight division. As he is a powerful and dominant wrestler, he's also a purple belt in BJJ. He trains out of American Top Team with some of the best fighters on the planet and brings the fight to his opponents. Vanderford has finished six of his ten wins and can finish you with whatever, wherever or he can grind you out and make you empty the gas tank early. Overall, Mr. VanZant is a very well-rounded martial artist and gets a good test when he steps in with Edwards on the 21st. 

Fabian Edwards suffered the first loss of his career in his last bout as Sanford MMA's, Costello van Steenis took him down via split decision back in September of 2020. In fact, that was the first loss of his career, pro or amateur. However, I don't expect that to phase the quality martial artist. He is a warrior. "The Assassin" has six of his nine wins by finish as well and gets it done by submission and KO. This will be interesting due to the fact that this will be Edwards' first bout in America in his fighting career. Bellator should and will market this as expected and give these two the exposure they deserve. 

Matching up two heavyweights this size is a recipe for a finish. Justin Tafa, the brother of kickboxing force Junior Tafa, is also known for his quality kickboxing. He is the former XFC heavyweight champion in his home country of Australia. The UFC rarely signs prospects that are 3-0 in pro-MMA prior to their UFC debut; however, Tafa was an exception. 

After a brutal KO loss to Yorgan De Castro in his UFC debut, he got back on the right track by knocking out Juan Adams in just two minutes. Going into this fight, he's coming off a controversial split decision loss to the streaking Carlos Felipe. Tafa needed to improve his gas tank and takedown defense a bit from the last bout, and Vanderaa is the perfect opponent to prove that against.

Vanderaa is good just about everywhere. He has solid wrestling, good striking, and heavy leg kicks. When getting a shot on Dana White's Contender Series against Harry Hunsucker, it was pure domination from Vanderaa, finishing him in just three and a half minutes. However, Vanderaa's UFC debut didn't go very well at all, as Sergey Spivak gave him a taste of his own medicine. Training out of Team Quest with the likes of Dan Henderson and Sam Alvey, it's fair to say Vanderaa is someone who flies under the radar. Vanderaa has a very underrated skillset and is always in entertaining fights. I generally like this matchup, and there's no way this isn't a war on May 22nd.