UFC Vets And Hopefuls Look To Shine On FloCombat's Weekend Tripleheader

UFC Vets And Hopefuls Look To Shine On FloCombat's Weekend Tripleheader

A stacked lineup of MMA action hits FloCombat this Saturday night.

Dec 8, 2017 by Duane Finley
UFC Vets And Hopefuls Look To Shine On FloCombat's Weekend Tripleheader

There will be no shortage of high-octane face-punching goodness this weekend on FloCombat. Three of the top regional promotions in the United States are slated to roll out their latest offerings and, in doing so, will showcase a collection of talent both established and on the rise.

Maverick MMA 4, Fury FC 20, and Dynasty Combat Sports: Season's Beatings will hit FloCombat this Saturday night, and there’s plenty of reasons to get excited about this weekend tripleheader.

Let’s take a closer look at the action on deck.

Dynasty Combat Sports: Season's Beatings

9 PM EST | LINCOLN, NE | WATCH LIVE

While other regions of the country are better known for grooming talent because of super gyms and long-standing fight teams located in specific locales, the Midwest has been quietly gaining momentum over the past few years. And Dynasty Combat Sports is a big reason for the shifting tide.

The Nebraska-based operation puts on strong cards each and every time out, and the lineup for Saturday night is guaranteed to be another offering filled with highlight-reel-worthy finishes and exciting scraps. And when it comes to the back-and-forth insanity, look no further than the main event bout between Darrick Minner and Chuka Willis.

While both suffered setbacks in their most recent outings, there is no doubt Minner and Willis see Saturday night as a chance to turn things around in a big way.

Minner will have the advantage in the number of overall fights, but Willis has competed on bigger stages, as he has appearances inside the cages of Bellator and LFA to his credit. Willis has also found success in all but two of his past seven showings, with four of those victories coming by way of finish inside of the distance.

Minner also has a penchant for putting his opposition away. 

The No. 3-ranked featherweight in Nebraska according to Tapology, Minner has found victory in two of his past three showings inside the cage. Both of those wins came by way of submission, and there’s no doubt he’ll be looking to score another big finish over Willis on Saturday.

Staying with the theme of “big” statements, Jozette Cotton will be looking to make the biggest of her young career at DCS 38.

The hard-hitting upstart is not only the first professional female fighter to hold lightweight gold in the history of the sport, but Cotton will also be looking to make another impressive addition to her trophy case when she squares off with Jennifer Leigh-Norris. The two women will fight for featherweight gold on Saturday night, and a victory for Cotton would give a “Notorious” nod with double champ status.

Earning a second title belt would certainly elevate Cotton to the next level where visibility is concerned, and that’s exactly what she needs if her plans to reach the biggest stage sport are to come to fruition. Making it to the UFC isn’t just a goal Cotton has vocalized and made public over the last year. In fact, Cotton has stated she plans to fight and defeat legendary wrecking machine Cris “Cyborg” Justino upon arrival.

Hearing a fighter call out Justino is already a rare and strange thing, but Cotton’s confidence in the matter is next-level unique. Cotton truly believes she has what it takes to defeat the former Strikeforce and current UFC titleholder, but she’ll need to claim victory on Saturday night if she wants to keep things rolling in that direction.

One fighter who may be able to offer Cotton some advice on what to expect when competing inside the Octagon is "The Ultimate Fighter" alum Dakota Cochrane.

While his appearance on TUF was short-lived, the savvy veteran has kept his schedule packed by competing on stages all around the globe on a consistent basis. When the 42-fight veteran steps in to face Josh Tulley on Saturday night, it will mark the sixth time Cochrane has fought in 2017.

Cochrane has found success in three of his five showings thus far this year, and picking up a fourth win would serve well on his quest to land another shot fighting under the UFC or Bellator banners. 

Maverick MMA 4

7 PM EST | EAST STROUDSBURG, PA | WATCH LIVE

There are plenty of fighters and bouts to point out on this card, but all eyes will fall on Phil Hawes this Saturday night.

The 28-year-old middleweight has held status as one of the most promising prospects in the sport for the past three years, and there are plenty of legitimate reasons for this being so. In addition to training with one of the best teams on the planet in Jackson/Winkeljohn out of New Mexico, “Megatron” has also been the primary training partner for embattled pound-for-pound great Jon Jones over that time.

Yet, while there are plenty of positives where talent and work ethic are concerned, setbacks at pivotal moments have served to severely damage the hype surrounding Hawes. 

While the loss he suffered during his time on "The Ultimate Fighter" did not count on his official record, a submission defeat to Louis Taylor at WSOF 32 back in July 2016 certainly did. Getting submitted by Taylor wasn’t all that damaging where Hawes’ trajectory is concerned, but being on the receiving end of a nasty head-kick knockout by Julian Marquez put a huge question mark on Hawes’ ability to transition from prospect to major player in the big leagues.

In addition to suffering a KO inside the cage, it also didn’t help matters that loss took place during a fight on Dana White’s Contender Series. Hawes will need to rebound in a big way on Saturday night, and it will be interesting to see just how successful the middleweight powerhouse will be at shaking off the past to continue pushing for his future.

Fury FC 20

6 PM EST | SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS | WATCH LIVE

When it comes to experience in the fight game, few competitors can claim to be more “been there, done that” than Pete Spratt.

The 46-year-old rose to prominence competing in the pioneer stage of MMA’s development, and Spratt has shared the cage with some of the biggest names to ever strap on the gloves. Furthermore, in addition to squaring off with the likes of Chris Lytle and Josh Koscheck, “The Secret Weapon” also holds victories over some big names as well, with the most notable coming against former UFC champion Robbie Lawler at UFC 42 back in 2003.

And while his win over the “Ruthless” was a long ways back, Spratt’s track record inside the cage goes to show the technical striker can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the game. Granted, Spratt will be making his first trip to the cage in four years when he faces Washington Luiz this weekend at Fury FC 20, but the savvy veteran will also be looking to prove separating opponent’s from their consciousness is truly like riding a bike.

Once you know how to do it and do it well, it’s something you never truly forget.