Here, you will find my “Super 8” fight ratings for UFC 214. Every UFC card is a mixed bag, and often the highlights are sprinkled throughout the entire lineup. However, fight night is always full of distractions for the home viewer. You know how it is: You need to make a beer run, pay the pizza delivery guy or head to the bathroom every half hour. In order to time your intermissions wisely, please consult this helpful list, wherein I have ranked the top eight fights -- the Octagon has eight sides, of course -- on the card from most promising to least, based on relevance, style matchup and the promise of action:
No other fight on this card could possibly fill my number one slot. Jones and Cormier are perfect foils, two diametrically opposed forces with diametrically opposed styles of fighting. Jones is the greatest fighter in his division’s history, but Cormier is right there behind him in the all-time rankings and a vengeful win over his ultimate rival would add a lot of weight to his legacy. The possibility that Jones has lost a step since his first fight with Cormier only adds more interest to an innately compelling matchup.
2. Robbie Lawler vs. Donald Cerrone
On plenty of other cards, this all-violence team pairing would easily take the top spot. Lawler and Cerrone are fan favorites for a reason. They come to fight and almost always deliver fireworks. Lawler will be looking to reassert himself as a contender after losing his belt, and Cerrone will try to do the same after his disappointing loss to Jorge Masvidal. There will be blood.
3. Ricardo Lamas vs. Jason Knight
Knight always shows up ready to sling leather, and Lamas is not the kind of man to back down from a fight. Lamas will probably try to prevent Knight from closing the distance, but at some point the cards will be laid down and these two will fight. The exchanges on the ground should be every bit as interesting as the fists flying. Lamas has never been submitted, and Knight is an aggressive submission artist with a mean streak.
4. Andre Fili vs. Calvin Kattar
Fili has yet to turn in one dull fight in the UFC, and while Kattar has not been living up to his “Boston Finisher” moniker lately, he has been putting on shows. Kattar throws fast hands and hits surprising takedowns. Fili chain wrestles and throws killer kicks. I expect this one to be close, and that is not a bad thing.
5. Brian Ortega vs. Renato Carneiro
Mania versus discipline is the tagline for this one. Ortega is exceptionally dangerous but unfocused. “Moicano” is more reserved, but his game is put together perfectly. Ortega will have a hard time breaching the long distance set by Carneiro’s jab, but he has proven himself to be quite the potent third-round finisher.
6. Tyron Woodley vs. Demian Maia
This fight matters. If Woodley wins, he will have begun to establish some sort of order in a division that has been muddled and confused since the departure of longtime champion Georges St. Pierre. If Maia wins, it will be the ultimate redemption of his infamous fight with Anderson Silva and a storybook ending to a happy late-career rise. Stylistically, however, neither of them is known for fast-paced fights and there is a good chance this one takes a while to resolve itself.
7. Cristiane Justino vs. Tonya Evinger
This one should be violent and entertaining, but it only gets the No. 7 slot because I do not expect it to be particularly competitive. Evinger is super tough and determined, but she will be the smaller fighter against a dynamo of vicious strikes, stable wrestling and surprising stamina. “Cyborg” will get another trademark win. Those are fun to watch, but they are not usually the kinds of victories that stick with you.
8. Jimi Manuwa vs Volkan Oezdemir
This could surprise me and turn into a very fun fight, rather than the merely adequate one I expect. Manuwa seems like an easy favorite, but Oezdemir’s two unexpected UFC wins make it difficult to count him out. He can compete with Manuwa in the clinch and at long range. Whether he will do so for long is anyone’s guess, but a battle between two dangerous strikers is always worth watching.
Connor Ruebusch is an analyst of striking and boxing technique for Sherdog.com, as well as BloodyElbow.com and BadLeftHook.com. He has written hundreds of articles examining fighting form and strategy, and he is not done yet. Every Wednesday he talks about the finer points of face-punching on his podcast Heavy Hands. Though he dabbles in fantasy MMA, he is not a regular gambler, nor is he an expert in the field. If you use these predictions as a betting guide, please do so in combination with your own best judgment and a healthy pinch of salt. It is your money.