10 November Tussles Worth Watching

20618

As 2009 hits the home stretch, the stars come out. The world’s best fighters, even those who have remained relatively quiet, remember awards, titles, fame and fortune are up for grabs at the end of the year. More than a dozen athletes who are recognized as top 10 fighters in their respective weight classes — and even a couple of pound-for-pound kings — will ply their trades in November. Still, there are some unusual cases of hardship this month.

At any other time, fights involving heavy hitters like former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin, reigning Strikeforce light heavyweight titleholder Gegard Mousasi and Takeshi Inoue might have been guaranteed a spot in the top 10. Not this time.

As always, the list does not necessarily focus on the major bouts you already know to watch, but rather on fights from all over the planet that are worth seeing.

9. Wander Braga vs. Alberto Crane
Called Out MMA 2, Nov. 14 — Ontario, Calif.

A handful of fighters were so far ahead of their time that they were successful during the “dark ages” of MMA but unable to reap the success they deserve. Frank Shamrock is one of them; Braga is another. This Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt ruled the mid 1990s with an iron hand in Brazil and returned from a five-year break to succeed inside the World Extreme Cagefighting and King of the Cage promotions in 2003-04. After another five-year hiatus, he returned this summer and lost for the first time as a professional mixed martial artist. Braga will try to eliminate the mistakes he made in his defeat to Gabe Ruediger, as he takes on Crane, another UFC veteran.