| 09 April 2010
It's April and spring is in the air. The birds are chirping, the flowers blooming and some of the world's best mixed martial artists are preparing to punch, kick and choke each other on multiple continents. What more could you ask for from a month?! But not all MMA fights are created the same, so in that vein here are the five must-see MMA fights in April as well as the best fight card of the month.
WEC 48 - April 24
The best fight card of the month has to be the WEC's first foray into the pay-per-view world, WEC 48. Two title fights and six fighters ranked in Sherdog's top 10 in their respective weight classes make this a must-see event. Not to mention two of the fights making The MMA Manifesto's list of the five must-see fights in April.
UFC 112 - April 10
Anderson Silva vs Demian Maia
It's a dangerous move dubbing an Anderson Silva match as "must-see" due to the one-sided/uneventful nature of many of his recent fights. But this match could be different, pitting MMA's best striker versus its best grappler. That is what MMA is all about, or what it used to be all about - differing fighting styles getting together in the cage to determine which one reigns supreme (word to Mike Goldberg). Demian Maia isn't the shy type and is expected to take the fight to The Spider, which should ensure us another amazing Silva KO like the one he delivered on Forest Griffin.
Strikeforce: Nashville - April 17
Gegard Mousasi vs Muhammed Lawal
As if it wasn't enough to have two of the best young fighters go at it in the cage, this one also is for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight crown and there is plenty of bad blood between the fighters. The trash talk between King Mo and The Dreamcatcher has been going on unabated for months now, but while Mo can talk a big game, once he gets in the cage with Mousasi he is going to find out that he is in over his head. Despite being only 24-years-old, Mousasi is one of the most dangerous men in the fight game today and should be more than King Mo can handle.
Gilbert Melendez vs Shinya Aoki
The Strikeforce-DREAM marriage is a match made in heaven for fight fans, as we get to see champions from both promotions go head-to-head. Gilbert Melendez went on a tear in 2009, winning all three of his matches and capturing Strikeforce's Lightweight belt. Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, Shinya Aoki went 4-1 last year, culminating in his arm-breaking, bird-flipping victory over Mizuto Hirota. This will be Aoki's first fight outside of Japan, and he won't have the benefit of wearing his technicolour grappling pants, making this fight all the more intriguing.
WEC 48 - April 24
Jose Aldo vs Urijah Faber
The best fight card of the month is headlined by Jose Aldo defending his Featherweight belt versus Urijah Faber. Aldo had one of the best years of any fighter anywhere in 2009, as he bulldozed through four opponents, winning Knockout of the Night honors three times. And he couldn't be put into a more exciting matchup than this one versus The California Kid Urijah Faber, fighting in his hometown, no less. Should be a very exciting, Fight of the Year caliber match.
Ben Henderson vs Donald Cerrone
Speaking of Fight of the Year, Ben Henderson-Donald Cerrone Part 1 earned The MMA Manifesto's Fight of the Year honours last year. So their rematch has to be considered a strong contender for Fight of the Year for 2010. Perhaps that is setting this match up for failure, but we're confident that these two will be able to put on another amazing show.
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