Fight Calendar: October 2022

Boxing and MMA in October will have some women’s and men’s fights that you definitely won’t want to miss. See who the picks are for each card in this month’s lineup.

• October 1st: Mackenzie Dern vs Yan Xiaonan (MMA)

• October 8th: Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn (BOXING) - CANCELED

• October 15th: Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall (BOXING)

• October 22nd: Charles Oliveira vs Makhachev (MMA)

• October 29th: Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Jamaine Ortiz (BOXING)

• October 29th: Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva (BOXING)

Boxing

October 8th: Chris Eubank Jr. vs Conor Benn - CANCELED

Image Credit: DAZN

UPDATE: The boxing fight between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. has been canceled due to a failed drug test.

This is a good fight for Eubank who has been on the sidelines for quite some time, and Conor Benn could really use some solid competition on his resume as well. The bout will take place at a catchweight which is always a little strange for rankings and gauging a fighter’s potential at their own weight class, but this should still be an entertaining fight between two fighters who will either find another gear or end up gatekeepers.

Chris Eubank Jr.: Eubank has always been an interesting case as far as legacy boxers go, who have a tendency to rest on their ancestor’s laurels without backing it up themselves. He’s nowhere near as bad as Chavez Jr., but he’s also obviously nowhere near Floyd Mayweather Jr. He falls somewhere in the middle as someone who on paper has the skills to be a top contender but just hasn’t risen to the occasion as much as he should. His best competition to date was Saunders, who he dropped a close split decision to, and since that fight, he has mostly been fighting journeymen. His style is a mix of phone booth inside fighting and feints on the outside, and I don’t expect that to change against a smaller man in Conor Benn.

Conor Benn: A welterweight prospect who will be having a big step up with this contest. He’s very fast, very tough, and hits very hard but the flaw he’s always had is that he’s rather hittable. He tends to walk with his hands down, and his head movement isn’t the best. I’m not sure his style translates well against a much bigger fighter like Eubank, but he certainly has the output and power to hurt just about anybody.

Prediction: Eubank by KO. I think Benn is good, but Eubank is bigger and better, and his best punch is an uppercut, something that tends to work very well against short aggressive fighters.

Where to Watch: Live October 15th on DAZN at 12pm EDT / 9am PST 

October 15th: Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall

Image Credit: The O2

This time it's happening, promise… after 2 cancellations due to various circumstances from Marshall needing surgery to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, it seems that this fight might finally happen. I broke down this fight last month, so I’ll summarize it in case you missed it. 

Claressa Shields: Claressa "T-Rex" Shields is a high-volume puncher with good ring generalship and a wealth of experience in high-profile fights. Shields has endless energy so I expect her to try and smother Marshall with constant combinations throughout the fight.

Savannah Marshall: A heavy handed mid-range straight puncher, Marshall is the favorite on the books due to her superior reach and power. This, combined with her lateral footwork, she’ll try to keep Shields at the end of her jab all night.

Prediction: Shields on Points. Claressa isn’t going to be knocking anyone out, but I think her output and her ability to stick to opponents will cause problems for Marshall, who has shown some vulnerabilities to aggressive fighters before.

Where to Watch: Live October 15th on ESPN+ at 12:45pm EDT / 9:45am PST 

October 29th: Vasiliy Lomachenko vs Jamaine Ortiz

Image Credit: Boxing News 24

Vasiliy Lomachenko is looking to get back into the ring and shake off his ring rust by fighting Jamaine Ortiz, a game boxer at lightweight who is coming off a good looking win over Jamel Herring.

Vasiliy Lomachenko: Lomachenko is possibly one of the most technically gifted boxers currently competing. Fighting out of a southpaw stance, he uses his lightning quick reflexes and fantastic footwork to constantly take angles that allow him to attack safely. While he isn’t known as a power puncher, he does have a respectable 69% knockout rating in his professional career. I expect him to try and keep the powerful Ortiz turning and chasing so that he can’t set his feet.

Jamaine Ortiz: Jamaine Ortiz is a solid up and comer who is looking to make a statement against one of the best fighters in his weight class and carry on his momentum from defeating Jamel Herring. A strong stocky infighter is sort of an oddity all the way down at lightweight, but he carries the weight well and seems to be quite able to leverage his strength and weight against his opponents. Look for him to keep the fight rough against Lomachenko.

Prediction: Lomachenko by Decision. Ortiz is a pretty good contender, but I think he’s bitten off too much too fast in going against a very technical and aggressive fighter here.

Where to Watch: Live October 29th on ESPN+ at 5:45pm EDT / 2:45pm PST 

October 29th: Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva

Image Credit: Gila River Arena

I am legitimately excited for a Jake Paul fight, which is…a strange feeling. I’ve always been a boxing purist, perhaps even a snob, but this matchup legitimately just sounds like a ton of fun.

Jake Paul: The younger Paul brother is honestly not a terrible boxer. He’s not ever going to be a world champion, but he’s decent. He’s got power, he’s got basic but sound footwork, and his defense has slowly been improving. He leans a lot on his counter right hand, but so do a lot of successful boxers so that can’t be held against him too much. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to Silva’s strong defense and flowing style.

Anderson Silva: Anderson "The Spider" Silva is probably one of the most famous UFC fighters ever, and it's because he’s one of the best to ever do it. He has an incredible ability to read his opponent combined with sharp reflexes and great physicality. What he can do at his age is incredible. I expect him to try and play matador all night, and he might pull it off.

Prediction: Silva by late Stoppage. I think Silva might be the man to put Paul down. Paul has a suspect gas tank, and Silva is slippery enough to drag him into late water and punish him late. 

Where to Watch: Live October 29th on FITE TV at 10pm EST / 7pm PST

MMA 

October 1st: Mackenzie Dern vs Yan Xiaonan

Image Credit: UFC

Dern vs Yan is a submission specialist going up against a striking specialist and is honestly quite an interesting matchup considering their similar records.

Mackenzie Dern: A submission artist is something that has been somewhat lacking in women’s MMA for a bit, especially in the straw-weight division, and you can see that lack reflected in Dern’s success. She’s sitting at 12-2 with over half of her wins coming from submission and the others coming by decision due to her control of the ground. Obviously, her strategy against Yan will be to take it to the ground and neutralize her striking as quickly as possible to work for an early submission.

Yan Xiaonan: Yan is the opposite of Mackenzie Dern, a striking specialist with a record of 13-3, with 7 of those wins coming from knockouts or TKOs and the others by decision. She tends to rely on punches more than kicks which could work to her favor or her disadvantage depending on how quick on the draw Dern is with her takedown attempts. My guess is she’s going to fight behind a jab and snap kicks early to draw out a risky takedown from Dern and then try to capitalize on the way out.

Prediction: Dern by submission. I think Dern will catch her, due solely to the fact that she’s primarily a volume based close range striker, something grapplers tend to perform well against.

Where to Watch: Live October 1st on ESPN+ at 7pm EDT / 4pm PST

October 22nd: Charles Oliveira vs Islam Makhachev

Image Credit: UFC

This is the big fight for the UFC this year in my opinion. These two are both absolute beasts and I am very excited to see what happens.

Charles Oliveira: The people’s champion of 155, Oliveira hasn’t lost since 2017 and is on an 11 fight winning streak. He’s a submission specialist but is also a viciously efficient striker with a heart of iron, so it’s not hard to see why he’s so unbeatable right now. He’s also carved through most of the division at this point, forcing the issue with untested superstar Makhachev.

Islam Makhachev: A ridiculously talented and strong wrestler, Islam has literally bodied most opposition he’s gone up against and is a very dangerous opponent for just about anyone. He will most likely be the first opponent in a long time to willingly grapple with Oliveira, and that might give him an unexpected advantage: people are so afraid to wrestle Charles, he literally lies down on his back to catch his breath mid-fight.

Prediction: Charles Oliveira by Submission. I think the oddsmakers are insane having Charles as an underdog here, I think he gets it done in the middle rounds out of nowhere. Wrestling is great for getting people to the ground and keeping them there. Jiu Jitsu is great at winning from the ground. See the difference?

Where to Watch: Live October 22nd on ESPN+ 2pm EDT / 11am PST 

Note: All October 2022 fight information is accurate as of October 7, 2022.

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