10 October Tussles Worth Watching

In an effort to bring more attention to the global stage of mixed martial arts, this list does not focus on major North American-based promotions such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator MMA and the World Series of Fighting.*** Don’t blink.Undefeated champion Yoshitaka Naito will put his strawweight title on the line against unbeaten challenger Joshua Pacio in the One Championship “State of Warriors” main event on Oct. 7 at Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar. Together, the two men have combined for a perfect 19-0 record, with 14 finishes. Naito captured the 115-pound championship on May 27, when he submitted Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke with a fourth-round rear-naked choke. Training out of the Paraestra Matsudo outfit, the 32-year-old was a Shooto champion in his native Japan before linking arms with the Singapore-based One Championship organization. Naito, 11-0, has ended three of his last four fights with chokes. Pacio, meanwhile, has finished all eight of his opponents, five of them inside one round. The 20-year-old Filipino prospect last competed in August, when he tapped Kritsada Kongsrichai with a rear-naked choke 4:27 into their battle at One Championship 45. Pacio operates out of a Lakay MMA affiliate in Baguio City, Philippines. The Naito-Pacio showdown is but one under-the-radar matchup worth monitoring during the month of October. Here are nine more:David Bielkheden vs. Luis Ramos Superior Challenge 14 Oct. 8 | Stockholm The vacant Superior Challenge welterweight championship will hang in the balance when the well-traveled Bielkheden takes on Ramos. A Brazilian Top Team rep who holds the rank of black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Bielkheden, 37, finds himself on a five-fight winning streak that includes victories over UFC veterans Besam Yousef and Cody McKenzie. The Swede has not tasted defeat in four years. Ramos, a 35-year-old Nova Uniao export, has compiled a 20-9-2 record in a career that dates back to 2001.Michael Tobin vs. Richie Ivory Brace MMA 44 Oct. 8 | Southport, Australia Tobin will step into a headlining role opposite Ivory on UFC Fight Pass. The 24-year-old has emerged as one of Australia’s top prospects, bouncing between the bantamweight and featherweight divisions. Tobin boasts an 11-0 record with 10 submissions: four by armbar, three by rear-naked choke, two by triangle choke and one by toe hold. Having already claimed titles in the Roshambo MMA and Eternal MMA promotions, “The Great White” has disposed of nine opponents inside one round. Ivory will enter the matchup …

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