10 August 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.*** Gesias Cavalcante’s best days may be behind him, but if recent results are any indication, he still has plenty left in the tank. Cavalcante will defend the Titan Fighting Championship lightweight crown against surging Ascension MMA export Freddy Assuncao in the Titan 40 main event on Aug. 5 at the BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Florida. UFC Fight Pass will provide coverage of the event. A two-time K-1 Hero’s grand prix winner, Cavalcante has registered back-to-back wins for the first time since 2007. The 33-year-old Blackzilians rep returned from close to a two-year layoff on June 10, as he captured the Titan lightweight title with a stunning first-round knockout against Pat Healy. Wins over Vitor Ribeiro, Rani Yahya, Caol Uno, Katsunori Kikuno, Bobby Green and Tyson Griffin anchor the Cavalcante resume. Assuncao, 31, will enter the cage on the strength of an eight-fight winning streak. The younger brother of UFC veterans Raphael Assuncao and Junior Assuncao, he last appeared at Titan 34 a little more than a year ago, as he submitted Cody Bollinger with a second-round arm-triangle choke. Assuncao suffered his only professional defeat in November 2009, when he tapped to a Jim Alers rear-naked choke. The Cavalcante-Assuncao battle is but one outside-the-major-MMA-bubble matchup worth monitoring during the month of August. Here are nine more:Jared Papazian vs. Casey Kenney Tachi Palace Fights 28 Aug. 4 | Lemoore, California Papazian, 28, has posted five wins in eight appearances since being released by the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2012 following consecutive losses to Tim Elliott, Dustin Pague and Mike Easton. A former King of the Cage champion, “The Jackhammer” last appeared at TPF 27 in May, when he submitted Alex Perez with a first-round armbar. The undefeated Kenney sports four finishes among his five victories. He owns a 3-0 mark under the Tachi Palace Fights banner, with victories over Angel Hernandez, Anthony Torres and Victor Rosas.Ricardo Lucas Ramos vs. Alfred Khashakyan New England Fights “Lookin’ for a Fight” Aug. 5 | Bangor, Maine Ramos was a hot commodity on the regional scene before experiencing his first hiccup: a first-round submission loss to Manny Vazquez at Legacy Fighting Championship 51 on Feb. 5. The …

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