UFC Fight Night 20 is live on Spike TV this coming Monday night from the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia, pitting lightweight contenders Nate Diaz and Gray Maynard against each other in the main event. The bout, a rematch of an Ultimate Fighter season 5 contest won by Diaz, could help set up one of the next contenders for BJ Penn’s lightweight title. In the co-main event of the night, Ultimate Fighter season 8 winner Efrain Escudero will take on Evan Dunham in a battle of undefeated fighters. Escudero is showing strong drawing power for the UFC, and has by far the highest fan buzz of the fighters competing Monday night. The event is poised to be an excellent showcase for the UFC’s young lightweight talent.
The buzz rankings take into account the level of activity for people searching and reading about each MMA fighter online. The more online buzz, the better the ranking.
Nate Diaz, while having previously participated in Fight Night main events, has a current buzz ranking among MMA fighters of only 206, whereas his opponent Gray Maynard is ranked at 153. Escudero tops them all at 85, and has ranked as high as 37 back in September of 2009 when he knocked out Cole Miller at UFC 103. Escudero’s popularity and buzz ranking has stayed healthy in the months since that bout, and is poised to become a recognizable star and face of the UFC should he continue to rack up victories.
| Fighter | Latest Buzz Rank | Peak Buzz Rank | Peak Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Diaz | 206 | 53 | Sep 2009 |
| Evan Dunham | 166 | 116 | Feb 2009 |
| Efrain Escudero | 85 | 37 | Sep 2009 |
| Gray Maynard | 153 | 78 | Sep 2009 |
| Average | 153 | 71 |
