Fights To Watch At UFC 183

This Saturday the UFC will be setting up shop in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC 183. This event is a huge one for the UFC, as it marks the return to the Octagon for former middleweight champion Anderson Silva. After suffering back to back loses for the first time in his career, and sustaining a broken leg that kept him out of the cage for thirteen months, it’s easy to understand why the focus will be on the former champion. However, if the idea of the greatest fighter in the history of mixed martial arts making his return to the cage isn’t enough for you, don’t fret my friend! This card is full of matchups that should boost your heart rate and leave your palms just a bit sweaty. UFC 183 has me pretty excited; maybe it’s the Conor McGregor hangover, maybe it’s last weekend’s amazing knockout by Spokane, Washington’s Sam Sicilia. Whatever it is, I am pumped! So let’s take a peek at my fights to watch at UFC 183.

Aside from the main event, the fight I’m most excited about on this card is Miesha Tate versus Sara McMann. This fight is the featured bout on the Fox Sports 1 prelims, and with good cause. Between the two fighters there are three fight of the night performances, multiple MMA titles, and an Olympic medal. In a division that some feel is short on title challengers, McMann and Tate are regarded as top class. While both have tasted defeat at the hands of bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, it isn’t out of the question that with a solid performance or two, McMann or Tate could be right back in the title hunt. McMann is the more likely of the two challengers to work her way back into the title picture with a win in this fight. In McMann’s matchup with Rousey, many felt the fight was stopped a bit prematurely. With that loss to Rousey being the lone blemish on McMann’s record, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear her name mentioned as a contender with a dominant will over Tate. That doesn’t mean one should count Tate out of title contention. While Tate does have two losses to the champion, her ability to bounce back is something that she is proud of. Tate pointed out to me on Twitter this week that she is a bell-to-bell fighter and she is looking to make a statement with a third straight win in the Octagon. While fans may not be clamoring for a third fight between Tate and Rousey, it seems the Tacoma, Washington native is making plans of her own.

Another matchup that stands out to me is Ultimate Fighter season 14 winner Diego Brandao versus Jimy Hettes. This featherweight matchup isn’t getting a ton of hype but the importance of this fight for its combatants is absolute. Once thought of as a potential champion, Diego Brandao has been inconsistent during his time in the UFC. While performing dominantly against midlevel fighters, Brandao hasn’t had the same success in fights against top-level opponents. Coming off of two straight losses, and one in which he failed to make weight, Brandao’s UFC career could be on the line Saturday night. If Brandao can use his speed and aggressive style to stifle Hettes and secure a dominant win, it could get him back in the good graces of the UFC. Unlike Brandao, Jimy Hettes took the traditional path to the UFC, slowly working his way into the organization. Hettes surprised many with his early success in the Octagon. With a strong judo game and well-developed submissions, Hettes was quickly talked about as a young fighter to watch in the featherweight division. However, since starting out strong Hettes has come up short in two of his last three fights, and the losses were dominant performances by the challengers. Hettes has worked on his striking with former champions Frankie Edgar (UFC) and Marlon Moraes (Bellator), and it appears that Hettes is shoring up the holes in his game that have gotten him off track. Look for Hettes to use Brandao’s aggressive nature against him with strong Judo takedowns and crisp counter punching.

One last fight that I absolutely must mention is Joe Lauzon versus Al Iaquinta. Joe Lauzon hasn’t been within 100 feet of a boring fight in his entire life. The man has collected more post-fight bonus awards than anyone in UFC history, and I don’t doubt that he is looking to put another check in the bank come Sunday morning. Lauzon has always been regarded as a very well rounded fighter; he has an active Jiu Jitsu game both off his back and in top position, and his striking has only gotten tighter as his career has evolved. Against Iaquinta, Lauzon will have to get his punches off first, stay off his back and dominate top position on the ground if he wants to shut down the powerful striker. Iaquinta has become very good with his hands since his UFC journey began. Possessing legit knockout power in both hands, it may be tempting for Iaquinta to stand and trade with Lauzon for three rounds. However, Iaquinta has a good wrestling base and I would look for him to try and set up takedowns with his strikes and keep a pace that will potentially slow Lauzon until he can secure a finish. This fight could easily go either way, but I think Lauzon’s experience will prove to be deciding factor in this one as he makes the proper adjustments and walks away victorious.

As Anderson Silva prepares to return to the cage on Saturday night hopefully you are calling over a few friends to order the fights. Besides, you’ll have already watched Super Bowl pre-game for a week! Even the most intense of all football fans needs a little break from deflategate.