The UFC returns to the former Fuel TV (now Fox Sports 2) on Saturday with an event from Manchester, England.
Lyoto Machida will make his middleweight debut against Mark Munoz, and lightweights Ross Pearson and Melvin Guillard will square off in the co-main event bout.
As is typical with events in Europe, UFC Fight Night 30 presents fight fans with a mid-afternoon fight card. The online preliminary bouts are six deep, and the main card also features six fights. It is a well-rounded fight card with bouts in six different divisions. There is plenty to look forward to this weekend.
This is what’s at stake in Manchester.
Rosi Sexton vs. Jessica Andrade
With the women’s bantamweight division growing deeper by the day, the quick path up the ladder grows more difficult to achieve. A win is necessary to improve both these fighters’ standing in the division, but unfortunately, only one can get one.
For Sexton, her UFC tenure could also be up for grabs. The powers that be were quick to pull the trigger on natural flyweight Sheila Gaff after her second UFC loss, and Sexton could be the next. However, she was much more competitive in her first outing than Gaff was.
All fights in the early going of the division are important, and the winner will take one step forward to making her mark in the UFC.
• Rosi Sexton vs. Jessica Andrade
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This is an early contender for Fight of the Night, and Lineker brings in his #5 UFC ranking into the bout. That makes this a big fight in the flyweight division.
Harris can steal away Lineker’s standing in the division with a win, but Lineker can make a bid to become one of the top contenders in the division. First things first, he needs to successfully make weight. This was something Lineker failed to do in his previous bout.
This fight opens up the Fox Sports 2 card, and it will help make the flyweight division a little more clear.
• Phil Harris vs. John Lineker
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Ross Pearson vs. Melvin Guillard
Pearson’s return to lightweight has gone very well. The Brit is 2-0 since moving back up to 155 pounds, and they were two impressive TKO performances.
Guillard’s turbulent UFC career rebounded once again with a brutal KO victory over Mac Danzig earlier this year at UFC on Fox 8. The longtime veteran wants to make a title run, but he has failed to find consistency.
The winner of this bout will put himself into a good position heading in to 2014. The winner may fail to get ranked in the UFC’s top 10, but with their name value, whoever wins will be in a position to demand a bigger fight when the calendar turns. These are two fighters who like to strike, and like to finish. That means this fight will likely produce exciting results.
Keep an eye on the winner of this fight. He’ll make a play for an important early 2014 scrap.
• Melvin Guillard vs. Ross Pearson
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The middleweight division’s contenders are on hold until after Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman meet again. The winner of this bout could be the next title challenger, depending on how the cards fall.
Munoz returned from his hiatus with a dominant win over Tim Boetsch, and now he finds himself back at #5 in the organizational rankings. Machida is making his first drop to middleweight, but his resume at 205 will help his bid to become a title challenger.
Silva has reportedly turned down rematches, and he refuses to fight friends. Looking at the UFC rankings, that may put Munoz in a spot to become the next title challenger with a win. However, considering what happened when they last fought, a Weidman win will most likely mean that Munoz does not get a shot.
The same cannot be said for Machida. Were Machida and Weidman to both come off wins, they’d pair up well, and create an interesting and marketable bout for the new champion. Vitor Belfort and “Jacare” Souza could find themselves leapfrogged by the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion if that’s the case.
Regardless of the December title fight‘s outcome, this fight is sure to provide a big result in the division. We won’t truly know how significant until Silva and Weidman step inside the cage. The winner puts himself in a prime position to become a title challenger, and that is what they will be focused on come Saturday. The other chips will just have to fall at UFC 168.
• Lyoto Machida vs. Mark Munoz
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UFC Fight Night 30: Machida vs. Munoz is due to take place on October 26, 2013 at Phones 4u Arena in Manchester, England.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC Fight Night 30 will be.
