UFC 167 hails from the MGM Grand Garden Arena tonight, and there will be plenty up for grabs when the bright lights focus on the Octagon.
The main event will be the biggest welterweight clash in quite some time. Champion Georges St. Pierre takes on top contender Johny Hendricks for the UFC Welterweight Championship. The co-main event is a light heavyweight special attraction between Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen.
The 20th anniversary card looks sure to deliver plenty of entertaining fights. Here is what’s at stake at UFC 167:
Will Campuzano vs. Sergio Pettis
The second fight of the evening features one of the most anticipated UFC debuts in a while. Sergio Pettis finally steps into the Octagon when he battles the returning Will Campuzano.
For Campuzano, he will try to erase his 0-2 UFC run in 2010-2011 by knocking off the hot prospect. However, it’s clear that Pettis has much more on the line.
Pettis has a buzz surrounding him, and with his brother, Anthony, as the UFC lightweight titleholder, there will be even more pressure on him moving forward. He is undefeated, and he has looked impressive. An exciting debut would shoot him up the ranks.
Pettis’ trek to contendership starts at UFC 167.
Jason High vs. Anthony Lapsley
Lapsey makes his UFC debut on Saturday, and he can knock off one of the rising welterweights in the division. For High, this is a chance to boost his stock exponentially.
With a second straight dominant performance, High would set himself up for a potential top-15 match-up in the 170-pound division. This is a welterweight-heavy card, and an impressive victory will put him in line to potentially meet one of the winners on the card.
High is not too far off the UFC Top 10. A win at UFC 167 will put him one step closer to earning a number by his name.
• Anthony Lapsley vs. Jason High
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Donald Cerrone vs. Evan Dunham
Both fighters are 2-2 in their last four fights, and both fighters are coming off losses to Rafael dos Anjos.
This is still a significant fight in the division as Cerrone is ranked #10 in the UFC.
These are two exciting lightweights who have been inconsistent recently, but a win puts the winner right in the thick of things in the division. There will be no instant contendership or title shot, but it is important for the winner to maintain his spot at the back-end of the top 10.
• Donald Cerrone vs. Evan Dunham
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Tim Elliott vs. Ali Bagautinov
Elliott is the #7 ranked flyweight, but Bagautinov is riding a nine-fight win streak into the fight.
The flyweight division is shallow, and the fighters ahead of these men are coming off losses to the elite of the division. Elliott and Bagautinov have a slim window of opportunity to turn this fight into a potential contender’s bout due to the circumstances.
There are no guarantees, but that’s what is at stake. It will take an exciting fight or dominant performance to earn that right. Jussier Formiga and John Moraga are coming off loses to the top two of the division, John Lineker has taken himself out of the running by continuing to miss weight, and Ian McCall has already lost to both Joseph Benavidez and Demetrious Johnson.
This is a big fight for the flyweight division, and it will kick off the PPV.
Rory MacDonald vs. Robbie Lawler
Lawler’s return to the welterweight division has gone swimmingly thus far, but he gets to face one of the most dangerous men in the weight class in MacDonald.
For MacDonald, a title shot is on the line. A win will make him the undisputed top contender. But will he fight GSP? Who knows.
For Lawler, he can steal that spot with a big stoppage win. The #10-ranked welterweight in the UFC can shoot up the ranks and make a claim for being the next challenger. This fight isn’t the co-main event, but it is the second-most important 170-pound bout on the card.
• Robbie Lawler vs. Rory MacDonald
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There isn’t much at stake in terms of title contention in this bout. Jon Jones’ dominance requires more than just a couple wins to earn a rematch. Especially with Glover Teixeira, Alexander Gustafsson, and Daniel Cormier waiting in the wings.
Regardless, a loss removes any chance at another title shot for either man. However, Sonnen has indicated that he plans on heading back to middleweight win or lose. So, less at stake for him.
Evans needs to impress to move back into title contention. He will still need at least one more marquee win to earn that shot, but it all starts at UFC 167. A loss, and he can forget ever contending again.
• Rashad Evans vs. Chael Sonnen
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Georges St. Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks
The main event is the granddaddy of them all at UFC 167.
This is Hendricks’ chance to dethrone the champion, but it shouldn’t shake up the division too much. GSP will likely be granted an immediate rematch the same way Anderson Silva was.
GSP claims to have big plans following this fight, but we may not know what those are without a win. His big plans perhaps hinge on his ability to retain the welterweight strap.
Anytime a #1 ranking is up for grabs, there is more than just a title on the line. The winner is the undisputed best welterweight on the planet. Pound-for-pound recognition is also on the line. This is a legacy fight, the type of fight that goes down in history. The winner will be remembered.
• Georges St-Pierre vs. Johny Hendricks (UFC Welterweight Championship)
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UFC 167: St. Pierre vs. Hendricks is due to take place on November 16, 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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