UFC 168 is upon us. The UFC middleweight and women’s bantamweight straps will be up for grabs in to very different rematches. The main event is a rematch to decide whether the first fight was a fluke or not. Is Chris Weidman the undisputed champion, or did Anderson Silva cost himself the title by showboating? The co-main event is a rematch bred out of hatred. Champion Ronda Rousey and challenger Miesha Tate are not friends, and they want to cause physical harm to each other. Nine other bouts help fill the card for a Saturday full of action. This is what’s at stake in Vegas on Saturday:
The Preliminary Card
The Fox Sports 1 preliminary card features four bouts with mid-level importance.
Welterweights John Howard and Siyar Bahadurzada will seek to make a statement against one another so that they can rocket up a newly wide open division. They both need the win to move up in the division, but an impressive performance will put the winner of this fight in position for a meaningful bout.
In the featherweight division, Manny Gamburyan takes on Dennis Siver, ranked #7 in the UFC’s internal rankings. The division is stacked with potential contenders, and a win here means that the victor will likely fight one of those contenders in his next outing. This is an important bout that could have title ramifications in 2014.
Michael Johnson looked fantastic against Joe Lauzon, and if he can take out Gleison Tibau, he will enter the upper echelon of the division. For Tibau, a win will put him back in position for a significant fight in the lightweight division.
The final preliminary bout is between Chris Leben and Uriah Hall, two Ultimate Fighter alums who have name recognition, but have not performed well recently. Their jobs are at stake. It is as simple as that.
Josh Barnett vs. Travis Browne
With Cain Velasquez out of action until the fall of 2014, this heavyweight tilt is very important. Fabricio Werdum isn’t likely to sit out all year for a title shot, and there are no other contenders ready. The winner of this fight could potentially fill that void.
This is a heavyweight fight that will put the winner in position for a #1 contender’s bout in 2014. With Robbie Lawler and Vitor Belfort already promised title shots, wouldn’t it be something if Josh Barnett also had one in 2014? It’s a strange world we live in.
• Josh Barnett vs. Travis Browne
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For Rousey, there is not much at stake, other than her title and a win bonus. If she wins, she beats a fighter that she already dominated. If she loses, she is in a position to challenge again very soon. The division is shallow.
However, for Tate, there is a lot on the line.
Another loss means she isn’t challenging for the title again, potentially for the rest of her career. That puts her back against the wall heading into this fight.
• Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate (UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship)
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Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva
Silva has talked about how this fight means a lot for his legacy, but that’s false. His legacy in MMA is set in stone. Another devastating loss won’t affect that. He is an aging fighter who is closing in on 40-years-old, and he is well past his athletic prime. A win would help deepen his spot in combat sports history, but a loss will not damage what is already built.
For Weidman, at stake is losing the goodwill he built with a lot of fans. Fans are fickle and they like winners. They like underdogs too. Weidman is both. That is why he gained a lot of fans for his upset win over the longtime champion, but a loss will add to the perception that it was a fluke win the first time around.
That would damage his spot in the division. He would potentially not see a title shot until 2015 at the earliest. MMA is a fast-moving sport and a year is a long time. Being forced to work from square one against a hungry field of challengers would be difficult for anyone.
This is less of a legacy fight, and more of a fight to see if Weidman continues his rise in the eyes of the fans, or if he is thrust back into the pack of being just another face.
• Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva (UFC Middleweight Championship)
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UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva II is due to take place on December 28, 2013 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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