UFC 170 is taking place this Saturday, and there are plenty of bouts on this card worth talking about. However, if you are to believe betting odds, this is one of the more lopsided cards of the year. Ronda Rousey and Daniel Cormier are both significant favorites for their bouts in the main and co-main event respectively. Regardless of the odds, there is plenty at stake at the event.
Here is a look at select bouts from the card, and what they have on the line:
The flyweight division is filling out, but the upper echelon of the division is still thin. That makes this a big fight for both men, but more so for Makovsky.
Makovsky made his UFC debut in December with an exciting decision win over Scott Jorgensen. That win announced him to a much larger crowd, and instantly put him into the top 15 of the official UFC flyweight rankings. He enters UFC 170 at #10. Another exciting with could put him right in title contention.
As for Sampo, knocking off a top 10 fighter would allow him to be in Makovsky’s current position for his next outing.
• Zach Makovsky vs. Josh Sampo
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Raphael Assuncao vs. Pedro Munhoz
Pedro Munhoz is a late replacement for this bout, and he enters the UFC taking on its #3-ranked bantamweight contender.
It is a big task for Munhoz, but the pressure is on Assuncao. This is a fight he is expected to win in dominant fashion, and with Urijah Faber coming up short again to Renan Barão at UFC 169, it puts Assuncao in the catbird seat for the next title shot at 135.
This should be a title eliminator for Assuncao. Win and he gets the next shot, lose and hit the back of the bread line. That is a lot of pressure.
• Raphael Assuncao vs. Pedro Munhoz
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Cat Zingano is still on the sidelines recovering from an injury, and that makes this bout a virtual title eliminator. Davis is ranked #3, and Eye sits at #5, in the UFC women’s bantamweight rankings, and the fight will cap off the preliminary action on Fox Sports 1. The bout received more attention during with Eye’s trials and tribulations with the Texas commission, but all of that will be forgotten if she can knock off Davis.
Rousey (or McMann, if she wins) does not have a clear next challenger after the main event at UFC 170. This fight is the best bet for who will claim that title shot, and the winner will have the best argument for it, barring injury. That makes this one of the most important fights on the card.
This top five match-up will be on free TV, and everyone should tune in to see two of the most exciting women in the sport today.
• Alexis Davis vs. Jessica Eye
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Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
MacDonald and Maia were both seen as potential title contenders as recently as last fall, but both received setbacks in their most recent fights. MacDonald was ousted from contention by Robbie Lawler at UFC 167, and Maia lost a split decision to Jake Shields at UFC Fight Night 29.
Now, both men are looking to re-enter that discussion with a win on Saturday. The loser will lose a lot of ground in an ultra-competitive welterweight division. MacDonald is still ranked by the UFC at #4, and Maia at #6, but two consecutive losses in this division will make for a long road back to contention — mid-2015 at the very earliest. There are simply too many top-tier welterweights on winning streaks.
The winner, on the other hand, is thrust right back into title contention talks. He will be a top-five-ranked property looking for another premier bout.
• Rory MacDonald vs. Demian Maia
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Daniel Cormier vs. Patrick Cummins
For Cummins, this is a golden opportunity. He struggled to find fights on the regional circuit, and he gets the call to be a late replacement for the UFC. It is a no-lose situation: Defeat Cormier, and instantly become a top 15 fighter in a division that is becoming thin with contenders. Lose, and it is what was expected, coming in late against Cormier.
If pre-fight hype is to be believed, there is some bad blood in this match-up. If the betting lines, and general opinion, are to be believed, then Cormier should walk through Cummins with no problem.
Cormier wants a shot at Jon Jones. This will not give him that shot, but it can be a stepping stone to showing the world that he can be exciting. He needs to take care of Cummins the way everyone expects – with ease.
A spot as one of the next contenders to Jones’ title is on the line.
• Daniel Cormier vs. Patrick Cummins
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UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann
The title is at stake. That we know. That’s the easy part. For McMann, that is really all that is at stake. She enters as a significant underdog in spite of her Olympic background, undefeated record, and ability to force Rousey into her first real competitive fight. Rousey is expected to breeze to another win. That takes all the pressure off of the challenger.
For Rousey, there is more at stake. Her legacy.
Win or lose, she will go down as one of the all-time greats in women’s MMA. Eight straight armbar finishes over top competition is hard to speak against, but if she wants to be the greatest, she will need to pick up the win over her toughest challenger to date.
There are still naysayers out there for Rousey, but if she continues to do what she does, then she’ll shut them up one by one. This is a legacy fight for Rousey. It is an important bout in her quest to be the greatest, and that makes it all the more intriguing to watch on Saturday.
• Ronda Rousey vs. Sara McMann
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UFC 170: Rousey vs. McMann is due to take place on February 22, 2014 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Click the stars to rate how good you think UFC 170 will be.
