When a mixed martial arts card is set, the initial response to it from fans is a good way to predict how well it may or may not do in terms of television ratings or pay-per-view buys. This weekend’s UFC 173 event has been met with very little fanfare due to what has been called a weak card. However, despite the likelihood that the buyrates won’t reflect it, the bouts placed on the PPV docket have the ability to surprise the fans who decide to expend time and money on Saturday night to watch it.
At 32-1, UFC Bantamweight Champion Renan Barão should be growing his legend in this sport. Unfortunately, a number of factors — such as being a Brazilian that doesn’t speak the greatest of English — have kept his star from rising to greater heights. However, with a seven-fight UFC win streak and nearly a decade undefeated overall, Barao has to be considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Since winning the title back at UFC 149 by defeating Urijah Faber, he’s decimated all the challengers that have been thrown his way. Unfortunately, this is also why his main event matchup against 9-2 T.J. Dillashaw has been met with ho-hum responses.
Barao’s decorated winning streak is three times longer than Dillashaw’s entire professional career, and that factor would make anyone hesitant to pick the Sacramento native. Betting odds have placed him as much as a 6 to 1 underdog to the champion. Yet these are the types of moments that make professional sports interesting. Dillashaw’s past performances have shown that he’s willing to walk into the Octagon and throw everything at his opponent, which could shape this into an unexpectedly good fight.
• Renan Barão vs. TJ Dillashaw (UFC Bantamweight Championship)
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Dan Henderson and Daniel Cormier were both Olympic-level wrestlers before turning their respective skills towards MMA, but fans shouldn’t expect a lot of wrestling to go down in this weekend’s co-main event. Although Cormier has made it known that he wants to be considered the number one contender for Jon Jones’ UFC light heavyweight title, the response from many fans and media members has been that he first needs to face tougher opposition at 205. Well, there are very few who can be considered as tough as the multiple-time champion and Hall-of-Fame-bound Henderson.
This fight may be viewed as a coming out show of sorts for Cormier, but counting out the one-shot power that “Hendo” brings into the cage with him has cost others in the past. Cormier can ill afford to make that same mistake.
• Daniel Cormier vs. Dan Henderson
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The early candidate for “Fight of the Night” pits Robbie Lawler against Jake Ellenberger in a welterweight scrap. This fight may be more anticipated than the main event itself because of the fact that both fighters bring scary power behind their boxing whenever they compete. The mix of Lawler’s technical striking and Ellenberger’s raw power creates the perfect recipe for a highlight reel finish. More importantly, this fight will open the door for the winner to be considered a top choice to face current welterweight champion Johny Hendricks in a division that has once again captured the attention of the mixed martial arts world.
• Jake Ellenberger vs. Robbie Lawler
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The sleeper fight on the card is the bantamweight pairing of Francisco Rivera and Takeya Mizugaki. These two combatants don’t have the highest profile in the sport, but they’ve put together resumes that make this an important bout within the division.
Since moving over to the UFC, Mizugaki has earned a 6-2 record which currently includes a four-fight win streak. This streak has included some very close bouts that could have gone either way, because the Japanese fighter employs a style that welcomes those types of fights. This is exactly what should be expected against the highly aggressive Rivera, who is well known for a wild punching style that has delivered some crushing knockouts during his career. Since losing his UFC debut in 2011, he’s won five straight bouts, with a sixth — his UFC 149 fight against Roland Delorme — overturned when he failed a drug test. Including that No Contest, Rivera has stopped five of the last six men who have stepped into the cage against him. Based on the history of these two fighters, this main card opener could be a fifteen-minute war, or a contest that ends just as quickly as it starts.
• Takeya Mizugaki vs. Francisco Rivera
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In the past there have been UFC cards that were all the rave in terms of anticipation, but largely failed to deliver when the show finally arrived. Then there have been those that weren’t expected to be great, but provided fight fans with some of the best moments in history. With a main card that features a lot of opportunity for big surprises, UFC 173 is a card that could not only exceed its lack of hype, but be considered among the best cards of the year.
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UFC 173: Barão vs. Dillashaw (formerly UFC 173: Weidman vs. Machida, UFC 173: Weidman vs. Belfort) is due to take place on May 24, 2014 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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