The Ultimate Fighting Championship has put together strong events for the Fox platform, and this weekend, the twelfth such event will be held, an event that features one of the most anticipated fights of the year. The attention that the Matt Brown vs. Robbie Lawler main event has attracted is well worth it, based on what’s at stake. Plus there are a number of other relevant bouts that make this card just as intriguing. This Saturday’s event is must see television for any type of mixed martial arts fan.
From top to bottom, there are a multitude of reasons to watch this card. The main event will have fight fans excited as soon as it kicks off. Brown and Lawler are two of the most violent fighters in the entire sport of MMA. This fight is set for 25 minutes, but very few people see it going beyond 10. Lawler is the favorite heading into the bout, but Brown’s performances during the last two years make it very difficult to count him out. Either way the fight turns out, the fans expect to be excited from bell to bell by this bout to determine the next challenger for UFC Welterweight Champion Johny Hendricks.
The co-main event features Anthony Johnson, who’s on a second run with the UFC. “Rumble” looks like a brand new fighter since moving up two weight classes and spending some time away from the promotion. He scored an upset win over Phil Davis earlier this year, and a win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira will keep his train running in the right direction. After Alexander Gustafsson and Daniel Cormier, the light heavyweight division is devoid of any challengers for Jon Jones. Johnson push himself to the forefront of title talk with a devastating win on Saturday.
The two other main card fights — between Clay Guida and Dennis Bermudez in the featherweight division, and Josh Thomson and Bobby Green in the lightweight division — features two individuals who are also seeking title shots. Bermudez has put together a six-fight win streak. Thomson, whom many consider the true number one contender at lightweight, is looking to bounce back from a controversial loss and secure a place at the top of the ladder. However, they both have very tough challenges in Clay Guida and Bobby Green, respectively. While neither man is close to being able to challenge for a belt at this time, both represent formidable obstacles for their opponents. It will be interesting to see if they can play the upset role in the Octagon.
On the undercard, Jorge Masvidal vs. Daron Cruickshank is a bout that features two diverse strikers. Masvidal is known for his crisp boxing, while Cruickshank uses a wide range of kicks to throw his opponents off. This “undercard main event” is a great way to lead into the main card, even if the lights over this matchup may not shine as brightly.
UFC on Fox 12 is another big card, and a blueprint for the way the company should present these free events on the platform. With a number of meaningful and stylistically intriguing matchups, fans should be pleased with the final product. If things go as expected in California this Saturday, this event should put the capper on what has been an incredible month of live events for the UFC.
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UFC on FOX 12 is due to take place on July 26, 2014 at the Revel Casino Hotel in the SAP Center in San Jose, California.
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