10 reasons to watch UFC on FOX 12 (don't be surprised two are the main event)
It’s been more than a year since the UFC touched down in San Jose, and on Saturday, the promotion arguably is bringing its most exciting headliner since big FOX jumped into the octagon in late 2011.
You could say past headliners brought equally intriguing matchups of skill, but none of them promise the violence so ingrained in the fighting styles of welterweights Robbie Lawler and Matt Brown, who top the network-televised UFC on FOX 12 event on Saturday.
It’s a fine fight for the UFC’s return to NorCal. The most recent time the UFC touched down in San Jose, it was in April 2013 for UFC on FOX 7, and the arena was still known as HP Pavilion, a symbol among hardcore MMA fans as the home of Strikeforce. By then, the promotion had been shuttered for four months.
Previously, San Jose hosted UFC on FUEL TV 4, which featured a headliner between Mark Munoz and Chris Weidman. Three days later, another pair of top-flight middleweights clashed when Luke Rockhold and Tim Kennedy headlined a Strikeforce event about 600 miles north in Portland, Ore., in one of the most dismally received MMA events in history.
Now, Weidman is champ, Rockhold and Kennedy battle to get into the title picture, and the sign on the front of San Jose’s big arena reads SAP Center – a nod to the German software company that purchased the naming rights this past year.
One year passes in the blink of an eye in MMA. On the eve of the UFC’s third network-televised show of 2014, here are 10 reasons to watch UFC on FOX 12:
1. Hendricks’ first huckleberry
Welterweight champ Johny Hendricks can rest easy now as he recovers from a torn bicep, but his return promises a meeting with a monster. The winner of Saturday’s headliner between Lawler (23-10 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Brown (21-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC) will be waiting for him as the first contender to his newly won title, per the UFC. It’s pick your poison time – either a rematch with Lawler, who probably took years off Hendricks’ career with the amount of punishment he doled out (and took, to be fair) when they met for the vacant belt at March’s UFC 171 event, or a meeting with savage finisher Brown. Stylistically, the latter seems like a better option for the champ, but it’s going to a tough road any which way.
2. The aforementioned violence
matt-brown-erick-silva-ufc-fight-night-40These days, when everybody starts expecting 15 minutes of fistic glory from a fight, you have to wonder whether the combatants involved can live up to expectations. But if there were any two fighters who are just crazy enough to do it, Lawler and Brown would be the guys. They fight to finish, and to date, they haven’t switched things up for the sake of self-preservation. Of course, they’ve been giving out most of the beatings, judges and body shots notwithstanding, so that could change once they meet each other. The point is, they’re going to go in there and throw down. Can’t hardly wait.
3. Stay salty, San Jose
They might not be as loud as the Irish or the Brazilians, but San Jose is a fight town, and the fans know how to get down. The best way to get them riled up, of course, is to put a Shamrock (of the Frank variety) against a hometown hero such as Cung Le, a Gracie (any will do) or a Diaz brother. Lawler and Brown might not be NorCal soldiers, but the matchup just might be compelling enough to get people rowdy. And by the way, putting the show on a Saturday, rather than Wednesday, when people have to fight through traffic? Good idea.
4. No. 3 spot in light-heavyweight line
antonio-rogerio-nogueira-ufc-156With Alexander Gustafsson’s recent injury scratch from UFC 178, MMA fans are again forced to delay a sequel to his Fight of the Year candidate with champ Jon Jones. Now, Daniel Cormier moves in to fill the void as the No. 1 contender, and Gustafsson ostensibly moves back to the No. 2 spot.
Unchanged is the No. 3 spot, which could very well be taken by the winner of Saturday’s co-headliner between Anthony Johnson (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (21-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC). Johnson put the kibosh on Phil Davis’ title run in his return to the UFC after a two-year hiatus earlier this year. Nogueira’s beat former champ Rashad Evans in his most recent outing. They sit at No. 6 and No. 11, respectively, in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA light heavyweight rankings. On the UFC’s list, Johnson is No. 5. But really, he’s higher, as No. 3 Evans is benched due to a knee injury and No. 4 Glover Teixeira lost to Jones in April.
Nogueira has been sidelined for more than a year with injuries, which seem to be stacking up. This might be his last run at a title if he can survive Johnson, who seems to be on the fast track.
5. Bermudez’s title triangle
OK, so it’s not exactly a three-horse race at 145 pounds. There are plenty of featherweights to give their due when you look at the title picture. First, there’s Chad Mendes, who will get a second chance to win the title later this year. Then there’s Cub Swanson, who’s won six straight, and Frankie Edgar, who just beat B.J. Penn and is a perpetual contender in pretty much any class he chooses. Then there’s Dustin Poirier and Connor McGregor – how can you forget those two?
Stacked up against these contenders, Dennis Bermudez (13-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) looks like a longshot. But “The Ultimate Fighter 14″ finalist also owns six straight wins; if he beats Clay Guida (31-14 MMA, 11-8 UFC), it will be seven. That’s no small accomplishment, and a win over a perennial standout in Guida is just the kind of cred he needs to put himself in the No. 2 or No. 3 spot on the title ladder.
6. Do you want to be a f–king title contender?
Bobby GreenYou can’t blame lightweight Josh Thomson (20-6 MMA, 3-2 UFC) for throwing his hands up at a decision loss to Benson Henderson in January. He fought pretty much with one arm for five rounds, only to see the judges award Henderson a highly dubious split call. It’s not surprising the former Strikeforce champ’s retirement didn’t stick, but coming into a fight with Bobby Green (22-5 MMA, 3-0 UFC), does he still have the fire to get back into title contention?
Thomson, who’s ranked No. 6 on USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, originally was slated to fight No. 15 Michael Johnson. It’s all downside if he can beat Green, who’s unranked on USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie’s list but No. 13 in the UFC’s rankings. At his best, Thomson is a world-beater who’s run into some tough luck. If that fighter shows up, this should be a showcase. If not, count this as the upset of the night.
7. Slick 155ers
Lightweights Jorge Masvidal (26-8 MMA, 3-1 UFC) and Daron Cruickshank (15-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) have yet to show they’re more than mid-card guys. But one thing they bring is that loose, creative striking that’s such a joy to watch. Masvidal, the veteran, is undoubtedly stoked to meet an opponent who will stand and trade after stifling Pat Healy in his most recent outing. Cruickshank, who just knocked out Erik Koch, might end up giving him a reason to shoot. Until then, it’s going to be a fun fight.
8. 205 rehab
patrick-cummins-ufc-fight-night-42Light heavyweight Kyle Kingsbury (11-5 MMA, 4-4 UFC) was in semi-retirement after a shellacking at the hands of Jimi Manuwa in September 2012, which followed another drubbing at the hands of Glover Teixeira only four months earlier. Now, freshly married to former ring card girl Natasha Wicks, the “TUF 8″ vet is giving it another go against another guy trying to rehabilitate his career. Patrick Cummins (5-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) got served in his octagon debut against Daniel Cormier, but he managed to rebound in a follow-up against Roger Narvaez. With standout wrestling skills, Cummins is a tough challenge for Kingsbury’s return, and ring rust isn’t helping anything.
9. Another RFA champ transitions
Featherweight Brian Ortega (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is the latest import from RFA, which is now the unofficial pipeline for up-and-coming talent. Ortega is undefeated at 8-0 and has finished half of his fights by submission. He meets UFC second-timer Mike De La Torre (12-4 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who lost a short-notice fight to vet Mark Bocek in his octagon debut. De La Torre has rarely gone to the scorecards in his 16-fight pro career, so this one should produce a finish.
10. Super important
steven-siler-ufc-159Featherweight Steven Siler (23-12 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is in trouble after a 5-1 streak, including a stoppage of ex-WEC champ Mike Brown, gave way to back-to-back losses against Dennis Bermudez and Rony Jason.
The “TUF 14″ vet has shown promise, and now he needs to show he can survive in the UFC. A meeting with Noad Lahat (7-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who was viciously knocked out in his debut against Godofredo Castro, is his chance.