WITHOUT STANDING ON ceremony after the TUF 20 finale in Las Vegas, the UFC makes the short trip to Phoenix, Arizona, for their penultimate show of 2014.
While last night’s historical event showcased the promotion’s lightest weight class, tonight’s main card at the US Airways Centre sees the focus shift to its heaviest.
Three of the four fights are in the heavyweight division and, given the level of firepower on display, each could conclude in the blink of an eye.
Here are five of the main talking points ahead of tonight’s show:
1. Is Junior Dos Santos the same fighter after his brutal loss to Cain Velasquez?
Former heavyweight champion Dos Santos has not fought since losing to Cain Velasquez at UFC 166 in October of last year. That night, their pulsating-trilogy reached its crescendo with the champion stopping Dos Santos in the final round. For the second time in as many fights, Velasquez had reduced Dos Santos to a bloody-mess.
While the physical scars from the ordeal have long since healed, it remains to be seen if the same can be said for the psychological ones. We should know by the end of tonight.
Dos Santos will face Stipe Miocic in a main event scheduled for five rounds, though history tells us the former tends to get the job done long before the final bell. The pair were initially scheduled to fight last May, but Dos Santos was forced to withdraw due to a hand injury.
Dos Santos is strongly-favoured to prevail, however, Cain Velasquez may have inadvertently provided Miocic with the ideal blueprint for victory.
Before Velasquez, nobody in the UFC had a found a way to navigate Dos Santos’ devastating punching-power. The Brazilian’s offence is almost completely predicated on his boxing skills, which are arguably the best in the division. His lead uppercut and over-hand right are nothing short of seismic and they usually find their intended target with frightening speed and accuracy.
Velasquez, having learned his lesson the hard way, showed that if Dos Santos is denied the time and space to get his shots off, he can be neutralised. This was achieved by applying a relentless forward- pressure, while keeping Dos Santos guessing by mixing takedowns and kick-boxing in equal measure.
Velasquez’s cardio is second to none at heavyweight, so Miocic – if, indeed he has decided to pursue victory in this manner – will need a bottomless tank to do so. We do know that he possesses the other attributes to get the job done. The Cleveland-native was a Division 1 wrestler in college and is an ex-Golden Gloves boxing champion. Moreover, he has the requisite footwork and movement to stay out of Dos Santos’ range.
Then again, if Dos Santos connects with his chin even once, it could be all she wrote.
2. Nate Diaz misses weight for co-main event bout with Rafael dos Anjos
Perennial lightweight contender Nate Diaz has not fought in over a year due to a continuing contract dispute with his employers. Diaz, much like his older brother Nick, has a rather large chip residing on his shoulder and apparently sees smiling as a sign of weakness.
Yet, upon his tentative comeback, the UFC matched him with the ever-rising Rafael dos Anjos, who has won seven of his last eight bouts. Diaz’s response to being handed such a noteworthy opponent was to miss weight for the first time in his career. Which not only trivialises the validity of the contest, but weakens his hand at the negotiating table.
The fight will now happen at a catchweight of 160.6lbs. However, the drama outside the octagon is unlikely to hinder what unfolds inside it. This pair simply don’t do boring and we are certainly looking at a Fight of the Night candidate. If Dos Sanjos wins comprehensively, he’s an outside bet for the next crack at Anthony Pettis.
3. Alistair Overeem enters the last chance saloon
Great things were expected from Alistair Overeem when he arrived in the UFC from Strikeforce in 2011. But, like many of the promotion’s high-profile acquisitions, things haven’t gone according to plan. The former K-1 Grand Prix heavyweight champion has lost three of his five fights, failed a drug test and been charged with misdemeanour battery after he shoved a woman in a Las Vegas casino.
Tonight, Overeem faces Dutch compatriot Stefan Struve in a fight he almost certainly has to win if he wants to keep his job. Struve has overcome adversity of his own is recent times, namely the death of his father and a career-threatening heart condition.
At just 26, it will be Struve’s 14th appearance inside the octagon and it would be coldly-ironic if he were to end the career of a man he grew up idolising.
4. Don’t expect Matt Mitrione and Gabriel Gonzaga to go the distance
Matt Mitrione and Gabriel Gonzaga have amassed 14 career knockouts between them and both could be considered the antithesis to a points-fighter. That Gonzaga also has nine submission wins under his belt only further diminishes the chances of this one going the full 15 minutes.
5. Claudia Gadelha can cement her place as strawweight division’s first number one contender
Carla Esparza had barely been crowned the womens’ straw weight champion after her third round submission of Rose Namajunas, when speculation began as to who her next opponent would be. In the post-fight press conference Dana White said that Claudia Gadelha ‘made sense’ as the next in line. Thus, if the Brazilian manages to beat Joanna Jedrzejczyk in a suitable fashion, the title shot is surely hers.