Find out why you should watch tonight’s show
I really like the flow of the UFC schedule right now.
Two weeks ago, we had UFC Fight Night 25 free on Spike TV. Last weekend, UFC 135 delivered a quality night of fights on pay-per-view, and next week, two title fights headline UFC 136.
Splitting up those two pay-per-view events is this card, and if the price alone isn’t enough to make you sit down and enjoy, take a look at these three reasons and see if they don’t do the trick.
1. Bantamweight Title Fight
In the main event of the evening, Dominick Cruz defends the UFC bantamweight title against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
This is a big deal. You have to go back to UFC 75 in September 2007 to find another title fight delivered to your home as part of your monthly cable subscription. Additionally, it’s an outstanding fight.
Cruz has won nine straight, and a win here gives him victories over all five of the top contenders in the division. He has one of the most creative offensive styles in the sport, darting in and out, landing strikes while avoiding them at the same time, and consistently delivers entertaining bouts.
The challenger is a ball of energy and wrestling and a little more energy. Johnson has looked very good in climbing to this position after losing his WEC debut. He’s won three straight, including a dominant performance against Kid Yamamoto, and a gutsy, narrow win over Miguel Torres in a bout where he broke his leg early on.
This will be one of the most high octane encounters in UFC history, and you shouldn’t miss it.
2. Pat Barry vs. Stefan Struve
There are so many different angles to this fight that are compelling.
First and foremost, both guys are coming off brutal knockout losses—Barry in his about-to-finish-now-I’m-sleeping battle with Cheick Kongo, Struve against Travis Browne at UFC 130 when he ate a Superman punch and collapsed onto himself. To say they both need a strong showing in this one is an understatement.
Secondly, how can you not be intrigued by the full foot height difference between the two? Barry stands a full twelve inches shorter than Struve, but could literally chop him down with leg kicks, while Struve just might try the hand-on-your-forehead-to-keep-you-at-bay approach.
Okay, he probably won’t, but it’d be awesome if he did.
Lastly, the build-up to this fight has been pretty entertaining. They’ve been going back-and-forth on Twitter and through different “training videos” in advance of tonight’s match-up, and if the other elements haven’t drawn you in, maybe the fun stuff before the fight has.
3. Wiman-Danzig 2: Electric Boogaloo
The first installment of this lightweight battle took place at UFC 115 and was one of the most controversial finishes of 2010.
Referee Yves Lavigne stopped the fight just 1:45 into the opening round, awarding Wiman a submission victory. The only problem was that Danzig popped up instantly, showing he wasn’t unconscious from the guillotine choke Wiman had applied.
They were originally supposed to settle things last September, but injuries prevented that from happening. Wiman has earned a dominant win over Cole Miller and lost a close decision to Dennis Siver in the interim, while Danzig dropped Joe Stevenson in under two minutes at UFC 124.
Now they’re finally ready to do it again. Let’s just hope there are no quick submission attempts this time around.