On August 6, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will showcase an action packed card when they present UFC 133: Evans vs Ortiz II in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While the original main event was not one of the most anticipated bouts of the year, the recent change up presents a much more intriguing match up that is sure to attract major attention. The main event will pit a highly criticized contender against a true veteran as both former Light Heavyweight champions strive to regain the title they once held. The co-main event will pit two exciting Middleweights against each other with a former Light Heavyweight champion taking on an always entertaining Japanese MMA star. The midway bout will pit two seasoned veterans of the sport against each other in the octagon where their combined records add up to 129 total fights between them. The opening bout for the main card is sure to be a test as a young rising Canadian prospect takes on an American veteran of the sport in a Welterweight affair. With anticipation on a roller-coaster leading into this event, all bouts must deliver to prove this is an event worth buying for the common fan.
Main Card Bouts:
"Suga" Rashad Evans (15-1-1) vs "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy" Tito Ortiz (16-8-1)
Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (19-9-0) vs Yoshihiro "Sexyama" Akiyama (13-3-0(2))
Brian "Bad Boy" Ebersole (47-14-1(1)) vs Denis "Superman" Hallman (50-13-2(1))
Jorge "El Conquistador" Rivera (19-8-0) vs Constantinos Philippou (7-2-0(1))
Rory "Ares" MacDonald (11-1-0) vs Mike "Quicksand" Pyle (21-7-1)
The bout with Rivera vs Philippou will not be previewed unfortunately.
Evans vs Ortiz II
The main event suffered minor set backs earlier this week with injuries and replacement searching. Originally the main event was to feature a a Light Heavyweight bout pitting Rashad Evans against Phil Davis, though that all changed when Davis injured his knee while training three weeks away from the bout and was told he could not train at 100%. After back and forth talks between the UFC and both Tito Ortiz and Lyoto Machida, the decision was made to pit Ortiz against Evans in a rematch.
The main event on this card will pit two former Light Heavyweight champions against each other for the second time in their careers where the first meeting ended in a Draw. The bout pits TUF2 winner and former division champion Rashad Evans against fellow former division champ and pioneer or the sport Tito Ortiz in a rematch. Evans will come into this bout on a two fight win streak since losing the division title that include a win a Unanimous Decision over Thiago Silva at UFC 108: Evans vs Silva, and a Unanimous Decision over former division champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 114: Rampage vs Evans. Ortiz comes into this bout after a career saving win that snapped a 0-4-1 streak and earned him his first victory since 2006 with a Rnd1 Submission over TUF8 winner and the favorite Ryan Bader at UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber II. Ortiz also comes into this bout just thirty-four days after his career saving victory over Bader and on three weeks notice as a late replacement. The original bout between the two took place at UFC 73: Stacked, where the result was a Draw, though it was clear that Ortiz would have won the fight with two-out of-three rounds he was penalized for grabbing the cage repeatedly when the ref took one point away from his score. The favorite overall coming into this bout is Evans in every way. The advantage in the stand up will go the way of Evans for sure with a more well rounded kickboxing game and more diverse striking techniques. While known as a clinch fighter always looking to simply take the fight to the ground, Ortiz has proven in his last two bouts that he has grown more comfortable in the stand up and rocked Bader hard with an up close right hook that he says actually knocked him out momentarily. The advantage on the ground will also go the way of Evans in a consensus among analysts seeing as he is the younger and as many see the stronger wrestler coming into this fight, as well as possessing a Black Belt in BJJ, though we have yet to see any real submission skills presented at all in his fights. While Ortiz is the veteran and is known for his powerful pick ups, slams, and takedowns, not many analysts believe that his wrestling can match Evans', though UFC President Dana White himself says that Ortiz has a strong BJJ game that was partially evident when he locked on a tight triangle choke on Machida that he barely slipped out of. The game plan for Evans will go along the lines of picking Ortiz apart in the stand up and take him down to control from the top as long as he can. Showing he is more comfortable in the stand up, Ortiz may look to showcase more of it hoping Evans underestimates him, and showcase his own wrestling and take Evans down to control and use his old strategy of ground-&-pound. While Ortiz is not given much of a chance by odds makers or analysts, many true fans of the sport are actually rooting more for him in this bout, which is a huge turn around from a majority of fans hoping his next fight was his last. With a new surge in his career and being seen as the underdog, Ortiz probably has the most support from fans now than he ever did in his career. With a title shot again guaranteed for Evans should he defeat Ortiz, the stakes are high in this bout for both with the chance that Ortiz could actually be one or two fights away from his own title shot should he come out victorious. Either way everyone can expect that no matter who wins, the score between these two competitive athletes will never be settled.
Belfort vs Akiyama
The co-main event bout on the card is certain to present some entertainment whether in a finish or in continuation to a decision. This Middleweight bout will pit former Light Heavyweight champ and heavy hitting contender Vitor Belfort against the always entertaining Japanese MMA star Yoshihiro Akiyama. Akiyama comes into this bout after a layoff when he was expected to fight in March against Nate Marquardt, but pulled out of the bout due to the natural disasters that struck his home land of Japan. Belfort comes into this bout off a memorable Rnd1 KO loss to division champ Anderson Silva at UFC 126: Silva vs Belfort. Akiyama comes into this bout on a two fight losing streak that includes an exciting Fight of the Night performance that ended with a Rnd3 Submission by Chris Leben at UFC 116: Lesnar vs Carwin and a Unanimous Decision loss to Michael Bisping at UFC 120: Bisping vs Akiyama. The stand up advantage in this bout is sure to go the way of Belfort with some of the fastest hands in the sport that can still deliver devastating knockout power. While Akiyama is no elite striker, he is well known for his strong chin that was put on display when he engaged Leben in one of the most entertaining brawls in UFC history. Even with the one punch knockout power that Belfort possesses, a lot of fans believe that Akiyama's chin is capable of withstanding his strikes enough to possibly force this to go all the way to a decision. As for the advantage on the ground or grappling, that advantage may go the way of Akiyama. Though we saw more of a brawler when he fought Leben, Akiyama did showcase some of his Judo skills to take him down when he finally decided to do so. While Belfort is a Black Belt in BJJ and Judo, he always prefers to showcase his fast paced knockout power and prefers to use his grappling skills as a defensive or back-up measure. Akiyama on the other hand is a third degree Black Belt in Judo and has the skill set to take Belfort down and control him from the top. The game plan for Belfort will most definitely be to look for the knockout finish as soon as possible and avoid clinching with Akiyama. The game plan for Akiyama will most likely be to look for the clinch to take the fight to the ground and control Belfort from the top. The favorite to win will undoubtedly be Belfort by way of (T)KO probably in the first round, and any chance for Akiyama to win would be by Decision. An "x-factor" for Akiyama whenever he fights however is the fact that he comes from "Japanese MMA". In Japanese MMA, entertainment is always the key factor that tends to make Japanese fighters throw game plans aside for the sake of putting on a show, and Akiyama is no exception. While everybody counts on seeing an elite judoka showcase the discipline of his homeland, Akiyama will never shy away from the chance to put on a show and engage his opponents in their strengths as we saw when he fought both Alan Belcher and Chris Leben, which has earned his three straight Fight of the Night bonuses in all three of his bouts in the UFC. Even though he is seen as the most likely to lose, fans can expect that even if he is rocked Akiyama is an entertainer that may be willing to "go out on his shield" as true fighter.
Ebersole vs Hallman
The midway bout on the card is one that can go either way when two impressive veterans of the sport bring their extensive records with them when they meet in the octagon. This Welterweight bout will pit former NCAA1 wrestler and Australia based Brian Ebersole against experienced grappler Denis Hallman. Ebersole comes into this bout on an eight fight win streak with his most recent win being his UFC debut where he earned a Unanimous Decision over TUF4 runner-up Chris Lytle as a late replacement at UFC 127: Penn vs Fitch. Hallman will come into this bout on a two fight win streak that includes a Unanimous Decision over TUF6 alumni Ben Saunders at UFC 117: Silva vs Sonnen and a Rnd1 TKO over former contender Karo Parisyan at UFC 123: Rampage vs Machida. This will be one bout that is difficult to predict in any way with Ebersole's random and almost unpredictable style taking on a more conventional fighter in Hallman. The striking advantage will most likely go the way of Ebersole with the more random style of striking. Ebersole's trademark "cartwheel" kick was put on display in his recent UFC debut against veteran Chris Lytle, and there is even a video on the web that shows him actually knocking out an opponent with that same kick. Hallman is no slouch in the stand up and will look to keep moving around to not let Ebersole let loose with his own strikes. For the advantage on the ground, that may be a difficult area to predict as both fighters are well rounded grapplers.With Ebersole holding twenty submissions wins to his record, and Hallman holding thirty-eight submission victories of his own, neither fighter will be an easy catch when the exchange on the ground could be as exciting as a straight up brawl. With both athletes keen on catching the other at any point of the fight in a submission, the advantage on the ground will be up in the air from our point of view. With both fighters not so well known to the common MMA fan, predictions will be scarce on specifics with both fighters so evenly matched. With no real recognition behind either fighter, a win in a main card bout would definitely boost their stock in recognition by analysts and fans.
MacDonald vs Pyle
The opening bout on the card will be the classic test when a rising prospect takes on a battle tested veteran of the sport. This Welterweight bout will pit top Canadian prospect Rory MacDonald against a fighter with more than double the amount of fights he has when he meats veteran Mike Pyle. MacDonald comes into this bout off a rebound win after his first professional loss when he defeated TUF5 winner Nate Diaz by Unanimous Decision at UFC 129: St. Pierre vs Shields. Pyle comes into this bout on a three fight Unanimous Decision winning streak defeating Jesse Lennox at UFC 115: Liddell vs Franklin, upsetting British prospect John Hathaway at UFC 120: Bisping vs Akiyama, and besting BJJ ace Ricardo Almeida at UFC 128: Shogun vs Jones. This fight will pit the top prospect and potential contender in MacDonald against the veteran in Pyle who has been seen as a gatekeeper in the Welterweight division. The striking advantage will most likely go the way of MacDonald in this fight, though Pyle is not one to be taken lightly in that area. With a well rounded striking game already at the age of twenty-one, MacDonald has continually improved after every fight as his focus is to pick his opponents apart first before taking advantage of an opening. While Pyle is not a fighter known for his striking power, he does possess an experienced striking game that is shown in his fights when he takes advantage of fighters focusing on defending his takedowns. With a still developing striking arsenal and strategic display of technique, MacDonald will almost certainly be the favorite in the stand up. When it comes to the ground game however, that may be a totally different story. While MacDonald has shown a great deal of strength when taking down his opponents and suplexing them like they are as light as a feather, that may not be enough to take on the seasoned grappling game of Pyle. Learning from scratch from BJJ instructional videos, Pyle came into MMA with a grappling game that has helped earn sixteen of his wins by way of submission. When taking on the bigger and considered the better athlete in Hathaway, Pyle took him to the ground where he dominated him throughout most of the fight. Now taking on MacDonald, who some would consider the Canadian counterpart to Hathaway, some expect Pyle to do the same as he did at UFC 120. The game plan for MacDonald will most likely be to keep the fight standing, pick him apart from the outside, and avoid being taken down where Pyle has a strong edge at controlling opponents on the ground. The game plan for Pyle will most likely be to get the fight to the ground where his experience could be the deciding factor in controlling the young prospect and look for submissions. This bout will surely be a test for MacDonald as he takes on a veteran whom should he defeat, would most likely grant him access to taking on some of the top 15 fighters in the division.
With injuries forcing a switch in the main event, and forcing off the original co-main event, this card will have to deliver on the promised action that it originally presented. The main event alone can make or break this event with a high profile grudge between both fighters fueling the promotion of this card. A win for Evans will guarantee him yet again a shot at the title against the winner of Jones vs Rampage, and it is even more important to him that he solidifies his place as #1 contender since he is a strong rival to both competitors. A win for Evans will also avenge the first blemish of his career as he would set right a draw that had it not been for the point deduction against Ortiz, would have been the first professional defeat in his career. A win for Ortiz would solidify his claim that not only is he not done with the sport of MMA, but that he is still a powerful force in the division he once ruled, and would potentially put him one or two more wins away from competing for the title maybe once more. A win for Ortiz also gives him the chance to right the wrong that happened four years ago when he would have defeated Evans had he not grabbed a cage enough that the ref's decision to deduct a point decided the fight. For the co-main event, a win for either fighter would carry a certain significance for each individually. A win for Belfort gets him back in the hunt for the division title as he wants to take another shot at Anderson Silva before he can leave the sport for good. A win for Akiyama would undoubtedly save his career having now gone on a two fight losing streak, and the unofficial policy in the promotion being that three in a row means being released. A win for either Ebersole or Hallman in the midway bout really just garners greater recognition in the division, which some feel is warranted already with the great deal of experience that is evident in their lengthy records enough. And for the opening bout, a win would carry separate significance for either fighter. A win for MacDonald earns him a victory over a veteran who is considered a "gatekeeper" and boosts him up from prospect to potential contender in possibly taking on some of the top fifteen ranked fighters in the division. While seen as a "gatekeeper", many see a win for Pyle really just solidifying that label and keeping him where he is in the division to gauge the talent that aspires to reach the upper echelon of the division. The original schedule had plenty riding on the results from this event, while there have been some line up changes, that fact still holds as stakes for the main event alone have been amplified with both fighters wanting to settle a grudge and the score with neither officially holding a victory over the other due to technicality, but with one knowing that he had bested the other before unofficially. Even with some common fans demanding that this card be demoted to being a full free presentation rather than a PPV due to the high profile bouts suffering set backs, this event still holds some promotional significance to the elite ranks in multiple weight classes.
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