Main Card Bouts:
(C)Frankie "The Answer" Edgar (13-1-1) vs Gray "The Bully" Maynard (10-0-1(1))
(C)Jose "Scarface" Aldo (19-1-0) vs Kenny "KenFlo" Florian (14-5-0)
Chael Sonnen (25-11-1) vs Brian "All American" Stann (11-3-0)
Melvin "The Young Assassin" Guillard (29-8-2(1)) vs Joe "J-Lau" Lauzon (20-6-0)
Leonard "Bad Boy" Garcia (15-7-1) vs Nam Phan (16-9-0)
Main Event/Lightweight Title bout: (C)Edgar vs Maynard III
This epic rematch comes as a trilogy after the original rematch ended with a result nobody expected. The first match between the two is what set up the skepticism for the rematch as both were far from being considered contenders at the time. On April 2, 2008 Edgar and Maynard met for the first time, which actually helped lead to the very criticism that has followed Maynard throughout his career. In the first meeting, the two would trade and Maynard would break one of his hands, which prompted the strategy to simply take control of the rest of the fight utilizing his All-American wrestling to dominate Edgar. Many fans do not know that Edgar was featured in an episode of MTV's True Life: I'm a Mixed Martial Artist as a crew documented his life leading up to his bout against Maynard. After his loss to Maynard, Edgar recorded a 5-0 record before the rematch that includes wins over former champion Sean Sherk, capturing the title in a bout he was expected to lose against elite champion B.J. Penn, and defending the title in an automatic rematch against Penn in one of the most dominant performances of his career. Maynard followed his win over Edgar with five consecutive wins of his own all by Unanimous/Split Decision that include wins over tough grappler Jim Miller, dangerous striker Roger Huerta, TUF5 winner Nate Diaz, and longtime contender & TUF1 finalist Kenny Florian. Throughout those wins Maynard received continuous criticism from fans as a boring fighter who looked to control every fight with wrestling and never looking for a finish in any way. Such criticism of Maynard as a boring fighter was believed to be a factor when the UFC chose Edgar to fight for the title over Maynard. After beating Diaz, Maynard voiced his confusion of why a fighter he had defeated was given a title shot before him, and continued to argue with the decision leading up to his bout Florian. The result of the main event at UFC 125: Resolution left many fans shocked as for the second time in UFC history a title fight, coincidentally for the same title, had went to a Split Draw that left everybody questioning not just MMA scoring but how the first round alone was scored. Immediately after the Split Draw was announced, both Edgar and Maynard displayed looks of pure shock with thoughts of how the judges did not see the fight going their way. Edgar was still handed the belt by UFC President Dana White, and dropped it in disappointment, and told that he is still technically the champion since he was not officially defeated by stoppage or decision. At the post-fight press conference, a member of the UFC's staff took White's place at the podium and announced that final WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis would receive his promised title shot against the winner which is considered Edgar because he is still champion. After the conference, White reevaluated and decided that Edgar vs Maynard III must happen.
When comparing theses two competitors, both have different approaches and skill sets in wither field. When striking, the speed and elusiveness of Edgar is matched by the power and aggression of Maynard. When grappling, the quick dive and shoot combined with a developing BJJ game for Edgar is matched by Maynard's strength and quick shoot in for a takedown. In this bout, Edgar will look to utilize greater head movement and technique to avoid the power of Maynard as much as possible, train his wrestling knowing that he is capable of taking down a 2x NCAA 1 All-American, and have his continually developing BJJ skills ready to lock on a submission that can end the fight decisively. Maynard will look to hone his striking skills as coach Randy Couture told him in his corner during the last encounter that he was trying to knock him out when he should be trying to beat him up first. Maynard will also be reevaluating his overall wrestling game having previously considered himself to be superior in every way. The re-rematch has the potential to possibly be a repeat performance of the previous bout, though with two reconfigured fighters who know what the other is truly capable of, this could turn put to be even more exciting. Having been an underdog in all three of his title fights, even after winning the title, Edgar will come in with the pure determination to prove critics wrong and to avenge not just his only professional loss, but also finish off the only draw on his record against the man who is the cause of both. Maynard will look to continue looking past his critics as he will fight any which way he chooses to get a win on his record and prove that he is the uncrowned champion. The second meeting between these two fighters has already been labeled a contender for Fight of the Year, but this third meeting might even give them a second spot in the same category. Seeing how both fighters were so evenly matched and how the previous bout was a back-&-forth exchange, picking a favorite in this bout could be a draw as well.
Co-Main Event/Featherweight Title bout: (C)Aldo vs Florian
I the co-main event for the night, reigning inaugural UFC Featherweight champion Jose Aldo will look to defend his title for a second time, fourth including his two WEC title defenses before the transition, against multi-divisional veteran and TUF1 finalist Kenny Florian. Aldo comes into this bout on a twelve fight win streak that includes capturing the WEC Featherweight title against then champion Mike Brown with a Rnd2 TKO that earned KO of the Night, making his first defense against former champion Urijah Faber with a Unanimous Decision, defending his title for the last time in the WEC against TUF5 finalist Manny Gamburyan with a Rnd2 KO and being awarded the inaugural UFC division title, and making his UFC debut and defending his new title for the first time against Mark Hominick with a Unanimous Decision at UFC 129: St. Pierre vs Shields that earned Fight of the Night. Florian comes into this bout off his successful Featherweight debut against Aldo's training partner Diego Nunes with a Unanimous Decision at UFC 131: Dos Santos vs Carwin. This has been a highly anticipated bout ever since news broke some time ago that while still the WEC champion Aldo was offered the chance to move up to 155lbs to fight Florian in what could have been a #1 contendership bout, but he and his team turned down the offer wanting to fight for the title right away. In this bout the striking advantage may be considered even in some ways, but even then the advantage will go the way of Aldo. With a powerful and explosive striking style in which his kicks could be considered more dangerous than his punches, Aldo has dominated every fight in his entire career in the WEC with seven of those eight wins ending by way of (T)KO, and trains with fellow dangerous strikers like reigning Middleweight champion Anderson Silva, #1 Heavyweight contender Junior dos Santos, and former Light Heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida. Having competed in soccer before venturing into MMA, Aldo's devastating leg kicks are considered the most powerful in the division. While not favored in the stand up when comparing power, Florian possesses a technical striking game of his own with a mixture of Muay Thai and boxing, and a devastating combination of sharp elbows that have caused cuts to the faces of multiple opponents in the past. For the grappling advantage, Florian may be seen as the favorite in this area. While Aldo came into MMA touted as a top BJJ practitioner, Florian is widely recognized in the UFC as one of the most skilled BJJ black belts to have fought at 155lbs with nine of his fourteen coming by way of submission. Combined with his training in wrestling, Florian has the ability to take the fight to the ground, and is more than capable of fighting off his back. With these attributes, the fight strategies seem pretty clear cut. With an almost unpredictable striking style and heavy knockout power, Aldo will look to keep the fight standing and most likely avoid going for takedowns to avoid Florian's BJJ skill set. For Florian, the strategy standing will be to utilize his 4" reach advantage to control the distance and pepper Aldo with long shots, and also look to take the fight to the ground where his own BJJ skill set is considered superior to that of Aldo's. With these factors and considered the better striker, Aldo is favored to win and retain his title.
Middleweight #1 Contendership: Sonnen vs Stann
The midway bout will be contested for the #1 contendership in the Middleweight division when Team USA Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling alternate Chael Sonnen takes on former WEC Light Heavyweight champion and former United States Marine Brian Stann. Sonnen comes into this bout off a Rnd5 Submission loss to champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117: Silva vs Sonnen where he dominated the fight for almost five full rounds until Silva locked on a Triangle-choke from the bottom in the last two minutes that forced Sonnen to submit. Sonnen also comes into this bout not having fought in fourteen months serving multiple suspensions since that loss to Silva due to problems with the California State Athletic Commission, showing signs of elevated Testosterone, and having dealt with federal charges stemming from his career as Realtor. Stann comes into this bout riding a three fight win streak since dropping down to 185lbs with a Rnd3 Submission over Mike Massenzio, a Rnd1 TKO over veteran Chris Leben, and a Rnd2 TKO over former Sengoku Middleweight champion Jorge Santiago at UFC 130: Rampage vs Hamill. In this match up, this will be a classic case of wrestler vs striker when comparing both fighters. In the stand up, Stann will be the overwhelming favorite with heavy hitting knockout power and a strong kickboxing game. While recognized mainly for his wrestling, Sonnen is no slouch when striking, though his striking is mainly used to set up take downs and to take advantage of strikers who sometimes freeze just waiting to defend a takedown. When is comes to the advantage in grappling, Sonnen will be the heavy favorite with the wrestling pedigree that can take down any Middleweight and the ability to keep his opponents pinned to the ground. Sonnen's solid hands are also utilized well when controlling his opponents on the ground landing some serious ground-&-pound. While Stann has a decent BJJ game that has helped him fight off his back at times, his record has shown that he has great difficulty when taking on strong wrestlers, as shown in his last loss when he took on 4x NCAA1 All-American Phil Davis and was dominated for the entire fight. Looking at the differing styles of each fighter, the game plans for both competitors are straight forward. Sonnen will look to utilize his wrestling to take Stann down and control him wearing him out and grinding his way to a possible decision victory, though he is capable of ending the fight via TKO with his ground-&-pound or look for a Submission if Stann were to leave himself vulnerable while trying to return to his feet. The strategy for Stann will be to keep the fight standing where he has the clear advantage and be prepared to defend the takedowns of an Olympic caliber wrestler, and be even more prepared to work off his back mostly to return to his feet or work for submissions when available. Even with the extensive lay off, Sonnen will be a strong favorite when taking his wrestling into consideration.
Guillard vs Lauzon
The second bout on the card will be contested at Lightweight when TUF2 alumni and heavy hitting contender Melvin Guillard takes on TUF5 alumni and dangerous submission grappler Joe Lauzon. Guillard comes into this bout riding a five fight win streak that includes a Unanimous Decision over Ronys Torres, a Rnd1 KO with a knee to the body of Waylon Lowe, a Split Decision over Jeremy Stephens, a Rnd1 TKO over rising star Evan Dunham that earned KO of the Night, and a Rnd1 KO over 3x NCAA1 All-American wrestler Shane Roller at UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber II. Lauzon comes into this bout off a strong Rnd1 Submission win over Curt Warburton at UFC Live 4: Kongo vs Barry that earned Submission of the Night. While some analysts would look at this fight as a striker vs grappler affair, many will see this as a true bout of mixed martial arts when looking at both fighters' attributes. For the advantage in the stand up, both fighters are accurate strikers with the power to end a fight swiftly, though the overall advantage will go the way of Guillard. With tremendous strength and an improved striking game, Guillard has become one of the most dangerous strikers in the 155lb division with highlight KOs that include two wins where he drove a solid knee to the chest of his opponents crippling them immediately. Though Lauzon does not have a reputation as a powerful striker like Guillard, he has shown in many of his past bouts that he is willing to stand and trade with almost any opponent and holds a notable win over former and original UFC Lightweight champion Jens Pulver by way of Rnd1 KO in a bout that he was not expected to win at all. When it comes to the advantage when grappling, both fighters have their own preference on how they conduct themselves on the ground. Guillard while the more seasoned of the two competitors, is seen primarily as a striker and mostly prefers to avoid taking a fight to the ground. While a seasoned veteran now, prior to his impressive win streak, Guillard had shown to have difficulty when encountering submission grapplers on the ground, which is evident in his record with seven of his eight losses coming by way of submission. Since his last loss in 2009, which was by submission, Guillard has learned to remain calm when a fight hits the ground, and has improved his takedown defense greatly over the two years since. Even with these improvements, Lauzon is seen as the favorite the moment the fight hits the ground with an aggressive grappling game even when fighting off his back that has resulted in sixteen of his twenty wins coming by way of Submission. Looking at the attributes of both fighters, the strategies for each of them seem to be easy enough to plan out. Guillard will look to keep the fight standing at all times, have his improved takedown defense ready to avoid going to the ground, and utilize his headhunting style to finish the fight as soon as he can. For Lauzon, the strategy could be either to engage Guillard in the stand up and fake takedowns to keep him guessing, or work to get the fight to the ground and test how improved Guillard's ground game really is. With these factors, the overall favorite in this bout will be Guillard with plenty of attention following him into this bout and with a possible shot at the title on the line.
Garcia vs Phan II
The opening bout on the card will be a rematch of for two Featherweights whose original bout led to one of the most controversial decisions of 2010 that also earned both fighters Fight of the Night. This match up pits wild slugger and former WEC contender Leonard Garcia against TUF12 alumni Nam Phan. Both fighters come into this bout following tough losses. Garcia comes into this bout following a Rnd2 Submission loss in a rematch against late replacement Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs Davis. Phan comes into this bout following two straight losses with the first being his UFC debut and the original meeting with Garcia with a Split Decision loss that a majority of fans and even UFC president Dana White felt he had won, and a recent Unanimous Decision loss to former WEC Featherweight champion Mike Brown at UFC 133: Evans vs Ortiz II. After witnessing the original match up between these two entertaining strikers, it is easy to see that both have completely opposite styles. Coming from a martial arts background being a black belt in Karate and a 2nd degree black belt in Quyen Dao, Phan has a more disciplined and controlled striking technique. Where as Garcia is known for his wild looping swings that look like a pitcher throwing a fastball. In the first meeting these conflicting styles showcased one of the most exciting MMA fights in recent UFC history and also led to analysis on whether the more accurate strikes strikes of Phan should have earned him the decision win rather than Garcia's wild swings. When comparing both fighters on the ground, the more disciplined game of Phan also gives him an advantage when grappling. Though Garcia does own more submission victories than Phan, the more technical game of Phan is considered superior to that of Garcia. With these factors and more time to prepare for this fight rather than the one week notice that both fighters got before their original meeting, this bout could prove to be more entertaining that the last.
Middleweight #1 Contendership: Sonnen vs Stann
The midway bout will be contested for the #1 contendership in the Middleweight division when Team USA Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling alternate Chael Sonnen takes on former WEC Light Heavyweight champion and former United States Marine Brian Stann. Sonnen comes into this bout off a Rnd5 Submission loss to champion Anderson Silva at UFC 117: Silva vs Sonnen where he dominated the fight for almost five full rounds until Silva locked on a Triangle-choke from the bottom in the last two minutes that forced Sonnen to submit. Sonnen also comes into this bout not having fought in fourteen months serving multiple suspensions since that loss to Silva due to problems with the California State Athletic Commission, showing signs of elevated Testosterone, and having dealt with federal charges stemming from his career as Realtor. Stann comes into this bout riding a three fight win streak since dropping down to 185lbs with a Rnd3 Submission over Mike Massenzio, a Rnd1 TKO over veteran Chris Leben, and a Rnd2 TKO over former Sengoku Middleweight champion Jorge Santiago at UFC 130: Rampage vs Hamill. In this match up, this will be a classic case of wrestler vs striker when comparing both fighters. In the stand up, Stann will be the overwhelming favorite with heavy hitting knockout power and a strong kickboxing game. While recognized mainly for his wrestling, Sonnen is no slouch when striking, though his striking is mainly used to set up take downs and to take advantage of strikers who sometimes freeze just waiting to defend a takedown. When is comes to the advantage in grappling, Sonnen will be the heavy favorite with the wrestling pedigree that can take down any Middleweight and the ability to keep his opponents pinned to the ground. Sonnen's solid hands are also utilized well when controlling his opponents on the ground landing some serious ground-&-pound. While Stann has a decent BJJ game that has helped him fight off his back at times, his record has shown that he has great difficulty when taking on strong wrestlers, as shown in his last loss when he took on 4x NCAA1 All-American Phil Davis and was dominated for the entire fight. Looking at the differing styles of each fighter, the game plans for both competitors are straight forward. Sonnen will look to utilize his wrestling to take Stann down and control him wearing him out and grinding his way to a possible decision victory, though he is capable of ending the fight via TKO with his ground-&-pound or look for a Submission if Stann were to leave himself vulnerable while trying to return to his feet. The strategy for Stann will be to keep the fight standing where he has the clear advantage and be prepared to defend the takedowns of an Olympic caliber wrestler, and be even more prepared to work off his back mostly to return to his feet or work for submissions when available. Even with the extensive lay off, Sonnen will be a strong favorite when taking his wrestling into consideration.
Guillard vs Lauzon
The second bout on the card will be contested at Lightweight when TUF2 alumni and heavy hitting contender Melvin Guillard takes on TUF5 alumni and dangerous submission grappler Joe Lauzon. Guillard comes into this bout riding a five fight win streak that includes a Unanimous Decision over Ronys Torres, a Rnd1 KO with a knee to the body of Waylon Lowe, a Split Decision over Jeremy Stephens, a Rnd1 TKO over rising star Evan Dunham that earned KO of the Night, and a Rnd1 KO over 3x NCAA1 All-American wrestler Shane Roller at UFC 132: Cruz vs Faber II. Lauzon comes into this bout off a strong Rnd1 Submission win over Curt Warburton at UFC Live 4: Kongo vs Barry that earned Submission of the Night. While some analysts would look at this fight as a striker vs grappler affair, many will see this as a true bout of mixed martial arts when looking at both fighters' attributes. For the advantage in the stand up, both fighters are accurate strikers with the power to end a fight swiftly, though the overall advantage will go the way of Guillard. With tremendous strength and an improved striking game, Guillard has become one of the most dangerous strikers in the 155lb division with highlight KOs that include two wins where he drove a solid knee to the chest of his opponents crippling them immediately. Though Lauzon does not have a reputation as a powerful striker like Guillard, he has shown in many of his past bouts that he is willing to stand and trade with almost any opponent and holds a notable win over former and original UFC Lightweight champion Jens Pulver by way of Rnd1 KO in a bout that he was not expected to win at all. When it comes to the advantage when grappling, both fighters have their own preference on how they conduct themselves on the ground. Guillard while the more seasoned of the two competitors, is seen primarily as a striker and mostly prefers to avoid taking a fight to the ground. While a seasoned veteran now, prior to his impressive win streak, Guillard had shown to have difficulty when encountering submission grapplers on the ground, which is evident in his record with seven of his eight losses coming by way of submission. Since his last loss in 2009, which was by submission, Guillard has learned to remain calm when a fight hits the ground, and has improved his takedown defense greatly over the two years since. Even with these improvements, Lauzon is seen as the favorite the moment the fight hits the ground with an aggressive grappling game even when fighting off his back that has resulted in sixteen of his twenty wins coming by way of Submission. Looking at the attributes of both fighters, the strategies for each of them seem to be easy enough to plan out. Guillard will look to keep the fight standing at all times, have his improved takedown defense ready to avoid going to the ground, and utilize his headhunting style to finish the fight as soon as he can. For Lauzon, the strategy could be either to engage Guillard in the stand up and fake takedowns to keep him guessing, or work to get the fight to the ground and test how improved Guillard's ground game really is. With these factors, the overall favorite in this bout will be Guillard with plenty of attention following him into this bout and with a possible shot at the title on the line.
Garcia vs Phan II
The opening bout on the card will be a rematch of for two Featherweights whose original bout led to one of the most controversial decisions of 2010 that also earned both fighters Fight of the Night. This match up pits wild slugger and former WEC contender Leonard Garcia against TUF12 alumni Nam Phan. Both fighters come into this bout following tough losses. Garcia comes into this bout following a Rnd2 Submission loss in a rematch against late replacement Chan Sung Jung at UFC Fight Night 24: Nogueira vs Davis. Phan comes into this bout following two straight losses with the first being his UFC debut and the original meeting with Garcia with a Split Decision loss that a majority of fans and even UFC president Dana White felt he had won, and a recent Unanimous Decision loss to former WEC Featherweight champion Mike Brown at UFC 133: Evans vs Ortiz II. After witnessing the original match up between these two entertaining strikers, it is easy to see that both have completely opposite styles. Coming from a martial arts background being a black belt in Karate and a 2nd degree black belt in Quyen Dao, Phan has a more disciplined and controlled striking technique. Where as Garcia is known for his wild looping swings that look like a pitcher throwing a fastball. In the first meeting these conflicting styles showcased one of the most exciting MMA fights in recent UFC history and also led to analysis on whether the more accurate strikes strikes of Phan should have earned him the decision win rather than Garcia's wild swings. When comparing both fighters on the ground, the more disciplined game of Phan also gives him an advantage when grappling. Though Garcia does own more submission victories than Phan, the more technical game of Phan is considered superior to that of Garcia. With these factors and more time to prepare for this fight rather than the one week notice that both fighters got before their original meeting, this bout could prove to be more entertaining that the last.
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