The greatest MMA fighter of all time returns to the Octagon this Saturday at UFC 183, as Anderson “The Spider” Silva takes on the enigmatic Nick Diaz in the main event. The show’s headliner is enough to make the show a must-watch, but the card as a whole is loaded with compelling fights.
UFC 183 is one of the best overall fight cards that the UFC has put on in quite a while. It is headlined by two legends returning to the cage, and features several surging contenders on the rise.
The co-main event is a showdown between two Top-10 welterweights in Tyron Woodley and Kelvin Gastelum, and “Raging” Al Iaquinta takes on Joe Lauzon in what should be an entertaining lightweight fight.
Thales Leites is gaining a lot of momentum in his unlikely second run through the UFC middleweight division. He takes on hard-hitting and super tough Tim Boetsch, who has had mixed results in his recent Octagon appearances, winning only two of his last five fights.
This is a show stacked with relevant fights. Ian McCall and John Lineker will battle on the prelims in a fight where both men are looking to emphatically prove that they are ready for a championship fight against Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson. What could be one of the best UFC shows of the year goes down Saturday night, and there is a lot at stake for a number of fighters.
Two Legends At a Crossroads
Nick Diaz is coming out of a two-year retirement from MMA to take one of the true masters of the sport. Anderson Silva is perhaps the greatest mixed martial arts fighter ever to step foot in the Octagon, and after horrifically injuring his leg in his attempt to regain the middleweight title over a year ago, the future is up in the air for the 39-year-old.
Neither Silva nor Diaz seem to have a great deal of time left in the sport, as both have had long careers that have been hard on both their bodies and minds. Diaz is really only interested in big fights, but he needs to win in order to justify that position.
A win for Diaz might be the biggest of his career. Where do you go after beating Anderson Silva? Win or lose, it’s always a possibility that for one reason or another, we don’t see Nick Diaz compete again in mixed martial arts.
For Silva, this fight represents a turning point. A win sets him up for a chance to reclaim the middleweight title. A loss could signal the end of his storied career. UFC 183 is bound to be a pivotal moment in the career of Anderson Silva.
Showdown Between Lightweight Standouts
In a crowded lightweight division, both Al Iaquinta and Joe Lauzon have stayed fresh in the minds of fans by repeatedly putting on exciting performances in the Octagon. Lauzon holds the record for post-fight bonuses at 13, and Iaquinta is looking to continue gaining momentum after impressive finishes over Rodrigo Damm and Ross Pearson.
Lauzon has been igniting the crowd with his slick submission game and bounty hunter-like style of attaining victory inside the Octagon for almost a decade. He’ll have the experience edge over Iaquinta, but the crisp boxing of “Raging Al” may be critical in this fight.
This fight has bonus potential and the winner will edge ever closer to the top of the lightweight division.
Is Thiago “Pitbull” Alves Back?
Thiago “Pitbull” Alves returned to the UFC after a two-year injury layoff in April 2014 with a unanimous-decision win over Seth Baczynski. At UFC 183 he faces a fellow striker in Mein, who at age 25 has already amassed 38 professional fights.
Despite not being ranked within the Top 15, Alves could still be a force at 170 pounds. This fight will most likely be contested in the striking department and could provide some fireworks to kick off the main card.
Top-Ranked Bantamweights
Both Miesha Tate and Sara McMann will be looking to continue the trek back towards Ronda Rousey and the UFC women’s bantamweight championship in their FS1 featured prelim fight at UFC 183. Tate is currently ranked No. 2 on the UFC’s official rankings, and McMann is ranked No. 3.
Tate will be looking for her third straight victory against McMann, who rebounded from her devastating February 2014 loss to Rousey with a tough-fought split-decision win over Lauren Murphy in August.
McMann’s Olympic wrestling credentials will most likely be the difference-maker in this fight. Tate is a well-rounded fighter, and relative to the rest of the division has good wrestling. It likely won’t be enough against McMann, who will most likely be the stronger and more effective grappler.
Beyond her UFC 184 title defense against Cat Zingano, there isn’t a clear path of contenders waiting for Rousey. A win for either Tate or McMann will keep their name in the mix as Rousey knocks off more and more contenders.
If Rousey gets past Zingano, and perhaps Bethe Correia or Holly Holm, she might have to give another opportunity to the winner of Tate vs. McMann.
Flyweight Title Implications
The prospect of a shot at the UFC flyweight championship undoubtedly looms large on the minds of both Ian McCall and John Lineker as they prepare for their preliminary card fight at UFC 183.
It feels like we’ve been talking about this fight forever, partly because it was originally planned for UFC Fight Night back in November, but was cancelled after the weigh-ins when McCall fell ill with a blood infection. The fight is back on and UFC 183 will most likely produce the next flyweight title challenger.
Overall, the UFC has a pretty good event on-deck for the crowd at the MGM Grand on Saturday. UFC 183 will feature matchups with title implications across several divisions.
Add a few potentially epic scraps like Lauzon vs. Iaquinta and Mein vs. Alves, as well as the return of The Spider against Nick Diaz and UFC 183 looks like one of the best top-to-bottom fight cards of the last year.
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