The UFC 185 card features a lineup of fights that might be described as a hit-and-miss list of bouts. Until the action takes place in the Octagon, you never really know.
Atop the card are three fights that will probably intrigue the hardcore fan. Take a look at the entire scheduled card for Saturday in Dallas, Texas:
Johny Hendricks vs. Matt Brown
If you’re looking for a bout that has all the makings of a Fight of the Night winner, look no further than the Johny Hendricks vs. Matt Brown scrap. Both men prefer to go to battle in the stand-up, though Hendricks is a world-class wrestler.
This will be Hendricks’ first fight since losing his welterweight title to “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler in Dec. 2014 at UFC 182. Brown’s last fight was also a loss to Lawler back in July 2014.
The two men undoubtedly want to get back to a point where they can face Lawler again—should he still be champion. Brown has won fight-night bonuses in each of his last four fights. If Hendricks doesn’t take the fight to the ground, there’s a good chance that streak is run to five.
Even if the fight goes to the ground, Brown is still dangerous. He has a sneaky submission game that Hendricks will have to be wary of as he chases victory. Besides the main event, if there is one fight from Saturday’s card that you don’t want to miss, it’s this one.
Carla Esparza vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk
Following Ronda Rousey is a tough task. Fair or not, women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza’s reign will be compared to Rousey’s dominant run. Esparza is the first and only champion of the brand new weight class.
In the interview below with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, Esparza talks about the pressure, her opponent and possibly taking a break after a whirlwind 2014 and early 2015:
As a skilled and strong wrestler, Esparza will be facing a fighter who is intent upon staying on her feet. Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s strength is as a stand-up fighter. If she can keep the fight standing, she figures to have an advantage. She changes levels well and looks to pick opponents apart in the Octagon.
Up to this point, she’s undefeated at 8-0. One thing to consider here is that Jedrzejczyk has only two stoppage wins in her eight-fight career, and none of them have come in the UFC.
If she can’t sting Esparza, she’ll have to exhibit some great takedown defense for 25 minutes to gut out a decision victory. That will be a tough task against a relentless and focused champion like Esparza.
Pettis vs. Dos Anjos
Despite the fact that Pettis has beaten the likes of Gilbert Melendez, Benson Henderson (twice) and Donald Cerrone, there’s still some who question if he’s in the same category as Jon Jones, Jose Aldo, Demetrious Johnson and Rousey as a champion.
Per Matt Parrino of UFC.com, Pettis talked about his critics:
“I definitely hear and see; it’s impossible not to hear it and not to see it,” Pettis said. “People calling me injury prone and paper champion, but I just take the higher route.”
Every great fighter has haters. If they didn’t they wouldn’t be great. It seems a bit odd that a guy who has knocked off three straight opponents with a combined record of 77-15 would have his status as champion questioned.
To Pettis’ credit, he always speaks with class and respect, yet he’s driven to shut the mouths of those who doubt him. On Saturday, Dos Anjos will be the one looking to shut Pettis up.
When it comes to well-rounded MMA games, Dos Anjos ranks near the top. He’s a skilled submissions fighter, and he proved he could stop an opponent when he scored a TKO over Henderson in Aug. 2014.
Pettis will likely need his multitude of gifts to get through his latest challenge.
All stat, height and reach references per FightMetric.com
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