The UFC heads to Buffalo, New York, for the first time in more than 20 years with a solid offering on pay-per-view Saturday.
In the main event, light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier defends his light heavyweight belt for the second time against Anthony Johnson in a rematch of their excellent fight from 2015. Until Jon Jones returns, this is the best fight that can be made at 205 pounds. The winner will be a worthy champion.
The co-main event is likewise excellent. Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman attempts to get back on track against the surging Gegard Mousasi, who has won four in a row and six of his last seven. In a wide-open middleweight division with a logjam at the top, the winner of this bout will find himself in the mix for the next title shot after Michael Bisping and Georges St-Pierre finally meet in the Octagon.
The rest of the card drops off in terms of name value, but not the quality of the matchups. Keep an eye on the pay-per-view opener between Will Brooks and Charles Oliveira in particular, which should be a barnburner.
On the preliminary card, talented prospects reign supreme. The welterweight bout between Sean Strickland and Kamaru Usman will determine a new member of the elite in a division that badly needs some new blood at the top. Shane Burgos, Gregor Gillespie and Magomed Bibulatov all have a chance to make statement wins.
Let’s take a look at each matchup.