At any given time during UFC 144, any of the twelve fights on the card could be the showstopper.
Now, we know Tiequan Zhang and Issei Tamura start the show off, so by default, that probably will not steal the show before it even starts.
Any of the fights on the FX portion could steal the show, as some UFC cards have historically had the show stolen from the main card by way of a preliminary bout that was shockingly tough to top.
That means Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso could steal the show, as could any of the fights between the only Facebook prelim and the main event of Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson.
Edgar vs, Henderson is all but a lock-in favorite for the “Fight of The Night” bonus because of the ferocious pace both men set in the cage, but if one fight is stealing the show before the main event, it’d have to be Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon.
Now neither man sets the same pace that Edgar and Henderson do, but both men deliver on an aggressive offensive style that generally excites crowds regardless of where the fight goes.
For Pettis, the Roufusport pupil and final WEC lightweight champion, his style is creative enough to incorporating styles ranging from taekwondo—where Pettis is a third-degree black belt—to Muay Thai.
Blended in with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and a budding wrestling game, Pettis presents a total package that is better than advertised once seen in action.
Pettis wants to prove he has the skill set to hang with the elite of the UFC lightweight division, as many had claimed he did before last June when Pettis fought Clay Guida, and perhaps that’s why it was a good thing that he called out Joe Lauzon.
Fresh off of a 47-second submission win over Melvin Guillard at UFC 136, Lauzon rides a two-fight win streak and looks better and better every time he fights.
Though Lauzon’s striking was once seen as a weak spot—and although it’s an area that Lauzon may elect to avoid against Pettis—his striking has gotten better from what it was before, but it’s still his grappling game and his constant efforts to finish that excite crowds.
His jiu-jitsu game is among the most active in the lightweight division, as is Pettis with his own jiu-jitsu and striking game, so fans of a good striker-vs-grappler clash will get more than their money’s worth in this fight alone.
While it’s not likely to overshadow the main event, this fight could potentially deliver main-event-quality action before the crowd at the Saitama Super Arena even sees the main event of the evening.
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