Injuries may have crippled some of the buzz for UFC 149, but there is still a wildly entertaining card for fans to sink their teeth into.
The headliner was supposed to be Jose “Scarface” Aldo against Erik Koch, but Scarface was forced to withdraw due to injury and the fight list had to be altered. Now it’s Urijah Faber vs. Renan “Barao” Pegado under the spotlight.
Both fighters have a ton at stake from a legacy perspective, which should make for a thrilling match. But that’s far from the only intriguing bout on the slate. Here is all the information needed to ensure you don’t miss a second of tonight’s action.
Where: Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Canada
Prelims on Facebook at 7 p.m. ET
Featherweight: Antonio Carvalho vs. Daniel Pineda
Lightweight: Mitch Clarke vs. Anton Kuivanen
Prelims on FX at 8 p.m. ET
Bantamweight: Roland Delorme vs. Francisco Rivera
Bantamweight: Bryan Caraway vs. Mitch Gagnon
Middleweight: Court McGee vs. Nick Ring
Light Heavyweight: Ryan Jimmo vs. Anthony Perosh
Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET
Price: $44.99
Stream: Official UFC website
Bantamweight: Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao
Middleweight: Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch
Heavyweight: Cheick Kongo vs. Shawn Jordan
Welterweight: Brian Ebersole vs. James Head
Welterweight: Chris Clements vs. Matt Riddle
Injury News
(via Yahoo! Sports)
It’s hard to overcome the thought of what could have been if it wasn’t for so many injuries.
In addition to the main event getting postponed, former light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was pulled off the card once his opponent Thiago Silva had to bow out due to injury.
And Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira still isn’t over his arm injury. He withdrew from his announced bout against Cheick Kongo.
Michael Bisping and Thiago Alves were taken off the card due to injuries.
So, while the depth of the card isn’t up to par with what fight fans expect, there is one fight that could more than make up for it.
Faber vs. Barao Prediction
Faber, aka “The California Kid,” may be 33 years old, but few fighters have the determination and focus that Faber has. Faber also possesses a versatile and technically-sound repertoire that has stymied opponents for almost a decade.
The problem is, he’s facing an opponent in Barao who holds a 28-1 record and hasn’t lost since his very first fight. If he wants to be considered an option to fight Anderson Silva, a dominating performance will be required.
The 25-year-old is on the fast track to being one of the major superstars in the sport with his unreal jiu-jitsu and submission skills.
It’s going to be an intense and bloody battle that will come down to who can deliver the stronger kicks to knock their opponent down and turn it into a wrestling match.
I’m going with Barao.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com