UFC 156 looks like it’ll turn out to be a great show. The preliminary bouts offer some intrigue and immediately recognizable names, while the main card is stacked with meaningful and potentially competitive bouts.
Top it all off with a legitimate featherweight superfight for the title, and the UFC’s strong run of events for 2013 should continue. The fights start at 6:30 p.m. ET on Facebook, but the main card will air on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET.
Featherweight champion Jose Aldo will take on the exciting and tough Frankie Edgar in the feature bout. This is one of the most anticipated fights in the sport. Edgar has been great at lightweight, but it is widely believed that he’ll be at his best at featherweight.
This could be one of the year’s best fights.
The action begins on Facebook as usual, and transitions to FX before the main card hits pay-per-view. Here’s a look at the confirmed bouts and the favorites for event bonuses.
Full Card
Preliminary Card (Facebook)
Bantamweight – Chico Camus vs. Dustin Kimura
Bantamweight – Edwin Figueroa vs. Francisco Rivera
Preliminary Card (FX)
Lightweight – Gleison Tibau vs. Evan Dunham
Welterweight – Tyron Woodley vs. Jay Hieron
Lightweight – Jacob Volkmann vs. Bobby Green
Lightweight – Yves Edwards vs. Isaac Vallie-Flagg
Main Card PPV
Flyweight – Joseph Benavidez vs. Ian McCall
Welterweight – Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia
Heavyweight – Alistair Overeem vs. Antonio Silva
Light Heavyweight – Rashad Evans vs. Antônio Rogério Nogueira
Featherweight – José Aldo (c) vs. Frankie Edgar
Favorite For Submission of the Night
Fitch vs. Maia
Any fight with Maia has the potential to be the source of submission of the night. He is perhaps the best submission artist in the sport. Nine of the 35-year-old’s 17 victories have come by way of submission.
He started his career with five-straight tap-out victories.
Fitch has only been submitted once in his career, which is why Maia tapping him out will be so spectacular.
Favorite For KO of the Night
Overeem vs. Silva
This isn’t likely to be a one-shot KO because of Silva’s chin, but that could make the stoppage all the more brutal.
Bigfoot is too slow to avoid Overeem’s stand-up assault, and with The Reem eager to endear himself to the UFC faithful, he will be on a mission to destroy.
Expect him to score the most impressive stoppage of the night.
Favorite For Fight of the Night
Aldo vs. Edgar
Fights that are billed as superfights rarely live up to the billing, but this one could very well turn out to be an exception.
I’m convinced it is nearly impossible for Edgar to participate in a boring fight. If you factor in the balanced brilliance that Aldo brings to the table, this could begin another memorable fighting series for Edgar.
I’m picking Aldo to win, but I can guarantee it won’t be easy.
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