It is entirely possible that we will look back at UFC 157 and think of it in the same way we do the first UFC event in 1993, UFC 100 and UFC 129—as one of the most important nights in mixed martial arts history.
While this event won’t do nearly the business on pay-per-view that UFC 100 and UFC 129 did, UFC 157 is making history as being the first event in company history to feature a women’s bout when Ronda Rousey defends the bantamweight championship against Liz Carmouche.
On a night with such historic implications, here is all the information you need to prepare yourself for the event and when you can plan on watching it.
Where: Honda Center in Anaheim, CA
When: Saturday, Feb. 23 at 10 p.m. ET
Watch: Main Card airs on pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET; FX Preliminary Card starts at 8 p.m. ET; Facebook Preliminary Card starts at 6:30 p.m. ET
| MAIN CARD |
|---|
| Women’s Bantamweight Championship: Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Liz Carmouche |
| Light Heavyweight Bout: Lyoto Machida vs. Dan Henderson |
| Bantamweight Bout: Urijah Faber vs. Ivan Menjivar |
| Welterweight Bout: Court McGee vs. Josh Neer |
| Welterweight Bout: Josh Koscheck vs. Robbie Lawler |
| FX PRELIMINARY CARD |
|---|
| Heavyweight Bout: Brendan Schaub vs. Lavar Johnson |
| Lightweight Bout: Michael Chiesa vs. Anton Kuivanen |
| Featherweight Bout: Dennis Bermudez vs. Matt Grice |
| Lightweight Bout: Sam Stout vs. Caros Fodor |
| FACEBOOK PRELIMINARY CARD |
|---|
| Welterweight Bout: Kenny Robertson vs. Brock Jardine |
| Welterweight Bout: Jon Manley vs. Neil Magny |
| Welterweight Bout: Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Yuri Villefort |
What to watch for
In addition to the UFC debut of Ronda Rousey, who is worth all the pre-fight hype she is getting, Dana White and Joe Silva have done a great job of loading this card so it has a little something for everyone.
You have the championship fight at the top that, on paper, looks like a glorified showcase for Rousey. But there is also Dan Henderson vs. Lyoto Machida in a fight that could easily determine who the No. 1 contender for Jon Jones’ light heavyweight title is.
Remember, Henderson was supposed to challenge Jones at the infamous UFC 151 event that was cancelled after Henderson got hurt and Jones didn’t want to fight Chael Sonnen on short notice.
Urijah Faber is a perennial title contender but has to prove that he is more than just a guy who can beat mid-level competition and isn’t a threat to the champions, which is what he has been for the last three years.
Josh Koscheck and Robbie Lawler both have a lot to prove coming off losses. Lawler especially has to show something because he lost three of his last four fights in Strikeforce and is making his UFC debut.
We know the company is in cut mode, so all fighters except the top stars should feel like they are on thin ice right now. It will be interesting to see how UFC handles a lot of the talent that loses this weekend.
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