If your idea of a good time is a nice quiet evening at home, UFC 157 probably isn’t your thing. If you are looking for action, then you’ve come to the right place.
On Saturday some of the best fighters in mixed martial arts will converge on one card with a singular goal: to dominate the competition.
UFC 157 will feature seven preliminary matches and four main-card fights, before giving way to the two matchups everyone is talking about. Lyoto Machida and Dan Henderson will square off for a chance at a potential title shot, followed by the first ever women’s fight in UFC history.
If that is not reason enough to watch, there is always the insane amount of hard-hitting strikes and crushing takedowns to look forward to.
Let’s take a look at the top three reasons to watch UFC 157 on Saturday.
Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey and Liz Carmouche are set to make history when they enter the octagon on February 23. No women have ever fought in a UFC event, and oh yeah, it is also a title fight.
With the bantamweight title on the line, both fighters will be primed to put on a show—just don’t expect it to last very long.
With a 6-0 record and a nearly unstoppable armbar, Rousey is in position to end Carmouche’s hopes for the title without much resistance. There is a good chance this one ends in the first couple minutes.
Still, there is plenty of reason to watch the fight (apart from the historical significance, of course). Rousey looks almost unstoppable right now, and she is sure to put on as dominant a performance as we are likely to see on Saturday.
Machida vs. Henderson
If Rousey weren’t taking part in UFC 157, Machida and Henderson would no doubt be the biggest story of the event.
With Jon Jones and Chael Sonnen set to square off in UFC 159, there is a pretty good chance the winner of Machida-Henderson will challenge for the light-heavyweight title in the near future.
Henderson (29-8-0) is one of the most dangerous strikers in the sport. Without knockout power in both fists, he’ll look to silence Machida with a barrage of strikes throughout the fight.
Machida has the upper hand in this one, though. He is one of the quickest fighters on the planet, and Henderson will have a hard time landing many of his powerful strikes.
Don’t expect Machida to end it quickly, though.
As much as Henderson loves to throw his fists, it seems logical that he would get caught from time to time. The 6’1” striker has never been knocked out, though, and it might be worth watching just to see if Machida can change that.
Regardless of the outcome, this fight should prove to be one of the most exciting of the card.
Undercard Highlight
Brendan Schaub and Lavar Johnson didn’t fight their way to the main card, but their matchup could be even more exciting than some of the more publicized fights.
Both fighters rely heavily on their striking prowess to end matches before a decision. In 23 fights, Johnson has recorded 15 knockouts, and Schaub has seven knockouts to his name in 12 fights.
This will no doubt be a heavyweight slugfest, and there is a good chance it ends with one man standing and another out cold on the canvas.
Even the casual MMA fan can enjoy a fight like Schaub and Johnson are sure to put on—even if it isn’t the match everyone is talking about.
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