It’s safe to say that UFC 161 is going to provide some fireworks.
The card isn’t the most superstar-laden one in the history of the organization, but with fights like Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson, Roy Nelson vs. Stipe Miocic and Pat Barry vs. Shawn Jordan set to go down on Saturday night, it’s not a card you want to miss.
Evans and Henderson should give us a good idea of who will remain in the title picture at 205 pounds. Nelson will once again try to prove that he belongs in the heavyweight title picture and Pat Barry, well, Pat Barry just puts on great fights.
Here’s all the information you need to know to make sure you don’t miss any of the action.
When: Saturday, June 15, 2013
Where: MTS Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Start Time: PPV at 10 p.m. ET; FX Prelims at 8 p.m. ET; Facebook Prelims at 6:35 p.m. ET
Live Stream Info: UFC.com
Full Fight Card
Main Card
| Light Heavyweight | Rashad Evans | vs. | Dan Henderson | ||||
| Heavyweight | Roy Nelson | vs. | Stipe Miocic | ||||
| Light Heavyweight | Ryan Jimmo | vs. | Igor Pokrajac | ||||
| Women’s Bantamweight | Alexis Davis | vs. | Rosi Sexton | ||||
| Heavyweight | Pat Barry | vs. | Shawn Jordan |
FX Prelims
| Welterweight | Jake Shields | vs. | Tyron Woodley |
| Lightweight | Sam Stout | vs. | James Krause |
| Welterweight | Sean Pierson | vs. | Kenny Robertson |
| Bantamweight | Roland Delorme | vs. | Edwin Figueroa |
Facebook Prelims
| Lightweight | Mitch Clarke | vs. | John Maguire | ||||
| Bantamweight | Yves Jabouin | vs. | Dustin Pague |
What to Watch For
Roy Nelson Should Be on Upset Alert
Everyone loves Roy Nelson. His penchant for putting on great fights and putting opponents on the canvas with his massive overhand right makes him a fan favorite. Well, that and he’s the only guy that can fight at the level that he does and look like this:
However, he comes into UFC 161 in a dangerous position. He’s a heavy favorite against Stipe Miocic in the co-main event (5/14 odds according to Bovada) and the mismatch was partially created because Nelson’s contract expires in July according to MMAJunkie.com.
But this mismatch isn’t as lopsided as one might think. Yes, Miocic is coming off of a loss to Stefan Struve while Big Country just knocked out Cheick Kongo. But Miocic is statistically more efficient than Nelson in every category.
Of course, percentages can’t account for the sheer raw power of Nelson or the higher quality opponents that he’s faced compared to Miocic, but it’s clear that the underdog’s chances are a little bit better than he’s given credit for here.
Jake Shields in a Must-Win Situation
Once upon a time, Jake Shields was considered one of the top two welterweights in the world. When he came over to the UFC after his reign as the Strikeforce middleweight champion, a fight against Georges St-Pierre was one of the most anticipated fights of 2011.
Now he’s going to have to pull off a decent upset to even be noticed in the welterweight division.
Since losing to St-Pierre, Shields has been knocked out by Jake Ellenberger, won a decision against Yoshihiro Akiyama (who was on a three-fight losing streak) and had a win at middleweight over Ed Herman overturned for failing a post-fight drug test.
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva was not kind to him in this one. Woodley won his UFC debut in just 36 seconds against veteran Jay Hieron and is on the rise.
If Shields is ever going to climb the ladder again. He has to find a way to beat Woodley.
Evans and Henderson Angling for Title Runs
The main event for this card is a dandy. Dan Henderson and Rashad Evans are two of the sport’s most well-known light heavyweights and they’ve both put on spectacular fights throughout their careers.
Henderson needs this win if he’s ever going to get a shot at champion Jon Jones. Which, by the way, he does:
A loss to Lyoto Machida has him dangerously close to missing out on the opportunity, but a win over Evans would give him the momentum needed to make another run.
Evans might have even more on the line than Henderson. He’s 0-2 in his last two fights and has to avoid a three-fight losing streak if he ever hopes to regain his status as a top light heavyweight.
His outing against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira was disappointing to say the least, but a win over Henderson would go a long way in making fans forget about it.
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