Two days removed from UFC 170—the organization’s first event to feature a trifecta of Olympic athletes—things are really heating up.
Despite Rashad Evans’ last-minute injury causing a bit of frenzy, fans are still left with some verbal warfare in the co-main event, along with plenty of intrigue in the evening’s main event.
Will Sara McMann’s wrestling pedigree result in the first genuine impediment to Ronda Rousey’s unstoppable judo? Or will “Rowdy” hold onto her women’s bantamweight championship with the same ease and supreme control she’s demonstrated in her UFC stint thus far?
It’s Olympian vs. Olympian—with nuance and variance as to how the two women approach the grappling game.
If you listen to the oddsmakers, the co-main event tilt between wrestling extraordinaire Daniel Cormier and Patrick Cummins should be nothing more than a squash match. Look at it this way: If Cormier has his way, we’ll be in for an entertaining beating, yet if he doesn’t, Cummins might deliver a historic upset.
Whatever the end result, it’ll likely be worth watching.
Here’s the full fight card for Saturday night:
After falling a rung down the welterweight ladder in his loss to Robbie Lawler, Rory MacDonald will face off against submission specialist Demian Maia. Will MacDonald’s versatility afford him more tools than Maia can handle, or will the former ADCC champion force the Canadian youngster to tap before he can even get into gear?
And it doesn’t end with those three main bouts—UFC 170 will feature exciting names like Mike Pyle, Stephen Thompson, Alexis Davis and Zach Makovsky.
There are plenty of reasons to be excited. Thankfully, Bleacher Report will have you covered with tons of fight-night content.
Artem Moshkovich is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter for MMA news and more.
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