Sometimes, the underrated cards turn out the best. Saturday’s UFC 186 may epitomize this thought when UFC flyweight champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson puts his title on the line against Kyoji Horiguchi.
The main event is far from the only attraction of the night, though, not with Quinton “Rampage” Jackson back in the fold. Michael Bisping vs. CB Dollaway will turn some heads, as well, if not sort out some questions in the middleweight division.
Let’s take an early look at the full card, with an emphasis on the night’s top two encounters.
UFC 186 Card
Predicting Card’s Biggest Bouts
Quinton Jackson vs. No. 12 Fabio Maldonado
Jackson is back with UFC after a stint with Bellator, where he beat the likes of Christian M’Pumbu and Joey Beltran.
On one hand, it would be hard to see UFC hitting Rampage with an opponent he cannot handle in his big return bout, but on the other, Fabio Maldonado is perhaps better than any fighter Jackson faced at the other promotion.
Regardless, Jackson took to Twitter to celebrate the fight coming to fruition:
Expect a mess of an encounter, which may end pretty early.
Maldonado is no pushover, touting nearly 61 percent accuracy and 5.92 significant strikes landed per minute, according to UFC.com. Those are better numbers than Jackson in both regards, but the major red flag is his 4.03 significant strikes absorbed per minute.
So while a Round 2 TKO victory against Hans Stringer last year looks great, think back a bit further to a bout lasting just 35 seconds last May when Maldonado suffered a TKO loss at the hands of Stipe Miocic.
Jackson has the power to take advantage of Maldonado’s erratic chin. Look for Rampage to end it before time runs out in the first round.
Demetrious Johnson vs. No. 7 Kyoji Horiguchi
Horiguchi is far from the biggest name in the world. On the other side of the Octagon on Saturday is Johnson, who is comparable to Ronda Rousey in how dominant he is over an entire division.
The champion seems to know better than to enter Saturday cocky, though.
Johnson made it clear to FoxSports.com’s Elias Cepeda he won’t underestimate the opposition:
It is what you say – ‘Oh, I can improve, I could do to have a few more fights.’ He’s a humble guy. I think he’s real hungry for this opportunity, though. And, he’s been beating a lot of people and has a long winning streak. He believes he’s ready.
It’s a smart move by the champ.
Horiguchi might be just 24 years old, but he’s a loser in just one fight of 16 attempts, the loss coming way back in 2012. He enters Saturday on a nine-fight tear, four of those wins coming in the UFC.
In the face of Johnson, though, the problems for Horiguchi seem bountiful. As the numbers to the side show, he’s at a severe disadvantage if things hit the mat, which seems likely because of Johnson’s world-class speed.
There’s a bright future ahead for Horiguchi, so remember the name. For Saturday, though, he’s encountering the best of the best, and his skill set isn’t robust enough just yet to survive.
Look for Johnson to secure a submission in the second round.
Stats and info via UFC.com, unless otherwise specified.
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