Headlined by the return of heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez against interim titleholder Fabricio Werdum, UFC 188 is set to bring the violence to Mexico City.
The Mexican-American champion hasn’t defended his belt since October 13. Multiple injuries have kept him from reminding people that he’s the best heavyweight alive, and at this point there’s at least some intrigue as to whether he can continue that claim.
The heavyweight romp isn’t the only thing fans have to look forward to, though. The co-main event features two free-swinging lightweights in a long-awaited matchup between Eddie Alvarez and Gilbert Melendez. Here’s a look at the complete card, with predictions and storylines to watch unfold.
Live Stream: UFC.tv
Prelim Live Stream: UFC Fight Pass
Is Henry Cejudo Ready for a Title Shot?
In a very short period of time from now, there’s a possibility we look back on this card and realize one of its biggest stars was on the prelims. Henry Cejudo has the potential to be the next flyweight champion.
The 28-year-old is an Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler who has successfully transferred his style to the Octagon. According to FightMetric, he landed six takedowns in his flyweight debut against Chris Cariaso.
Now Cejudo makes his second appearance in the division against a veteran in Camus who should offer him an opportunity to put his skill on display. Some—such as Adam Martin of MMA Odds Breaker—see this as an opportunity for the Olympian to grab a title shot:
If Henry Cejudo dominates Chico Camus tomorrow night, I’d be OK with him jumping past Dodson for the next title shot against Mighty Mouse.
— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) June 12, 2015
Cejudo himself doesn’t shy away from his expectations of being a champion. “I think it’ll be about timing,” he told MMAjunkie Radio. “I feel ready now, but obviously I have a team behind me, and we make a decision together. It’s not just me, myself and I. It’s my team that comes together, and we make the best decision possible. We not only can win the belt, but win it decisively – with dominance.”
Backing up that claim starts with dismantling Camus.
Eddie Alvarez or Gilbert Melendez: Who Will Step Back into Contention?
For years, Eddie Alvarez and Gilbert Melendez represented the best of talent outside the UFC. Alvarez, the lightweight champion of Bellator; Melendez, the titleholder in Strikeforce.
However, neither has had a perfect transition to the UFC. Melendez is 1-2 in the Octagon, although it should be noted that both of those losses were for the title, so the level of competition has been as high as possible in both of those losses.
Alvarez’s highly anticipated UFC debut was foiled by a red-hot Donald Cerrone.
So while both fighters still hold top-10 spots in the UFC’s lightweight rankings, neither can afford a loss here if they want to return to contention. If the confrontational weigh-in tweeted out by UFC on Fox was any indication, these two are going to throw heavy leather until one or the other can’t fight anymore.
WATCH: Gilbert Melendez and Eddie Alvarez come face-to-face in a heated #UFC188 weigh in staredown https://t.co/Sp4MiqSrqr
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) June 13, 2015
Who Will Hold the Heavyweight Title?
The main event is a tough one to prognosticate. There’s no doubt that a prime Cain Velasquez is the best heavweight on the planet. His pace and ferocity is unlike anything we’ve seen in the history of the division.
However, there’s no way of knowing if that Velasquez still exists. He’s been out of the cage for nearly 18 months. Eventually injuries and age have to start deteriorating skills, right?
At 32 years old, there’s reason to believe that Velasquez can’t just recover the way he used to from injury.
So the question becomes whether Werdum is the fighter to test that. Certainly he’s a dangerous opponent. The former ADCC Gold Medalist has one of the most dangerous guards in MMA. However, it’s going to take an athlete to test the champion.
Looking at who Werdum has beaten along the way to this title shot, no one has the athleticism or quickness that Vai Cavalo will see in the title fight. Roy Nelson, Mark Hunt, Travis Browne and Minotauro Nogueira might be dangerous heavyweights, but none fight with the same quickness of Velasquez.
There are plenty of new challenges out there for Velasquez. He hasn’t fought someone not named Antonio Silva or Junior dos Santos since 2010. But Werdum isn’t the one to test him.
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