The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi this week for the first time since Frankie Edgar’s improbable 2011 lightweight title win, offering up a card headlined by two solid heavyweight veterans for its Fight Pass audience.
In the main event Roy Nelson will attempt to derail the great Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in a bout between two of the toughest, most durable athletes MMA has ever seen, while Tatsuya Kawajiri and Clay Guida will lock horns in the co-main event.
As with any UFC event there are stakes for those entering the Octagon, and Fight Night 39 is no different. Here are a few guys who stand to gain the most with a good showing in the desert.