When the big men headline a card, there’s just a special buzz about the card. That’s the case at UFC on Fox 13 from Phoenix, Arizona. Junior dos Santos returns to the Octagon for the first time since October 2013, when he was battered and stopped by UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez.
Dos Santos has been UFC heavyweight champion once in his career, and he wants nothing more than another chance to get back to the top of the mountain. His opponent has similar aspirations.
Stipe Miocic has won three straight fights since losing to Stefan “The Skyscraper” Struve by TKO in 2012. The winner of the main event will be in great position to become the top challenger for the interim and regular UFC heavyweight title.
This epic battle is just one of the fights on tap.
Rafael dos Anjos will welcome Nate Diaz back to the Octagon. The aforementioned Struve also returns, and he’ll face Alistair Overeem. There’s a plethora of big names scheduled to scrap. As network television cards go, this one ranks pretty high. Here’s the viewing information, complete card and predictions for each fight.
Just below the table is a closer look at the top-three fights on the card.
Overeem’s Last Stand
Let’s face it. Alistair Overeem has lost three of his last four fights. Another loss might just put Overeem on the UFC cut line. Unfortunately for The Reem, that will likely be the situation.
Overeem’s chin has long been suspect. Nine of his 14 career losses have come by KO/TKO. If the Skyscraper can connect on Overeem’s chin, the latter will go to sleep. Because Struve stands 7’0″ tall and owns a seven-inch height advantage over Overeem, he should find the range first.
Look for Struve to win by first-round KO.
Diaz Will Retain with a Bang
Diaz last fought in the UFC in November 2013. He stopped an over-the-hill Gray Maynard. Rafael dos Anjos is no Maynard, but in the end Diaz will still come out on top.
While dos Anjos may have an edge in speed, Diaz‘s boxing is among the best in the lightweight division. Couple that with Diaz‘s five-inch height advantage, and the man from Stockton, California, should have the edge in stand-up.
As far as the grappling game, few can match Diaz on the mat. Dos Anjos is far from an amateur grappler, but Diaz‘s submission game is better. After taking control with a dominant jab, Diaz will take the action to the mat and tap out dos Anjos.
Dos Santos Will Thump Miocic
Miocic prefers to stand and strike. He’s good at it, but no heavyweight in the UFC can beat dos Santos at that game. Cain Velasquez has beaten dos Santos twice on the strength of his pressure and ability to ground and pound.
Though dos Santos did a fairly good job staying on his feet in two losses to Velasquez, the threat of Cain’s ground game was always a factor. That won’t be a factor against Miocic.
This fight will be all about striking, and dos Santos’ boxing and leg kicks are too much for Miocic. Junior will return to the win column with a second-round TKO victory.
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