Tag: hidden storylines

Four Hidden Storylines For ‘UFC Fight Night 30: Machida vs. Munoz’

By Adam Martin

UFC Fight Night 30: Machida vs. Munoz is really flying under the radar as an overall card (thanks in no small part to the truly epic evening that was UFC 166), but if you take a closer look at it, there are actually quite a few intriguing matchups with important questions to answer.

I’ve combed the card up and down and I’ve come up with four hidden storylines that viewers should be aware of going into UFC Fight Night 30. Let me know what you think in the comments section, and be sure to come back to CagePotato on Saturday for our liveblog of the broadcast.

1) Can Lyoto Machida Make a Run at the Middleweight Title?

The most important question that UFC Fight Night 30 will answer, in my opinion, is whether or not Lyoto Machida is going to make a run for the UFC middleweight title. The former light heavyweight champion dropped down to 185 pounds after a controversial decision loss to Phil Davis at UFC 163 and now faces Mark Munoz in Saturday’s main event.

With a win over Munoz, one of the top 10 fighters in the division, Machida will instantly prove that he has what it takes to make a run for the belt at 185 pounds and become just the third fighter in UFC history to win titles in two separate weight classes (the other two fighters who have accomplished this feat being Randy Couture and BJ Penn).

By Adam Martin

UFC Fight Night 30: Machida vs. Munoz is really flying under the radar as an overall card (thanks in no small part to the truly epic evening that was UFC 166), but if you take a closer look at it, there are actually quite a few intriguing matchups with important questions to answer.

I’ve combed the card up and down and I’ve come up with four hidden storylines that viewers should be aware of going into UFC Fight Night 30. Let me know what you think in the comments section, and be sure to come back to CagePotato on Saturday for our liveblog of the broadcast.

1) Can Lyoto Machida Make a Run at the Middleweight Title?

The most important question that UFC Fight Night 30 will answer, in my opinion, is whether or not Lyoto Machida is going to make a run for the UFC middleweight title. The former light heavyweight champion dropped down to 185 pounds after a controversial decision loss to Phil Davis at UFC 163 and now faces Mark Munoz in Saturday’s main event.

With a win over Munoz, one of the top 10 fighters in the division, Machida will instantly prove that he has what it takes to make a run for the belt at 185 pounds and become just the third fighter in UFC history to win titles in two separate weight classes (the other two fighters who have accomplished this feat being Randy Couture and BJ Penn).

Simply put, Munoz is an incredibly talented mixed martial artist who looked amazing against Tim Boetsch in his last fight, but he’s shown that he can be KO’d and if there’s anything Machida has it’s power. Power and accuracy. Power and accuracy and halitosis. Aside from having all that, Machida also uses his wrestling in reverse better than almost anyone on the planet. He was able to consistently stuff the takedowns of Rashad Evans and Phil Davis at 205 pounds, which leads me to believe that he should have no trouble stuffing Munoz’s, as well. Add in the fact that the fight is five rounds and its makes me lean towards a Machida finish even more, especially considering the result of his last fight.

This weekend, look for Machida to knock Munoz out and emerge as a legit threat to the middleweight championship. And if Chris Weidman beats Anderson Silva in their rematch at UFC 168, you better believe that Machida will be the next guy in line against “The All American” in a fight that could end up being one of the most anticipated of 2014.

2) Will Jimi Manuwa emerge as a dark horse contender at 205 pounds?

There aren’t many undefeated fighters in the UFC light heavyweight division, but one of them is Britain’s Jimi Manuwa, who puts his 13-0 record on the line against Canadian Ryan Jimmo in a main-card matchup at UFC Fight Night 30.

After emerging as a knockout artist on the British regional circuit, Manuwa has come into the UFC and absolutely brutalized Kyle Kingsbury and Cyrille Diabate to the point where both men could no longer fight in his first two fights. In fact, Manuwa iss the only fighter in UFC history to have two fights stopped in between rounds, which shows you just how much power this man is packing in his limbs.

Still, while Manuwa has owned everyone in his path so far, Jimmo does represent a significant step up in competition. It’ll be Manuwa’s toughest test to date, in my opinion, if only because of Jimmo’s ability to get fights to the ground and grind them out. And if Kingsbury was able to get Manuwa down, I think Jimmo can as well, although I’m sure Manuwa’s wrestling has improved a lot in the last year.

At the same time, if Manuwa can stop the takedowns and keep this fight on the feet and land shots on Jimmo, then he should be able to score his 14th career stoppage in his 14th career fight. If he can knock Jimmo out cold, I fully expect the UFC to start pushing him into top 10 territory — his fighting style is too marketable not to.

I believe that Manuwa will beat Jimmo this weekend and emerge as a dark horse contender at 205 pounds. I just wish he wasn’t 33 years old, but hey, this is MMA: Fighters in their 30′s can be called prospects. It happens all the time.

3) Alessio Sakara‘s Last Stand

This may come as a surprise to many of you, but middleweight Alessio Sakara is still on the UFC roster, and this Saturday night at UFC Fight Night 30 the Italian striker returns to the cage to face off against Sweden’s Nicholas Musoke in a main card bout that absolutely no one is talking about.

And it’s for good reason that no one is talking about it, as Sakara has lost his last three fights in the UFC and looks to be on the final legs of his career, while Musoke is a total unknown who took this fight on short notice. Yet for some reason the UFC put it on the main card while a good matchup like Andrew Craig vs. Luke Barnatt gets relegated to the prelims. (Who puts together these bout orders, anyways? I just don’t understand it.)

Sakara has been employed by the UFC since 2005, but he’s put up a mediocre 6-7, 1 NC record during that time and only one of those victories is over a current UFC fighter. That would be Thales Leites, who Sakara beat due to a bad judges’ decision at UFC 101. We just passed UFC 166. You get the point.

I think the only reason that Sakara is still in the UFC is because he has cool-looking tattoos and because he is the only Italian fighter on the entire roster. Because if you look at his last batch of fights, he just isn’t UFC caliber, and when the promotion goes and fires a guy like Yushin Okami and keeps Sakara on the roster, it really makes me scratch my head.

To be fair to Sakara, he is generally involved in exciting fights, but at some point winning has to become the priority, and if Sakara loses his fourth straight against Musoke this weekend, the UFC is going to hard a very hard time justifying his roster spot. And that’s why I believe it’s Sakara’s last stand at UFC Fight Night 30.

 4) Why Did Jimy Hettes Fall so Far? 

UFC 141 was nearly two years ago, but I still remember the night very clearly.

That was the Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem card, and while that match and the Nate Diaz vs. Donald Cerrone fight overshadowed almost everything else on that card, one other fight remains very vivid in my mind to this very day.

That was the performance of Jimy Hettes, who schooled Nam Phan on the ground for 15 minutes in the opening PPV fight of the night. It was the first time I had seen Hettes fight, and I remember being absolutely blown away by the performance of “The Kid” that night, as he displayed an absolutely brilliant BJJ game that left UFC commentator Joe Rogan at a loss for words.

After that incredible performance on one of the biggest cards of 2011, I was really excited for Hettes’ return to the Octagon, and at UFC 152 he came back to take on Marcus Brimage in an undercard fight that everyone expected him to dominate. Unfortunately for Hettes, he couldn’t take Brimage down and got exposed on the feet en route to a unanimous decision loss – the first defeat of his career.

It’s over a year later now, and Hettes finally returns to the cage and this weekend he takes on UFC newcomer Robert Whiteford on the Facebook prelims of UFC Fight Night 30, a huge fall from being in the opening fight of a Brock Lesnar card. It makes one wonder: Why did “The Kid” fall so far? It’s a fair question, but in my opinion, I think it was a combination of injuries, the short-term memory of MMA fans, and just how disappointed everyone was in his performance against Brimage.

This weekend, however, Hettes has a chance to bounce back and prove to everyone that he’s still a capable featherweight. If he can take out Whiteford in impressive fashion like I think he can, I expect a lot of people to get back aboard the Hettes bandwagon.

Four Hidden Storylines For ‘UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3?


(Cain Velasquez shoots in on teammate Daniel Cormier at yesterday’s open workouts in Houston. / Photo via MMAFighting)

By Adam Martin

With UFC 166 being a 13-fight card, it wouldn’t be hard for some of this weekend’s storylines to fly under the radar. In fact, this card is so deep that I honestly think I could find 20 hidden storylines in it if I really wanted to. But instead I’ll just run down what I think are the top four hidden storylines to be aware of while watching the fights. Let me know what you think in the comments section, and be sure to come back to CagePotato on Saturday night for our liveblog of the pay-per-view broadcast.

1) Will Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos Fight More Than Just a Trilogy?

There has never been a four- or five-fight series in UFC history, but it’s entirely possible that Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will meet once or twice more after this weekend’s rubber-match at UFC 166, particularly if dos Santos wins the title back.

Let’s face it, the heavyweight talent pool in MMA is very shallow, and Velasquez and dos Santos are the cream of the crop. They are truly the only two heavyweights in the UFC without any discernable weaknesses, and with their ability to consistently produce exciting matches (particularly against one another), the UFC would have no problem having these guys fight again in the future. The fact that both fighters have broad appeal in two huge markets (Velasquez in Mexico, dos Santos in Brazil) certainly helps as well. A four-fight series would make history, and you’d better believe the UFC would hammer home that point in promoting it.

But it really comes down to how the third fight goes. If it’s a blowout for either guy, a fourth fight won’t be as intriguing, and would be unlikely to happen. But if it’s a competitive war that makes the fans go nuts, we can all look forward to Velasquez vs. Dos Santos IV. And soon.

2) Did Daniel Cormier Make a Mistake by Prematurely Announcing a Drop to 205?


(Cain Velasquez shoots in on teammate Daniel Cormier at yesterday’s open workouts in Houston. / Photo via MMAFighting)

By Adam Martin

With UFC 166 being a 13-fight card, it wouldn’t be hard for some of this weekend’s storylines to fly under the radar. In fact, this card is so deep that I honestly think I could find 20 hidden storylines in it if I really wanted to. But instead I’ll just run down what I think are the top four hidden storylines to be aware of while watching the fights. Let me know what you think in the comments section, and be sure to come back to CagePotato on Saturday night for our liveblog of the pay-per-view broadcast.

1) Will Cain Velasquez and Junior Dos Santos Fight More Than Just a Trilogy?

There has never been a four- or five-fight series in UFC history, but it’s entirely possible that Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos will meet once or twice more after this weekend’s rubber-match at UFC 166, particularly if dos Santos wins the title back.

Let’s face it, the heavyweight talent pool in MMA is very shallow, and Velasquez and dos Santos are the cream of the crop. They are truly the only two heavyweights in the UFC without any discernable weaknesses, and with their ability to consistently produce exciting matches (particularly against one another), the UFC would have no problem having these guys fight again in the future. The fact that both fighters have broad appeal in two huge markets (Velasquez in Mexico, dos Santos in Brazil) certainly helps as well. A four-fight series would make history, and you’d better believe the UFC would hammer home that point in promoting it.

But it really comes down to how the third fight goes. If it’s a blowout for either guy, a fourth fight won’t be as intriguing, and would be unlikely to happen. But if it’s a competitive war that makes the fans go nuts, we can all look forward to Velasquez vs. Dos Santos IV. And soon.

2) Did Daniel Cormier Make a Mistake by Prematurely Announcing a Drop to 205?

Despite being 34 years old, Daniel Cormier is considered the top heavyweight prospect on the planet and this weekend puts his undefeated 12-0 record on the line against veteran Roy Nelson in the co-main event of UFC 166.

Although Nelson is coming off a loss to Stipe Miocic, he’s still regarded as one of the top-10 heavyweights in the world by many, and a win over the popular “Big Country” — especially a knockout — would be huge for Cormier in the eyes of the fans, giving him the big win he needs to get a UFC title shot.

However, despite the fact Cormier would be the de facto No. 1 heavyweight contender with a decisive win over Nelson, he’s already announced that win, lose, or draw, he will be making the move to light heavyweight for his next matchup, and gun for an immediate crack at Jon Jones’s belt.

The problem is, there are two fighters blocking Cormier’s path to an immediate light heavyweight title shot against Jones: Glover Teixeira and Alexander Gustafsson. Teixeira has already been confirmed as Jones’ next challenger – the two will fight in early 2014 – while Gustafsson has been told he will get a rematch with Jones next summer if he wins his next fight.

That means that Cormier would have to wait at least a year to get a crack at the 205-pound belt, and it means he would have to fight other top fighters like Phil Davis and Rashad Evans in the meantime; a loss, of course, would eliminate him from title contention.

I understand that Cormier is Cain Velasquez’s friend and main training partner, but there’s no guarantee that Velasquez will defend the UFC heavyweight championship against Junior dos Santos. If Velasquez loses and dos Santos becomes the champ, then a fight between JDS and Cormier would be the most marketable option, and there would be no one potentially blocking Cormier’s path to an immediate heavyweight title shot (other than Fabricio Werdum, who dos Santos has already KO’d).

At the very least, Cormier should have waited until UFC 166 was over before announcing his move down to 205.

3) Are Nate Marquardt and Hector Lombard on the Chopping Block?

One of the top preliminary fights on the UFC 166 card is a welterweight matchup between former top-10 middleweights Nate Marquardt and Hector Lombard. Yes, that’s right, this is a preliminary fight despite the fact both of these fighters were champions of other organizations in the last two years — Marquardt with Strikeforce and Lombard with Bellator — which says a lot to me about where both these guys stand in the eyes of Dana White, Joe Silva & Co.

In fact, I think both guys have been matched up against one another because the UFC wants to cut their losses with the loser. After all, both guys might be awesome fighters but they cost a lot — Marquardt at over 40k to show/40k to win, and Lombard gobbling up a 300k base salary. And, despite both being exciting fighters, let’s be honest, neither is a huge draw at the gate.

Therefore the return on investment isn’t there, and that’s why I think the UFC will part ways with whoever loses this match. And the fact that neither have been winning much as of late — with Marquardt on a two-fight losing streak and Lombard 1-2 in his last three — certainly doesn’t help the loser’s chances of sticking around.

4) Will Andre Fili Be the Next Great Team Alpha Male Fighter in the UFC?

In one of the Facebook prelims, featherweight prospect Andre Fili makes his UFC debut when he takes on Jeremy Larsen. Fili took the fight on only 12 days’ notice after Charles Oliveira pulled out of the Larsen matchup with an injury, but knowing the conditioning that the Team Alpha Male fighters put themselves through, I think he’ll be in good shape for this fight.

I mention his camp because one of the storylines the UFC has been selling as of late has been the recent success of the Sacramento-based Team Alpha Male. With fighters like Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez, Chad Mendes, and TJ Dillashaw having tremendous success in the Octagon — especially ever since Duane Ludwig took over as head coach — I’m super excited any time of their better prospects is put in the spotlight, and Fili is a guy who has been highly touted for a long time.

Only 23 and already carrying a 12-1 pro MMA record under his belt (the only loss coming via injury TKO), not to mention having one of the best nicknames in the sport (“Touchy”), Fili has a very bright future in this sport and it says a lot to me about how matchmaker Sean Shelby views him that the UFC signed him before they did his more famous and decorated teammate Lance Palmer. So definitely check this fight out if you get a chance to watch the Facebook prelims.

Four Hidden Storylines For ‘UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson’


(Seriously, Jon? You can’t take a break from Candy Crush Saga for five seconds? / Photo via Getty)

By Adam Martin

UFC 165 takes place on Saturday night at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and while most of the media’s focus has been on headliner UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, there are 25 other fighters on the card fighting this weekend that need their stories to be told, too. I can’t write about them all, but I’ve picked four fighters this weekend that you should keep an eye out for in the UFC 165 edition of Hidden Storylines.

Hypothetically, What Happens If Alexander Gustafsson Beats Jon Jones?

It seems like everyone in the world that doesn’t live in Sweden is picking Jon Jones to retain his UFC light heavyweight championship against Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 165, but no one is asking what will happen if “The Mauler” pulls off the upset victory. Sure, it’s unlikely, but so was this, and it’s always foolish to count a challenger out completely.

If Gustafsson wins, it seems likely that the UFC will do an immediate rematch with Jones, even if UFC president Dana White won’t admit it. Sure, it would be nice for the UFC to have a European champion, but the truth is that Gustafsson will never be a star on Jones’s level, and it’s in the UFC’s best interest to do the rematch right away if he somehow loses.

In that sense, Gustafsson is in a bit of a no-win situation. Yes, he will be on top of the world for a few months, just like Chris Weidman is right now, but if he loses the rematch then everyone is going to think the first fight was a fluke and they wont give him the credit he deserves.

We’ll see what happens on Saturday night, but don’t expect a sudden changing of the guard at 205 if Gustafsson wins, and instead expect for the UFC to announce the rematch at the event’s post-fight press conference. As Gustafsson said himself, “I think every champion deserves a rematch.”

Does Renan Barao Become A Star With A Dominant Win?


(Seriously, Jon? You can’t take a break from Candy Crush Saga for five seconds? / Photo via Getty)

By Adam Martin

UFC 165 takes place on Saturday night at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and while most of the media’s focus has been on headliner UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, there are 25 other fighters on the card fighting this weekend that need their stories to be told, too. I can’t write about them all, but I’ve picked four fighters this weekend that you should keep an eye out for in the UFC 165 edition of Hidden Storylines.

Hypothetically, What Happens If Alexander Gustafsson Beats Jon Jones?

It seems like everyone in the world that doesn’t live in Sweden is picking Jon Jones to retain his UFC light heavyweight championship against Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of UFC 165, but no one is asking what will happen if “The Mauler” pulls off the upset victory. Sure, it’s unlikely, but so was this, and it’s always foolish to count a challenger out completely.

If Gustafsson wins, it seems likely that the UFC will do an immediate rematch with Jones, even if UFC president Dana White won’t admit it. Sure, it would be nice for the UFC to have a European champion, but the truth is that Gustafsson will never be a star on Jones’s level, and it’s in the UFC’s best interest to do the rematch right away if he somehow loses.

In that sense, Gustafsson is in a bit of a no-win situation. Yes, he will be on top of the world for a few months, just like Chris Weidman is right now, but if he loses the rematch then everyone is going to think the first fight was a fluke and they wont give him the credit he deserves.

We’ll see what happens on Saturday night, but don’t expect a sudden changing of the guard at 205 if Gustafsson wins, and instead expect for the UFC to announce the rematch at the event’s post-fight press conference. As Gustafsson said himself, “I think every champion deserves a rematch.”

Does Renan Barao Become A Star With A Dominant Win?

UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barao is on a 31-fight unbeaten streak but I guarantee you if you asked your casual UFC fan friends if they know who he is, they’ll more than likely say they’ve never heard of him, and I believe this is a huge issue the UFC needs to address.

Barao is a nasty finisher, the main training partner of UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, and easily one of the most well-rounded pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. Yet, for some reason, there’s little buzz about this guy outside of MMA die-hards, even though he’s an absolute stud.

I’m not sure why this is, but I would guess it’s because the one time he was given any sort of significant exposure by the UFC he was one half of the main event of that horrible UFC 149 card and his dull performance there may have turned off fans for a while.

But that Urijah Faber fight was an anomaly, because other than that Barao has been nothing but a beast and if he can do the same thing he did to Brad Pickett and Michael McDonald against Eddie Wineland in the co-main event of UFC 165 then it may give him a huge boost with the casual fans who have only seen him fight Faber.

There will be a lot of people buying the card this weekend to watch Jones fight, so Barao will have a lot of eyes on him. This is a big opportunity for the 26-year-old, and if he can destroy Wineland like the betting odds suggest he will, the UFC could very well have a new star to promote. But he can’t just outpoint his opponent for the win like he did with Faber – he has to finish. And, on Satuday, we’ll see if he can do just that.

What Is Myles Jury’s Ceiling?

There aren’t many undefeated lightweight fighters in the UFC but one of them is fighting this weekend on the UFC 165 prelims and, if he wins, I expect him to take a serious jump up in competition in his next fight.

The fighter I’m referring to is of course Myles Jury, who takes on TUF 16 finalist Mike Ricci in what should be an exciting fight between two solid 155 pounders. But of the two fighters, I really do believe that it’s Jury who has the higher ceiling, and I think he will show exactly why he could be a future top-five lightweight, as I believe he will defeat Ricci in impressive fashion.

At 12-0 overall and with a 3-0 record in the UFC, Jury has surprisingly flown under the radar but don’t let the lack of media attention for this guy fool you, as he is one of the most underrated prospects in the division, and he could eventually make a run for the title with a little more seasoning.

Training every day with Michael Chandler and Ross Pearson at Alliance MMA in San Diego, Jury definitely has the right training partners surrounding him to give him the push he needs to reach his ceiling. He’ll take his next step to get there — at Ricci’s expense — on Saturday night.

What Can We Expect From Jesse Ronson?

Arguably the best lightweight prospect in Canada makes his UFC debut this Saturday night in his home province as London, Ontario’s Jesse Ronson took a short notice fight against Michel Prazeres in order to get his long-awaited shot in the UFC’s Octagon, and I am confident he is going to make the most of it.

I’ve followed Ronson’s career for years and I’ve seen him fight twice in person, against Alex Ricci and Ryan Healy in Score Fighting Series. Let me just say that there is a reason this guy is nicknamed “The Body Snatcher,” as he possesses some of the best body work in the entire lightweight division, and he showed that in the Ricci fight as he destroyed his opponent’s gut with brutal punches to the stomach.

Against Prazeres, I expect Ronson to really take it to his opponent in the standup game and I predict he’ll be celebrating a victory in his UFC debut with a dish of Brazilian liver, following a dominant performance that showcases his ability to attack his opponent’s torso.

I believe that Ronson has a very bright future and if he runs through Prazeres like I expect him to, this is a guy who could become the new Sam Stout — coincidentally, his main training partner at Adrenaline in southern Ontario — that is, an extremely exciting standup fighter who is always in the running for post-fight bonuses.

Five Hidden Storylines For UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie

By Adam Martin

There doesn’t seem to be much buzz about UFC 163, but when you look at it deeper, it’s actually a fairly intriguing card with a number of hidden storylines buried amidst all the injuries and lineup–changes. Here are five reasons why what happens at UFC 163 actually matters.

Aldo vs. Jung: A Fight That May Change The Face Of Not One, But Two Divisions

Not many people are talking about this, but UFC 163’s main event featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and challenger Chan Sung Jung is one of the rare fights that could have an immediate impact on multiple weight classes.

If Aldo wins, he’ll be on a 16-fight win streak, and it’s quite possible that he’ll make the decision to move up to 155 pounds, something that he has hinted at doing for a long time. Now 26 years old, Aldo is finding it harder to make the weight cut down to 145 pounds, and if he can beat Jung in spectacular fashion this weekend, he might tell the UFC he wants to make a run at lightweight.

If he does go to 155, expect Aldo to receive an immediate title shot, which would mean TJ Grant would be out on the sidelines yet again as Aldo would most certainly face the winner of the UFC 164 main event between Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis later this month.

Of course, it’s possible that Aldo stays at 145 and keeps defending his belt against new challengers such as Ricardo Lamas, but I honestly think a move to 155 isn’t as far away as some think it is.

And if Jung shocks the world this weekend and becomes the man to end Aldo’s streak? Well, Aldo could still move up to 155, or he could stay at 145 and possibly get an immediate rematch since he’s been such a dominant champ at the weight. It’s really his call.

At the end of the day Aldo is going to have some big decisions to make after UFC 163, and they’re decisions that the whole MMA world is going to be interested in. Now, let’s wait and see what happens.

Does The Machida vs. Davis Winner Earn A Title Shot?

By Adam Martin

There doesn’t seem to be much buzz about UFC 163, but when you look at it deeper, it’s actually a fairly intriguing card with a number of hidden storylines buried amidst all the injuries and lineup–changes. Here are five reasons why what happens at UFC 163 actually matters.

Aldo vs. Jung: A Fight That May Change The Face Of Not One, But Two Divisions

Not many people are talking about this, but UFC 163’s main event featherweight title fight between champion Jose Aldo and challenger Chan Sung Jung is one of the rare fights that could have an immediate impact on multiple weight classes.

If Aldo wins, he’ll be on a 16-fight win streak, and it’s quite possible that he’ll make the decision to move up to 155 pounds, something that he has hinted at doing for a long time. Now 26 years old, Aldo is finding it harder to make the weight cut down to 145 pounds, and if he can beat Jung in spectacular fashion this weekend, he might tell the UFC he wants to make a run at lightweight.

If he does go to 155, expect Aldo to receive an immediate title shot, which would mean TJ Grant would be out on the sidelines yet again as Aldo would most certainly face the winner of the UFC 164 main event between Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis later this month.

Of course, it’s possible that Aldo stays at 145 and keeps defending his belt against new challengers such as Ricardo Lamas, but I honestly think a move to 155 isn’t as far away as some think it is.

And if Jung shocks the world this weekend and becomes the man to end Aldo’s streak? Well, Aldo could still move up to 155, or he could stay at 145 and possibly get an immediate rematch since he’s been such a dominant champ at the weight. It’s really his call.

At the end of the day Aldo is going to have some big decisions to make after UFC 163, and they’re decisions that the whole MMA world is going to be interested in. Now, let’s wait and see what happens.

Does The Machida vs. Davis Winner Earn A Title Shot?

Following his knockout of Ryan Bader at UFC on FOX 4, UFC president Dana White told Lyoto Machida that he would be getting the next light-heavyweight title shot because he had “the most impressive win” of any light heavyweight contender on that card.

But after after the debacle that was UFC 151, Machida ended up having to fight Dan Henderson to re-affirm his spot as the No. 1 contender at 205 pounds, and he did so with a split decision win at UFC 157, a win that White said would earn Machida his title shot.

However, the fans responded negatively to the fight with Henderson, and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones said he wasn’t interested in fighting Machida so soon after he already choked him unconscious at UFC 140. And so, Alexander Gustafsson instead got the next 205-pound title shot, and now once again Machida will have to earn another win — this time against Phil Davis — to stay in the title talks.

If he can KO Davis in impressive fashion at UFC 163, expect Machida to fight the winner of Jones vs. Gustafsson — unless it’s another boring fight, in which case the UFC will likely pass him over yet again. So it’s really up to Machida how he wants to approach things.

As for Davis, he’s never fought Jones yet so a finish of Machida this weekend could do wonders for his career and get him to that title fight with Jones he so dearly craves. But again, he can’t just eke out a decision over Machida; he has to get the stoppage, because that’s what the fans want to see from someone who is supposedly going to challenge Jones.

The UFC hasn’t guaranteed either man a title shot with a win on Saturday night, which means both guys don’t have as much pressure on them as they normally do, but make no mistake about it, this is a huge fight in the light-heavyweight division and the winner may very well be fighting for the world championship before the end of the year.

The Return of Cezar ‘Mutante’ Ferreira

Coming back from an injury layoff that has lasted over an entire year, Cezar Mutante returns to action this weekend in a main card matchup against Thiago Santos at UFC 163.

Mutante hasn’t competed since UFC 147 in June of 2012, when he defeated Sergio Moraes to win the TUF Brazil 1 middleweight bracket. One of the stronger fighters in the division, Mutante is a protégé of Vitor Belfort and the UFC has high hopes for this guy, which is why he’s getting a main card slot despite his unseasoned record and the fact he hasn’t fought in forever.

I do believe Mutante has some potential because of his well-rounded game, but I’m just not sure how far he can actually go — although his ceiling is high if his chin holds up against the big boys of 185. Still, he really should roll against Santos, who took this fight on short notice and is a natural welterweight. And if Mutante can get a highlight-reel win, expect the UFC propaganda machine to really start cranking on this guy, because he definitely has the look and the skills to be sold as a future champion down in Brazil, even if many observers of the sport believe he’s been overrated by the promotion.

Is John Lineker The Next Great Flyweight?

Although the flyweights aren’t known for their knockout power, one fighter who does possess the ability to lay out his opponents at 125 pounds is John Lineker, who takes on Jose Tome in the opening fight of the UFC 163 pay-per-view.

Lineker is a 5’2″ beast, and he showed just how devastating his striking is in his last fight against Azamat Gashimov at UFC on FX 8, a fight that he won via brutal TKO in the second round, a victory which moved him to 2-1 overall inside the Octagon.

Since the flyweight division is so shallow, a win over Tome this weekend would up Lineker’s record to 3-1 and he could very well jump into the #1 contender spot at 125 pounds even though he lost to Louis Gaudinot at UFC on FOX 3 just last year.

But many people have already forgotten about that loss, and if Lineker knocks out Tome, even more are going to forget about it because the UFC is likely going to grant him a title shot at UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson.

The pressure is on, and we’re about to see how Lineker handles it.

The Fall of Ian McCall 

With a 0-2-1 record inside the UFC, flyweight Ian McCall has his back up against the wall this weekend and he’s no doubt going to need a victory over Iliarde Santos on the UFC 163 preliminary card if he not only wants to remain a title contender at 125 pounds, but also keep his job in the UFC.

This is a fight that McCall really should win — a fact he’s quite aware of — and although the theme of UFC 163 is mismatches between foreigners and Brazilians, McCall is one of the rare Americans who is considered the favorite, because, honestly, he’s light years ahead of Santos in term of talent and skill.

The problem with “Uncle Creepy,” though, is that he can get mentally unfocused at times. He’s acknowledged that himself, and blamed it for his loss to Demetrious Johnson at UFC on FX 3, a loss that cost him the chance to fight for the first-ever UFC flyweight title.

But in a shallow weight division (and with a brilliant moustache that makes him automatically marketable) McCall isn’t that far away from a trilogy match with “Mighty Mouse,” and if he gets by Santos this weekend, he could actually get that fight sometime soon.

If he loses, though, he could be given his walking papers. It’s crazy that there’s a sport like MMA where one win or loss could either garner you a shot at the title or lead to the loss of your job, but it is what it is, and that’s why I expect the best McCall we’ve ever seen this weekend to show up and do business. Because if he doesn’t, the fall of Ian McCall is going to be talked about by the hardcore fans on message boards for months and months to come, because this was the guy who was the #1 seed in the flyweight tournament just over a year ago.

Is there anything else on the UFC 163 card that has you interested — or at least slightly curious? Let us know in the comments section, and be sure to come back to CagePotato.com tomorrow night at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT for our liveblog of the PPV main card.