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UFC 187 Fight Card: PPV Schedule and Predictions for Johnson vs. Cormier Event

UFC 187 promises to be one of the most important events of the mixed martial arts year. Headliners Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier square off for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, which had been held by Jon Jones for the past four years. …

Due to Jones’ various legal problems, the UFC stripped him of the title and gave Cormier a bout against Johnson to determine the new champion.

In addition to crowning a new light heavyweight champ, UFC 187 will feature Chris Weidman defending the middleweight title against Vitor Belfort. It’s not unusual for UFC to have a show with two title fights, but the events surrounding the main event are so unique that this card takes on a different aura.

Johnson and Cormier are two of the best and most exciting fighters in the sport. Combined, they have just one loss in their last eight UFC fights, with four of those seven wins coming via stoppage.

UFC is not holding back anything to ensure a great night of fights. Here’s the entire card and predictions for what to expect Saturday night.

Pay-per-view main card starts at 10 p.m. ET. Fox Sports 1 preliminary card starts at 8 p.m. ET. UFC Fight Pass preliminary card begins at 6 p.m. ET.

Main Event Pick: Anthony Johnson vs. Daniel Cormier

It would be hard to find a better main event among current fighters on the roster than Johnson vs. Cormier. Johnson has been a different fighter since returning to the UFC in April 2014, winning all three fights with the last two coming via TKO in the first round.

He made an interesting comment about the change in his opponent from Jones to Cormier, noting the new challenger will present a more difficult challenge, via Damon Martin of Fox Sports:

I get to fight another elite athlete, a guy who, in my opinion, is actually a tougher fight for me than Jon Jones. DC’s a grinder, he brings it and this is his second chance, so I know he’s going to bring it even more. This is the same for everybody at the end of the day. You have two guys who are hungry to get the belt, and that’s what it’s about.

Even though Jones is a superior fighter to Cormier, there is something to be said for the way Cormier fights that can drive an opponent nuts. He’s evolved a lot over the years, going back to his Strikeforce days as a pure wrestler and submission specialist.

Per UFC.com, Cormier‘s striking is superior to Johnson’s with more significant strikes landed per minute (3.78 to 3.33) and better accuracy (48.12 percent to 45.47). Johnson has had more success grappling, though, with 2.53 takedowns landed per fight and 85 percent of takedowns defended.

It’s interesting to see how well Johnson does grappling because he’s not a submission fighter. Three of his four career losses have come via submission, and none of his 19 wins have come via submission (13 knockouts, six decisions).

The difference in the fight is Cormier‘s versatility. Even though the numbers favor Johnson as a wrestler, Cormier always has that skill in his back pocket dating back to his days as a junior college national champion in 2004.

There’s every reason to expect a close fight between two excellent competitors, but Cormier‘s all-around game and refusal to quit in his last bout with Jones at UFC 182 will give him a slight edge when the judges score the bout.

Cormier wins via split decision.

Middleweight Title Pick: Chris Weidman (c) vs. Vitor Belfort

Another year, another Belfort title fight. He’s one of those fighters who always win enough to justify getting a shot, but he so often comes up short when the lights are brightest.

Belfort‘s biggest win was for the light heavyweight title in 2004 against Randy Couture, though it wasn’t a dominant performance. One of the seams on his glove grazed Couture’s eye and caused the doctor to stop it early in the first round.

Couture got a rematch in August and dominated Belfort for three rounds before the referee stopped the fight. The 38-year-old is 0-3 in his last three title fights, though an optimist would point out those three fights came against three of the best fighters in MMA history (Couture, Anderson Silva, Jon Jones).

Belfort does provide a lot of excitement in his fights, regardless of the outcome. Going back to his Affliction days in 2008, his last 10 fights have all ended via stoppage.

This is Belfort‘s first fight since November 2013 due to various reasons, highlighted by a failed drug test for elevated levels of testosterone in February 2014.

Weidman has also had a long layoff, as he’ll be stepping into the Octagon for the first time since last July. He was scheduled to fight Belfort at UFC 181 in December and again at UFC 184, but the middleweight champion suffered injuries in training prior to both matches.

Weidman is on top of the MMA world right now. He ended Silva’s 17-match winning streak to capture the middleweight title and technically won the rematch even though it was stopped because Silva broke his own leg delivering a kick. Most recently, Weidman stopped Lyoto Machida to move his career record to 12-0.

The middleweight champion also presents a more well-rounded fighting style that can give Belfort problems, as ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto noted in his preview:

(Belfort‘s) not especially mobile, however, and Weidman should have plenty of opportunities to get this fight to the floor. Belfort is a threat off his back but Weidman‘s submission defense and ground-and-pound technique are exceptional. As good as Belfort‘s hips are on the floor, he’ll be in trouble if Weidman puts him on his back.

In a conference call, via Damon Martin of Fox Sports, Weidman said that he doesn’t expect to show any ring rust after being off for 10 months:

I mean, we’re in a tough sport. We’re always coming back from injuries, so it’s just like my wrestling background. You get hurt and you become stronger from it, and obviously I hurt my ribs. And it wasn’t — they healed pretty well. It healed fast, and I’ve had no issues in training again with the ribs. So no, I’m not worried about any ring rust, no worries about my ribs at all. So all good.

Weidman is operating at another level than anyone else in the middleweight division. Belfort isn’t a traditional middleweight, floating between 185 pounds and 205 pounds throughout his career, so the power he boasts in a punch could be more than Weidman is used to.

However, until Belfort proves he can rise to the occasion in a championship fight, his resume at 38 years old doesn’t support him being able to knock off a star in his prime.

Weidman wins via second-round TKO.

Fight of the Night: Travis Browne vs. Andrei Arlovski

In the scheme of things, Travis Browne vs. Andrei Arlovski isn’t going to change the heavyweight division landscape. Browne may crawl his way back into the title picture with a second consecutive win after his loss to Fabricio Werdum last April.

Yet certain matchups can provide all the entertainment fans need without turning someone into a star or altering the championship picture.

Browne has 11 career UFC fights (8-2-1) going back to his victory at The Ultimate Fighter 11 finale in 2010, with eight of them ending via stoppage, including his first-round knockout of Brendan Schaub at UFC 181. He’s also a fighter who just wants to put his hands up and throw, regardless of what happens.

Per UFC.com stats, Browne absorbs more significant strikes per minute (3.51) than he gives (2.91), yet he’s only been knocked out once in his career. Arlovski is a prominent striker with better defense, landing 2.96 significant strikes per minute and only taking 2.3.

That would seem to give Arlovski the edge, but he’s been prone to knockouts in the past with seven of his 10 career losses coming by punches. Browne is a step up in competition from recent opponents like Antonio Silva and Brendan Schaub.

Browne doesn’t have to be on point with his punching to defeat Arlovski. He just has to keep bringing the pressure, which won’t be a problem.

Browne wins via third-round TKO.

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Weidman vs. Belfort: Latest Comments, Weigh-in Info and Predictions for UFC 187

The term “bad blood” goes a long way in describing one of Saturday’s most anticipated bouts at UFC 187 when Chris Weidman steps in the Octagon with Vitor Belfort.This one has been on the minds of fight fans everywhere for quite a long time after delays…

The term “bad blood” goes a long way in describing one of Saturday’s most anticipated bouts at UFC 187 when Chris Weidman steps in the Octagon with Vitor Belfort.

This one has been on the minds of fight fans everywhere for quite a long time after delays, suspensions and more pushed back the dance, so there’s plenty to cover when it comes to pre-fight talk and analysis.

These two don’t like each other and one of the most prestigious straps in the promotion is up for grabs, so let’s take a look at recent chatter and more surrounding the fight.

Weigh-in Info and Comments

It’s best to just group these two together because, well, the weigh-in wasn’t of the normal variety.

These two have wanted to step in the Octagon for a long time, so it was only right the weigh-in was a spectacle. Weidman, who continues to earn his place as the top fighter in the sport, didn’t pull any verbal punches at the event.

There, he accused Belfort, who has his known suspension issues in the past, of cheating.

“I’m going to make him pay for it,” Weidman said, per ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto. “Cheaters never prosper. I’m going to make that little saying stick.”

Folks will recall the original bout, scheduled for one year ago, hit the shelf after Belfort tested positive for high testosterone levels. Okamoto pointed out on Twitter some of the pertinent details surrounding Belfort before the weigh-in:

For his part, Belfort remains positive in the face of lengthy delays surrounding the fight, and in a recent media call he pointed out he’s blessed to be in contention at the age of 38, as Mike Sloan of Sherdog.com captures:

“I’ve just been training and keeping my mind focused on what I can do. I wasn’t worried about what I couldn’t do and I’ve been evolving every day. It’s all about perspective [taking negative and turning it into a positive]. I’m blessed. How many guys from my era are still around?”

In short, the recent chatter is what one would come to expect from both after such a long buildup. Weidman touts a chip on his shoulder as he still pushes for global respect as champ and Belfort brings with him much of the same through adversity.

Oh, and in case anyone missed it in the chaos, both weighed in where they need to be.

Prediction

It’s easy to forget amid all the drama what a force the 38-year-old Brazilian star is each time he steps into the Octagon.

Since 2007, Belfort’s only losses came at the hands of Anderson Silva and Jon Jones, while his recent three-win streak features major triumphs against Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson.

At the same time, though, it’s hard to know which Belfort takes the Octagon at UFC 187. He’s a dominant striker and holds an advantage in that area against Weidman, but it’s impossible to know how the lengthy layoff will affect his performance.

Weidman, quietly, has been impressive.

He now features two wins against Silva, and while Belfort was dealing with out-of-ring issues, he even put on a Fight of the Year candidate in a unanimous-decision triumph against Lyoto Machida, silencing critics who consider his wins against Silva flukes.

The champ holds a distinct advantage over his opponent in the Octagon Saturday. Weidman’s an elite grappler in every sense of the description and averages a 3.69 takedown average over at UFC.com.

On the flip side, Belfort’s never been a force on the mat and only defends 51 percent of the takedowns that come his way. Barring an epic knockout blow by Belfort early, look for the technically superior Weidman to retain his strap via submission.

Stats and information via UFC.com unless otherwise specified.

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UFC 187: Start Time, Prelim Live-Stream Info and Full Fight Card Predictions

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will battle Daniel Cormier for the vacant UFC light heavyweight belt at UFC 187, a main event that was originally scheduled to feature superstar Jon Jones.
However, the UFC stripped Jones of his title and suspended him from the…

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson will battle Daniel Cormier for the vacant UFC light heavyweight belt at UFC 187, a main event that was originally scheduled to feature superstar Jon Jones.

However, the UFC stripped Jones of his title and suspended him from the company after he was reportedly involved in a hit-and-run incident, per Fox Sports Live (h/t Mike Bohn and Matt Erickson of MMA Junkie). Having failed to capture the gold from Jones in January—losing via unanimous decision—Cormier has stepped up to provide Johnson’s final hurdle for the prize.

This battle will round off a tremendous night of action in arguably the UFC’s most stacked night of the year. Here, we detail starts times for the prelims and the main card, with a rundown of live-stream options for those who are watching online.

Prelims Start Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT/11:30 p.m. GMT.

Main Card Start Time: 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT/3 a.m. GMT.

Live Stream: Fight Pass, UFC TV, YouTube.

Here’s a full selection of predictions, followed by a focus on the main event:

Johnson to Overcome Cormier…Just

It’s been well over three years since Johnson last tasted defeat in the UFC. Vitor Belfort’s victory at UFC 142 in January 2012 via rear-naked choke came inside the first round, but at that stage, it’s fair to say The Phenom’s explosive all-round style ranked as one of Johnson’s most dangerous potential matchups. Rumble has worked tremendously hard since then, racking up nine victories, to put himself on the brink of glory.

Just like Belfort in 2012, Cormier should be considered a nightmare opponent for Rumble. DC’s entire game plan is built around his top-quality wrestling skills. Cormier’s stocky frame allows him to overpower opponents in close quarters, particularly on the ground and up against the cage.

Despite being three inches shorter than Rumble, per UFC.com, Cormier’s high activity level will see him attempt to close the distance on Johnson’s jab. He’s a man who, if allowed to assert his bulk, will simply manhandle and overpower anyone in his path.

Johnson is a strong defensive wrestler, but he cannot allow Cormier the chance to limit his movement. Rumble is better-suited to staying on his feet, utilising short, sharp combinations to stop Cormier from trudging forward. His jab is an obvious go-to weapon, but weaving in and out with a variety of kicks should also slow his opponent down.

Rumble is expecting Cormier to throw everything at him, per MMA Weekly:

This fight is going to boil down to minuscule details. Most significantly of all, Johnson’s ability to concentrate is likely to be key. He is prone to losing his rhythm when under pressure, swinging wildly to try to regain control. These are the exact moments when Cormier can impose his frightening physicality.

However, Johnson’s previous experience against Belfort should stand him in good stead here. He’s become an increasingly thoughtful fighter over the years, mixing the right blend of control and all-out savagery, to put himself in this position.

If he moves unpredictably and doesn’t engage in grapples or any kind of lockup, Johnson should score enough points to grab the title.

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UFC Champ Chris Weidman Calls Vitor Belfort a Cheater at UFC 187 Weigh-Ins

UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is not happy with Vitor Belfort.
Weidman squared off with the 38-year-old Brazilian challenger at the weigh-ins for their upcoming UFC 187 scrap in Las Vegas, and the title-holder quickly made his feelings …

UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is not happy with Vitor Belfort.

Weidman squared off with the 38-year-old Brazilian challenger at the weigh-ins for their upcoming UFC 187 scrap in Las Vegas, and the title-holder quickly made his feelings known. The champ barked at Belfort and engaged in some aggressive banter before Joe Rogan asked him to voice his feelings.

Once the stage was his, Weidman let everyone in attendance know why he was so upset (skip to 33:15 in the following video for the altercation).

“You know, I left him alone with this whole drug test thing, but then we just found out during camp he had a 1,200 testosterone score,” Weidman said. “I’m 10 years younger than him and he’s got a way higher testosterone level. This guy’s still cheating, and I’m going to make him pay for it tomorrow night.”

That’s pretty direct, Mr. Weidman.

The root of his anger comes from some recent drug test results, where it was revealed Belfort did, in fact, have higher testosterone levels than the much younger Weidman.

According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, who obtained, studied and later released the results, Weidman had a 0.92 testosterone:epitesetosterone level, while Belfort had a 1.7 T:E ratio (most men have a T:E ratio of 1.0, per MMAJunkie.com):

Okamoto noted that these results do not necessarily prove anything, but it is surprising that Belfort, a fighter who recently had to regroup after the UFC banned testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), would post higher levels than Weidman in that category.

This, combined with Belfort’s less-than-stellar track record with failed drug tests, sent Weidman into a frenzy.

Thankfully for the 185-pound champ, he has the chance to put aside all doubt and prove himself the better fighter—enhanced or not—inside the UFC Octagon on Saturday evening at UFC 187.

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UFC and Dish Network Agree to New Contract: Latest Details and Comments

UFC renewed its partnership with Dish Network just in time for Saturday’s UFC 187 in Las Vegas.
UFC.ca passed along the official announcement: “UFC is pleased to announce the renewal of a multi-year partnership with DISH Network L.L.C. to c…

UFC renewed its partnership with Dish Network just in time for Saturday’s UFC 187 in Las Vegas.

UFC.ca passed along the official announcement: “UFC is pleased to announce the renewal of a multi-year partnership with DISH Network L.L.C. to continue providing all of the biggest and most anticipated UFC Pay-Per-View (PPV) events of the year to DISH’s approximately 14 million customers.”

UFC Chief Content Officer Marshall Zelaznik commented on the agreement as well, per UFC.ca: “We are thrilled that DISH will continue to carry UFC PPV events and featured content. Together with DISH we will continue to deliver all of our premium content for years to come.”

This deal will allow fans to watch Saturday’s UFC 187 fight card, which features the clash between Anthony “Rumble” Johnson and Daniel “DC” Cormier for the vacant light heavyweight title.

The fight headlines a main card that includes five showdowns and pits the power punching of Johnson against the wrestling background and impressive speed of Cormier.

Dan Downes of UFC.com described each fighter’s strengths and set the stage for the must-watch fight:

Currently riding a nine fight win streak (six by KO) Anthony “Rumble” Johnson is one of the hardest hitters in any division. While his opponent’s wrestling may be more highly touted, Rumble still defends takedowns at an 85% rate and has neutralized grapplers many times throughout the course of his career. An Olympic wrestler, Daniel Cormier gets another shot at gold after suffering the first loss of his career to Jon Jones. A volume striker, he excels at clinch work and dirty boxing.

Cormier lost his undefeated record to Jon Jones but now gets a shot at Johnson, who enters this fight with nine straight wins. Whichever fighter dictates the tempo and establishes his style of fighting in the early going will likely walk away with the title.

This new agreement ensures fans will get to see that happen Saturday.

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Dominick Cruz Flourishing in Analyst Role, Talks Upcoming Card for UFC 187

When Dominick Cruz steps into the Octagon to do his thing, something special happens. The fleet-footed bantamweight ruled the 135-pound ranks of both the WEC and the UFC until a nasty series of knee injuries put his career on the shelf for the better p…

While it was certainly an unfortunate turn for the San Diego resident, “The Dominator” stayed on his hustle and forged a bulletproof mental game that allowed him to make an impressive return to action when he starched savvy veteran Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 178 in September 2014.

In the aftermath of his win in Las Vegas, Cruz appeared ready to reclaim his place atop the bantamweight division, but another knee injury would force him to the sidelines once again.

Nevertheless, throughout all his trials and tribulations on the fighting side of his career, Cruz has used his time away from the cage to flourish in another avenue.

The former champion has become one of the premier analysts in the MMA game, and his work behind the Fox Sports 1 desk is proof of that notion. He approaches the analyst side of the fight with the same cerebral style he’s used throughout his career at the highest level of the sport.

The insight he provides on fight night is top-notch. We corralled Cruz to get his take on the action coming up this weekend at UFC 187.

While you are working the pre- and post-fight shows this weekend for Fox Sports 1, you have also been involved in a multitude of shows for the network. Are things as busy as they seem for Dominick Cruz these days?

I really enjoy doing this kind of work, and it has been a learning experience. It’s been just another step in my life for me to evolve. Everything in my life happens for a reason, and I’m going to choose this chapter to continue my growth. That’s the way I look at it. It’s a job and it’s work, but thank God I have Fox giving me work because I can’t make money fighting.

We all know that if you aren’t making money prizefighting, then you better have a job somewhere to bring money in. And if it wasn’t for Fox, then I would have to go get a job somewhere around San Diego because everything is different when you are hurt the way I am. I look at this as a must-have job.

Having an analyst role on television comes with a wide variety of requirements. One of the biggest is being able to deliver quality information in a manner that is easily digested by the masses. During your time behind the desk, you’ve shown the ability to provide indepth analysis and insight, all the while still speaking in terms the casual fight fan can understand. Was this a major goal in your initial approach to the job?

To share information in a way that is easy to understand is something I strive for, but it’s also kind of something I’m just able to do. I really believe God gave me a gift to do this because I really had no other option.

I blew my knee out, and there went my form of income. It was sink or swim in this situation, so I got to work. I’ve put everything I can into getting better. I’ve approached this with the same championship mindset I used in fighting. I just put on a different hat and used that same intensity to learn how to break down fights.

I remember when I was coming up and I brought this style analysts didn’t have a clue at beginning to explain. So they just called it weird and awkward when it was neither of those things. Now, I’m in the position where it doesn’t matter what the style is; I know how to break it down.

I’m a professional fighter who can do every element of mixed martial arts, and whenever a new style comes in I can break down every aspect of it. Instead of fighters coming up and having their styles called weird or whatever, I’m glad I can be there to be able to analyze them and call things what they really are.

Let’s turn our attention to the action this Saturday at UFC 187, and we’ll start with the main event bout between Anthony Johnson and Daniel Cormier for the vacant light heavyweight crown. The details regarding how this fight came to be have been well-documented, and it’s hard to deny the fact the absence of Jon Jones is something that is hanging over this fight.

You also have Cormier coming off a title loss to Jones—the first of his professional career—and Johnson having the chance to rise to championship status despite being released from the organization several years ago.

What do you think is going on in both men’s heads as they are heading into their showdown on Saturday night in Las Vegas?

I honestly don’t think redemption or any of those other things are on their minds right now. Daniel and Rumble are just thinking about going out there and fighting the man in front of them. That’s the thing about fighters people don’t really understand.

When we are getting ready for a fight, we try to keep things as basic and bland as possible for our brains. You shut out everything that doesn’t matter and only focus on the things that do. And if I’m D.C. or Anthony, the only thing I’m thinking about is the style of the fighter that is going to be in front of me.

People’s opinions or people saying the winner of this fight won’t be the true champion because they didn’t beat Jon Jones…none of that really matters. All that matters is Cormier knowing Rumble Johnson throws heat, and he’s gonna want to take my head off. He has a good right high kick but stays pretty stationary.

On Johnson’s side he’s thinking about D.C. having good head movement and strong underhooks, so he’s going to have to keep my elbows in. Things like that because they are worried about the fight. That’s it.

The co-main event at UFC 187 will feature the long-awaited bout between middleweight champion Chris Weidman and No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort.

This is an interesting situation because this fight was supposed to happen on a number of occasions, but Belfort backing out after the Nevada State Athletic Commission banned TRT and Weidman getting hurt twice has kept this collision from happening.

All the waiting will be over on Saturday night, and what is it like for these fighters to have to go through the start, stop then start again process?

That’s part of the fight game. Look at the positions I’ve been in. I was supposed to fight like three different times, but I had to pull out due to injury. That sucks, but I can’t just give up because I happened to get injured again. I had to keep my mind strong, and then I came out and won in my return fight. These guys are thinking the same way.

Like I said, none of that other stuff matters. None of the past injuries or the dates that were set and fell apart matter to these guys right now. The only thing that matters is they are fighting now and doing what it takes to stay healthy, peaked, sharped and perfect on fight night.

That is what they are thinking about right now, and I can guarantee you they don’t care about any of the other things that came before. I guarantee it.

Vitor Belfort is obviously well-known for his striking, but Chris Weidman has some underrated skills in that department in his own right. They both have strong ground games as well, so how do you see this fight playing out stylistically?

I see Weidman taking Belfort down and Vitor wanting to close his guard because he’s very confident in his black belt in jiu-jitsu. I see Weidman being able ride out Vitor for a long time because of the habits Belfort has with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Now, that’s just saying Vitor believes in his ground game that much that he stays on his back, keeps closed guard and tries for submissions from his back, while Weidman is punching and controlling the top position. If things play out this way, I don’t see Vitor having a lot of success.

If Vitor comes out and does what he’s done with a lot of people, then he will strike and strike and strike, and that is where he’ll have the best chance to beat Weidman. Then again, there are times when Vitor gets taken down where he’ll use submission attempts to get back to his feet.

He’ll go for an armbar to create space, and then after he misses the armbar his feet come back down to the hips, and he kicks you away, turns into a single and then stands up. This is the type of stuff Vitor must do in this fight. He has to rely on some of his wrestling at least to get up because Weidman will take him down at least once.

If Vitor closes his guard and accepts that takedown then Weidman is just going to keep punching, and the chances of him being able to submit Weidman are much slimmer than him being able to knock Weidman out in my opinion.

Moving down the card, let’s talk about Donald Cerrone. “Cowboy” is currently riding a seven-fight winning streak and has consistently looked better each and every time out during this current run. What have you seen in Cerrone’s game as of late as opposed to the Cerrone from just a few years back?

More than anything I believe Donald just found his peace. He found out the way his own brain works is what I see. He knows all of the sports and activities he does before his fights are coping mechanisms.

Some people stay quiet and do nothing, but Donald Cerrone goes and uses adrenaline throughout every single thing he does. He uses it to cut weight, stay mentally sharp and to feel larger-than-life. He uses it as a tool to get ready for the fight that is coming up. He does it to keep his mind off how much he needs to fight.

It’s just another day to him, and that’s how he makes peace with it. He knows he’s going to have to get in there and fight, but he’s still going to go wakeboarding or jump a dirt bike. He takes out the importance of the fight in his brain and makes it just another fun thing he’s doing. That’s what I think has really changed for Cerrone.

He found peace and also narrowed the biggest hole in his game in his wrestling. He’s worked on. He didn’t just try to make his other areas stronger to avoid that part of his game; he brought in wrestlers that could manhandle him. He took his lickings, and now he’s a little bit better at it. Fixing his wrestling and getting his mind together are two of the big things that have made all the difference in his style.

There is a heavyweight fight on the card between Travis Browne and Andrei Arlovski, and this fight is interesting for several reasons. First and foremost the winner could be poised to get the next shot at the heavyweight crown, but these two fighters are also very familiar with one another due to being former training partners. In your experience, what is it like to compete against someone you have trained with and know on a personal level?

For some people it’s a good thing, and they like to be friends with the person they are fighting because it gives them this feeling of a safe zone or peace because they are friends with the person. As far as Travis and Arlovski go….I’m not sure exactly. I don’t know what they know. They may have trained together a while ago, but who knows how long ago that was or how the training sessions went?

We also don’t know how their respective camps went. Therefore training together a few years ago could mean very little other than maybe remembering some details about who was stronger or faster in sparring. Getting a little confidence one way or the other is the only thing I really see having to do with their past training in this fight.

In your opinion where does this fight sit in the run for the next shot at the heavyweight title?

I think the UFC is dying for stars in the heavyweight division and a lot of other divisions because we are doing so many shows. If the winner of this fight got the next title shot, I wouldn’t be surprised or upset because they both bring it.

We really need to get some more title fights going. We need as many title fights as we can get just as we need as many promising potential contenders as we can get as well. The winner of this fight getting a shot wouldn’t bother me one bit.

Let’s close things up talking about that exact scenario in the flyweight division. There are a pair of high-profile fights at UFC 187 as Joseph Benavidez faces John Moraga to kick off the pay-per-view portion of the event, and John Dodson faces Zach Makovsky in the showcase fight on Fox Sports 1.

With everything being so closely contested in the 125-pound ranks, does it come down to the fighter who wins the most impressively on Saturday night getting the next crack at Demetrious Johnson’s flyweight strap?

I think that’s very possible. I mean why not? Demetrious has been dominating everyone he’s faced and has pretty much cleaned out the division, so anyone they can scrape up at this point is sounding pretty good. I could definitely see the fighter who wins in the most impressive fashion getting the next title shot or maybe another title shot for some of the fighters involved.

Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.

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