UFC will deliver a stacked card TONIGHT (Sat., Sept. 27, 2014, when it pulls the trigger on UFC 178 live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Before the action begins, take a look at the special fighters and fights who have the potential to haul in one or more of UFC's performance-based bonuses.
UFC 178 will take place tonight (Sat., Sept. 27, 2014) from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has really put its best foot forward with this pay-per-view (PPV) event, presenting a slew of high-level mixed martial arts (MMA) match ups with well-known fighters throughout the card.
Though originally set to be headlined by a Light Heavyweight title clash between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, an unfortunate injury to the former means that the bout was replaced by Demetrious Johnson defending his Flyweight strap against dubious title challenger, Chris Cariaso.
In the co-main event of the evening, Donald Cerrone looks to give a not-so-warm welcome to former Bellator 155-pound champion Eddie Alvarez, who is making his Octagon debut after a drawn out negotiation period between himself, Bellator and UFC. Also featured on the card is a fight between two Featherweight standouts with bad blood, as Dustin Poirier looks to kill off the hot streak of brash Irishman, Conor McGregor.
The card also features the return of Cat Zingano following her knee injury that derailed her title shot against Ronda Rousey, as well as Dominick Cruz's return following his baffling three-year stint on the sidelines because of various injuries.
All in all, UFC 178 a very nice card, so let's break down some of the fighters most likely to leave this event with fat bonus checks:
Demetrious Johnson (Fighting Chris Cariaso): Cariaso really has no business being in a title fight, much less against arguably one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today. Johnson is a clever fighter with a complete and ever-evolving skill set, one with who I doubt Cariaso can keep up. Cariaso has an advantage no where, and I expect Johnson to show the reason he is just a step ahead of everyone else in the Flyweight division here.
Donald Cerrone vs. Eddie Alvarez: These are two of the most exciting modern-day MMA Lightweight fighters. Period. Cerrone is on a hot streak, and Alvarez has much prove, so neither of these guys should will likely back down from a hearty performance to come out victorious. These men are just so skilled everywhere, and so prone to having terrific back-and-forth performances, that I just can't see this being anything but a thriller ... regardless of who comes out with his hand raised.
Conor McGregor (Fighting Dustin Poirier): McGregor is a master of being brash outside of the cage, but freakishly cool-headed within it, and I think that makes a huge difference in this fight. Poirier is a solid fighter, don't get me wrong, but he is wild in his striking approach and seems to love eating big strikes early into his fights, which is a death sentence against a fast starter like McGregor. Expect some pinpoint blasts to Poirier's chin, and for McGregor to make his title bid known in short order in this fight.
Takeya Mizugaki (Fighting Dominick Cruz): Though it isn't as difficult as coming back to a title fight upon a return after a three-year absence from fighting, Mizugaki is a hellish match up for Cruz -- or anyone for that matter -- simply because of his high output and incredible workrate. Following such a long layoff, it's difficult to have any faith in Cruz here, and I expect Mizugaki to take this fight to him in every way possible.
Patrick Cote (Fighting Stephen Thompson): I know Thompson can do some cool stuff, but I really don't think much of him as a good MMA fighter. Someone who can put him on the back foot is always going to give him trouble -- as we saw with Matt Brown -- and I think we'll see that here again when he faces a very hard-nosed opponent in Cote. "Predator" isn't going to allow Thompson to settle in, and is more than comfortable taking some hard shots if it means he gets a crack at his opponent's chin, which is what I think he'll be doing here.
Expect a lot of excitement from this card, and a lot of change ups in the rankings in several divisions. UFC brought its "A-Game "with this card, even if its original main event fell through, so this really is a can't-miss event.
Enjoy the fights, Maniacs!
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